Final Fight

Estelle paid no mind to Tokoyami when the match began. Her mind, at this point, was too tired from the mental turmoil she had just experienced. Estelle allowed him a couple of minutes to show off his attacks whilst she dodged them. Eventually, the female lit up in flames from head to toe. The creature linked to Tokoyami flinched back and lost power due to his weakness with light. Estelle flicked her hand up to bind the boy and his quirk with vines from the earth. The crowd roared their approval as she immediately walked back to the tunnel whilst releasing them from her vines.

Estelle made her way back to Shinsou, who smirked at the girl and her quickness; he couldn't deny he was impressed. He was delighted that someone with such skill would be helping him become a hero.

Instead of heading back to the bleachers, the two decided to hang around the waiting room. Estelle was warmed that the boy stuck around for her well-being.

The matches were down to the finals at this point. Bakugo would be fighting Todoroki, leaving the winner to fight Estelle. Estelle just hoped Nona was having a good time.

"I'll be right back; I'm going to grab something from the vending machine," Shinsou stated as he walked around the corner.

Estelle stood leaning against the wall with her eyes closed and waited for his return. When she heard footsteps make their way towards her, she assumed Shinsou was back already. Looking up, she was met by a man encased in flames, staring down at her like she would be intimidated. She recognised that this hunk of firewood was, in fact, Todoroki's father.

"When Todoroki wins this next match, I want you to push him to use his flames. That power of yours is useful. Who are your parents?"

Estelle raised an eyebrow at the man's forwardness before responding bluntly, "I'll let the boy do what he wants, and secondly, it doesn't matter. They are dead."

The man looked down at the girl with a frown before smirking. "I see. I was hoping we would be able to come to some sort of arrangement. I found it strange that when I looked for information on you. There was nothing to be found, very odd indeed."

Estelle could see where he was going with this. "No, thank you, I'm not interested. If my parents were alive, they wouldn't be either thank you very much. It looks like you need a reality check on what's going on around you; maybe get a self-help book? Or a therapist. You'll never be able to control him, so stop trying."

Endeavour's flames crackled around him, the specks spiking off him landed on Estelle. She showed no outward reaction to his tactics. "Now you listen here, young girl-"

He was cut off by Shinsou holding drinks and some snacks from the vending machine. "Is everything all right?"

Endeavour huffed and gave Estelle another enraged look before turning away and storming off. Shinsou sighed when he turned back to Estelle. "I leave you for one moment, and you're tied up in something else. Troublesome."

Estelle smirked and shook her head, frustration ebbing slightly at the sight of Shinsou. She strolled away, expecting him to follow. "Come on."

Estelle looked around the corner of the corridor to see Todoroki Shoto with his head down in a thoughtful expression. Looking up, he made eye contact with the first person who stood up to his father. He gave a slight nod and half-smile before walking away, leaving Estelle with an odd feeling as she watched him disappear.

Shaking the emotions off, Estelle and Shinsou sat in the waiting room. Snacks in hand while they waited for the winner to be announced and Estelle's turn to fight. Estelle stared at her bracelet as her mind repeated the endless cycle of thoughts.

Estelle's fury from earlier came back in buck loads as she thought about Endeavour and his past actions. The way the man held himself and spoke like he owned a piece of property just made her want to scream at the number two hero. The resemblance was identical, and it was throwing the girl into more profound turbulence.

A hand patted her head and shook her out of her mind. She looked up to see Shinsou staring down at her empathetically. It made her want to disappear from view. "It's alright, you've just got to get through the next round, and you can recover when you're alone."

Estelle nodded, the sound of explosions from Todoroki and Bakugo's match vibrating in the background. Shinsou stayed in place, patting the girls head soothingly until the announcement claimed Bakugo as the winner.

Sighing out loud, Estelle placed her water on the table and left. Shinsou, still following her, made their way to the tunnels in pursuit of the next match.

Shinsou gazed down at Estelle with slight concern. "You going to be okay?" He queried. He couldn't help but feel attached to the girl. The cold persona seemed to crumble for him when he watched the girl fall apart in his arms. He had an urge to keep her next to him and hide her from the world.

