Aaron, Alexis, Wes, Ash, Grace, Alec, Kevin, Verity, and Tobias all awaken inside virtual world pods.
Wes: *groans* Woah…
Medics approach each pod and help them all out.
Hunt: Be careful when standing up. While you were in the simulation, your bodies were supplied with nutrients, but your muscles will take a few hours to adjust.
Aaron looks down at his arms.
Aaron: I never thought I’d miss having metal hands.
Kevin: I’m happy I have back all the muscle I lost in the simulation.
Alexis: I’m glad I can wear a shirt for the first time in “weeks.”
Aaron: Aw…
Hunt: We apologize for your attire, I’m sure it wasn’t the most comfortable, but that was part of the simulation’s goal.
Alexis: I understand that. Although, I’m sure you got an earful from some of the other girls.
Hunt: Eve and Sydney were just removed from the simulation, yes.
Aaron and Alexis: Ha.
Alec: Enough with the small talk. Tell me I passed the exam.
Aaron: Yeah, actually, which of us passed?
Hunt: You’ll find that out once the fifth phase has concluded.
Ash: The tournament isn’t over?
Kevin: Are we allowed to watch?
Hunt: Yes to both. The semi-finals will begin in three hours. You’ve all been assigned rooms labeled with your names; the clothes you wore when you entered the stadium are waiting for you, freshly washed and folded. There’s a dining hall if you feel like eating and other commodities.
Aaron: Awesome.
Alexis: I could use a shower.
Ash: Me too…
Grace puts her arm around Ash.
Grace: Chin up, White!
Ash: Please… stay away from me…
Grace: You’re the best!
Hunt smiles.
Hunt: Congratulations to all of you. You have officially completed the Provisional Hero Licensing Exam.
Aaron: Hell yeah, we did!
Wes: I just hope I passed.
Kevin: Probably not.
Wes: I killed Meltman!
Verity: It’s alright, Wes. You can always retake the exam.
Wes: Oh, fuck you guys…
Aaron: Speaking of doing things.
Everyone looks at Tobias.
Aaron: Where the fuck were you that whole time?
Tobias begins walking away.
Aaron: Hey! I’m talking to you!
Alexis: Aaron! He’s not worth your time.
Grace gets in Tobias’ way.
Tobias: Please move.
Grace: Not until you tell us what you were up to during the pirate invasion.
Tobias: I remained in the same spot I was in during my entire time in the simulation.
Aaron: Really? You weren’t planning to screw us over somehow?
Kevin: Or lecture us.
Aaron: Nice.
Kevin: Ha, fuck that guy.
Tobias: I had no interest in participating in the “pirate invasion.”
Alexis: Huh? Why? It was your only way of passing the exam.
Kevin: Yeah, I may not have seen your fight against Hayze myself, but from what I know, you weren’t passing on that performance.
Tobias: I don’t care about passing the exam.
Ash: Wh- why?
Alexis: Then why did you even go to the island in the first place?
Tobias: I won’t answer the first question, but as for the second, to punish myself for my failure in the tournament.
Tobias walks off.
Aaron: Strange guy.
Wes: Verity, do you know that’s about?
Verity: No.
Wes: W- but you know everything going on in someone’s head!
Verity: Tobias is blind. Therefore my quirk doesn’t work on him.
Wes: Oh… huh.
Alec starts walking out of the room.
Alec: Who cares about him? I passed this exam so hard that he wouldn’t have stood a chance even if he had tried!
Wes: All you did was murder Demetri…
Alec: And?
Everyone begins heading for their rooms.
Aaron: I’m glad we get to see the end of the tournament. Who’s up next?
Alexis: If I recall correctly, the next match should be Saige against Blair, followed by Hayze and Silver.
Aaron: Damn, what a lineup.
Kevin: I know Blair has been itching for a shot at Saige for a while now. We’ll see what she does with her chance.
Aaron: Probably not much, I’ve fought many strong opponents, but she was easily the toughest.
Alec, Alexis, and Kevin: Rude.
Wes: I think that was meant to say more about Saige than you guys.
Alexis: Still rude.
Aaron: Her resourcefulness is out of this world; it’s like she can use anything to assist her in a fight. She beat Justus and me. So, out of everyone in the final four, she’s got the best resume.
Ash: I wouldn’t count Blair out, though. She’s really come into her own since the Final Exams, she might not be as strong as Saige, but she’s learned a lot from Hayze. It’s turned her into a formidable fighter.
Aaron: Maybe.
Kevin: Personally, I’m more excited about the other match. Hayze versus Silver? Get me some popcorn.
Alexis: Yeah, talk about the rematch of the century. Their first fight set the stage for everything that happened to both of them last year.
