"Ochaco, let's go watch together." Bulla told her friend. "We can gauge the teacher's strength that way!"
"Y-Yeah, but...won't teachers have different skill levels? I mean, none of our teachers are weaker or stronger by any means, they have all their own strengths and weaknesses..." She explained as Bulla scratched her cheek.
"R-Right. So let's go watch while we strategize, then..."
"You could have started with that, Bulla." Uraraka told her with a nervous chuckle, having made their interaction awkward with her comment.
"Wait for me!" Midoriya said as he joined them. "I want to watch, too. We won't have many chances to watch students in combat with the teachers. Besides, Kacchan won't want to talk strategy with me, anyway."
"You're right, it'd be nice to see how the pros that have been teaching us match up..." Bulla's voice suddenly trailed to Uraraka, her cheeks rosier than normal.
"Y-Yeah! I was just telling Bulla that none of them are weak or strong by any means..." Uraraka reiterated as Midoriya's eyes lit up.
"Of course!" He suddenly said as his face got closer to Uraraka's. "Our teachers are amazing and this is an incredible opportunity to watch them up close! Despite having seen what a few of them could do during the USJ incident, we get to see firsthand what our teachers can do!"
"There you go, again, Izuku. When it comes to heroes, you're so easily impressed!" Bulla told him with a smile, catching his attention to spare his gaze from Uraraka's brightened-red face.
"Oh, well... I've just always admired them..." He explained, tapping his fingers together.
"Well yeah, hasn't everyone? I'm sure ever since everybody gets their Quirk it's all they imagine." Bulla clarified, holding her hands on her hips as Midoriya's eyes widened.
"T-That's right! Haha, silly me, I guess it d-doesn't need to be said that we all wanted to be heroes!" Tripping over his words, Midoriya flailed his arms in front of him before nervously scratching the back of his head.
Huh? What's with him? He's an even bigger mess than Ochaco now. Her gaze analyzed Midoriya's worried expression, the sweat bead dripping down his cheek. As cold as it is in here, I'm surprised he's sweating, costume or not. Don't tell me that you're hiding something, Izuku... "Glad we cleared that up." Avoiding the conversation even further, she pointed to the screen. "Those two aren't going to make it very far trying to rip through all that cement. Sato is on a time-limit, and Kirishima has a stamina-limit." If it's you trying to hide something, Izuku Midoriya, then it must be important, so I'll drop it for now.
"You're right," Midoriya followed, "I don't think Cementoss has that kind of limit. Or at least, it far exceeds the time limit of the match."
"All of our teachers probably have that kind of stamina, if not more. The time limit won't really be an issue. Ochaco, if we want to succeed, we either need to face Thirteen head-on, or allow ourselves to get caught up in avoiding her and fail." Bulla explained to her partner.
"Wait, are you sure?! We don't have another way around it!?" She asked.
Shaking her head, Bulla crossed her arms. "We should be fine. I remember hearing during training that Thirteen is a rescue hero. She shouldn't have much combat experience that way, seeing as her Quirk could mortally wound somebody if she's not careful. I don't think there's much to worry about, but stay on guard." She said as her partner nodded.
"By the way, how are your sessions, dear?" Recovery Girl whispered to Bulla.
"Oh, they're going fine, Ma'am. Ms. Kanjo has been a great help already." She whispered back.
"And the medication?"
"I've noticed a loss of appetite, but I eat so much as is that it shouldn't make a difference."
"That's good to hear." Recovery Girl said at her normal volume. As a buzz sounded, it was announced that Kirishima and Sato had been knocked out.
"Geez, you two." Bulla shook her head in her hand. "Well, I guess you can stay entertained with Asui and Tokoyami, then." Bulla told her friends as she stretched her arms and turned away.
"You're not going to watch?" Ochaco asked her.
"I'm need to go to the bathroom, so don't worry, I'll be back before the match is over!" She told her with a thumbs up as she left her friends behind.
As they watched, Asui and Tokoyami, Recovery Girl explained their weaknesses, and the significance of their team-up. "Her level-headedness and ability to provide emotional support will be the key to their passing."
"Um, Recovery Girl?" Uraraka asked, catching her attention. "Do you know why Bulla and I was paired together? What weakness does she have that can be exploited by Thirteen?"
"Dear, answering a question like that would be cheating." She told her, causing her head to sink slightly before she continued. "That is, if she had any weaknesses. Midoriya and Uraraka's eyes widened, shocked to hear the old lady say this.
"Isn't it a bit much to say that Bulla has no weakness? Everyone has one, don't they?" Midoriya asked.
"It's true, she can be overpowered, but her Quirk doesn't quite have the limits that yours may have. She's special, in that sense. And she's classically trained in martial arts, as to not have to always rely on her Quirk. It's naïve to say this about anybody, but I can only think of a few situations in which that young girl would have her hands tied. Unfortunately, she doesn't quite see that yet. To correct my earlier statement, I guess you can say her only weakness is herself." She said, leaving the students utterly lost by her claim.
