The second day was almost more exciting than the first. Midoriya sat at the very edge of his seat, ignoring how numb his bum was growing. His gaze darted about, from the Guildsman standing, seemingly bored on the platform beside him, to his mother seated at his right, to the Captain, sipping from a goblet perched in her grasp, down to Bakugou Katsuki standing in the arena. To the untrained eye, he seemed rather calm and unbothered, as if he didn't care at all that he was here. His arms were crossed, and there was probably a scowl etched into his features. But Midoriya was used to Bakugou's standoffish attitude, and he spent years looking for the tense lines to his shoulders and the occasional, jerky shuffle of his feet. He was nervous.

Not that Midoriya could blame him.

Ever since they were little, people expected a lot of Bakugou. His mother being the Guild Captain had its perks, sure; their family was well off and well respected. They lived amid the hustle and bustle of the main village, and dressed in the finest of furs that life could offer. But it had its downsides too. Namely, in that people expected so much from Bakugou. Almost too much...

"I'm gonna be better than everyone."

Midoriya looked up from his pile of sticks, squinting at the boy staring into the trees. "Huh?" He earned a scoff, and Bakugou turned to roll his eyes at him.

"You heard me. Momma says I'm gonna be the best in the whole wide world." He kicked at Midoriya's pile, his grin morphing into a sneer. "I'm gonna kick everyone's butts, and be so-o-o powerful, even the gods will be scared of me."

That was a bold statement to make. Midoriya gazed up at Bakugou with wide eyes, his mouth dropping open in a little 'o'. Of course, Bakugou was probably the coolest, bravest kid in the village. He wasn't afraid of the mountains, having lured Midoriya out there on their little adventures on more than one occasion. So if Bakugou said he was going to be strong, he believed him. "You're so brave, Kacchan," he said. "I bet you'll be a captain, just like your mom!"

Bakugou folded his arm across his chest, his smock wrinkling as his sneer turned triumphant. "Of course I will! Just you wait! I'll be even stronger than she is!"

The clanking of the gate drew Midoriya out of the memory. The arena was dead silent, watching, waiting, as the gate was drawn back. Seconds seemed to drag on and on and on, and Midoriya could hear nothing but his own heartbeat thundering in his ears as he stared, fists clenched, down below. Bakugou dropped his arms, letting them hang stiffly at his sides. He glared towards the gate, and Midoriya could see him clenching and unclenching his hands.

This was it.

Bakugou's match was the final match of the day. Midoriya guessed this was on purpose; for better or worse, the Captain wanted everyone to remember her son's match. A quick glance up, and Midoriya could see her poised form staring down below. Even from here, Midoriya could make out her furrowed brows and pursed lips. What she was thinking, though, he knew not. All he knew for sure was the stifling tension baking the arena as everyone watched with bated breath.

Usually, final matches weren't all that exciting. Sure, the Guild might stack matches to keep the villagers' interest during the long day, but matches were long and drawn out, and sitting for hours on end can only hold folks' attention for so long. At the end of the day, the stands started to empty and people started to talk, not paying attention to the enlistee down below, fighting for their life. Today was different, though. Today, Bakugou's match was the last one of the day.

And people were excited.

Midoriya sucked in a breath, lungs burning and knuckles white, and then the calm was shattered. A massive hand-like thing emerged from the darkness, clasping the gate. Thick, viscous fluid dripped down the hand, dropping onto the dirt of the arena floor. Eyes blinked from the shadows, large and wide and glassy. They seemed momentarily unfocused, and a chill ran down Midoriya's spine as they rolled forward. The beast blinked, its gaze locking onto Bakugou, and a rage lit in its stare. A guttural roar echoed in the arena and the beast flung itself out into the open. Midoriya gawked. What...what on earth was that thing?

Its entire body was covered in the strange fluid, and despite having long, thick arms, it had no other discernible legs. The sludge-fluid-mud-stuff seemed to flow endlessly down the monster, leaving no true trail behind. It lunged itself at Bakugou, throwing out its viscousy arm at him. Bakugou dodged with a yelp, his flame erupting in an explosion from his palms.

