Chapter Text
Cam groaned as she stretched in her seat. There was a small lull in the festival's action as the mini-games for the students who didn't make it into the finals continued. While not as exciting as the fights that would come soon after, it was still a nice respite from the nonstop action they had had in the first two hours of the festival.
“Getting restless?” Yagi chuckled as she stretched. Cam laughed in return
“Look, I'm fine sitting at my desk for hours at a time, but at least my chair is more comfortable on my back.”
That drew another laugh from Yagi. He was quick to laugh and smile, which was something Cam admired. Most others in their field of work tended to try to keep their strong, stoic persona, hiding behind a mask of false confidence and bravado. Yagi was a nice exception to the pattern.
They fell back into companionable silence as the events continued. Cam felt her phone buzz shortly after.
Aya: Sooooo…
Aya: The finals are gonna start soon?
Cam: Ok? I am aware.
Aya: So you’re going to talk to her, right?
Cam: Talk to who?
Aya: 🙃
Aya: Kaida, you poor excuse for a fire extinguisher.
Cam: … am I supposed to?
Aya: YES!
Cam locked her phone with a sigh. Ayamei, of course, had a point-not that Cam would ever admit it.
She vaguely heard Mic announcing the start of the last event before the finals and took that as her cue to leave. As she stood, she noticed Yagi rising as well.
"Oh, you need to stretch your legs too?" she asked as they exited the teachers' area together.
"Something like that," Yagi answered with a small shrug. "I’ve got some phone calls to make, so I thought I’d find a quieter spot before the finals."
Cam nodded in acknowledgment. "Fair point. I’ve got a little errand of my own to run, but I should be back before the first fight." She waved as they parted ways.
"I look forward to it," Yagi smiled before quickly adding, "I mean, I look forward to continuing our discussions about the students’ fights."
That feeling again…
"Sure thing. See ya in a bit." She waved over her shoulder as she walked away.
As she descended to the lower floors of the stadium, the crowds grew denser. Spectators wandered the halls, stretching their legs and making last-minute bathroom runs before the final matches. People moved in waves, brushing past one another, their faces alight with joy and anticipation.
Cam walked among them, hands tucked into her jacket pockets, not really looking at anything in particular. The chatter of the crowd blurred into a dull hum. Despite the energy surging through the stadium, a hollowness lingered in her chest-an almost detached emptiness.
A group of students passed by, laughing as they discussed weekend plans for after the festival. For a moment, Cam almost smiled at the simplicity of it. Almost.
"I always wanted to go to the UA Sports Festival."
"Maybe one day we could go together, Pyre."
He should have been here. He would have loved this. She imagined him walking beside her, grinning that stupid little smile of his, reveling in the moment. But all that remained were memories, slipping through her mind like shards of glass.
She exhaled slowly, tucking her hands deeper into her pockets. The festival would go on. The first years, the second years, then the third years, and she would keep moving, just as she always did.
After a few more twists and turns, she finally reached the lower tunnels of the stadium. The roar of the cheering crowds was muffled yet somehow more imposing as it echoed through the dimly lit corridors.
She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to dwell. She had come here for a reason.
Cam quickened her pace, navigating the tunnels until she reached the waiting rooms reserved for the finalists. She hesitated outside one of the doors before knocking twice.
Pushing the door open, Cam stepped inside. Kaida sat on one of the chairs at the table in the room, her back to the door.
“Huh, did it get hotter in here…” Kaida muttered as she turned around, sitting up straighter as she saw Cam in the doorway. “Oh, Cam. Hi. When you said you were coming to the sports festival, I didn’t expect you to come down here.”
Cam rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly unsure how to approach this. Encouragement wasn’t exactly her strong suit.
"Figured I should," she said, shifting her weight. "Big fight coming up. Just wanted to check in."
“Oh yeah, you know I am totally cool. I can do this. I can definitely win this fight. Fighting is something I can definitely do.”
Cam blinked. Kaida was always composed, always focused. Seeing her like this sent a rare pang through Cam’s chest.
Cam let out a slow breath and sat beside her. "Okay," she said, keeping her voice steady. Cam held up a hand, cutting her off. "Stop. Breathe."
Kaida sucked in a shaky breath, exhaling slowly as Cam nodded in approval.
“Ok, look, you’re a clever kid, I’ve seen what that brain of yours is capable of.” Cam poked her finger in the middle of Kaida’s forehead. “Talk me through it.”
Kaida balked at the forehead poke, blinking a few times in confusion. “Talk you through it?”
“Talk me through your plan. How are you going to win this round?”
“...Well, I'm going to fight-”
“No, I asked how you were going to win.”
“...by fighting.”
Cam shook her head again. “The rules say that you win by either getting your opponent out of the ring, going till the other person can no longer continue, or if someone forfeits. Technically, you don’t have to fight them…”
Kaida seemed to grow quiet, hearing Cam’s implications. Cam could swear she could hear the little computer part of the girl's brain going into overdrive.
"Look, I’m not great at this pep talk thing, but you need to listen to me," Cam continued. "You didn’t make it here by luck. You made it here because you’re smart- damn smart. And yeah, maybe you lose. Maybe you won’t. But panicking over it now isn’t going to help. What will help is remembering what got you here in the first place."
Kaida bit her lip, still looking uncertain. Cam sighed and reached out, gripping Kaida’s shoulder firmly.
"I believe in you," she said. "Even if you don’t right now. So go out there and fight the way you know how. Win or lose, you belong in that ring."
