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{Bakugou vs Miriara}
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Word Count: 4270
"Round Two, Hand-to-Hand combat."
Costa could barely contain her excitement as Aizawa spoke, a competitive fire burning deep within her. She suppressed the shit-eating grin that wanted to take over her facial features. This was her time to show-off.
"Aw man...", Kaminari complained as Ochaco patted his back.
Costa looked back at her team with a small smirk, knowing she was without a doubt going to be the best hand-to-hand fighter in the group. It was her specialty, as well as something she enjoyed and took great pride in.
Costa had spent years and years mastering her martial arts and fighting skills. She'd put blood, sweat, and tears into her training and there was nothing more satisfying than showing that effort off. Especially since people tended to assume she wasn't very strong, of course due to the fact that she was a pretty, young girl. She supposed she looked too sweet. Although many people happened to describe her as an intimidating being.
"I'm pitting your teams against each other and you will fight two-on-two", Aizawa explained, piquing everyone's interest. The class followed him out onto the gym field as he spoke. When they stepped out, a collective gasp was heard.
There were 2 large mats in the middle of the field, surrounded by barriers that made it look like boxing rings. Costa bit back a smile at the sight of a ring.
"There will be simultaneous fights of 2-on-2 in both rings. Each pairing's winners will receive 1 point which will be added to your team's overall score at the end of the entire competition", Aizawa said, causing everyone to nod in understanding. He pulled out his clipboard, turning a page over, "Now for your team pairings..."
Everyone tensed in anticipation.
"Midoriya, Mineta, Yaoyorozu and Oijiro will be against Asui, Iida, Shoji & Koda. Midoriya and Mineta will be facing Asui and Iida and Yaoyorozu and Ojiro against Shoji and Koda..."
Costa picked at her nails as she tuned out what teams were facing who, not particularly interested until her own team was called. Ochacho clasped her hands together, her face going pale as she realized the only teams that were left.
"Miriara, Uraraka, Kaminari, and Tokoyami..."
Costa perked up, an excited look appearing on her usually sharp facial features.
"...Against Kirishima, Ashido, Sero, and Bakugou."
Tokoyami, Ochaco and Kaminari all tensed up like plank-boards, sharing fearful expressions. Costa glanced back at them in confusion.
"Uraraka and Kaminari will be facing Kirishima and Ashido while Tokoyami and Miriara will be facing Bakugou and Sero", he looked up from his clipboard and cleared his throat, "Alright, you have 10 minutes to stretch and strategize with your teammates."
Ochaco and Kaminari let out a sigh of relief, sharing looks that screamed 'thank god'. Tokoyami was just as stiff as before as he quietly moved into his own space to stretch. Costa eyed the three of them cautiously before taking a step toward Ochaco and Kaminari. "Why are you all looking so damn anxious right now?", she chuckled, swiping her water bottle off the ground and unscrewing the lid. Kaminari and Ochaco made eye contact, briefly glancing over Costa's shoulder at the intense blonde boy stretching, off on his own. There was a murderous glare on his face that made them shiver.
"It's nothing just...", Uraraka trailed off, trying to find the right words to say, "...none of us really prefer going up against Bakugou."
Costa's eyebrows furrowed before she followed Ochaco's gaze, looking over her shoulder at the spiky-haired blonde. He looked like he was pouting as he stretched a muscular arm across his chest. His muscles stretched and contracted as he twisted his body in her direction.
Their eyes met briefly and an amusing smirk played on Costa's lips. He immediately bared his teeth at her.
"You mean the rabid chihuahua over there?"
Kaminari burst out laughing, slapping a hand over his mouth loudly. Ochaco couldn't help but stifle a giggle as the blonde girl turned back to them with a smug look on her face. "But it's not like you two have to fight him this round. Tokoyami and I got it covered."
Kaminari grimaced, "...trust me, you don't want to get excited about facing Bakugou, especially on your second day..."
"Why not?"
"He's kind of...", Ochaco shivered as if a disturbing memory resurfaced, "...intense."
Costa snorted, "Okay, and?"
Kaminari and Ochaco looked at each other before turning back to the naive blonde girl. Kaminari stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. She stared at the back of his hand, brows scrunching up as he began to speak, "Just let Tokoyami handle him, he's pretty good at fighting."