Wes: True, that was kind of the moment where we all realized we were underestimating Hayze.
Aaron: I remember thinking that match was a gimme for Silver. Boy, did that ever end up being wrong.
Ash: This match probably means a lot for both of them. I can’t imagine how they’re feeling about it.
Verity: More than likely a mix of excitement and nervousness. The outcome could say a lot about them.
Aaron: Ha, and the best part about these matches is that the winners fight each other. Man, I wish I was still in this thing.
Kevin: Me too, brother.
Blair, Saige, Hayze, and Silver are all waiting in the hallway for the door to the Spectators’ seats to unlock.
Hayze: (We’re all friends here, but man, this is tense. I have to fight Silver in like half an hour, and then if I win, I’ve gotta fight either Blair or Saige.)
Calm: (Do you have a preference?)
Hayze: (No… I care about them both deeply… I don’t want to have to think about fighting either of them until after I’ve defeated Silver.)
Silver stares at Hayze out of the corner of his eye.
Silver: (I’ve waited for this day for a long time, Hayze. It’s unfortunate that we have to wait until the girls are done. I don’t really care who wins that match, but I’ve also looked forward to fighting Saige at some point.)
“ Silver: Whether it be you, Justus, Hayze, Kevin, or Aaron, I will win. That’s a promise. “ - Chapter 111
Silver: (On the other hand, Blair’s quirk is a direct counter to my own. We’ve engaged in a skirmish before, which I won, but that was the very first day of school. She’s changed a lot since then.)
Saige starts humming to herself.
Blair: (Look at Saige; she doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. Am I that insignificant to her? I know her last two matches seemed challenging on paper, but still. I’m no pushover.)
Blair clenches her fist.
Blair: (Making the final four is huge for me, I feel like I’ve really taken a step forward in this tournament, and I don’t want to stop now; If I win this fight, I’ll get to compete in the finals against one of Hayze or Silver. I’ve obviously admired Hayze for a long time… as a fighter. Facing him would be my greatest challenge yet. On the other hand, I may not have a personal connection with Silver, but that doesn’t mean I’d want to fight him any less. His silver versus my lava would be a matchup in my favor, and he’s a prodigy, a walking embodiment of talent. Beating him would be proof that I’ve reached a new level.)
Saige smiles.
Saige: (I bet Blair is psyching herself up. She’s no weakling, but I’ve had her number since day one, as long as I play my cards right. I shouldn’t have too much difficulty defeating her.)
Saige looks at Hayze.
Saige: (Of course, I’d rather fight Hayze in the final than Silvy. Although… getting to mess with Silvy for a whole match could be a lot of fun.)
The door to the spectators’ seats unlocks.
Blair: (It’s time.)
Saige: (Here we go.)
Silver: (I won’t lose today.)
Hayze: (The semi-finals are here.)
Blair, Saige, Silver, and Hayze step out into the stands.
Hayze: Huh?
Hayze spots the other 35 students from classes 2-A and 2-B in the upper-level seats.
Calm: (It looks like they’re all back.)
Hayze: (Yeah, thank goodness. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about them anymore.)
Blair: (Eve, Karma, Alexis, Ash… they’re okay.)
Saige: (Hm… I wonder what they’ve been up to.)
Class 2-A and 2-B are sitting almost entirely separate from each other. The only exceptions are that Verity and Grace are sitting with 2-A while Jace and Lilith are alone.
Lilith: Unfortunately, I could not convince her to join the Vanguard.
Jace: It’s alright; I watched the match from my room. We clearly underestimated her willpower. So I’ve weakened the influence of my power on her for the time being.
Lilith: So, what’s our next move? Who will be our next target? Master will be looking for new members.
Jace: Unfortunately, I believe Blair has shown us an error in our recruitment method.
Lilith: Hm?
Jace: The only people we’ll be able to convince to join will be people like us, who are weak and pathetic. We'll need to change our strategy if we want to reel in some powerful allies.
Lilith: I see…
Alden is covertly crawling over to Jace and Lilith’s seats.
Lilith: What do you want, peasant?
Alden: Hey uh… how can I get one of those new quirks like you got Lilith?
Lilith: Simple, you must be the Empress’ disciple. Please, act as your ruler’s footrest.
Alden: Yes, ma’am.
Alden crawls under Lilith’s feet.
Lilith: We will need to find new members somewhere…
Hunt walks to the center of the arena.
Hunt: It’s time to begin the semi-finals.
Hunt snaps his fingers, and two staircases materialize leading up to the spectators.
Hunt: We’ll start with the first match; Saige Neidert and Blair Maddox. Please enter the arena.
Saige and Blair walk down separate staircases.
Alexis: And so it begins.
Karma: This match will be significant for Blair; She and Saige have been rivals for a long time.