"I can't believe you missed not just that match, but the next one, too! Tsu and Tokoyami won, since Dark Shadow cuffed Ectoplasm, and Iida threw Aoyama and he shot his laser to push himself to the completion area!" Uraraka told Bulla.
"Hey, hey, I can't be blamed if their matches lasted no time at all! On the bright side, I made it in time to see Todoroki and Momo against Eraser Head. To tell you the truth, I'm really glad I didn't get him as my match."
"Huh? Mr. Aizawa?" Midoriya asked. "I feel like he'd have been a good pick for you. Even if he erases your Quirk, you're exceptionally skilled in hand-to-hand combat." He explained.
Shit! He would catch onto that little detail! "R-Right! But you know how I move around with my beams in combat so it'd be a real challenge for me if I didn't that mobility, haha..." Ugh, I'm a wreck.
"That makes sense. In that sense, Kacchan would be in worse boat, because he relies on it so much."
"It's tough to say with Bakugo, though. Knowing him, he'd go straight for Eraser Head. It'd be a race to see who could use their Quirk first. Once Bakugo hits a Stun Grenade, Eraser Head wouldn't be able to use his eyes. However, if his Quirk got erased first, he wouldn't be able to use his Stun Grenade before being captured." She explained.
"Oh yeah, I guess you're right." Midoriya confirmed, cradling his chin in his fingers.
"I didn't mean to exclude you, Ochaco. What are your thoughts?" Bulla asked her, leaning over to meet her slightly puffed expression.
"O-Oh! Well I think that the tide of a battle can be determined by the sequence of events... I mean, just think if a war between two sides broke out, and Side A used all their supplies, they'd be out of luck if Side B brought reinforcements, but if the reinforcements came earlier, they'd better ration their supplies, if that makes sense..."
"Hm. Indeed, that is an important aspect. Just like how you hide your ace up your sleeve!" Bulla told her with a smile before turning her attention back to the screen. "Why is Momo making nesting dolls..."
"Think about it," Midoriya interjected, "when she can't make anymore nesting dolls, that's when they'll know that they're in Mr. Aizawa's line of sight!"
"Ah, smart, Momo." The two students in their match remained on standby, the pile of dolls growing larger as Todoroki fiddled with something in the alleyway. All of a sudden, Yaoyorozu's pile of dolls ceased it's growth, and the two turned outward, watching all directions. Just then, from above, Eraser Head dropped down and bound Todoroki, quickly suspending him in the air as Yaoyorozu dove into the alleyway. Just before he could give chase, a couple of nesting dolls flew out of the alley, opening upon impact with their teacher. Suddenly, a bright light filled the area, allowing Todoroki to regain his flames.
As his flames burned away the capture scarf that bound him, he dropped down, shooting his flames out at the cloth that Yaoyorozu had catapulted forward. In an instant, the cloth snapped tightly around Eraser Head, and Todoroki froze him up to his waist to block any means of escape. "Wow, am I glad I didn't miss this one!" Bulla said. "They really turned the tables on him!"
"That means it's our turn, Bulla." Uraraka told her friend.
"Right, then let's go!" Bulla and Uraraka reported to the USJ, of course. Thirteen's home playing-field. As the two prepared themselves in the Mountain Zone, Thirteen stood her ground in front of the exit. "No doubt she's going to hold the fort at the only route of escape."
"Bulla, are you sure it'd be smart to just rush right in?" Uraraka asked her. "Shouldn't we play it a little smarter?"
All of a sudden, as Bulla turned to Uraraka, she grinned wide. "Smarter like Izuku, right?" She asked as Uraraka's face turned bright red. So this is how Pan feels when she messes with me.
"W-W-What?! Whe-Where would you g-get that idea, hahaha!? It's not like that!" Her deterioration into an absolute wreck was adorable in a way that made Bulla chuckle.
"To be frank with you, Ochaco, I don't think there'll be another way around." Bulla explained. "She'll definitely be just in front of the exit, covering as much ground with her Black Hole as possible. Just like a villain, she won't allow any opportunity to escape."
"I guess you're right..." With her fate in Bulla's hand, the two made their way straight to the exit. Before long, they took a rest stop at the fountain. "We're stopping?"
"Not quite, we have two options here, but either one results in conflict. I can either go in, guns blazing, and keep her attention for you to escape, or we can try to blast straight through and take her down by surprise."
"Let's go in together!" She offered, clenching her fist.
"It's your choice, but I certainly don't agree." Bulla told her, surprising her friend. "Don't forget, she's a villain, and we're heroes. If it was someone I couldn't handle on my own, we may need backup. Then again, it makes me glad that you're went to Gunhead's agency for your internship. So in this instance, we should be able to take her, like I said earlier. So here's my plan."