Kaida stared at her, breath still uneven but steadier now.”... Ayamei put you up to this, didn’t she?"
“...Anyway. Get’cha head in the game. I’ll be watching."
Uh, just keep your head in the game
Uh, just keep your head in the game
She gave a small wave to Izuku and Rie, who were standing in the tunnel leading out onto the field. Izuku lo,oking embarrassed as, the shorter Rie chewed him out for breaking yet another one of his bones.
“You’re lucky it's just a finger! Not everyone can just rebound from this kind of thing.”
Let’s make sure that we get the rebound.
Cam was gonna regret ever attempting to give her a pep talk. Kaida seethed as she walked through the tunnel leading to the field. She tried to hide her annoyance behind a mask of indifference, but the stupid little earworm of a song kept creeping to the forefront of her mind.
“LET’S CHARGE FULL SPEED AHEAD INTO OUR NEXT MATCH! YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO BE CAUGHT IN HER MATRIX! IT'S KAIDA CASAS FROM THE HERO COURSE!”
Kaida laughed.
“IS THERE A POINT TO THOSE THINGS ON HER HEAD? FROM THE SAME CLASS, IT’S MINA ASHIDO!”
Across the ring, Mina bounced on her heels, rolling her shoulders like she was about to step into a dance battle instead of a fight. A cocky grin stretched across her face, her sharp black eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“I’m gonna kick your butt,” Mina teased, her bright black eyes glinting with excitement.
“You wore the wrong shoes if you’re gonna try and reach it,” Kaida teased back with a smirk. She needed Mina to take this lightly. To underestimate her.
“LET’S GET STARTED! LET THE FIFTH MATCH…BEGIN!”
Kaida quickly clicked her heels, summoning her binary skates, sliding to the side just as a blob of acid landed in the spot she had just been standing in.
“Wow, going for the up front approach, gotta say I respect that,” Kaida shrugged as she skated around the perimeter of the field. She bent her knees, shifting her weight as she danced across the field, her glowing wheels barely making a sound as she twisted through Mina’s acid-slicked paths. Her light constructs didn’t slip, didn’t waver-every motion was calculated, every movement a perfect balance of control and momentum.
“We both know you can’t beat me in a hand-to-hand fight. You’re just more support-based than combat!” Mina responded as she slid across the field with her acid. “During our combat training, you were more of the strategist.”
Coach said to fake right and break left.
Kaida dodged to the side as Mina attempted to tackle her.
"Whoa! Almost gotcha!" Mina laughed, but Kaida was already forming a plan.
Good. Keep her moving. Keep her guessing. Mina was fast, but predictable. Momentum was both her greatest strength and her biggest weakness.
“Oh no, you found my biggest weakness. Cardio.” Kaida said, sidestepping Mina’s next swing and acid splatter.
Unlike Mina’s acid-powered skating, Kaida’s skates looked and acted like real skates. They let her move with pinpoint precision. She didn’t just skate-she danced across the battlefield, weaving between Mina’s attacks with ease.
‘Cause when we get it, then the crowd will go wild
A second chance, gotta grab it and go
Kaida added a little strut to her movements as she skated circles around the field, watching and observing Mina’s movements in their little game of cat and mouse. Mina sped up, pushing herself to catch Kaida’s pace. Acid splattered across the floor as she banked into turns, but Kaida noticed something important. Mina was fast, but her stopping? A complete disaster.
Kaida leaned back on her skates, coasting smoothly across the battlefield, watching. Mina tried to slow down at one point and nearly tipped forward.
“Didn’t you say you skated too?” Kaida smirked.
“I used to do it more often, but I’ve mainly been practicing with my quirk.” Mina huffed.
“Well, one of the first lessons in skating is learning how to stop…” Kaida trailed off with a laugh as Mina once again almost lost her balance.
Mina narrowed her eyes. “You know what? I don’t have to stop if I run you over!”
She charged forward, full speed.
Kaida didn’t move.
Mina grinned, expecting Kaida to dodge at the last second. But Kaida just waited.
Waited.
NOW.
Kaida sidestepped gracefully, skates twisting just enough to let Mina blast past her.
Mina’s expression shifted from victory to pure panic.
“Oh-OH NO-”
She flailed her arms, trying to slow down, but the acid beneath her feet betrayed her. Her attempt at braking turned into a chaotic skid, and she shot right out of bounds.
THUD.
The buzzer blared.
The crowd exploded.
Kaida coasted to a smooth stop, hands on her hips as the Present Mic roared over the stadium speakers.
Mina groaned from where she lay outside the ring. "Ughhhh. I knew that was a trap."
Kaida rolled up to her, leaning down with a grin. “Yeah, but you still fell for it.”
Mina let out an exaggerated sigh before grabbing Kaida’s outstretched hand. “You tricked me.”
Kaida pulled her up with ease. “I outsmarted you.”
Mina pointed at her. “Same thing.”
Kaida snorted. “You do realize you lost because you literally couldn’t stop, right?”
Mina crossed her arms, pouting. “Stopping is hard.”
Kaida patted her shoulder, barely holding back laughter. “Maybe next time, try braking before launching yourself into orbit.”
Mina groaned. “Never gonna live this down, am I?”
Kaida beamed. “Not a chance.”
As the stadium continued to roar with excitement, Kaida let herself bask in the win. She wasn’t the strongest in direct combat, but she didn’t need to be.
She just had to be smarter.
Kaida sank into her seat, her muscles finally relaxing as she let out a slow, measured breath. The stadium was still electric with excitement, the cheers of the audience vibrating through the walls, but she wasn’t in the ring anymore.
