Hive Five 2 is sweating profusely.
Hive Five 2:
I- uh… I don’t… uh…
Kevin:
Answer the question.
Hive Five 2 starts panicking.
Hive Five 2:
*whispering* If the tree falls, it has to make a sound… but if no one is around to hear it, how can we know? Oh shit, oh fuck!
Eve has a dumbfounded look on her face.
Eve:
(I can’t believe this is actually going to work…)
Kevin:
Take that, you fiend!
Ash gets out of the square of stuffed animals.
Ash:
Huh, it looks like Mr. Hive Five is panicking…
Alden:
Ash… help me.
Ash looks to her side to see Alden, covered in horse semen, swimming through the pool of pee toward her.
Alden:
Please…
Ash ignores Alden and walks away.
Alden:
NOOOO!
Up top, the timer runs out.
Kevin:
Last chance! Answer now!
Hive Five 2:
I- I- I- I- I don’t know!
A buzzer sounds, Hive Five 2 starts falling.
Hive Five 2:
Damn you, physics!
A loud buzzer goes off, the pit disappears, and the facility returns to normal with everyone on the same level. Alden, Demetri, and Wes breathe sighs of relief.
Wes:
Oh, thank god it’s over!
Alden:
I think I’m gonna-
Alden pukes.
Wes:
Ugh, gross, it was just a hologram!
Alden:
Says the guy who didn’t swim in horse semen and pee!
Demetri:
Oh god, why did you puke… you’re gonna make me-
Demetri pukes.
Demetri:
*groans* The smell of that shit… so awful… it felt so… real…
Alden:
I know, right…
Wes:
Hey, Isaiah, are you-
Isaiah looks like a dried-out skeleton.
Wes:
Holy shit! What the fuck happened to you!
Isaiah:
So… hot…
Recovery Girl and Adrian walk out into the facility.
Adrian:
I’ll call the janitors…
Recovery Girl:
Those kids took quite a beating, physically and emotionally…
Alden is shaking.
Alden:
The consistency… oh god, the consistency…
Eve turns to Kevin.
Eve:
*sighs* Although it was idiotic, good work with that question.
Kevin:
Thanks, but he kind of set himself up for that. His last question gave me the idea.
Eve:
Still, it won us the exercise, so thank you.
Kevin:
No problem.
Recovery Girl heals everyone. The students face Adrian, Hive Five, and Recovery Girl.
Adrian:
Well… although it wasn’t pretty… It was successful. For some of you, this exercise will be one to forget… but for others… maybe you’ll want to remember some of it; that’s up to you. You all pass this with an A.
The students are happy.
Adrian:
That concludes today’s exercises; everyone, enjoy the rest of your days. We’ll see you tomorrow.
Hive Five:
Thanks for the fun challenge, you guys. Let’s do this again sometime.
Everyone:
No.
Hive Five:
Oh well… alright then…
The students of 1-A depart. After which, Adrian and Recovery Girl walk toward the exit to the facility.
Recovery Girl:
It's quite impressive that none of the teams failed their respective exercises.
Adrian:
Yes, it’s very encouraging, and I can see they’re “all” very talented. A few stars in the making are among them… it kind of reminds me of my class.
Recovery Girl:
I can tell you’re looking forward to working with some of them.
Adrian:
Yeah… I am.
Recovery Girl:
Well, It’s good to see you’re back where you belong, Adrian; I always thought you’d make a good teacher.
Adrian:
Thank you, I’m glad to be back.
Recovery Girl:
Gosh, it feels like yesterday when your class was the pride of this school… I’m glad so many of you stuck around.
Adrian:
Speaking of which…
Recovery Girl:
Hm?
Adrian:
Rachel… I haven’t seen her yet, do you know where she is?
Recovery Girl:
Last I heard, she took a leave of absence after the students started their internships. I’m not sure why she left or when she’ll return.
Adrian looks disappointed.
