Izuku stared intently at the stage. Kacchan was going up against Bruce Wayne. He honestly did not know how this fight would go. Bakugo was amazing, but Wayne… Deku surprisingly had little to go off of. He could tell that the teen was very intelligent as his gadgets and strategic thinking demonstrated. His fights against Kirishima and Ashido were so short that they didn't show off much of Bruce's capabilities. Izuku could see that he was very fast and had quick reflexes, and he must be quite strong if he was able to knock out Kirishima with a single kick.

"Kacchan has trained his Quirk since middle school to prepare himself for U.A.. Even though he can still get stronger, he is by no means weak. Wayne has a useless Quirk; he said it himself. Kacchan will definitely go all-out on him, too. And yet… this match doesn't feel clear-cut," he murmured. Ochacho turned to him. "Something tells me this will be the hardest match these two have so far."

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually worried for Wayne," Mari said. "Why's that? Ya thinkin' that loud-mouth varmint will take down Wayne?" asked Greg. "No… maybe," she replied uncertainly.

Nathaniel was tense. "I want to believe that Wayne can win… but Bakugo isn't like his previous opponents. This won't be easy." Arthur glanced at his friend. "That guy does have tenacity, I'll give him that. So does Wayne, swish." The blonde crossed his arms. "However, that isn't enough to determine who will win."

Zatanna wriggled her hands. "I'm scared. That Bakugo guy really has it in for Wayne. He might seriously hurt him." Jason's frown deepened. "Bakugo has a savage way of combat. Wayne likely will not escape unscathed. But I think he can win. Bakugo may outclass him in terms of Quirk strength, but Wayne outclasses him in everything else."


"Alright, everyone! Here is a highly anticipated fight! The second to last round! From Class 1-A: Katsuki Bakugo! Versus- From Class 0-JL: Bruce Wayne!"

The stadium echoed with cheers and whistles as the opponents glowered at each other.

This fucking Rich Boy… he's just some Quirkless trash that has a lot of money to throw around. He doesn't deserve to be here. The blonde flexed his hand. I'll show him he's out of his depth!

Bruce's eyes narrowed when he saw Katsuki aggressively smiled. He's planning something. He's a bully, but he isn't stupid. He could easily overpower me with his Quirk. The versatility he shows with it is honestly impressive. So the best chance I have at winning is by outsmarting him.

"Start!"

Bakugo blasted off towards his opponent. "You're dead, Rich Boy!" Bruce scowled and seemingly braced for impact. At the last second, he threw a bat that blew up in Bakugo's face. That didn't slow down the blonde at all. In fact, it just enraged him even more. With a yell, he gunned towards Bruce, who dodged by rolling to the side. Katsuki quickly redirected himself and headed straight towards the other teen. He slammed his palm into the ground, blowing Bruce back and breaking concrete. Bruce slid back on his feet, his expression not changing. The blonde gritted his teeth.

"What's with that look, Rich Boy? You've had that same look since the beginning. You're looking down on me, aren't you!?"

He rocketed at him again. "I'll blast that damn look off your fucking face!" While he closed the distance between them, Bruce made no move to dodge. He was watching and waiting for the right moment.

Careful… it will show… the perfect opening…

"DIE!" exclaimed Bakugo as he extended his right arm in a wide swing.

There!

Bruce caught his opponent's arm, much to his surprise. With his own determined yell, Bruce threw Katsuki over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground. The blonde gasped on impact.

The move brought back memories. Of when that damn nerd Deku managed to take him by surprise during the battle trial. When that loser managed to win. When he managed to beat him.

Bakugo's eyes shot open and explosive red met icy blue. Still lying on his back, he brought his hands together. Bruce's eyes widened.

"Stun Grenade!"

The resulting flash of light obscured the stage. Bruce managed to close his eyes before he was blinded and quickly backflipped away. Once the light died, Bruce fired a grapple at the now standing Bakugo. The blonde used an explosion to throw it off course, but that gave enough time for his opponent to throw three bats at him. Bakugo batted them away with another explosion, then he felt something wrap around his leg. He only managed to sneak a shocked glance down before Bruce yanked the grapple hard. Katsuko was pulled through the air and was slammed face-first into the concrete.

