Book Zero: Stańczyk

by Rakkakka

Summary:

With the death of All Might and defeat of All For One at Kamino, Japanese and Hero society is on the edge as the rise of villains becomes inevitable without the aid of the symbol of peace. Meanwhile, UA's second term has started, the mood dowry after many of its students have been pulled out of the school and many others traumatized by the first semesters events. Having borne witness to All Mights final stand, the once jovial yet slightly cowardly Mineta has made a promise to never be scared again and become a true hero. This will be easier said than done, however. His status as the weakest in 1-A, horrid past behavior, and general oddness getting him rejected from any potential work study. Until the Hero Public Safety Commission gives him a call.

Chapter 1: Shards of the past

Summary:

How Mineta came to be within the confines of the confines of the hero commission, his origin detailed from rock bottom to rise to UA.

One Year Before UA'S First Year

Mineta closed his locker and held his backpack gingerly to his chest. Around him as he walked about the school, the faces of his fellow classmates were clear. Two weeks had gone by in junior high, yet it was as if it'd just happened in the last two minutes.

The disgusted faces of girls, the likewise or odd expressions of boys. But he deserved this. Peeping in on a girl's dressing room sort of garners a bad reputation. He sat in his class, seeing the hopeless look of his father on the paper he wrote on.

Dad had grabbed him by the ear, 'Why'd you do that!? Why Mineta!? WHY!? How could you do that!? don't you have a mother!? what sort of son am I raising here!?'

All the excuses in the world: Curiosity, a mistake, none of it mattered really. The lies only stood to hide the truth from himself. He just wanted to see girls. He'd seen how it worked in anime, manga, and other stuff so why wouldn't it be like that? apparently not given he'd been dragged through the school to the principal's office, then dragged from there to his house into five fingers across the face by dad who missed work just for all of the population to see him taking his pervert son home so he could be suspended for two weeks.

"Ew it's him..." somebody said as he passed them in the school's halls the first day he was back, clearly not caring if they were heard. He sank a little.

"Looks weird and he's a freak," Mineta sank more.

"Guy like him is going to end up getting caught out for jacking it in a theatre, they'll call him the pee wee villain! ha!" he sank until his head was lower than his shoulders. Desperately, he tried to hide the cries.

All of this, because he couldn't control himself. It was like a strange buzz, and he'd been confused on it, didn't know how to handle the feelings he was suddenly experiencing. He couldn't ask dad, and mom wasn't with him, so who could he talk to? the internet and media proved false as he'd found out. So, what then?

In his room when he was home later, he walked to his computer and turned it on. A can of soda was on desk, and he was eating a red bean pancake. Dad wouldn't be home until six in the evening, leaving him two hours.

He signed on, already knowing exactly where he'd go. The certain website remained bookmarked on his browser and his mouses icon was hovering over it. 'Pervert...' reverbed through his head. Biting his lip, he brought his hand away and shook his head. Then five minutes later he went back to the tab and clicked on the cursed bookmark. He held his head in his hands and wept when he was done.

Balling his hand into a fist, he was angry, so angry. He wanted to hurt something, but there was nobody around.

So he hurt himself.

It was a quick action, a strike directly in the middle of his face. He didn't hit himself often, only when he was very down. 'When had it started?' he thought as he rubbed his face. After mom.

The next day, he was throwing hooks inside a corner of the gym of the school at an old heavy bag with a slight tear at the top. He'd discovered a new anime and sport through his time at home, something to do with a Dempsey Roll.

Weave left, weave right, fall step, fall step. He stopped and thought for a second, his fists clenched up to his chin. "Fall step..." reaching up, one of his grapes came off with a pop.

"Pop step..." he smirked. At least something was going right today. Cool name for his quirk.

"Thousand...one...thousand...two..." the bag jingled and the thuds of his fists hitting it sounded through the gym. At the third, he finally sank to the floor on his knees. Holding the bag for support, tears joined his sweat. For those few minutes he'd hit the bag, he'd allowed himself to not think about it all, and now it came flooding back. A piece of shit pervert like him becoming a pro hero? nope.

At least no one was here to watch him.

"Meh, you got nice power for a little guy but everything else needs work."

Walking beside him, a boy with a strange lightning bolt pattern in his blonde hair held his hands in his pockets. He was lanky and tall and wearing a track suit. Denki Kaminari, he knew the guy was a part of the track team, but not much else.

"U-Um...sorry, I'll go..." Mineta said looking away. He stood, his legs like jello. Trying to walk made him fall forward, but Denki was quick to catch him.

"Oof, bro how long have you been punching that thing?" Denki stood him up, seeing the boy's arms and hands shaking.

"A-A while...sorry..."

"What're you apologizing for dude?"

"...I dunno..."

"So, don't apologize. Come on, you should sit," he walked him over to the bleachers and they sat together.

"Who're ya?" he said kicking back. He was sweating, track practice had probably just ended.

"...Mineta Minoru," he said hunched with his hands clamped on the bleachers.

"Denki Kaminari, what's eating you?"

Mineta looked at him strangely. Denki was looking at him and was not smiling. So, with great hesitation he spoke, "A lot of stuff."

"Top of the list?"

More hesitation. They'd just met after all. But, looking at this guy, Mineta felt a sense of trust forming between them. Some kind of strange comradery. So, he answered truthfully, "...I wanna become a hero. Like, a person who saves people, y'know?"

Denki nodded and smiled excitedly as he lurched forward in excitement, "Cool! same for me little buddy!"

Mineta drew back, shaking his head, "But...but I know it won't work out."

"Why not?" Denki tilted his head.

Mineta's fingers dug into the metal of the seat as he answered, "L-Look at me man!" he said pointing to himself, "I-I'm...s-small and I look like a first year. But that's not all, I was caught peeping in a dressing room..."

"That was you?"

"Yes..." he expected disgust, at least some form anyway. But, instead of that Denki shrugged, "welp, sounds like you're having a bad day."

"It's my fault...I guess."

"Yep. But, hey, you dragged yourself here though. It shows some attempt at doing better."

"Yeah..." he felt the tears welling in his eyes as he spoke, "I-I m-made...a promise," his voice cracked, "to become one...b-but now I'm...not sure I'll be able to keep it. I feel like all I am is a stupid little pervert loser with no future..."

Denki seemed almost surprised by the sudden dam bursting. He leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on him, "Aw come on, don't cry Mineta. It's okay. You're weak," he brushed his grapes, "so what?"

"H-Huh?..."

"There's nothing wrong with being weak, it's staying weak. Staying weak is true weakness. But I just saw you trying to get stronger. Think about it this way: you're stronger than you were yesterday, and you'll be stronger tomorrow as long as you do the same. You feel bad about looking in on those girls, right?"

He sniffed and wiped his nose, "Y-Yes..."

Denki rubbed his head thoughtfully, "Look, we're both itching to become pro's, right?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Why don't you and I start working together. I'll teach you how to fight, get in shape for hero school."

Mineta brightened up for the first time in what felt like an eternity, "R-Really? really?!" he'd never had many friends and by many that meant none. "O-Okay!"

"Awesome, now..." Denki stood up and motioned for Mineta to do the same, "you ready to begin? cause we need to get all that weird pervert stuff out, and training is the way to do it."

"Y-Yeah! l-lets do it Kaminari-San!"

"Ah, call me Denki. Now then, start running!"

"Wait, what about a timer?"

"I am the timer, now start pushing yourself," he said slapping him on the back as they stood in the track. Doing as the boy said, Mineta started running, the warm feeling of being without guilt for at least a little while as he started sprinting.

Denki brought him to the track and watched the boy run around and around. He was exhausted by the second, and he stretched as two other track mates strode on by on the walkway. He looked over and saw them, "Ayo!" he called, "Eijiro! Hanta!"

They turned and looked to him, one with spiked red hair and the other straight black. "What?!" Eijiro yelled up at him.

"Come on!"

"For what!?" Hanta asked too.

"We're getting another workout!"

They drew in squares on the walkway with chalk that Mineta jumped, ran through, or weaved back and forth through like Ali. The boy didn't take to it well enough at first, constantly tripping over himself and complaining.

"Ahh...this sucks!" Mineta strained as he the two did duo sit-ups on the grass outside the track. They'd locked their legs together and when completing a rep of the activity, they high fived.

"Keep pushing dude! love the suck! love it! I believe in you!" Eijiro yelled excitedly as he did three sit-ups before Mineta finished raising. He smiled with sharkish teeth and had taken the opportunity to take his shirt off. He was a very toned guy.

"Ain't you the guy who peeped a buncha girls a few weeks back?" Sero grunted as he and Denki high fived. He looked at him, his bangs flapping as he went back to the grass they'd started exercising on.

"Y-Yes!" Mineta groaned, holding his hands behind his head and breathing heavily.

"Dang...so'ja see anything good?"

"...Uh...yeah. But like...I dunno man I don't wanna talk about it."

"Guessing you regret it?" Eijiro said.

Mineta slid his hands down his thighs, "Every stupid thing I've ever done in my life. There was...another decision I made that got me into it. Wasn't ever the dumb choice. It was the choice I made before that."

"So what was the first choice that got ya there?" Eijiro said. Mineta wasn't even looking at any of them. Denki and Hanta were watching, supportive of course.

"Porn was the deciding factor. Got me thinking the way I did about girls I think. I got unmonitored access to the internet when I was in first year and...well I've been looking at stuff and...I mean...hentai does shitty stuff to your brain, guys."

Eijiro surveyed him. He looked so tired. So much apathy, so much...then he realized how lucky he and the two other boys were to have gotten here when they did. "Mineta," he stopped doing sit-ups and sat with his arms over his knees. Placing a hand on his new friends shoulder he continued with, "Listen if you would please. The world in which you act to undo your mistakes, that is a separate thing all on its own. The world in front of you now is the one in which you actively chose to make a change. No matter what peeps say about your past, you know you're trying to fix yourself."

He almost started crying, but held it in. The other two nodded along, "We're all gonna be heroes bro. You included. Just...don't go peeping in more girls bathrooms, okay?"

"I-I won't!"

He lay on the couch reading comics as dad walked through the door that night. Mineta laid there, and he looked up seeing his father in the doorway. He removed his coat and placed it on the hanger, then turned to his son.

"Hey dad," Mineta said.

"Hey buddy," he said walking past him. "How was school?" he crossed into the kitchen and went to the fridge. Grabbing a beer from it, the snap of the top sounded throughout the house.

"Fine."

"That's good."

That would usually be the end of any conversation between them. It wasn't like his father was abusive, sure he would grab Mineta when he was doing something extremely uncouth, but he would never hit or harm him in any physical way. Ever since Mom passed away, there had always been this kind of distance between them. It'd never been stronger after the peeping incident.

Mineta watched him moving to a one seat cushioned red chair and dad turned on the television. He reached up and rubbed the top of his gluey head as the news played on. Normally the boy would just tune it out, but something caught his interest.

There was a crowd of people surrounding what appeared to be the aftermath of some sort of huge fight. There were bubbles floating all about and at the center along with police cuffing three guys who seemed to be all washed up. With a microphone by what was perhaps a mouth was a man dressed in a washing machine with small bubbles floating around his head.

The reporters were rushing him with questions, chief among them was one woman scribbling down in a notebook asking, "Wash! you took down several known villains here what-"

"Villain!?" the washing machine said in a strange squeaking voice, "these were no villains, just a couple of kids. All I can hope for is that the justice system has some mercy on em, each were barely over eighteen! they was real angry. Lotta young folk in this world today are real upset about a lotta things."

"Are you saying they are not villains?"

"Darlin, I don't like that word too much, it brings so many negative connotations. What I do know is that a lotta young men are real down and out in today's world, especially those who ain't considered normal. Listen to me young, frustrated men around Japan, right here, right now, my heart is reaching out to all of you! I know your pain!" he held up his mechanical arms and clenched his fists.

"You're on hard times right now! hard times are when those who's quirks are a little funny are put out of groups and isolated! hard times are when a heteromorph is kicked out an establishment and they look em right in the eye and they say, "Hey! your nose looks like a bunny so you gotta go buddy!" that's true villainy!"

Mineta found himself removed from the couch and sitting on his knees in front of the television. His Father watched him oddly.

"Um..." the reporter paused, "well, what do you have to say to these people?"

"You can't go around beating on people! robbing them! you gotta fight but you gotta do it clean! help those in need, give all you can and show them that you ain't no thing or animal, you're a human being! kill em with kindness!"

Mineta was nodding his head, something stinging his eyes. "I wanna do that."

"What?..." his Father's voice pulled him out of it.

Mineta looked back at him, then to the television. Wash went on, "Always wear your heart on your sleeve! smile and do what's right! be humble! improvement is done by looking inward first and foremost!"

The reporter brought the mic away from him and quickly spoke, "Obviously very vocal, the Laundry Hero ladies and gentlemen."

"You wish to do that? be...an anchor?" dad said.

"W-What?" Mineta looked back at him funny, "no...a...a hero. A pro hero."

There was an audible sigh that caused Mineta's shoulders to shrink down like deflating balloons. "I see."

Mineta stood, turning back and staring at him, "You..." he paused, "don't believe that I can?"

"What? no...of course...it's a good dream to have."

"It's not a dream," Mineta protested, "I really wanna do it. I...I made a friend...friends..."

"Who?"

"From school. He's so cool and stuff," Mineta turned slightly giddy as he spoke about Denki, "he can use electricity. Shoot bolts, make himself run faster, heck he's even training to fly! then there's Eijiro and Hanta-"

"Alright. And...?"

"Huh?"

"What're you doing?"

"...Um...boxing, and...exercise."

The father looked at his a hundred-and six-centimeter-tall son, "Well, you know I'll support whatever you do as long as it's good," he then went back to reading the paper.

"There's more! I have ideas on how to use my grapes," Mineta popped one off and presented it like some odd sales pitch.

"Don't do that in the house-"

"Dad I'm serious uh!" he said emphasizing the uh. "I can really do something with this! stick people, bounce off high into the air, the only drawback is that uh..." he shrinked a little.

"What?"

"Nothing important-"

"Mineta."

"Okay! okay!" he sighed, "when I pull off...too many...my head starts bleeding."

"...What?!"

"It's not too bad as long as I train and limit it! I did it today!" Mineta reasoned. Desperate to prove some invisible worth.

"Mineta listen to me," he stepped over to his son and got on his level. They were separated by a couple heads given both his parents hadn't been the tallest people, "listen close."

"Dad-"

Dad shook his head, "No. If you're harming yourself in order to do whatever this hero ordeal is, no."

"Please-"

"And who is this boy-"

Mineta was shivering. He looked more like an elementary student than a junior high, "Dad-"

"Listen-"

"I made a promise to m-mom!" he yelled shakily, his voice cracking when he referenced his mother.

Dad stared at him, confused and concerned as his son began to cry, "W-When I was younger! and...and she would read to m-me! I told h-her I wanna be like the good guys! the h-heroes! s-so that I-I could protect her and y-you..." he was crying hard, snot running down his nose and tears taking up half his face.

"...Fuck..." he murmured softly, "fuck...I'm...I'm sorry I didn't..." he held his son, unable to form words as he cried into his shoulder. "Is that true?"

"Yes!"

When mom had died, he walked the streets and blocks of his neighborhood in the weeks following. He thought he was searching for her, but he also knew she died. He wouldn't find her anywhere, so...why even bother?

On one of these trips, Dad found him. He rode next to his son, and told him to get in. It was a school day, so Mineta expected a very harsh lecture as he entered. Dad hadn't said a word the entire journey of their drive, however. He must've been saving it for when they got home.

That was until they pulled up to Mineta's favorite noodle shop. Dad let him order what he wanted, and the two ate in silence, beyond a small conversation that they'd had. "...Please, stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"You won't find her, I'm...sorry...but you won't find her..."

"I...I know..."

"But you're still searching."

"Yes...I'm sorry..."

"It's okay."

"I'm r-really sorry..."

"It's okay..."

Back in the present, he was in his room and looking at his computer. He'd forgone the soda for a bottle of water, and he was currently munching on some rice patties Eijiro had gifted him. He'd logged on, the bookmarked website right there. He'd done well today, worked out, convinced dad to let him sign up and become a hero. Just...

"No!" Mineta jumped. He wasn't expecting it to be that loud. Dad's footsteps were outside, and in the span of five seconds he'd deleted the bookmark.

"Is something wrong?" Dad said poking his head in the door.

"Uh...yeah, I just lost at a game, sorry."

"It's fine...I'm trying to sleep so keep down that racket."

"Alright," he nodded. When Dad left, Mineta looked back to his computer. Without even realizing he'd gone to his search history. He was deleting it, deleting anything related to that website. Something was telling him in the back of his head to stop.

But for the first time in a long time, he won and deleted everything. When he was done, there was a certain buzz in his head. A sense of accomplishment and victory within, that would spell the beginning of growth.

Overtime, he grew from his childish appearance. He worked out with his new friends more, grew the hair that wasn't his grapes out from the cornrows. Wildly so. He tried making his hair into Eijiro's spikes, Hanta's bangs, and flared like Kaminari's hair. A very strange amalgamation.

In the mirror everyday he would craft his new hero persona. Watching video after video, clip after clip of Wash inspired his own new and positive persona. A friend to everyone, a cool guy who helped people. He may look funny, he may not look like a hero, but he tried and that's what mattered. That's what mattered to Mineta. In truth, however, that positive personality was not a mere creation, but an unmasking to the true heart that he had inside.

He grew taller, up to a hundred and forty centimeters. But he was still the smallest in his school. Eijiro would teach him boxing, Denki would help him with quirk improvements, and Sero would do all these weird acrobatics that fit his new zany style perfectly. He talked more, became a part of a group, made funny jokes that weren't about sex, and with victorious improvement, Mineta's smile grew wider.

Six Months Before UA'S First Year

Come on!" Yasushi said pulling at the girl's arm, Mineta knelt at his locker, just listening to the conversation between the ex-couple, "it was a mistake! won't happen again!" he was tall and handsome, black hair, fair skin, no wonder he let that fact get to his head. Still, it was pretty discomforting hearing this.

"Get away!" the girl pulled her arm from him, "you ass! what, now that you got found out you're playing innocent? get off!"

He wasn't giving up that easy. Mineta was a good people watcher and knew this guy was the type to not take no for an answer. "Just gimme a chance Sayori!" he reached out at her again. Nobody was doing anything besides the few watchers who quickly just looked away and went about their business.

Mineta closed his locker and stood, turning away. He started moving, holding his backpack at his side. "I said go away!"

"No!"

Mineta stopped.

"Not until you just listen to me!"

"I'm not listening! get off me!"

"...Crap..." Mineta murmured as he turned back. Yasushi had both hands on her shoulders, and she was desperate. He had no strength quirk, but the guy had about thirty pounds and a head over her, a whole half torso over Minoru himself.

He looked around, and he saw a nearby class door open. Quickly, he ran inside. The teacher was in there stacking papers absentmindedly as other students hung around their desks and spoke amongst each other. "Sensei!" he said.

Looking down at him, he saw an owl-headed man with glasses, "Yes? what is it Minoru?"

"Yasushi is messing with a girl outside, she's not liking it, you gotta-"

"It's just a boy being a boy, trust me, I know him to be an upstanding young man. Plus, you would know about that wouldn't you?" he then went back to preparing his lesson as if Mineta had told him what the weather was like today.

"Sensei-"

"You're not in my class, Minoru."

You could have struck him with a feather, and he'd still fall over as he looked dumbly at his teacher, "...Are you friggin serious!?"

"Do you want to stay after school-" but when he looked to him, Mineta was already out of the door.

"I have to get to class!" Sayori pleaded as Yasushi tightened his grip.

"Lets just talk!" he seemed angrier, and for a moment Mineta wondered if he should've just turned the other way. But no, no he couldn't. This looked like a job for grape juice.

"Yo!" he reached out and grabbed the boy's arm.

They both looked down at him. Yasushi was so surprised that the girl managed to loosen herself from his grip and quickly step away. "Wait!" the boy called after her. He seemed a little desperate, well of course he was. He reached an arm out, but it was grabbed by Mineta.

"What the-" he turned, and he saw Mineta holding his wrist, "get off!" he tugged and wrenched free. "The fuck is your problem?!"

"I wanna be friends Yasushi-San, friends!" Mineta said as he saw the girl going around a corner. Safe for her, but as he viewed the vengeful expression of the boy in front of him, he realized he'd taken her place.

"It ain't your damned business Minoru! and who the hell're you to wanna be friends with me bathroom peeper!?"

"I-...uh..." his smile vanished.

"Shut up! what you think she'll look twice at you? pfft," he started laughing, "yeah right!"

"You're the one grabbing her...a-and stuff..."

"How about I kick your ass?" he said taking a step forward. Mineta put his right foot to the side and put the leg behind his left foot. Then Yasushi stopped not noticing the odd footwork. He was thinking, "Nah, not here...after school. You ain't worth suspension."

"W-Wait-"

"I'll see you after class, little shithead," he turned away giving him the finger as he walked away.

Mineta watched him, knees trembling.

Hours later, he and Denki were shooting hoops in the gym, and they were speaking of the bullying he'd been through. Though for whatever reason Mineta had saved the story about his potential fight. When they were done throwing baskets, they sat together in the bleachers and talked there.

"You can't expect people to like you no matter what after peeping in a girls locker room man, that's just not how the world works," Denki said.

Mineta stopped sipping on his bottle of water, and looked at him, "I know...but..." he turned away and sighed, "it hurts sometimes..." he thought back to the teasing, the isolation from others, the disgusted faces.

"We got..." Denki sat up with a grunt and patted him on the back, "six months til end of term, then it's onto UA right?"

Mineta thought for a moment, then smiled a little, "Yeah...yeah true dude. I've survived this long, what's six more months?"

"That's the spirit," Denki smiled. Then he saw his best friend not smiling anymore. "What is it?"

"Uh...I...may've done something."

"...Bro if you peeped another-"

"No, no!" he put his hands up and shook his head, his grapes wiggling. "Uhh...let's start from the beginning..."

He told him, and throughout Denki's expression shifted several times from surprise to slight anger at the part about the owl sensei to shock at the end. "Woah, you really stood up for that chick?"

"N-Nobody was doing anything dude!" Mineta reasoned, "all I did was distract him..." he rubbed his arm. "Now I'm gonna get my ass kicked."

He chuckled, "Stay cool man, you got this in the bag," Denki smirked giving him a thumbs up.

"What?..."

"Well, he can't use his quirk cause...y'know it's against the law and he'll underestimate you. Even then all he can do is set stuff on fire."

"Um..."

"Not like a flame fist or anything, with his fingers," Denki wiggled his index finger, "small shit, he used it to start a bonfire at a party a few months back."

"That doesn't really comfort me man..." Mineta admitted.

"Okay, maybe he's bigger and stronger, but that's it. You got boxing, remember?"

"...Sure but...he's like five weight classes above me."

"Look if worse comes to worse, me I'll help you out. Alright? but I'm pretty dang sure you won't need me."

Mineta nodded, "S-Sure..."

Outside, they approached with several others already there gathered in a small circle. Denki joined them, patting Mineta on the back as he went inside the small makeshift ring of people.

As soon as Yasushi spotted the boy, he shook his head, "Holy...you actually showed? damn, took you for a do nothing coward."

"I really don't wanna do this man," Mineta said putting his arms out in a pleading stance.

"Shouldn't have gotten involved with me and my girl then, simple as."

"...Uh...didn't she break up with you?"

That got him mad. His face twisted into pure wrath, "Shut the fuck up!"

"Oh um...whoops."

"Come on pussy, scrap like a man," he put his hands up but not to his face. Instead, he had one hand closed in a fist under his neck and another down at his pants.

It was in that moment Mineta realized that this guy had no idea what he was doing. Closing his fists he placed them by his chin and moved. "Scrap like a man!" Yasushi repeated and he threw a wide swing at him.

Mineta weaved under and galloped back, he was constantly shifting his head side to side, a technique he'd picked up from watching Mike Tyson.

"What is he doing?" somebody said in the crowd.

"Stop running bitch! stop running!" Yasushi tried what Mineta thought was a weak jab, but it looked more like a flail. No getting out of this.

As his opponent threw a cross that slipped by his neck by five inches, Mineta went forward this time dropping all of his weight into his left foot.

Like a bulldozer, he corked his body left using every bit of weight and torque to throw a punch into Yasushi's liver. The boy stumbled back. The next three punches were hooks to the stomach then face as Mineta dropped his feet and weaved his body into the strikes.

The crowd besides Denki looked on in near shock as they saw Yasushi stumble onto his ass. Mineta almost moved in, but then caught himself and scooted back, breathing in through his nose out through his mouth.

"W-What...fuck that fucking hurt!" Yasushi struggled to his feet. He then moved back into his stance, then stopped when he saw Mineta doing his little head bob.

"You know what? screw it, freaky little pervert. I'm just...wasting my time!" he stepped away, his friends giving him strange looks as he held his mouth and walked away. They went with him, looking over their shoulders at Mineta only once.

Denki let the moment of silence pass before joining his best friend's side, "See? told ya you could do it."

"Y-Yeah...but...well," he stood fully and rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't think he'll learn from that."

"Meh," Denki put a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder, "some do some don't. You learned after all and you're trying your best. Come on, let's go get some ramen. Eijiro and Hanta-Kun are totally gonna get a kick outta this."

The next day he was walking down the walkways of the school whistling walking on sunshine to himself. Glancing down at his phone at the group chat he saw the plan laid out for today, they'd gotten free passes for the month to go to a gym for some deal it was running. Mineta wasn't always happy to run in rain or snow, plus he never really lifted weights beyond some ten kilo dumbbells.

Then he stopped and looked around. A soft crying was coming from somewhere. He looked around at first and spotted somebody under a tree sitting at a lunch table. A girl? yes, it was a girl as he slowly approached, and he almost instantly recognized her. This looked like a job for Grape Juice.

"Uh..." she was turned away and held her head in her hands, "Sayori-San?" he awkwardly asked. He shook his head, "I mean uh...Sayori-San, what up?!" he smiled but the expression was cast out once she startled and turned back to him.

Her round face had tears running down from her dark eyes and her normally done up and ponytailed hair had fallen all across her torso. "W-What?...oh it's you..." there was pure venom as she realized that.

"Um...yeah it's me?"

"...Go away, what're you doing talking to me?"

He rubbed his palm, "But...you were crying."

"N-No," she sniffed hard, "no I wasn't."

He gave her a strange face, "Yeah you were."

"No, I wasn't!"

He jerked back a little, "Um..." he looked at her. Studying her, he tilted his head and seemed odd. He reached out and she cringed back, "there's something on your face. Lemme see."

"G-Go away you damned pervert-" she cried out as he brushed her hair and saw a harsh brown and purple bruise on the side of her face. "No!"

"What...did...did...he do that?"

"It's all your fucking fault!"

"What?"

"Everybody's heard about how you beat up Yasushi! everyone!" she was shaking, "and now he's...he's...I dunno what's wrong with him but he...he...wants me...wants me to..."

"Wants you to what?"

Her throat made an odd noise, and she began and stopped several times before finally telling him, "You know...it...he thinks it'll make him cool if he's the first of his friends to...d-do that, and...and he says he'll hurt me if...if I refuse..."

There was something in the air. Mineta stared at her, then looked to the sidewalk, and then his shoes. Then back to her, "Y-W-W" he kept stuttering and shook his head, "we need a teacher...o-or the p-police-"

"No!"

"W-What? why?!"

"BECAUSE!"

The shrill scream of her voice sent a flock of birds flying from the tree, and the two were silent between each other. Only the sound of her gasps then breathing was audible, "B-Because...he said he'll hurt me..."

"He...he already wants to hurt you, o-one way or another. You...you can't..."

"What do you know? you're...you're no different...you only care because I'm a girl."

"That's..." he shook his head no rapidly, "not true!" he looked away, "it's..." then turned back to her, "it's not...I-I promise!"

"Yes it-"

"NO, IT'S NOT! NO, IT'S NOT! I WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! LET ME HELP YOU! LET ME HELP YOU PLEASE! please..."

Now it was her turn to be surprised. They watched each other. "We can't go to the police or teachers...he said he'll-" she huffed, "they won't even believe it. He comes from a rich family, and nobody in this goddamned country gives a crap either. You're just told to go on as usual!"

"I-I know...but...but what else can you do? unless..." he thought to himself. He thought for a long while. When she asked him what it was, he answered, "I...have some people who could get definitive proof. If...you're willing to participate." He laid out his plan as the sun set with a mix of orange and yellow layering the area.

Three hours later, she was stood in the abandoned lot where they were supposed to meet. She looked around, holding her arm with her hand. Sayori breathed in and breathed out when she saw his bike pulling in. Then her eyes went wide when witnessing several more bikes pull in, hooting and hollering the night away.

"Um..." she said as they all got off their bikes. They walked to her, Yasushi heading them. He was the smallest, and Sayori realized that the boys behind him had to be in high school. There were at least five of them.

"This the bitch?" one of the boys almost instantly said.

"Excuse me you asshole?" her voice wavered but held firm.

"Hey stop!" Yasushi placed an arm up at him, then looked back to her, "sorry...look are you ready to go?"

"Who are these guys?" she whispered. "I...I thought it would be us."

"They're..." he looked back at them, "friends." The boys had clean cut hair and straight shaven faces, but they didn't look like any athletes of the day. Pure hoods, and nothing more, but with some kind of organization. They looked like the exact definitions of Yakuza, right out of the video games or movies.

Sayori stared at them. Fear stricken across her face, but she still talked, "Y-You want to do it with me...well I'm not! I don't know what happened to you but stay away from me!"

He made a face that she'd never seen before as his 'friends' started laughing around him. "Listen here you stupid...stupid bitch! you're gonna do exactly what the fuck I say a-and that's final! maybe you get outta this unscathed if you shut up and listen!"

"Yeah, I think not." The voice was not from her, but another source. Denki and the other three came out from behind a nearby warehouse holding an audio device. He clicked it off and spoke, "Yo, what's crackin bros?"

"The f-" but Yasushi was cut off as in the moment he was distracted, the girl's hand shined with a strange light that lit the entire lot. He fell back, screaming.

All hell broke loose then. The highschoolers maneuvered to Sayori as Yasushi rolled around on the ground. Out of all of the junior high boys, Mineta was surprisingly the first one there. Eijiro a close second.

It was a five versus five, Sayori joining them and Yasushi out of commission. There were fists flying, quirks used, almost all the junior high boys were smaller, so they faced overwhelming odds. But they were cohesive, concise, having practiced together and trained together for a long time. They'd even done their best to help the girl who was no fighter in her own right to develop a means of opportunistic light blasts.

When it was over, the highschoolers were reeling away and rode their motorcycles away, licking their wounds with a few having tape and grapes attached to them. Yasushi following after them.

The five stood there in that lot, each with bruises and cuts to show off. Eijiro even had a black eye swelling up, but he told everybody he was fine. When they caught their breaths, Sayori looked to them. "Did...did you get it?"

"Duh..." Denki flashed the recorder with a bloodied grin, "ain't no money that'll get him out of this. He knows that he'll have to stay real far from ya now, if he's smart that is."

Mineta could feel the bruises along his back, and his face was throbbing. For a moment, he was slightly detached. Staring out at the road and listening to the crickets. The sound of them all talking didn't reach him until Sero snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Dude listen."

She was bowing to him, "Thank you...thank you so much I-I'm so sorry for the things I said to you." She was crying.

Mineta watched her, his eyes glazed as he looked. "N-No problem." There was a strange feeling, that feeling that he got from seeing his abs become defined. From going months on end without looking at that website. This was real. This was real hero work wasn't it?

Chapter 2: The Start of The Journey

Summary:

Mineta's ups and downs throughout the beginning year in UA. Everything seemed so easy and happy back then.

Day of Fate-UA'S Entrance Exam And Quirk Apprehension

The four all stood together as the onslaught started. Students ran amok around them, bots too. Mineta saw this, and he looked to them, "S-So take down the robots together?-" but they'd already scattered. Eijiro going unbreakable and breaking through the machinery, Sero taping a bot up, and Denki casually dodging one before tapping one finger to it and zapping.

They'd gotten the rules from that grungy homeroom teacher wrapped up in some strange cloth and black clothes. And that loud English guy who had his hair done up in a style that nearly matched Mineta's own craziness. He'd considered changing to it because he liked Present Mic more but hadn't had the hair long enough. The rules themselves were simple, beat a bunch of robots up or immobilize them besides the biggest ones because they didn't give any points.

"...Right..." he turned back towards the fake. Built in city they were being examined on. He saw three of them coming his way. Placing his dukes up, he saw them coming. They were...big, really big. Like, he was probably a tenth of their size or something and they were just medium bots for gods sake!

Then he was running, running so far that he went past all the other students fighting. "Craaap!" he screamed as he ran past a boy breaking another robot with his laser coming out of his stomach then saying something to another broccoli haired boy.

"Crap! crap! crap! crap!" he screamed. They were gaining on him. This was it. This was...

On a wall nearby, he saw something. A girl? yeah, a girl crawling and watching the scene unfold. Something was sticking out of here, a tongue. Yes, that was a tongue, almost like a frog's. She held a piece of metal in it from a defeated bot and watched with her large finger tapping against her face.

She was cute! super cute! long sea green hair tied into knots and colorful eyes and a small face. Maybe the beating wouldn't be as bad with the image of that nice face. Then he careened over a prop car that he hadn't seen given his ogling. Wait no, was he stupid? he was not getting punked in front of such a pretty girl like that!

He had to do something then. The villain bots ran in a pattern, all grouped together as they bared down on him. Scurrying to his feet, he took a stance, grabbing his hair he didn't care about placement, he just threw a bunch of grapes about the ground. Layering the road in purple as they caught onto the bot's joints and legs, slowing them down until they stopped moving. Their beeping turned rapid, if they could feel emotion, it'd certainly be rage.

"H-Ha!" Mineta threw his fists up into the air, "yeah buddy I am the champion!" then blood almost started spurting from his scalp as his grapes slowly grew back, "ungh...champion..."

"So, it's your hair?" she finally spoke down to him. "That's cool!"

He looked up dumbly to her, and she saw the blood. Mineta had to pull a cool line here, even if his head wasn't working right after throwing all those grapes out. "Woah...you're so uh...cute...wanna date?..." he said woozily. "Wait...I mean...shit!" The girl looked confused, then concerned.

"Uh...are you okay?"

"I'm...fine! little blood never hurt nobody...grgh...takes like...a minute or two..."

"You're literally bleeding, ribbit."

"...Did you just croak like a frog?"

"Yes."

"...Cool!"

"...Uh-huh, well if you need a hospital or something, call me because we get extra points from helping people out."

"Oh...okay! Mineta Minoru!"

"...Tsuyu Asui." She was looking at him funny, a strange worry and amusement. Then she gave him a wave and climbed the building up to its roof and overtop. Mineta stayed by himself for a little while, hiding under a prop bus until he was well enough. Crawling out, he ran along the road back to the point he and the others had separated from. They'd made a plan pre-fight to gather back there as a point of rest given all the other students would probably be around the city with most of the bots on them.

Along the way, he would take every opportunity to plant grapes at the feet of bots who were already fighting other kids. Scoring for himself, along with the occassional rescue points. Though his fellow hopefuls were anything but grateful as he heard a whole host of swears and slurs thrown at his back.

When he got back several minutes later to the other boys who after nearly getting whooped had grouped up it seemed. Denki had a cut on his forehead and Eijiro a large bruise on his neck.

Mineta almost instantly said to the group, "Guys! I talked to a girl!" However, what he hadn't seen was the new addition to the group. A girl, a pink girl with pink hair and a round face. It was...oh no, "ASHIDO?!"

"MINORU?!"

"Since when were you here?!"

"Since today! don't cha remember the gazillion times I kept talking about it with you guys?"

"No, he was scared and kept hiding whenever you came around because he thought you were an actual alien, remember?" Eijiro said.

"Oh riiight," Mina tapped her finger against her head. "That was hilarious," she stuck her tongue out at Mineta.

Sero spoke brusquely, interrupting the conversation, "Uhh we should be way more worried about that level three coming!"

They all turned, each seeing it. A huge lumbering piece of machinery with rubber bullets and missiles. Each prepared for a fight, that was until it slowed and slowed and then fell.

There was an air of silence as the ground shook. "...Did it spark out?..." Denki murmured.

Then a voice that had no apparent owner spoke, "Twenty-One points, oh yeah I'll just beat the entire thing for you guys!" A power core fell to the ground.

"...Are you a ghost!?" Mina squeaked.

"Ah! No! It's a poltergeist!" Mineta hid behind Denki who grabbed and stood him up.

"Look ya smart ones" Denki said pointing to the top of the villain bot. There were gloves there but nothing else.

"You invisible?" Sero guessed as he studied the part to the robot.

"Yessir, feel lucky I am." They watched the hands go off the machine and land on the pavement.

"Why?..."

"Cause I'm super naked!"

"...What..." Eijiro said as Mina covered his eyes.

"In fact...oh no!" Toru's voice said. They looked around and saw her gloves a few feet away. "M-My invisibility...it's running out!"

"Turn away!" Mina grabbed the boy's heads and tried doing so.

"Woah, what!?" Mineta said it. "Uhh..." he looked around the fake city they were doing the entrance exam in, his face turning red as a beet. "Focus...focus..." he straightened up like a board, "go find somewhere to hide!"

"Anybody know where that creation girls at!?" Denki called. "We need a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie pronto!" he looked down the block and saw nobody responding. "Shitballs..."

"I mean I ain't complaining if I have to take off my shirt soo," Eijiro slid his sleeveless shirt over his head, "Here put-"

Toru was panicking, "Oh no...oh no!" They all saw shimmering and each covered their eyes, Mineta regretfully so. "AHhhh...nah." They all looked up confused to see a very pretty girl with wild chartreuse hair down to her back. Instead of nudity, they saw a bodysuit matching the drapes. She smiled devilishly, "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders boys! Toru Hagakure, aka, your hero invisigirl!"

They all stared at her, even Mina. "So should we get a move on?" Denki said.

A repeating, "Yep!" or "Yes!" Came from all of them. Everybody besides Toru moved.

"Hey! where're you going!?" Toru called after them.

Not a minute later, as a couple one bot's fell to them, something else happened. They watched what they thought was a human bullet fly into the sky and annihilate a zero bot that'd been firing down at the block.

"Uh...should we ignore it?" Mineta asked hopefully.

"Come on," Denki grabbed his shoulder as the others were already on their way.

They were drawn to the street below where a girl with chubby red cheeks was desperately trying to pull him out of the rubble. The girl was called Ochako Uraraka and the boy Izuku Midoriya. As they tried setting his broken arm and legs, Mineta spoke. "Uh...hold up didn't we see each other earlier?" He said as Eijiro popped the shoulder back in. "Also what the the hell was that quirk?! you were like all," he made an explosion sound with his mouth. "And that robot was all ahh..."

"Um..." Izuku said looking at him with his bright green eyes. "It's...called...superpower." He said it through gritted teeth, struggling to not cry as his limbs were put back together. Though there was very little they could do beyond that.

"Superpower?" Denki gave him a weird face. "Really?"

"Dude now ain't the time for that," Eijiro waved him off.

"H-He saved me!" Ochako said as Sero helped her up, "thank you so much!" 

"You okay?" Mina said to her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "This looks nasty..." she looked to Izuku then.

"I'm fine...t-thank you." Ochako went to his side.

Mineta played with his braid of grapes, "Uh...so do we carry him out of here or-"

 "How the FUCK did you do that!?" a boy with a wrathful expression shoved Mineta out of the way and stepped up right to all of them. But he wasn't looking at anybody else besides a fearful Izuku, "you quirkless-"

Denki and Eijiro were quick to step to him as Mina and Sero helped Mineta up, "Hey, hey, what the hell's your problem dude?" Denki narrowed his eyes at him. "This guy just got his legs and arms-"

"Fuck outta my face!" he shoved past them and stuck a finger at Izuku, "start flapping your gums, Deku!"

"...Kacchan please..." Izuku whispered. His pain clearly wasn't being helped by the guy's ear-piercing yelling.

"Don't call me that-"

Then it was Ochako's turn to move. She stepped right to his face as the others were quick to follow. "Who do you think you are talking to him like that!?"

"Man, who do-"

"Hey that's enough," Eijiro placed a hand on the guy's shoulder. "This stops right now, whatever you two got going on ain't important."

'Kacchan' whirled around and threw his hand away, "Fucking hands off!"

"Dude I'm not making a threat but there's like a few of us and one of you. Stop and think for a quick second," Sero said placing a peaceful hand up.

Mineta watched this, seeing the injured Izuku or Deku on the ground. He stared, a sense of familiarity as he watched the helplessness on his face as the blonde boy screamed on. That was probably the start of him being inspired there. Of all things, it was seeing a person he idolized almost as much as Wash helpless. Maybe he always had an appreciation for perceived underdogs.

"Why don't you beat it, "Kacchan?" you're acting like a big baby!" Mina had stepped next to Eijiro by this point, "nothing I dislike more than a bully and you're actin like one!"

"What you say?!" His face was turning red from rage by this point. Others had gathered to watch. Denki did not look happy with the personality of this boy, but all he did was stare.

"...Why don't you stop?..." Mineta had said it. They all turned to him. "I-I mean you might get in trouble...and...uh...stuff..."

"...Fuck off!" Kacchan gave him the finger.

Before Denki got involved, they all stood off to the side, even the boy who seemed to be incarnate with anger as an old lady approached. "Ohh...it's recovery girl!" someone whispered.

"Who?" Mineta murmured. A reverb of grossed out noises went among all of them as they saw her lean down and kiss the boy.

The next test were the small exercises the very next day. Running, grip strength, long jumps, side steps, and finally throwing a ball. Mineta was on all fours on the ground as he breathed in through the nose and out through his mouth. Sweat ran down his back and head like a faucet had been left on. 

"Peep it..." Sero whispered grabbing and helping him stand. Midoriya was next up. They watched him. He held the ball in his hands, looking at it, studying it.

He was doing that for so long somebody in the group spoke, "I know you're last, but I have to babysit my siblings today so if you could just throw it already? ribbit." Some laughed but stopped when the dark eyed teacher heading the exercises mean mugged them.

Aizawa stared at them, then turned back to watch broccoli hair, "No speaking Asui. Midoriya, throw the ball already."

"Okay...sorry," Izuku said focusing up. Leaning back, he drew in a breath and lurched forward, the ball soaring through the air into the stratosphere and a sound akin to a jet engine filling their ears as they all made gasps or stared on in complete bewilderment.

Even Aizawa, who didn't seem to have an expression beyond frowning, scowling, and when he was really not pleased, he'd turn your quirk off with his own and wrap you in some support cloths (a few trainees had been expelled in this way) was utterly surprised and when he looked at the distance marker. "Four...no...five...no...six...seven hundred and five point three!" he proclaimed.

"...Nice!" Eijiro cheered. A few of the other students clapped but stopped when they saw Izuku holding his finger. A broken finger that bended oddly. 

"That was good, but I think it's time you go and see recovery girl Midoriya," Aizawa approached him. "Here, I'll pop it back in," Izuku gave him it and as the teacher did so, he added, "Try to push the strength throughout your entire body, the more spread out, the less damage for you. If you focus all that strength-"

Kacchan, who Mineta had come to find out was actually named Katsuki Bakugo was enraged yet again. Only Denki was able to notice him clutching his fists. "Hey-" but the explosive boy blasted off towards the injured boy just like the day previous.

"Tell me how you fuckin did that you damned nerd!-" Bakugo's breath hitched and when Izuku looked up from behind his arms he saw him locked tight in Aizawa's binds.

Then he soared into the air, almost hitting the ground hard before he was yanked up by the chest. "W-What the fuck-"

"Shut. Up." Aizawa's eyes were glowing red, and the other students watched with uncertainty between the two. Denki did a small fist pump, however. "Stop struggling. I said stop. There, that's better. Now then, why did you do that?"

"I-I..." Bakugo paused, "let me down!"

"You attacked a classmate. A fellow hero in training. You'd better have a good explanation, Katsuki."

"Jerk," Mina did not look happy with the boy. Ochako was simply frowning, quite the sight as she wasn't the type to do so often.

"I-I ain't explaining nothing!" Bakugo shouted, "and don't call me Katsuki!"

"Well then, it would appear I'll have to throw you out. Call your parents and sign some paperwork, then of course the lawsuit. Attempted assault with a quirk is a felony."

"HUH?!"

"W-Wait I-I don't wanna sue him!" Izuku shook his head.

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice in pressing charges either Midoriya. Like I said, felony."

"W-Wait! Fuck! Shit! Hey, you can't fuckin do this!" Bakugo seemed to switch gears almost instantly.

Aizawa eyed him, "Do you regret your actions now? people such as you usually do when consequences are on the table." He dropped Bakugo who landed on his knees, "I'm going to make an inductive guess. You've never been talked to like that by an authority figure, have you? well I'm not like them. You'll be facing real consequences here. This isn't a place for you to do as you please. You will not scream, you will not cry, I am mean, but I am fair. Do good, and you won't be expelled. Understand?"

"I-"

"Be. Quiet. I'm giving you one last chance here. If you'd have touched Midoriya, then this would be a different matter. Feel lucky you didn't. Never threaten or even think about harming another student again outside of controlled training or else. You're lucky it was I who stopped you and not Ectoplasm or god forbid, Hound Dog. He does not take kindly to your sort."

Silence for a moment, then Aizawa looked to the class, "That goes for everybody!"

"Or...what?..." Bakugo growled. Aizawa turned back to him, even he seemed rather surprised by the audacity.

"Did you say something? shall I go heavy on the punishment Bakugo?"

"...No..."

They moved on, and when the results were truly in, Mineta found himself placed at twentieth. Back then, that seemed like his dream come true, but now he only saw it as something to overcome.

---

The Battle Trials-Best Friends Meet

Momo watched on the large screen as the ice was sent through the building like a rapidly expanding frozen lake on a cold snowy day. A small gasp sounded through the room, even from All Might.

"Oh wow, he went all out!" Eijiro said as they all stood in the monitoring room. "Also is it getting chilly in here?" his sharp red hair started standing higher and he began to use harden as he held his arms together.

"You're not wearing a shirt man...oh wait, I feel it too," Sero held his arms together and even wrapped some tape around his exposed arms. "It's reaching here?!"

He was right, the coolness could be felt in them all. They stood some holding themselves with the freeze running throughout them all from the bottom of the feet to the tip of the head.

"That's just unfair!" Denki said.

"Gotta win in any way possible, but did he have to make it so cold?" Jiro said with her headphones pressing towards her ears like muffs.

Shoto's soft and deep voice crackled through the screen, and they saw him and Mezo walking on the ice, the latter holding his six arms together. "Sorry about that, but we're in different leagues."

There was an air of silence about the class as the two secured the bomb, and somehow, they were even quieter when he melted the ice with fire of all things. Katsuki was gritting his teeth, and the rest watched.

"What an asshole..." Ashido whispered as Aoyama watched with a look of pure wonder on his face.

"My goodness..." All Might rubbed his face as he exited to go and retrieve the teams while the room settled back to a normal temperature. The whirring of the machines and their beeping filled the room, that was until the four arrived back.

All Might led the four, Toru last because everyone could hear her footsteps though she did eventually appear out of her invisible form back into her green and yellow bodysuit made from the fibers of her own body hair. She looked close to crying but didn't do so.

Ojiro and simply walked past the others with his head and tail down and didn't say anything. Mezo was rubbing his head and looked like he wanted to say something to both of his opponents but didn't.

Momo glanced at Shoto as he passed her, and then he saw that she was looking at him. And when she saw that he saw that she was looking at him, she looked away, holding her hands together a bit. The two groups simply walked to stand at the monitor rooms screen.

"Wooow!" a certain short, rounded boy said next to her, "that was super awesome Todoroki-San!"

"Oh, um...thank you," Shoto said looking down at him, the frost on the side of his body had disappeared and he was almost half covered in a watery sheen, seemingly the only drawback to his quirk. Ojiro and Toru both looked at the small boy with daggers in their eyes as he praised Shoto from the back of the room.

All Might stood in front of them all, rubbing his head he said, "Well then...what did we learn from this battle?"

"That some people are in different leagues, ribbit," Tsuyu said. She'd been the most unhappy about having to feel that cold. Shoto looked over at her, and she looked back, but it certainly wasn't a look that Momo had given him. More like she didn't like being cold.

Before things got froggy, Momo stepped forward like once before, still a bit cold as she held her shirt together, though unfortunately the hole at the top of her back had no way to be protected, "That..." it was hard to stump her, but it had been done.

"That some quirks are better than others," Bakugo said cutting in finally. He stepped forward with his perpetual scowl, "and that's just that. Sometimes power is just gonna cut straight through and there's nothin you can do about it."

"Didn't you lose your battle?" Toru said it so fast that even Iida had to question if he'd heard her properly.

"Huh!?" Katsuki whirled around, "what'd you-"

All Might finally cut the discussion off after silencing Katsuki, "Well, even from the most...overwhelming of battles one may find some improvement...let's move on to our next, shall we?"

The faces of Tokoyami, Tsuyu, Eijiro, and Sero were next plastered on the big screen. "Ah yes, this will be an interesting matchup! come young ones I'll guide you to the scene."

As All Might started leading the four out, Momo glanced down at Minoru and saw him waving at them, "Good luck you gu-woah!" Momo pulled him away, dragging him by the cape as if he were a child with its ear being held onto by a stressed-out mother.

She took him to a little corner where the rest of them couldn't hear, then she let his cape go and he turned around to face her. He rubbed his neck, a small pout on his face, then he shook his head and said, "What's up Yaoyorozu-San?!"

"Please use your inside voice for this," she said looking up and making sure they weren't being watched. Momo put her index finger over her thumb and slowly inched them together.

"Oh...okay..." he made a shushing motion and even started crouching down before she pulled him back up. "Hey, I gotta get into my stealth mode, come on." His costume was a plain purple bodysuit with white sweatpants and cape, the light color contrasting with the darker.

"We need to make a strategy before our battle," she held up a finger, "now remember, we're the villains, therefore we must guard the bomb for ten minutes...what exactly is the extent of your quirk?"

"Uh..." he thought for a good moment, meanwhile the battle had started, Momo could recognize the sound of dark shadow and Eijiro's yells as he tried holding it back in vain. "Well, I can..." he grabbed his braid and plucked off one of the balls, "stick a bunch of these little buddies up on stuff."

"Isn't there only four-never mind," she said watching as the hair almost instantly started growing back within a couple seconds. "That's good, but how long will it trap someone?"

"Uh...I dunno."

"What? how?"

"I uh...haven't ever seen anything get unstuck from it. I mean, I once left a book stuck to my rooms wall one day and forgot about it. Then that night I come in and it's still attached."

"What."

"Yeah so I guess a day then?..." he shrugged absentmindedly.

"And this sticks anywhere?"

"Except me, yeah, I can bounce off it like a trampoline or climb on walls. Pretty boss right? by the way is something wrong? you look a little like you smelt something bad."

Momo had almost blanked out, "...Nothing...that is a very valuable addition. The issue with mine is that it takes a bit to make certain things, we may slow Kaminari and Jiro down with the use of yours," she looked away rubbing her face as he watched, "then again, if they get stuck on one...they won't be able to move..."

"Uh..."

"Hm?"

"Y'know Jiro-San can break through walls?" he pointed a thumb over himself at her before Momo could stop him. Ever perceptive, the girl almost instantly noticed the two speaking. She frowned.

"D-Don't let them know we're talking about...oh dammit Mineta!" Momo tried grabbing his arm, but the damage was done.

"Oh crap, sorry I didn't-"

"Well now they're certainly chatting about us," Momo said as Jiro tapped Denki's shoulder and the two started talking.

"Aw come on Yaoyorozu-Sama, Denki-San is my bestest most awesomest friend ever, he wouldn't wanna talk bad about me."

"...What?"

"He wouldn't wanna talk-"

"I heard that...it's just...what do you...what are you...never mind..." she sighed, "I have some ideas, and...feel free to throw your own in. She pressed a metal brace on her arms sleeve and a holographic popped up of a tarp.

"Holy crap, you really are money bags with all that tech."

She ignored him, "We could set up these with your balls...grapes," she then pressed her graphic again, going through several other objects as he nodded on.

"Do you understand?" she said suddenly making him jolt up.

"Huh? oh uh...yeah of course. But I was thinking about something else too."

"Oh? I'm listening."

"What if I used Dark Citrus as my villain's name?"

"Your...villain name?"

"Yeah!" he started bobbing up and down excitedly. A trait all the class had come to know him for as he seemed to do it at anything he found somewhat joyful.

"Grapes aren't even a citrus-"

"Yeah, I know, but Dark Citrus sounds better than Dark Vitis," he was swirling about at the thought.

Her mouth hung open, "...You know what? as long as you were listening it doesn't matter what you call yourself."

"Okay!"

"You...were listening right?"

"Yeah."

"...Good..." she tapped off the holographic and they started walking back.

"Hold on, Yaoyorozu-Sama, you need a villain name too!" he was doing his excited little dance again.

"No, I do not."

"What about Uncreati?"

She briefly wondered if she may ask Todoroki to take Mineta's place but pushed that thought away, "Why...that?"

"It sounds...villainous? ok, ok, how about Increati? hey wait where are you goin?"

The battle continued on screen, Eijiro was running, trying to get around dark shadow in the bomb room as Sero spun tape at Tsuyu like a mad man while she bounced off walls and shot her tongue at the bomb only for tape to nearly intercept before she pulled back.

"They're really going at it," Denki murmured over to Jiro.

"That's what she said," the girl smirked at her partner, and he gave her a look of disappointment. "That was funny and you know it."

"Uh huh," Denki placed his arms behind his head, stretching them gently. "I don't think Kirishima-Kun has this in the bag."

"He's trying but...Tokoyami-San is just too much with that thing."

"Doing better than Ojiro and Toru."

"Don't say that-"

"Hey, it's true," he said putting his hands up and shrugging. "It's not my fault dude can't do nothing about that bird."

"You'd be talking different if it was you in there."

"Nope, wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"Cause my ass would be too busy running."

"No shit," she gave him a humored look. "You see Momo and Mineta makin eyes at us?"

"Ye...somewhat."

"Rich girl thinks she can strategize against us. Must be worried," Jiro smirked. "You were friends with grape dude back in middle school right? any weaknesses?"

Denki thought for a second, "Well, his grapes can stick to anything besides him, and he can bounce off em and choose when they stick...you remember when he used them to crawl on walls? Aizawa-San nearly killed him when he jumped on his shoulders."

"Busted as fuck...damn."

"I know, but he's kinda..." he made a spinning motion on his head, "got weird strats that don't always work, and if he pulls too many his head starts bleeding."

"But rich girl is smart," Jiro tapped her head, "and they'll have time to prepare."

"Therein lies the problem. You'll...probably need to bust a few walls down cause I'm thinking they're gonna trap the place."

"So, we need to get you close up while I jam away. If I can clear any defenses those two got with sounds, they're asses ain't gonna do nothin against your electricity."

"Yeah but..." he tapped his fingers together looking unsure.

"Huh?"

"What about that bo-staff? Yaoyorozu looks really scary with it Jiro-San."

"Dude, what?"

"Will you protect me?" Denki said hopefully, "if she starts swinging one."

"Ugh..." she put two fingers to his head and lightly pushed. "Girls don't like cowardly guys, c'mon sparks."

"Oh yeah, our hero names," he said lightly rubbing his chin with his hand. "Sparks sounds kinda cool. I used to go with Electro but like, everyone with an electric quirk uses that name. How about Chargebolt?"

"Eh...sounds good, I've been thinking Earphone Jack myself."

"Why that?"

"What cha mean?"

"Why not Earphone Jiro?"

"It doesn't roll off the tongue like jack does, and...I think using your real name in your hero name is lame."

"Must be true since it rhymes."

"And..." she seemed a little pensive, looking away from him.

"And?" he tilted his head down at her, the charm turned on, "you can tell me, I don't judge at all."

"...It's...well kinda named after my mom."

"Oh...mama's girl huh?" he smiled.

Jiro returned it, "Heh...yeah, a bit."

"Don't worry, you're looking at a grade-A mama's boy right up in here," Denki pointed at himself.

On the screen, Sero fired another line and swung around Froppy who was getting to the bomb. Only for her to duck back as he fired another. She'd managed to read a pattern within his shots and was thus able to wrap her tongue around his leg.

Sero's desperate voice crackled in on the screen, "Ew! what the hell-" however he let out a loud grunt as she slammed him to the floor. Froppy then made a beeline for the bomb on all fours.

"Oh no you don't!" Eijiro made a move for her. It was then that Tokoyami made his move from the hallway he and dark shadow had taken up. The shadow went in, the light not seeming to matter much in Kirishima's favor as it lifted him up in its beak. He tried striking even still, raining blows down like a madman. That didn't do anything.

"As a matter of fact, she does." Tokoyami said walking inside. Tsuyu managed to get her hand on the bomb then.

"Aw man!" Sero said. "Tsuyu-San that was gross!" he said as he stood up flicking his leg. "At least my tape doesn't come with a bunch of spit on it!"

"You don't taste nice if that's any comfort, ribbit."

"Man, at least I'll be able to eat my favorite food when I get home. Frog legs and chicken tenders."

"Ay, settle down bro! we lost fair and square. Ain't no shame in it!" Eijiro said walking behind and slapping him on the back.

"Personally, I prefer lobster," Tokoyami said joining them, "good fight you two," he said shaking their hands.

As the four started coming back, Shoji stood messing with his mask next to Todoroki who's eyes hadn't left the screen. The masked man glanced up at his teammate. He looked over to Ojiro and Toru who'd gotten quite aways from them, then he looked to Shoto.

Todoroki noticed this immediately, side-eyeing his partner. "Is something the matter?"

Shoji looked unsure for a moment, then said, "Dude...that was too much."

"What do you mean?"

"Do..." he shook his head, "do I really have to say what it was?" when Shoto kept staring at him, he said, "saying you were on a different level, duh!"

"...Ah," Shoto sighed, "I was merely being honest, should I have lied and told them they did a great job?"

"No, but you shouldn't have said that you were on a totally different level after completely humiliating them. It's pretty easy to realize that without it being branded in the brain with words, don't you think?"

"I'm not arguing with you about this, I said what I said."

"...Okay, you want to talk like that to other people sure. Just make sure to paint, 'I'm a strong douche who everyone hates,' on your back while you're at it. Like Bakugo-"

"Mezo-San, if I wanted a lecture, I'd go and visit Aizawa."

"Shouldn't a son in a family dynasty of heroes know what lines a hero should and shouldn't-"

"What did I just say? and stop getting personal."

"You should apologize."

"Huh?"

"I'm going over and saying sorry to those two for what just happened. You should too."

"Why?"

"Because that was villain behavior, as villainy as you can get without twirling an evil flaming moustache. And I'm not like that at all Todoroki."

"Being honest isn't-"

He shook his head as he turned away, "Guess your hearts as cold as your ice."

Before he could get a retort, Shoto looked to see his partner walking off to the defeated duo. He stood there, something running down his body. He glanced over to Momo who was discussing something about a grape shield or...Dark Citrus?...with Mineta. He looked back to Shoji who was halfway to the other two, he followed after him for a second, then stopped, and just stood there.

"That joint was still cold as ice, literally, ribbit," Froppy said holding her arms around herself as she was the first one back inside.

"Dang! we were this close," Eijiro said holding his fingers together an inch away at Tokoyami.

"Playing keepaway wasn't something I'd expect to do against you two, nice job," Tokoyami said with a rare smile. "You too Tsuyu-San."

"Ribbit."

"I got tongue slop on my friggin leg Tsuyu-San," Sero said with his hand on the affected limb, "you'd better pay the damned cleaning bill or I'm lawyering up."

"Sounds like someone's mad they lost."

"Wow, you touched a bomb, everybody hip hip hooray for Miss widemouth," he started clapping.

"Mad cause you're bad, ribbit."

"Both of ya, no need to cut deep," Eijiro said as he brought all of them together for a group hug. All let out a collective groan besides him. "We all did our absolute best, and that's what counts!"

When All Might was done with what they learned from the battle, this time with the discussion more in depth, the faces of the next group popped up. Mineta started hopping around and cheering like a little kid, his grape braid flopping about, "Yeah! let's do it, finally, the moment I've been waiting for!"

He was flicked in the back of the head stopping him as Denki and Jiro passed him, "Come on little buddy, you actually have to go in." Mineta lurched forward and saw Momo already following behind All Might up ahead. They came out into the artificially crafted city, walking along its sidewalks in the hope that one day they would be within a real city with real people to save and real villains to defeat.

"Right!" he scurried next to Momo with the other two right behind them. "This is gonna be so cool, remember when we would play hero and villain back in middle school Denki-San?"

"Kinda old news at this point, it's all real as it can get right now."

"How ya feelin rich girl?" Jiro said to Momo as she fluffed her coat, "nervous? annoyed? unsure?"

"A little nervous, but I think anyone would feel that way in a situation like this. Let's just have a fun match."

"Hey look, you're already doin the hero speak, coolio."

"What?"

"I said you're already doin the hero speak."

"Oh, you meant cool...sorry I didn't really under...never mind," Momo twirled her finger through her hair.

Mineta interjected as he very slowly hopped around beside Jiro, "She doesn't understand the lingo, moneybags Yaoyorozu has her own language. It's for rich people only!"

"Dude, what're you talking about?" Denki said looking strangely down at him.

"I heard her speaking in it, caviar means drink in rich people language did you know that Kaminari-San?"

"Minoru, that is not true at all. Where do you come up with these ideas?" Momo said pulling him back up to her.

"Sero told me, and uh...I kinda sit in front of you and I have ears."

"You're listening to the stuff Sero says?" Jiro shook her head, "dude's password is probably password."

Denki looked at her, "It is."

"Wuh, really?"

"Yeah, I was charging his phone and just randomly typed that in. Poof. He plays a lot of subway surfers."

"Really?!"

"I know right?"

"You shouldn't be looking at other people's stuff like that," Momo said side-eyeing back at them.

"Hop off him moneybags, me n' Denki are the hero's here after all," Jiro moved her right bud and tapped his shoulder. He blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I only looked at his wallpaper and one app."

"Cop the wallpaper, what was it?"

"Some picture of a girl-"

"Of course-"

"No, no, not like that. I think it's his girlfriend."

Jiro's face tensed into a weirded out look, "How'd he pull?"

"Hey c'mon, give the man a chance."

"Oh, wait!" Mineta said holding his finger up in some great revelation, "totally forgot, you two wanna hear my villain name?"

"Is it Dark Citrus?" Denki almost instantly said.

"It's Dark..." his mouth hung open and he made a weird noise. "Yeah..."

"Heh, knew it. You used to go by that name back in junior high all the time."

"They were my villain phases. When I started wheeling and dealin like a jet flying mile riding son of a-"

"Do you even know what that means? or are you just trying to look cool?"

"Probably the second one."

Momo had been on autopilot throughout this entire conversation; however, she was forced to perk up when a certain name was mentioned by her partner, "Oi, Yaoyorozu-San, what were you mean mugging Todoroki-Sama for back there?"

"Huh? mean mugging? I wasn't...doing that."

"By the way can I call you Yo-gabba-rozu from now on-"

"No."

"But why-"

"No. I was surprised by the strength of his quirk is all, I try to keep a knowledge of them all just in case."

"Like...contingencies?" Denki said rubbing his head, "you gonna try using some on me n' Jiro?"

"Maybe."

"Like what?" Jiro said giving her a glare.

"If I revealed them to you now, it wouldn't be as useful."

"They ain't gonna be useful-"

"Hold up a minute, your stare is real weird then cause it looked kinda like," he grabbed his braid and hair and weaved it to look like Momo's within a couple seconds, "this..." he then gave a crude copy of the less than stellar expression she had when looking upon Todoroki.

"Oh...I get it," Jiro smirked and said nothing more about that. "Also, what the hell?" she pointed at Minoru's head.

"What?"

"How are you doing that with your hair?!" Momo said. "Are you real?!" she then put her hand on her mouth, "I...mean, how did you do that?"

"Yeah, you've kept that same crazy style since the start of the year, I think this makes a new record," Denki said thoughtfully.

"You knew about this?!" Momo said.

He shrugged, "Yeah, he used to change his hair around by the minute back in Junior High," Denki said. "There was even that one time he tried copying my own cause he thought I was so cool."

"Well duh, you're the coolest awesomest guy ever!" Mineta said.

"...Uh, thanks," he rubbed his head awkwardly.

Momo sighed, "...Well alright then, it's not too extraordinary I suppose..."

"Oh, and Todoroki-Sama looked back at Yaoyorozu-San too, he was all scary looking," Mineta then fluffed his hair inwards, the balls disappearing within the middle. "Hello, it is I, Mr. dark and mysterious..." he said gruffly trying to imitate his voice.

"Sounds like him, bit dickish to talk the way he did," Jiro said. "You'd think potential hypothermia in the feet would be enough for Ojiro and Toru, that fire n' ice dude thinks he's the main character."

"That's not true," Momo said turning back at her a little quicker than she would've liked to, "I've talked to him a few times and he's been very personable."

"Wasn't personable there," Denki said.

"Aw I thought he was cool," Mineta said.

"That's because you think anything shiny is cool, Yaoyorozu on the other hand has another motive for her defense," Jiro gave a knowing smile at her. "But a little secret between us, right?" Momo looked like she was about to burst when the girl said that.

"Whaddya mean?" Denki said.

"Nothing. Hey, look at that cool tree," she said pointing at the artificially placed plant on the edge of the sidewalk out.

All Might about faced to them, "Hush now young ones, we are almost there. Remember to clear your minds before battle so that you may focus only upon it."

The four nodded, though how each took the advice would remain to be seen. All Might looked upon each of them for a short moment before he turned his gaze towards a tall grey building in front of them. It one building over from the one they'd been observing in, and it was much taller and more sturdily fortified. With guys like Bakugo, Todoroki, and Shoto around, there was no wonder.

"Yeah!" Mineta yelled. Momo flicked him in the back of the head.

"You've heard the rules loud and clear I'm sure, but allow me to reiterate, no fighting to kill-"

"Bakugo-" Denki whispered, Jiro snickered at that.

"The heroes will wait outside for three minutes while the villains prepare after arriving beside the bomb, then they will clash for ten minutes. Should the villains last that time, they win. Should the heroes reach the bomb and touch before time is up, the victory is theirs."

Yaoyorozu scratched her face and thought, asking, "Will time start when we enter the room, or will we need to stand somewhere?"

"You and young Mineta will stand by the bomb, then the time shall start. A smart question. Are there more?"

Mineta raised his hand jumping in the air several times before All Might nodded, "Can I shout out my villain name during the fight?"

"...Y-I do not see why not?..."

"Cool! thanks All Might!"

"Please just go inside..." Momo sighed.

"See you guys soon," Denki said as he and Jiro waved at them.

"Okay," Momo said looking around as soon as the two entered, "Minoru, take some time to examine your surroundings as we reach the upper floors. Getting the two of your grapes stuck to a wall is essentially game over for them. It could make a huge difference." The walls were grey around them and the halls were wide and perfect for an open fight. "Doorways may be your best option."

"I'll have to go slow, if I pull my base grape too many times my scalp will start...bleeding."

"That's fine, I'll-"

"Hold on, should I trap everything first?"

"Well, yes-"

"Because what if you get stuck on something?"

"That's...true, can you get rid of Todoroki's hairstyle? it's...distracting me."

"Sure, you want me to change it to yours again?"

"Whu-no!"

"Why not?" There was so much innocence in his voice, she couldn't be mad at him.

"Please do it..."

"Alright, alright."

They continued up several flights, going through the wide halls of the place. It was some sort of fake office space. There were little spaces set up in the rooms but no desks in them.

The air was cool bringing a slight chill to the two, and their nostrils were filled with the strange scent of burnt and cold antiseptic from the previous fights. Cameras were set all around the place in corners with small clear bubbly shields over them.

Reaching the top floor, they went down the wide hall and turned left into a vast space that took up the entire floor. "That things big," Minoru said as they saw the huge dud of a supposed bomb.

There were two floor panels marked with a big X beside the bomb and several cameras were pointing down at them, the small whirring being the only noticeable sound beyond the audio of their shoes and boots hitting the panel.

Momo took a moment, she drew in a breath and exhaled. Noticing the things around her, the wide-open door, the corner the bomb was in, could they move it like Iida did? trapping the halls and the area seemed less and less like a strategy that would work given the space but never say never.

Her father always believed one must approach everything with a tactical mind, be it with the business minds he and Mother and their forefathers had used to build a fortune out of funding and investments. Now, that inherited strategy would be used to great effect within the hero world.

"What's shakin bacon!?" Minoru said as he walked in front of her, "come on you look like you're thinking too much!"

"One can never be too prepared for a battle Mineta," she said joining him, "I was merely thinking of possible strat-"

He rubbed his head and made a dumb face at her, "If you think too much about that it'll get your head all janky, save that for when the countdown starts."

"Fair point," Momo said.

They stepped before the X's. A small beep went off as they sank into the floor and a calm robotic voice sounded through the room, "The countdown has begun, please prepare for battle, villains."

"What that was quick?!" Momo yelled as Mineta shared her confusion for a bit.

"I guess you can't be prepared for every-"

"Shush! take this!" she showed him her forearm and he pulled from two small circular metal things that fit his arm nicely.

"What are-"

"Bucklers, place your grapes on them and get to throwing them in the halls!" she yelled already moving onto the door.

It was funny, he remembered being so nervous then. Well, look at him now. Working out to go and face a powerful agent of the commission all on his own. The fight was actually won by him and Momo. It wasn't easy, but he and Denki had hugged it out by the end. Jiro and Momo even shook hands but the former still seemed to have a slight dislike to the other.

---

UA Gym Gamma-Hours After The USJ Incident

He sat in the back of the gym bleachers, his knees together and arms laying over them. It'd been an all-day event: doing interviews with police, staying in the school for lockdown, and of course the fighting. It'd felt like an eternity passed on that yacht.

Drawing a breath, he sighed watching Denki and Eijiro play basketball with a few of the others. He hoped Midoriya was okay, the boy was still within the nurse's office. Mineta's head still felt a little raw. When recovery girl showed him how she used her quirk, Izuku as an unfortunate example, he said his head felt fine.

"Why're you sitting up here all by yourself? ribbit." Tsuyu had walked to him from the gaggle of girls at the bottom of the other side of bleachers. How hadn't he seen her?

"U-Uh..." he slinked back as she stood above him, that plain expression never leaving her face. "Please don't wack me with that tongue again! I-I'm telling you I was only trying to grab your shoulder!"

"Huh-"

"Or drown me! don't do that either!"

"I'm not going to. Don't worry, it was...kinda a heat of the moment thing," she then did something that almost made his brain explode. Tsuyu sat next to him.

"Those were our first villains," she breathed, settling herself on the seating arrangement. He watched her long shiny sea-green hair fall back over her back. It made him look away for a second, his cheeks turning a tint of red.

Mineta didn't say anything for a few moments, the sounds of the basketball being the only audible thing. Then he sat back and leaned his head to the roof, "Yeah...it was...scary."

"Yup."

"But...uh...y'know...um..." he was stuttering. Slowly she looked to him and he only got worse with it. "Like uh..." her eyes were shining from the light. "You're...cool right?" He said finally.

"Yup."

"Cool."

"Cool?"

"Yeah, cool," he emphasized that with a thumbs up. Denki did that, so maybe it'd work for him.

"How about you? feeling cool? ribbit."

"Uhh...I'm...fine..." he sat up a little, "somehow...even with all the...the crying. Gosh that's so freaking embarrassing."

"How?" He looked to her. Tsuyu placed her finger to her mouth and tilted her head.

"Well like...nobody else did. Everyone...acted so awesome and fought those guys...like...Izuku," he stopped, seeming to debate internally on something, "and...and you."

"Y'know I was scared too. We all were."

"What?...but you didn't cry or anything."

"It was inside," she placed a finger to her chest. "We couldn't think then, we had to act. That's what you did remember? throwing those grapes at all the bad guys?"

"Was still crying..."

"Why do you do that?"

Mineta gave her a weird look. Tsuyu was staring with her eyes narrowed and he thought she was angry at him. "Do-"

"Talk down on yourself. You helped crying or not. Boob toucher or not. I wouldn't be here, Izuku wouldn't be here, if you weren't there Mineta."

Something caught in his throat when she said his first name. "Um...I-I...thank you..."

"I owe you one, okay?" She put an arm around him and smiled gently, her tongue sticking out slightly, "you really saved our bacon back there. Even if you did cry."

"I understand..." he nodded slowly. "Y-You were cool too."

"Thanks," she seemed content with him.

"Tsu-Chan!" Ochako called from below, "come on, our parents are here!"

"Oop," she looked to the girl, "one sec!" turning back to him, she followed with, "gotta go."

Mineta nodded. Watching her stand and slide her hand off him, he spoke clearly, "I mean it, thank you Asui-San." He stood, bowing a little.

She saw this, looking over her shoulder at him, "Call me Tsu."

"R-Really? really?!"

"Yup," she said sweetly. "Wanna come with? my mom could give you a ride home or to the subway station at least."

He was talking to a girl, she was actually being nice to him, she was seeing him. Seeing the real him because he finally decided to show himself. He couldn't believe it. "Let's go Tsu-Chan!" He joined her side, and everything was alright on that day.

Chapter 3: Canned Heat

Summary:

Without putting much thought into it, Mineta accidentally gets himself involved in solo cheerleading for the sports festival when he was supposed to be telling the girls he wanted to do it. It is now up to him to show his metal both on the dance floor and within the tournament.

Lunch Rush Cafeteria-Weeks Before The Sports Festival

The lunchroom was packed with the excited discussions of the students inside. The wooden vintage sign on the outside reading in bright red letters, 'Lunch Rush Cafeteria.' There were several food courts about the place, each giving out their own diverse set of choice items. Large Chinese streamers were about the high walls and sky lanterns lit the area like it was some primeval place.

Several long tables filled the center on rows, and around them these food stores existed like tiny markets for them to go and get food from. Ten chairs were lined, five on each side. Two of these were filled by One-A and split by gender. Boys on one and girls on the other. A large set of wooden and glass double doors led to the hall outside where several windows shined the sun in.

"Sports festival is just two weeks away! can you guys believe it?" Eijiro said doing a fist pump. "I can feel the excitement in the air!"

"You sure that ain't your brain leaking out?" Bakugo snided as he tossed meat about his food bowl. His sharp eyes on him.

Midoriya looked up from his usual slouching position next to Iida, his bushy hair like one of the pieces of broccoli on his plate, "No need to be so mean, aren't you in the least bit excited Kacchan?"

"I'm excited to win!" Bakugo slammed his fist into his hand, emphasizing it by letting out a small and soft explosion in his palm.

"This just in, Katsuki Bakugo loses in the two challenges before the tournament and can't compete!" Denki said putting his hand to his mouth like he were an announcer.

"Ay! shut up shithead!" Bakugo called to him.

"It's quite something," Iida said pushing up his glasses, "I think we're all aiming to win are we not? a competitive spirit among students is good for the spirit of the school."

"Why is it always you with the middle-aged history teacher takes?" Sero said leaning back at him from where Eijiro was blocking him from sight. "Hey Todoroki, gonna finally show us that fire you been hiding?"

He glanced up from his food and looked at him, "No."

"...Why...not?"

"Because I said no," his blank expression didn't change.

"So, you'll be handicapping yourself for the fight? but...why?" Izuku said.

"My ice will be more than enough."

"Are you saying we ain't even worthy of your full strength?!" Bakugo glared at him, "Tails and invisi-girl may've been extras, but I ain't goin down so easy you little-"

"Hey Bakugo," Ojiro said.

"Huh?! don't interrupt me when-"

"You lost your fight too."

Bakugo stared at him, wondering if he'd heard him correctly. When he realized he did, he said, "...Y-You motherfucking-"

"When you could've won," he wiped his mouth with his napkin and got up and went to go sit at another table, sitting with Sato and Koda who welcomed him with strange looks back to his original table.

"Damn!" Eijiro said, Bakugo looking ready to murder.

"C-Calm down Kacchan," Izuku put his hands up peacefully.

"You! of all people, you should not be telling me to calm down!"

Iida raised his hand, "That's enough, Aizawa-Sensei may hear-"

"He's right you know," Shoto said.

"Thank you, Todoroki, for having such a level head-"

"I meant that Ojiro was correct."

Bakugo's face was turning red, "Huh!? you toasted ice son of a bitch! I'll blast you!"

"Save it for the festival dude," Eijiro chuckled, "one blast and Sensei will be on you harder than a turtle shell."

Denki put his hands on the table, "Y'know I vaguely remember there being something about stuff we could do during that isn't competition...what was the word Sensei used...rec..recess?"

"Were you even listening?! it's "recreational" activities," Bakugo said.

Denki mimic'd Bakugo's voice while Iida further explained, "They're just small five-minute segments that each of the classes can put on. It'll give time for those participating in the tournament to take a break."

"Peep the door guys," Sero said looking over his shoulder. Gliding happily by were four girls, all dressed in the orange, white, and green colors of the school. They wore tops and skirts, clad scantily as their midriff was exposed.

"Nice," Denki said letting out a low whistle.

"Oh, hush up you," Iida said.

"Speak of the devil. Looks like One-C are getting prepared in more ways than one," Tokoyami said, ever observant with those raven eyes of his. "To think, we'll all be in front of millions of people doing this. It's...a little overwhelming to think about."

"And for that reason, I'm not goin in last place," Denki pointed at himself. "Better watch out for this electricity bird bro."

"Save your trash talk for when we actually face each other," Tokoyami side-eyed him, "doing it now makes you look desperate."

"There's no need for any kind of talk like that is there? this is only a friendly competition, it's not like our lives are on the line," Izuku said raising a finger and smiling sheepishly.

"It's good of you to play the mediator Midoriya-Kun, but on that I will have to disagree somewhat. There are stakes here that could easily play in," Iida said.

"Why?"

"Think about it, remember Ochacko-San being so pumped up? millions will be watching, that includes heroes. This may influence future internships, agency deals, Yaoyorozu-San's family are funders for that sort of thing remember? do you know a way their sort judges whom to sponsor and not? sports festivals are one of the main ways to size up future big money."

"That...sounds..." Midoriya rubbed his head awkwardly, "well I do wanna win, but it's just to be number one-"

"Not! Happening!" Bakugo got into his face and Izuku lurched back in fear.

"Hey, stop fucking with him like that man, not cool," Eijiro said.

"Whatever! I don't know why any of you extras are still-"

"Here we go," Denki said sighing and placing a hand under his chin.

"Talking! I'm winning it all and that's final, ya hear me?!"

"Unfortunately," Sero sniggered.

"Fuck off shit for brains!"

Denki took his hand away and looked at them all, "Dude swears like he just learned the words."

"You'd think his voice would get tired," Tokoyami said.

"You're gonna be dead tired when I blast you!" Bakugo said.

"Uh huh."

"Can we not go nuclear every five seconds?" Iida said. "Let's discuss something else. Is there anything some of you are thinking of doing for the recreation period? I believe class B are organizing a small play."

"It's that one douchebag doing it right?...what was his name Monoma?" Shoji said dropping noodles into his mask, "I try not to judge but guy's kind of a prick."

"All he's got is talk, can't fight to save his life," Bakugo said still seething, "he thinks he's better than us?!"

"Stay cool, he's merely trying to draw a reaction out of all of us," Shoto said.

Before Bakugo could retort, Iida said, "It's not like we're required to do anything. I personally plan on winning, so I'll be taking that time to rest and relax."

"But what if you don't win, gonna dress up with One-C?" Denki smirked at him.

"What? perish the thought entirely!" Iida looked outraged.

"Man," Denki sat back and glanced over at the two tables full of the women, "wish we could get them to do something like that."

"True, true," Sero said nodding along.

"That's a bit perverted..." Shoto said.

"Ohh, defending your rich girl Todoroki?" Denki pointed two fingers at him.

"Pardon me?" it was silent for a moment. He didn't seem annoyed, he seemed to just not understand.

"...Alright, well isn't it a little rude to think of them in that way?..." Midoriya said his green eyes sparkling thoughtfully as he glanced at Ochako for a split second. "We shouldn't focus on them like that."

"There is no shame in thinking a girl is hot," Denki said.

"It gets weird when you talk about them dressing up in skimpy ole outfits to dance around in though," Eijiro shrugged, "besides. Do you really think they'd do that?"

"Maybe..." Denki rubbed his head, "what do you think Bakugo?"

"Charge off pervbolt!"

"Hm..." he rubbed his fingers on his face, then glanced at the boy between him and Bakugo. Minoru had been chowing down this entire time, a piece of meat currently caught in his mouth and the juice from it dripping down his chin. "Oi, Minoru-Kun you've been kinda quiet this whole time. Whatcha think?"

Mineta looked up, his big cheeks jutting out as he held the food in his mouth, "Mrhm...mgh whrgh lrgh-"

"Swallow your food purple chimp!" Bakugo yelled and smacked his back making Mineta swallow as he jumped from the impact.

Glancing up to his classmate with dribbles of the food still on his round face he said, "Thanks Bakugo-San, I completely forgot to do that!"

"Ugh! wipe your mouth!" he threw a napkin at him which Mineta caught.

"Oh, Kaminari-San what are you saying is what I asked if you didn't hear," Mineta wiped his face off as he said that. His voice slightly muffled.

"The cheerleaders dude, you saw em right?" Eijiro said.

"Yup, my bestest most awesomest friend Kamanari-San pointed them out, why wouldn't I?" They all cringed when he said it like that, even Izuku.

"Please..." Denki rubbed his fingers between his brow, "Well, whaddya think about girls doing it?"

"Wouldn't they be copying the one's in the other class?"

"That doesn't matter, c'mon," Denki gave him the thumbs up and a smile, "don't you wanna try?"

Mineta thought for a moment, "Hm...okay! I know how to really steal the show!"

"Oh, gonna convince em? weird phrasing though."

"Yeah, I'm sure Yaoyorozu-San will be really keen for the idea!"

"Pfft, gonna go and tell her?" Sero said half-joking.

"Bad idea..." Shoto murmured.

"Very," Tokoyami said.

"It ain't like he'll actually do it," Eijiro said.

"What? I'll do it Kirishima-San! you'll see! I'll go talk about it with her right now!" Mineta said raising his fist up high.

"Are...you serious?" Izuku said perplexed at him.

Denki rubbed his head, "It was kind of a joke man, no need to actually-"

"Watch me!" he hopped out of his seat in a huff. All watching him as he scooted past the others to the exit of the table.

"Um, Mineta, wait please don't make a fool of yourself," Iida said reaching a hand out. "Is...he actually going to ask them to do that?"

Tokoyami picked at his food as he watched on, "Someone get his grave ready, nice job Denki."

"Wuh-hey I didn't make him do it!" Denki put his hand to his chest in his protest.

The boy walked with his fists closed down the small walkway between tables, the women talking to each other and then seeing him approach their table. Momo was at the end, so he just stood by it and started waving and smiling goofily.

She watched him for a moment, then said something back. He smiled and pointed his fingers up at her and sent them forward and backwards in strange intervals like he were asking a question.

"Can anyone hear him?" Sero said.

"Nope," Eijiro said.

"Fucking idiot..." Bakugo seemed truly exasperated by the situation. They watched on or tried to act as if they were not but still did so through quick glances.

He was making all sorts of odd motions with his hands, first holding them out as he talked then he raised them in the air and jumped slightly. "Here it comes..." Izuku said holding his mouth like he was being forced to watch a train crash in a building.

But that didn't happen, in fact Momo brought her finger up to her head clearly thinking.

"Is she considering it?..." Todoroki's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"So much hope in that line..." Denki whispered.

"Shut up..."

They then saw Mina perk up as Mineta continued to talk. She shocked them all when she actually smiled and leaned over from where she was sitting by Momo and pointed at him then herself than him again. He smiled and nodded excitedly. Some of the other girls were looking at the three, slightly interested.

"...What..." Iida murmured.

Momo seemed to still be contemplating, but eventually to all of their shock, she nodded and smiled at him.

"No. