Issue #16: The Sports Festival Part 6:
"Wade vs. Bakugo: Explosive Victory"
Wade ran out into the stadium's stands as the crowd cheered all around him. "Ah, crap! What did I miss?" He exclaimed, running over to the railing and looked down at the battlefield. It was now Kirishima vs. Bakugo. The two fight a close-quarters battle, with Bakugo using his explosive power against the redhead, only for Kirishima to use his hardening to protect each himself. Kirishima would then attack with punches, which Bakugo would dodge.
"Wade! You're back!" Sero was the first who noticed his presence before the rest of the class noticed him too. "How was the surgery?"
"Huh? Oh, well, pretty good actually. Recovery Girl said I can continue the competition, as long as I don't go overboard again." He replied as he held up his bandaged arms. "But anyways, what did I miss?"
"Iida just beat Shiozaki!" Hagakure responded, pumping her invisible hands up gleefully.
"Yeah, and the best part is that there are no more class B-1 punks left." Kaminari said with a chuckle, feeling more than pleased after his defeat against Shiozaki. "You heard that, losers? Better luck next year!" He shouted to the wall, no doubt talking to the B-1 class' stands.
"Who said that?!" Someone from the B-1 stands yelled out, obviously pissed.
Suddenly, Jiro whacked him in the head. "Idiot! Don't make this worse than it is now!" She hissed at him with a stern look.
"But they're the ones who started it…" Kaminari grumbled while rubbing his head when he grew a bump.
"What about Mina and Tokoyami?" Wade asked, trying to change the subject.
"Oh, Tokoyami won the fight, so right now his next opponent will be either Bakugo or Kirishima." Ojiro replied as he turned back the fight.
"That would mean my next fight would be against Iida." Wade said, looking up at the jumbo screen that displayed the matches. He wished he could have seen them fight from the beginning.
Wade took a glance at Mina on her seat, concerned that she would be downcast like Momo and Ochako was, but to his surprise, she was in good spirits, as Mina returned to his gaze and waved cheerfully at him.
He smiled and waved back at Mina before he looked back at the fight. As he watched Kirishima sending a fierce punch after punch at Bakugo, Wade was surprised to see his other rival having a hard time dodging them. It honestly was unexpected to see Bakugo going on the defensive, but the more he thought about it, Wade knew that the redhead's Quirk wasn't just a simple power, but it was also effective.
"Wade!" The Spider-Man looked behind him and saw Iida walking towards him from the entrance. "I take it that your surgery must have gone well. I'm glad!"
"Thanks, man!" Wade said with a grin as Iida joined him. Together, they watched the fight. "Congrats on winning against that one girl."
Iida nodded and looked at the tournament board. "I guess we're up next." He said, turning to Wade. "I've watched your fight with him closely. It's helped me understand your style of fighting."
Wade frowned and looked down. "Yeah..." He knew that Iida wasn't going to fall for any of the tricks that Wade used in the past fights he had. His speed was going to be a problem to handle. "Let me guess, Ingenium was excited to see you're ranking up the bracket." He said, trying to ease any tension between the two.
"I'm not sure. I called him earlier, but he didn't get the call. I thought he must be on his hero shift." Iida replied, as Wade noticed the look of concern on his face.
"Oh. Nevermind then." Wade said with an apologetic frown.
"No. It's for the best." Iida said, looking up at the sky with a smile. "When we do talk, maybe I'll get to tell him that I won."
Wade smiled at his friend and rival. He remembered how much Iida talked about his boy in the highest regard, how he was an unmatched commander with a code of honor that made him one of the best Heroes. As the second oldest Iida son, Tenya wanted nothing more than to live up to the honor of his family's name. And his brother's name.
Wade turned his head back to the fight. "Well, don't get too ahead of yourself, man. You're still going to have to beat me." He responded almost smugly.
"I expect that response." Iida said with a chuckle. "And I expect nothing more than a worthy opponent like yourself to hold back."
"How else am I going to get payback for that little stunt you pulled in the Cavalry Battle?" Wade said with a grin.
"WAAAHH! BAKUGO IS COUNTERING AGAIN!" Present Mic's yelling brought the two friends back to the battle at hand. "But what's this? It seems to be working this time!"
And it was true. Bakugo's explosion attack hit Kirishima on the left side, leaving a burn mark on his skin after creating a hole in his shirt. Kirishima grunted in pain.
"You've been straining to keep your body rock-hard this whole fight, right?" Bakugo said, looking at Kirishima with that vicious grin of his. "But that means you're overusing your Quirk. And sooner or later, you'll fall apart!"
With a loud boom, Bakugo sent another explosive attack at Kirishima, forcing the Hardening-Quirk user to toughen up to withstand the explosion. But just as his opponent believed it was over, Bakugo yelled out loud and blasted his body multiple times. With his clothes getting ripped apart and his stamina decreasing rapidly, Kirishima wasn't going to last much longer.
And then came the finishing blow.
"DIE!" Bakugo launched an uppercut attack that sent Kirishima flying up into the air. "There. Now I know why you were trying to avoid a drawn-out match with me." He said with a grin, as Kirishima's body landed on his back.
"Kirishima's been knocked out!" Midnight announced to the spectators. She then pointed her whip to Bakugo. "Bakugo is the winner!" The crowd cheered all around the stadium, with the exception being Tetsutetsu, who was yelling at Kirishima, angry that he lost the match when he was rooting for him.
"WITH THAT VICIOUS CARPET BOMBING, BAKUGO ADVANCES TO THE THIRD ROUND!" Present Mic yelled to the crowd before the Jumbotron's screen displayed Wade, Iida, Tokoyami, and Bakugo. "Ladies and gentlemen, our final four!"
"Well, this is it." Wade said and let out a sigh before turning to Iida with a serious look. "See you at the arena." The two walked down the tunnel together—both wearing looks of determination.
"I'm anxious." Ochaco said softly, gaining the attention of her classmates. "Are they really going to let Wade fight after his match with Todoroki?"
It was a fair question. Recovery Girl would definitely have healed him, just like she did after the USJ Incident. But Wade's arms were still wrapped in bandages after that fight. Now he was going back out again, after just having surgery done on him, and was going to be fighting Iida.
"That's a good question. How would he even keep going with those injuries?" Momo wondered, feeling just as worried. She was also concerned for Wade after seeing just how bad his body looked after going up against Todoroki.
"Hey, come on, guys!" Mina exclaimed when she stood up from her seat, waving her arms around. "If they didn't think Wade could handle it, then they wouldn't let him continue, right?"
"Ashido has a point." Said a familiar voice. They all looked and were surprised to see it was Todoroki that spoke up. At the end of the second roll of chairs, he was sitting still as he stared down at the arena. "They wouldn't have allow him to continue if they didn't think he was capable. And even after he was taken to Recovery Girl in a very bad shape, she'd still heal his wounds, and that's all the faculty needs to have the person go back out for the next match."
"Sounds a little cruel when you put it like that, man." Kaminari said, looking a little unnerved.
"But knowing Wade, he'll just hurt himself fighting Iida, right?" Tsuyu asked with a finger on her chin.
"With how he fights, it's almost granite." Shoji said from one of his many limbs.
Back down on the ring, the match was getting ready to start. The crowd cheered, but some were still confused and a little worried that Wade was being allowed to fight after sustaining his previous injuries.