Smoke enveloped the two, and Midoriya's breath caught in his throat. Surely, that explosion did some damage. Bakugou's explosions always did damage. His throat constricted at the smell of ash, and Midoriya could almost see the charred feathers drifting down around him, the burned hawk at his feet. He shook his head, blinking down into the arena. Bakugou emerged from the smoke, a sludge covered hand swinging behind him. Midoriya gasped.

No way. The beast, no, monster, didn't even seem affected. Its wide mouth was curled in a manic grin, its curved fangs snapping with glee. There were no burns, no marks on its body. It was as though Bakugou's flame had no effect on it at all.

Bakugou ran, dirt flying from his boots. Soot streaked his face from his own flames, and his expression was wild. The sludge creature lunged again, narrowly missing him. A strange gurgle came from the monster as it gave chase. It was almost gleeful. Shivers ran down Midoriya's spine. He watched in absolute horror as it took every single barrage Bakugou fired off, not once stopping in its advance. Every time, there were no singe marks or burns. Bakugou's attacks didn't even seem to be tiring the monstrosity; instead the unsettling gurgling increased, and Midoriya had the faint thought that perhaps the beast was laughing. That was almost more unsettling than the noises themselves.

How on earth was Bakugou supposed to beat this thing? It was fast, almost as fast as he was. Its reach was insane; its arms seemed to stretch. The fluid-like skin was impervious to Bakugou's flame, and could take hit after hit without even a scratch. Could he punch it? Midoriya supposed that if there was a body underneath the sludge, Bakugou could just punch it hard enough to do some damage. Or he could look for a weak spot. But where? Its eyes?

Midoriya watched as Bakugou whirled around, kicking up a spray of dirt. The dust flew into the monster's eyes, and it reared back with a guttural roar. Bakugou sprung forward, throwing a punch straight for the beast's face. His hit landed with a dull 'thud', and time seemed to slow. Horror clawed through Midoriya's veins as Bakugou's fist sunk into the sludge monster's head. Bakugou tried to pull back, tug free, but sludge seemed to crawl up his arm. His free hand crackled with fire, and Bakugou threw it up and let off a blast. When the smoke cleared, Bakugou was free and stumbling backwards, letting out a few more shots in an attempt to gain some distance.

It didn't seem to matter.

For every three steps Bakugou took, the monster was only one behind him. Soot and dirt caked his skin, and his movements were getting sloppy. Bakugou stumbled more than ran, and his aim was starting to go awry. He was getting tired. Fast. And the slime beast was showing no signs of stopping. Midoriya's nails dug into his palms, the pinpricks of pain barely registering in his mind. This was bad. Very, very bad.

Bakugou ducked again, a sludge-y arm narrowly missing his head. He pivoted in place, flames crackling in his palms. "Fucking die!" He threw his arms forward, and with a massive, earsplitting boom, the entire arena was bathed in a white-bright light. Midoriya squeezed his eyes shut, clapping his hands over his ears. A wave of heat hit just before the crack of sound, blistering his skin. The entire arena shook with the force of the explosion, rattling his teeth and bones. Midoriya's ears rang and he blinked rapidly, trying to rid his vision of the spots dancing about. He squinted down at the arena below, his heart in his throat. Smoke and dust cleared, and despite the spots, Midoriya could make out Bakugou standing alone. His shoulders dropped with relief, and he felt like he could breathe again.

The monster was defeated.

The ringing in his ears subsided, and Midoriya could hear the gasps and shouts of the audience around him. The creaking chains of the cauldron overhead added to the disastrous harmony, grating on Midoriya's ears. He winced, glaring down below. Scattered about the dirt were smudges of sludge.

"Did he win?" Inko said, her voice soft. Midoriya shrugged helplessly. He couldn't see a body; apparently the beast's entire makeup was the slime. His stomach rolled at the thought. How did such a monster function? Did it not have organs? How did that even work? He supposed the being could just have had simple processes, like some of the stranger, smaller animals out there in the world, but the thought was bizarre. The monster was rather large to not have a skeleton, or organs. Midoriya sighed. Whatever, it didn't matter.

Right?

