"I'm baaack!" Uraraka trilled, grinning as she plopped down beside you on the stands. Izuku and Iida were gathered around as well, and you guys all did a double-take when you looked up at the brunette.

"A-are you okay??" Izuku spluttered. "Your eyes look really swollen..."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Ah, I'm fine—I just got a quick 'recovery' done. So my stamina's a little wonky right now. More importantly, what about you, [Name]-chan? How are you feeling?"

"I mean...I guess I've been better."

"Nervous, huh?"

"To go up against Katsuki-kun?" you chuckled. "Well, duh."

Uraraka smiled wearily. You'd been in the nurse's office to speak with her, but it was clear she was still feeling the frustrations of her loss. Even if Katsuki was strong, she'd wanted to win, just like everyone else. You weren't going into this battle overly optimistic (actually it was more so the opposite), but there was still a part of you that was yearning for that victory, no matter how slim the odds were.

"You'll do great," Uraraka reassured, placing her hand atop your shoulder. "You're stronger than me, and smarter than me, too. I'm sure you'll figure out a plan to take him on."

You heaved a sigh. "I think you're giving me too much credit there."

"Nuh-uh! My bestie's a badass, so I know she has it in her!"

Uraraka flung her body overtop of yours, and you couldn't help but giggle when her rosy cheeks pressed up against your own. Izuku and Iida could only watch with furrowed brows; one of them was blushing involuntarily.

"...Well, you're sure taking it easy, huh, [Name]?"

Your eyes rolled out of sheer instinct, not even needing to look up to know who was talking. That arrogant voice spoke for itself.

"Go away, Monoma-kun. Nobody here likes you."

"Wha—?!" He curled his fingers into a fist, gritting his teeth at you. "It's the opposite, you fool! I'm the one who can't stand any of you Class-A types!"

"Great," you drawled. "Can you leave now?"

Monoma was steadily inflating like a balloon, and Uraraka looked back at you in confusion. "Who's this weirdo?" she asked.

"Nobody really. I knew him back when I was in grade school—before I met you."

"You—! How dare you call me a nobody?!" he fumed. "Ferme ta gueule, fille laide!"

Uraraka frowned. "What did he just say?"

"I don't know. I think he's insulting me in French."

"Salope! Nique ta mère!"

It was one of the few moments where you wished you could speak a foreign language, but the fact that you couldn't understand him pretty much made his insults useless either way. Monoma puffed out his chest, cheeks blotched and red from embarrassment.

"Whatever," he grimaced. "With that madman as your opponent, your chances of winning are next to none." He turned to walk away, glancing back over his shoulder. "I suggest you be careful. Your soulmate bond is already unstable as is."

"Eh?" Uraraka jolted. "He knows...?"

She opened her mouth to protest, but the blonde had already walked away. He really was a slippery little bastard; the very definition of a snake. But it was frustrating, because every time you saw him, it was clear that he knew something you didn't.

Just what is it that he's hiding from me?

—

All of the preceding battles had elapsed, and it was now time for your dreaded match to begin.

You knew that Katsuki wouldn't go easy on you, no matter what, but he also wanted you to give it your very best. In a way, it was nice that he was intent on taking you so seriously, even though the disparity in strength was so large.

I mean, yes, he IS stronger than me, but that doesn't mean I should just roll over without trying. I'll give it my best shot, and be proud of myself regardless of the result.

You heaved a sigh. Well, that was easier said than done, but still.

The last bit of waiting time trickled out, and before you knew it, it was already time to step out into the ring. Your heart was beating erratically, and Present Mic's booming voice overhead—mixed with the cheers of the audience—only added to your nerves. Already, you could see the familiar tuft of ash blonde hair standing at the opposite end of the arena. You inhaled another gulp of air, stepping onto the platform to stare directly into your opponent's eyes.

"You're shaking, dumbass." Katsuki frowned back at you, looking a bit miffed. "If you're this scared, I don't know what the hell you're gonna do. Control yourself, goddammit."

"Uh, y-yeah. You're right."

You bit down on your lip, squeezing your fists so that you could stabilize the tremors racking down your spine. It was as plain as day that you were overcome with nerves, but Katsuki was right—if you didn't get it under control, you wouldn't manage to so much as lay a finger on him. People from all around were watching; your friends included. You definitely weren't going to go down without a fight.

"Now...Bakugou vs. [Last Name].....STAAAART!!!"

The second the blaring signal went off, you knew you needed to act. In terms of sheer physical prowess, Katsuki easily outclassed you. Which is why, just like Uraraka, you had no choice but to strike before he could react.

Your pupils dilated as a wave of light imbued your frame. The sensation of the rush was as strange as always; you didn't think you'd ever get used to moving so fast. But you were hardly in a position to complain—zipping forward at the speed of light, your body materialized just before Katsuki's own. You watched as his crimson eyes widened, clearly caught off-guard by your sudden apparition. Gritting down on your teeth, you lurched forward and kicked him square in the chest.

