Cutting This Short
Recovery Girl whacked Izuku on the head with her cane! "That's for shattering your ankles", she said before whacking him again, "And that's for spraining Todoroki's wrist. You should be lucky neither of those things got you disqualified". "In my defense, that last one was Monkey's idea", said Izuku. "In any case, you should be able to walk in five minutes", said Recovery Girl, "Try not to aggravate the injuries after an hour. Oh, and you have visitors". As soon as Recovery Girl hobbled off, Ochako, Mina, and Momo raced in. "Izuku, are you OK!?", they all asked at the same time. "Guys, guys, I'm fine", chuckled Izuku. "My man", said Monkey from within his head, "Three beautiful girls are checking up on you. Forget fine, you're doing fantastic". "How are your ankles?", asked Mina, "Do you need ice?" "Mina, please, he already got healed", said Ochako, "What he really needs is mochi". "What are you saying, Uraraka?", asked Momo, "The Sports Festival isn't even over yet". 'Wait, are you seeing this?', thought Izuku. "Yaomomo's right", said Mina, "Mochi is best served with a healthy side of ketchup, far away from Midori and I". "Yeah", said Ochako, "HEY!" "Looks like all three of them are into you", said Monkey, "Well fu…"
"Fun. That is what we are having today", said Thomas. "Thomas, why do you do this?", asked Midnight, "Not just to us, but your fans as well". "Well, Midnight, my dear, the answer is a simple one", said Thomas, "Because I can. But we're getting off track". "Yes, it is onto the Finals", said Present Mic. "That's right", said Thomas, "These should be the most intense fights of the Tournament. Do we have the names ready?" "We do indeed", said Present Mic, "The last fights, in order, are…"
Ejiro Kirishima vs. Setsuna Tokage
and
Izuku Midoriya vs Katsuki Bakugo
"I'd feel bad for the guy fighting Midoriya, but seeing as how he beats opponents when they're down like a discount Endeavor, I speak for of us when I say give him Hell, Izuku Midoriya", said Thomas with the pump of his fist. "I second that", said Present Mic, "The little listener has already won, even if he loses". "This ought to make a great episode of your broadcast podcast", said Thomas. "I really wish you'd stop calling my radio show that", said Present Mic. "I wish your radio show would stop being that", retorted Thomas.
Meanwhile, Kurogiri looked up to see a snake Faunus with long, black hair, a red bandanna that acted as a domino mask, a massive katana strapped to his back, a belt with several knives, and black combat boots. "Mr. Stain, welcome", said Kurogiri. "I was told you had a proposition for me", said Stain, his yellow eyes glaring at Kurogiri. "That I do", said Kurogiri, "Doctor, bring it over". Dr. Merlot placed a small, square object on the bar. "A webcam?", asked Stain. "Think of it", said Kurogiri, "Your message will be shown to all who need to hear it. With the resources of the League of Villains, you will be untouchable".
Suddenly, Stain surged forward, holding a knife to Kurogiri's throat! Kane and Ojiro got up to fight, but Kurogiri held up his hand. "You attacked those kids", snarled Stain. "A moment of weakness from our former leader", said Kurogiri. "Why would I ever agree to have you help me?", asked Stain, pushing the knife closer. "Because", said Kurogiri, not even flinching as Stain looked him in the eye, "I, more than anyone, know what the Hero Public Safety Commission is hiding. Drug deals, wet works agents, corruption across the board. We at the League of Villains are the only ones fighting the new wave of oncoming False Heroes. Your campaign has yielded great results, but the HPSC will always have more on the way. However, should you decide to work with us, spread your message to everyone who needs to hear it, well, it could spell the end of the entire concept of such Heroes." Stain withdrew the knife and looked to the webcam. "As it happens, we have a captive audience, just waiting for your words", said Kurogiri as he looked to the TV playing a recap of the Sports Festival. "How exactly do you expect the False Heroes from tracking my signal?", asked Stain. "I have created forty-two different networks", said Dr. Merlot, "If anyone from the Commission tried tracking us, they'll only find static".