"The first match of the semifinals! And we've got two competitors with speed on their side!" Present Mic yelled into the intercoms pumping up the crowd for the fight. "From the Hero course, Tenya Iida! Versus...His classmate, Wade Walker!"
Iida stared at Wade and vice versa. Both fighters were getting into their stances. This was going to be a close-quarters battle for sure. Plus, if his friend uses his Venom Smash attack, Iida will be sent out of bounds for sure. But Wade wasn't going to do that, the last thing he wanted to do was get himself injured once more, maybe even permanent.
He knew he couldn't use One-for-All to fight Iida. If he did, then it would have to be when he's focused on maintaining his power at a safe level and not having it destroy his body. So, it was all up to his Spider-Quirk to fight Iida. He wasn't as fast as Iida, but he had his senses to help him evade and counter.
"START!"
Iida took off, speeding towards Wade. His feet were gliding across the arena. Wade, however, stood ready for any attacks that would be thrown at him.
When Iida attempted to grab Wade to rush him out of bounds, Wade jumped out of the way. Iida stopped as Wade went high into the air with a flip before landing a few feet behind him. The Spider-Man winced when he felt a slight pain in his leg. That one that was still recovering from using One-for-All and because of that he has a little disadvantage.
However, he heard something from above, and when he looked up his eyes widened. Iida rushed at him again, but instead of running for a grapple, he jumped into the air. Holding his right foot back, Iida kicked the engines into full gear and swung his body in mid-air. His leg swung around in an attempt to kick Wade, but Wade's reflexes were faster as he ducked under the kick.
Iida landed on the ground and used his speed to maneuver around Wade. He got behind him and attempted the kick again, but once again, Wade jumped back away from him.
When Wade saw he was going to try again, he was now ready with a counter-attack. Iida sped towards him and then maneuvered around the Spider-Man, before he launched a kick from behind. But then Wade ducked as the leg whizzed from above, he jumped up and sent his knee into Iida's face, knocking him back before Iida landed on his back.
Iida clutched his face, for a moment Wade almost broke his nose with the knee. But as he cracked his eyes open, he gasped when he saw Wade dive down towards him. Iida rolled out of the way just in time to dodge Wade's fist, causing Wade to punch the ground instead.
The dark-haired boy got on his feet and ran at Iida, but the guy with the glasses quickly used his Engines to speed away from him. Wade turned his head and saw Iida a few meters away, before the speedster started zig-zagging around the ring with short jumps of speed. Wade would follow him with his eyes in focus, trying to get himself ready when Iida would try to attack him once more.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Iida reappeared in front of Wade and prepared his leg for a kick. Wade decided to counterattack with a jump kick, but before he could do it, Iida just disappeared with his speed.
"What-" Wade couldn't finish his sentence when suddenly Iida took him by surprise when he hit him on the side of his body with the kick. "Ack!"
Wade grunted in pain as he stumbled a bit as Iida again zig-zagged around him. Picking up more speed than he did. But before he tried to raise his guard up, he saw something he didn't expect. He saw more than one Iida running around him, and before he could guess which one was real, he received another kick to his back, then another to his chest, and again to his ribs. He held his arms up to the sides of his head to block some punches, but he could barely protect himself from his torso.
"IIDA HAS THE YOUNG WALKER COMPLETELY SURROUNDED! AT THIS STAGE, WADE CAN'T ESCAPE FROM ALL THE PUNISHMENT HE'S RECEIVING!"Present Mic pointed out.
It didn't take too long for Wade to realize that Iida was using his speed to almost create the illusion of the clones of himself so he could use the distraction to attack him. Even with his spidey sense, Wade couldn't react quickly while he's surrounded. It was even hard to follow Iida with his eyes, and even if he could try, he would get distracted and that would leave himself exposed.
However, he just got new improvisation.
Charging a new Venom Blast, Wade reared his right fist before punching straight to the ground. This caused the floor cracking and made it unstable for Iida to run, which as a result, caused Iida to trip and in an instant revealed himself.
"Gotcha!" Wade shouted before lunging towards Iida, passing through the vanishing Iida "clones".
He clenched his fist and threw a punch at Iida, but the guy with the glasses quickly dodged in a split second. The student council president, then used his quirk to boost his leg and launched a fast kick, only to be blocked by Wade, though he flinched when he had to use his injured arms to block it. Wade dodged another kick to his head, as he charged a Venom Blast. With his right hand glowing with yellow electricity, he slammed his palm into Iida's chest. Iida screamed out in pain. He was sent flying across the arena. Thinking quickly, as his body turned over and under midair, Iida used his Engines to let out a short burst. Slowing him down just enough, before his body crashed onto the ground, bouncing off it, before he turned his body and landed back onto his feet.
"You knew what I was doing?" Iida said, panting while his body was sore.
Wade nodded with a slight grin. "Yeah. I saw Ingenium use that move one time." He informed him while giving him a smile of respect. "I figured he taught it to you."
Iida smirked a little. Wade was an observant one, and it's true. Tensei did teach him everything he knew about fighting. Wade's reaction time was fast, and it'll be even faster now that Wade knows what kind of moves Iida will pull. He knew He can't win in a hand-to-hand fight with Wade, but there's still more tricks to do. If Iida were to win, he'd have to finish the battle quickly.
It's risky, but Iida's down to one more option left. If it worked, he'll most likely win, but if it didn't, he'd lose. But it was worth the shot. Iida took a deep breath, and prepared himself. Fortunately, he can rely on his speed to be unpredictable with his attacks, he only needs to be a little creative.
Activating his Quirk, he caused blue flames to shoot out of the exhaust pipes of his engines. Wade's spider-senses went off as he realized what he was about to do.
"RECIPRO BURST!" Iida called out his special move as he rocketed across the field at high speed. When he closed the range, he jumped and lifted his right leg. As he assumed, Wade was able to dodge the attack at the last second.
He now had 10 seconds before his engines stalled. He had to win in that time frame. So, when Iida used the momentum, he built up his left leg and swung back around. Kicking Wade in the back of the head and sending him crashing down onto the floor that made everyone in the audience flinch. Wade grunted in pain on impact before feeling something running down his forehead.
"OW! NOW THAT'S GONNA LEAVE A MARK!" Present Mic hissed.
Using the opening, Iida grabbed Wade by the back of his shirt and began running towards the white line with his Engines propelling him at full speed. This was it. If Iida could throw him out of bounds before the Engines run out, then he will win.
"IIDA HAS NOW THE CHANCE TO THROW YOUNG WALKER OUT OF THE ARENA! WHAT ARE THE ODDS WADE CAN ESCAPE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS?"Present Mic exclaimed
While screaming as he was carried away, Wade saw this and knew that if he didn't do something fast, it's over for him. He looked down and saw Iida's legs moving under him.
So, he charged a Venom Blast and slammed his hand down on Iida's leg.
Iida screamed in surprise and pain when he felt the powerful electric attack blasting his left leg. His Engines suddenly stopped, causing him to fall forward and land on his stomach. Wade was let go, and with a low crouch, skidded across the ground while watching Iida's body ragdolling across the arena.
"UNBELIEVABLE! WADE JUST FRIED IIDA'S ENGINES USING HIS ELECTRIC POWER! I DON'T THINK HE CAN KEEP THIS UP IF HIS ENGINES ARE OUT OF COMMISSION!"
When the two stopped, Wade sat down on the ground and saw they were about three feet from the ring's edge. He sighed in relief. "That was close." He said, standing up.