His brows furrowed. The arena was still. Bakugou remained alone amidst the debris left by the smoking bits of monster; why wasn't the Guild sending someone down? Midoriya's gaze flickered up to where the majority of the Guildsman stood clustered around the Captain. No one moved. They all stared, expectant, down into the arena. Midoriya's frown deepened, and he dropped his gaze back to Bakugou, a sick feeling swirling in his stomach. What…?

The slime puddles started to move. They slid and wriggled, congealing together in larger and larger clumps. Bakugou let out a yowl, springing back in an attempt to evade the sludge puddles, but to no avail. His massive explosion might have succeeded in parsing out the monster, but Midoriya could see bits of slime sticking to his hair, his face, his torso. And it was writhing around him, crawling up his legs, covering his face. Midoriya could only watch in absolute horror. This couldn't be happening.

But it was.

Bakugou stumbled back. He clawed at his face, flames popping from his palms. A choked cry echoed in the arena as he tried to paw the thing off of him. More of the sludge accumulated around the arena, puddles growing in size around Bakugou. He tripped as he scrambled about and his legs gave out underneath of him. Bakugou collapsed in the dirt, and the sludge was upon him. There was a strangled cry, that quickly gave way to a sickening gurgle.

Midoriya's heart hammered in his chest. His body shook, and he felt sick. This wasn't right. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Bakugou couldn't lose; not like this. This wasn't fair.

This wasn't fair.

Everything was spinning, spinning, spinning. Midoriya wondered if he was going to pass out. He needed air, he needed to breathe. Bakugou's choked cries echoed in his mind, and he stood abruptly. He couldn't watch this, he couldn't watch his friend die. He turned, teetering on unsteady legs. "Izuku?" His mother's voice hardly registered in his mind; it was as though he was underwater. Noises were muted all around him, and the lights were too bright. His panicked state left him disoriented, and Midoriya found himself staring at the platform with the bored Guildsman standing on it. Midoriya blinked. His gaze latched onto the gleaming cutlass held loosely in the Guildsman's grasp. Midoriya's focus wavered, and in his mind's eye he saw Bakugou, writhing in the dirt, covered in slime. His whole body trembled with the need to do something, to move, to not just stand there, teetering like a drunkard, and something snapped into place. As he stared at that cutlass, a moment of clarity washed over him. Midoriya's gaze slid back up to the Guildsman, seemingly unaware of his presence, and back to the cutlass.

His hands twitched. And his legs moved.

Midoriya was scrambling onto the platform and ripping the cutlass from the Guildsman's hands before he could really grasp what it was that he was doing. He leaped off the platform and into the stands, scattering the villagers as he landed in a heap.

"Hey!" The Guildsman shouted, but Midoriya was already fumbling his way down into the arena. He pushed and clawed and shoved his way through the audience, practically climbing over people in his haste. He could hear the bewildered shout of his mother, echoing over the crowd, but it felt distant, far away, like a hazy afterthought in his mind.

I have to get to Kacchan, I have to help him!

There were shouts and indignant yelps as Midoriya shouldered through. Blood roared in his ears, and he could faintly hear the yelling of the Guildsmen chasing him. Arms tried to block him, hands grasped at his vest and clothes, but Midoriya pushed onwards. It didn't matter, none of it did. The only thing that mattered was the weight of the cutlass in his hands and the objective wreathing in the dirt below him. At last, Midoriya fumbled free of the crowd, leaping out of the stands and dropping down a few feet to the dirt below. He landed with an 'oof', the air nearly knocked out of him, and the cutlass flew from his grasp and clattered in the dust.

Shouts crescendoed until they were pounding in his ears. Midoriya whipped his head up, his gaze locking onto the angry stance of the Captain as she pointed with her sword. "Stop him!" she shrieked. "Get him out of there!"

