Bakugo's boots scraped against the shattered pavement as he ran forward, his breath ragged and heavy. The man stood amidst the destruction, dusting off his blazer with that same infuriating calmness.
The man had his hand on his knee, hunched over. He looked up slowly at Bakugo and smiled with blood-stained teeth. "How beautiful," his voice calm. "No wonder Master liked you."
Bakugo wiped the sweat and blood from his chin, his eyes narrowing through the thick smoke.
"My attacks work," he thought, feeling his heart skip a beat, "I can beat him." His entire body was sizzling with heat, like he was swelling to explode. "I can see it now." He realized with a small smile, "There was a pattern in his movements; even in the way he moved his arms. The tiny shifts in weight before he dodged." His hands clenched, "I just have to be faster."
"SHUT UP!" Bakugo growled, and in an instant, he exploded forward, his body rocketing across the street in a flash of light and heat.
The man sidestepped, fluid and precise, but this time Bakugo was ready. He twisted midair, firing a secondary blast from his left palm that forced the man into retreat. The ground beneath them cracked and crumbled under the force, sending shockwaves outward.
Bakugo grinned, "Idiot."
With relentless speed, Bakugo continued to attack. Each explosion crushed, destroying the street, turning concrete to ash and forcing the man to dodge rapidly, his movements no longer effortless. Suddenly, the man surged forward, closing the distance in a blink. Bakugo barely reacted in time, raising his arms defensively in an X. The impact rattled through his bones, shattering his radius. His boots scraped against the cracked ground as his body flew backwards.
"I blocked it," Bakugo realized, his chest heaving. His fingertips were sizzling again—the same sensation he had felt when battling with the Nomu. His reflexes were sharpening, his timing getting better.
"You're just like that woman," the man noted, his amusement flickering for just a moment. "Seeing how she ended up ... it simply won't be enough ..."
Bakugo wiped the blood smeared across his cheek and shot forward again, his heart condensing in anger. Explosions propelled him at mach-like speed. He dipped low, feinting to the left before spinning and delivering an explosive uppercut. It grazed the man's chin, sending a shockwave through the air.
The man stumbled back a step, his confident smirk wavering. Bakugo didn't hesitate. He lunged in again, forcing his opponent onto the defensive, his attacks sharper, faster.
"You're not so smug now, huh?" Bakugo sneered, delivering a barrage of explosions that rocked the street. Windows shattered, buildings groaned under the pressure, and debris rained down like a storm.
But the man wasn't done yet. He darted through the chaos, suddenly appearing beside Bakugo and driving a knee into his side. Pain exploded through his ribs, sending him tumbling across the pavement. He coughed, spitting blood onto the scorched ground.
"This guy is ..." Bakugo gritted his teeth, rising shakily to his feet. "Good."
The man tilted his head, brushing soot from his sleeve. "The most fragile egos are the biggest."
Tsuki's voice rang in his ears. His chest grew heavy. His eyes darted to his hands; a huge hole was scarred through his palm. The nerves in Bakugo's arms twanged, "He's the man from that photo." He realized, thinking back to the bulletin board in the interrogation room, "He knows her." An anger spiked up his neck; his brows furrowed together. He exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. His muscles tensed in exhaustion, contrasting with his racing mind. His gaze snapped to the destruction around him: the ruined street, the smoldering debris, the faint glow of flickering fires illuminating the wreckage. He clenched his fists, a low growl vibrating in his chest.
"I just have to hit him ... with everything I have left in me." Bakugo's entire body trembled; he took a deep breath, igniting his palms with an intense burst of heat. The air around him shimmered, waves of heat distortion radiating outward. The sweat from his body twitched, ready to detonate.
The man's eyes narrowed. "What is that sound emitting from him? " he wondered. He felt his hand twitch, "Is it his quirk ... but it sounds different." The man sensed a looming danger and bloodlust spilling from the shoulders of the young hero. Despite his slight concern, he smiled at the young man, "Oh? Planning something big, are we?"
Bakugo didn't answer. Instead, he grounded his feet, channeling everything he had into his palms. Sparks crackled violently, and the air thickened with energy, the scent of burning ozone filling his lungs. His body trembled under the sheer pressure, the sweat evaporating instantly from his skin. His hands shook, but he held steady. He was going to end this in one move.
The man smirked, sensing the shift. "Go on, then." He bluffed, readying himself for retreat, "Show me what you've got."
Bakugo's lips curled into a feral grin. A rock underneath his shoe crumbled, and in a mere millisecond, he was in front of the man; before his heart could pump or before the man's eyes finished blinking—he unleashed.
A deafening roar erupted, tearing up the entirety of the street they had been battling on. The sheer force incinerated everything in its path, the shockwave rippling outward and consuming the entire street in an all-consuming inferno. The heat was overwhelming, turning concrete to molten slag and reducing nearby structures to cinders in an instant. A wall of fire engulfed the man, swallowing him whole in the white-hot blast.
Bakugo staggered, his legs barely holding him up. His arms hung limp at his sides, his gauntlets glowing red-hot from the intensity. His vision blurred, his chest heaved with exhaustion. He scanned the destruction, his breath catching in his throat; the entirety of his right arm had been shattered into a limp, purple slob of flesh hanging from his shoulder.
"Did I hit? " he thought, feeling his kneecap shake.
Half-buried in the rubble, his blazer burned to tatters, his cocky grin finally wiped away—his body twitched slightly, his eyes pure white, his mouth open in shock.
Bakugo let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "I— I won," he muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips despite the pain. His knees buckled, but he caught himself before hitting the ground. The adrenaline was fading fast, leaving nothing but raw exhaustion. The distant sound of sirens echoed in the background.
"Did AllMight call for help? " Bakugo used his less-tattered arm to feel for the hood that had the mic. His hand rested against his shoulder; the hood must have been incinerated minutes into the fight. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes still locked on the smoldering ruins before him. He slowly looked up at the sky, and his heart stopped for a moment, concern swelling in his throat and nerves.
Bakugo stood amidst the destruction, his chest heaving with each ragged breath. His arms hung heavy at his sides, his body trembling from exhaustion, but his eyes—his eyes were fixed skyward.
The moon hung low in the darkened sky, eerily full and glowing like an ominous beacon, casting a pale, ghostly light over the ruins of the battlefield. It was too bright, too perfect, and it made his stomach churn. His jaw tightened, the raw taste of blood still lingering on his tongue.
"It's a full moon," he whispered, looking past the decimated scene and toward the stronghold.
...
Authors note: Ideas pending.