Iida looked back as he saw his Engines on his left leg had some electricity dancing around the pipes. His eyes widened when he realized what had happened and turned to Wade as he dusted himself off. "You...You shortened them out?"
"Heh, I just came up with the idea right off the top of my head. I didn't think it would have shortened out the engines in your legs." Wade said, wincing in pain from the pain in his arms and leg. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd try and take me out of the field. But then again, you're one of the smartest people I know."
Iida sighed as he rolled on his back. "Not smartest enough, I suppose." He said. He then saw Wade reaching out his hand to him. Iida took it and smiled, as Wade pulled him back up to his feet.
"SO YOUTHFUL!" Midnight cried out in delight, just like she did when Kirishima and Tetsutetsu showed their good sportsmanship. Wade groaned in embarrassment before Nemuri quickly pointed her wipe at the two boys. "Iida has been immobilized! Walker advances to the final round!"
The crowd cheered and applauded all around them. Iida and Wade walked off the stage together and entered into the same tunnel together. "I'd like to say I enjoyed this fight, Wade. It makes me even more determined to train harder so we can have a rematch."
"I look forward to it. But don't sell yourself short, man. Your brother would be proud of you for getting this far in the games." Wade said with a smile and his hands in his pockets.
"Thank you, Wade." Iida said with a nod. "I suppose this means that you'll be fighting against Bakugo in the final round."
Wade took his hands out of his pockets and held them behind his head. "So it seems." He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "I know that Tokoyami is strong, but he's no match against someone like him. Not with how Bakugo fights and how his explosions could weaken Dark Shadow. And now that I'm going to be in the finals, there's no way he'll allow himself to lose."
The two friends stopped in front of the door of one of the waiting rooms. "Then I wish you the best of luck in your match against Bakugo, Wade. I'm sure you'll figure a way to beat him."
"Thanks, Iida," Wade said with a smile. Suddenly, Iida's whole body started shaking up and down. "Woah, dude! What's going on with your body?!"
"No, it's just my phone." Iida replied, pulling out his phone from his pocket.
"People don't normally do that," Wade said with a deadpan look.
Iida looked at the caller ID and was a little surprised. It was his mother. "It's my mother. I'll have to take this, Wade."
"Right, see ya after the match, Iida." Wade said, before opening the door and entering the waiting room. Leaving Iida to walk away to find a private place to talk to his mother. Walking to a secluded corner before picking up the phone.
[Play Music: Captain America: The Winter Soldier OST - The Winter Soldier's theme]
"Hello, Mom? I hate to tell this, but I lost." He said into the phone.
"No, son, son, I'm not calling about that. I mean, I'm sorry. But, Tenya, please listen carefully."
What she would say next would be repeated in Tenya's worst nightmares. Filling him with horror and disbelief by what she told him.
"It's your brother. A villain got Tensei!"
Hero Killer: Stain stared out into the city, his face contoured a look of glee and rage as he licked the blood off the blade of his worn and partially damaged katana.
The man who had haunted Tokyo's Heroes' cities was an intimidating, muscular person who walked with a distinct hunch and had a flat, somewhat-triangular face without a nose, and an extraordinarily long tongue, tainted with numerous small papillae. He had rather long, black hair, which he wore in a messy fashion; it would have draped over his face if not for his headband and mask, and small red eyes with tiny irises.
Armed to the teeth, he sported a dark combat suit, plated with metal armor across his body to holster his weapons. The torso was sleeveless, so he instead wraps his arms in yellow bandages, all the way from just below his shoulders to his wrists. He also wore long black wristbands and a watch on his left arm, and his knees were protected with metal pads, the costume completed by black boots with steel armor. He always dons his signature blood-red scarf and matching headband and the tattered cloth he wears around his face as a mask.
As he crouched down, on a water tower, high above the city, looking down at the alleyway entrance, he left the calling card; the bloodied, crippled body of Ingenium. No, he didn't kill him. But he did leave him to die. Leaving him for the police, who now surrounded the alleyway with civilians gathered around, to find.
"You haven't even noticed it, have you? This warped society mired by hypocrisy and vanity," he growled to himself, scouting for potential targets that would come running to Ingenium. The perfect bait. "That's fine; I'll open your eyes, 'Heroes.' You will see the world that you've created."
He then heard the sound of metal so slightly caving behind him. Stain's reaction was like lightning, swinging his sword at the person behind him.
Only for the blade to be caught by the fingers of a hand.
The man that caught his blade was an enigma. His face was covered entirely with a pair of goggles with red-tinted glass, and a black mask that covered his mouth. His hair was long, touching his shoulders, and looked like it hadn't been combed in months. As for his clothing, it was all black clothing with a black vest over a black long sleeve shirt, black skin-tight pants, and armed with two pistols and knives.
Behind him was none other than Kurogiri.
"Please remain calm. We are of the same mind. We have been searching for you, Hero Killer Stain. I've heard of your exploits and wanted to meet you in person." Said the purple portal villain.
Stain glared at the two villains. The man in black remained silent, not letting go of the man's blade.
"I think you'll be interested in what we have to offer."
[End song]
"Bakugo is the winner of this match!" Midnight said on the little tv of the waiting room.
"That means our final fight will be between Wade Walker and Katsuki Bakugo!" Present Mic yelled, which Wade could have heard from the room. He had watched the fight between his rival and Tokoyami, and the outcome was as he had predicted.
Bakugo won easily. Using his explosion to counteract Dark Shadow, forcing the bird-headed student to surrender.
Wade was honestly kind of nervous. This was it. The time had come for his rematch with the walking, talking human bomb, in the biggest stadium with the world watching them. He had the advantage the last time he fought against him. Bakugo didn't know the full extent of his Spider-Quick. He was too blinded by anger and rage that he allowed himself to lose when Wade outsmarted him. Back then, there was an alternative way to win. Now, there was no other way. He had to fight Bakugo once more, and this time he had now seen all of Wade's attacks and knew what he was capable of. And without his web-shooters, he couldn't use his usual moves, which is gonna be a huge disadvantage.
If he was going to win against Bakugo, he needed to use every last trick up his sleeve.
BAM!
"AH!" Wade yelled with a startled expression when the door was suddenly kicked open and its knobe slammed against the wall.
And there stood the man of the hour. Bakugo froze at the doorway, confused when he saw Wade sitting in the room.
"Hasn't your mother ever beaten it into your head that you don't kick open doors?" Wade asked with a deadpan expression. Knowing what Bakugo's mom is like, she would have definitely done so.
"Shut up, bug! What the hell are you doing here?! This is my space to-" He stopped when he looked at the sign outside of the room and saw it wasn't the room he was assigned to go to. "Crap, this is waiting room number two?"
Wade looked around the room to find a sign. But there was none to be seen. "I guess so?" He said awkwardly.
This simple response only irritated Bakugo, which wasn't hard to do for Wade. "Alright, fine, so I may have walked into the wrong room. But don't think that means I'm not going to be at the top of my game, you got that?!" Bakugo walked over to the table Wade was at, slamming his hand on the surface of the table and set off an explosion. "You better bring all you got to this, you fucking bug!"
Wade closed one eye when the explosion went off, before looking up at Bakugo. He then stood up, glaring at his rival. "Believe me, I plan on it."
Wade and Bakugo glared at one another. One more hateful than the other. Bakugo scoffed, before turning as was about to walk to the door.
