Endeavour vs Estelle
Estelle watched some of the exams before heading to the battlegrounds for her own test to begin. She was placed at the end, so she had seen the beating Bakugo and Midoriya had received. Most of the class were in the screening room when she had left the room, giving her well wishes as she walked out of the door.
Her exam was placed in an empty field of mud, rock and grass with nothing else in sight apart from Endeavour and the exit.
'They're really trying to make me use my powers to the fullest here, huh?' Estelle had studied with a scoff. Estelle stood at a distance from the firewood whilst she waited for the exam buzzer to go off. Endeavour decided to use this opportunity to say a few words.
"Estelle, it's time to show me your worth. Let me see how great a match you are to my Shoto. I'll crush you for your disrespect at the internship."
Estelle inwardly winced at his choice of words. It felt like a truck of Deja vu hit her from the back. She still hated the similarities between Endeavour and her old man.
'Why are assholes so alike?'
She shook off the emotion and faked a yawn whilst she stared the man down. His smug grin fell at her demeanour and turned into a scowl. Everyone watching through the camera's sweatdropped at their fellow student.
'Do you really have to piss the number two hero off before you fight him?' They all thought whilst they stared at the screen.
The buzzer rang out throughout the field, and Estelle immediately set her entire body on fire. Mimicking, the hero stood in front of her.
Endeavour darted off into the sky in flight, and Estelle immediately followed as she made hand gestures towards the ground. Plots of land abruptly ripped out of the environment and floated up into the air, levitating behind her. Estelle crumpled the earth into four massive boulders and blasted them towards the hero with immense speed. Most of the class watched with wide eyes from the sight.
Endeavour evaded the earth balls and zipped through the air towards Estelle to land a hit. Estelle blocked with a wind force field. The shield around her caused Endeavour to bound back, his fire jerking larger due to the extra oxygen overwhelming his vicinity.
Estelle dropped the barrier and moved to land a punch of her own, adding a large amount of condensed air on her fist to maximise the impact damage. She moved in front of the hero in a flicker and delivered a devastating blow. The sheer force pelted him into the ground. The fire around Endeavour flared up like a volcano whilst he fell in a beam of red into the earth, leaving a crater where he lay.
Estelle didn't give him a moment to rest since she raced down towards the man with lightning speed and plunged right into him. The force pushed him further into the ground whilst she used his body to create an underground tunnel. The strength Estelle was using by pressing Endeavour into the mud left the man groaning out in pain.
Estelle wanted to punish him for being an asshole. The fury she had for him bubbled up to the surface. To her, Estelle wasn't fighting Endeavour. She was fighting her boss. Estelle was fighting the person who raised her. She was up against the man who ruined her.
Not taking the chance to cuff him, Estelle flew back up into the air and waited for him to join her.
The class watched on, astounded that she took him down so quickly but confused she hadn't taken the win yet. Obviously, she did it on purpose since she skipped the perfect opportunity and went back into the skies.
A few minutes later, Endeavour followed her in the air with a furious expression—clearly taken aback by the force of her powers.
Estelle's face was blank to compensate for the furious turmoil raging inside of her. The bubbling heat of her hatred had reached its boiling point, and her brain was beginning to ache. Endeavour scowled at her; his own anger was brought to the forefront at the embarrassment he had just sustained.
"Little girl. Are you so weak you had to stop before you could place the handcuff? Time is running out; you may as well try to scurry off and try to win by running. I will defeat you if you stay."
"No occisio machina of mine will back away from a fight. You are not weak! You are my strongest asset. Take him down. Show me the beast within your soul."
Estelle instantly plunged back into the fight, disregarding the pain in her head. Staying in the atmosphere, Endeavour let out multiple streams of flames towards the teen, leading her to dodge every advance. Estelle moved to glide around Endeavour multiple times, circling him whilst he struck with long-range fire beams.
"This is accomplishing nothing! You have no business being a hero. Look at you! You are losing. You are weak!"
"Multum magna occisio machina. The weakness you showed today was disappointing. You were not born to save, my dear; You were born to burn everyone to ash. Your loss just indicates that I am not doing enough. Fight double the opponents and win if you want to regain your honour."
Estelle snarled out loud at the words she was hearing. She continued flying to collect as much water as possible from beneath the ground and in the air. When she felt her arsenal was large enough. Estelle finally came to a halt in front of Endeavour, holding a vast and frenzied grin.
"Show me what you are. Take your opponent's down and win."
Estelle raised her arms like she was asking God for help. Water surrounded the ground in flood, and Estelle kept her arms up to build the liquid into the air in long fat tendrils. Endeavour was suspended in disbelief at the strength she held; the amount of water she was controlling was exceptional. He wouldn't be shocked if she could invite a tsunami.
"Useless girl! I own you. I own your body and mind. You will do as I say. You will become my wrath!"
Roaring out a growl at the words ringing out in her head. The face of her boss had replaced Endeavour completely. She had never wanted to see it again. She was doomed for his face and words to follow her everywhere. She knew that rationally it wasn't her guardian. She was in a whole different world, for God's sake. Unfortunately, the irrational part of her brain took over, fully accepting what her mind had deceived her into perceiving.