Justus: She’ll have to be very careful with Saige. She can’t allow herself to revert to old habits.
Ash: What do you mean?
Justus: Blair's temper has improved, but she has a short fuse. Saige knows better than anyone how to upset and infuriate Blair. I’d be surprised if that wasn’t a part of her strategy.
Ash: I see…
Grace: I think T.T. will be fine. She clobbered me after all!
Eve: Why are you here?
Grace: Cause you guys are way more fun than my class. They’re a bunch of sourpusses.
Alexis: Anyway, this will be one hell of a match for Blair.
Eve: (Come on, Blair, you’ve got this.)
Saige and Blair reach the center, and a screen materializes next to Hunt.
Hunt: It is time to see what terrain you will be fighting in.
The screen begins randomizing through locations.
Blair: (Saige and I had a brief battle during the beauty pageant, and I lost, but we couldn’t use our quirks there. So, this will be our first “real” fight.)
The screen stops on a busy highway.
Blair: Wh- what?
Saige: Hm, that seems fun.
Hunt: Good luck to both of you.
Blair: WAIT! I HAVE QUESTIONS!
A blinding light blares. Suddenly, Blair and Saige find themselves sitting in the back of a taxi.
Taxi Driver: So where are you two heading?
Saige: Church! We’re getting married!
Blair: Shut up!
Taxi Driver: Hey, don’t talk to your future wife like that!
Blair: We’re not getting married!
Taxi Driver: What! I don’t take kindly to liars, young ladies!
Blair: She’s the one lying!
Taxi Driver: I don’t care who it is! One of you is lying!
Blair: *frustrated grunt*
Blair looks out the window of the taxi. They’re driving on a bridge that crosses a seemingly endless body of water.
Blair: (What the hell is this?)
Blair hears a gun cock. Saige sticks the barrel of a pistol to the back of Blair’s head.
Saige: Letting your guard down already, Blair? How did you get this far?
Blair: *frustrated grunt*
Saige: Don’t try to cover your head with volcanic rock; I’ve got this little number pressed right against it, no room for you to do anything.
Blair: Then why haven’t you pulled the trigger yet?
Saige: Oh, come on, Blair. You and I both know the bullet will be smothered in lava and disintegrate the second I do, causing me to suffer a significant migraine and giving you the edge.
Blair: *grunts*
Saige: So why haven’t you tried to engulf the tip of my gun yet?
Blair: I-
Saige: Is it because you were hoping I wouldn’t notice that you’ve been dripping lava from the bottom of your feet, burning a hole in the car's floor?
Blair: (Dammit!)
Saige: If I had to guess, you planned on melting the back tire, causing the car to spin out and crash. While I’d sustain serious injuries, you’d cover yourself in a full suit of magma armor. Am I close?
Saige dispels her gun as Blair secretes lava from the back of her head. Saige recreates the weapon in her other hand and fires a single shot into Blair’s lower back.
Blair: AH! What?
Saige: Blair, you’ll have to try harder than that to outsmart me!
Blood drips from Blair’s mouth.
Taxi Driver: Hey, what’s going on back there?
Saige: Sex.
Taxi Driver: Ugh.
The Taxi Driver opens his glove compartment and grabs a bible.
Taxi Driver: Have you girls ever heard of this book? I highly recommend it. Premarital sex is a sin!
Blair spots a revolver in the driver’s glove compartment.
Blair: (Hm…)
Saige leans back in her seat, keeping her gun aimed at Blair.
Saige: Now, we could go through another sequence of you coming up with a plan, and then I end up putting another bullet in your back, or we can skip to the part where you pass out from blood loss.
Blair: Mr. Taxi Driver?
Saige: (Hm?)
Taxi Driver: Yes, flat-chested lesbian?
Blair: Which part of New York are you from?
Taxi Driver: The Bronx.
Blair: Oh, that’s interesting because my friend here is a Red Sox fan.
Taxi Driver: WHAT!
The driver grabs his revolver and aims it at Saige.
Saige: (Shit!)
Taxi Driver: Get the fuck out of my car!
Saige: (She’s turned the driver against me! If I aim at him, she’ll attack, and if I aim at her, he’ll shoot. The worst part is he’s not paying attention to the road, and if we crash...)
Hayze smiles.
Hayze: (Clever, Blair completely turned that situation around on Saige by using her environment.)
Calm: (I wonder what Saige’s next move will be?)
Hayze: (Aren’t you supposed to be my logic? What’s the most logical move for her right now?)
Calm: (There isn’t one.)
Blair places her hand against her door, burning away at the lock. Saige aims her gun at the driver.
Saige: Drop it!
Taxi Driver: Get out of my car, you filthy little bitch!