She’d won. It felt like it hadn’t fully sunk in yet.
Her hands drummed lightly against her knees as she sat back, scanning the arena below. The next match was about to start, but she could still feel the lingering adrenaline humming under her skin.
She glanced sideways at the other members of Class A in the seating area. Most of them were still buzzing from the match, chatting excitedly amongst themselves. She looked over at Todoroki, who was the only one in the class not actively engaging with the others.
“You know you didn’t have to create the next Ice Age, my guy,” Kaida stated with a shrug.
Todoroki just stared at her with the same emotionless expression he always had before going back to looking at his phone.
“Oooookay, good talk.” Kaida had thought that the two of them would at least be able to have some kind of conversation after the lore drop that happened not even two hours ago. Clearly, there were still walls that needed to come down.
She cast a look over her shoulder and saw Izuku walk back into the student seating section. She raised her hand to wave him over.
“Your fingers doing ok?” She asked as he sat down next to her.
“O-Oh yeah, Hamakawa was able to heal the bones, but they're still pretty bruised and sore.” Izuku winced as he held up his bandaged fingers. Kaida smiled sympathetically as he pulled out his notebook.
The crowd cheered like thunder as the next competitors were announced. The large screens across the stadium lit up again with the pictures of Katsuki and Uraraka.
“You know she’s not going to win, right?”
“That’s not very nice,” Izuku said apprehensively. “C’mon, don’t count her out yet! She made it this far, didn’t she?”
"Exactly. She made it this far, but I don’t see her moving past here." Kaida sighed, arms crossed. She wasn’t trying to be cruel. She liked Uraraka- she was smart, resourceful, and determined. But she was going up against Katsuki.
And Katsuki didn’t lose.
“I heard you offer your notes to her in the prep room when I was walking back here after my fight. She turned you down.”
“W-Well, I’m sure she had her reasons-”
"Yeah, and those reasons were pure stubbornness." Kaida’s expression tightened, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. "Seriously? What kind of hero-in-training refuses valuable intel just because they want to prove something? That’s not strength-that’s foolishness."
Kaida let her gaze drift to Bakugo, already standing in his usual battle-ready stance, eyes locked on Uraraka like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Pros go up against villains all the time. We see it on the news every day. We like to think it’s just the hero out there, but more than likely, they have a support team feeding them intel, strategies, combat tips-everything they need to be fully equipped for a fight. Uraraka didn’t have to follow your plan step by step, but she should’ve at least looked it over. Adapted it. Done something. Instead, she let her pride dictate her chances in a fight she already had the odds stacked against her."
Izuku hesitated. “I-I guess you have a point…”
“Look, this is Suki, we’re talking about. He doesn’t hold back,” Kaida said quietly, glancing at the others. “Not for anyone. Not for teammates, not for friends, definitely not for a televised fight.”
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah… that’s what I’m worried about.”
Kaida was, too.
It wasn’t just that Bakugo was strong. It was that he fought as if winning were the only option. He never hesitated. Never second-guessed. He fought with every ounce of power he had because he refused to do anything less.
Kaida wanted to believe she had a plan. She had to have a plan. Kaida sighed and rubbed her temples. “So while yes, I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs. This is a wrong I cannot stand behind. ”
Kaida stared down at the ring, watching as the match official stepped forward to begin the countdown.
Three.
Two.
One.
Katsuki hated large groups of people.
Especially when the bunch of extras were running their mouths about things they didn't understand.
“You were way too intense, dude!” Sero was saying. His voice was just another annoying buzz in his ear. “I get wanting to win but-”
“But what?” Katsuki snapped, his voice echoing in the slightly enclosed space of the student seating area. His patience was running thinner than usual. He fell into his seat next to Kaida with a huff. His foot was tapping on the ground restlessly.
“You all wanted me to go easy on her?” He glared over his shoulder across the group of the others. “If I had gone easy on her, you all would still be chewing me out for not taking the fight seriously enough.”
“That’s not what we mean, Bakugo,” Mina said, sounding tired, like she was trying to point out something obvious. “It was just- you didn't have to go that hard, you know?”
Katsuki clicked his tongue and looked away from the disappointed states.
What the hell were they expecting? This was the sports festival. The time they all have to go all out and show the world what they're capable of.
It was a school fight, but a fight nonetheless. Pink Cheeks wanted to win, so Katsuki fought like he always did, with everything he had.
If he’d gone all out at the start of the fight, there wouldn't have even been a fight.
It pissed him off that everyone was acting like He hadn't held back cause he was some kind of sadistic dick.
His fingers curled into fists. He could feel his temper simmering under the surface as the extras kept commenting about the fight behind him. He was about to turn around and let loose a few explosions when his gaze flickered to the side.
Kaida was staring at him.
She hadn't said a word since he sat down. She was just sitting there, arms crossed and feet up on the low wall in front of her.
He had expected her to be mad, to yell and scold him like the others. Kaida wasn’t the type to get in his face like Mina or Kirishima, but she had opinions. She was a thinker, always watching, analyzing, picking fights apart in her head. If anyone was going to call him out, he figured it’d be her.
But she was quiet…and seeing her so relaxed felt even more unsettling than if she was yelling.
“You gonna add to the conversation, Shitty Siri?” He snapped a little harsher than he meant to.
She blinked at him, tilting her head. She shrugged.
“I think you did the right thing.”
He stared at her, his jaw unclenching a little.