The water tentacles moved swiftly and enveloped Endeavours limbs, causing him to be trapped within the water. The fire around him fizzled out with the crushing amount of water, and Estelle dived in to throw another punch with her full strength. Endeavours head snapped to the side as his nose started to bleed at a fast rate.
He fell to the ground; the water chased after him in hopes of keeping him in place. Endeavour created his second crater into the earth and keened in pain; the water held him down when he attempted to stand, keeping him on his knees.
The hero slumped amidst the water in defeat. The fire he desperately tried to relight kept sizzling out due to the wetness. Estelle jetted down quickly, aware that time was soon reaching its end.
"I will always own you."
Estelle stepped forward to face her boss, punching him across the face once again. Endeavour wheezed out in pain, the blood tainting the water a murky red. The metal smell of his blood filled the air whilst Estelle kicked him in the stomach. Those watching winced at the brutal hits she was directed to the hero. She had won; why was she still hitting him?
"You don't own me."
"You'll never escape me."
"I already have."
Endeavour watched with perplexity as Estelle talked to him like he was responding. He was relieved when she finally marched around him to place his handcuffs.
The buzzer rang out in the air. Principle Nezu's voice spoke out in the announcement that Estelle had passed. She showed no acknowledgement of the win apart from releasing the water. Endeavour stayed knelt on the ground but gripped the mud with a gasp and a cough. The blood and sweat dripped down his face as he glared at the female.
Estelle was motionless in front of him; her back faced him whilst she gazed at the sky. The class were frozen at what they had just watched.
Estelle was battling her mind for sanity; she just needed a few minutes so she could leave. The voice of her boss was all she could hear, all she could see. It was a few minutes before Estelle finally moved. Her posture was relaxed again; she had won for the time being.
She turned to face Endeavour with a scowl, his bloody face finally coming into view. Estelle visibly winced when she gazed down at the hero who had taken a beating. Stepping forward, Estelle declared her parting words.
"Now, you see. If I could beat a hero such as yourself without my full strength. What makes you think that Todoroki could be the perfect specimen? What makes you think that you would be able to achieve what you've been working so hard to get? What if there's someone out there with a better quirk than mine? Face it- It'll never work. The fact you have no remorse for ruining lives in the face of something so unachievable makes me sick. Now fuck off."
Endeavour trembled in his place. It was the first step to his awakening. He was in denial, but he would come to understand what he had done. Estelle was there to make sure of it. Pain shot through her head as the face of Endeavour slowly flickered back to her guardian. Estelle realised that she had lost the power struggle once again. Endeavour didn't comment, but Estelle knew that he listened, so she walked away at those final words.
'Woah'
Estelle didn't go back to the room where the class watched over the exam. Her mind was still haywire; she could still smell blood. Estelle walked quickly within the UA halls; She didn't want Aizawa to find her. Estelle would expect him to look for her.
Estelle grabbed her head in agony as flashes of images shot through her brain, the tangy taste of copper sitting at her lips.
Her friends' dead bodies. Those she couldn't save. The blood. There was always so much blood. Why can she taste blood?
Estelle knew she wouldn't be able to locate her way out if she was barred in her head. The haunted pictures of the past clouded the image of the corridor. Raising her hand, Estelle gave herself a punch to her cheek. The injury allowed her to see the grey of the lockers before she was pushed against the wall. The stranger's hands gripped at her arms and pinned them above her head. Estelle gasped for air whilst she tried to break herself out of the hold. She internally panicked at the thought of being held down; her breathing accelerated at the idea.
"Snap out of it, Lioness! I'm already in a fuckton of pain - stop moving!"
Estelle slackened slightly at Bakugo's voice. Her breathing slowed down in relief.
"That's it - good. Pull yourself together."
Bakugo's injured body lay slightly pressed against Estelle from when he attempted to hold her down. Estelle was exhausted in her mind and slumped against him to use him as a brace. The action caused Bakugo to wince whilst he held back his hiss of pain. He didn't mention it as he was fully aware she needed somebody to lean on.
He woke up in the hospital bed and saw that Midoriya was passed out. He had snuck out of the room in hopes of leaving for the day. Imagine his surprise to find Estelle attempting to rush out of UA and socking herself in the damn face.
He had frozen in shock; this girl was crazy, hitting herself like that. What the hell was she thinking?
Before he knew it, he had pinned her against the wall. He just felt like he needed to. God knows what else she would have done if he hadn't arrived.
Bakugo stared down at her whilst she tried to collect herself. His mind reverted to the sports festival, and he understood. The memory had rung out in his brain as if he was there.
"Endeavour spoke to me before the fight. He brought some things up I would like buried."
He must have done it again. It's the only logical explanation.
Throbbing shot through the blond with the added weight put onto him. To help himself and the oddly emotional girl, Bakugo slowly moved toward the ground, bringing Estelle with him.