Adrian:
I see… Thank you.
Adrian and Recovery Girl exit the facility.
Walker:
Hello, Recovery Girl.
Walker is standing at the bottom of the steps to the facility, waiting.
Adrian:
(Oh boy…)
Recovery Girl:
Hello, Walker.
Walker:
Do you mind if I speak to Adrian in private? I need to hear how my students performed.
Recovery Girl:
No problem. I’ll be heading back to my office, have a nice day, you two.
Adrian:
See you later, Recovery Girl.
Recovery Girl leaves.
Adrian:
I know you could just watch the footage, so why do you really want to talk to me?
Walker:
Why are you here?
Adrian:
Hm? Because I work here now.
Walker:
Don’t play dumb with me. I’ve seen you once in the last 7 years, and that was Ivan’s funeral.
Adrian gets tense.
Walker:
One second, you’re excited about graduating. Then the next, you’re gone without leaving the slightest hint as to why.
Adrian stares at Walker with a stern look on his face.
Walker:
On top of that, you dared to blindside Rachel with your impromptu decision, and what did you say to explain yourself? “I can’t tell you, Rachel!”
Adrian:
She told you?
Walker:
Of course she did. Who do you think she went to after that happened?
Silence.
Adrian:
I- I’m sorry.
Walker:
Don’t apologize to me.
Adrian:
What? Then why-
Walker:
I’m not mad at you for leaving. We were good friends, but you didn’t owe me anything. We never promised to stay in touch. We were rivals, and rivalries come and go, but Rachel, you promised her so much, and you didn’t keep any of it.
Silence.
Adrian:
Don’t think for one second that I’m happy about the way everything went down… I made a call… one that I knew would hurt a lot of people close to me, but it was a call that needed to be made.
Walker stares at Adrian with a blank expression.
Adrian:
What? Is that not good enough for you?
Walker:
After all these years, you’re still ambiguous with your reasoning. I’m not going to take anything you say seriously until you tell me what “call” you were making exactly.
Adrian:
I… I still can’t say.
Walker:
So be it.
Walker walks past Adrian to enter the facility.
Adrian:
Where are you going?
Walker:
Follow me… if you dare.
Walker continues walking toward the facility entrance. Adrian hesitates but then starts following after him.
Adrian:
(Damien… I don’t know what you have planned, but I’m not sure I’m going to like it.)
The two enter the facility. Walker stops at the center, removes a capsule from his belt, and throws it to Adrian.
Adrian:
What is this?
Walker lifts up his sleeve to reveal a PDA strapped to his forearm, he starts clicking on it.
Walker:
That’s an updated version of your old costume from when we were classmates.
Adrian:
What?
Walker:
Just click the capsule, and it will deploy the suit right onto you. It’s specially made by one of the brightest engineers.
Adrian:
Damien!
Walker stops clicking on the PDA and looks up at Adrian.
Walker:
Yes?
Adrian:
What the hell are you doing?
Walker:
What do you think?
Walker clicks on his PDA, the holographic projectors blare up, and giant clocktower forms. Adrian and Walker stand on top of the clocktower, clouds casting shadowy darkness over them. Adrian looks down to see nothing but fog beneath them. The wind blows with a slight chill. The clock reads 4:52.
Adrian:
Damien…
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Walker:
We’ve only ever fought twice… You won the first time, and I won the second.
Adrian:
Don’t tell me…
Walker:
We’re going to fight now. If you lose, you tell me what the hell happened to the real Adrian.
Adrian:
Wait… what?
Walker:
The Adrian I knew for three years disappeared and was replaced by you… a liar.
Adrian:
You’re not serious… are you?
Walker:
Deadly.
Adrian:
I’m me.
Walker:
Are you?
Adrian:
Yes, I am!
Walker:
Then why are you so content with how you treated Rachel?
Adrian:
I’m not!
Walker:
You don’t seem that remorseful to me.
