(A/N: Formatting reminder: "Dialogue heard through a sound system." ... "PRESENT MIC'S DIALOGUE HEARD THROUGH A SOUND SYSTEM." ... "Hitoshi using his Quirk." )
...
Izuku once again followed his opponent off of the field and to Recovery Girl's temporary office. But this time it was his friend he was following. His cute yet stubborn and currently unconscious friend. The walk to the infirmary was short and Izuku assisted the medical robots in getting the taller boy onto the bed.
Recovery Girl was quick to start checking both of them over. She found that Izuku had no injuries, only less energy from dodging so much. With a quick kiss and some energy giving gummies, he was marked as fit and good to go. The Youthful Heroine then turned her undivided attention to Todoroki. She determined that he was suffering from minor hypothermia and the beginnings of frostbite. Though thankfully, his short use of his left side at the end prevented any serious damage.
The greenette stayed as she checked over his friend, keeping out of her way as she worked. He had some time before Hitoshi's match since they had to clean up all the ice. As she attended to Todoroki, Izuku removed his mask and goggles placing them on the bedside table. Once she finished with a kiss and placed a blanket over the cold teen, the greenette pulled up a chair next to the bed and took the other boy's left hand in his own as the other one was wrapped in bandages. Waiting for the dual element user to wake up as he laid there unconscious breathing slowly and steadily.
A few minutes passed as Izuku waited, mindlessly rubbing his thumb along the back of the hand held in his own. He found himself studying it and silently still marveling at the fact that the left side did run at a slightly higher temperature. Despite having experienced the sensation multiple times in the last few weeks along with the coolness of the right. He couldn't help it though what with his mind constantly in a state of analyzing everything.
A slight twitch of the hand in his, a subtle change in his breathing, and a quiet grunt signaled to Izuku that Todoroki was waking up. Green eyes shot up as grey and blue ones slowly blinked open. Todoroki tried to sit up but Izuku was quick to stop him.
"Take it easy, Todoroki-kun," Izuku insisted, using his free hand to gently push the other boy back down.
"Where am I?" Todoroki asked groggily as he laid back down without protest.
"We're in the nurse's office," the greenette replied. "Recovery Girl looked you over and healed you."
The drowsy teen merely hummed in answer and briefly squeezed the hand holding his own. The noise of their conversation brought the fact that Todoroki was awake to Shuuzenji who hurried over to check on him.
"How are you feeling, dear?" the healing Hero asked.
Todoroki laid there a moment in silence as he assessed himself before replying, "Tired mostly. A bit colder than usual from using my right side. There's a spot on my mid torso that feels somewhat numb. What happened?"
Shuuzenji directed her eyes from Todoroki to Izuku and the injured boy followed her gaze. Izuku blushed at the sudden attention.
"W-well, um, we were f-fighting in our match, Todoroki-kun," the greenette stuttered, picking at a stray thread on the bed sheet with his free hand. "You were u-using only your ice and I was d-dodging or melting it. A-and then I was talking to y-you and you used your fire. Then I, um, electrocuted you?"
As further explanation, the Support student held up his gloved hand and activated it briefly to show the sparks of electricity. The voltage wasn't lethal and intentionally at a level to incapacitate only. Just like he had done for the electric bomb during the USJ attack. His electric escrima rods were the same.
Recovery Girl clicked her tongue in disapproval and said, "You need to be careful with that technology of yours. This is the third student you sent here unconscious today. This is a school sanctioned competition, not a life-or-death situation. You don't need to go all out."
"I'm sorry," Izuku replied with a sigh. Then a determined look formed on his face and he looked the Hero in the eye. "But I'm Quirkless. If I don't go all out, I'll never win."
Once again, the elder woman clicked her tongue but said no more and walked back to her computer to update her notes. Izuku watched her go for a second and then turned back to his friend. They stared at each other in silence for a moment unsure of what to say. The shorter boy offered a weary smile and a comforting hand squeeze. This brought Todoroki's attention to their hands and, upon seeing it was his left, tried to pull away after remembering he had broken his personal promise and used his fire.