The students of Class 1-A winced. "Damn, that's gotta hurt," said Kaminari. "It's unbelievable. Bakugo hasn't gotten a single hit on Wayne," Sero said.

The cable unraveled from Katsuki's leg while he struggled to his elbows, and Bruce reeled back in his grapple. The blonde stood up and turned to glare at Bruce. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth.

"Damn you… damn you Rich Boy… you're just like him… that damn Deku!"

Bakugo used his Quirk to rush at the other teen.

He's suddenly become even more enraged. He was reminded of Midoriya? What is with these two?

No time to think about that. He had to focus on the irate blonde coming at him.

He is letting his anger take over. That'll leave him open.

He fired his grapple to distract the other teen again. Once again Bakugo knocked it out of the way with an explosion, but this time he hit it an angle that sent the grapple hook back at Bruce. The black-haired teen's eyes widened, and he tried to dodge, but the metal made contact and left a gash across his cheek. This gave an opening for Bakugo to attack. He struck Bruce's left side and unleashed a blast. His opponent shouted in pain.

"Wow! Bakugo manages to land a solid blow on Wayne!" Present exclaimed.

That caused a stir in the stands.

"That's the first time anyone's hit Wayne," said Clark.

Izuku watched intently. "As I thought, Kacchan will be a difficult opponent for Wayne. It's going to be a long fight."

Bruce was still reeling from the pain of his scarred side being struck, giving Katsuki the chance to get behind him and fire another explosion.

"DIE!" he shouted.

The stinging heat engulfed the teen's back and sent him rolling on the ground. He managed to stop in a crouch. Bruce glared at his opponent.

Bakugo returned with his own scathing eyes. "You see now, Rich Boy? Quirkless trash like you shouldn't be on the same stage with me." Bruce sneered. "If I'm trash, then why bother talking down to me? Do you just have to hear what you say to reassure yourself that you might be able to beat me?"

His opponent snarled like a beast. "Shut up!" He blasted into the air and rocketed towards Bruce. "I don't need reassurance! I know I can beat you!" He extended his palm forward and fired an explosion that Bruce dodged by ducking down into a full split. He quickly exited out of the position and swung his legs backward and up. His heel slammed into the back of a surprised Bakugo's head, forcing his face into the ground. Bruce kept his own face off the concrete by propping himself on his bent arms. He pushed off his hands and backflipped away. Bakugo coughed and spat out blood.

"Whoa! That was one heck of a kick! Wayne has got some wild flexibility there!" commented Present Mic. His co-commentators nodded in agreement. I've taught him all I know about escapology. It's only natural that his flexibility would also vastly improve, Aizawa reminisced back to his earlier lessons with Bruce. His physical capabilities are nearly peaked. It's one of the factors that has allowed him to make it this far, thought Dr. Mid-Nite.

Bakugo wiped blood dripping from his nose with his thumb. With a determined yell, he sent a large explosion that tore through the concrete of the stage. Bruce rolled out of the way and looked up to see the blonde heading straight for him. He threw two explosive bats at him, but they just did little to deter Bakugo. He just tanked the blasts and continued on his path towards the other teen. He twisted through the air and struck Bruce hard on his left side. He didn't flinch or grunt and immediately grabbed Bakugo's wrist. He pulled his opponent close and rammed his elbow into the blonde's jaw. Katsuki hissed as his head was thrown to the side. He then heaved as Bruce struck him in the abdomen. His opponent released his wrist, allowing him to stagger back. The ache in his stomach caused him to lean forward a bit. Bruce spun to build up momentum for the kick that landed on the side of Katsuki's head. The force sent the blonde sliding on the ground. As he slowly got back to his feet, he watched as Bruce brushed the lingering smoke away from his uniform. He growled at the other's nonchalance. "If you think hitting me there is going to work twice, you're mistaken."

Bakugo "Tch!"-ed and fired several explosions at the other teen. Bruce dodged each of them but had to also focus on avoiding all the concrete debris the blasts kicked up. The blonde used that to his advantage and maneuvered behind his opponent. He pulled his arm back in a wide swing in preparation for a large explosion.