She smirked up at the male and answered, "I may not be in the greatest state right now, but I'll push on like always. I'll see you on the other side."

With a brief smile at each other, Estelle walked out of the tunnel in the face of Bakugo. The blond was glaring at her like a rabid dog whilst he grinned in excitement for the fight taking place.

'What a weird expression.'

"I'm going to crush you this time Lioness, just watch as I rip you apart."

"Okay."

Bakugo's fingers twitched at the nonchalant answer from the female. He took all her tips and worked his ass to the bone; now was the time to prove to her he was the best! He could feel that something wasn't right. He understood that from the look on her face.

"I don't care what's got your knickers in a twist, but you better fight me with everything you've got! Got it?"

"Okay."

The conversation was over when the buzzer rang. Bakugo roared and jumped into the fight immediately. He rapidly blasted the vicinity with explosions and moved to attack the girl from behind. Estelle didn't budge from her spot until he was right behind her.

As quickly as he came, Bakugo was punched in the face causing him to take a few steps back. The crowd screamed at the display vaguely in the background.

Estelle looked up at Endeavour, who stood near the benches with his flames roaring around him. She sneered at him whilst he watched with a smirk. She was rudely interrupted by Bakugo.

"Pay attention! I'm the one you're fighting! So, fight meee!" He screamed whilst he threw multiple explosions. Estelle ducked and dodged them all, putting an earth wall behind her to block another attack on her back. She could see he had been thinking of new ways to beat her.

Endeavour's voice guffawed in the background, vibrating through Estelle as she heard another man laugh alongside him. She froze. Bakugo, who was in the middle of throwing a punch, widened his eyes as the girl froze, causing his hit to land.

Spitting out some blood, she glared at the benches since the laughter continued to ring in her ears. Even though Endeavour himself had stopped.

'Shit. Not now.'

Estelle hurdled out the way when Bakugo made a high jump aided by his explosions and aimed his fist down at her from the air. Without any waste of time, he instantly started throwing multiple continuous attacks at the girl while she continued her movement in defence.

She could hear Bakugo growl in the background as her mind drowned in water, her view on reality melding with the past. "Why aren't you fighting back?!" He screamed out in a haze of heat.

"You are multum magna occisio machina; you are my strength and my victor. Keep fighting till your feet bleed. Then I will let you rest."

A younger Estelle whimpered in response; she was so tired. She couldn't hold on for much longer.

Estelle felt Bakugo give another punch across her face, immediately bringing her back. His loud voice rang in her ears, and she blinked quickly to gain her bearings. "What is going on, Lioness?! This is pathetic!"

Pushing forward, Estelle landed her second attack. She used her air bending to force him away to give her a second to figure out where she was.

Shinsou watched the fight in worry; she was doing better, so why was she freaking out again? His eyes immediately went to Endeavour, who held a smile on his face as he watched the fight. He could only assume he was the reason why. He glared at the number two hero with restrained resentment.

Estelle was hanging onto her sanity by a thread as the match continued. It was apparent that the Estelle fighting throughout the sports festival was not the same one fighting now. Those watching held concern at the confused expression on her face.

Bakugo was fucking furious. This girl, who had beaten him an unmentionable amount of times before. She wasn't putting her all into the fight. Hell, she isn't even putting in some! Todoroki gave him a dumb win, and now this! Bakugo wanted to scream at his classmates for their lacklustre performances. Though he could admit that Estelle was beyond strange.

Bakugo howled out in pent up anger before using his special move in hopes of ending the match or snapping her out of it. The explosion hit the girl whilst she blocked with her arms. It was quiet as the dust faded away, and everyone widened their eyes at the fact she was still standing.

She stood tall and proud like the explosion just woke her up from a dream. The blast had burnt off Estelle's top, leaving her in a sports bra. Letting the world see her battle scars as she wore them unashamed. White jagged lines laid all over her body and across her neck, showing off previous deep wounds. Everyone watching widened their eyes in disbelief from the view.

Bakugo ignored it; he couldn't care less how she looked. What he did care about was the fire in her eyes. He stood up straight with a smirk and wiped the sweat off his face. He looked at Estelle steadily. "I'm glad you've finally snapped out of it, Lioness. It's about time!"

