"AT LAST, WE'VE ARRIVED! THE BEST OF THE BEST AMONG U.A.'S FIRST YEARS WILL BE DECIDED!"
Present Mic's voice rang out over the stadium, through television screens, to countless observers.

But Bakugo and I barely processed his words.

"IT'S THE FINAL MATCH… MIDORIYA VERSUS BAKUGO!"

We were focused, listening for one word, and one word only…

"NOW, START!"

.~*~.

Immediately, without even checking to see what Bakugo would do, I drew my gun - and fired into the air directly in front of me. As I was still drawing the gun, the air behind Bakugo exploded and he rocketed toward me; however, he aimed slightly to the left, just barely avoiding the knockout bullet.
I dodged to my own left after my first shot and fired again directly behind me. The ground where I'd been standing exploded, covering the spot in a cloud of dust, rubble - and knockout gas.
I, not taking my eyes from the cloud that hid Bakugo from view, backed up to the other end of the arena - while changing the gun's ammo to the grapple and grabbing a net grenade from my belt.

"THE GAUNTLET'S BEEN THROWN DOWN! LOOKS LIKE MIDORIYA WANTS TO AVOID COMBAT WITH BAKUGO! DO WE ALREADY HAVE OUR WINNER SO SOON?!"

"You… looking down on me, you moron?!"
I grit my teeth, waiting for Bakugo to appear. 'Plan A failed…!' Bakugo came shooting out of the cloud faster than I had ever seen him move!

I pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it. All the adrenaline in my system, all the hours spent in combat training with Master… made it seem as though Bakugo was moving in slow motion. Bakugo's palm turned from behind him, to his right; I aimed the grapple… fired…

And time resumed its normal speed.

The grapple line wrapped around Bakugo, pinning his arms. Before he could hit the ground and lose momentum, I pulled with my entire bodyweight-

-But as Bakugo neared the boundary line, his palms exploded again, and the line broke. His momentum continued to carry him out-of-bounds for a second… I, immediately changing the gun's ammo again, had a flash of hope that Plan B might've worked…
"HE AVOIDS A RING-OUT IN MIDAIR! HOW THRILLING!"
But Bakugo regained his balance… as a part of me knew he would.

'No choice… Plan C it is!'
I holstered the gun.
Bakugo came in hot, but I jumped away in time. This time, Bakugo stayed on the ground, and I dropped into a fighting stance.

Bakugo stood still for just a second- "You'll regret making a fool of me!" -then came at me with his signature right hook- "I'll freaking kill you!"
Rather than move away this time, I used my left arm to slide Bakugo's right arm to the side - and I kicked out at Bakugo's stomach.
Bakugo dodged- "I wanted the first to end all firsts!" -and swiped at my feet.

I jumped, backing off -"But there's no point in winning against you!" -He lunged at me with a roundhouse kick- "No point if I'm not better than you!"

I crouched, Bakugo's foot passing above me, and went for an uppercut. Bakugo spun, dodging it- "So get the hell outta my face!"
With the force of the spin, Bakugo elbowed me in the back. I stumbled to the ground.

"Why're you even here, you bastard?!"

While Bakugo was busy screaming at me and couldn't see my hands, I grabbed and fired my gun at Bakugo's feet.

Bakugo was now frozen to the arena floor.

But knowing it wouldn't hold him - only distract him for a split-second, AT BEST - I moved!
A snarl on my face, I launched myself fist-first at Bakugo's face.

It landed-
And a small puff of knockout-gas surrounded Bakugo's head.

Unprepared for the hidden knockout-bullet this time - let alone the ice-blast! - Bakugo couldn't avoid breathing the gas. With a small gasp, and one last growl and glare…

… Bakugo passed out.

.~*~.

"Bakugo is immobilized! So… Midoriya is the winner!" Midnight announced.

I almost didn't believe it - and I almost passed out from the relief. Swaying, I took a step back to steady myself.

"AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR CONTEST! THE FIRST-YEAR WINNER OF U.A.'S SPORTS FESTIVAL IS… IZUKU MIDORIYA OF CLASS A!"

But, predictably, as I walked out of the arena-
-the entire stadium booed.

