The eliminated students watch as Alec is taken away via stretcher, and Aaron is helped down the tunnel by two medics.

Jace: It’s down to the wire now.

Zach: That was the last 1-B student, looks like we proved that we’re the better class!

Wes: (I’m not surprised to see Aaron reach the semi-finals. Now, this next match will determine his opponent.)

Gus: Ash has her work cut out for her here.

Jace: Yeah, Kevin is no joke; he threw me into next Tuesday like it was nothing.

Zach: Kevin has taken a beating through his first two matches though, I wonder if that plays a part in this next match.

Cut to the competitor’s seats, Justus has returned. Kevin stands up.

Kevin: Alright, Ash, it’s time for our match!

Ash is deep in thought.

Kevin: Huh? Ash, you in there?

Hayze: Ash? Are you alright?

Ash stands up and puts her hand in the air.

Ash: Madame Mummy, I withdraw from the match!

Everyone is shocked.

Kevin: What! Why?

Hayze: (I wasn’t expecting that…)

Ash: I’m sorry, Kevin, but I watched your match against Killian closely, and I don’t think there’s anything I can do against you. You’re too strong for me to take control of your body, and Ghost Combat won’t help me because your spirit is more vital than my own.

Kevin: I- I guess you’re right.

Ash: The only thing I’d accomplish from fighting is wasting your energy for your match against Aaron, and I don’t want to do that.

Kevin: Th- thanks, I guess.

Madame Mummy: Are you sure of your decision?

Ash: Yes, ma’am!

Fatal stands up from her seat in frustration.

Fatal: What is she doing! She can’t give up! This festival is too crucial for her to forfeit! What will the scouts think if she gives herself the stigma of being a quitter!

Walker: She won’t.

Fatal: Huh? What do you mean? She didn’t even try to fight!

Walker: Rachel, you and I both know Ash would have been clobbered.

Fatal: W- well, yeah, but-

Walker: But nothing; Ash made the best decision she could there.

Houston: I agree.

Fatal: What am I missing here?

Walker: Being a hero isn’t just about jumping into combat at the first chance. You need to know when to choose your battles and tactically withdraw when you don’t have a shot in hell of victory. What Ash did here was smart, and she impressed the scouts far more than she would have by fighting Kevin.

Houston: We’ve been talking a lot about winning here, and while that is essential, landing internship offers is the bigger picture. I guarantee you that Ash will get at least one offer now.

Fatal: I… I guess you’re right.

Fatal sits back down.

Madame Mummy: Alright, with Ashley Wright’s withdrawal, Kevin Bohm advances.

Madame Mummy: This concludes the quarter-finals, so it’s time to update the bracket for the 3rd round.

Madame Mummy: We will now move on to the match between Adam Hayze and Justus Grey. Students, please gather at the center of the arena with me.

Kevin sits back down as Hayze stands up.

Kevin: I guess I have to wait a little longer to get back in the ring...

Hayze: I still think you should have given it a try, but I understand your choice.

Ash: I know; I just wanted to make the decision that made the most sense for me.

Hayze: I can respect that.

Ash and Hayze begin walking to the exit. Justus stands up and leaves as well.

Hayze: (Alright, Justus, you got your wish, let’s see if you’re going to regret making it.)

The crowd begins chanting, “Justus! Justus! Justus!”

Wes: I wonder who they’re rooting for…

Zach: Justus! Justus! Justus!

Wes: Zach!

Zach: Sorry… the chant is infectious.

Colossus is deep in thought.

Colossus: (Let’s see if you’ve learned anything between this match and your last.)

Hayze and Justus approach the center of the arena.

Justus: (Sorry, Hayze, but this is the end of the line for you.)

Hayze: (Some will say beating Silver was a fluke because he didn’t fight me at his best, I have to beat Justus if I want the respect of the scouts. This is my chance to prove myself!)

They lock eyes at the center.

Justus: I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting to see you at all in this tournament, but I’m happy it ended up this way; defeating someone whose battle style is very different from mine will be a fun challenge.