“I mean, I never doubted you would win. I ran the outcome through a formula I created, and 98% of the time, you came out the winner. But even without that, I still knew you would be the winner. I’ll give it to Uraraka; she lasted a lot longer than I thought she would have. Going all out was probably the most respectful thing you could have done.”
He kept staring at her, his mind trying to process her words.
She wasn’t mad. She got it. She had seen his real intentions.
Kaida turned in her seat to the rest of the class. “He could have gone easy on her, sure, but did you all ever stop to think that maybe Uraraka was actually strong enough to give Suki a challenge?”
The others in the class still looked uncertain, but at least they all had finally shut the fuck up.
That’s exactly what he’d been thinking, what he’d known the moment he saw Pink Cheeks’s stance tighten before the match began. She hadn’t come into that fight expecting pity. She wanted to fight for real.
How could he not respect that?
He made a small, gruff noise, shifting in his seat. "...She fought like hell."
Kaida smirked. "And you acknowledged it. That’s growth. Look at you~"
He scowled immediately. "Tch. Whatever."
Kaida didn’t push. She rarely did. That’s just… Kaida. She just watched him, and he hated how it felt like she was reading him too well. Like she was breaking apart his thoughts the same way she analyzed a battlefield.
The conversation shifted after that, moving on to the arm wrestling match between shitty hair and the tin extra from 1-B, but Katsuki still felt Kaida’s words lingering in his head.
Kaida rolled her shoulders as she walked out onto the field. The crowd was loud, the stadium alight with energy as the second round of the tournament began.
She had already won once. She could and would do it again.
The moment she set foot in the ring, she could feel the shift in the atmosphere. A tangible tension filled the air.
Tokoyami stood at the opposite end of the field, arms crossed, his posture calm and composed, Dark shadow bobbing around him, waving at the crowd, seemingly very at home in the spotlight.
“Kaida,” Tokoyami greeted, voice low and steady as ever. “You fought well in your last match.”
Kaida nodded. “So did you.”
“We’re not going to go easy on you!” Dark Shadow chirped as he locked eyes with Kaida across the field.
Kaida smirked, flexing her fingers at her sides. “Good. I’d be insulted if you did.” She could see Tokoyami’s eyes narrow even from the distance they stood apart. He wasn’t one to be easily baited. He was calm, collected, and smart.
Kaida knew exactly what she was up against. Tokyoyami was an incredible fighter. Both he and Dark Shadow had shown their teamwork and communication in their training classes. The two of them are a blend of offense and defense rolled into one. And with the right conditions, they could overwhelm most of the others in class. A very powerful quirk… but every quirk had a weakness, and Kaida was really good at finding loopholes.
I've got just to do my thing.
Kaida rolled her neck, exhaling through her nose. He expected her to play it safe, to keep her distance, to skate around him as she had with Mina. A small, sharp smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. He was about to be very surprised.
The buzzer blared.
Dark Shadow lurched forward immediately, surging toward her like a tidal wave of black mist, closing the distance in seconds.
Kaida didn’t back away. Instead, she charged forward.
Tokoyami’s eyes widened just slightly-the first crack in his composure.
Kaida’s sneakers pound against the cement. She wasn't retreating this time
Tokoyami wasn’t expecting that. Before he could command Dark Shadow to react, Kaida’s fingers flicked-and in an instant, a small, glowing sphere appeared in her palm.
Tokoyami barely had time to process it before-
I'll show you that it's one and the same Baseball, dancing, same game. It's easy.
She swung.
Her binary baseball bat materialized mid-motion, colliding with the grenade in a perfect, explosive hit.
The grenade soared through the air-and before Tokoyami could dodge, it detonated in a burst of searing white light.
Dark Shadow shrieked, reeling back. “GAAAAH! IT’S TOO BRIGHT!”
Tokoyami gritted his teeth, shielding his eyes.
Hey, batter, batter. Hey batter, batter swing
I've got to just do my thing
“You're talkin' a lot, show me what you got,” Kaida said with a smirk. She swung the bat experimentally, feeling the weight of the solid light in her grip. Good. Stable. She twirled it once before reaching into the air with her other hand, and she created more binary flash grenades.
She launched them in rapid succession, lighting up the battlefield with bursts of brilliance.
Dark Shadow was in agony, its form flickering and retreating under the assault. Tokoyami stumbled back, completely off-balance.
Kaida ran in a wide arc, positioning herself behind him before he could recover.
“Not what you expected, huh?” she called out.
Tokoyami’s shoulders tensed. Kaida could practically hear the gears grinding in his head. He’d walked into this fight thinking he knew exactly how she would play.
Dark Shadow screeched.
The shadowy mass reeled back violently, thrashing, its form flickering and weakening under the light's intensity. Tokoyami staggered slightly, raising an arm against the sudden brightness, his control over Dark Shadow wavering.
Kaida moved.
She raced forward on her glowing skates, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. Before Tokoyami could recover, she swept behind him, hooked her arm around his waist-
-And yanked him backward.
Tokoyami’s balance broke. His footing slipped. And with Dark Shadow still recoiling from the light, he had nothing to catch himself.
He tumbled out of bounds.
The buzzer blared.
For a moment, there was silence.
The crowd erupted.
"SHE DID IT AGAIN! THE AMERICAN GENIUS HAS BRAIN BLASTED HER WAY INTO ANOTHER VICTORY!"
Kaida rolled her eyes at Present Mic’s commentary, but she couldn’t fight back the small, satisfied smile tugging at her lips.
Tokoyami dusted himself off and turned to her with a small nod of respect. "You planned that from the start."
