The air was cold and smelled of something dead. Not something physical, but abstract.
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The worn-down swing set blows gently in the wind as the stars stand witness to Bakugo’s walk of condemnation.
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It should be like every other night. But something was different, heavy. It lay on his chest like a demon and clawed at his skin till it bled regrets.
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The shadows move and whisper his name, one that could soon be ripped from every memory. It is up to the prince’s will whether he survives the night.
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One way or another, the end of Katsuki Bakugo has come.
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Izuku: “And so here you are.”
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The two boys stand opposite each other as the temperature starts to rise artificially.
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Izuku: “Don’t worry, I won’t let the cold weaken you. Now, work up a sweat for me.”
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Putting the fact that Deku can just do that now behind him, Bakugo collects himself.
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This was it. Either he is someone who can rise to the occasion or fade into irrelevance, where all the expectations held for him sink into oblivion.
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Blasting forward, Bakugo shoves a hand into Izuku’s face before detonating the sweat that has been accumulating.
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But it does nothing.
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A thin layer of green energy negated the explosion. The smoke from the explosion was cut by a psi-sword to the neck. Narrowly dodging by leaning back, Bakugo unleashes another one-handed blast. This one was far stronger and managed to push Izuku back a bit.
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As for Bakugo, he was thrown back hard enough to collide with a building. Or he would have if Izuku didn’t teleport behind him in time.
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Catching him by the neck, Izuku slowly squeezed. Feeling this, Bakugo let loose several explosions onto his enemy’s face. But the boy felt nothing.
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He could end it here. But what would be the fun in that?
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So he teleports them both to the beach where Izuku first trained. Before Bakugo could adjust to the location, Izuku spun him around before flinging him to the sandy ground.
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Quickly righting himself, Bakugo blasted away from the descending Izuku. After a couple of tumbles in the sand, Bakugo got up and refocused on the one hunting him.
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Yes, Izuku doesn’t see this as a battle. Bakugo sees this now. Izuku wasn’t taking this seriously; this was nothing but a humiliation ritual for him to enjoy. A showcase of just how much Izuku has surpassed him.
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To hammer this message home, Izuku gently floated a grain of sand to his palm. He overlaid the grain over Bakugo’s face.
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Izuku: “Is this how you saw me? Insignificant? Not worth the effort? But then why… ”
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I placed the grain back down and studied the trembling Bakugo, who was grinding his teeth.
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Izuku: “Once I’m done here, I won’t do this again. But you… you kept doing this for years… why? Why, Kacchan? Just because you… enjoyed it?”
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Instead of an answer, Bakugo screamed bloody murder as he charged once more.
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Izuku: “Fine.”
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Playing by Bakugo’s rules, Izuku focused on just close quarters combat. The first move of such an engagement was a swift kick to Bakugo’s face.
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But it didn’t stop the boy’s assault, only changed its angle. Blasting up and then down, Bakugo unleashed another giant blast to Izuku’s face. Again though, it does nothing but create large amounts of smoke.
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Which is fine by Bakugo; he uses the smoke as cover to maneuver behind Izuku. He goes for a liver punch, but Izuku twists around to meet the punch with his own.
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The results were obvious.
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Bakugo: “Gah!”
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Bakugo grabs his nearly broken hand, shocked by just how strong Izuku was. But this was still a fight, so he had to quickly put up his guard to block an ascending blow aimed at his chest.
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Despite blocking, though, it still sent him flying back and tumbling through the sand again. Righting himself, he took stock of his situation.
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Nothing will change if he can’t get past that shield. So Bakugo decides to use a move he recently developed for such a situation. But the piercing power was not to be underestimated. It could even kill a person.
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Bakugo: ‘Tch, Deku can handle it. I know he can.’
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Considering how outmatched he is, this is the only way. So he stretches out one of his hands and uses the other to form a circle over the palm. Light forms within the circle angled at Izuku.
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Bakugo: “AP Shot!”
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Suddenly, the light explodes into a thin line of explosive power. It was fast enough to catch the waiting Izuku off guard, but what really made him widen his eyes was the stinging pain in his stomach.
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The next moment, Izuku is flung back by the force of the blast, landing on the sand with a heavy thud.
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Bakugo: “HAH! How do you like that Dek-”
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His words were cut off by the slowly rising laughter.
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Bakugo: “What’s so funny, Deku!”
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The boy gets up and pats down the hole in his shirt and the bruise left on his skin.
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Izuku: “You’re amazing, Kacchan. Even now, you’re able to hurt and surprise me.”
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He smiles warmly at Bakugo, which only confuses the boy more. But before he can question him, the smile drops.
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Izuku: “But what will you do now?”
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Small tornadoes erupt around Bakugo, whipping his hair wildly and getting sand everywhere. Slowly, the tornadoes transform into four sand serpents, glaring at their prey below.