Estelle smirked and immediately jumped into the fight, Bakugo laughing as he did the same. This was what he wanted! He was ecstatic! Exhilarated! Estelle blocked every punch he threw, and he dodged every move she made. It was a fantastic game of cat and mouse, and the two loved it.

The crowd cheered while they watched the two powerhouses duke it out. Estelle was beginning to come back to herself to her relief.

"Keep fighting, little girl. Show me your worth!" Endeavour barked in glee. The crowd looked on puzzling at the number two hero who showed elation for a student who wasn't his own child. Todoroki narrowed his eyes at the old man in contempt. His brain was coming up with conspiracies.

Estelle stilled when she heard his voice.

"Show me your worth, my warrior, and I'll stop punishment. Fight every opponent I throw at you and win to regain your honour."

Bakugo growled in frustration since the girl's emotions he was so thoroughly enjoying disappeared into the void. Her joy and fury that shot back at him in the fight were all gone. The Estelle that was fumbling around earlier was back. He knew she wasn't using her full power, and he knew he couldn't beat that yet. He also knew she was enjoying the fight, so why the hell would she just stop like that! Again!

He threw another explosion at the girl with ferocity, which she didn't block. The blast left her to soar and smash into the wall and out of bounds. The crowd didn't see her switch, so they stood and cheered for the winner. Bakugo ran up to Estelle fiercely, grabbing onto her shirt and began shouting aggressively about his win.

Just like with Todoroki, his fury caused him to be put to sleep from Midnight. Landing on top of the girl, his last thought was...

'I need to see that fire again.'

Waking up in Recovery girl's office, Estelle took a moment to gain her bearings and review her memories from the fight. She winced when she understood that she wasn't in the best mental state going into that fight, but it was better than nothing.

After being cleared by Recovery girl, she made her way out to the stands. Class 1A stood around Bakugo, who was tied up in chains and a muzzle. He bounced around in his wrath as if he was trying to escape. He probably was.

"Estelle is here!" Kirishima shouted in delight and relief before the class hurriedly made their way to her.

"We didn't see you for most of the festival; where were you?" Ochako asked.

"What happened earlier? Are you okay?" Tsu questioned with concerned eyes.

"You were awesome!" Sero exclaimed.

"Yeah, totally manly", Kirishima confirmed.

Estelle raised her hand to quieten the class down and spoke, "I appreciate your kind words, but I am fine. Thank you."

The class was visibly downtrodden at the girl's words which indicated Estelle was done talking. They were interrupted before leaving when an older woman rushed up and enveloped Estelle in a hug. They stared wide-eyed at the interaction, Bakugo included, since he stopped trying to escape from his chains.

"Oh, Estelle! You did wonderful out there! I am so proud of you!" The old lady cried joyfully.

Estelle slowly patted Nona on the back, hearing choking sounds behind her as the class mentally computed her actions.

"Thank you, Nona. I'm glad you had a good time."

Once Nona had broken apart from Estelle, she smiled wide at her classmates before introducing herself. "Hello, I am Nona! I'm Estelle's guardian. Nice to meet you all!"

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs Nona!" Kirishima started with a happy smile. "How long have you been with Estelle?"

Estelle scowled slightly when Nona contentedly responded, "Oh, this wonderful girl joined me not too far back; I've been looking after her since. It's nice to meet some of Estelle's friends!"

Estelle nudged Nona slightly. "They aren't my friends, Nona. I'll meet you at home once the ceremony is over anyways."

Nona beamed towards the girl before giving another hug. The woman was overjoyed at hearing Estelle call her living space home. Leaning back slightly, Nona declared, "We'll go out to eat tonight to celebrate you being in second place!"

Estelle's lips tilted slightly at the woman and nodded, causing the class watching to shut down again from the sight mentally. It suddenly made sense to them that the smile from earlier that day was to Nona!

Turning to the class a final time, Nona gave them one last grin. The students immediately responded with their own, liking the kind-hearted woman and watched as she left. Turning to Estelle, they saw the warmth fade from her eyes and turn back to her usual expression.

