This was the moment I had dreaded for all this time. Bakugo and I, standing alone in the arena, just waiting to fight. The thing is, I don't know what he'll do. Yes, I can predict his moves, and his physical ability is much stronger than Tokoyami's and Mina's, but he must have picked up on the situation where people started to know what he was able to do.

I have to back him into a corner in order to win. With his inferiority complex, his mind is weaker than his body. I'll make him think he's winning, then smash it all down when I have him where I want. 

The horn blew and the match had officially started. Almost immediately, Bakugo charged forwards in a rage, yelling. I furrowed my eyebrows and huffed in disapproval. He shouldn't waste his breath. But, I noticed something in his fighting style throughout the matches.

It was subtle, but I immediately recognized a reoccurring pattern. Whenever he throws a right hook, he leaps off his left. And with his left arm, his right foot. He uses both hands to explode when planning on using his legs, and only one hand if he wants to use the other one in order to strike. Both feet to leap, if using two hands to strike. 

It's like the tipping of a scale. It's all in his footwork. 

I looked down, watching as his right leg bent, the left raising up. He thought I couldn't predict his left hook? Sorely mistaken, Bakugo.

I ducked at the right time, headbutting his chest and throwing him off balance, making enough time for me to push him back.

The thing is, even with all this information, I won't be able to react fast enough to the larger-scale explosions. Making a wall won't work, he'd just blast through it. 

I cursed under my breath as the male immediately retaliated, yelling even more. When will he ever just shut up? I grunted at the impact of landing on the ground with a thud after jumping over him. Bakugo nearly flew out of the ring himself, stopping at just the right time. 

It's like a bull and a red flag. Guide the bull, since it'll be too angry to comprehend anything. Make short, swift movements and lead it to benefiting you. 

"Why do you keep dodging like a wuss! Fight me!" he shouted, explosions going off in his palms. I looked at his feet, seeing both of them bend and curl. This was what I was fearing. Bakugo charged, both hands raised, preparing for a mass let go of nitroglycerin he was storing up. 

"I need to go, I need to go-" I reacted just seconds too late. The world spun in slow motion as the fire engulfed my vision, my body firing up with burns and scorch marks. I screamed in pain and glared at the ashy blonde who wore a sinister smile on his face. 

"Am I not worthy for you to show your quirk? Am I not good enough? Am I too weak?" he taunted. I coughed out soot and glared into his red eyes. I'm not going down so easily. Brace yourself Bakugo. Clenching the muscles in my legs, I leaped forwards and tackled the blonde to the ground, clutching his shirt and using all my body to flip him over onto the back, knocking the wind out of him, indicated by the wheeze he let out at the impact. I stepped on his arms to secure the explosion rate.

Wheeling around with Bakugo clenched in my hands, I flung him almost out before the male growled and shot at me, explosions going off in both hands.

"Die!" he yelled, fire and sparks sprouting from the palms of his hands, jumping onto my uniform. My chest felt like it was made of fire, black charcoal scratches forming red blisters and rising the skin on my body. I held in my screams by pulling on my bottom lip in between my teeth, and managed to open up one eye, shoving my foot, nearing his stomach.

"You're too predictable." My eyes widened as he dodged the kick at the last second, firing another explosion at me as I got knocked into the ground. Hard.

I landed on my shoulder, the one that had healed not too long ago. My bones fractured again, cracking and breaking under the pressure applied to the recently made bone and tendon. I collapsed as if I was made of rags, trying to get up, but blood spilling out more and more from my right side. I huffed and shambled up with my legs, shaking and clutching my now broken shoulder.

"I'm not giving up. I've... I've worked to hard for this," I groaned, stumbling towards Bakugo. "I-I..." It was like he was playing with me, toying with me. Although I've made it this far, it was nothing different from Aizawa's expression on the first day. I wasn't worthy, I didn't earn my place here. Bakugo was merely this figure that stood upon a pedestal that I was too short to reach. He was born with an advantage I didn't have.

Everyone was. I wasn't special like Mei Hatsume, I wasn't as nearly as gifted as others with a weaker quirk either. My training, my aching, the blood that gushed out of open wounds, that ran through my veins, exposing itself to the world above -- all for nothing.

I didn't realize how weak I was. At the UA, weakness was a trait to be exploited dearly. And it was all I had.

"Show me your quirk. Am I now strong enough for you to show me? Huh? You'd rather let yourself die than be able to flare up your quirk? You're not a hero, pissant. You're a coward, that's what you are. You want to be a hero, you have to give your mind and body." 

I did. I gave up my social life. I changed myself with this burden I carried upon my shoulders like how Atlas lifted up the sky. Of course you'd never know. You wouldn't know the disappointment that I endured, the pain and suffering, the belittlement I took in from everybody. I shook with rage as my pupils shrunk, wrath taking control of my being, still holding my shoulder, I charged forwards.

"Now we're talkin'," Bakugo cackled, grinning. "Come at me and show me that quirk of yours." 

I don't have one, you big lug.

I looked at his feet again, watching how he stepped and pivoted. Right hook, left straight. I jumped out of the way, round-house kicking his back and pushing him onto the floor. Both of my arms were out of commission, so I had to make it work with just my legs.

I grunted as I flipped him up with one foot and two-foot style kicked him a considerable length, nearly out of the circle. 

"You damn weasel. Show me your quirk!" he shouted, using both feet and hands to fire off of the dirt. I braced myself for impact, crossing both arms in an "x" position, and watching the blonde's face, ridden with rage and anticipation. Crouching, I frog-jumped into the air, everything beginning to blur, and used my body's momentum to swing both legs and hit him right in the face, while his mouth was open from all the shouting. 

Ouch, that's gotta hurt. Hope I didn't break any of his teeth. Bakugo was knocked back even further, right on the line. This was everything. This was my chance. I could best Bakugo. Right here, right now. I gotta. I have to. For everything, for everything I endured.

But my brain wouldn't work. My body felt like lead. I tried to take a few steps, but my muscles were screaming mercy and pleading me to rest.

No, I can't. I can't. Please, just a few more moments. My shoulder hurt like hell. Blood was still oozing out even as I thought. I just gasped and fell to my knees, hearing my joints crack underneath the pressure. God, no, no, no! I wanted hot tears to streak down my cheeks, but alas, they never came. Only the feeling of a compressing amount of guilt and shame broke out as the world faded into a darker, and deeper blur. 

Choking, I still struggled, lava seemingly engulfing my entire body as it burned. I raised one arm up and faltered, having it slam onto the ground. Half-lidded eyes saw Bakugo standing there, a grimace upon his face, but eyes welled up with something that I couldn't see clearly. Pity, perhaps. 

Please.

Please.

Let me get up.

I didn't hear anything before I fainted, only seeing the eyes of Midnight, feeling her cold fingers touch my face.