Kaida met his gaze. "I knew I couldn’t fight Dark Shadow directly," she admitted. "So I had to fight you instead."
Tokoyami exhaled, a small smirk playing at the edge of his beak. "A tactician’s victory. Well played."
Kaida extended a hand, and he took it.
As Present Mic officially declared her the winner, she felt something in her chest settle.
She wasn’t the strongest. She wasn’t the fastest.
But she was winning.
And she was proving that her mind was the most dangerous weapon of all.
Kaida moved quickly and with purpose, her heart hammering in her chest as she made her way through the tunnels.
She didn’t have much time between matches.
The closer she got to her destination, the more the air felt electrified. As if the energy from the crowd above was permeating through the solid concrete down to the halls she walked through on her way to where she knew Izuku most likely was after his brutal fight with Todoroki.
She hated that he’d pushed himself so far, but right now.. Right now, she needed something only he could give her.
She quickly backstepped as she rounded the final corner, hearing distant footsteps and muffled voices.
‘This is an Adult you recognize-’
Kaida willed the pop-up notification her quirk created away as she watched the two adults walk. Of course, she knew Recovery Girl; she didn't need her quirk to remind her. She peeked around the corner, watching Recovery Girl and a tall blonde man walking down the hall in the opposite direction, talking quietly.
“I wish I didn’t have to leave so urgently, but there's been an incident in Hosu, and I’ve been requested.” Recovery Girl said as the pair walked. “I wish I didn’t have to leave Hamakawa, but she’s a resilient young lady. I’m sure she can handle the remaining three fights till the relief I called for can switch her out.”
As soon as the pair rounded the far corner, Kaida scruried to catch the door of the infirmary before it closed fully.
A familiar sound made her pause in the doorway.
“Since when do you play Life is Strange?” Kaida asked incredulously.
“Since I found I now have to spend a lot of my free time waiting for people to get their asses beat,” Rie said flatly with a shrug as she set her steam deck down on the bed beside her. “What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for-”
“Yes, I know, don't remind me.” Kaida groaned as she walked into the room fully, closing the door behind her. “I fully intend to go back to the prep room, but there's something important that I need in here. The others already came by here, right?” She asked, looking around the room for her target.
Kaida quickly scanned the room. Izuku was still unconscious, one arm wrapped in bandages and the other in a sling, resting against his chest. His bag sat at the foot of the cot, untouched.
“Yeah, Iida, Uraraka, and Tsu stopped by before Recovery Girl took Midoriya into the surgery room. He’s still gonna be asleep for a bit.” Rie winced and hissed a little. “You don’t want to be here when Recovery Girl gets back. She is gonna rip him a new one when she gets back.
Kaida hums in agreement as she steps to the foot of the bed. “Honestly, kinda deserves it at this point.” She grabbed the backpack and lifted it to sit at the foot of the bed.
“So like… gonna tell me what you’re doing there, friend?” Rie asks with a slightly amused smirk.
Kaida didn’t even glance at her. She was already unzipping the bag, flipping through the pile of notebooks inside.
“I need to get him an iPad or something. His current filing system is atrocious.” Kaida muttered as she flipped through the notebooks, trying to find her target.
“You know stealing-”
“It’s not stealing.”
“Fine. ‘Borrowing without permission’ isn't very heroic.” Rie gave Kaida a cocky grin.
“Ah ha. Ah ha. Shut it, Coat Rack.” Kaida snapped back with a teasing sneer. The two girls snickered, silencing their giggles so as not to wake Izuku.
Kaida took another moment to skim through the bag again. The inside was crammed with notebooks, all of them labeled in his usual messy handwriting.
“Kacchan Observations.”
She pulled it free and opened it immediately. Page after page of detailed observations. Weaknesses, combat style, everything Izuku had ever noted about him. The more she read, the more Kaida’s fingers tightened around the singed edges of the papers.
- Relentless offensive. Prioritizes overwhelming the opponent before they can adjust.
- Insane reflexes. Predicts movement better than almost anyone.
- Explosions double as mobility-do NOT let him take control of the air.
- Thrives in fast-paced fights. Slowing him down is key.
- Weakness…
Kaida’s eyes snapped to the next line… and then she stopped.
The words just ended.
The page was full of strategy, but none of it was about beating him. There were no clear openings, no weak points, no solution. Just a half-written sentence, there was an indent on the page like Izzy had tried-really tried-to think of something.
But hadn’t.
Her grip on the paper tightened. Even Izuku-the person who could break down anyone’s Quirk, who could spot weaknesses before anyone else even thought to look for them- even he didn’t have an answer.
A cold feeling settled in Kaida’s chest.
She had come here looking for some kind of key, some final piece of knowledge that would help her outmaneuver Katsuki the way she had with everyone else. But now, staring at the unfinished thought, she realized-
There might not be an answer.
Suki was strong not just because of his Quirk, not just because of his reflexes or mobility, but because, as a person, he never stopped.
He never hesitated, never second-guessed, never let anyone dictate the fight but him.
Kaida slowly closed the notebook with a sigh.
Rie’s voice broke the silence. “...Did you find what you were looking for?”
Kaida took a breath, swallowed, and finally shook her head. "...No."
Rie tilted her head. "So what now?"
Kaida exhaled, steeling herself. She stood, tucking Izuku’s bag back into place before turning toward the door.
"There’s no perfect strategy for beating him," she admitted quietly. "So I guess I’ll just have to make one up as I go."
She could feel Rie watching her, like she wanted to say something-maybe something encouraging, maybe something sarcastic-but in the end, she just let Kaida walk away.