"Now die!"

Everything slowed down from Bruce's perspective as he turned to side-eye the other teenager. With a flick of his finger, his bo staff extended back and struck Bakugo in the stomach. The sudden jab stunned him, and his explosion died. Bruce then used the staff to lift Bakugo up and over before throwing him away towards the ground. He was quickly back on his feet. He watched as his opponent briefly spun the staff in his hand before getting in a stance. He growled.

"So you need a weapon? Can't do anything without your fancy-ass gadgets, Rich Boy?"

Bruce quirked an eyebrow. "You do realize that many pros need support equipment to do hero work right? You do too if those gauntlets of your hero costume mean anything," he said as he remembered when he first met Bakugo. He's still going to pay for trying to attack Clark.

He ran towards the blonde. Bakugo thrust his arm forward to throw an explosion at him. Bruce ducked under and slid across the concrete to get behind his opponent. He cracked his metal bo against the back of Katsuki's knees causing him to cry out in pain. He buckled a bit, and Bruce sent a high kick into the blonde's back that left him sprawling on the ground. Katsuki got onto his hands and knees and looked up and behind him to see Bruce up in the air and ready to bring the bo staff down on him. The blonde quickly rolled out of the way. The metal connected with the concrete with a resonating "CLANK!".

Bruce didn't pause in his attack. He sent a powerful kick into Bakugo's abdomen that lifted him up into the air a bit then swung his bo staff down on him sending him back to the ground. As Bakugo gasped while lightly bouncing off the concrete, Bruce unleashed another kick that sent him rolling away.

Katsuki coughed as he swayed back onto his feet. The other teen didn't give him the chance to catch his breath. Bruce rushed at him and thrust a barrage of rapid jabs. Bakugo just barely brought up his arms to shield himself. Bruce drew the staff back and a final jab struck his opponent's arm guard. Katsuki grunted as he was forced back. Ignoring the aches in his forearms, Bakugo threw them out to send a wave of explosions. Bruce simply leaped over the blast and over his opponent. He struck the back of the blonde's head with his staff, making him stumble. Bruce landed on one hand and flipped himself back onto his feet. He then twisted his body towards Katsuki and the bo staff caught him in the waist and threw him to the side.

The spectators watched in awe. Bruce was getting hit after hit against Bakugo, and he showed no sign of stopping.


Shayera smirked. "Looks like Bakugo is learning just how awesome Wayne is. Maybe he'll think twice about calling him 'Quirkless trash'," she growled at the end. "I doubt that," Hal said, "He's definitely going to be pissed after this though."

"That Wayne guy sure is giving Bakugo a hard time," commented Kyoka. Momo nodded in agreement. "His fighting skills are very impressive. He can hold himself against Bakugo so easily." She sighed and stared down at her lap. Though my Quirk is stronger than his, we are similar. Our Quirks aren't suited for combat, and we have to rely on our other strengths. Only… he can actually do something practical in a fight.


Katsuki coughed as he rolled onto his back. He struggled to sit up and propped himself up on his elbow. He glared at Bruce with absolute fury.

This damn Rich Boy… he shouldn't even be here… he's Quirkless! The only thing he has is all his money! That's all he's got! So why…!

Bruce's eyes trailed down to Bakugo's hands. He quickly averted his gaze to the side. The other teen's temper immediately spiked.

"Don't you dare fucking look down on me!" he roared.

He blasted towards the other teen who immediately brought up his staff to block an attack. However, Bakugo instead grabbed the middle of the staff and released several small explosions as he held on. Bruce squinted at the close brightness and heat.

What is he doing?

Bruce quickly flung Katsuki away, and he willingly let go of the metal bo and backed away. Bruce glanced at his weapon and stared at the glowing orange segment.

This staff is made from titanium. He compressed several explosions to heat it up to the melting point.

With a determined yell, Katsuki rocketed at Bruce. The other teen dodged, but the blonde used his Quirk to twist through the air, and he drove his heel into the softened middle of Bruce's staff. It easily snapped in half. He then followed up with a punch that connected with Bruce's cheek. The black-haired teen was sent to the ground and immediately flipped away and back onto his feet. He held onto his broken bo staff.