"Just answer me this one question." Wade suddenly spoke with a somewhat sad tone, making Bakugo stop. "Why do you hate me so much?"
Bakugo's eyes slightly twitched when the black-haired boy asked that. His fists clenched tightly. "What does that have to do with any of this?"
He growled with hate in his tone. He suddenly turned around and kicked the mental table away. Flipping it on its side.
"Personal feelings or why we hate each other have nothing to do with what's about to happen! Focus on the match, bug! That's the only thing I give a damn about! Whatever your problems are with me, Walker, none of that crap matters! Just make sure you don't hold back! Use your full power on me! I want everyone to know that I beat you at your best! I'll show the world what a champion looks like!"
He then turned and walked back towards the door. Stepping out of the room, he slammed the door shut, not letting Wade get a word in.
Wade sighed. "Should have expected that."
After a short 10 minute break, the flames at the four corners of the arena ring burst to life, signaling the beginning of the final match. The fight against two most powerful students of the UA. When the audience saw the flames, they all started cheering in excitement. After seeing what all the new students had to offer, it was time for all to end with the top students.
"YES, IT ALL COMES TO THIS, FOLKS! THIS IS THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! FROM THE HERO COURSE, WADE WALKER! VERSUS HIS CLASSMATE, KATSUKI BAKUGO! WHICH ONE IS GONNA MAKE IT TO THE TOP? WHO'S GONNA RAISE HIS FIST TO VICTORY? WE'LL SOON ABOUT TO FIND OUT!"
The two opponents glared at one another. The tension that was in the air was massive, as everyone watching could feel the heat coming from the two students. Those that know their heated history knew that it wasn't going to be like any standard match.
"Man, a battle against those two? This is going to be intense!" Kirishima exclaimed with some sweat trailing down his face. As if their first battle wasn't already, especially with how personal it was going to be.
"A rematch from their fight at the beginning of the school year. What are the odds?" Tsuyu said, feeling the tension.
"Fate seems to always put them against each other." Tokoyami added with a thoughtful look.
"That's because they're rivals!" Mina said with a big smile, though she was bothered by the tension and just wanted to see a good fight.
"Not just rivals. They're fated rivals." Ochaco said with a serious expression as she watched the two in the arena. She and Mina then raised their arms and cheered for their friend/crush on Ochaco's part. Momo watched as she sat next to them, silently cheering on Wade.
"Time to crush you, bug!" Bakugo spat, glaring at Wade with sparks starting to form in his hands as he prepared to attack when the match started.
"Ready..."
"Not if I kick your ass first." Wade said, getting into a fighting stance. His Venom Blast's lightning began covering his arms.
"BEGIN!"
Bakugo blasted off towards Wade, and Wade ran at him. Wade saw the right hook coming at him, just what he was waiting for.
Just as Wade was about to throw his first Venom Blast punch at him, Bakugo used his right hand to create an explosion to change his trajectory. Sending him going to the left. Wade's spider-senses went off, and he jumped back. However, he was hit in the face by an explosion that sent him flying across the ring.
Wade grunted in pain before flipping around and landed on his feet, skidding with his feet to stop. He looked at Bakugo in shock, as the ashen-blonde smirked at him.
"Didn't think I'd be falling for the same tricks from our last battle, huh? I know you memorized my tactics like my right hook. Sorry, but it's not going to be that easy, bug. I've been training nonstop every day since that day, just to beat you! Now, there's nothing that'll stop me, no cheap way for you to win, no gadgets! I'm finally going to have payback!"
Bakugo rocketed towards Wade with a murderous grin, while Wade glared at him before rolling to the side as the bully landed next to him. The ticking bomb boy twisted around and tried to blast Wade, only to miss when Wade sprung away from him.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Bakugo made a full sprint to catch up with Wade, propelling himself with his explosions to close in before he reached out with his hands and released a large blast. Once again, Wade ducked out of the way as the fiery attack exploded above his head, before taking the chance to throw a left hook at the exposed side of his stomach.
"AGK!" Bakugo cried in pain, yet he didn't lurch forward with the punch. He decided to retaliate by grabbing his left arm, pulling him closer and threw his glowing fist towards the opponent.
Before he could react, Wade was blinded by another explosion while the side of his face burned in pain. This gave the hothead hero an opportunity to place his hand in front of his chest and blasted Wade's torso, sending him flying across the center of the ring before landing on his back.
"BAKUGO DELIVERED ANOTHER NASTY EXPLOSION TO YOUNG WALKER! I THINK WE ALL LEARNED TODAY THAT BAKUGO IS NOT SOMEONE YOU WANNA MESS WITH IN CLOSE-COMBAT!" Present Mic announced as the crowd were getting more excited in this fight.
Groaning in frustration, Wade kicked up to his feet before looking down to see his UA jacket already torn by the explosion. Looking up to see Bakugo, Wade grew a scowl before sliding the ruined jacket off him, revealing his tank top underneath.
For some reason, that only irritated Bakugo before speeding with his explosions towards Wade as the latter also charged. Once they both closed the gap, Bakugo was about to launch another attack, but what he didn't expect was that Wade threw the jacket to his face.
"Gah! What the-" Bakugo didn't finish when Wade hammered his fists upside his head, forcing him to get on his knees before he spun around and kicked him straight to the side of his face.
Bakugo placed his hands on the floor before he sprung up to his feet with his hands shooting forward and then detonated a powerful explosion blindly. After that, he managed to pull the jacket off him, wearing a livid expression on his face before he started to look around, but Wade wasn't found anywhere.
"Oh, I see what you just did there. Clever bastard." Bakugo growled, but then a smirk grew on his face. "But that's not gonna work this time!" Then with some explosive pops in his hands, he clapped them together before a dense cloud of smoke covered him.
The crowd couldn't tell if Bakugo got himself hurt on purpose, but they can't even see Bakugo was standing still after creating a small explosion enough to create the fog. Without lowering his guard, Bakugo trailed his eyes all over his surroundings, but then he noticed a strange transparent outline of a figure.
"GOT YOU!" Bakugo smirked before lunging forward, and before Wade realized he just got caught, the explosive boy shot his hands forward and created another powerful explosion.
"AAHH!" Wade screamed in pain as he flew out the cloud of smoke, landing hard on his back.
"Don't look down on me, you bug!" Bakugo yelled, using his Explosion-Quirk to propel himself towards Spider-Man. "You're holding back your power!"
Wade growled in frustration as he sat up and saw Bakugo coming at him. He was going for a direct blow when he was down, but Wade was fast enough to perform a backflip before landing on his feet. Reacting quickly, he kicked Bakugo hard in the chest the moment he got closer to him, as the bully flew back into the air before using his Quirk to land himself safely on the ground.
"And you talk too much." Wade said, clenching his bandaged fists. He then ran towards Bakugo. Time to stop holding back. "Then again, your bark's always been bigger than your bite!"
Bakugo growled with fury with his clenched fist trembling. "Then how about this!" Holding his arms up above his head, Bakugo brought them down before blowing the ground and launching himself up along a chunk of debris into the air. "I'm going to crush you like a bug you're always been!"
He then aimed his hands towards Wade and with his quirk, he blasted the chunks of debris towards Wade.
"Shit!" Wade cursed, fully aware that he cannot bring himself using his injured fingers to destroy all the debris away. He could just take the risk and do it again, but instead he got a bright idea, if not a crazy one.
