Thunder Hero Baraquiel 36
"FOLKS! IT'S TIME FOR THE SEMI-FINALS! GIVE IT UP FOR THE LIGHTNING RUNNER, KAMINARI DENKI AND THE EVER GREEN CINNAMON ROLL MIDORIYA IZUKU!" Mic yelled to the crowd.
The crowd were on their feet cheering and shouting. They'd waited with bated breath, it had been released with relief when it turned out that Midoriya was going to be resuming. They didn't know what quite to expect from a kid with a quirk that appeared to boost his intellect; or worse quirkless. However, right now, it didn't matter because their was one thing that the crowd loved more than that, that was an Underdog Story and Midoriya Izuku, the undeniably sweetest kid competitor was undeniably living up to the expectations of being an Underdog.
The teens headed out onto the field, Midoriya pulled off his tracksuit shirt and Kaminari copied "You giving a free show?"
"Trying to save clothing, something something public indecency something something not good for UA." Thankfully, the microphone around the arena allowed the spectators to get a ring-side commentary and banter from the teens.
"TAKE IT OFF! TAKE IT OFF!" Someone shouted from the audience elicited chuckles from the audience.
"Ladies and Gentlemen…this is meant to be a relatively kid-friendly event so lets keep it like that."
Dean and Seamus had to bite their hands from laughing, Neville snorted. Up in the Hero booths for the watching Heroes, they were…impressed, the banter and the ability to interact with the crowd would do well in reassuring in a crisis. They'd been thoroughly impressed by Midoriya, now, it was time to see if it wasn't a fluke.
In the arena, Midnight cracked her whip, the boys bowed to one another and then they bowed to Midnight and they began. "Lightning Style: Acceleration!" Denki called, electricity covered his body and he vanished. Izuku's eyes widened, he'd known Denki had taken to Baraquiels' lessons like a duck to water, but, this…this was unprecedented.
"Stop. Denki would naturally take to Baraquiel's training, they have similar quirks…acceleration, that's a linear strike!" Izuku just about evaded the strike, it wasn't a body shot but the grab did clip his left hand. He bit back a curse, and launched out with a roundhouse kick, Denki groaned as the kick caught him in the side. Izuku pirouetted bringing his right arm to bare and launched out with two quick jabs, using the momentum to swing his left arm to up try and protect him. Denki's punch was wild but caught his left hand, it didn't do much but it did serve to get some feeling back into his hand.
Denki winced, he hadn't completely thought that through "You're tough, Midori."
Izuku grinned as he closed the distance, burying his fist into Denki's ribcage as Denki wrapped himself around the green-haired boys throat. "Not…So…bad yourself." Izuku, fell backwards slamming Denki into the concrete. He froze, there was a sickening thud as Denki's head bounced of the concrete. "Denki!"
Denki's world went white, then black. Pain surged through him, he couldn't move, he tried to wriggle his fingers, but he could feel something. His hand reached the back of his head, it was wet! His vision slowly clearly cleared to see Midoriya looking down him, not looking like a competitor but a concerned friend "Are you alright?"
"Midnight-sensei!" Kaminari called. "I'm here, Kaminari-kun…don't move."
"I…give! I can't feel anything…nothing broken but I can't feel anything. Everything moves, just sensations."
Midnight nodded "MIDORIYA IZUKU WINS BY FORFEIT!"
"Sorry about the…head injury, I was trying…"
Denki chuckled "I get it. I saw you doing it with Ojiro, Jiro and Todoroki; you nail it every time in practice. It's just the one time and it goes wrong. Good luck."
The Bakugo and Tokoyami fight was nearly as fast as the previous match, only, much more of a squash match for Bakugo in reality. Bakugo's explosions combined with the high noon sun caused Tokoyami to be an immediate disadvantage. Bakugo was relentless in throwing the bird-headed teen around the arena, Bakugo over extended with a favoured right jab, which allowed for Tokoyami to grab his opponent by the lapels and drive his forehead into Bakugo's face giving him an immediately forming black-eye. Bakugo let out a feral shriek of rage before booting Tokoyami in the head before throwing him by the feathers on the back of his head, headfirst out of the arena. "YOU CAN'T BEAT ME YOU FUCKING USELESS EXTRA."
The crowd watched dumbfounded. They were torn. Both of the finalists had blown them away, one through unprecedented ferocity and the other through determination and kindness. It was going to be interesting.
Bakugo and Midoriya returned to the stage. The tension began to mount, even Mic didn't make an announcement for the duo.
Midoriya and Bakugo faced each other "Remember, the microphones will pick up everything you say." Midnight told them, although it was more of a reminder to Bakugo.
The moment Midnight cracked the whip, there was silence, the only sound made was the breathing of the two finalists. "DEKU! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING DOWN ON ME THIS ENTIRE FUCKING TIME! NOW YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING PAY, YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING PAY FOR DISRESPECTING ME EVER SINCE WE WERE FOUR! NOW FUCKING DIE!" With a howl, Bakugo launched himself forwards, his entire body geared back, quirk popping violently around his right hand. He swung forwards, his attack going for the pathetic weaklings head.
Only…it didn't connect! Bakugo found himself landing on his knees clutching his stomach. "Fucking pathetic, Bakugo, that was truly pathetic." Bakugo's jaw dropped open, Deku never answered back to him! It was how he liked it, asserting his dominance over that pathetic weakling.
