47

Chapter 40

At some point or another, Bakugo had found me as he stood behind me in the hallway. We were soundless, almost as if pretending we weren't both striving to get as close to Izuku's fight as we could. Present Mic had already introduced them and from here, it was a strain to read their lips. Izuku and Shinso were discussing something and judging by the way Shinso smirked and tilted his head, I could only assume he was ridiculing him. He had to of known that we told Izuku how his opponent's quirk could operate so he knew it was only a matter of time before he was thrown out of bounds, rendering him out of the competition.

"Ready?" Present Mic shouted out excitedly. Bakugo slowly made his way to stand beside me, sighing as he crossed his arms.

"Are you worried about him?" I asked.

"Don't be a dumbass, you moron. Of course I'm not worried about him."

"Then why are you down here?"

"I wanted to see him lose up close."

"You underestimate him. He won't lose." I glanced up at him and he only rolled his eyes.

"Wanna bet?"

"I've made enough bets for one day," I sighed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Go back to not talking."

He grumbled something and as we turned back to the stage, I found both of them staring back at me. I shifted from leaning against the wall and uncrossed my arms, furrowing my eyebrows at the two of them. Shinso was smirking, something assuring me he had just found a way under Izuku's skin. Judging by the way Izuku's eye twitched as he gazed at me, I could only assume he was trying not to erupt out of rage.

His head snapped back to Shinso, his hands balled into fists as he began stomping towards him. "Don't you talk about her that way!" Izuku screamed, only for his body to fall completely slack as his eyes fell open and sickly.

My eyes flew open and my mouth dropped. Before I could make any moves or say a single word, Bakugo had grabbed me by the shoulders and was shaking me for an answer. "What the hell did he just do?" He asked.

"I thought Ojiro told him."

"Told him what?"

"If Izuku answers a question from Shinso, then it gives him the power to completely control him. Like some kind of doll."

"So you're saying he knew talking would end up taking him out and he still talked? I didn't think that bastard could get any dumber."

I disregarded his comments, watching as Izuku turned. He was looking at me head-on now, his eyes void of any remnant of the person he was. His body moved in a weak sense, slow and animated. It was like he was looking directly at me, but not at all. I knew this would have no lasting effects on him and I knew myself that being brainwashed wasn't physically painful. Still, seeing Izuku like this made my palms sweat and my body burn. My stomach felt like it was in knots, the little voice in my head screaming at me to run.

"Turn the hell around Izuku!"

"Yatsu, what the hell are you-"

I fell silent, watching him as he stopped walking just before stepping out. He was staring directly at me, his eyes bouncing to different areas of space around me. I looked around me as well and once I found nothing, I turned back around to face him just in time. Though his face remained slack, he barely flicked his two fingers and the platform went up like a tornado. Even Bakugo and I had been pushed back a foot or two from the colossal of wind he had produced.