Last round. The third and final round. If he wins this. . .
Bakugou grips the bands of the cavalry battle in his sweaty palm, staring down at the numbers. 10 million, 70, and 420. Three bands. Not nearly as many as he had wanted to get. So many people were after him right from the start that his team barely had a chance to earn some points for themselves. But he did it. He got first place.
But. . .
Bakugou looks at Todoroki not too far from him, tightening his grip on the points. Todoroki's hand flashes across his vision, like it's something he's not allowed to forget.
He was so close. So close to snatching everything away in an instant. If Todoroki had been even a second earlier. . . if Bakugou had been a second late, everything would be over right now. He and his team would be walking out of the area as losers.
The only thing that saved him. . . the only reason why he won is because of that buzzer.
Damn it! Bakugou growls in his mind and looks up at the brackets for the one-on-one fights of the final round.
He's the first one up. And his opponent—
"Bakugou."
Bakugou glances in the direction his name is being called then cocks his head with a scowl when he sees who it is. "What do you want extra?" He growls as Uraraka makes her way over.
Uraraka shivers under his glare. "I just wanted to wish you good luck."
"Excuse me?" Bakugou leans over, putting his face in hers. "I don't need it. You should be focusing on your own fight, not your opponent."
"No I know," Uraraka says with a smile. "Just don't go easy on me, okay? Give it all you got."
Bakugou straightens and looks down his nose. Who does she think he is? "I never said I was. Do I look like someone who goes easy?"
Uraraka waives her hands and shakes her head frantically. "No no. No that's not what I meant. I just. . ."
Bakugou scoffs and turns away. "Don't underestimate me. I'm not an idiot."
Bakugou leaves the rest of the contestants still gaping at the brackets and heads to one of the waiting rooms, scanning the crowd above as he goes.
Go easy? Going easy is the last thing he does. He can't "go easy". Not on anyone. He's come too far, too close to hold back.
Deku's here, watching, waiting. And someone else is too. Watching his every move. Making sure he stays in line and stays fighting. Going easy will cost him everything.
He scoffs again, pissed off. What the hell?
She's worked just as hard as everyone else to win this thing. If he starts underestimating people now, he'll never win.
No matter who it is, not matter what, he always gives it his all. Everything he has. That's not going stop now.
Bakugou kicks open the door to the empty waiting room, hands stuffed in his pockets and eyes cast down.
"He?" Someone in the corner on the other side of the room with their head down catches Bakugou's attention. They aren't old, about the same age as him. But they aren't wearing a UA uniform, so they are not participating in the festival. "Hey! What are you doing? This rooms occupied get out of here," he growls.
"Aren't even going to say hi? How rude. Especially since I came all this way." Deku raises his head and runs a hand through his short hair.
"Deku?" Bakugou freezes, unable to believe it. The short hair, all the piercing, the brown eyes. Then there's the faint burn scar on his cheek that wasn't there before. And a small scar runs just above his brow. How long has that been there?
It doesn't look like him but it is. Those big eyes, the color of his hair. . . and that voice, just like the one he heard at the USJ. How many times had he looked right past him while scanning the crowd?
"Hi," Deku says with a wave.
Bakugou just stares, jaw dropped, at Deku. Wht. The hell. Happened.
"You like it?" Deku asks, gesturing to his new look with a smile.
"You look a villain," Bakugou finally manages, more sharply than he intended.
"I Might as well look the part."
Bakugou steps inside the waiting and shuts the door behind him. He cocks his head, looking down at Deku with soft eyes, not the normal glaring he usually has. "I don't believe that. You can say you're a villain, you can look it, you can even act like it. But we both know that's not what you are."
"Believe what you want," Deku shrugs. "It makes no difference to me."
"It makes every difference! Every single person who's seen you thinks that's all you are. Someone in the League of Villains. That's all they care about. Your being hunted and all you have to say is 'it makes no difference'? What happened to you? Don't you care?"
Deku tilts his head to the side. "You know the answer."
Bakugou lowers his head, hair covering his eyes as his lips curl. He balls his fists; storms across the room; and grips Deku by the shoulders, his eyes widening at the sudden contact. "I know!" Bakugou cries, shaking Deku. "I know. I'm sorry damn it! I'm not denying what I did. If I could go back and change all the stupid things I did, I would. But that's not the only thing, is it?! There's more that you're not telling me. The annoying nerd I knew would never give up. Not because of some idiot insecure bully stuck with his tail between his legs." His voice cracks, tears starting to fill his eyes. "So what the hell happened after that day damn it."