Kurogiri poured a malt whiskey and handed the glass to Stain. "We want the same thing, you and I", said Kurogiri, "A better society, a safer populace.". "I'll drink to that", said Stain as he took a gulp, "And I accept your offer". Stain took the webcam and put it in his belt. "The HPSC has sent some people after you in Hosu", said Kurogiri, "When you wish to broadcast, just push the red button. Dr. Merlot will handle the rest". Dr. Merlot gave a short nod as he sat at his laptop. "Then my work must truly begin", said Stain as Kurogiri made a portal, "I'll be seeing you". Stain leaped through the portal and onto a rooftop. "Can you be ready when he does decide to broadcast?", asked Kurogiri as the portal closed. "The systems are already in place", said Dr. Merlot, "Once he goes live, the feed is filtered through the networks automatically. The cracking of UA's systems has already been completed". "Excellent", said Kurogiri, "I suspect we won't have to wait long for the Hero Killer to pick a fight".
Back in the arena, Setsuna leaped up and kicked down onto a wooden board, splitting it in half! "Let's see Mirko try that", she boasted confidently. "Maybe she'll take you as an Intern", said Pony. "Maybe", said Setsuna. "Don't let it go to your head, Setsuna", said Kendo, "Kirishima has lot more going for him then the pinning move you saw him use". "I know", said Setsuna, "I saw how he fought Tetsutetsu. As a matter of fact, I already have a way to deal with him". "Good", said Monoma, "Show those glory hounds at 1-a what's up". Just then, an alarm from Kendo's phone went off. "What's that?", asked Monoma. "It's the hypocrite alert", said Yui flatly, "It goes off every time you act like a hypocrite". "How am I a hypocrite?", asked Monoma. "The King of the Mountain exercise, anyone?", asked Awase. "I swear, if you had joined my cousin in dressing like a slutty cheerleader, you would fit right in", smiled Setsuna. Monoma turned bright red with anger. "Anyway, I'm off", said Setsuna, "Watch how it's done, Monoma, you might learn something". Setsuna strutted away, leaving Monoma fuming. "I'll show you", he muttered.
Momo kept her head down as the rest of the crowd cheered on Setsuna as she waved from the arena. "Why is it always her?", she asked under her breath. "Something wrong?", asked Mina. "Not if Kirishima throws my cousin out of the ring", muttered Momo. "Wait, Setsuna's your cousin?", asked Ochako. "Yes", sighed Momo. "Oh, yeah, I can see that", said Mina.
Kirishima stepped into the ring and flexed his muscles. "Showing off for me?", asked Setsuna with a smirk. "No, not really", said Kirishima. "Begin", called Midnight, and Kirishima charged! Setsuna split in half as he tried to pin her down, flying behind Kirishima and kicking him! Then, she detached her arm and threw the fist and the trailing segments of flesh at Kirishima, knocking him back! He charged again, trying to punch her, only for Setsuna's head to float off, dodging the strikes! Then, she kneed Kirishima in the groin before detaching more body parts, pummeling him! "Why doesn't she just end it already?", asked Mina. "Because Setsuna loves the attention", said Momo, "She wants all eyes on her". Setsuna came together again as she gave Kirishima a roundhouse kick, only to yelp in pain! Kirishima had hardened his skin, so kicking him would be like kicking a stone wall. Speaking from experience, it hurts. A lot. "Damn!", shrieked Setsuna. She ducked out of the way and put Kirishima in a chokehold! "Let's see how well that rocky skin works when you can't breath", snarled Setsuna, only for Kirishima to dash backwards toward the line! Setsuna split apart and drop-kicked Kirishima, knocking him out of the ring! "We have our first champion", said Cementoss, "Setsuna Tokage has triumphed!"
"Because of course she did", said Momo sadly as the audience cheered. "There's still Midori", said Mina, "There's a good chance he'll still win the Sports Festival". "Yeah, but he has to go up against Bakugo", shuddered Ochako. "If it wasn't Bakugo, I'd feel sorry for anyone who picked a fight with Midori", said Mina, "He is going to get curb-stomped".