A glare instantly appeared on Costa's face as she flicked his hand off her shoulder, "And what makes you think I'm not?"
Ochaco and Kaminari pursed their lips.
Costa rose an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, "You don't have a clue what I can do so why don't you sit back and let me handle this. After all, he's obviously too intense for you so it's better off this way."
Ochaco's mouth hung open as Costa patted Kaminari on the cheek a little too aggressively. Kaminari's eyes widened as she softly slapped him in the face a couple of times. He flinched and she pushed past him, knocking her shoulder against his. She walked off to find a spot to stretch on her own. He looked over, watching as her hips swung as she strut over to a secluded place. He softly sighed dreamily, bringing his hand up to hold his stinging cheek.
"She's kinda little mean but she's hot...", he muttered. Ochaco scrunched her nose up in disgust before leaving Kaminari to stand there on his own.
Costa spent the next couple of minutes stretching before approaching her teammate.
"Alright, bird boy", she chuckled, making her way over to his spot. He looked up at her in surprise, not expecting a nickname from someone he'd just been acquainted with. Costa placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes in on his beady ones, "I need to know everything there is to know about him~"
Tokoyami's gaze flickered over to Bakugou, who was arguing with Sero about something. He looked back up at Costa before rising to his feet and clearing his throat.
"Well first of all...", he started, "He is excellent at hand-to-hand combat..."
~
After only 4 minutes of hearing all about the mystery that is Katsuki Bakugou, Costa had created a general mental picture of him and his abilities in her mind.
He was strong, very strong. He was a natural talent when it came to hand-to-hand as well as long-distance attacks and quirk use. He was a quick-thinker who was fast on his feet and had fascinating natural reflexes. In conclusion...
He was amazing at everything.
But she also figured something out that could lead to his downfall. He tended to rely on brute strength and unpredictability. Costa tended to rely on speed, agility, and stunning her opponents. If her agility could outweigh his brute strength, she would definitely win the fight. Dodging was the tactic she would have to excel at to avoid Bakugou's powerful attacks.
Good thing she was a marvelous dodger.
"Are you sure about this?", Tokoyami asked as they waited around the ring for their turn. Costa rolled her eyes at him with an annoyed sigh, "Yes, I want to fight Bakugou."
"But why?"
"Because I know I'll win", she replied without hesitation.
He looked taken aback for a second as the girl stared at the teams fighting in the ring. She exuded a confident, powerful aura as she watched the fight, a fire lit in her golden eyes. Her brow was furrowed in determination, lips curved upward in anticipation. His gaze softened and he felt himself believing her words.
"Okay, I trust you will", he responded in a serious, monotone voice. She looked back at him, a small smile curving onto her pink lips. His words made her chest swell with confidence as she continued watching the fight. The anticipation was almost suffocating her.
After the last few fights with the other teams, it was time for her team to fight. Ochaco and Kaminari approached the opposite ring as Tokoyami and Costa slipped past the barriers of their own ring. Costa's eyes locked onto Bakugou's figure as he ducked under one of the ring straps. He looked determined and confident as hell. He contained such powerful energy that Costa had to swallow in the nervousness she'd felt in her throat when he met her gaze.
"This is a no-quirk hand-to-hand fight. If I see one of you using your quirk, I'll cancel it immediately and your team will get minus points for not following the rules", Aizawa crossed his arms over his chest, "...the goal is to have your opponent down and pinned for at least 5 whole seconds before the match is over OR if they're no longer able to continue the fight."
Their eyes locked onto each other as they readied themselves in a fighting stance. Bakugou's stare was incredibly intense, just as Kaminari and Ochaco had described him to be. The deep red shade rimming his irises mixed with the bright, lively scarlet color that pooled in his orbs caught Costa's attention almost immediately. His stare was enticing, murderous, and almost begging for a good fight. All of his passion and competitiveness was exposed in his fiery glare. He couldn't help but notice the same sense of ambition in Costa's bright golden eyes.
Her face was contorted into a determined scowl, her gaze boring into Bakugou's so deeply, neither of them could seem to see anyone else. The class slipped away as they stared, their own heartbeats thumping in their ears. Her curly cream baby hairs swept over her brow as she started to clench and unclench her fists in anticipation.