"Please don't," Izuku said, keeping a firm but gentle hold on the other's hand. "Don't be afraid to share both of your hands, or your Quirk, with me. Your power is amazing and so are you."
...
At those words, small whisps of smoke emitted from Shouto's left side as he stared at his friend in awe. Noticing the fumes, the bi-color teen took several deep breaths to calm down. It seems that the mental seal he had made to repress his left side was cracked and the years of built-up fire within was leaking through. The Quirkless boy had been able to break ever so slightly through years of self-implemented conditioning with just his words alone.
'It's your Quirk. Which means it's your fire. Your ice. Both of them make your one Quirk. Your Quirk and yours alone.'
The thought that mere words could hold such power. But then again, throughout history, time and time again words have been quoted to have power. To be compelling, influential, life changing. That one should be mindful of the words one says as once spoken can never be taken back. Forgiven, yes. But forgotten, never. And this boy's words, his friend's words, would never been forgotten by Shouto.
"You really like to stick your nose into other people's business, don't you?" Shouto quipped with a small smirk.
"Well, a-as All Might said once," Midoriya replied with a chuckle. "'Meddling where you don't technically have to is the essence of being a Hero.'"
"Is that what you want to be, Midoriya?" Shouto asked, remembering his earlier curiosity. He carefully tried to get up and this time Midoriya helped him into a sitting position, the blanket pooling at his hips. "A Hero?"
"Y-yes, I do," Midoriya answered with a confirming nod. He stood up from the chair and opted to sit on the side of the bed next to his friend. "It's all I ever wanted to be. But, because I'm Quirkless, pretty much everyone thought it was impossible. I'm here today to prove them all wrong. Which was why I got so angry that you weren't giving it your all."
The greenette looked at his friend in the eye before continuing.
"I want you to know that I would never work for your father," Izuku declared with a serious look on his face. "Nor would I pretend to be anyone's friend for money. I'm not sure where that idea came from but I'm not and I wouldn't. You are my friend, Todoroki-kun. Like Mei-chan and Hitoshi-kun. And Iida-kun, Tsu-chan, and Ochako-chan."
Shouto believed him. After that fight and everything else the boy in front of him had done for him, how could he not now? Midoriya was his friend. As was Hatsume, Shinsou, Iida, and Tsuyu were. But who was…?
"Ochako?" Shouto questioned, brows furrowed in confusion.
"You know…Uraraka Ochako," Midoriya replied, making a 'floating away' gesture with his free hand.
"Oh," he uttered, subconsciously scooting forward slightly to be closer to his friend. Then he quirked a brow. "Why do you call her by her first name now?"
"Um…we had a bonding moment and she asked me to?" the greenette answered though his tone inflected up at the end so it sounded more like a question. He shifted slightly to sit more comfortably but remained close to his friend.
"Why?" the bi-color teen asked, leaning forward a bit more in curiosity.
"B-because sometimes friends do that," Midoriya explained, not the first time he had to explain what friends do for him. "Call each other by their first name when they feel closer."
"Oh…well, we've bonded and are closer," Shouto said, grey and blue eyes peering into green ones. A little too close to be just friendly, but Shouto wasn't really aware of that. "Could you call me by mine then?"
Those warm and comforting green eyes widened in surprise as a blush spread across his face. Why exactly, Shouto didn't know. But his mind once again supplied the word 'cute' to describe what he was seeing. It was…nice.
...
Izuku felt a slight flutter of something in his stomach and his heart started to beat a little faster as he gazed at his friend. The space between them was small, but Izuku was so entranced by his maybe-not-just-a-friend's grey and blue pleading eyes that he couldn't pull away.
"Sure, Sh-Shouto-kun," he stuttered out, green eyes wide and cheeks flushed red. "Please c-call me Izuku then."
"Izuku…," Tod-Shouto said slowly as if to feel it on his tongue.