Back in All For One's viewing room, the man with no eyes turned to the Hero Killer. "So? Will you take him on?"
Stain was observing the screen with interest. He didn't answer at first.

Kurogiri shifted nervously.
"... A quirkless hero…" Stain muttered.

Abruptly, he turned to All For One. Kurogiri tensed, ready to defend his master, if necessary.
"I want to test him myself. So he wants to be a hero, despite not having a quirk? That doesn't mean he deserves to be one!"
"Very well," said All For One, completely calm. He'd expected this. "What do you have in mind?"

The wait before the awards ceremony was… intense. From what I - and everyone else - could tell, the judges were debating something.

Finally, the winners were called up to our respective platforms - the First Place one highest and in the middle, the Third was lowest and to the right, and Second was between the two and on the left.

But… there was something off.

"Now let's move on to… the awards ceremony!" Midnight announced, "No holding back Mr. First Place!"
"What a bloodthirsty beast," commented Tokoyami… who was standing furthest from me.

On the Second Place pedestal.
I was… confused, to put it lightly.

"In third place, we have both Todoroki and Midoriya," Midnight said, "There was a disagreement concerning the outcome of Midoriya and Todoroki's match. After reviewing it, the judges have determined that, if left alone, Todoroki would have woken before the ice immobilizing Midoriya would have melted."
My ears were ringing.
"However, we don't have time to redo all of the matches, so, as a compromise, both Midoriya and Todoroki are being given third place. Making Hatsume and Tokoyami tied for second and our winner… Katsuki Bakugo!"
The audience was muttering - they were making sounds of approval.

"Now for the medals! Presenting them this year is… you know who!"
A voice came from above the stadium, "I am…" and All Might landed in the center of the stage, "… here with the medals." "He's everyone's hero… All Might!"

The crowd cheered. All Might laughed, moving toward Todoroki.
"Congratulations, Todoroki, kid! You're a strong one! But relying on half your power will only get you so far. Whatever reason you have for not using it… you must learn to overcome that hurdle."
He put a medallion around Todoroki's neck.

All Might then turned to me.
"Midoriya, kid… Congratulations."

He continued in a lower voice, "I underestimated you. And for that, I'm sorry. I stand by what I said, but…"
He put the medallion around my neck, "You too… Can become a hero."

I barely heard him.
I was looking All Might in the eyes again. The time on that rooftop… all those classes I'd been in… all the times All Might had been there, teaching me… watching me grow and what I could do…

And this was when… he'd decided to say those words?

I was so caught up in my thoughts, I missed whatever All Might said to Mei and Tokoyami.
"And finally, Bakugo! Well, um, this is…"
Bakugo was going absolutely feral. They'd even had to muzzle him! All Might didn't seem to know how to approach the furious boy, but, after a moment, All Might took the muzzle off of Bakugo's face and said, "You lived up to your promise. Wonderful!"

"All Might. This win…" Bakugo growled, "It doesn't mean squat. Doesn't matter what anyone says. If I don't recognize it, then that medal's just garbage!"
"What a face…" All Might gulped, "Hmph! In a world that's constantly graded on a curve… there aren't many who can continuously be on top," he held up the First Place medallion, "So accept this! As a wound even! So you don't forget!"

"I told you I don't need that junk!"
All Might tried to put the medallion around his neck, but Bakugo struggled against it.
Bakugo roared, "At least let me fight the IcyHot Bastard!"
Eventually, All Might managed to hang the medallion from Bakugo's growling mouth.
"Well! These are your winners! But hold on, everyone!"

And then he said… that phrase…!

"Everyone here today has the potential to be standing up here!"

I could've sworn I'd just fallen six stories and swallowed the foulest thing known to mankind. That is, if the way my stomach felt hearing All Might say those words was anything to go by.

And somehow, All Might was still talking - in that cheerful, self-confident and congratulatory tone.
"As you all witnessed! Competition! Encouragement! Pushing each other to climb higher and higher!"
'What's going on? What is this feeling?'
"The sprouts of today will grow into the heroes of tomorrow! In that spirit, let's have one final cheer!

"Everyone say it with me! One, two, and…"

'Oh…'
I realized, breaking out of my daze-

.~*~.

-that it was DISGUST.

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