Saige: Shouldn’t you be driving?!
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Taxi Driver: I can multitask! Besides, I’ve been a Yankees fan for the last year, I’m willing to die for them!
Blair: (This simulation has a lot of details.)
Saige creates a dividing wall between the front and back of the car.
Taxi Driver: Oh, what the fuck!
The driver unloads three bullets into the wall. They embed, creating cracks. Saige grabs her head.
Saige: (Whatever, I need to focus on Blair!)
Saige turns to see Blair opening the car door and jumping out.
Saige: (Huh?)
Blair coats her entire body in magma armor as she tucks and rolls into the oncoming traffic.
Blair: (I’m out!)
Cars swerve as they try to avoid Blair at their high speeds. Blair stands up and watches cars whizz by her.
Blair: (I’ve gotta hitch a ride here.)
Blair spots a box truck.
Blair: (Perfect!)
Blair sheds her armor and runs out in front of the truck. The driver slams on the brakes.
Truck Driver: What the fuck is wrong with you?!
Blair: What part of New York are you from?
Truck Driver: Queens!
Blair: There’s a Yankee fan driving a taxi that said the Mets suck. I’m trying to get him!
Truck Driver: Well, damn! Why didn’t you say so sooner?! Hop in!
Blair hops in the passenger seat, and the truck driver floors it.
Truck Driver: There’s a gun in my glove compartment. Grab it.
Blair opens the compartment and grabs the revolver. It has “YANKEE KILLER” engraved on it.
Blair: (Again with the details…)
Back inside the taxi, Saige is in deep thought.
Saige: (Blair took me by surprise there. I guess I’m not used to having factors like people influencing my fights. I’ll have to adjust accordingly.)
Saige lowers the wall.
Taxi Driver: Oh, you’re in for it now, girly!
Saige: Actually, sir, I’ve decided to become a Yankees fan.
Taxi Driver: Oh… well, alright then.
The driver puts his gun back and returns to driving.
Taxi Driver: So you live here, or are you just visiting?
Saige: Just visiting. I’m not staying for long, though; my ex-girlfriend hates New York-style pizza.
Taxi Driver: WHAT?! THEN WHAT DOES THAT BITCH LIKE? CARDBOARD WITH SAUCE ON IT?
Saige: Chicago Style.
The taxi driver rapidly turns his wheel, drifts to turn around, and starts driving oncoming lanes.
Wes: Did they program this simulation with every New York stereotype there is?
Aaron: Well, nobody’s crashed while listening to the Tony Danza show yet, so, no.
The two drivers spot each other in the distance.
Truck Driver: Get ready to kill that son of a bitch!
Blair: Well, I’m actually going to aim for the floozy in the back seat, but hey, we can hope for collateral damage.
The taxi driver reaches for his radio.
Taxi Driver: I can’t concentrate on killing this whore unless I have the Tony Danza show playing.
Saige: Uh… I think that show has been off-air since 2006.
Taxi Driver: WHAT?
The taxi driver goes into cardiac arrest. The taxi starts to swerve.
Saige: Huh… probably should have predicted that.
Saige bails from the car as the box truck smashes into it.
Aaron: There it is.
Blair and the Truck driver hop out.
Blair: Huh… probably should have predicted that.
The box driver grabs the revolver from Blair and runs up to the crashed Taxi.
Taxi Driver: Help… me…
Truck Driver: Die Yankee Trash!
The truck driver unloads all six shots into the taxi driver, killing him. He walks back over to Blair.
Blair: Y- you really killed that guy just because he liked the Yankees?
Truck Driver: Yeah, it sucks too because he was my brother.
Blair: Huh… sorry?
Blair faces off against Saige.
Saige: Now that we have an open playing field, maybe we can start having a real battle.
Blair: Open may be an exaggeration.
Cars continuously swerve to avoid hitting Saige and Blair.
Blair: But yes, I’m ready.
Saige creates a rifle. She loads a dart with yellow liquid into it.
Hayze: (Blair needs to be careful; out of all of Saige’s psychic darts, the yellow one is easily the most dangerous.)
Calm: (What does it do?)
Hayze: (It tricks their mind into releasing a ton of dopamine and serotonin, making them extremely happy.)
Calm: (I see… almost like a high.)
Hayze: (Exactly, Blair needs to be on top of her mental game if she wants to beat Saige.)
Saige takes aim at Blair.
Blair: (Like I’m letting this happen.)
Blair creates a circle of lava around herself.
Saige: Smart.
Saige dispels her rifle.
Saige: I hooked up a reflector device on the back of the taxi while you were gone. Had you tried to rely on dodging my attack, you would have suffered the same fate Aaron did.