For some reason, his name sounded so good coming out of the other boy's mouth. A shiver surged down Izuku's spine at the utterance. Green eyes widened further at the sudden sensation. That's new. He had never felt that before. The shorter boy was broken out of his shock when T-Shouto spoke up.
"Izuku," Shouto called out, drawing his friend's attention to him. "Before, when we talked after the Cavalry Battle, we hugged."
"O-oh, um, yeah, we did," Izuku confirmed. "What about it?"
"I wanted to ask you something," Shouto said, looking down at their joined hands for a moment before looking back up into curious green eyes. "Would it be alright if we could hug sometimes like how we hold hands?"
"O-oh, sure, Shouto-kun," Izuku said, his blush darkening ever so slightly. "If you're comfortable with that too."
"I am," the bi-color teen said with no hesitation. As always.
"A-alright," the greenette said with a shy smile. He certainly couldn't complain in getting hugs from a friend. Especially this friend.
I wonder if his temperature difference is spread over his entire body. Not that I would be able to tell right now with my under armor on.
"Can I hug you now?" Shouto asked bluntly.
Green eyes widened impossibly further at the question as his entire face started to resemble a strawberry. Izuku wasn't sure if he would ever get used to his friend's candid demeanor. Much like how he would never be able to get over Mei's lack of tact when talking about her babies in public. But the request was far from unwelcome coming from the other boy.
"S-sure," Izuku replied, with another shy smile.
Shouto smiled softly back and let go of his hand. The taller boy wasn't sure exactly what to do so he awkwardly held his arms open in invitation. Izuku eyes widened in surprise before returning the smile with a small chuckle at his friend's awkwardness. He leaned forward and hugging his friend, wrapping his arms around the other's waist. Again, Shouto wasn't sure what to do with his arms so he just patted his green hair then carefully wrapping his arms around the shorter boy's shoulders. After a few moments, they parted but kept their hands where they laid on each other's body.
"So, h-how was that?" Izuku asked, trying not to spontaneously combust over his hands resting on the cute taller boy's waist.
"It was…nice. And warm," Shouto answered with a small warm smile. His own hands were settled on the greenette's shoulders. "Can we do it again?"
"O-okay," Izuku replied simply with yet another shy smile of his own.
This time Shouto seemed confident with his actions, wrapping his arms around Izuku more solidly. The slight flutters started to build in intensity in Izuku's stomach but he ignored them and enjoyed the hug. Even let himself snuggle closer into the hug with a content sigh. Though after a few moments, instead of letting go, Izuku found himself being pulled down onto the bed. Shouto let himself fall back and took his friend with him, resulting in the greenette landing on his chest.
"Shouto-kun?" Izuku questioned, lifting his head up slightly so he could see his friend.
"I'm tired," was the other's reply.
"Oh, well, let me go and you can rest, ok?" Izuku offered and tried to get up. Only the other's arms kept him firmly in place. "Wha? Sh-Shouto-kun?"
"No, I don't want to let go. Not just yet," Shouto insisted, a small frown on his face at the thought of ending the hug. He looked at the shorter boy with a pleading gaze. "Can we lay here and hug for a little while longer?"
"Well s-sure, we can," Izuku quickly answered. "Though technically that would be…cuddling."
"Cuddling?" Shouto questioned.
"You know, it's like hugging for a really long time," the greenette explained, his chin resting on the other's chest. "Either while sitting or lying down together."
"Hmm…," Shouto hummed, still not letting his friend go. "So, cuddling is like…an extended hug?"
Izuku giggled at the comparison. "Y-yeah, you could think of it like that, I guess."
"I will," Shouto replied simply, earning another chuckle. "Can we cuddle now?"
"Sure," Izuku replied, smiling endearingly at the touch starved stubborn boy holding him. After all, he could understand being touch starved himself.
The greenette attempted to adjust himself to lie more comfortable on the bed while holding his friend. Though his belt and Tape gun proved a challenge which he eventually decided to just take off and placed them next to his goggles and mask. They ended up lying side by side under the blanket, enjoying the tactile moment. The shorter boy's blush managed to die down as time passed, shifting here and there to get more cozy. But the fluttering feeling in his middle remained. He wasn't sure what it was but it made him feel giddy in a way. They laid there together enjoying the other's company for a short while only to be interrupted.