Just as one of the rocks was coming closer, Wade made a jump and landed on top of it, then he jumped on top of another rock and to another, approaching Bakugo while he was still in mid-air. The crowd just got on his feet as they were stunned to watch Wade jumping from one rock to another.
"You're such a pain in the ass… I will make you use your full power one way or another!" Bakugo shouted before propelling towards Wade.
Wade ran across a large boulder as he saw Bakugo coming closer to him. Reaching the end of the rock, and with his knees bent, he sprung up. Bakugo didn't have the time to prepare another attack when Wade was already closed in and grappled him, as they both spun around in the air. Before Bakugo tried to use his Quirk to get him off, Wade smashed his fist into his face.
"You fucker!" Bakugo retaliated by slamming his own fist into Wade's face.
"Short-fused!" Wade retorted before punching Bakugo into his stomach.
They both exchanged their punches as they started falling down, so far none of them was using their quirks. Wade stunned Bakugo with a headbutt, before grabbing him by the back of his shirt and then throwing him down to the ground. The impact was hard, but Bakugo wasn't out of the fight just yet. When Wade landed on the ground and rushed towards him, he got on his knees and held out his arms with the palms facing each other.
"Stun Grenade!" Bakugo created a sphere of light between his hands that exploded into a large-scale flash. Wade screamed as he was sent flying back, as the smoke and fire covered his body. Grinning maniacally, Bakugo yelled, "How about that!? Feel like using all of your power!? What, do you think I'm not worthy of it like Icy-Hot?!"
Wade suddenly reappeared in front of him, flying at him with his leg ready to kick. "This is me being serious!" He kicked Bakugo in the face, sending him to the ground a few feet away. Bakugo angrily got up. "I've learned from my battle with Todoroki. I'm not going to hurt myself and use Venom Smash just for your stupid pride!"
"Shut up!" He yelled, jumping at Wade, he reached with his right hand to blast him, but Wade flipped out of the way to the right before the discharge happened.
The Spider-Man then jumped up, spun his body around while on his side, and sent a downward kick to Bakugo's back. Wade then went invisible when Bakugo turned around and tried to blast him. At the last second, before the explosion, he crouched down under his old childhood bully's hand and then shot up, punching Bakugo up his chin and sending him up into the air. He then grabbed Bakugo's leg, before slamming his back to the ground, cracking the floor as a result, and then threw him across the ring.
Bakugo gritted his teeth as he felt the pain and fatigue washing over his body, but he refused to stand down.
Wade rushed at Bakugo before jumping off his feet and rocketed towards his bully. But Bakugo suddenly blasted him in the face with a massive explosion that sent Wade flying back. Wade's body slammed into the floor of the arena, before across the ground like a ragdoll towards the ring's edge. But he stopped himself by gripping his fingers to the ground.
"I told you before," Bakugo said, running towards Wade. "Why I hated you so much! Because even now, you're looking down on me! You've beaten me in the preliminaries, getting so much stronger! And now, when you're supposed to be giving it your all, you look down on me and don't use your full power! That's why I'm going to kill you! I'm not going to stand and watch you be better than me, you worthless bug! But there's no point in victory if you don't fight me with the same power that you used against Icy-Hot! If you're not going to do that, then you might as well quit!"
He aimed another explosion at Wade's face...
CLAP!
Wade's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Bakugo's hand, squeezing it in a crushing grip that even when the explosion went off, it was only half the power. The bandages on his arm just burned into dust.
Bakugo growled in anger before Wade started speaking. "And I told you...a real Hero doesn't think like that. I shouldn't have to remind you about power and responsibility," he said, his head down and his hair shadowing over his eyes. "But, I will say that you, of all people now, Katsuki." Wade looked up at him with a fierce glare, as he charged a controlled Smash in his right arm. "I never quit!"
He landed the Smash square in Bakugo's face, sending him flying across the entire arena. Despite the massive amount of pain, Bakugo managed to use his Quirk to keep himself in the ring. Wade winced in pain, but his arm wasn't broken! He managed to concentrate just enough to strike the blow.
Bakugo was on one knee, panting with exhaustion and anger. "Finally, using that power, huh?! But if you think that you're going to win, then I'll kill you for sure! You're supposed to be a stepping stone in my path to becoming the Number 1 Hero!"
"Then what are you waiting for?!" Wade yelled, running towards Bakugo. "Give me all you got! Show me you're serious!"
Bakugo grinned. "With pleasure!" He sprang towards Wade with his quirk.
Once they both closed the gap once more, Bakugo threw a glowing punch, but Wade whipped his injured arm into his to stop his attack, hissing in pain when he had to use his injured limb. Using the other arm, Wade hooked Bakugo's and started punching on his ribs over and over.
Bakugo's face contorted in pain and anger at Wade exploiting his exposed torso, but he reached with his unseized hand to Wade's face and blasted him.
Wade spun around, stunned by the attack, before he saw Bakugo gathering his firepower into his fist. Acting quickly, Wade charged the small amount of One For All in his fist. In the blink of an eye, Wade and Bakugo launched their punch. But as Bakugo's fist inched closer to him, Wade leaned his head to the side before Bakugo's punch made contact and the explosion made his ear ringing. Before Bakugo realized he missed, Wade's fist with One For All punched him square in his jaw, making him fall and roll across the cold stone. The young Spider-Man clenched his fist in pain, but as he expected, he didn't break it like just a moment ago.
He regained his feet before glaring up towards Wade, as he wiped the small trail of blood off his mouth. He even felt his hands straining by using too much of his quirk, fully aware that he cannot keep going much longer.
Feeling that this fight must come to a conclusion, Bakugo took to the air with an explosion. "This is it! I'm coming at you with everything that I have! If you're gonna face me, don't you dare half-ass!" He then used his explosions to propel himself in a circular motion to create a tornado. The twister collects oxygen and momentum to fuel the subsequent explosion. This attack was his most powerful move.
Wade gritted his teeth in a grinning smile as he arched his right arm back, and powered up his most powerful move, Venom Smash. He just had to remember the egg in the microwave. "Very well then, let's do this shit, Katsuki!"
While Wade ran at him, Bakugo speeded towards Wade at supersonic speeds, ready to detonate, and obliterate the Spider-Man once and for all. When he was getting close enough, Bakugo readied his left hand to release one powerful explosion. One that rivaled an actual missile.
"HOWITZER IMPACT-!"
Bakugo's final move yelling stopped, and he gasped in shock and horror. Everything went white, and Wade wasn't there anymore. The person standing there wasn't the Spider-Man anymore, and he didn't use his Cloaking.
No, it was someone else.
It was Daniel Walker.
The memory suddenly started playing in his head again.
On that fateful day, Bakugo had managed to get a part of his face freed from the slug of the villain that had caught him. But when he did, the Slug Villain lunged at Daniel. Bakugo saw as he turned around, seeing the bully of his son being possessed by the villain, and could only raise his arms to shield himself from.
The last thing he saw before his face was covered up again was his Explosion hitting the father.
Bakugo's face contorted from an expression of rage and assorted victory to horror and guilt.
His hand stopped glowing.
His Explosion-Quirk started powering down as he was now only flying towards Wade.
SMASH!
"VENOM SMASH!" Wade screamed as his fist implanted into Bakugo's gut, sending him flying across the stage, going off it, before ragdolling across the grass before hitting the wall with a hard thud. Completely rendered unconscious.