Blair: I’m not letting you use your strongest technique against me. I would have been a fool to have sat through your whole match against Aaron and not been prepared to handle your psychic abilities.
Saige: My mental manipulation powers are just a tiny piece of my ability. Keep in mind my quirk is called Psychic Constructs. They’re the show stopper.
Saige creates two katanas.
Blair: Sorry, but part of the reason I am the fighter I’ve become is that I’ve developed my own fighting style.
Blair raises her lava wall defending her from virtually all angles; she lowers it.
Blair: There’s no way you’re getting past this. Meanwhile, I’m ready to get on the offensive.
Blair’s forearms down to her hands begin oozing lava.
Blair: (The one angle my Ring of Fire can’t defend is directly above me, but that’s where my Volcanic Eruption ultimate attack comes into play. I’m a one-woman volcano, and she can’t hurt me.)
Saige smiles.
Saige: So proud of your defense, huh?
Blair: Hm?
Saige: Who said both of these swords are for you?
Saige chucks one of her swords at an incoming car, shattering the windshield and causing the driver to swerve towards Blair.
Blair: (Oh no!)
Blair is forced to leap out of her circle to avoid being run over. The car slams into the median and blows up.
Truck Driver: Ah dammit, that was my sister’s car.
Blair regains her composure as Saige lunges at her. Blair creates a magma armor gauntlet and blocks the sword slash.
Saige: So much for your defense.
Blair pushes Saige off herself.
Blair: (There goes Saige, doing the same thing she did against Justus and Aaron. She uses her surroundings better than anyone.)
Blair feels a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.
Blair: (Crap… that gunshot from earlier is really doing a number on me.)
Blair looks at Saige; she has her sword poised about 10 yards from Blair.
Blair: (Look at her; she’s keeping her distance and waiting for an opening. If I choose to defend, she’ll stay. If I decide to attack with a lava barrage, she can dodge. She’s so measured; every move she makes is methodic. I could try to reform my volcanic defense, but she’ll just hurl another car at me. My lava attacks pack a lot of punch, but she can dodge them easily if she has time to react. I don’t want to use Requiem now; it’s too risky and could cost me the fight. I know! This highway is narrow, which means that if I use an attack that devastates a particular area, she won’t have any chance of dodging it!)
Blair stands up and begins forming a sphere of lava in her hand.
Blair: Your psychic constructs can’t withstand my lava, so you can’t use them to defend!
Saige: Hm?
Blair: If you can’t block nor dodge, you’re done!
Blair increases the lava sphere’s size and launches the giant ball into the air.
Blair: Take this! Napalm Annihilation!
The sphere bursts into a rainstorm of lava particles.
Blair: You’re going down!
Saige looks up at the impending lava storm.
Saige: (Hm, I was waiting for this.)
Saige runs for the edge of the bridge.
Blair: (Where is she going!)
Saige leaps off.
Blair: (What!)
Saige flips around midair, creates a grappling hook, and fires it into the bridge, saving herself from the fall. Blair’s napalm rains down upon the highway, causing mass hysteria as cars crash and careen off the bridge while Saige is perfectly safe below.
Blair: (Crap! I got too ahead of myself!)
Eve grinds her teeth.
Eve: Does Saige ever go down?! For Christ's sake!
Karma: There’s a part of her that seems almost unbeatable.
Angel: Yeah, come to think of it, how many times have we ever seen her lose?
Wes: If you don’t include teachers or upperclassmen. Just once.
Alexis: During the joint training exercises, Grace crushed her shield, and Tobias smacked her around.
Justus: And it seems that loss has made her even more powerful. She’s an outstanding tactician, one of the best I’ve ever seen. That, combined with her excellent quirk, natural instincts, and ingenuity, makes her a nearly complete fighter.
Ash: She has to have a weakness, though, right?
Justus: The only one we’ve ever seen be properly exploited was her arrogance, but she seems to have reeled that in, and if that’s the case, I don’t know how Blair can win.
Eve: Shut up, Justus! Blair will figure this out!
Justus: Are you sure of that?
Eve: *frustrated grunt*
Blair looks down at the highway.
Blair: She’s gotta be below me, which means I can melt her out!
Blair creates a cannon from magma armor on her arm that charges up a massive lava blast.
Blair: You can run, but you can’t hide! Molten Core Meltdown!
Blair fires the lava shot at the highway, melting a massive hole through it. She leaps on top of the median divider and waits for the smoke to clear.
Blair: That had to have gotten her!
Saige: I sure hope so.
Blair: Huh?
Saige pushes Blair from behind, causing her to fall into the hole she created; Blair grabs hold of the edge just before plummeting into the water.
Blair: *grunts*
Saige: Having fun?
Blair: How did you get behind me?!