"HEY-O, SPORTS FANS! AFTER HAVING TO SNOW-DOWN AND CLEAR UP ALL THAT ICE, OUR LIL' BREAK IS NEARLY OVER! ALLOW ME TO HAVE YOUR ATTENTION AND GET READY FOR THE NEXT SEMI-FINAL MATCH!"
The sudden announcement made by Present Mic caused Izuku to jump in surprise. Shouto looked at his friend in concern at the reaction, instinctively hugging him more firmly for a second.
"What's wrong, Izuku?" Shouto asked, grey and blue eyes conveying worry.
"O-oh, nothing's wrong. Promise," Izuku assured, smiling shyly at his friend. "It's just…cuddling is a long-time activity. A-and Hitoshi-kun's match against Katsuki is coming up. I know you want to keep doing this and I wouldn't mind either, but I also really want to see his match. Also, I have my own last match to prepare for and I…"
A comforting squeeze of elemental wielding arms around the rambling greenette broke him out of his little rant. Green eyes, wide with shock and embarrassment, shot up to meet his friend's gaze who looked at him with a small warm smile.
"It's ok, Izuku," Shouto assured. "He's your friend and you want to support him. I would go too but I don't think Recovery Girl will let me just yet."
"That's right, deary!" Shuuzenji chimed in from across the room.
Both boys' cheeks flushed slightly at realizing they weren't actually alone and still in each other's' arms. Shouto more subtly as he cooled the blush down with his right side while Izuku's was clear as day. The pair chuckled in embarrassment and hugged each other once more before the bi-color teen reluctantly let his friend go. The Support student stood up from the bed and put his gear back on before heading to the door.
"Izuku," Shouto called out just before he could leave. The greenette turned back to his friend. "Good luck in your last match. I hope I can get out of here to watch it. Do your best."
Izuku smiled brightly at the other boy and simply gave him a confirming nod. The Quirkless boy bowed to Shuuzenji and thanked her for her help before leaving. He took one last glance at his friend who waved him off before shutting the door. The Support student walked through the halls making his way back to the 1-H seats when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Hey, Izuku," they said to which Izuku discovered it was Hitoshi as he turned around.
"Oh, hey Hitoshi-kun!" Izuku greeted cheerfully. "Are you ready for your match?"
The two friends walked side by side towards where Hitoshi was needed.
"I guess?" Histohi replied with a shrug. "I'm up against Bakagou so we'll see how that goes."
"Yeah, Katsuki will definitely be a challenge," Izuku replied, hand on his chin. "Of the different methods we came up with for using your Quirk, so far you've used humor and misdirection to take advantage of your opponent lowering their guard. Neither of which I think will work on Katsuki. Which leaves…"
"That I need to get him angry," Hitoshi interjected. "Which shouldn't be too hard because he's like the human embodiment of rage."
"The trick will be getting him to respond though," Izuku asserted. "Katsuki may be anger personified but he's also smart and observant. I'm sure he'll have some guesses on how your Quirk works and will be on his guard."
"Great, thank you for your words of encouragement," Hitoshi sassed, earning a flick to the arm.
The pair paused as they had arrived at Hitoshi's designated tunnel. The two friends stood facing each other, mirroring their position from when Izuku went out for his first match. But this time it was the taller of the two's turn to fight. Izuku placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I'm not going to lie to you. This is going to be difficult," Izuku warned. "Katsuki is ruthless and will attack. But we've trained for this kind of thing. This will be a test for you and an opportunity for you to show that, even in a situation where your Quirk is not ideal or difficult to use, you still have skills that you can use anyway. In this case, your ability to dodge would be your best bet. And do you remember what I told you about how Katsuki fights?"
"He always starts with a right hook," Hitoshi answered. "So, I've got to watch out for that."