Adrian clenches his fist.
Adrian:
Why the hell do you need to fight me!
Walker:
Because… if you are the same Adrian I knew, you better fight just like him.
Adrian:
Look, if this is about Rachel, I-
Walker:
This has nothing to do with Rachel.
Adrian is confused.
Adrian:
Then what is this about?
Walker:
You.
Walker opens a portal beneath Adrian, he falls through it. Then, Walker opens another portal off the tower's edge. Adrian comes out and begins falling toward the fog below.
Adrian:
What the hell, Damien!
Adrian looks down the fog beneath him as his velocity kicks up.
Adrian:
That’s it if it’s a fight you want!
Adrian clicks the capsule, his hero suit deploys onto his body.
Adrian:
Then it’s a fight you’ll get!
Adrian shoots a grappling hook from his wrist that connects with the clock’s minute hand. Then, he rappels up and onto it.
Adrian:
(It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a decent fight…)
Walker jumps down onto the hour hand.
Adrian:
(And it’s not good that’s against him.)
Adrian reaches for his knife.
Adrian:
(No… he’ll just use his portals to block…)
Walker notices Adrian’s hand.
Walker:
(At least he’s not making rookie mistakes.)
Adrian charges at Walker.
Walker:
(Or maybe not…)
Walker starts to lift his right arm.
Adrian:
(Now!)
Adrian leaps over Walker and drops four smoke bombs on him. The bombs deploy a thick smokescreen around Walker.
Walker:
*coughing* Good move.
Adrian:
Thanks, but save your compliments for when I win.
Adrian runs down the hour hand towards Walker.
Adrian:
(You can’t block what you can’t see!)
Walker:
(I can’t let him touch me.)
Walker leaps off the clock tower. Adrian runs through the smokescreen to the end of the minute hand.
Adrian:
(Huh? Where did he go?)
The smoke clears, Adrian looks down at Walker falling into the abyss.
Adrian:
(He knows my game just as well as I know his!)
Walker opens a portal beneath himself; he falls into it at a high velocity. As the portal closes, Adrian gets a look of realization on his face.
Adrian:
(Shit!)
Adrian turns around and leaps through the clock’s glass exterior and into the inner workings of the tower itself. A portal opens where he was standing. Walker comes zooming out of the portal and into the inner clocktower.
Walker:
(He thought fast, good.)
Walker grabs onto a beam and uses his momentum to swing himself into standing on top of it. He looks down at Adrian, who is on the tower floor.
Walker:
Good prediction.
Adrian:
Your moves are relatively predictable when you’ve seen them enough times.
Walker crouches down.
Walker:
Predictable, eh? Then let me try something new.
Walker leaps off the beam and winds back his left arm for a punch. Adrian reaches for a knife.
Adrian:
(He’s left himself wide open, I can’t give up an opportunity like this!)
Adrian draws the knife. Walker lifts his right arm.
Adrian:
(Because of his momentum, if he opens up a portal to absorb the knife, he’ll fall into it, meaning the blade will still stab him. No matter what he does, my attack will connect… big mistake, Damien.)
Just as Adrian throws his knife, Walker opens a portal beneath him, he falls into it.
Adrian:
What?
Walker:
I said I would try something new, didn’t I?
Walker catches Adrian’s knife and lands safely on the floor.
Walker:
Now, with every mistake… comes consequences.
Walker throws the knife and uses his left hand to open a portal in its path. Adrian pops out of it.
Adrian:
(Shit!)
The knife stabs into Adrian’s right arm.
Adrian:
AHHH!
Walker:
Look out!
Adrian:
Huh?
Walker kicks Adrian in the chest, using him as a springboard for a backflip. Adrian smacks against the ground.
Adrian:
*groans* You dick… Good move.
Walker:
Yeah, because I’m not the 19 year old you think you’re fighting.
Adrian:
W- what? What does that mean?
Walker:
I’ve been a pro hero for a long time now, Adrian. My fighting style has morphed and adapted. I can’t say the same for yours.
Adrian starts to get up.
Adrian:
What’s that supposed to mean?
Walker:
The way this fight has gone so far, it’s nothing out of the ordinary for you. It’s almost like you haven’t been fighting all these years.
Adrian scoffs.
Walker:
Hm? Am I wrong?
Adrian:
You said this was about me before we started… Was this what you meant?
Walker:
To an extent.
Adrian:
What?
Walker:
You haven’t grown. You’re rusty.
Adrian:
Yeah, I know that…
Walker:
You still think you can beat me?
Adrian:
I have before… just because you have a few new tricks doesn’t change a thing.
Adrian gets to his feet.
Walker:
Well, you’ve answered one of my questions at the very least.
Adrian:
Hm?
Walker:
You’re definitely the same Adrian, but I still haven’t determined what happened to you. So, I’ll have to defeat you to find out.
Adrian:
Hey! I never agreed to that!
Walker:
If you win, I’ll put in a good word for you with Rachel.
Adrian stares at Walker.
Adrian:
I’ll think about it.
Walker rolls his eyes.
Walker:
(Definitely the same, Adrian. I just don’t understand where he could have been all these years. The rust is noticeable, but his spirit is the same… so what happened?)
Adrian runs at Walker.
Adrian:
I’ll show you that I’m still the same fighter I always was!)
Walker examines Adrian’s movements.
Walker:
(His goal is to copy my quirk, I can’t let him do that.)
Walker sweeps Adrian off his feet with a swift kick.
Adrian:
(Just because he has new tricks… doesn’t mean he won’t resort to the old ones when he needs to.)
Walker lifts his right arm to open a portal beneath the falling Adrian. Adrian rips the knife out of his arm and throws it at Walker. Walker’s eyes widen with surprise.
Walker:
(Oh no!)
Walker is forced to dodge the knife, distracting him. Adrian uses the grappling hook device on his wrist to shoot a hook into the ground and propel himself into Walker. He taps Walker’s chest with his hand.
Walker:
(He got me!)
Adrian:
(Jackpot!)
Both open a portal beneath themselves and fall into it. Two portals open up on top of the clock tower, both Adrian and Walker step out.
Adrian:
So how about that for not growing?
Walker:
You got me there, but don’t think that means you’re better than you were before.
Adrian drops his gadgets and weapons.
Walker:
Hm?
Adrian:
Now that we’re past the preliminary stage, let’s get serious.
Walker smiles.
Walker:
Alright, I can get behind that.
Adrian and Walker run at each other.
Adrian:
(Anything he can do, I could do too.)
Walker:
(If I open a portal, he’s sure to as well.)
Adrian and Walker:
(Which means the best move is…)
Adrian and Walker punch each other in the face.
Adrian and Walker:
(To take it on the chin!)
Both back off as a small amount of blood comes from their mouths.
Adrian:
So you said rivalries come and go, but judging by your expression, I think you missed this more than you let on.
Walker:
Just shut up and fight.
The two enter into a fistfight; as the fight rages on, Walker opens a portal beneath them.
Walker:
Let’s make this more fun.
They reappear over the edge of the tower. The two start falling but continue their fistfight.
Adrian:
Nice-
Walker punches Adrian in the mouth.
Walker:
Now isn’t the time for compliments, only combat.
The two continue exchanging blows, Adrian eventually opens a portal in the path of their fall. Teleporting them back to the top and repeating the cycle.
Walker:
So this is how we’re going to do it?
Adrian:
The last man falling wins!
The fight rages on as they continuously keep falling and teleporting to the top over and over.
Adrian:
Just *gets punched* Like *gets punched* Old *gets punched* Times.
Walker:
Fuck *gets punched* You.
Recovery Girl walks into her office and grabs a first aid kit.