They couldn't help but feel jealous that Nona was the only one she seemed to smile for. They had a feeling they wouldn't get to see that side of her for a long time. If ever.

The winners were ushered to the podium; Estelle stood in second place and Todoroki in third. All Might met them at the stage, and he began placing the medals on the winners.

Stopping in front of Estelle, he laid the medal on her neck whilst he murmured, "It seems you've faced a lot of struggle in the festival. If you just keep persevering, then you'll make it through and come out even stronger. I just know it."

Estelle was touched and nodded at the big beefy man. Giving her a massive hug that she was fully encased within. The number one hero moved on to Bakugo, who was still angry about the way he had won.

"All Might. Winning first place this way doesn't prove that I'm the best one here! Even if the world considers me the winner, I refuse to accept it like this!"

All Might retorted jovially after he jumped back from Bakugou's hysterical words, "In a world where we're constantly being compared to one another. There are very few who can keep their eyes focused on the top spot. You're one of them. Please accept this medal even if you have to think of it as a scar. Something you'll never forget."

"I don't want that garbage!" Bakugo snarled even louder.

Estelle shook her head at the male, which caught his attention. "What is it, Lioness?"

"You don't need to prove your number one, just knowing it should be enough," Estelle responded, simply causing him to silence. All Might took this chance to put the medal on the winner, having a minor scuffle and leaving the award in Bakugo's mouth. Estelle held in a snigger from the sight and was rewarded with a glare.

"Say it with me!"

"Plus Ultra!"

"Thank you for all your hard work!"

"Eh?"

The class sat in their respective seats when Aizawa strolled into the room. Estelle noticed Iida was missing but thought nothing of it.

"So, there will be no school tomorrow or the day after. I'm sure the pro heroes who watched the sports festival will want to recruit you, but we'll consolidate everything and announce it when you get back. So, rest well, and look forward to that."

"Yes, sir!"

"Dismissed."

Bakugo blocked Estelle's way to the exit with wild eyes. "Come with me."

Estelle shrugged and followed the spikey blonde as they made their way to a park, she wasn't sure why he had to bring her all the way here, but she didn't argue.

She took a seat on the swing. Estelle enjoyed the short silence between the two whilst Bakugo stood kicking rocks.

'First grass, now rocks, seems like he has a vendetta.'

Once it appeared like he collected his thoughts, he finally broke the silence. "What the hell was that during our fight? It was like fighting a dead log!"

Estelle looked on in displeasure but answered nevertheless, "It doesn't matter anymore; I'm dealing with it."

Bakugo growled and clenched his fists. "But what the hell was it?!"

She sighed in defeat since she understood she wasn't getting to leave without answering. She decided to go for a layer of the truth.

"Endeavour spoke to me before the fight, brought up some things I would like buried. I lost my footing; it won't happen again, alright? Are you done with your questions?" She hissed back.

Bakugo took a step back in wonder as he watched the girl. He was so strangely fascinated by her heated expression. His mouth dried up at the look she gave him, and he bobbed back in acceptance, completely tongue-tied. He was beginning to crave seeing her emotions. It was like watching the stars in the night sky. It drew him in.

"I'm sorry", Bakugo muttered to Estelle's surprise. "I was just so frustrated that you and Todoroki fought me like that. It gives me the impression you all think I'm weak."

Estelle was caught off guard at his show of vulnerability and sighed out loud in exasperation whilst Bakugo continued to soak in her expressions. "I get it, I do. But how one performs does not determine your own ability. You know you are strong, but it's not enough for you; you seek validation from those around you."

Estelle stood up from her swing, looking at Bakugo seriously. "You need to work on that; otherwise, you'll drown in your pride, and you'll never become the best."

Bakugo gritted his teeth at the candid girl. Clenching his fists tighter, he nodded slightly in answer and watched the girl walk away.

Estelle stopped briefly, her back still facing the conflicted boy when she said "Good talk" before she continued walking her way back home.

He sat on the swing for a long time after she was gone, thinking about the words Estelle bestowed onto him. He smiled to himself slightly when he realised she was just trying to help, in her own weird way.