"That's right," Izuku affirmed with a nod. "Just remember that and be aware of your opponent. Try to learn and acclimate yourself to how they fight as you go. Be mindful and adaptive. Show them that, Quirk or no Quirk, you have what it takes."
Hitoshi snorted with a smile and reached out to ruffle the shorter boy's hair.
"Thanks, coach," he quipped as his friend batted his hand away playfully. "I promise to do my best to see you in the final round. And Izuku?" The greenette hummed affirmatively. "If I don't, kick his explosive ass for me."
This time it was Izuku who snickered.
"You got it," Izuku said, grinned up at his friend. The shorter boy offered a fist bump which was returned. "Good luck, Hitoshi-kun. Mei-chan and I will be rooting for you."
With that, the Support student turned and left for the 1-H booth. Possibly using his Jet shoes to get him there a little faster as this was a match that he didn't want to miss. A fight between one of his best friends, who had the same goal to be a Hero, against his childhood friend turned bully who had always told the Quirkless boy he could never be one.
But here he was. The first finalist. Having beaten all of his opponents despite not having the formal training of the Hero Course. And, if all goes well, Hitoshi would be there to meet him in the final match. Proving that you don't need a strong Quirk to fight and win. Like Eraserhead and many other Heroes who don't have the societal 'ideal' Quirk and yet were still able to become Pros. That all you need is the determination, training, and your own personal edge to win in a fight.
And to be a Hero.
...
"MAKE SOME NOISE AS WE GET TO OUR SECOND SEMI-FINAL MATCH UNDERWAY! FIRST UP, HE'S MADE IT THIS FAR FAIR AND 'SNARE'! REPRESENTING GENERAL STUDIES, GIVE IT UP FOR SHINSOU!"
Taking a deep breath, Hitoshi strolled out onto the field as the crowd cheered. Over the din, he swore he could hear Izuku and Mei chanting his name as he picked out the calls of 'HI-TO-SHI' in the cacophony. Making a small smile flash across his face as he raised a hand in their direction.
"VERSUS! HE'S SHOWN A 'FLARE' FOR THE DRAMATIC SINCE THE START! REPRESENTING THE HERO COURSE, LET'S HEAR IT FOR BAKUGOU!"
Across the arena came Bakugou stomping out with the perpetual scowl on his face and his hands in his pockets. Hitoshi noticed the ovation for the blonde was a bit more than what the brainwasher had received. Not that he blamed them. After all, the explosive teen had consistently given more of a show to the audience than he had. Explosions were flashier than words.
Hitoshi studied his opponent as they both walked to the ring. From strategizing with Izuku, he figured that the blonde was trying to build up his nitroglycerin like sweat by keeping his hands in his pockets. Trying to build it up so that the first attack was as big as possible. The purple haired teen really needed to watch that first right hook that Izuku had repeatedly warned him about.
They had discussed different ways of getting a response out of other people. Jokes, misdirection, singing songs or jingles, etc. Ways that the blonde probably won't respond to. But there was one that might work on Katsuki that they had brainstormed for and if that didn't work, downright insults were always the last resort. Either way, if Bakugou was as smart and observant as Izuku claimed, the trick would be pissing him off enough to lower his guard.
"You're that mind controlling fucker, right?" Bakugou asked out of the blue.
He's talking to me? Wow, didn't expect him to say anything at all. Especially since, like Izuku said he would, he does actually have some idea of what my Quirk can do.
"Maybe," Hitoshi replied with a smirk. "What's it to ya?"
The blonde sneered at him and didn't respond right away. Not that Hitoshi had his Quirk active when he asked. The fight hadn't started yet after all.
"You better get off your fucking high horse now," Bakugou said, glaring him down. Or rather slightly up since Hitoshi had a two-inch height advantage. "Your Gen Ed ass has been lucky to get this far. Probably getting crappy advice from that shitty nerd, Deku. That or you're cheating like that Quirkless fucker is."
What. Does he seriously think we're cheating? Is his head really so far up his own ass that he refuses to acknowledge how hard we've worked today?