Recovery Girl:
I’m sure they’ll do a number on each other, but it’s healthy for them to knock the snot out of each other… It has been 7 years.
A portal opens on the roof of the clock tower. Adrian and Walker fall out of it, bruised and beaten with blood all over them. They both get to their feet on their wobbling legs, breathing heavily.
Adrian:
You… are… one… tough… customer…
Walker:
Fuck… you…
Both fall to their knees.
Adrian:
Is there really a need for us to finish this?
Walker:
What happened to you?
Adrian:
I can’t say.
Walker:
Then yes, we need to finish this.
Walker stands back up.
Adrian:
Damien, it was something I had to do. I’m sorry-
Walker:
Like I said, don’t apologize to me.
Adrian:
I want to apologize to Rachel… believe me.
Walker:
An apology won’t cut it… you need to return to the way you used to be.
Adrian:
What are you talking about? I’m the same guy I always was.
Walker:
She misses you… but not the version of you that broke her heart on that rooftop, the one she came to know over three years here at U.A. It's not about the fact that you left; it’s the way you did it. You were her rock, someone who cared about her and put her before everyone else, she won’t admit it, but she needs that. She had an incident… in the forest.
Adrian:
I know… I heard…
Walker:
She never had those when you were around, she doesn’t like being alone, and I’m not compassionate enough to be who she needs me to be. I’m angry at you for being selfish enough to abandon her, and when you said those words…
“
Adrian:
I made a call… one that I knew would hurt a lot of people close to me, but it was a call that needed to be made. “
Walker:
That’s when I knew I had to fight you because the Adrian I knew wouldn’t have been so casual about hurting Rachel… I’ve come to know her well since you left. You were a good friend to her. So I need to find out why you changed so that she can finally have some damn closure as to why her best friend abandoned her. So that’s why this fight needs to end… with you telling me why you left the way you did.
Adrian is silent for a few moments.
Adrian:
I can’t tell you, not because I don’t want to, but because I literally can’t.
Walker looks into Adrian’s eyes.
Walker:
Is that your final answer?
Adrian:
Damien, I never changed, but an opportunity came up to live the dream that Rachel and I always wanted: to be a hero. Not an orthodox one, but one that was serving the greatest of purposes. I promised her many things, but the most important one we made to each other was to achieve our dreams under any circumstance, and I did that. I came back here for several reasons, but the most important one was to fix my relationship with her. I plan to be there for her again. I want all of my friendships back, every single one that I sacrificed… and I’m fighting to make sure it happens. I’m sorry… And I know you said you don’t want my apology, but I can’t tell you why I left. *sighs* But please understand, I never once stopped caring about her.
Walker and Adrian stare at each other in silence.
Walker:
I believe you.
Adrian’s eyes widen with joy. He breathes a sigh of relief.
Adrian:
Oh, thank god!
Walker walks over to Adrian.
Walker:
It still pisses me off that you refuse to tell me why, but I believe your heart was in the right place, and that’s good enough for me.
Adrian:
Thank you, man… I really appreciate that.
Walker gives his hand to Adrian, Adrian reaches for it.
Adrian:
I’m glad we could-
Walker pulls back his hand and punts Adrian like a football.
Walker:
But I won’t accept a tie!
Adrian:
AHHH! YOU DICK!
Adrian slams into the ground knocked out cold. A loud buzzer goes off, the clocktower disappears as the facility returns to normal.
Walker:
It’s good to have you back… buddy.
Recovery Girl enters.
Recovery Girl:
I haven’t seen that side of you in a while, Walker.
Walker:
That’s because I don’t get good fights very often.
Recovery Girl tends to Adrian.
Recovery Girl:
Did you at least hash everything out?
Walker:
For the most part.
Recovery Girl:
Well, that’s good.
Walker looks at his PDA to see the picture of himself, Adrian, Fatal, and Iota.
Walker:
Yes, it is…