Elsewhere, the Pro-Hero Hawks, a young man with red wings sprouting from his tan, camel fur jacket and yellow shades, flew over Mustafu, scanning the ground below as he flew past the stadium. "Any sign of her?", asked Mera over the radio. "Not yet", said Hawks as he adjusted his ear piece, "Knowing Lady Nagant, she could be anywhere". "Well", said Mera as he looked through some files, "We know she couldn't leave Japan. Not unless she changed her face and Quirk. Where are you now?" "I'm flying near UA", said Hawks, "Figured she'd start some shit there, but I don't want to get too close. Not after the boot incident". Mera groaned. "Just keep searching the other wards", he said, "Lady Nagant can't hide forever." "OK, I'll head over to Saitama", said Hawks, "Maybe she's among some of the petty thugs there".
Down in the stadium, Monkey and Izuku were discussing their strategy to beat Bakugo. "He's going to expect us to try and knock him out of the ring", said Monkey, "After all the ring outs today, I'd be surprised if he managed to find a way to counter any that happen to him". "Yeah", said Izuku, "I hate to say it, but we'll have to take him head-on". "I have just the thing to get him to slip up", said Monkey as Izuku got up from the bench, "If you let me taunt him, he be too angry to think straight". "Is that really a good idea?", asked Izuku, "This is Kacchan we're talking about. He's always angry." "Yeah, and if we want to beat him, we need every advantage", said Monkey, "We also need to pound him into the dirt". "I'm not sure about that", said Izuku. "Listen, I get that Bakugo is your so-called friend, but if you don't want to wind up like Uraraka, you need to put those feelings aside. Don't forget, he tried to kill you on the first day".
Izuku didn't have a response to that as he stepped out into the arena. "In this corner, my number one contestant, the kid who puts the ape in Class 1-A, Izuku Midoriya!", proclaimed Thomas. Izuku looked across the ring to see Bakugo, glaring with all of his hatred. "And in this corner, we have the explosive beast, straight from Hell itself, Katsuki Bakugo!", cried Present Mic. "The final round of the Sports Festival Tournament, ladies and gentlemen", said Thomas, "Can our favorite monkey man defeat this assassin of fire?"
"Isn't that the question of the hour?", Monkey asked. Izuku nodded and nervously took a step backwards as Bakugo stomped forward. "Running away already, Deku?", smirked Bakugo, "After looking down on me so long, you finally throw in the towel? Was this because of what I did to Round Face? The only thing worse than me not pounding you like I did to her was beating her so hard she couldn't dress up in the cheerleader get-up that slut Ponytail wore. If nothing else, I'll be having fun with those pictures of her tonight". Izuku's blood boiled over at those words. "High praise, coming from a villain like you", he snarled. "WHAT!?", shrieked Bakugo. "You deaf, Bomb Boy?", asked Monkey as Izuku's face changed, "Izuku said you're a villain. I'm surprised it took him this long to come to that realization, but growth is growth. Too bad I can't say the same for you. You're still the same dick who destroyed his notebooks, threatened him, and called him useless". Izuku's face changed back to normal, but he still glared with all of his fury. "That's without getting into your disgusting comments about Uraraka and Yaomomo", said Izuku, "How dare you say that about either of them? They're twice the heroes you could ever be". "Watch your mouth, Deku", said Bakugo, a few small explosions popping between his fingers, "I don't care how strong you are. You're still a monster, and I will beat you one my to the top". "Then come at me with everything you've got", said Izuku, "I'm not the worthless Deku you beat down in middle school. If only to see Ashido, Uraraka, and Yaomomo happy, I will defeat you". "Are the combatants ready?", asked Midnight. Izuku and Bakugo nodded. "BEGIN!", cried Midnight with the crack of her whip.
Cue Song: It's My Turn by Casey Lee Williams
"DIE!" Bakugo used his explosions to rocket forward, only for Izuku to step to the side and become the Green Gorilla! He grabbed Bakugo by the leg and threw him to the ground in front of him! The ape slammed his fists down, only for Bakugo to duck out of the way and fire an explosion, hitting the Green Gorilla in the shoulder! The beast brushed some soot off of his shoulder before punching Bakugo, sending him flying! Bakugo skidded to a halt as he used his explosions to shoot forward, punching the Green Gorilla in the face! He then fired off an explosion of white light, blinding the ape! "What happened?", asked Thomas. "Looks like Bakugo hit him with a flash bang", said Present Mic. Bakugo then used his explosions to rocket upward, kicking the Green Gorilla in the chin before blasting him back! The ape rubbed his eyes and looked at the timer. Two minutes remained. Plenty of time to deal with Bakugo.