Bakugo landed in a crouch. "There. Now you won't be swinging that damn stick. It's time I-"

The blonde looked up to see Bruce already closing in on him. He ducked back just as his opponent swung the heated end of on bo segment. His red eyes followed the orange glow of the metal as it barely missed grazing the tip of his nose.

Bruce used the momentum of his swing to pivot around and landed a kick on his opponent. Bakugo grunted but held his ground. He threw an explosion that kicked up several bits of concrete. Bruce was blown back, and he used his arms to shield his face from the attack.

The two stared at each other as the smoke settled. Bakugo breathed heavily as he glared at Bruce who stood tall despite the singe marks on his arms and clothes. He was still holding the parts of his bo staff, making sure to keep the still glowing ends away from him.

"Your plan to get rid of my weapon was clever; I'll give you that." Bruce lowered his arms. "However, that's some serious shortsightedness on your part if you think breaking it would put me in a severe disadvantage." He rested one stick on his shoulder while spinning the other one in his hand. "A useful trait for anyone, but especially a hero, to have is adaptivity. If you fall apart when a plan starts going wrong, you've basically condemned yourself to failure. The plan isn't over yet, so there is still a chance to pull through and succeed." Bruce stopped spinning the stick and held it in front of him.

"They might be longer than average, but these should suffice as escrima sticks."

With that, he took off towards Bakugo, his newly dubbed "escrima sticks" by his sides. Once he got in close, he swung hit after hit at the blonde. Whenever the teen managed to block on strike, he would just get struck by the other.


"Wow! Bakugo just can't catch a break! Wayne is absolutely relentless!" Present Mic announced. While the crowds vibrated with awe, Aizawa and McNider focused on Bruce's fighting style.

"That martial art… is that Kali?" asked Dr. Mid-Nite. "Yes." Aizawa answered, "Though I trained weaponless, it's no surprise he can easily adapt to being armed." He watched as his two students fought. His old classmate hummed in thought. "It is impressive that Wayne can easily switch from long-range to close combat. Moreso is the amount of fighting styles he has demonstrated during this." Shota smiled under his bandages. "He is a quick learner. Every time I told him I would be teaching a new martial art, he would go research about it and train by himself. By the time I started, I really just had to work out some inadequacies." The man leaned back in his seat. "Of course, he still has a long way to go before he's mastered any of them." Dr. Mid-Nite leaned in a bit towards the match. "I can see that. But he is still quite skilled for a novice."

Present Mic turned to his friends and grinned. "Hey, hey! Shota! Charlie! You dads can gush about your kid later! Though I won't deny it's downright adorable!"

The two other men immediately glared at him. "Shut up, Hizashi," Aizawa growled. "Don't call me "Charlie", Yamada," McNider demanded, "I'll surgically remove your vocal cords." Mic dramatically fell back into his chair. "Ah! So cold! Come on, McNider! We've known each other since our U.A. days! Weren't we good friends then and now?" he asked as he made finger-guns at the 0-JL teacher. The pro hero stared a bit before returning his attention to the fight. "Yes, unfortunately."

Yagi watched the fight, thoroughly impressed. Young Wayne truly is frightening. Though Young Bakugo has issues with his personality, his Quirk is no laughing matter. Yet Wayne is dominating the fight despite being Quirkless! He paused in his thinking and turned his head to where Deku was sitting with his class. Quirkless… just like Young Midoriya was… and me... He turned back to watch. Could either of us have been in his position if we remained that way?


Class 1-B had always been second best to Class 1-A since U.A.'s beginning. The rivalry had only strengthened with the years. The first-years of 1-B were prepared to topple their greatest foe in the school. Only this year a new challenger entered. Class 0-JL had never existed before now, making it the first time there were three first-year hero course classes in U.A.. 1-B had overlooked it as the new kid on the block which proved to be a mistake. Several 0-JL students passed the obstacle course, knocking out a majority of 1-B. That caused a new sense of rivalry to spark. After the cavalry battle, the spark ignited into a blaze. They weren't going to let themselves fall to third place! But… as they watched 0-JL students advance through the fighting tournament, the blaze lost some of its fury, dampened by a gnawing feeling of dread and coldness.