With half of his shirt down, and his arm still holding up from when he used the Venom Smash, Wade lowered his arm. Everything hurt on his body from the explosions and being thrown around, let alone his face was bruised up and had a little bit of blood. It took a moment for him to catch his breath, while everybody watching the fight from the stands and even from TV tried to comprehend what just happened.
It took a moment for Midnight, but when she regained her senses, she smiled happily and raised her hand into the air to yell, "Bakugo is out of bounds. That means...WADE WALKER IS THE WINNER!"
The entire stadium erupted into cheers at the top of their lungs. Wade's image appeared on the jumbo screen as he was declared the winner of the Sports Festival. Fireworks shot up into the air as rainbow confetti fell all around the stadium.
Ochaco and Mina hugged each other as they jumped up and down with big grins. "He did it! He did it! He did it!" They yelled as Momo sprung up and clapped her hands, wearing a proudful smile on her face.
"He's really amazing!" Ojiro said as he and everyone got over their shock. With how much Bakugo was throwing Wade around, they didn't know if he was still going to be able to last long.
"What an insane fight! I think I'm gonna give it a five out of five stars!" Sero laughed.
"These guys! Are so manly!" Kirishima exclaimed with tears in his eyes, finding the unbridled respect not only to Wade, but also Bakugo.
While the whole class clapped their hands, Todoroki had a small smile on his face. Deep down, he was happy for Wade.
Wade looked all around him with wide eyes, almost finding himself hard to believe that the fight was finally over with him as the winner. As confetti fell on him and after hearing the announcement, he started smiling.
"AND, WITH THAT, THE FINAL MATCH IS OFFICIALLY OVER! THE FIRST-YEAR CHAMPION OF THE UA SPORTS FESTIVAL IS...WADE WALKER FROM CLASS 1-A!"
Wade could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He fell on his knees before throwing his fists into the air and yelled out of joy. "YYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Midnight couldn't be more than happy to see the son of the man she loved celebrating the moment he's been dreaming all the time. If only Daniel could see this so he could tell his son how proud he was. But for what it's worth, she was indeed so proud of him.
All Might smirk with pride from his successor. Wade promised to win, and literally fought tooth and nail to keep that promise, as any true hero would do. Surpassing all expectations while also saying to the world that he was here to become the next greatest Hero he possibly could be. Without any doubt, Wade finally made that statement to everyone watching.
Wade lowered his arms and turned to Bakugo, and his smile dropped. He was still unconscious and was just in bad shape as he was, if not worse. He wanted to leave him there, but couldn't bring himself to do it, not even if it was Bakugo. The Spider-Man jumped off the stage and jogged over to the fallen boy. Grabbing him and throwing over his shoulder, he walked into the tunnel to get him to Recovery Girl.
After dropping off Bakugo to the nurse's office, Wade walked through the halls again with another new P.E. shirt to replace the other one that got destroyed during the fight with his bully. If he destroyed this one, then the school would be making him pay for each replacement.
Now that the festival is over, he was finally able to wear his web-shooters again. He sighed with satisfaction as he strapped the last one back on. "Oh yeah, good to have you back, fellas." Wade said jokingly to the gadgets.
He was about to turn the corner when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "Hey!" Wade turned his head and saw All Might walking towards him with a big smile on his face. "There you are, kid! You did a great job out there!" The Number 1 Hero said, high-fiving Wade.
"Thanks, All Might! I couldn't have done it with you!" Wade said with a smile. But when he said that, Wade looked at the floor with a sad expression on his face.
All Might saw this, and it confused him a little. "Hey, what's wrong? You won! The Sports Festival is over, and you're the champion."
"I know, it's just..." Wade took a deep breath. "Remember when you told me why you came to U.A. in the first place? To find a worthy successor to inherit One-for-All."
"Yeah?" All Might said.
Wade looked at his right arm, which was covered in new bandages. "I fought with everything I had during the Sports Festival. But even though I won, other competitors fought for the victory. Even some of them with greatest powers fought harder than I could ever do. So, I was just wondering-"
"You're wondering if it might be better for someone else to be my successor. Yes?" All Might finished his sentence.
Wade gasped a little, but sighed and nodded his head. "Yeah. Spider is already a powerful Quirk, but when you add One-for-All... part of me felt like I cheated by using your power."
All Might looked at his black-haired student for a moment, before sighing. He really should have expected this from Wade. The two of them were the same in so many ways; the deflated Hero really should have known Wade would have felt like that right now. It actually reminded him of how he felt when he won. "You speak the truth when you say that this place is full of incredible potential Heroes. One-for-All is a crystallization of power. It bolsters Quirks, even from other dimensions. For example, if Young Todoroki were to inherit it, the strength added to his own Quirks would probably make him an unbeatable superhero."
Wade clenched his right hand into a fist from frustration. "Then-"
"But, you know, I was Quirkless, too, as a kid."
Wade gasped, and he looked up at All Might with wide eyes. His jaw hung open as he stared at the Hero. "You… You were?"
All Might smiled and pointed a thumb to himself. "Back then, it wasn't as rare of a thing. But it was still out of the ordinary. Even though I didn't have a power of my own, I had someone who believed in my potential. My master gave me One-for-All and raised me to become a Hero."
"W-W-Why didn't you tell me about that?" Wade asked after a bit of sputtering. "That's awesome!"
"It's not my fault you never asked. Which is honestly kind of surprising."
Wade ran his fingers through his hair in astonishment. "Wow… I mean, it's just hard to believe. You're the Number 1 Hero in the world! And you were really Quirkless?"
"It's true, Wade. I saw a little of the old me in you. But, kid, you've gone above and beyond any expectation I had, time and time again. One day, you're gonna do incredible things with One-for-All. That's something I truly believe. You earned it great responsibility, kid. Never sell yourself short, Spider-Man!" All Might exclaimed with a proud expression on his face.
Wade stared at his mentor with wonder and the sensation of crying. Shinso was right; he was blessed. But not with his Quirks. The day his father died was still the worst day of his life, but it also gave him a chance to meet All Might, and even if they didn't meet, he'd still prove himself a worthy successor. From a Quirkless kid a little rough around the edges to becoming the winner of the Sports Festival, Wade has come a long way from his humble beginnings.
"I'll do my best!" Wade said with a grin.
"Anyway, the award ceremony is about to begin, so you better get going!"
After a short break, the award ceremony was about to begin. Every first-year student was standing on the stadium floor, waiting for their classmates to arrive to applaud them for winning. "The first-year students have completed all of the events for the UA Sports Festival. Now it's time to relax and enjoy the award ceremony," Midnight announced as victory music started playing on the speakers and fireworks shot into the air.
Smoke erupted from the ground as three podiums rose from below the ground.
On the podium for the third-place winner was Fumikage Tokoyami, who stood calmly with his arms crossed. Well, as calm as one would be when considering what was going on at the podium at the other end.
The podium for the second-place winner was what caught everyone's attention, and not in a good way. Katsuki Bakugo's body was restrained to the podium, his arms chained in extremely heavy-duty arm restraints, and a muzzle muffled his wild screaming over his mouth. When he had awakened, he went ballistic with fury and tried attacking Wade, yelling about how he wanted a rematch. It took a few of the faculty to get him under control, but now he was still angry at Wade for how the match ended.