"But the one who's going to win this is going to be me," the egomaniac continued with a sneer. "So, if you want to save yourself a beating, drop out now and go back to being the extra you are."
"READY?"
"Yeah, no thanks," Hitoshi replied, earning a harder glare from the other. "I've got a point to make and you're going to help me do just that."
The blonde clicked his tongue and spoke no more.
"BEGIN!"
Shinsou Hitoshi VS Bakugou Katsuki
As expected, Bakugou immediately rushed forward yelling with his arms held out threateningly. Hitoshi was surprised he was yelling but then again, wondered if the blonde's Quirk worked at all without screaming like a feral cat. Quickly, he dodged the predicted fiery right hook and maneuvered away from the explosive teen.
Alright. Time for some trash talk.
"You know, I was going to give you a nasty look," Hitoshi spoke, lacing his Quirk in right away. Knowing that unlike his other two matches, this wouldn't be a matter of timing but rather of pure chance of getting a response. "But I see you already have one."
Again, Bakugou screamed as he aimed a fiery hand at his opponent. Unfortunately, the screeching from the other boy apparently didn't count as an actual response and so did not activate his Quirk. Another observation to tell Izuku once this was all over. Once more, Hitoshi dodged out of the way and tried to keep his distance.
"Roses are red, violets are blue," Hitoshi tried again, evading another explosive fist. "I've got five fingers, the middle one is for you!"
At which he then proceeded to flip Bakagou off before ducking away from his attack. Another feral screeched escaped the blonde's mouth. Enraged, Bakugou charged forward faster than before. Hitoshi just barely managed to dodge but the explosive fist grazed his side. A small section of his uniform was burned away and the revealed skin was slightly pink. The brainwasher hid a hiss of pain as he sneered at the other with a devilish smirk.
"I was sort of hoping for a battle of wits," Hitoshi jeered as he evaded, getting slightly singed from a close call. "But it would be wrong to attack someone who's totally unarmed."
The blonde growled angrily and shot forward once more. Hitoshi ducked and dodged making it look like he was dancing around the arena. The air was filled with wisps of smoke and the sharp sweet scent of burnt sugar as the explosive teen was sweating more and more as they moved. Not something favorable to Hitoshi as the fight continued.
As time went on, it was obvious that Bakugou had no regard for the safety of his opponent. His attacks aimed for anything and everything with no regard to the other's health or safety. In fact, he even had the audacity to aim an explosion at Hitoshi's ass as he skirted around the blonde.
Now that's uncalled for.
"Well now," Hitoshi said with a slight grunt of discomfort. "If you're gonna be a smart ass, first you have to be smart. Otherwise, you're just an ass."
The explosive teen threw another blast at him still yelling angrily but not actually responding to him. The brainwasher ducked out of the way and managed to get behind the blonde somehow.
"And I may not be a proctologist," Hitoshi remarked, taking advantage of his position and kicked the other boy. In the ass of course. "But I know an asshole when I see one."
The blonde was pushed away from him by the kick but only staggered for a moment before righting himself. He turned to face the brainwasher with his stance ready to attack again. Obviously pissed that the other managed to land a hit.
"If you have a problem with me," Hitoshi said, staring down his opponent. "Then cry me a river and drown yourself in it."
Again, Bakugou lunged forward. The explosive attacks increased in strength with Bakugou's growing fury. More and more hits were making contact with Hitoshi's uniform, leaving patches of pink burned skin exposed. But the brainwasher pushed on.
"I would insult you more," Hitoshi sneered, trying to fend off the angry Pomeranian of a human attacking him. "But I'm afraid I won't do as well as nature did."
More screeching from one and dodging from the other. The brainwasher had only managed to land one hit the entire fight and the explosive teen seemed determined to not let him get another.
"The trash gets picked up tomorrow," Hitoshi said with a grunt. "Be ready, you piece of human garbage."
Another barrage of explosive fists was aimed at the brainwasher. He evaded best he could, his gym shirt looking less and less like a shirt as time passed. The blonde pushing him more and more, almost making him go over the line. But at the last second, Hitoshi managed to skirt away and put some distance between them.