Kaida forced her hands to stop trembling as she stepped back into the hall, heading for the battlefield. There was no perfect answer. No surefire plan, but she refused just to roll over and accept defeat.
If there wasn’t a strategy for beating Suki, then she’d just make one herself.
Kaida took a steady breath as she stepped onto the battlefield, the roar of the crowd rolling over like a wave. She had imagined this moment hundreds of thousands of times in the simulations she ran with her quirk. Trying to come up with some strategy, some kind of plan. The sound of ‘Simulation Failed’ still echoed in her ears, and the bright red X felt like it was still imprinted in her vision.
Her pulse was fast, her fingers twitching at her sides, not from anxiety or doubt. Not this time.
Across the ring, Kasuki stood like a storm on the horizon. His stance, solid and controlled, sparks already popping in his palms as he rolled his shoulders. His face still had a bandage on his cheek from the fight with Kiri in the round before. Knowing Suki, he probably yelled at Rie when she tried to heal him between the matches, only allowing the deer girl to put a bandage on the injury.
He locked eyes with her from across the field.
It felt like all other noise at the moment fell away, everything outside of the ring becoming secondary.
Katsuki looked like he expected a real fight, and he should. Kaida smirked a little
She knew the mountain of a challenge that she was up against.
Katsuki was powerful. Relentless. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t waver. Holding back was not in his skill set… but that was fine.
Kaida wasn't here to ask for an easy fight.
She had spent this whole month training every single day at The Force, hours spent throwing herself off a literal building, working to make it this far. It felt like running up a hill, where no matter how much progress she made, he was always just out of her reach.
“It's hard to look down at someone who's standing right next to you.” His words from weeks previously echoed in her mind.
She was done playing catch-up. She would be by his side- worthy of being by his side.
Not just as a strategist. Not as a support. As an equal.
Katsuki tilted his head from side to side, cracking his neck. His red eyes locked onto her with that same sharp, unshakable focus she admired so much… and for the first time, it was like he could see her.
A brief flicker of pride curled in her chest, the anxiety from before disappearing for the first time all day.
Kaida rolled her shoulders, letting her binary light flare in her palms to cheekily mimic Katsuki’s own explosions.
She could do this.
She would do this.
“Listen here, brat,” Mitsuki said as she walked into the living room and stood directly in front of the TV.
“Hey! Dad said I could watch TV.” Katsuki whined as he sat up on the couch.
“It's on a commercial, you’re fine.” Mitsuki rolled her eyes. Her expression grew serious as she looked down at Katsuki with her arms crossed. “Listen up, my friend is coming over for lunch, and she is bringing her daughter. “
“So?” Katsuki rolled his eyes as he tried to look around Mitsuki's back to the screen.
Mitsuki reached down to the couch and snatched the remote from next to Katsuki, turning off the TV.
“Heeeey.” Katsuki snapped, crossing his arms with a pout.
“I need you to listen, Katsuki. This is important. This girl isn’t like Izuku, you need to be gentle with her-”
“That's all you got, Suki?” Kaida taunted as she stood back on her feet, wiping the blood that was dripping from a cut on her forehead into her eye.
The entire arena was littered with broken rubble and still smoldering holes from previous explosions. Areas she could easily skate had been cut down to less than 47%. She growled in frustration before dismissing her skates as she leaped to the side, as another explosion rang out right where she had been standing.
I can't hesitate. Suki doesn't hesitate, so neither can I.
A large plume of smoke limited what she could see. She stood poised and ready, looking for any sign of movement in the smoke.
“Whoa, an explosion. How original. You’d think after the past 4 hours you’d come up with something a bit more flashy.” She called out into the gray cloud, and a brief swirl of movement followed.
She steels herself and dives towards the movement, a coil of her binary rope in her hands. Mid-air in her jump, she gags as she feels the back of her jacket being yanked in the opposite direction.
“And you would think after years of me dragging you around, you’d be able to predict this!” Katsuki roars as he throws Kaida towards the boundary line.
Katsuki scowled up at his mother from the hallway floor, where he sat surrounded by the small arsenal of toys he’d just finished lining up in the exact order he wanted.
“No,” he muttered, arms crossed, bottom lip jutting out. “Don’t wanna.”
Mitsuki didn’t flinch. She didn’t even blink. She just planted her hands on her hips and stared him down.
“You’re going to stand up, walk to that front door, and say hello politely when Auntie Emiko and her daughter come in,” she said firmly. “Or I’ll make sure you don’t see a single action figure for the rest of the day.”
Katsuki’s stomach dropped. “That’s not fair!”
“Life’s not fair,” she said, already turning toward the door as the knock rang out. “Now move.”
Katsuki dragged himself up, grumbling under his breath, dragging his feet all the way to the front entrance like it was the end of the world.
He hated this.
He didn’t want to say hi. He didn’t want to play nice. He didn’t want to share his toys with some girl who probably didn’t even know how to play heroes. Still, he took his place stiffly next to his mother as she opened the door.
“Emiko!” Mitsuki greeted warmly. “I’m so glad you made it. And you must be Kaida? Oh my goodness, you are just the cutest thing!”
In Emiko’s arms, resting on her hip, was a girl slightly younger than Katsuki-- small, quiet, and currently staring straight up at the clouds like something important was floating just out of view. Her hair was up in two big puffs a few flower petals from the nearby trees caught in them. She wore a bubblegum pink sweater with hearts all over. In one hand, she had a brown stuffed dog that Katsuki thought he recognized from all the Hello Kitty stuff on TV.