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Bakugo: “I’ll win!”
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Dodging the attacking serpents, Bakugo explodes to the sky, making sure to maneuver away from the beasts. All the while, he keeps his eye on the wall he must overcome.
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The fact that said wall is Deku of all people doesn’t register. All that matters is that he must win. No other option will save him.
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So seeing another opening, he quickly uses his new move midair on the stationary Izuku.
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Bakugo: “Quick Draw: AP Shot!”
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The power was lessened, but it was quicker and had greater range. However, it still managed to break the shield. Leaving a bruise, though…
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Izuku: “Not good enough.”
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Raising his hand, Izuku creates a massive hand of water over Bakugo.
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Bakugo: “What the-”
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Before he blasted out of the way, the giant hand slammed him back to the ground. As he coughs out the water and recovers, Izuku summons all the water he used to his hand and freezes it.
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Next, he creates several dozen spears from it and launches them at Bakugo. The boy rolls out of the way of the first few before blasting the rest away with-
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Bakugo: “AP Shot: Auto Cannon!”
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Concentrated blasts meet ice spears, colliding in the middle and causing several dozen explosions. But Bakugo didn’t stop. He kept firing until Izuku had nothing else to throw.
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Bakugo: “DIE!”
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Izuku’s location became ground zero for nearly a hundred explosions from AP Shot. It was to such a point that Bakugo couldn’t tell where Izuku was in the smoke. But he didn’t stop until his arms pulsed red with the strain.
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When all was said and done, only silence remained among the smoke clouds. But before Bakugo could celebrate or worry, the smoke condensed into a ball of pulsating green flame.
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There Izuku was, shirt in shambles and bruises across his body. Yet still, he looked unbothered. He smirked before throwing the combined result of all those explosions merged with his own flame.
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Bakugo shot to the sky, avoiding the near-lethal detonation below. Wanting to bring this to a close before his body gives out, Bakugo spins in the air, preparing for his ultimate attack.
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Izuku only smiles. It was a good fight; Bakugo did better than expected. But now it’s time to show just how outmatched Bakugo really is. How far Izuku has come.
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Izuku: ‘Bakugo’s quirk works by turning his sweat into a nitroglycerin-like substance and detonating it. Howitzer impact works by creating a tornado through circular explosions before detonating the last blast using the built-up oxygen. Simple and powerful. But not unique anymore.”
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The boy looks up to the coming missile and lifts one hand. Within his palm, a small tornado was forming, occasionally lit up by explosions. Oxygen rapidly built up, increasing the size of said tornado.
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This did not go unnoticed even now. Bakugo’s heart trembled at the thought of Izuku copying his quirk. But it doesn’t matter, not now.
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Bakugo: ‘Because it won’t matter when I win!’
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He is the master of his quirk, not Deku! So he increases his speed, becoming a living missile aimed squarely at his enemy. It was only a matter of time before the two met in this fateful clash.
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Bakugo: “Howitzer-”
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Izuku: “Hellfire-”
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Bakugo & Izuku: “IMPACT!!”
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The explosion was deafening, displacing tons of air and shattering the windows of the buildings closest to the beach.
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But that explosion wasn’t an equal clash; the color green quickly engulfed the orange. When the smoke cleared, the victor was clear. Bakugo dropped to the ground, shirtless, bloody, and broken.
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There was no more strength in him to stand. He could only lift his head up to the freshly healed Izuku walking toward him. Any wounds he did manage to inflict have long faded.
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His mind screams for the body to get up, to prove itself. But the situation was increasingly hopeless.
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Bakugo: ‘No!! This can’t be… all I’m capable of.’
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The imagery Izuku showed came back to mind. It was appropriate and nearly shattered Bakugo’s current will further.
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But right now, the boy saw things differently. Within his mind’s eye, Bakugo was kneeling on a lone mountain looking into the sky.
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Except this sky was fully covered by one of Izuku’s glowing green eyes. It was looking down at him from above with a blank expression.
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Their positions weren’t just reversed; the gulf between them has expanded by miles. And it would continue to grow until those eyes blanket the endless black of the universe. Leaving Bakugo nothing but a pale, angry dot.
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Izuku: “Get up.”
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The boy was snapped out of his mental hellscape and looked up at the approaching Izuku. He couldn’t meet his gaze.
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Izuku: “I said get back up! You don’t get to give up, not you! I endured being your punching bag for years! I even stood up to you sometimes. Even when I knew you were stronger than me. So don’t you dare give up now, Bakugo. I know you can continue.”
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Bakugo: “SHUT UP, DEKU! Just… shut up… ”
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The former victim of their relationship stops in his tracks, stunned by the utter despair coming off his former bully.