And then finally, Wade Walker stood on the middle podium. The one for the first-place winner. He still couldn't believe he was standing on it. It felt like he won the Olympics. But, any chances of him enjoying the ceremony were dashed as Bakugo struggled to get out of his restraints and attack him.
"He's acting like a feral animal." Tokoyami said.
"Yeah." Wade said, stepping a little bit to the left away from Bakugo. "He's...not exactly one to just let it go." Nor having a reality check.
Midnight looked at the crowd of cameramen and newscasters. "Tenya Iida actually shares the third-place award with Tokoyami. But, unfortunately, he had to leave for family reasons. Gotta love those familial bonds." She said with a pose, being the media darling that she was.
Wade blinked with confusion, and he looked around. Truth be told, he couldn't see Iida in the crowd. And when Ochaco, Momo, and Mina looked around, they couldn't find him either. It was like he disappeared after his fight with Wade.
The Spider-Man knew that if Iida had to go without telling them, something terrible must have happened. For his friend's sake, he prayed it wasn't serious. But something in his guts told him that things weren't.
"Now, let's break out the hardware!" Midnight said, bringing Wade back to reality. "Of course, there's only one person worthy of distributing the awards."
Suddenly, a very familiar hearty laughter could be heard throughout the stadium as he appeared at the stadium's top. When everyone heard him, they all became excited. All Might jumped down from the roof.
"Citizens! I am here with the medals!"
"All Might, the Number One Hero!"
All Might and Midnight talked over each other as the Hero landed beside the R-Rated Heroine. There was a silent moment of awkwardness. He looked at her as Midnight clasped her hands in embarrassment. "Ruined that, didn't I?" She apologized.
All around them, the audience commented just how lucky this year of first-years was. Midnight as the umpire and now All Might as the one to present the metals?
"So, now that you're here, All Might, why don't you start the presentation?" Midnight asked, handing over the three medals to the Hero.
All Might chuckled and grabbed the bronze medal, before walking up to Tokoyami. "Young Tokoyami. Congratulations." He said, placing the medal around his neck. "You showed great strength out there."
"Your words humble me, sir." Tokoyami said while bowing his head.
"However." All Might then surprised the bird-head student by pulling him into a hug. Yes, it was very awkward for Tokoyami. "You've more training to do if you're going to be able to fight against different kinds of villains. You're not going to be able to rely on your Quirk in every battle you face."
Tokoyami looked at his bronze medal. "Yes, sir."
All Might then moved onto the next person. "And now, Young Bakugo. This is a bit much." He said, and started to remove the muzzle. Wade saw this and quickly started waving his hand in a 'please don't do it' kind of way. The rest of Class 1-A's also did the same. "Even though you didn't win first place, getting second is still quite an accomplishment."
"All Might…" Bakugo growled with fury, confusing All Might. "I don't accept this, WHEN THAT BATTLE DIDN'T REALLY END! LET ME AT THAT FUCKING BUG! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT LIKE THIS! I WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE!" Bakugo exploded with rage. Everyone in the arena could hear his yelling. All Might was definitely taken aback by the face he was making.
"Will you just let go, man." Wade whispered, annoyed with Bakugo's tantrum.
"SHUT UP, BUG! I WANT A REMATCH RIGHT FUCKING NOW!" Bakugo screamed.
"Oh, you wanna fight!?" Wade yelled angrily, ready to beat him up once more.
All Might cleared his throat, trying to deescalate the rivalry. "In a world where we're constantly being compared to one another. There are very few who can keep their eyes focused on the top spot. You're one of them." Bakugo's rage just continued to rise more and more. Making a face that was still scary. All Might held up the silver medal. "Please accept this medal, even if you have to think of it as a scar. Something you'll never forget."
"I don't want that piece of garbage!" What ensued next was All Might trying to place the medal around Bakugo's neck, but the explosive blonde was making it difficult by putting his nose in the way. Eventually, All Might placed it in his mouth, letting it hang from his jaws.
All Might then moved onto the next and final award. Stepping up to Wade, the Hero looked down at his student with pride. He was proud of all of his students, but Wade remained a special one, even without One-for-All.
"Young Walker, you may have caused damage to your body and the stadium, but you completely surpassed all expectations of you and rocked the world with every round of the Sports Festival. You pushed Young Todoroki to his absolute limit, changing him for the better. You helped your fellow students in the Obstacle Course, even though you were racing against each other. And when you beat Young Shinso, Iida, and Bakugo, you stayed righteous and sportsmanlike. Even bring Young Bakugo to Recovery Girl. Your actions and words inspired all of us, and I know that you'll have a bright future as a Hero."
All Might held up the gold to bestow it upon Wade. Wade smiled a small smile and leaned his head forward, allowing the Hero to place the Gold Medal around his neck. When he looked back up at the Hero, Wade's eyes widened when he was pulled into a hug.
"Never doubt yourself. I can't tell you how proud I am." All Might whispered in his ear. Like he was an uncle. This made young Walker grow the biggest smile he could ever have, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't keep his eyes from shedding tears.
He then stood back and ruffled Wade's hair. All Might then turned to the crowd. "Here, they are! The winners of this year's Sports Festival! But listen closely! Any of you first-years could have ended up standing on the podiums. Think about what you've done today. You've challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer towards your goals of being pros. I think the next generation of Heroes is proving to be our most promising one yet!"
All Might then pointed his finger into the air.
"So, I have one more thing to say. I want to hear everyone yell it with me. You know what it is."
"-Thank you for your hard work!" "PLUS ULTRA!" All Might and the audience yelled at the same time.
"Uh..." Wade said with a dumbfounded look.
"WHAT!? THAT WAS THE PERFECT TIME TO SAY 'PLUS ULTRA,' ALL MIGHT!" Everyone in the crowd yelled as they booed the Hero.
"Well, yeah, I guess, but everyone did such a good job!" All Might replied with a shrug.
Wade tightened the bandages around his arm when it came a bit undone. Wade, Tokoyami, and a still furious Bakugo were back in their classroom with the others of their class, waiting for Aizawa to return. The Sports Festival showed them that your friends could be worthy opponents. They've all learned a lot about each other and themselves. But then only one that wasn't there to come to this revelation was the only one that wasn't with them. Iida's seat remained empty.
Aizawa rented the room, with his voice muffled by the bandages, Mr. Aizawa said, "Nice work everyone. You have the next two days of school off to recuperate. I'm sure the Pros who watched the festival will wanna recruit some of you. We'll look over the draft forms and update you when you return. Get some rest. You still have a lot of training."
"Yes, sir!"
Afterward, Wade was approached by several of his classmates as they walked out of the room. "Hey Walker! Congratulations on winning!" Ojiro said with a smile.
"Yeah, way to go, Wade!" Kaminari exclaimed as he slammed his hand into his back.
"Heh, thanks guys." Wade chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. "It was nothing."
"Nothing!?" Mina threw her hands into the air in disbelief, jumping in front of Wade with wide eyes. "All your fights were so cool and super intense! But you were dodging and jumping like a pro!"
"She's right, Wade." Sero said with his unique grin. "Even without your web-shooter things, you really put up a fight out there."
"It is true." Tokoyami said with a nod.
"Even though you were so reckless back there, you were amazing. Ribbit." Tsuyu complimented.
"And that's what makes those fights so manly!" Kirishima exclaimed, popping into the conversation. Wade nodded and continued walking out of the school to the main gate.