“This is Kaida,” Emiko says gently as she sets her down in the genkan, helping untie Kaida’s shoes. Kaida seemed to be off in her own little world, looking at all the pictures on the walls and humming a tune of her own creation.
“Is she…” Mitsuki trailed off, picking out some of the flower petals in Kaida’s hair.
Emiko laughs. “She’s-
Kaida’s body was flung through the air, tumbling toward the arena’s edge, just meters from the white line painted on the floor.
Bakugo skidded to a halt, heart hammering, smoke billowing off his arms.
This was it. Kaida was seconds away from flying out of bounds- until she didn’t.
She slammed into something invisible mid-air, just inches above the boundary line. And then she stopped.
Bakugo blinked, eyes narrowing as dust settled.
Kaida was hovering, body pressed against something unseen. Then, impossibly, she shifted position. She bent her knees, adjusted her weight, and with a calm defiance, sat against the air itself, legs dangling, one arm slung lazily across an invisible surface like she was just hanging out mid-air.
Bakugo’s breath hitched.
“NOTHING CAN BE FUCKING SIMPLE WITH YOU, CAN IT?” Katsuki roared.
A barrier.
She’d built it without him noticing. Constructed a full perimeter out of solid light while dodging his attacks and barely staying on her feet.
She knew. Fuck it, Kaida always knew. She’d predicted that he’d try to throw her out. Because he didn’t want to hurt her…
Kaida leaned her head back against the wall, sweat sticking to her brow, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. But her voice, when she spoke, was clear.
“You’re not gonna end this that easy, Katsuki.”
Bakugo didn’t move. His hands twitched.
“I know you. You’re holding back. Not with your Quirk-but with me.” Her eyes locked onto his. “You’re trying to protect me. But I don’t want protection.”
She slowly stood up on the wall like it was nothing, balancing on her glowing heels, then took a few light steps forward until she was standing back on the arena floor, arms out, almost inviting him in.
“You asked why nothing can be simple with me?” She asked with a smirk. “It’s cause I’m fucking special.”
“-special,” Emiko finishes delicately, giving Kaida a nudge forward towards Katsuki. “Say hello.”
Kaida blinked. Then turned to Katsuki-well, near him-and smiled dreamily. “Oh. Hi.”
“Hi, I’m Katsuki.”
“Hi, Suki.”
“No, Katsuki.”
“That's what I said?”
This was the kid he was supposed to play with?
She didn’t even seem to be on Earth.
He was about to mutter something rude, but then he glanced down-
And froze.
Her knee was bleeding.
Bright red, dribbling down her shin, streaking the front of her sock.
Kaida didn’t even seem to notice. She hugged her toy closer and bent down to look at the line of toy cars he had made against the wall.
“You’re bleeding,” Katsuki said bluntly.
Kaida looked down like she was just now discovering she had legs at all. “Oh. Huh.”
“You didn’t feel that?”
She shrugged. “I think I tripped on the sidewalk...”
“You think?” Katsuki stared at her. What was she even- "Stay here," he muttered, then turned and ran into the bathroom.
He made a beeline for the bathroom cabinet, yanked it open, and grabbed a band-aid, the good kind, with the little All Might logo on it. He hesitated. Looked down at the heroic print.
Yeah. That was the right one.
When he came back out to the front hallway, his mom and Ms. Emiko had walked away to his mom's studio. Kadia had parked herself in the living room, singing along to the TV.
“We’re going on a trip in our favorite rocket ship. Zooming through the sky…”
“You like this show?” he asked, crouching down next to her.
“Yeah, it's my favorite,” Kaida said simply, still humming along even though the theme song had ended. Katsuki peeled open the band-aid after struggling for a moment, then carefully pressed it against the scrape.
Kaida looked away from the TV, down at him, as he sat back, inspecting the placement. “... You’re nice.”
“No, I’m not.”
She giggles. “Yes, you are.”
Katsuki scowled, looking away, ears bright red.
“Thank you.” She said softly, poking at the band-aid. “I like the colors.”
“You like All Might, too?” Katsuki says hopefully.
“What's an All Might?”
“Sys-System update is rec-reccomended.
Everything hurt.
Everything fucking hurts.
Her arms were shaking. Her legs felt like they were filled with sand.
“Multiple fractures and sprains were detected. Seek out medical aid at earl-ealiest convenience.”
Her vision blurred white static and purple binary code dancing at the corners, every breath she took felt like she was breathing in acid.
“Respiratory system performing at 45%”
But she was still standing. Albeit barely, she was still up.
“System Update is heav-heavily requested.”
Smoke curled from the ground around her, blackened and cracked from Katsuki's relentless attacks. The binary barrier she had made flickered, struggling to remain materialized as she fought to stay conscious.
“Redirct- Redirecting background processor power to-to-to Qurik Array.”
The distant thrum of the crowd, the thousands of voices in the stadium, all hushed to a murmur. Her quirk, lowering her hearing percentage, is an attempt to keep her binary wall up.
She could feel his eyes on her, even from across the arena. Still burning, burning with the drive and desire to win at any cost.
She’d made him fight her with everything he had. Kadia looked up at him through the static and blur of binary code that flickered in and out of her vision. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Failsafe activated: Reboot session has b-b-been scheduled for T-T-T-T-Minus 2 minutes.”
Kaida sat cross-legged in the grass, humming a small tune, her Mocha plush sitting in her lap as she fidgeted with the bows on her ears. She was watching the clouds again. One of them looked like a pretzel… or maybe a question mark.