Midoriya's breath caught in his throat. Splashes of red surged within the crowd, dropping down into the arena. Midoriya tried to breath, to think, but his breaths were little more than a shuddering wheeze. Everything was spinning. The colors of the crowd blurred together, and he dropped his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Breathe in, breathe out. He raised his head, his gaze focusing on the growing blob rearing up before him. The glassy, unfocused eyes of the monster rolled forward in its face, its gaze clashing with his. It blinked, a mouth splitting into a smile beneath those eyes, fangs glinting in the fire light. Horror clawed its way up Midoriya's throat, and he felt utterly frozen. His previous bravado evaporated under the shadow of the monster leering down at him. He was supposed to beat this thing? He didn't even have a flame! What was he thinking, this wasn't possible, he was going to die-

A pained groan reached his ears, and Midoriya's gaze dropped to the belly of the beast. There, ensnared amid the slime and sludge, was Bakugou. One arm hung above his drooping head, the other dragged along the dirt. His pale hair was covered in dirt and grime, just like the rest of him, and he jerked, seemingly straining to lift his head. Their gazes clashed. Bakugou's eyes were glazed, his red irises dull. The raging inferno usually held there was dampened to barely a flicker, and that flicker shone with exhaustion and pain and fear.

And then all at once, the crowd and the Guild and everything else vanished. Midoriya grit his teeth and grabbed the cutlass. And then he was running. His mind was whirring a mile a minute, yet time seemed to slow. Yet, time was limited. He had to free Bakugou before he was stopped, by the beast or by the Guild. On top of that, he needed to get close without so much as being touched by the monster. Midoriya grit his teeth. That viscous skin could easily overpower him if he wasn't careful, and then he'd end up in the same position as the person he was trying to save. Midoriya shuddered and violently shoved that thought away. He needed to focus. The ground trembled below him, and the unsettling gurgling grew closer. Midoriya's gaze flew upward, clashing with the unfocused one of the monster. Its glassy eyes gleamed, and its mouth was curved in a wide grin.

The realization nearly made him trip.

Focus! Don't lose your head now!

But Midoriya couldn't tear his gaze away. He felt himself slowing, ice crawling through his veins. Oh, gods, this thing was horrifying. It towered over him, its skin oozing. The smell of decay hit him like a wall, making Midoriya choke. His hands trembled, and he feared he would drop the cutlass. Those glassy eyes held malice and pain and anger and glee and unspoken horrors; it was a maelstrom of emotions and sensations that had terror crawling up his spine. Midoriya cowered under the beast. How did he hope to defeat this thing? He could distantly hear the clamor of the Guildsman closing in around them, and the shadow of doom cast him in darkness and uncertainty. As Midoriya gazed into the eyes of death, he felt a wave of despair.

There was another low groan from Bakugou, and Midoriya blinked. His trembling ceased, and as he stared into the monsters eyes, and idea came to him. A stupid, risky, ballsy idea. The eyes. Of course! He could see the imperceptible shift of the monster just before it reared its arm into the air. Midoriya's body shifted on instinct, dodging the blow. A breeze tickled his cheek, bringing with it that pungent smell. Midoriya choked, stumbling. The beast swung again, nearly clobbering him. Midoriya managed to feint to the left and flung himself forward. He leaped into the air, clutching the cutlass so tightly his knuckles were wight, and plunged the blade right into the slime monster's eye.

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the arena. And then the beast screamed. Midoriya dropped to the dirt, clapping his hands over his ears with a grimace. Overhead, the monster was reeling back, scrabbling at its face to get the cutlass free. He shook his head, steeling himself.

Kacchan. Have to save Kacchan.

He forced himself forward, forced himself towards the wreathing mess of slime and sludge. Bakugou was disappearing into the slime further; he could only see one arm. Midoriya sucked in a panicked breath and reached out and grabbed him. "Kacchan!"

He pulled.

Midoriya grit his teeth and dug his feet into the dirt, and pulled and pulled and pulled. Whether the monster wreathing and shrieking around him helped or made things worse, Midoriya knew not. All he was aware of was Bakugou and how slippery his arm was and oh, shit, what if he accidentally slipped? Or dropped him? Or-

Bakugou came free with an almost humorous 'pop', and the two collapsed in the dirt. Midoriya wheezed, blinking up at the shadowy stalagmites overhead. He did it. He freed Bakugou. He freed Bakugou, and they weren't dead. Midoriya rolled onto his hands and knees, reaching for the unconscious boy beside him. "Kacchan?" He got no response, and panic bubbled from within. The monster roared behind him, and Midoriya tried to quell his panic. He'd celebrated too soon. Desperate, Midoriya wiped the sludge from Bakugou's face with trembling hands. He cast apprehensive glances over his shoulder as he worked, his heart roaring in his ears.