"Class 0-JL… is quite talented," Kaibara observed apprehensively. "Yeah," Hiryu quietly agreed, "Kinda glad I never got the chance to fight any of them." "Hey, don't talk like that! Their little win streak here is just some beginner's luck! Those 0-JL jerks are nothing to be scared of!" exclaimed Tetsutetsu. Shiozaki turned to him. "It isn't good to lie," she said. Her classmate quickly turned to her and said, "I'm not lying! I'm not scared of them!" She asked, "Then why are you trembling?" Tetsutetsu immediately returned his attention to the fight. "I'm trembling out of excitement! That's all!" Shiozaki just sighed and shook her head.

Neito leaned back in his seat. "That's the right idea, Tetsutetsu. Once we get our next chance, we'll topple Class 0-JL along with 1-A. A shame we couldn't put them in their place now." Tsuburaba whirled towards him with wide eyes. "Seriously Monoma? You'd want to fight that!?" he exclaimed as he pointed at Bruce brutally kneeing Bakugo in the chin. The corner of Neito's smile twitched a bit and sweat beaded on his forehead. He quickly dismissed his classmate. "Even an inexperienced individual like me wouldn't bother with someone who has a useless Quirk." Many of his classmates easily saw through his facade and could see the effect Bruce had on him. Awase sighed and stared longingly at the black-haired teen. I wish he was in our class.


Bakugo fired another explosion that forced Bruce to jump back. Both of them panted in exhaustion. Bakugo because he had to endure so many hits, and Bruce because no matter how many attacks he landed, his opponent didn't fall.

He's an arrogant jerk… but he is persistent.

Katsuki glanced at his bruised arms. They ached deeply. He swore under his breath. I'll show him what happens when some extra thinks he can be No. 1! A sneer grew on his face. "Know your place, Quirkless trash!"

Bruce saw the smile and immediately tensed his stance. What are you planning?

Bakugo ran towards the other teen and used his Quirk to rocket into the air. He then used his explosions to propel himself in a circular motion. Bruce's eyes widened as a tornado of smoke with Katsuki in the middle headed straight for him.

He's using the tornado to collect oxygen and build up momentum. He's going to ignite it all!

"Howitzer…"

I can't dodge it!

"... Impact!"

The sheer heat and pressure hit first before the explosion engulfed Bruce and half the stage.

The shockwave was felt throughout the stadium. Bruce's friends, including J'onn who was still outside watching the jumbotron, stared with their jaws dropped. Their classmates were utterly silent. Despite their confidence in their classmate, there was just no way…

"B-Bakugo unleashed an absolutely huge blast! He's like a human projectile!" exclaimed Yamada. Dr. Mid-Nite snuck a glance at Aizawa. The other teacher was tense.

Class 1-A sat in shock. The biggest explosion they had ever seen Katsuki make was during his battle trial against Deku. And he had his Grenadier Bracer to help him with that.

Bakugo hit the ground and rolled a bit. When he came to a stop, he just lied on his front while panting. He struggled to push himself and managed to hold himself up on one knee. Though his head was hanging and his arms felt like they were about to fall off, he had a feral grin stretched out on his face.

"It took everything I had left… but I got him… I got that fucking Rich Boy…!"

"That was one hell of an attack."

Katsuki froze and slowly raised his head.

... No…

He stared at the wall of smoke that was gradually fading. A silhouette eventually came into view.

No way...

The smoke dissipated enough to reveal Bruce, his chest heaving, covered in soot and singe marks, and swaying on his feet. His uniform's edges were frayed and lingering smoke clung to him.

No… fucking… way!

Katsuki glared at the other teen and gritted his teeth.

"How…? How the fuck are you still here!? You were supposed to be blown off the stage!"

Bruce's eyes narrowed, and he dropped what he was holding. He leaned heavily forward as he tried to get air back into his lungs. His arms hung by his sides like old ropes. That's when Bakugo noticed what his opponent had been holding. Two grapples. The smoke finally cleared up, and Katsuki could see the cables reached ahead to the edges of the stage. The hooks dug into the concrete and barely held on.