Hayze: Yeah, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to get this far either, but now that I’m here, I think I want to go a little further.

Justus: We’ll see about that.

Madame Mummy raises her hand.

Madame Mummy: Begin.

Justus and Hayze immediately leap back and then start walking backward, building distance between them.

Justus: (The way to beat Hayze is simple: counter whichever element he ends up selecting. He’s shown no aptitude towards switching powers mid-battle; therefore, he’s locked in for the rest of the match once he has chosen an ability. He won’t use his water quirk due to the circumstances; he’d be a fool to use earth for the first time against me, which leaves fire, wind, and lightning. If he chooses fire, I’ll rush him; I won’t let him play the range game against me. If he chooses lightning, I’ll have to take his swords from him to eliminate his accuracy. Wind is the outlier here, I’ve only seen him use it once, but that speaks to his potential inexperience with the power. I’ll wait to make any big moves until after he’s chosen which element he’s going to fight me with.)

Justus has stopped moving, Hayze continues to back up.

Justus: (What is he doing? Why does he keep backing up?)

Hayze keeps going with a nervous look on his face.

Justus: (Is this a trap?)

Hayze turns around and starts running for the forest.

Justus: HEY!

Justus starts running after him.

Hayze: (Crap! It hasn’t been half an hour! My quirk is still on recharge!)

Hayze keeps running, but Justus is faster than him and speeds ahead; Hayze is forced to stop.

Justus: Why are you running? Is this some form of trick?

Hayze: Yes?

Justus stares at Hayze blankly.

Justus: Why was that phrased as a question?

Hayze: Uh… you tell me?

Justus attempts to punch Hayze, but he dodges narrowly.

Hayze: (Okay, maybe I shouldn’t play around with a guy who could snap a girder in half!)

Hayze falls to the ground and sits up.

Justus: I saw your battle with Silver; I’m not gonna let your strategies come to fruition like he did. I know you’re up to something!

Hayze: (He thinks this is all a part of a plan… I just can’t use my quirk for a couple of minutes… although that does give me an idea.)

Hayze stands up.

Hayze: Sorry, Justus, but you’ve already fallen into the trap!

Justus: Dammit, I knew you weren’t messing around!

Hayze: (He’s actually so confident I planned this that he doesn’t realize I’m just stalling for time.)

Hayze looks down at his gauntlet.

Hayze: (Okay… Justus plays cautious when up against the unknown… With that in mind…)

Hayze clicks the gray button on his gauntlet and out pops two spiral daggers from the sides. He grabs one in each hand and examines them.

Hayze: (Okay… what the hell do I do with these?)

Justus takes a step back.

Justus: (Those daggers must be a part of his plan… I have to keep my distance; otherwise, I could lose the whole match.)

Hayze notices Justus’ apprehension.

Hayze: (You know I’m used to being underestimated… it’s a little weird to be overestimated this heavily…)

Justus: (Alright, screw it, I have to make a move now!)

Justus runs at Hayze.

Hayze: (Well, it was fun while it lasted.)

Justus: (I know what will catch him off guard, I’ll hit him with my offhand.)

Justus attempts to punch Hayze with his opposite hand; however, his delivery is much slower, so Hayze simply dodges and stabs him in the forearm.

Justus: AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Hayze: (Isn’t Justus right-handed? Why did he try to punch with his left? His form was terrible.)

Justus: I can’t believe I fell into your trap! You knew that I would expect you to have a counterplan for my right hook, so you were instead prepared for the left hook; damn, you’re smart.

Hayze has a dumbfounded look on his face.

Hayze: (He’s overthinking this so much...)

Justus rips the dagger out of his arm and points it at Hayze.

Justus: I understand that you’re a strategist, and I was a fool to let you dictate this match up to this point, but now it’s my time to take control!

Hayze: Okay…

Justus throws the dagger at Hayze, but he narrowly dodges it and falls to the ground.

Hayze: Ah!

Justus: I’ve got you now!

Justus rushes him, and Hayze rolls away to avoid the hit.