Flashes of movement danced in his eyes. The sludge monster, wreathing and roaring in the center of the arena. The Guildsmen hedging in closer, their weapons gleaming in the firelight. The crowd, all around, surging and moving like grass in the wind, their gazes watchful. Midoriya sucked in a breath and shook Bakugou. "Kacchan, wake up!" he pleaded. Bakugou's face twitched, and he groaned. Oh, thank the gods. Midoriya nearly cried at the sound.

And then there was an ear-splitting roar.

One look had Midoriya nearly sick with dread. Leering up and over them was the sludge monster, its mouth curved in an exaggerated snarl. The cutlass was gone, and in its place was a bloody mess where the beast's eye once sat. That blood oozed down its face and mingled with its slimy and viscousy body, painting a gory and mildly grotesque image. Midoriya hauled Bakugou up, staggering under the unconscious boy's weight, and stumbled back. The beast's mouth twitched, and it uttered a snarl.

"You. Dead."

Midoriya blanched. That sound. That grating, horrific sound. It held words, short and choppy sentences. But worse yet, it held an undeniable, ferocious anger. The monster was no monster at all. It- they- spoke. Midoriya's staggering pace became frantic. This monster, this beast, this being; it could think for itself. And it was angry.

A massive hand swung down from above, slamming into the dirt. Midoriya was thrown off his feet by the afterwave. He slammed into the dirt, Bakugou collapsing nearby. Tears swam in his eyes, and Midoriya wheezed. Damn. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, his gaze darting about frantically. It landed on Bakugou, sprawled in the dirt, the sludge being's dark shadow swathing his features. Fear twisted in his gut, and he yelled, "Kacchan!" Midoriya scrambled towards him, grasping his arm and dragging him closer. He hooked his arms under Bakugou's armpits and hauled him up, scrambling back just in time to dodge another smack from the muck being.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. The phrase ran through his mind like a panicked mantra. He was stuck, arms trembling and legs burning, as he scrambled backwards just a hairsbreadth away from being pummeled by the sludge being. There was no escape, there was no fighting. Not like this, not with Bakugou defenseless.

The being reared back, its eye gleaming and mouth curved in horrific delight. Midoriya sucked in a breath, trembling. Ice crawled in his veins as it gurgled a laugh, lunging for him. And then, in a brilliant flash of light, a blaze of fire arched between them. The sludge being coiled backwards, screeching.

A pair of hands grasped his vest and tugged, hard. Midoriya whipped his head around, his gaze crashing with none other that Utsushimi. Her brows were drawn in a scowl, and she glared at him. "U-Utsushimi?" Midoriya stammered. Her scowl deepened.

"Drop him and come with us," she said. Midoriya blinked. His gaze slipped to her shoulders, where her red cape rested. Oh. Right. He'd nearly forgotten the Guildsmen were in the arena too. Hell, he'd nearly forgotten she was a Guildsman. Or Guildswoman. Was there a preference there? Midoriya shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Now was absolutely not the time to run off into a tangent. He met her flaming, russet gaze, trying to push Bakugou towards her.

"Take him," he said. Utsushimi pursed her lips, the fire in her eyes flaring. But Midoriya could see something flickering amid the fire. Embers of doubt, embers of care. With a burning heart, Midoriya raised his chin. "Camie, please." There was a bolt of shock, and she stared dumbly at him for a moment. Slowly, her fingers uncurled from his vest, and with a soft motion, she took the twitching, unconscious Bakugou from his arms. Midoriya's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you," he said. And then he was running.

Flames crackled in the arena, burning on whatever fumes the sludge being left behind in its rampage. They cast everything in harsh shadows and an orange glow, and made navigating difficult. Midoriya dodged flames left and right on his way to the rampaging creature-being in the center of the arena. Flickers of Guildsmen danced on the edges of his sight, their shouts carrying over the crackle of fire and snarls of the sludge being. Midoriya made sure to keep his distance; he needed to end this. According to their traditions, the match would only end when the proclaimed 'beast' had fallen. Midoriya didn't even want to dwell on the alternative.