Saige: What? Did you expect me to just stay put for you? I swung around and climbed up the other side of the road when your Lavastorm subsided.
Blair: Dammit…
Saige: I will admit, Blair, you’re coming up with some solid strategies and ideas, but you’re forgetting one thing.
Blair: And what’s that?
Saige: I’m your opponent, and I don’t make mistakes often, but when I do, I almost always react quickly and correctly.
Blair: Oh yeah? Well, you’re making a mistake right now by not finishing me off!
Saige: Oh, you think I’m letting you hang there for no reason? Look down.
Blair looks down at the water below her; her molten core meltdown blast is steaming as it hardens into a black rock.
Blair: What’s going on?!
Saige: Your quirk is lava, and you don’t know all the science behind it? It’s forming into obsidian. When lava is cooled extremely fast, it doesn’t have time to create a crystal structure. Thus, obsidian is made. I’m waiting for that big old ball you fired off to harden, so when you drop, you’re done.
Saige sits down on the median.
Saige: It shouldn’t be too much longer.
Blair: (Dammit! I’m trapped! Even my magma armor can’t shield me from a fall like that!)
Blair closes her eyes.
Blair: (What do I do? I’ve tried some of my best moves, and Saige has had an answer for each one! I don’t know how to beat her!)
Saige: You know…
Blair: Huh?
Saige: I could be coerced into helping you, but it’ll cost you.
Blair: Of course...
Saige: Lilith gave you a new hairdo last fight; I want some pictures!
Blair: Are you blind? I already got that cut!
Saige: I’m not talking about that hair!
Blair: UGH! WHY!
Saige: I want to see if you’re naturally a blonde.
Blair: WHAT! MY HAIR IS BLACK! WHY WOULD I DYE IT?!
Saige: Well, I can’t imagine you’d want the stereotypes associated with being blonde hovering over your head. You already have so many imperfections!
Blair: FUCK YOU!
Saige: Your reaction is making me believe you have something to hide.
Blair: UGH! I HATE YOU!
Everyone is dumbfounded.
Wes: You know… they’re kind of like sisters.
Eve: I’ve actually met Blair’s sister, so I can confirm that’s true.
Blair looks down at the obsidian.
Blair: (I can’t believe I’m actually gonna lose to Saige. And right after, she tricked me into having a conversation about pubic hair too. That’s always been the thing that bugs me about Saige most. She’s so sexual and loves putting me in embarrassing situations. It’s like she lives for it…)
Blair’s eyes widen.
Blair: (Wait a second…)
Saige stands up and approaches Blair.
Saige: Well, this was fun, Blair, but it’s about time I ended this.
Blair: (I think I might know how I can beat Saige, but I need to figure out a way out of this fast!)
Saige creates a gun and aims it at Blair.
Saige: Any last words?
Blair: THIS GIRL WANTS TO KNOW WHAT THE BEST RESTAURANT IN TOWN IS!
Saige: Huh… I was expecting an “I love you” or “you’re the best, Saige,” but-
Suddenly people from the crashed cars start streaming out of their vehicles and converge upon Saige.
Saige: Wh- what?
Driver 1: You gotta go to Tony’s!
Driver 2: Eh! Have you ever been to Sal’s?
Driver 3: You’ll love my Mamma Mia’s spaghetti!
The drivers crowd Saige with restaurant suggestions, blocking her from Blair.
Saige: Okay! Okay! I’ll go to them!
Blair reaches up and grabs the ledge with her other hand. She starts lifting herself up.
Blair: (I guess this is where I should appreciate that I have small breasts. If I was lugging two floatation devices up with me, this would be tough.)
Blair climbs up back onto the highway. Saige is still surrounded by the drivers.
Blair: (Good, she’s distracted.)
Blair starts looking around the bridge.
Blair: (Speaking of attacking, I need to change up my offensive strategy. Saige is too bright for my lava attacks, I need something new.)
Blair spots a crashed ice cream truck. She’s dumbfounded.
Blair: (Don’t question it.)
Blair opens the back of the truck and climbs inside. She begins to secrete lava from both of her hands.
Blair: (Thanks for the science lesson, Saige!)
Saige breaks free of the crowd; she searches around for Blair.
Saige: (That was clever of her; I can’t let her build any distance. Where is she?)
Saige frantically looks around until she spots an orange glow from the back of the ice cream truck.
Saige: (What? What could she be doing back there! It doesn’t matter.)
Saige grips her katana and pistol.
Saige: (I’ll just proceed with caution.)
Saige slowly approaches the ice cream truck.
Saige: (The second I see her, I’ll fire.)
The orange glow subsides, and Saige stops and takes aim.
Saige: (Here she comes.)
Blair emerges from the ice cream truck, and Saige fires.