"You fucking—mmph!"

He nearly keeled over and spluttered weakly; the force of your kick had all but knocked the breath out of him. Still, you knew you'd only bought yourself a second at most, and slammed him back by his shoulders in an attempt to edge him off the arena. Unfortunately, this time, your attack didn't work.

You let out a muffled scream as Katsuki clamped a hand across your wrist, pausing only to glare into your eyes. Half an instant later, he'd yelled out his trademark catchphrase and unleashed an explosion from point-blank range. You were blown back effortlessly, and a searing pain erupted across your body as you fell limply to the ground.

"Ah, shit..." you groaned, tears pooling at the corners of your eyes. "I had no idea it would hurt this much..."

"Get up, [Name]." Katsuki was inching closer from the opposite end of the arena. He wasn't rushing forward; rather, he seemed to be taking his sweet time. You didn't exactly know if he was giving you a few moments to collect yourself, or if he was just doing it to add to the tension.

"You're not this weak," he muttered. "I know that for a fact. You either get up and face me properly or you give up right now before things get worse."

You winced; more so from his words than the actual pain. As quickly as your body would allow it, you scrambled to your feet and stood back up to face him. You spared a hurried glance down at your arms—the skin was blotchy, red, and torn at some areas. You hadn't imagined that a single attack from close up could deal so much damage.

Katsuki chuckled. "You better get your shit together if you don't wanna lose—!"

Without warning, he lunged forward, keeping one fist poised and ready to blow another explosion in your direction. You exhaled weakly, locking onto his gaze with your own. Specks of golden light flitted through your [e/c] orbs, and you remained absolutely motionless as Katsuki came thundering towards you.

"Ah, shit!" he cursed, realizing that for the second time he'd fought against you, his attack had missed its mark. He must've understood almost immediately that he'd just attacked a projection of your body, rather than the real thing, but you were already beside him and revving up for your next assault.

Namely, your knee to his crotch.

"FUCKING HELL!!"

It seemed like even the almighty Katsuki wasn't immune to having his groin so mercilessly attacked. Granted, you also felt like it was a pretty cheap move, but you were facing off against a guy, and you felt like it would be stupid not to aim for his weak spot.

You staggered away almost immediately, watching as Katsuki clamped a hand across his mouth in order to hold back the urge to vomit. His eyes narrowed into slits.

"[Name], you—did you seriously just knee me in the fucking balls??! You little—ah, fuck!"

You smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Katsuki-kun. I know it was kind of a dirty move...but still! I'm not losing this time around!"

A sphere of light encased your body as you lunged back towards him. It was your attempt at a shield, although you knew with how strong Katsuki was, it wouldn't hold up very well. Still, it was better than nothing, and even though the blonde was clutching his groin with one hand, the other was extended outwards and ready to attack.

"This is for my dick, you little shithead!!"

Katsuki grimaced as he unleashed another blow. You felt your feet be pushed backwards on the coarse terrain, but your shield was still holding up—at least, for now. You zipped forward at the speed of light once more, landing a punch square in his stomach. Truthfully, you felt a bit bad. If he wasn't feeling nauseous from your attack before, he definitely was now.

"Cut. That. Shit. Out!" Katsuki roared, forcing you back with an explosion once again. This time, you could feel your knees threatening to buckle underneath you; using your Quirk so recklessly was taking its toll on your stamina. That "shield" of yours was practically useless now too, and you couldn't afford to waste any more energy making another.

I think...I can deal with the pain. Even if I'm getting tired, I probably have enough in me to zip fast a couple more times, but even if do that, I just CAN'T force him out of the arena. He won't budge, and he'll just keep standing his ground and using his explosions...

You were genuinely at a loss as to what to do. Your body was a flushed, hot mess, littered with scrapes, soot, and burns all over. On his end, Katsuki looked relatively unscathed—save for the more tender regions you'd so shamelessly attacked. You noticed that his arms were actually twitching though; you imagined that meant that he was also starting to go over his Quirk's limits.

A weary sigh escaped your lips. Maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to tire out. Hell, if you kept using your light-speed to rush over and land a few punches, you might actually have a shot at winning this thing. You knew that he would never even consider giving up, but if you wore him out enough, he would get careless and his body would be easier to force out of bounds.

Your expression slowly lit up.

That...could actually work. I might actually have a chance at winning if I do that.

Katsuki snorted. "Someone's sure lookin' smug. You think that just because you got a few hits on me, your victory's been assured? Dream on, [Name]—the real fight's only just now getting started."

Without warning, he propelled himself forward with an explosion. Your brows rocketed; up until now, he'd been on-guard and waiting to blow you back every time you tried to get close, but it seemed like he'd gotten over his pain and was tired of waiting. Which was bad. You could handle going after him, but if he he came after you...