"I know what you did to Izuku," Hitoshi shot out, the name of the greenette made Bakugou pause. "I know how you've treated him."
The blonde stood there panting, glaring at the purple haired teen in front of him.
"Of course, I know there are two sides to every story," Hitoshi continued, trying to hide the fact that the continued use of his Quirk was beginning to drain him. He needed to try and end this before he was incapacitated with a migraine. "But you're a douche in both of them."
For some reason, the angry blonde still didn't move to attack. He stood there seething and leering at him but doing nothing else.
"Do you belittle Izuku because you're afraid he will succeed?" Hitoshi jeered, secretly relishing this moment of calling the bully out on his crap. "That deep down you know he's better than you? A better person? A better Hero?"
Brows furrowed, teeth grinding, and red eyes so small in anger they were mere pinpricks. Bakugou was pure rage at this point. Angry at all the insults. Angry that the fight was still going and he hadn't won yet. Angry that his childhood friend turned victim was spilling secrets from their past. So very angry that he seemed to be on some kind of ledge and only needed one more push.
Here goes nothing.
"Because he has the makings of a great Hero. While you on the other hand…," Hitoshi chided hopefully one last time. "…you're nothing but a Villain."
At the word of 'Villain', Bakugou screamed and blasted himself forward. Fist clenched ready to send a flurry of fiery punches at the other.
"SHUT UP!" Bakagou screeched as he moved to send another explosion at Hitoshi.
But the attack never came because the angry idiot had finally responded. As soon as he spoke, Hitoshi felt the strings of Bakugou's mind and pulled, taking control instantly. The blonde froze in place, arms falling limp to his side, and his usually feral red eyes were now a vacant white.
"That's it," Hitoshi panted, a triumphant grin on his face as sweat poured down his face. "I win."
There was some strain on his mind from having his Quirk active for such a long period of time on top of now controlling someone. But it was worth it to see the jerk like this. Hitoshi walked forward and stopped just in front of the bully of his best friend. He made sure not to touch him though Izuku had a theory that Hitoshi's touch wouldn't break his hold on someone unlike an external force or other person. But now was not the time to test that theory.
"Listen up, ass hat," Hitoshi growled, knowing that Bakugou would be able to hear him but do nothing about it. "Izuku is the kindest, smartest, strongest person I've ever met. He and I are going to get into the Hero Course and teach you, along with everyone else, that we have what it takes to be a Hero. That anyone can be one no matter what their Quirk is. Or isn't. That the people like you, the ones who have tried and failed to push us down, are wrong about what makes a Hero."
With his two-inch height difference, Hitoshi glared down at the blank faced jerk in front of him. Taking in one last look at the other's vacant expression. Knowing that if he wasn't under the brainwasher's control he would be raging right now. However, he was and Hitoshi relished the respite from the sound of explosions for a moment longer.
"Now then," Hitoshi said, taking a step back. Purple eyes scanned the ground for any obstacles that would trip his puppet and found none that would break his hold. "Let's end this. Turn around and walk out of bounds."
Obediently, Bakagou turned around and walked out of the ring without a word. It was strange to see him so calm when he usually trudged along rather than walk normally. In no time, the explosive teen reached the edge of the arena and stepped out of bounds. Hitoshi immediately released his hold, leaving the blonde looking around confused, and brought a hand up to his temple, the beginnings of a migraine starting.
"Bakugou is out of bounds!" Midnight announced with a crack of her whip. "Shinsou will be moving on to the final round!"
In an instant, Bakugou, disregarding the rules of no combat outside of matches, raged forward with the intent to attack Hitoshi. Midnight, quickly assessing the turn of events, ripped her Hero costume and released her Quirk. The sleep-inducing aroma permeated the air and easily subdued the blonde who collapsed to the ground before he could get close to the brainwasher. Unfortunately, since she had no precise control over the direction of her Quirk, Hitoshi got knocked out as well.
Ah, the sweet bliss of unconsciousness, he thought as the world went black.
...
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