Saige: (Got her!)
The bullet reflects and embeds into Saige’s arm, she drops her gun, and it dispels.
Saige: What?
Blair: Nice try, Saige.
Blair is holding a sword made of pure obsidian.
Saige: Huh!
Blair: But you’ll have to do better than that!
The spectators are shocked.
Grace: Now that’s badass looking!
Alexis: Blair must have used the truck’s cooling equipment to make her lava into a full-blown sword.
Kevin: Wouldn’t lava be too hot to cool that quickly in an ice cream truck?
Karma: Yes, but Blair can control the heat of her lava, so it wasn’t as hot as it would usually be.
Kevin: Oh… right.
Justus: And obsidian has strong reflective properties, allowing her to deflect Saige’s bullet right back at her.
Wes: (Hm…)
Blair hops down from the ice cream truck and points her sword at Saige.
Blair: I think I’ll call this my Searing Soul Sword.
Hayze adjusts himself.
Hayze: (Ugh… thanks, Blair.)
Calm: (Is something wrong?)
Hayze: (Now I have to fight with an erection!)
Calm: (Huh.)
Impulse: (Ha!)
Saige smiles.
Saige: So we’re turning this into a sword fight, huh?
Saige points her sword at Blair.
Saige: You remember how this turned out for you last time, right?
Blair: Hm…
Blair spots an abandoned motorcycle.
Blair: So, let’s make it more interesting.
Blair runs over, hops on the motorcycle, and drives off.
Saige: Hey!
Saige creates a motorcycle using her quirk; she gets on it and drives after Blair.
Saige: (Blair seems more confident; I wonder what her plan could be. She’s not trained in sword combat, so clearly, this isn’t how she believes she’ll win. I’ll have to keep my guard up and try to finish her soon.)
Saige rides up alongside Blair.
Saige: A sword fight on motorcycles, eh? Sounds fun.
Blair: For me.
Blair and Saige’s swords clash as they zoom down the highway.
Blair: (I can beat her!)
Saige: (She can’t beat me!)
Blair and Saige bob and weave their motorcycles past cars while driving at high speeds; they continue to clash their blades.
Gavin: (Man, since when did this tournament become AWESOME!)
Blair looks ahead and sees the road angling downward.
Blair: (Huh?)
Saige: Oh boy, this will be fun!
The highway leads into a bridge tunnel.
Zach: Woah!
Gus: I’ve always wanted to go inside one of those.
Angel: They’re pretty awesome, especially when you can see into the water.
Kevin: Too bad we can’t see anything now.
Blair and Saige zoom through the tunnel, still fighting with their swords.
Saige: Wait, timeout!
Blair: What?
Saige and Blair lower their blades.
Saige: Nobody can hear us down here.
Blair: Yeah! So?
Saige: You said you wanted to talk, right?
Blair: What? I…
“ Hayze: Good luck tomorrow. In case I don’t get a chance to say it.
Hayze leaves.
Saige: *sighs*
Blair: Hey.
Saige: Huh?
Blair: You and I need to talk. “ - Chapter 124
Blair: Not now!
Saige: Well, now is a good time for me. I just want you to know, Blair, I’m not going after Hayze anymore.
Blair: Huh? What? Why? Why the sudden change of heart?
Saige: It’s not sudden… It's been something that’s been building for a long time. The truth is that I love Hayze, but not romantically. More so in the sense that he’s someone I care about deeply to the point where I don’t want to lose him. I told you all that I came to this school to meet him, and that’s because he and I have been through the same trauma. He’s the only person that understands what I’ve been through in my life. The serum strengthened me, but it also brought out all my weaknesses. I couldn’t tell anyone or talk about it, so I suffered in silence for years. When I found out there was someone I could talk to, you bet your ass I was getting on the first flight to Nashville. I helped Hayze gain control of his quirk, and over that time, we developed a connection that I could never have with anyone else because of our past and our secret. He became my favorite person to be around. That’s why I spent almost all my time with him, and I won’t lie, I started to become possessive. I didn’t understand my feelings, though. I didn’t know if I liked Hayze in the way you do. I didn’t think I did, but I felt jealous whenever I tried to give you advice or help you. I couldn’t understand what I was feeling, so I tried to pretend that I was feeling romantic love. When we fought against Daniele, and she caught Hayze off guard by hugging him, I pretended to be jealous and charged in. Only to get my ass handed to me, which was… embarrassing. That’s when I started to realize that I was wrong about my feelings… and it wasn’t until the prison exercise that it became crystal clear.
A flashback begins.
Hayze falls into the lava and is incinerated.
Blair: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Saige starts at the lava with a horrified look on her face.
Saige: (He… he’s gone… he’s actually… gone.)