"Nothing."
Bakugou finally looks up.
"Absolutely nothing," Deku says, his eyes narrowed with his chin up as he looks down his nose. "You want the truth? Nothing happened. There's no dramatic explanation of how the LOV took me and forced me into their ranks. Or how villains tortured me or threatened me. Or threatened my friends or family—it's not like I ever had any anyways. I went with them. Willingly. Nothing happened because they are my friends. They are my family."
Friends. . .
. . .
. . . Family. . .
Bakugou releases Deku from his grip and lets him arms hang limply at his sides. "Family? Those people are far from family. They are a menace, destructive, they hurt people. People you always wanted to protect."
Deku raises a brow and runs his tongue along his back teeth, arms crossed. "Funny. You seem to be describing yourself."
Bakugou clenches his jaw and fists. "Maybe. But I've changed since then—still working on it" He corrects. "At least I'm trying! Those villains—" Bakugou abruptly shuts his mouth.
The way Deku looks at him. . . his eyes are like daggers. Dangerous and dark. So-entirely dark.
"Don't forget to include me when you talk about "those villains"." Deku's eyes flash red under the unnatural brown. So bright and red like a raging crimson fire that his contacts are useless in hiding their new color. "I've done terrible things too. Collapsed buildings, stolen, kidnapped heroes, innocent ones too. Tortured people. Burned them. Killed them. Are you really so quick to forget my crimes too?"
Bakugou gulps then hides behind his hair. "I. . ."
The speakers click and Present Mic begins going off about the match that's about to begin, letting Bakugou know how late he is to his first match.
Deku suddenly smiles and walks for the door, ruffling Bakugou's hair like a dog as he walks by. "Don't worry, you'll get it." He opens the door and turns his head over his shoulder, looking at Bakugou from the corner of his vision. His smile's gone, almost like it was just an act. The laugh of a really bad joke—Fake. "I'm a villain and you're the hero. It's time you start acting like one," he says as he steps through and closes the door behind him, leaving Bakugou all alone.
* * * *
His footsteps distantly echo around him. The stone walls all around make the space cold and musty.
Bakugou picks up his pace, suddenly feeling trapped, the walls as if they are slowly closing in on him.
With two students resigning from the games to save their pride, that leaves two less people to beat. But that still leaves fifteen others fighting for the top. Fifteen other people he's got to beat.
He enters the arena, eyes squinting at the drastic change in lighting, and his name booms from the speakers. "Katsuki Bakugou!"
The crowd erupts in a cacophony of noises in response.
"An explosive quirk with a just as explosive temper from class-1A. A little late to the party, but better late than never!"
Bakugou tsks, glaring up at the Spector's box.
"Uh oh," Present Mic says. "Looks like he's already bringing some of that temper before the match even starts!"
Bakugou rolls his eyes then looks to Uraraka waiting on the stage. He takes a deep breath of the fresh air, clamps his hands shut, and joins her.
Midnight raises her hand.
The two students take their stances, Uraraka low to the ground and Bakugou glowering at her from above.
"Three! Two!" Midnight swings down her hand and Bakugou charges.
Uraraka stands there, watching as he gets closer. Then a small smirk flashes across her face and she runs to meet him.
Once they are at just an arm's length away, Bakugou sets off an explosion between them before Uraraka has a chance to touch him with her outstretched hand. Dust and concrete from the platform below fill the space.
With the view obscured, Bakugou jumps away, keeping his distance. He can't let her get close.
He's got the advantage. He can deal close up as well as long range damage while she's got to get up and personal.
But she's quick, much faster than he is.
Bakugou watches with wide eyes as Uraraka breaks through the dust cloud and closes the distance in the blink of an eye, her fingers reaching for his chest.
Bakugou growls and aims his hand at the ground. You won't beat me! He launches up just enough to avoid her touch. Then he sets off another explosion into her back. Uraraka is sent tumbling past, straight for out of bounds.
But just before her feet crosses the white line, she skids to a stop on all fours, arms and legs spread like a spider.
She pushes herself to her feet and wipes a bloody hand along her cheek.
"Come on is that all you got?" Bakugou asks, getting into stance.