They could barely hear Aizawa's next words as the tension built between them. Nothing but excitement, passion, and murderous intent was felt between the two as they slowly crouched further into their stances.
"Alright teams", Aizawa spoke up, the pairs ears perking at his words, "...On your mark....Get ready..."
Bakugou cracked his knuckles, a cocky smirk spreading across his smug face. Costa rolled her shoulders back, never breaking eye contact with her competition. She took a deep breath, letting her nerves calm down as she prepared for the second Aizawa would say-
"Fight!"
Bakugou advanced toward her, instantly starting off with a right hook. Costa raised her arm just in time, blocking and brushing off his hit entirely. Bakugou stepped back on his left leg, recovering from the missed hit and sending his other fist into Costa's shoulder.
Costa grunted as he hit her but didn't take a second to recover as she stepped forward, bringing her left knee up to Bakugou's stomach. He sidestepped out of the way quickly but Costa sprinted forward, sending a powerful kick to his thigh to which he gracefully disrupted with his knee. Costa growled, swinging her arm forward, palming him right in the face forcefully. He knocked back, stunned by the unexpected attack. She grinned.
With a new found rage, he looked up at her and spat, grabbing onto her extended wrist and yanking her inward. She yelped as he sent a successful kick to her stomach. She doubled over, getting the wind knocked out of her.
Damn it, he's really good. I've got to step it up a bit.
She grunted, swiftly sweeping her foot around to knock him in the shin. She twisted her body around his, swinging her right arm back to hit him in the back of the head. He swiveled around quickly, catching her arm in his palm and twisting it behind her back. She shrieked but easily stepped out of his grasp. The both jumped back, fists up to their faces. They were both slightly panting now, having landed a few good hits on the other. Bit it wasn't enough.
Blood hadn't been drawn yet.
Costa grinned evilly, sending a hit to the side of Bakugou's head. He dodged. Another hit. Dodged again. He then swung his hand across her face but she dipped backward, his skin barely grazing the tip of her nose. She brought back a punch to the left of his face but he was quick to use his arm to block. Costa's nails dug into his skin, eliciting a menacing growl to escape his lips. He bounced back but Costa continued to come at him with a series of punches and hits. He swiftly doged with each one, a cocky grin growing on his face as she began to get visibly frustrated.
As she missed another hit, he swung around to her left side that was left wide open, delivering a roundhouse kick to her ribs. He grunted as she jumped back, instantly bringing her foot forward.
She kicked him right in the spot where the sun don't shine.
A collective gasp was heard throughout the classroom as Bakugou's face contorted in pain. Costa chuckled, swiping her left foot across the leg he held his weight on, causing him to fall onto his back. She went to pin him down but he rolled out of the way, kicking her in the knee with an incredible force.
She gasped in pain, jumping back onto her good leg as he quickly got back up. He was limping slightly, probably from the stinging pain he felt in between his legs.
"You crazy bitch...", he grimaced, still managing to hold a scary scowl on his face.
Costa chuckled dryly, holding her fists back up, level with her nose, "And don't you forget it."
He growled, swinging at her. She blocked her face, avoiding his punches. She ignored the searing pain in her elbow that tingled up her forearm as it was met with one of his fierce punches. With a sharp breath, she ducked. Focusing her gaze on his swinging arm, time seemed to slow down. Just as he drew back his arm, a burst of adrenaline surged through Costa's veins. She leaped up, high into the air, surprising her opponent. His red eyes met hers, filled with shock and worry.
With a loud grunt, she landed a swift kick to his jaw. His head snapped from the impact, causing him to stumble. She took the opening, her fist flying forward. She grazed the skin of his cheek as he yanked his body in the opposite direction. He looked alert and a little worried as Costa sent an incredibly fast roundhouse kick at his face. He barely managed to dodge and she continued pushing forward.
This continued for a while longer before Bakugou grabbed a handful of her blonde hair, yanking her around his side. She let out a pained noise as he landed a kick to her knees and she came falling to the ground.
Fuck, I have to get up.
There is absolutely no way in hell I will lose to him now.
He tried to land another kick to her side but she rolled away, bouncing back onto her two feet. He growled in frustration as she instantly went back to sending hit after hit, overwhelming him with attacks. The fight seemed to drag on forever, as the other members of their teams had already finished up and were watching their fight aswell.