"Come on, Bakubitch, if you think you're tough enough." The nerve of that pipsqueak! He'll send him to the hospital in such a state that he'll not be able to return to the hero course. "You're dull, boring, unintelligent, weak…you're so pathetic that you're getting your ass beat by a kid part of the 20%. You're in no position to be giving me orders, you've been playing this same sad bullshit for the past eleven years, when we've been in school by the way. Aldera and Naboo should've clipped your wings and curbstomped your arrogance, they failed. The education system failed you, like Baraquiel-sensei before you; so I, like Baraquiel-sensei have got to do what they should have done…tidy up the trash. Now get up and fight. They crowd deserve to see what they're getting as a hero in three years, I don't intend to disappoint. What about you?"
Bakugo launched himself to his feet, this time launching himself forwards with a knee-strike that was blocked. He followed up with 360 flip into a falling leg strike, which Deku had moved away from and had jumped into a two-footed dropkick, propelling Bakugo forwards into the concrete. "Bakugo, I've never said I was better than you. Until now, I'm better than you, Bakugo, and you know it." Deku continued, Bakugo was beyond incensed with rage; it was bordering apopletic fury. Damn that Deku! Even now with his scathing words, he hadn't raised his voice, increased his pitch, cadence or rhythm of his verbal delivery; it was the same. Monotonous, deadpan, it was like Deku wasn't even looking at him!
Bakugo groaned as he received two heavy kicks, one to his small intestine and the other to the solar plexus. Bakugo spat out a mixture of saliva and phlegm as he sank to his knees. "There's nothing that you can say to me that has not been done to me. I suppose the one difference between you and our middle-school peers was that you did not put spider lilies on my desk or my locker." Bakugo's eyes widened, he remembered seeing those! He also remembered never doing anything to stop it. "What you did was worse, Kaachan, do you remember?"
Bakugo gulped, and he nodded "I…remember."
The crowd was silent, they hadn't expected any of this! The namedropping of schools that participated in bullying was horrendous! The references to Baraquiel and what he did before he came to Japan rocked the audience; the fact a quirkless teen, who was in the final! Was dismantling his opponent with words and a mixture of well-trained kicks, punches and acrobatics was equally amazing and also horrifying. What was possibly even worse, was that Baraquiel hadn't even touched upon it, Gaijin Heroes trained for Gaijin Problems, that was how they had observed it.
Baraquiel was a well-respected hero! Sure he wasn't in the Top 10, but he was heading that way, according to some polls; it was predicted that he'd reach Top 30, the fact of his interviews which were generally off the cuff and rare as anything, he was candid, honest, polite but extremely blunt, blunt to the point of rudeness but they had Endeavour. Again the Japanese populace attributed it to him being a Gaijin and some subtleties of Japanese Culture weren't going to stick with him. So they looked the other way, it was endearing in a way. They were digressing, Bakugo had wronged Midoriya seriously. 'Tell the world, Kaachan, tell the world what you did.'
Back in the arena, Bakugo was looking like shit. "Tell the world what you did!" Deku stated as he sent barrage of punches into his stomach.
"No." Bakugo growled as he finally managed to blast Deku backwards. The midget took the blast, he barely winced as he felt his shirt burn away. Deku had definitely done more damage than he'd care to admit, but the former snivelling pipsqueak was adamant in getting him to confess.
"Why? Scared? Ashamed? Ashamed about what your parents would say, I know they raised you better than that. We grew up together."
"Screw you Deku, I've already confessed and talked about it. I am not opening it up again."
"Not to me. It's still clawing away at you…not as badly, but you've not come to terms with it. I forgive you." Bakugo faltered his explosions faltered, Deku then slammed into him jack-knifing him and sent him into the floor.
"You forgive me! Even though I was fucking horrible to you, and told you to fucking kill yourself and wish for a fucking quirk in your fucking next fucking life. What the flying fuck Deku." Bakugo snarled as he began to frantically wail his arms to try and knock his opponent back. His opponent…when did Deku become Opponent?
His Opponent grinned "You've just said it. Now say it louder with meaning."
"I FUCKING TOLD YOU TO FUCKING KILL YOURSELF! I ALSO FUCKING TOLD YOU TO WISH FOR A FUCKING QUIRK IN YOUR NEXT FUCKING LIFE! ARE YOU FUCKING HAPPY DEKU!"
Deku fucking smiled! It was that fucking smile of fucking innocence! "I am now. So Bakugo, how does it feel to finally say it loud and proud. As for why I forgive you, we're fucking teens, dumbass. Teens say the vilest shit to one another without thought of the fucking consequences."
Midnight was horrified! This was going far outside what could be described as friendly television! These two were baring their souls to the world! This was catastrophic! UA was going to be under major scrutiny if even the smallest part of this was even true. "I MIDNIGHT…!" She began.
"MIDNIGHT! STAY OUT OF THIS!" Both teens shouted. Bakugo was flexing and extending his fingers whilst shaking his wrists; the constant usage of his quirk was making him lose feeling in his hands. Midoriya…well…Midoriya looked like he'd been through the wars with scars, cuts and burns littering his body.
"You at your limit, Bakugo?"
"Just passed it, shitty Midoriya."
Both boys chuckled "Time to end this?" Bakugo asked, his voice hoarse from the screaming and yelling.
"Yeah."
Bakugo blitzed forwards, despite not using his quirk, he was still exceptionally fast. He tilted onto his left as he forced a few explosions in his right arm. "IZUKU!"
Deku charged forwards his right hand ready. "KAACHAN!"
Bakugo's blow caught Izuku in the stomach and Izuku caught Bakugo in his fractured ribs. The pair bounced in opposite directions, before sliding actured ribs. Both boys flew across the arena losing conscious in the process. "Whilst we get camera footage to work out who won…please, enjoy the rest of the festival."