Once More (My Hero Academia)

10: Bakugo's Starting Line

No.

No, no, no.

Katsuki stood there, frozen.

His chest was heaving, his heart pounding and pounding and pounding as if something was trapped in there, trying to break out.

He was hyperventilating, he couldn't catch his breath.

Swallow that stupid ego of yours and see for yourself.

See for yourself.

I'm ahead of you now.

The voice of the green-haired boy reverberated in his head, like darts, like fire, exploding in his brain.

All Might's voice was too loud. Like an anvil dropping on him.

The hero team is the winner.

Voices, too many, are overlapping.

Kacchan's quirk is so cool! I hope my quirk is just as awesome!

Whatever quirk you get, you will never be as good as me, Deku.

I'm ahead of you now.

Deku won.

That nerd somehow predicted his every move, and won.

The capture tape wrapped around Katsuki's waist felt like hot iron. He tore it off with his trembling hands.

Then he jumped when he felt a giant hand on his shoulder.

"Young Bakugo," All Might said, "time to come back, we're reviewing the results."

Katsuki tried to say something, to scream at Deku, to scream at All Might, but he was still frozen, strangled by an invisible wire.

"Whether you win or lose," All Might continued, "looking back and learning from your experiences is part of life."

Finally, Katsuki walked to the building where the class was waiting.

Deku looked at him for a brief moment, then turned his gaze away.

"All right everyone!" All Might said, "would anyone like to give a thought on who the MVP of this round was?"

Murmurs rose in the room. Almost everyone was thinking the same thing.

Midoriya.

All Might lifted a hand, "now does anyone know why it's young Midoriya?"

"Yes, All Might sensei," Yaoyorozu Momo raised her hand and spoke, "when looking at overall abilities, Midoriya showed the highest level of combat, strategy, and observational skills. And unlike the other team, Midoriya communicated with his teammate."

Iida was obviously trying hard not to glare at Bakugo.

"From watching the match," Yaoyorozu continued, "it appears that Bakugo acted on his own due to an obviously personal grudge. He also foolishly launched a large-scale attack indoors."

Katsuki tightened his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

Yaoyorozu continued to analyze the battle, but Katsuki had stopped listening a long time ago.

One sentence repeated in his head.

I'll show him, that damn nerd.

The blank anger, the denial, the shock... Katsuki felt them shatter away in his mind as they were replaced with something else, raging and blazing.