The pair didn't notice they were the only ones left as their only focus was on the other.
Everyone watched in awe as they fought like they were performing a routine dance. Costa's braid whipped around behind her as she flitted on her feet, so fast it seemed like she was gliding. He was right on her tail though, keeping up with her agility easily, much to her surprise.
16 minutes in, they were both losing energy and breath.
Costa hunched over, hands on her knees as she breathed heavily. Bakugou was in the same shape as her, holding onto his side with a pained expression on his face. Everyone quickly realized that this was going to be a battle of endurance.
Nobody had expected Costa to last this long against Bakugou, everyone kind of assumed she was screwed when paired up with him. But she was holding her own perfectly fine, even landing some pretty powerful hits on him. She made up for her lack of brute strength with stealth and speed, sending attack after attack like a fury of bullets.
Costa swallowed hard as Bakugou looked up at her, the fire in his eyes igniting further as his annoyance had reached its pique. He hadn't had this much trouble fighting one of his classmates in a long time. She was incredibly irritating to be giving him this much of a struggle.
But the thought of her being on this level, of her being his new, greatest rival...
It lit a fire deep within him that no one had ever lit before.
He let out a battle cry, charging at her with his full speed. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, charging toward him aswell. He punched, kicked, sent hit after hit toward her, trying to break down her defense. She simply smiled as she dodged left and right, jumping back, swiveling around, doing everything in her power to not let him land a single hit on her.
She was incredible, it was plain as day. It infuriated him.
He sent a fist upward, landing an uppercut to her chin. His chest fluttered in excitement as she was sent flying backward. But the grin that began spreading across his face vanished as she somersaulted back, her body flipping in the air gracefully before she landed on her two feet. She looked up through her eyelashes, a smug expression on her face.
She swiped her thumb under her bottom lip, wiping away the blood that leaked from the impact of his hit.
"Wow...", Ochaco muttered in amazement, a stunned look on her face.
"Who knew she could fight like that??", Kaminari said, grabbing at his roots in absolute shock, "..and here I thought she was just a pretty girl with a flashy quirk!"
Bakugou wanted to scream, the look on her face sending him over the edge in terms of fury. He leaped toward her, trying to barrel into her with brute force, desperate to subdue her. It was obvious she was a threat and a big one at the moment. Taking her down would establish his dominance over her, as he'd done with his entire class. But she refused to go down easily.
'There is no way in hell I'm losing this fight to her'
She sent a kick to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. While he was stunned, she lept into the air, coming down on him fast with her extended fist.
She smirked, 'It's time to end this.'
He looked up in shock as she landed her final hit, punching him right in the face.
Everyone gasped as he went down hard.
He collapsed to the ground and not long after, Costa fell to her knees in exhaustion. She breathed heavily, doubling over to hold onto her stomach. Blood and saliva dripped from her lips as she looked up at the blonde boy. He looked just as beaten up as her, his jaw sporting a bright purple bump and his nose gushing with blood.
But most importantly, he was out cold.
Everyone froze, consumed with shock and amazement. After a couple seconds of silence, excluding the deep breaths escaping Costa's lips, everyone broke out into cheers.
The corners of Aizawa's lips twitched upward, "Miriara's teams wins."
Kaminari let out a loud howl, cupping his hands around his mouth. Ochaco laughed out loud before joining in on the howling and soon the entire class was whooping and hollering for her. A wide, bloody smile made its way across Costa's face as she pulled herself off the ground. She glanced back down at the unconscious blonde boy, a sense of gratefulness filling her chest.
She waved over Kirishima, "Hey Red! Come help me take him to recovery girl!" Kirishima nodded, jogging over to her. She knelt down beside the boy, examining his peaceful expression as he remained in his unconscious state. With a small smile, she wrapped one of his arms around her neck and leaned in to his ear.
"Thank you for that", she whispered, "...I haven't had such an engaging fight in a very long time."
Without another word, Kirishima and her pulled him up and took him to Recovery Girl's Office.
~
"But seriously, when did you learn to fight like that!", Ochaco squealed, an excited gleam in her big brown eyes as she stood at Costa's desk.