"By the way, do any of you know what happened to Iida? What was the family emergency?" He asked the three girls that were his friends.
Momo, Mina, and Ochaco looked at one another before turning back to Wade. "Well, we were hoping that you would know," The black-haired girl said. "The last time we saw him was when you two were walking off the stage."
"And the last time I saw him was when he got a call from his mom," he said. Wade pulled out his phone and turned it on. Intending to call him for an update. As he did, his friends talked around him.
"I wondered what would have made him leave, even without telling you guys." Tsuyu said, as Wade notices a breaking news notification at the top of his screen.
"I don't know. I'm really worried about him." Ochaco said with her voice mirroring her concern. Wade clicked on the notification, and the news pulled up.
Suddenly, he stopped. When the others noticed this, they stopped and looked at him. And when they did, they became concerned when they saw his face. Wade stared at his screen in total disbelief and horror as he read the headline.
Ingenium In Critical Condition After Villain Attack!
"Oh, no..." That was Iida's brother. Wade quickly started punching in the number for his friend's number and called him. Everyone stood by and watched. Wade placed the phone to his ear, and he waited impatiently. "Come on, come on! Pick up the phone, you fucking kissass!"
"Wade, what's wrong?" Ochaco asked worriedly.
"Iida's brother's been attacked." Wade quickly said. Earning looks of shock from the others.
"Hello?" Wade gasped when he heard his friend's voice on the line.
"Iida! I heard about Tensei getting it. Where are you? Is he going to be okay?" Wade asked. Shooting off questions a mile a minute.
"I don't have all the details yet, that's why I've come here. I've got to go! I've just arrived!"
"Wait, Iida!" But it was too late. Iida hung the phone up on him. Wade slowly lowered the phone as he looked down at the ground. And stood there in silence. Praying that Ingenium would be alright. He had to be, for Iida's sake.
After that, the school atmosphere had started to change, even though it was gradual at first.
Tenya reached the Hosu General Hospital as fast as he could. After entering the mostly empty front room, he rushed to the front desk and told them who he was and that he needed to know where his brother Tensei was holding him. When the nurse behind the desk told him the room, Tenya bowed his head in appreciation, before taking off down the hall, with one of the nurses yelling to not run in the hallways.
But Tenya didn't listen. He had to reach his brother. So, up the stairs, he went, and then down the hallway. All the way down and sitting off to the side of the door on the other end was his mother.
"Mom!" He yelled out, gaining his mother's attention.
His mom looked up with a mask over her mouth. She stood up with a sorrowful look. "Oh, Tenya..."
"How is Tensei doing?!" Tenya asked when he reached her. When he didn't get an answer, he ran past her and opened the door. "BROTHER!"
His mother told him to keep his voice down and to put on a mask, but Tenya didn't hear it. All he could do was stare in shock at his brother. Tensei was hooked up to a life preserver and looked the worst shape he's even been in. But he was still alive, as the beeping on the monitors indicated. "The anesthesia wore off, but he's still in and out." Said the doctor next to his bed. "If the surgery had happened any later, I don't know if he would have made it."
Tensei, hearing the voice of his family, slowly cracked open his eyes. "...Little...brother?...Is...that you?"
Tenya's mom started sobbing and slid down to the ground to grieve, while the second Iida son came to his brother. "Tensei. You're going to be fine!" He said, his serious voice breaking under the grief.
"Sorry. I'm supposed to be someone you can look up to and respect, but look at me."
Tenya's eyes welled up with tears. Remembering all those moments in his life when he was young, he would look up at his brother, and Tensei encouraged him to follow his dream.
"Tenya...Little brother...I'm so sorry. I failed you."
And for the first time in a long time, Tenya broke down. "TENSEI!"
The Todoroki Abode was a traditional Japanese house with outside views from walkways and a garden in the middle. And the same was for the interior, which resembled Japanese-styled rooms with tatami mats. Inside, one of its occupants was putting on his shoes to take a walk. It was the day after the Sports Festival, and for Shoto Todoroki, it was a big one.
He knew, deep down, he knew it would come. But he was going to see his mother on his own occur.
"Shoto, where are you going?" His sister asked. Fuyumi Todoroki was a young woman of average height with gray eyes. She had white hair, flecked with a few noticeable traces of a crimson-like color, which was mostly shoulder-length aside from the ear-length side bangs she sported and the short clump she left hanging down her forehead.
"The hospital." He simply said to her.
That truly surprised Fuyumi. "What? Hold on, why?" She asked as her brother put on the last shoe. Knowing what he was about to do, she tried to convince him to stop. Worried about what would happen his father found out. "You can't just visit her. Not without telling Dad, right?"
"Whatever." Why should he care about what that man, the monster that put her in there, had to think? Shoto opened the door.
"But why go now?" Fuyumi asked. Asking the big question on her mind. "Why see her after all this time?"
"...I'll be back." He simply said, and closed the door.
It was a lovely day, and Shoto took his time on his way to the hospital. Walking through the streets of his town. Passing by families that were out and about. Happy to be together. How he wished his family turned out to be. But fate had other ideas. The words that his mother said to his grandmother replayed in his head over and over again. Like his head was working against him to not go through with it. Reminding him that he looked hideous to her.
Soon after taking a train and crossing a bridge, Shoto stood before the hospital where his mother lived.
Ever since that day, he thought the sight of him would cause his mother nothing but pain. So he never visited. Taking a deep breath, he crossed the gate and walked into the hospital. When he entered, everyone was shocked beyond belief. They couldn't believe that the son his mother had burnt, which she thought she'd never see or who never wanted to see her, asked where she was to visit.
He walked to her room's door, and paused in front of it. Shoto reached for the door. but stopped and lowered his hand. He sighed and remembered his mother's words from when she was still with him. How it was okay to use his power to become who he wanted to be.
In his heart, he knew this had to happen. Admittedly, it was all thanks to Wade. He pushed him to the very limit and opened his eyes with his actions and words. But even then, he was still conflicted. He couldn't use his fire without thinking about that day. The day he was burned. But it was his great power and responsibility, and one he had to come to terms with.
Shoto knew that he and his mother would always be bound to each other. By blood. By their history with his father. That's why if he was ever going to his body and powers to become a Hero - if Shoto was to take on the great responsibility that came with his extraordinary powers. If he was going to give it everything he had, and become the Hero he wanted to be, Shoto had to see her. There's so much they need to talk about.
After a moment, he opened the door. Blinding light shined into the room and the woman was sitting on a chair. She gazed at the outside world from the window.
Shoto looked at the woman, who didn't seem to hear that the door opened. He stepped into the room and closed the door. He stood there for a moment before finally speaking to her for the first time in years.
"Hello, mom."
She gasped lightly before turning around and seeing him. Shoto stared at her as she stared at him, finally recognizing his two-colored hair and the scar she gave him. It was as if time had stopped for them.
Her name was Rei Todoroki. A middle-aged woman with an average height and build, she had straight shoulder-length white hair with rather long bangs over her face. Longer than her hair used to be in the past. Her face had round features, having mellow expressions in casual situations. Her tired-looking eyes are brown-gray with reasonably long eyelashes.
Time had seemingly restored her beauty, bringing back the kind and gentle woman Shoto believed was gone. Shoto vowed to rescue her from this place. No matter what. That's his first step to getting back on track. It's what he had to do.
For the Heroes of Tomorrow, the games were finally over, and their lives will be forever changed.