TIME - 1:57 AM
Midoriya shivered, trudging calmly through the night. He glimpses up, into the starry night. The moon absent from this night sky. He sighs, seems like everything is disappearing recently. Street lights buzzing and cars whizzing past, he returned his gaze to the street in front of him. He shivers again. The harsh, screaming wind makes sure he is thoroughly frozen. A 24-hour thift store, lighting the street, catches his eye. Crossing the street, he steps inside, the chime of the double door ringing. He greets the cashier with a nod. Kirishima waves to him in return. Midoriya stares dumbfounded. He hadn't known Kirishima worked here.
Kirishima: Well, yeah, dude! What'd you expect? It's the only job around here that isn't taken up by locals.
Midoriya: Well, I guess. I just thought that you'd pick something like boxing. Y'know, something manly.
Midoriya turned away, leaving Kirishima behind the counter, thinking. He walked through the alcohol aisle, hearing Kirishima scold him from the front desk.
Kirishima: Alright, dude. Come on outta there. We both know you're not 21.
Midoriya sighed. Finally, he grabbed a green hoody, a dark hat to keep it out of his eyes, and a mask, just for fun. He also nabbed a pair of AirPods for his music. As he approached the counter, Kirishima notices the brands stuck under his arm, exclaiming.
Kirishima: Dang, dude! I thought you only had a monthly allowance of 3,000 yen? That stuff is over 20,000! Your mom cool with you spending this much?
Midoriya, eyes shadowed by his hair, nods. He places his items on the counter with a thunk. He holds up a finger, asking Kirishima to hold on for a moment. Midoriya jogs outside to the ATM. Kirishima rings him up, whistling patiently. A few minutes later he hears the door chime again. Midoriya has returned, carrying a Manila envelope. Kirishima is passed the mysterious envelope. Sweat dripping, he opens it. Peering inside, his jaw drops. Inside, he finds 25,000 yen, tied in bands. Midoriya, face split by a grin, walks out.
Midoriya: Hey, Red Riot. Keep the change.
The Gym - 2:35 AM
Midoriya shivers as his hand touches the cold metal of the Gym's door. Pushing, he enters. He glances around, seeing punching bags, weights, and treadmills. Removing his Airpods from his pocket, he lodges them in his ears. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, pressing play on his playlist. Soon, one of his favorite songs comes on. Midoriya approaches the punching bags, arms raising.
"10 Things I Hate About You"
As Deku heard the lyrics, something inside him awoke. Pupils constricting, fists clenching, body tensing. He faces the punching bags, activating One For All, Full Cowl. His maximum. Pressing his feet to the ground, he shoots across the room, feet planting on walls and throwing him away again. Cracks spread through the walls, crunching and smashing as he soars through the room. The chorus came fast, entrancing him. His mind replacing irrelevant lyrics. Propelling himself like a jet, he begins striking rapidly.
10 You're Selfish. Midoriya strikes a bag, dashing away
9 You're Jaded. He attacks another, moving as quick as he can
8 Dumbest Girl I Dated. Slamming into bags rapidly
7 Loyalty Issues. Bakugo's room flashes in his vision
6 Seconds, It's Over! Uraraka pinned to the wall
5 You're Toxic. Striking faster, harder each time
4 Can't Trust You. Syncing to the lyrics, he wrecks the bags
3 You're Gone Now! Uraraka's scream rings out again
2 Years of Bullshit. He continued dashing and punching, each time more forceful than the last
1 YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU. His fist strikes one last bag
THOOM!
His fist drives through as if it were made of paper, puncturing the bag and dispelling sand. His hand, now shredded, bleeds into the bag. Fingers tingling, he yanks it out. His gaze falls over the bags hanging in the room. All had holes, fist-sized and deep. Peering at the walls, they had all but crumbled. Cracks spread through them, a giant spider web mural on the wall. Holes randomly spread throughout, puncturing the mural. Midoriya smiles in satisfaction. A bag falls to the floor.
TIME - 2:39
A voice rings out across the expanse, familiar and annoying.
Bakugo: Oi! Greeny! Me next. It's harder to beat up on something that fights back.
The savagery that arose in Izuku was overwhelming and destructive. He enters combat stance, hunched and defensive. He peers over his shoulder, rage spilling from his very pores. Dust still thick in the air, he sees a blonde spike of hair.
Bakugo sat in the corner of the room, a smug grin on his face, arms crossed and one leg hung over another. As he glimpsed Midoriya's rage-filled gaze, however, his confidence quickly scattered. Bakugo stood, feet guiding him out the door.
Midoriya: What's wrong, Katuski? Scared of a useless little Deku?
The venom in his voice was obvious as he challenged Bakugo in the one way he could never turn down. Invoking Bakugo's first name had always lit a fire unlike any Midoriya has ever seen. He didn't care this time. He wanted Bakugo to fight him, to finally put the blonde child in his place once and for all.
Bakugo whirled around, his faced smeared with disdain. Hair falling into his eyes, bloodlust filled his mind as his vision went red. Midoriya turned to face him fully, red dripping off of his hand. He activates One For All, shredding his hoodie, and removing his mask. Bakugo's hands popped and crackled as his nitroglycerin glands worked double time to produce the explosions.
Bakugo: Say goodbye, Deku.
Midoriya: Goodbye, Kacchan.
Both steeled their resolve, promising not to hold back. As Bakugo sneered at the once powerless person his life, he finally recognized that Midoriya was no longer a powerless boy. He had become the strongest person in Bakugo's life. At last, Midoriya saw Bakugo for who he really was. Someone afraid to be forgotten. Still, neither was willing to turn back now, This was a fight to decide, once and for all, who was stronger. Midoriya charged, shouting.