In the split second before the explosion… he managed to get those out and set them up!

"Amazing! Wayne managed to literally hang in there and remain bounds! But he and Bakugo don't look like they're in the best of shape!" observed Present Mic.

Bruce slowly straightened up, his breathing beginning to even out. He made eye contact with the downed teen. He started to amble towards him.

"Don't come any fucking closer, Rich Boy! I'll kill you!" the blonde snarled as he raised his palms.

Surprisingly Bruce did. The teen's brow furrowed as he focused on the visible veins popping out on Bakugo's forearms and the strained agony on his face.

The silence was tense. Then in a flurry of movement, Bruce threw something at Katsuki. He wasn't able to move in time. The blonde yelled as a sharp pain shot through his hands. The projectiles continued to curve around him and embedded themselves in the stage. Bakugo turned his hands to see diagonal cuts across his palms. He glanced over his shoulder to see two bats in the concrete. He returned his attention forward at the sound of the rapid footsteps.

Bruce was rushing towards him. "Pretty sure it won't be a good idea to use your Quirk now! Not with those gashes!"

Bakugo snarled. "Shut up!" He held his hands up again.

The other teen's eyes widened when he saw a small spark. "Idiot!" With a burst of nearly all his remaining energy, he closed the distance between them and tackled the blonde.

Despite a struggle, Bruce managed to pin Katsuki on his front. He held his wrists down by his head and had his knee firmly placed on his opponent's lower back.

"Get the fuck off me!" Bakugo's vigor was temporarily reignited only to quickly fade. "No." Bruce tightened his hold. "You keep going, and your body's going to quit on you. Listen to it, you're done." Katsuki glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "I'm not done! Not yet! I'm not going to lose to a piece of Quirkless trash!"

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "There's no way you can use your Quirk now, and I highly doubt you'll be able to stand. This fight is over." Katsuki began flailing again which barely did anything. "Fuck you! You don't decide when this fight is over!"

"You're right. I believe that is Midnight's job," Bruce replied. The blonde under him stiffened, and he turned to look at the pro hero. "A fight is over when someone is either knocked out, knocked out of bounds, or immobilized, correct?"

Midnight nodded and directed her gaze at the restrained teen. "Bakugo, are you able to move?"

The teen laid completely still, but Bruce could feel him shaking. He didn't answer and just repeated, "Dammit, dammit, dammit…," into the concrete.

Bruce and Midnight stared at him for a bit before the woman announced, "Bakugo can no longer fight! Wayne moves on to the final round!" The audience burst into cheers and applause.

The black-haired teen sighed and carefully got off the blonde. Bakugo rolled over and sat up, his hair hiding his eyes.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…"

He looked up to glare at Bruce only to stare at the hand extended towards him. There was silence between the two.

"Do you need some help?"

"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you, Kacchan?"

Bakugo immediately slapped the hand away. His slightly unfocused red eyes met Bruce's icy blue ones. The taller teenager just stared with his usual impassiveness.

"I don't need help from the likes of you!" he snapped. He struggled to stand up and even when he managed to, he swayed a bit. As he started to walk past Bruce, he faltered at his second step and his knees buckled. Bruce easily caught the deadweight in his arm.

He weakly glared at the unconscious teen. "Idiot. Learn your limits first. Then train to surpass them."

When the gurney robots arrived, he gently laid Katsuki down. He watched as the blonde was wheeled away. At that moment his exhaustion decided to hit him like a stack of bricks.

Bruce grunted as he staggered back a bit. He brought his hand to massage his temple.

I definitely need to see Recovery Girl.

He looked over to his class' stand. They were all cheering, and some flashed him thumbs-up. All except Clark. He just stared at Bruce with silent anticipation. And he returned it.

This is it. I won't hold back because you're my friend Kent. I'm going to be No. 1!


Now for the Preview!

Here it is.

The finale of the Sports Festival.

Next time: Batman v Superman: Round 2

Who will be No. 1?


You all know what's coming up next.