Uraraka charges in a straight line, staying low to the ground as Bakugou releases explosion after explosion. She dodges each one, not even flinching as pieces of the ground swipe past.
The explosions get closer and closer. To both Bakugou and Uraraka. Yet she doesn't seem fazed. They are right at her and somehow, she still manages to dodge or come through with little more than a few scratches.
Growling, Bakugou gets ready to fall back. But the dust starts to settle from the last explosion and Uraraka doesn't come through it.
Bakugou looks at the ground. Did he get her? No. There's nothing there. Just broken concreate.
Then he gasps in realization. The sky! He jerks his head upward. If she's not on the ground than she must have made herself float. She's done it before during training. A crafty little trick.
"Down here." Uraraka whispers in Bakugou's ear.
Bakugou's eyes go wide and the hair on his back stand up at the feel of her breath on his neck. He whips around but no one's there.
"Come on Kacchan, watch your back," She says from behind again.
"Shut up!" Bakugou activates his quirk from both his palms aimed down. Sence when can she move so fast? "There you are," he grumbles from the sky. With a clear sight of his target, he catapults himself at her and lets her have the full force of his explosion.
Bakugou lands in the dust cloud left behind, a giant smirk across his face.
That should do it. There's no way anyone could dodge that.
What the hell?!
Bakugou squints through the cloud at the empty space.
"You missed," Uraraka teases.
Bakugou growls and swipes his hand in the direction of her voice.
"Too slow," Uraraka giggles as she jumps back.
Bakugou lets off another explosion. Another, and another, and another as Uraraka runs around him until they are surrounded by dust. He releases another, coughing through his burning his lungs.
Uraraka smiles and steps back into hiding, her shadow disappearing along with her.
No footsteps, no sounds to track.
Where'd you go?
Bakugou scans around him carefully.
Slight stirrings in the thick cloud form behind and the air shifts.
He whips around. Uraraka's hand flies into his vision, aimed straight for his head. Bakugou pulls his arms up to block the incoming blow, the only thing he can do. All he can hope for is that her fingers don't reach him.
But she's stronger, much stronger than he remembers.
Not anticipating an attack with so much power behind it, Bakugou's arms faulter back and something small and cold at the nape of his neck startles him.
He quickly pushes her off, wincing as whatever that just was scrapes his skin.
This should have ended already. She had a chance, she caught him off guard. She was touching him. She could have activated her quirk and pushed him out of bounds.
Bakugou breaths heavily and stares Uraraka down. Is she just playing around? Her of all people? No she's got a plan. Maybe she thinks she can confuse him, force him to be overly cautious. Trip him up that way. Then while he's trying sort through all the random moves, she'll come in and finish him off.
A warm liquid running down his back like a bug sends shivers down his spine. Brows furrowed, Bakugou brings his fingers to his neck. It's too thick to be sweat. He looks down at his hand, eyes wide.
Blood?
Bakugou looks Uraraka up and down. Maybe his explosions did get her.
That's when he notices the small knife in her bloodied and dirty hand.
"Dang it." Uraraka says. She brings the knife to her tongue, licking away the blood. Bakugou takes a step back, his heart picking up pace. "He's going to be mad."
"U-Uraraka?"
"I was just trying to scare you. But you moved."
"Wh—" Before Bakugou has a chance to process anything, Uraraka charges with her knife.
He sucks in a breath as he stumbles back, unsure of what's going on, then frantically lets off an explosion.
Uraraka jumps into the air, dodging his attack and landing less than a meter away. Bakugou ducks as she swings her knife and throws a low right hook her way.
As if anticipating his move, Uraraka grabs his arm just before he lands his blow and flips him on to his back. "Predictable," she sighs as she leans over Bakugou, holding him down by his throat.
Bakugou gasps for air, feeling his airway slowly close. He closes one hand around Uraraka's writs, and first tries to pry her off. But her grip only tightens to keep hold. So he raises a shaky hand, his head already beginning to spin.
"Hey," Uraraka spins her blade and drives it into his hand, pinning it to the ground. "it's rude to mess up a girl's pretty face," she says through his screams of pain. "Now come on, we don't have much more time."
Bakugou looks around through teary eyes. The dust is slowly clearing, but not fast enough. He can just barely see the crowd above in the stands but it's doubtful that anyone can see them.
"You know," Bakugou turns his head back to Uraraka. "You'll never win like this. You're too weak Kachann."