Justus: Damn you!

Hayze leaps up.

Hayze: (Okay, maybe it’s time I go along with this…) That’s right, Justus! How does it feel to get outplayed at every turn?

Justus punches Hayze in the gut, sending him flying. This causes Hayze to drop his other dagger.

Hayze: *groans* Okay… that didn’t work...

Justus stares at Hayze.

Justus: (He still hasn’t picked an element… that only means one thing… he can’t. Dammit, he’s been vulnerable, and I’ve wasted this precious time!)

Justus charges at Hayze.

Hayze: (Okay, please quirk… work.)

Hayze’s eyes change to a light gray color. Hayze stands up, and just before Justus reaches Hayze, Hayze leaps far into the air.

Justus: (Damn! It’s his wind quirk, he must be trying to take flight!)

Hayze comes smacking down into the ground.

Justus: (Or not…)

Hayze: (Note to self, I suck at flying…)

Justus begins walking towards the forest.

Hayze: What are you doing?

Justus: A throwback.

Justus rips a tree out of the ground.

Justus: Literally.

Hayze: Ah… crap...

Justus chucks the tree at Hayze; he ducks it, and the trunk sails over him.

Hayze: (That was a little close for comfort.)

Hayze gets up, but Justus charges at him and starts throwing punches, Hayze dodges them all, but Justus persists.

Hayze: (Damn, he’s not letting up! He knows I’m not strong enough to withstand a punch. Hell, look at what happened to Karma… he’s gonna keep the pressure on and not give me a chance to catch my breath!)

Justus tries to uppercut Hayze, but he barely avoids the hit by leaning backward.

Hayze: (He’s trying to tire me out, and it’s working!)

Justus: (He won’t be able to dodge forever!)

Justus’ fist swishes by Hayze; he feels a slight brush of wind across his face, his eyes widen.

Hayze: (That’s it!)

Hayze leaps back to get out of Justus’ range.

Justus: You have good reflexes for someone so ordinary!

Hayze: (Yeah, I can thank Fatal for that.)

Justus: You can’t avoid me forever though, at some point, there will be an opening, and when that opening appears, I’ll seize it. I know how your ability works; you can’t heal quickly when using one of the elements. In this battle of attrition, I will win with ease.

Hayze: (He’s right, I need to start applying damage to him now! I need to go on the offensive... luckily, his last attack showed me a way that I can do that.) Alright, Justus, you want me to fight you? Well, here I come!

Justus: Bring it on!

They charge and leap at each other as they pull back their fists. Everything slows down.

Justus: (One punch, and he’s done!)

Their eyes lock, however out of nowhere, Hayze’s arm suddenly moves at an extreme speed.

Justus: (Huh!)

Hayze’s punch connects first, and it sends Justus flying backward and rolling on the ground. Hayze lands and looks down at his arm.

Hayze: (Dumb gamble, but I had to take the chance.)

Justus stands up and looks at Hayze with confusion on his face. His cheek is bleeding from Hayze’s strike.

Justus: (What? Since when did he get strong enough to hurt me with a punch? Whatever, I can still take him down.)

Justus charges at Hayze again. Hayze readies himself.

Justus: I will hit you if it’s the last thing I do!

Hayze goes to spin kick Justus, and just like Hayze’s punch, Hayze’s leg suddenly speeds up and makes contact with Justus quicker than expected.

Justus: (AGAIN! How!)

Justus once again goes flying and rolling through the dirt again. He immediately gets to his feet.

Justus: (Why is he… beating me… I’m supposed to be stronger than him… where is he getting all this strength from!)

Hayze charges at Justus and punts him; once again, his foot speeds up just before contact, and Justus is sent flying back. Justus lies on the ground in pain.

Justus: (This isn’t happening… It’s like he’s fast-forwarding his motions at the last second, so I can’t counter in time, but how is he doing it?)

Justus painfully stands back up.

Justus: Alright, no more games! Tell me how you’re doing that right now.

Hayze hesitates.