A gleam caught his gaze. The cutlass. It laid in the dirt, not far from the beast-thing-being. Midoriya sucked in a breath. An idea sparked in his mind. If eyes were its weak spot, then, perhaps he had a chance after all. Sure, he wasn't as strong as Bakugou, or as lithe as Utsushimi, but he had a plan and that would hopefully be enough.

Midoriya ran. The arena rumbled and shook, growls and snarls mingling with the shouts of the Guildsmen and cries from the crowd, the noises all ringing in his ears. He focused on the pounding of his feet on the ground and the beating of his heart, his gaze trained on the gleam of the cutlass, forgotten in the dust. Sweat dripped in his eyes, and Midoriya had to blink through it. Focus, he thought. Keep your eyes on the prize… There was a shout, and Midoriya dove under a column of fire and onto the cutlass. His fingers grasped the hilt and he nearly cried with joy. He scrambled back to his feet, his gaze darting about. Running towards him were two Guildsman, weapons drawn. In the center of the arena, roared the sludge being, as it swung and swatted at the flames crackling around it. Midoriya gripped his cutlass. This was it. A hand reached up and gripped at the tooth hanging around his neck.

"This tooth has brought me great fortune; hopefully it can do the same for you."

He grit his teeth and moved. Midoriya ripped off his vest, wrapping it haphazardly around the blade. He then plunged the cutlass into the crackling fire in his path, catching the cloth on fire. Satisfied, Midoriya threw himself into the fray. Just as he had only moments prior, Midoriya ran straight for the being, flaming cutlass raised. He found an opening, taking advantage of the being's blind spot and cut close. "Hey!" he shouted. The sludge being turned, its one working eye gleaming with hate. Midoriya felt his chest constrict, fear clutching him.

"Useless. Stupid and useless." The being towered over him, its rancid smell overpowering his senses. The words it spoke, grating and cruel, bounced around in Midoriya's mind. He sucked in a breath, feeling his arms trembling. He thought of Bakugou, his strength, and his failure. If someone as strong as Bakugou had failed, then what did Midoriya have to lose? He glared back, defiant. And then he leaped. Midoriya barely registered the surprise blooming in the being's expression before he plunged the cutlass into its remaining eye. He smacked against the viscousy body, the breath stolen from his lungs on impact. Midoriya dropped to the ground, wheezing.

Overhead, he could hear a horrific scream. Through bleary eyes, Midoriya could make out a massive, burning shape. A rancid smell filled his nostrils, worse so than the being's naturally horrific scent. Midoriya gagged, nearly puking then and there. He swiped at his face, clearing the tears, and sucking in a few breaths of air, he looked up to see the sludge beast burning. His jaw went slack at the sight. The being screamed and screamed and screamed, clawing at the cutlass sticking out of its remaining eye, its entire, fluid like body finally alight with flames. Midoriya could only stare. Did...did he do that? He merely expected to maybe cauterize its eye, to do just a tad bit more damage than before. Not...this. He was so entranced by the sight before him, that he didn't notice the Guildsmen until they were upon him.

Rough hands grabbed his shoulders hard enough to bruise, and they wrenched his arms behind his back, tearing a cry from his lips.

"Shut up and walk," one said as they hauled Midoriya to his feet. He stumbled along, half walking, half being dragged from the arena. All around, the crowd was surging, moving, screaming. Midoriya couldn't make out what was said; it was all a confused clamor. It didn't really matter though. He had won. Bakugou was safe, and the being was defeated.

The match was over at last.

Midoriya realized belatedly that he was being dragged to the dungeons where the beasts were kept. He cast his gaze upwards, landing on the stoic form of the Captain. Their gazes locked, and the last thing Midoriya saw before the darkness was an overwhelming fire of hate and fury.

Update! This is a bit shorter, I know, but alas. Things start to pick up from here, so hopefully it's worth it! Enjoy!

-Kat