A large group had crowded around her at the end of the school day, shooting question after question at her. The fight had left everyone absolutely stunned and fascinated. To them, she was some pretty, new girl from Shiketsu who had just waltzed in and took down one of their best. She'd left quite the impression.
"Practice", she joked, a smirk on her lips as she packed her bag.
"You have to teach me that finishing move you did! It was too cool!"
"Or the back hand spring!"
Costa glanced over her shoulder, her smile faltering as she noticed the empty seat behind her. Bakugou hadn't returned to class after the fight and she was growing a bit concerned. She still sported some bruises and scratches from the fight but after a quick kiss from recovery girl, she was basically back to normal.
"I'll talk to you guys tomorrow, I've got to run some errands to run before I head home", Costa announced, standing from her seat and tossing her bookbag over her shoulder. Everyone frowned but nodded as she made her way past them.
They sent her their 'goodbyes' and she responded before Mina sidled up to her.
"When are you moving into the dorms?", Mina asked eagerly, falling in step with Costa as she made her way through the school hallway. "Monday", Costa responded, biting her lip as she tried to remember how to get to recovery girl's office.
Mina eyed her as she looked around curiously, "Looking for Recovery Girls office?"
Costa locked eyes with her before chuckling, "How'd you know?"
"I figured you'd want to pay Mr.Grumpy-pants a visit...", Mina said with a knowing look, nudging her new friend in the shoulder, "Make sure not to rub your win in too much."
Costa rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to rub it in."
"Hm? Then why are you going?", Mina asked curiously, a mischevious gleam in her eyes, "You like him or something?"
Her eyes bulged and she let out a loud scoff, "Yeah no, that's definitely not it."
"Mhm... I refuse to believe that but okay...", she smiled, "But for real, you were incredible today!"
"Thank you", Costa crossed her arms over her chest, "But I'm not going to lie, Bakugou made it hella difficult for me."
"Of course he did. He's Bakugou, he's always difficult", she said, squeezing her arm, "You'll learn that soon."
Costa chuckled, "Oh, I already know."
"Oh no you don't", Mina giggled, beginning to walk off down the hallway, she waved, "See you tomorrow, Miriara!"
"Bye...", Costa waved back awkwardly.
Once Mina turned the corner, Costa let out a loud breath and began looking off down the hallway.
'I think this is the way- whatever, I'll figure it out', she thought while chewing on her bottom lip. She started off down the hall, following any signs while letting her natural gut instincts lead her. She turned a corner and was met with the door to recovery girl's office.
Bingo.
She reached forward and turned the knob, letting the door click open. She slowly stepped into the well-lit office and was met with a very empty room. Her shoulders sagged and she let out a frustrated groan, wanting nothing more than to speak to the angry blonde boy at least once before he left.
With one last glance, Costa left the office and made her way to the entrance. She picked up her pace, wanting to try and catch Bakugou. Costa burst through the entrance doors, looking around at the many students in the court yard. Her eyes narrowed on tufts of spiky, red hair peeking over the sea of students.
'Kirishima'.
Then her gaze shifted over to the blonde standing beside him. It was Bakugou, in the flesh. He was back in his school uniform, his jaw looked pretty bruised and he wore a bandage over his nose. He looked extra irritated, probably from his banged up face.
Costa grinned, quickly making her way through the crowd, pushing past people without letting out any 'excuse me's'. Everyone basically parted like the red sea for her and she made it to the pair in no time.
Kirishima noticed her first, his eyes growing wide as they flickered back and forth between her and Bakugou. The blonde noticed his friends gaze shift past him, causing him to look over his shoulder. Costa was a couple of yards away, making her way over to them eagerly. When their eyes met, a terrifying look flashed through his features.
"Don't even think about it you stupid fucking rabbit!", he growled, turning away from her and storming off in the opposite direction. She looked at Kirishima, who was cringing hard, "Yeah... I don't think this is the right time Miriara..."
"Oh", she glanced over at the angry boy storming away, "So he's throwing a tantrum like a child."
"Yeah, pretty much", Kirishima sighed, scratching the back of his neck, "Just give him some time to cool off from the fight. What did you wanna say to him anyway?"
Costa watched him walk away, a twinkle in her eyes. The corners of her lips twitched upward.
"To be honest", she sighed, "...I kinda wanted to thank him..."