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Bakugo: “Why… did I end up having to chase after someone who was always so far behind? Why did a damn small fry like you get so strong?”
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Izuku stopped in his tracks and contemplated reading the boy’s mind. He could have done so throughout the entire fight, but that would have made things too easy.
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This would be different, though. Izuku wants to know why Bakugo is the way he is. Then maybe they can come to an understanding, because right now-
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Izuku: “This isn’t fun anymore.”
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Bakugo: “W-What?”
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Izuku: “I thought I would enjoy beating you down like you did me. And I did… but seeing you so defeated now… it feels wrong.”
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Biting his lip, Bakugo dug his fingers into the rough sand beneath his bloody hands.
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Bakugo: “Wrong? Y-You’re… stronger than me, damn it! Start acting like it!”
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Izuku: “Acting like it? Like you!? I’m not like you! I’m not doing this just to prove I’m superior or for pleasure. I… want you to say you’re sorry. That you regret what you did to me.”
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Bakugo: “… I… ”
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A part of him does want to say those words. But if he did that, let those emotions escape, then it would become reality.
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That he was wrong.
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That Izuku is not his inferior.
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And if he isn’t, if that pebble can grow to become this, then nearly anyone can surpass him. Some have already, and others are on their way.
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He is not special. The fact that Izuku can copy his quirk… made it all the more clear.
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The path to becoming number 1 becomes a distant dream that may never be achieved. Especially not with Izuku aiming for the same thing.
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And if he can’t be number 1, if he can’t rise to those expectations placed upon him by himself and others, what good is he?
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Bakugo: “I’m… sorry…”
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Izuku: “… Why are you sorry? Because I beat it out of you, or because you regret it?”
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Bakugo: “… Both. Because… I get it now.”
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Izuku: “Do you?”
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Izuku narrowed his eyes as he took a peek inside the boy’s mind. What he saw made Izuku’s eyes flash a deeper green.
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He straddled Bakugo and grabbed his shirt, bringing their faces inches apart.
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Izuku: “What do you mean you’re worthless!? You’re not worthless; you still have your quirk, you idiot!”
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Bakugo: “So what!? What use is this quirk next to yours?! You copied my moves, my quirk… and my dream. What use is it if I can’t become the number 1 hero?! The one who can defeat any villain?! That’s… not me… ”
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He looks at Izuku; the one who can actually become the number 1 hero, the dominating force that always wins, is clear.
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Izuku: ‘… Is this not what I wanted? Him broken and remorseful. Why does this… not satisfy me? Why does it feel wrong?’
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Izuku: “This… is not the Bakugo I know. The one I know wouldn’t let this get him down; he would try even harder to catch up. Because he is the symbol of victory!”
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Bakugo: “Stop patronizing me, Deku! I’m not some symbol of victory! A symbol of victory wouldn’t have lost to Kanto, wasted their internship, or become some background character in your story!”
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Something he thought impossible was happening before Izuku’s eyes. Bakugo, the indomitable, was crying…?
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Izuku: “Kacchan… ”
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Bakugo: “I’m weak!! Just like you were! But unlike you, I’m not a naive idiot! If you want to vent your frustrations for what I did, then do it! You’re the stronger one, right? Then act like it!”
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Izuku’s grip on Bakugo tightens as his control loosens. He thinks back to all those days that Bakugo beat him, and humiliated him, made him feel like the lowest insect on the planet.
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Is this really enough to repay all that trauma? Shouldn’t he go further? Ruining his chances with Uraraka wasn’t enough. Beating him down wasn’t enough. Crushing his spirit wasn’t enough. The apology wasn’t enough.
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The hunger for vengeance still lightly burned. But those embers slowly died as he looked into the eyes of someone he used to respect so much.
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So Izuku dropped the boy back to the ground.
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Bakugo: “What are you doing!? Finish it! Don’t you dare start pitying me!”
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Izuku: “Like I said, Kacchan, I’m not you. I can’t bring myself to continue this anymore. I’m sick of it. I… don’t want to break you or prove you were right to do what you did. The strong shouldn’t beat down people weaker or those already defeated. You should use that power to help people. We’re heroes, aren’t we, Kacchan?”
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Bakugo: “… A hero… is someone who always wins… like All Might. And I… ”
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Izuku: “There’s more worth to being a hero than just that, Kacchan. I hope you can find what that is.”
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With that, Izuku teleports away from the scene. This leaves Bakugo alone in the cold. He turns to the right to see where the ocean meets the beach.
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Such a serene sight before him. A gentle full moon over the sea, its light reflected back at the black star-filled sea above.
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So serene…
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It makes the inner turmoil all the more apparent.
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The sound of alarms starts to appear in the distance; it would seem their fight has drawn attention. No matter, Bakugo won’t tell a soul of the events that happened tonight.
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