The explosive boy rocketed forward, only for the Green Gorilla to grab him! Bakugo thought the beast was going to toss him out of the ring, only for the Green Gorilla to chuck him at the ground and charge, knocking him a few feet away with a shoulder slam! The ape let out a hoot as he pounded his chest with one fist. "You can do it, Midori", shouted Mina, "Come on! Go-Rill-A! Go-Rill-A!" The crowd went wild and began chanting Go-Rill-A as the Green Gorilla leaped away from the explosions fired by Bakugo! "Eat this!", yelled Bakugo as he began to heat up his hands, "AP Shot!" He fired a massive explosion that tore through the ground as it traveled toward the Green Gorilla! The ape braced himself as the force of the explosion hit him, followed by the fire and dust! "I can't see him", said Present Mic, "Where is he?" "Come on, Izuku", said Momo, holding her hands over her heart. Just then, out of the smoke ran Izuku, who then punched Bakugo in the face! He then kicked him in the stomach before elbowing him in the face! Before Bakugo could retaliate, Izuku turned into the Green Gorilla and punched Bakugo in the stomach, finally knocking him down! Bakugo got up weakly, only for the Green Gorilla to push him down. He looked at the clock and saw one minute and fifty seconds remaining.
Bakugo hit the Green Gorilla with another shot! "Looks like I'll have to aim for the head", snarled Bakugo. Before he could attack again, the Green Gorilla turned back into Izuku and kicked Bakugo in the chin! He then punched Bakugo in the stomach and face before leaping out of the way of another explosion! "Stop holding back, Deku!", roared Bakugo. "I thought you wanted a good fight", said Monkey as Izuku's face changed. "NO", yelled Bakugo, "I want you to die!" "Then I guess I'll stop holding back", said Izuku as he turned into the Green Gorilla. The ape grabbed Bakugo and slammed him into the ground! Bakugo tried to fire off an explosion, but nothing moved the Green Gorilla as he kept him pinned to the ground. Just then, the timer went off. "Victory by endurance", cried Thomas, "Midoriya has just won the Tournament!" As the Green Gorilla turned back into Izuku, Bakugo saw red. "NO!", he cried as he readied another AP Shot, "I was supposed to win, you monster!" But before he could attack, Midnight tore off one of her sleeves, releasing purple smoke that knocked out Bakugo.
"I am here, with the medals too", declared All Might. Midnight rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "First up, we have Young Midoriya", said All Might as he marched over to Izuku, who cried tears of joy, "The strength of your body is nothing compared to the strength of your heart, Young Midoriya. Defending the honor of those young women is what makes you number one in my book". "Thanks, All Might", said Izuku as he accepted his medal. "Now for our number two", said All Might, "Setsuna Tokage, your power is only half of what makes you special. Cultivate that intelligence of yours. More than your Quirk, your ability to think is what makes you a hero". "Anytime", said Setsuna as she took the medal. "Finally, Bakugo", said All Might as he approached him. Bakugo roared angrily as he thrashed against his chains, a thick muzzle muffling his angry curses. "You may have potential", said All Might, "But you only have yourself to blame for being in this position with your hurtful words and wicked actions. Do better". He half-heartedly placed the medal on Bakugo's neck.
Suddenly, the giant screen started to change as static took over. "Looks like someone cracked our systems", said Thomas. Just then, on the screen, a terrible man with no nose and red eyes appeared. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Stain, and I have a mission", said the man, "For years, False Heroes have permeated our society, rotting it from the inside, weakening the good people, leading to a rise in villainy. The HPSC doesn't care about your safety, nor do the so-called Heroes who force children to fight in their Sports Festivals." He stepped aside, revealing a man with dark hair with silver armor. "TENSEI!", cried Iida. "Take note of what happens when you cross me", said Stain as he pulled out his sword, "This is the fate of all who dare allow more False Heroes to exist". He brought up the blade and swung forward, eliciting a gasp from the crowd!
To be Continued...