Hayze: Your uppercut earlier... when it went past my face, it blew some wind on me, and it got me thinking, the reason that a punch blows wind is because of air resistance. That slows our strikes and bogs down the force. This quirk allows me to control and manipulate the airflow around my body, so I realized if I removed the wind resistance around my fist, my punches would move at an exponential speed and hit with maximum force.

Justus: I get it, so it’s not that you're stronger; it’s that your punch wasn’t slowed by the very air itself. Your resourcefulness is something else.

Justus thinks for a moment.

Justus: (I’ve been going about this wrong, I need to change my strategy.)

Justus starts running into the forest.

Hayze: (Crap!)

Hayze tries to run after him, but Justus is much faster.

Hayze: (I can’t seem to remove the wind resistance around my entire body to make myself faster. It must be something I can only do to isolated parts of my body.)

Justus continues to run through the forest until he reaches the wall of the arena.

Justus: (I’ve been going about this wrong, just because I’m stronger than Hayze doesn’t mean that overpowering him is my only way to win.)

Justus rips out a big chunk of the wall and carries it above his head.

Justus: (It’s time to work smarter, not harder.)

Hayze crouches down near the center of the arena.

Hayze: (No pun intended, but I’m starting to get winded, back-to-back battles for this quirk clearly isn’t something I’m ready for. I might have to go hunting for him, I’m wasting energy just sitting here.)

Hayze spots one of his spiral daggers lying on the ground.

Hayze: (Maybe the key to winning this battle is using these daggers properly… I guess I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry when Tara gave me this device. Knowing how these weapons work would be handy right now.)

Hayze walks over, picks the dagger up, and examines it.

Hayze: (Clearly, it has something to do with the blade being spiraled, what could it-)

Hayze notices a shadow has come over him.

Hayze: (Huh? What the-)

Hayze looks up to see the chunk of wall Justus grabbed, hurling towards him.

Hayze: (Oh crap!)

Hayze tries to jump out of the way, but his right leg gets pinned under the rock.

Hayze: AHHHHHHHHH!

Hayze struggles to get free, but that only intensifies his pain.

Hayze: (Where did he get this rock?)

Hayze notices the boulder is the same color as the wall.

Hayze: (Are you serious!)

Justus emerges from the forest.

Justus: That should keep you in one place.

Hayze: *frustrated grunt* I should have known you were going to do something like this.

Justus: I want to apologize for what I said in the hallway.

Hayze is taken aback.

Hayze: N- now?

Justus: I realize something now that I didn’t before, being stronger doesn’t make you better. A hero isn’t defined by their feats of strength but by their character. I never gave a damn about you, we hardly even spoke before today, and that was because I didn’t think you were worth my time; it was conceited and foolish. After you defeated Silver, I made your accomplishment about me and how it affected my goals and aspirations. Yet despite all of that, you still tried to help me, to put me on the right path. My “fight” with Tobias showed me that I was so fixated on the fact that you thought you had any right to lecture me that I didn’t even consider for a second that maybe you were right. You’re not strong physically, but your instincts are. This sports festival isn’t about proving you’re better than everyone else. It’s about demonstrating that you deserve to be called a hero someday, and while I stand here poised to move to the final round of this tournament, You’ve proven that fact for yourself far better than I have for myself. I don't know what your long-term aspirations are, but I vowed to myself to become the number one hero and Hayze...

Justus points at Hayze.

Justus: I see you as a roadblock in my journey to gain that title!

Hayze is surprised.

Justus: I want you to know now that I see the true value of being a hero: to help someone even if they don’t want your aid. So, thank you for that.

Justus looks at Silver in the crowd.

Justus: (Thank you too, Silver. I’m sorry that I misunderstood your message, but I understand it perfectly now.)

Colossus smiles.

Colossus: (Good work… son.)

Justus cracks his knuckles and neck.

Justus: Now it’s time for me to win this battle! I’m about to take you by storm, Hayze!

Justus begins charging at Hayze.

Hayze: (Crap! I gotta figure out a way to keep him back!)