"S-stop!"

You cried out in vain, and he was already too close for you to manage an escape. Katsuki's body came crashing atop of your own, an explosion forcing you down onto the cold, brittle ground. You couldn't even scream this time—the scalding heat of his fist had collided right against your sternum, and you felt all the air rush out of your lungs.

All at once, you couldn't breathe. Katsuki took this as an opportunity to grip down on both your arms and pin you to the ground. His gleaming, crimson orbs were staring right into your own.

"Nice try," he rasped. "But it didn't work. You got any other moves up your sleeve or are you gonna call it quits right here?"

The blonde was keeping your body adhered to the terrain. You could feel some coarse, clunky bits of soil poking up and into your back, but that pain was all secondary. You were more concerned about the fact that you still couldn't breathe, and had now transitioned onto a stage of frantic gasps.

Katsuki frowned. "Hey, [Name]—say something. You givin' up or not?"

You were trying to form a reply; you really, truly were. But you just couldn't. All you could do was gasp for breath, and feel how every respire forced another blade down into your chest. You just couldn't breathe, and your eyes were slowly rolling back into your head.

Katsuki's expression did a full 180.

"[Name]?" he prodded, gently shaking you by the shoulders. He'd long since loosened his grip on your wrists, and was now trying to prop you upright. "Oi!" he cried out, growing increasingly more agitated. "This isn't fucking funny, you hear me?! If you can talk, then say something, goddammit!"

You could hear Midnight's voice chime in. "Is she conscious? Has she admitted defeat?"

"I-I don't fuckin' know!" Katsuki spluttered. "Her eyes are open but she ain't saying shit! OI! [NAME], I SAID! ANSWER ME, ALREADY!"

You could hear the way his voice spiked with concern, but you still hadn't managed to escape your fit of gasps. You didn't even remember how to breathe, and it was beginning to seem like you never would again. The explosion that had hit you square in the center of the chest was still making your lungs burn; you almost wondered if they'd been melted from the inside out.

Katsuki grappled you by your sides and turned you over and onto your knees. He steadied you by your hips and let your head hang forward slightly. It still hurt like fucking hell every time you tried to take a breath, and it sounded like the audience was getting pretty frustrated with the stalemate. Some were urging him to kick you out of bounds and finish you off; others had once again stood up to boo him for being so violent with a girl. It didn't seem like Katsuki gave a shit, though. If anything, he'd forgotten about the match altogether and was now slowly focused on you.

"Come on," he urged, grinding down onto his teeth. "Just try to breathe. Slowly, just—fuck, I don't know. Just breathe, okay??"

"Bakugou," Midnight cut in. "If [Name] is unable to continue then pull her out of bounds and we can—"

"WILL YOU IDIOTS JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY AND LET ME TAKE CARE OF HER?!!"

Your body jolted at the reverberating cry. With a violent shudder, you dry-heaved onto the ground, finally managing to inhale a breath of air. Katsuki cried out something from beside you, but you pushed him away as quickly as you could manage, clumsily rising to your feet.

He stared at you in bewilderment. "Are you—?"

"I'm fine," you coughed, tears rolling down your cheeks. "I can still...fight."

Midnight gave you a hasty look over and decided that if you said you were fine, then you definitely were. U.A had always been pretty lax when it came to the students' safety, it seemed; or they just didn't give a fuck. It was better this way, though. There was no way in hell you were going to give up now.

Katsuki opened his mouth in protest, but you'd already zipped over to his side and punched him right in the jaw. This time, you felt the exhaustion seeping into your limbs; your punch barely had any strength behind it, either. Katsuki stood motionless, barely even wincing from your attack, and watched as you shuffled backwards to lunge again.

"Not yet," you gasped, head fuzzy from your previous state of asphyxiation. "I'm not...done yet. Katsuki-kun, stop standing around. We said we were going to fight each other properly, right? In that case, you should've won...long ago. But you're holding back on me, even though you said you wouldn't..."

Katsuki said nothing. His hands were fallen to his sides, and there wasn't even a glint of aggression in his eyes. He didn't even need to speak any words for you to know what he was thinking, and the truth was, you knew it, too.

This is as far I go.

"No..." you whimpered, tears blurring your vision. "I'm not done yet. Katsuki-kun, I'm not done yet. I'm not done. I'm not—"

"[Name]."

He said your name just as you fell to your knees, eyes rolling back into your skull. Katsuki rushed forward to catch you before you could collapse onto the ground. Instead, your head lolled to the side and found itself nestled against Katsuki's chest. Your consciousness was readily fading, but you knew you felt his strong arms cradle your body, and that you heard the words that followed.

"You did a damn good job," Katsuki mumbled. "I'm proud of you...[Name]."