“Kai?...Kai? Kaida? KAIDA?”
She blinked and looked away from the clouds. “Oh, Suki… when did you get here?”
“..We walked here together?”
“...we did?”
“Yes, anyway.” Katsuki rolled his eyes and looked over at Izuku as the other boy ran up, having just arrived ot the playground with Auntie Inko.
“Hi, Kaichan! Hi Kaachan!” Izuku called out as he came to a stop.
“Izzy,” Kaida looked at him with a sleepy grin.
“We’re playing heroes and villains.” Katsuki barked, not bothering to say hello to their friend who had just arrived. “I’m the hero. Deku’s the sidekick, and Kaida, you're the hostage!”
Kaida tilted her head. “Why am I always the hostage?”
“Because you sit there and do nothing but stare up and the clouds or pick at the grass. Heroes gotta run around and blow stuff up!” He let out a few pops of his quirk in his hand.
Kaida hummed, tapping her chin. “...but I wanna be the hero today.”
Katsuki and Izuku shared a surprised look, thrown off as if Kaida had suddenly spoken a new language. “...really?”
“I wanna be a hero this time.”
“System is attempting to-to-to compensate. It will not succeeeeed indefinitely."
She didn’t win, but for the first time in her life, it didn’t feel like a step back because this fight wasn't about winning.
It was about proving that she was ready to fight and walk alongside Katsuki.
She didn’t win.
But for the first time in her life didn’t feel like a failure.
Because this fight wasn’t just about winning.
It was about proving she belonged.
“Mandatory Rebooooooot: T-T-Minus 1 minute 30 seconds. Rerouting energy-”
She had always looked up at Suki like a mountain she could never quite climb. He was explosive, loud, terrifying, and brilliant in battle. And she was the girl who thought too much. Who hung back. Who calculated.
But not today.
"Damage detected. Your insistence on continuing is noted. It is also unwise."
Today, she stood in the same ring.
She faced him head-on.
And he didn’t hold back.
Not once.
“I wanna be a hero who ties people up, like my Uncle.”
“You’re Uncle’s a hero? That's so cool, Kaichan!” Izuku beamed, eyes wide. “What’s his name?”
“My Uncle.”
“Yeah, what's his name?”
“My Uncle.”
“...okay.” Izuku sighed, knowing the conversation would only go in circles.
Bakugo opened his mouth, clearly ready to argue-he always did when someone tried to take the “hero” role. He never played the villain. Never the hostage. Always the hero.
But then… he hesitated.
Izuku looked between the two of them nervously, wringing the hem of his shirt.
Kaida blinked slowly, waiting, already lifting plushie in her arms in preparation.
Bakugo’s jaw twitched.
But then… something in his chest shifted.
She was standing, for once. Eyes lit up. Ready to play. She never asked to be the hero, and for some reason, he didn’t feel the need to yell this time.
“…Fine,” he grumbled. “There can be two heroes. But I’m still the main one.”
Kaida beamed. “Deal.”
Izuku stared, stunned. “W-Wait, really? You’re… okay with that?”
Bakugo crossed his arms. “Shut up, nerd. We’re still gonna save the hostage.”
Kaida blinked. “Who’s the hostage?”
Both boys turned and slowly looked at the toy in Kaida’s arms.
“...why are you guys staring at me?”
There would be next year… She’d train harder. She’d train just as hard as she had these past weeks, so that she could end next year’s Sports Festival on her own two feet.
But this year?
This year, she had shown him. She had shown herself.
She was enough.
Her knees gave out. She felt herself fall forward. Weightless. Numb.
…but she didn't hit the ground.
Strong arms caught her just before she could hit the ground
The familiar sweet smell of Katsuki’s quirk helped soothe some of the static in her brain.
“I'm going to win next year…” Kaida muttered into his shoulder.
The attack deer met him halfway down the corridor, some other medical staff following behind her like trained dogs.
Katsuki stepped aside as he set Kaida down on the stretcher they had brought.
“You sure went all out,” Rie quipped as she hovered her hands over Kaida’s still form. The familiar green glow of her quirk vines, snaking from her arms down to Kaida, with small purple lavender flowers popping up along their lengths.
“She would have been pissed if I didn’t,” Katsuki muttered.
Rie waved off the other medical staff as they crowded closer. “Her vitals are stable. She’s just burned out, but she’ll be okay after some rest.” She directed the last comment more towards Katsuki than the other adults.
“I didn’t ask.”
“You didn’t have to,” Rie said simply with a small shrug. She took control of the robotic stretcher and pushed it deeper into the corridors towards the nurse's office. “Don’t worry about her, I've got it from here. You still got a sports festival to win, Bakugo.” Her footsteps eventually faded down the maze of halls under the stadium.
Once Antler’s steps were a good distance away, he let out a long sigh, leaning against the cool cement of the wall.
She was gonna be okay.
Burned out, Exhausted, but okay.
She didn’t win, but she had fought like hell.
She took every hit he threw. She had planned and adapted when he had ruined her plans. Most of the time, he had to backstep when she would throw an attack he hadn’t been expecting.
It felt like, for the first time in their lives… he wasn't pulling her forward with him.
They were side by side.
Just like she wanted
Just like she deserved.
His fist tightened.
She hadn't been able to hear the crowd cheering her name as the buzzer sounded at the end of the fight. She didn't see the way all of her class had stood up, yelling and cheering her on throughout the whole round.
But he had. He saw it. He saw her.
And when she woke up, he was gonna tell her all about it.
Two heroes was the rule now, and he’d never play the game without her again.