Estelle allowed him to manoeuvre around since she practically lost control of her whole body. She felt too drained to even lift a finger. She internally smiled as he attempted to be soft but ended up roughly moving her body like a doll. It was comforting for him, at least. She could appreciate that.
By the time Bakugo was done moving around, Estelle had laid on the floor with her head on the male's lap as he sat cross-legged. His back sagged against the wall, and he lamented in relief. He knew there wouldn't be many classmates using the corridor, so he accepted his position.
Estelle gazed at the floor, completely drained in the aftermath of her brain losing its shit.
She was here. She was present. She was alive.
She just needed to remind herself of that.
Estelle stiffened a little when she felt fingers running through her hair. Bakugo's hand stilled at her action but continued moving when she eased to the odd feeling.
Estelle allowed herself to slip into a temporary bliss of being comforted. He managed to be soft with this. She was surprised.
The two stayed in silence whilst Bakugo attempted to soothe her. During the silence, the blonde was internally berating himself on why he remained. Why did he care? Why was she so upset? Why did she hurt herself?
Bakugo knew that now wasn't the time for questions since it would probably make things worse.
Estelle's mind had begun to relax in the calm environment. After some time had passed, her head turned slightly to face Bakugo.
"Thank you," Estelle muttered quietly. Bakugo's face held a red hue once he turned his face away. Estelle could see his fiery pout and couldn't help but be amused by his following words.
"Yeah, whatever, just never mention it again."
Nodding against his thigh, the two maintained their silence for a while longer. When a number of time had passed, he eventually asked her a question.
"It was the asshole Endeavour - wasn't it? He seems to be the one who causes these episodes you're having."
Estelle felt wonder flicker at the back of her mind but nodded in answer.
"Why? What would make you so vulnerable that you feel the need to hurt yourself?"
Estelle didn't react for a moment. "He is a replica of the man who raised me."
Bakugo hummed in acknowledgement, another memory playing out in his brain from when he overheard Todoroki, Deku and Estelle at the sports festival. The man who raised her was an asshole, apparently.
"Tch, screw him. You able to move, Lioness?"
"Yeah, I'll need a help up, though."
"Tch, of course, you do."
Helping the girl up, Bakugo tried to step back to allow her to stand on her own. The attempt failed when Estelle stumbled after she attempted to gain back her footing.
Grabbing her once again by the shoulders, Bakugo incoherently grumbled to himself. He encircled an arm around her back to allow her to lean on him once more.
"Come on, I'll help you get back to the cafe."
"You don't have to", Estelle rasped back, her voice filled with fatigue.
Bakugo growled, turning to face the girl he was holding and snapped, "Yeah, I do, you're completely dead from the fight. More than you should be. I'm taking you back."
Estelle knew he was right, so she didn't fight him on it and agreed. The two slowly made their way out of UA in silence; Bakugo's own injuries hadn't been completely healed, and he was also tired from the stamina recovery girl sucked out of him.
It was a few minutes in when Bakugo vocalised once again, "Did you at least kick his ass?"
Estelle met Bakugo's eyes with a smirk. "Of course I did Ruby. I ruined him."
Bakugo chucked back in response; his grip on Estelle's waist tightened in approval. "Good."
"Your fight with All Might was great; I knew you could do it."
Bakugo jeered. "Of course I would. What'd you take me for? A weakling?"
"Pfft, of course not."
"Good."
They had reached the Beanery in adequate time since it was close to UA. Bakugo and Estelle walked in, still holding onto each other, only to be met with Nona.
"Estelle! Oh, dear! You look exhausted, come take a seat - both of you!" Nona started as she ran to the back for some tea.
The two students shuffled onto the counter seats and quietly waited for Nona to arrive. Once Nona did, Estelle relaxed immediately to the taste of tea.
"Thank you, Nona," Estelle muttered. She noticed Bakugo's arm still wrapped around her torso but didn't remark on it.
Nona placed the back of her hand on Estelle's forehead with a worried expression.
"You're burning up, dear, come on - let me take you home really quick. Bakugo, is it okay if you wait here in case any customer arrives? I will only be a few minutes."
Bakugo nodded in agreement, letting go of Estelle when she rose and moved with Ms Nona to the exit. He watched as the old lady fretted over Estelle and how Estelle tried to ease her anxieties. Bakugo could see the love they held for each other.
He observed while they crossed the road, headed into the house across the street, and waited silently in thought about everything he had just witnessed.
He was startled when Ms Nona's voice had broken him out of his thoughts and jumped slightly. He was so lost in his mind he didn't even realise she was back.
"Thank you so much, dearie, for helping her. I always worry about her, so it's a relief to know there are people at UA that look out for her."
Bakugo nodded. Glancing away, he asked, "What's the deal with her?"
Nona sighed and acknowledged. "Estelle has dealt with a lot in her young life. More than most people. Before she came to stay here, her life wasn't great - that terror follows her to this day. It can sometimes cause episodes like the one you saw today. That's all I can say."
"I understand."