"They're still sitting by the fountain," Thirteen said, "no doubt trying to find a way to escape. No matter what, I have to make sure they don't get past." Thirteen thought back to her chat with her coworkers.
"Thirteen, no matter what, you need to push those girls." Aizawa had said.
"That's the point of these finals, right?" She had responded.
"But more so than not, it's important that Bulla either fails, or succeeds through struggle. I fear that if you're too easy on her, she'll continue to grow too rapidly."
"Right, I understand." Coming back to reality, Thirteen looked up, taking note of the four minutes remaining on the clock. "What do they plan to do?" Finally, as their distanced image twinkled, Bulla and Uraraka blasted into the air, a long blue trail flowing behind them. As she flew just over the stairs, reaching the top of the platform, she dropped Uraraka, who rolled to a stop before taking a stand. Bulla blasted off, her beams giving off an intensity as she rose into the sky.
That's right, keep your eyes on me, Thirteen! Bulla thought to herself.
"Trying to drag my attention? I figured you'd attempt that. That's why I just need to apprehend your partner." Thirteen said loudly as she turned to Uraraka, closing in quickly. Raising her hand, Thirteen's finger cap opened, bellowing an incredible wind. Uraraka grinded to a halt, and her shoes scraped against the ground as she leaned down, attempting to lower her profile.
"Not so fast!" Bulla cried out as she raised her hands above her head, forming an azure orb. "Don't ignore me, Thirteen! Let's go, STARDUST FALL!" A shower of Ki blasts rained down. Thirteen looked up, and the dimmed light through her visor didn't waver how she felt.
So this is what he meant! She'd be great as a sidekick, and she already has the strength to protect her class. But as your teacher, I cannot let you pass so easily! Thanks to her visor, Thirteen still had the visibility to notice Uraraka darting into a dash straight towards her. Suddenly, a thought struck her.
Uraraka thought back to Bulla's plan as she charged forward. "Ochaco, I'm going to let off an attack that she'll have to absorb. When she's busy sucking it up, I want you to dive in and capture her." She thought to herself, pulling out her handcuffs. That's what she said, and I trust her plan. "Thirteen will have to absorb the attack, because if she doesn't do it while you get close, she'll allow harm to come to her student. Whether she's playing villain or not, she won't let that happen."
All of a sudden, Thirteen leaped out of the way, allowing herself to hang off the railing. Uraraka's eyes widened as a hail of Ki blasts rained down upon her. Instinctually, she raised her arms to protect herself, but to no avail, as she was blasted back entirely. "OCHACO!" Bulla dropped from the sky like a stone and held her friend in her arms.
"I'm sorry, but this is a battle, and you need to get the notion of me being your teacher out of your mind." She lectured as she climbed back over the railing, reclaiming her spot in front of the exit. With two minutes left on the clock, she was sure that they wouldn't make it. "You opted to solely advance, and weren't prepared to defend or evade if your plan went awry. And because she trusted you with no exceptions, she willingly threw herself into danger with no escape. I hope you think about this lesson, girls."
"Thirteen..." Behind her visor, Thirteen's eyes widened as a white flame began to erupt around Bulla. As she brought herself back to her feet, carrying her wounded comrade, she looked over shoulder. Her eyes were cold, like a beast, and within an instant she appeared in front of Thirteen, her foot jammed into her gut. As she fell to her knees, Bulla carried her comrade through the exit, and straight to Recovery Girl for medical care.
Once Uraraka was being treated, Bulla managed to calm down. Sitting quietly by her side, she was surprised when the Space Hero suddenly walked in. "Thir- I mean, Ms. Anakuro... I'm sorry for my behavior, I don't know what came over me!" Bulla told her, jumping up with a sincere bow.
"No no, don't even worry about it. Quite frankly, I didn't want to dodge that attack, because I knew what kind of threat it posed to Uraraka. Regardless, I had to separate myself as your teacher so that you could learn that lesson, ironically enough. So I apologize, as well." She told her, bowing back despite the pain in her stomach. "How is she?"
"You know Recovery Girl. She said her stamina would be drained, so she's just napping right now." She explained as she sat back down.
"You're not going to watch the other matches?" Ms. Anakuro asked her as she lied down in one of the available beds.
"No, I'm confident in my classmates. Sato and Kirishima may not have made it, but I feel that the rest of my class won't make the same mistake." She told her. "Although, Bakugo and Izuku may have issues working together, so hopefully they manage to get it together."
"Right, in that case, please don't mind me. I'm sure Recovery Girl will here any minute. Regardless, I think I'm going to lie down for a little while." Ms. Anakuro told her, drifting to sleep. Sorry, Mr. Aizawa. Your students are just too amazing.