Saige falls to her knees. Blair is crying her eyes out.
Blair: NOOOOOOOO! WHHHHHHHHY!
Saige looks catatonic.
Saige (Naratting): Our reactions were different; you cried in pure agony over losing someone you love. I was swallowed in anguish as if I had lost something within my soul. That was when I realized I wasn’t in love with Hayze. He’s my best friend, and I didn’t want to lose him.
The flashback ends.
Saige: So, that’s why…
Blair: W- wow… I uh… didn’t expect that.
Saige: What can I say? I’m a possessive little bitch!
Blair: You don’t say…
Saige: And as a possessive bitch, I want a shot at fighting him. So, I’m going to win!
Blair: Like hell you are!
Saige and Blair reach the end of the tunnel.
Saige: Then let’s finish this!
Saige and Blair repeatedly clash swords as they fly out of the tunnel.
Karma: They’re back!
Kevin: About time!
Saige smiles.
Saige: (Blair, you’ve put up a great fight, but it’s time for me to win this.)
Saige pulls slightly ahead of Blair’s motorcycle.
Blair: (What’s she up to?)
Saige stabs her sword into Blair’s wheel, causing her to lose control and spin out.
Blair: Woah!
Everyone is on the edge of their seats.
Eve: Blair!
Blair crashes her bike and is sent flying through the air. She lands chest-first into the median, and she immediately pukes up blood.
Blair: *groans*
Blair lies bent over the median divider as Saige comes to a stop.
Saige: (She must still be conscious, a quick smack to the head should finish her.)
Saige steps off her vehicle and begins walking toward Blair; however, she abruptly stops.
“ Lilith: Are you sure about that? Are you happy being the girl that forgot to have a clean pair of undies before a big exam?
Blair’s face turns red. “ - Chapter 133
Saige: (Blair’s not wearing any underwear… she’s bent over, and her ass is staring me right in the face.)
Saige gets a sinister grin on her face. Then, she starts making the groping motion with her hands.
Saige: (A thin layer of latex is all that separates my hands from her bare godlike gluteus maximus. She’d hate me if I were to… you know?)
Saige reaches to grope Blair’s ass.
Saige: (But you know what they say: to the victor goes the spoils!)
Suddenly, Blair slices her Searing Soul Sword into Saige’s side. Nearly a quarter of the blade digs into Saige’s hip. Everyone is shocked.
Saige: Wh- what?
Saige staggers back as her wound bleeds profusely and blood starts to flow from her mouth.
Blair: I knew you couldn’t resist a chance to embarrass me, so I took advantage.
Saige: Y- you had that planned?
Blair slowly gets to her feet, fighting through the pain of her crash wounds. Finally, she reveals that she used volcanic rock to maintain her grip on her obsidian sword.
Blair: I won’t lie, there were times when I thought you were unbeatable, but then I realized there was one thing about you that I could predict: You’re a fucking pervert. I got on that motorcycle with the hopes of crashing. That’s why I didn’t try to stop you when you jammed my tire. My one goal was to lure you into thinking you’d won and leave myself exposed from behind, literally. My ass was the bait, and you fell for it.
Saige smiles.
Saige: You got me… good job.
Saige passes out, and the arena reverts to normal.
Hunt: The winner is Blair Maddox.
Everyone is stunned into silence.
Zach: Blair just beat Saige…
Eve: YEAH! FUCK YEAH! GO, BLAIR YEAHHHHHH!
Everyone starts clapping for Blair as she falls to the ground. Medics rush out for Saige and her.
Hunt: Be quick with this one; that injury is serious.
Medic: Yessir.
The medics place Blair and Saige on their stretchers and start wheeling them back to the infirmary.
Blair: (I… I won…)
Blair passes out.
Hayze: (She did it… she beat Saige.)
Calm: (Quite impressive if you ask me.)
Impulse: (Ah fuck.)
Wrath: (Eat shit, loser!)
Calm: (You know, her strategy at the end reminded me of someone.)
Hayze: (Who?)
Calm, Impulse, and Wrath all stare at Hayze.
Hayze: (Oh, oh, right.)
Wrath: (God, you are terrible with women.)
Impulse: (Maybe that’s his quirk.)
Hunt turns to the spectators’ stands.
Hunt: It’s time to begin the final match of the semi-finals.
Two staircases materialize.
Hayze: (It’s time.)
Silver and Hayze lock eyes.
Silver: (I’ve waited for this rematch for far too long.)
Hayze: (Silver won’t be easy to beat, but I won’t lose.)
Hayze turns to Calm, Impulse, and Wrath.
Hayze: (We won’t lose.)
Hayze and Silver descend the staircases.
Hayze and Silver: (It’s time to fight.)