Hayze looks over at the dagger on the ground next to him.

Hayze: (Wait a second… take me by storm… I think I know what this dagger is for!)

He tries reaching for it, but it’s just out of reach.

Hayze: Come on… come on!

Justus is rapidly approaching Hayze.

Hayze: (I can’t reach it… all I can do is get a finger on it…)

Hayze gets a look of determination on his face.

Hayze: (But that’s all I need!)

Hayze fans the dagger with his hand, creating a slight breeze. He then manipulates the current to push the blade within his reach.

Hayze: (Got it!)

Justus leaps into the air to pounce down and knock Hayze out.

Justus: This is the end!

Hayze throws the dagger as hard as possible at Justus.

Justus: (A dagger? I don’t even need to dodge that, I won’t overcomplicate things. If Hayze has a plan, I’m not falling for it!)

As the dagger flies through the air at Justus, it starts to spin more and more rapidly until it eventually forms into a small tornado.

Justus: (WHAT!)

The wind storm slams into Justus and sends him flying into a tree. Hayze looks at the small tornado as it continues to fly randomly around the arena.

Hayze: (Tara… Thank you. You, Dr. Moore, and Fatal all helped me get to this point. Now, I’m going to repay you for that kindness with a victory!)

Justus gets up and wipes blood from his mouth.

Justus: Keep reaching into your bag of tricks all you like! Delaying the inevitable will get you nothing!

Hayze looks back at the rock.

Hayze: (He’s right, I’m stuck like this. Fighting him head-on isn’t gonna work.)

Hayze looks at the tornado again as it circles overhead.

Hayze: (I control the wind, which means that this becomes my final weapon to take Justus down with.)

Hayze holds out his hand and starts manipulating the tornado; he crashes it down toward Justus, who dodges with ease.

Justus: (That spiral shape on the dagger, that must be how he’s creating this storm. I can quickly stop that tornado by stopping the blade. When it stops, the wind stops.)

Justus runs as Hayze keeps chasing him with the tornado. He keeps trying to make it crash into him, but Justus keeps dodging.

Hayze: (This isn’t working, he’s too agile, I have to get free of this rock somehow...)

Hayze facepalms.

Hayze: Duh!

Justus continues running away from the tornado when suddenly it turns away.

Justus: (What? Why did it-

He stops and sees it’s heading towards Hayze.

Justus: (No! I can’t let him escape!)

Justus runs towards Hayze.

Hayze: I refuse to lose here!

The tornado smashes into the rock and rolls it back a few yards; it dissipates as the dagger stops moving from the collision. The crowd gasps in disgust at Hayze’s shattered leg.

Hayze: (That’s not enough…)

Hayze begins attempting to stand up.

Hayze: (To keep me down!)

Justus comes to an abrupt stop as he’s in complete shock watching Hayze, as is the entire crowd.

Walker: Is he actually trying to stand right now!

Colossus: Nobody could possibly withstand that kind of pain to get to their feet!

Fatal: (Yeah… but Hayze isn’t nobody.)

Hayze stands up and lets out a yell of pure pain.

Hayze: What’s wrong! I thought you were coming over here to finish me off!

Hayze’s classmates watch in amazement.

Kevin: Holy fuck…

Zach: And I thought I had spirit…

Eve: (How…)

Silver smiles.

Silver: (If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this tournament… it’s never underestimate sheer willpower.)

Blair: (Hayze…)

“ Hayze: Don’t ever tell me what I can’t do. “ - Chapter 23

Justus clenches his fists.

Justus: (There’s something about him... he doesn’t give up, even in a situation as dire as the one he was in, he still figured out a way to survive… well just like you, Hayze, I refuse to lose!)

Justus again charges at Hayze and leaps into the air to knock him out. Hayze looks at Justus as he careens toward him; everything slows down.

Hayze: (I’ve worked my whole life to be a hero, even when I knew it was futile, I just refused to believe that I couldn’t. Maybe it was stubbornness, perhaps it was perseverance, hell maybe it was just plain stupidity; I guess that’s all in the eye of the beholder. I don’t want to be a hero for fame or money; I just want to save people. Justus considers me a rival in his quest to be the number 1 hero, and while that’s not my goal in particular, if I’m going to be the hero that saves everyone, then, by extension, my dream is to be number 1. I worked my ass off to get here. I didn’t come this far to lose now!)

Hayze blocks with his gauntlet, Justus’ punch connects with it, shattering the device and sending Hayze flying backward.

Hayze: AHHHHH!

Justus stares at Hayze.

Justus: Just stay down! You’re not winning, Hayze!

Justus charges again. Hayze sits up and reaches into the gauntlet debris, and grabs his bow limb.

Hayze: I’ll fight until my last breath!

Justus punches at Hayze, but he blocks it with the extended bow limb.

Justus: Dammit!

Hayze: Tungsten is one of the most robust materials on the planet! Not even one of your punches can break through it!

Justus: You just keep thinking of ways to keep yourself in this! You can’t win; just accept your fate!

Hayze: Just because it’s my fate doesn’t mean I won’t try to change it!

Justus is taken aback; he lowers his fist and backs away from Hayze.

Hayze: Why are you walking away? We’re not done yet!

Justus thinks for a moment.

Justus: Hayze, what is it about you that makes you think this way?

Hayze: Huh? What do you mean?

Justus: The way you fight, you don’t look at someone and think about how strong they are; you immediately try to figure out their weakness. I’ve never met someone with that kind of philosophy; everyone thought you should have forfeited all three of your battles because it looked hopeless. Yet you kept figuring out ways to keep going, to give yourself one more chance to take down your opponent. You never once thought about giving up; how do you do it? How do you blindly believe that you can beat any opponent? How?

Hayze catches his breath.

Hayze: Justus... when I was very young, a hero told me, “Kid, the hardest part about this job is that you can’t save everybody.” and I told him: “says who?”

Justus is shocked.

Hayze: From that day forward, I wanted to be a hero so that I could save everyone. It may be foolish, but I won’t be bogged down by other people’s expectations of me.

Hayze uses the bow limb as a walking stick and stands up; he then reaches into the debris of his gauntlet and pulls out one of the lightning swords.

Hayze: Not too long ago, my goals were unachievable, but now, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And although it may be miles upon miles away, at least I know I’ll get there someday. My dream is within reach for the first time in my life, and I’ll be damned if I don’t put every ounce of effort in my body into ensuring it’s achieved!

Hayze tries to take a step, but his eyes return to normal, and he starts falling forward.

Justus: Hayze!

Justus catches him; he looks and sees Hayze’s eyes are closed; he’s out cold. Justus has a shocked look on his face as he stares at his opponent. The whole stadium is silent.

Colossus: (That kid… he was actually going to try to fight Justus on one leg… the only thing that could stop him was his own quirk…)

Walker: (There was no doubt in my mind that he would have lost no matter what, but he was going to keep getting back up every single time, that’s who he is…)

Fatal: (He hit his limit, the battle went too long, and his injuries didn’t help, he was out of gas, and his body wanted to make that clear to him.)

Madame Mummy approaches Justus and Hayze.

Madame Mummy: I assume he’s unconscious?

Justus: Yes… yes, he is.

Madame Mummy: Right, The winner is Justus Grey.

The crowd cheers loudly for Justus and Hayze.

Crowd Member 1: YEAH! WHAT A MATCH!

Crowd Member 2: Now, I feel kind of bad for booing the kid earlier!

A stretcher comes out for Hayze, Justus helps them lift him onto it.

Justus: (I learned a lot from you today, so thank you, Hayze.)

As Hayze is taken away, Justus looks down at his fist.

Justus: (I’ve wanted to be number 1 just for the sake of being the best, but you’ve shown me that a goal is nothing without purpose. From this day forward, I revise my dream; I still want to be the number 1 hero, but now, because I want to do what Hayze helped do for me: try to make the people around me better and help them stay on the right path... even when they don’t want me to.)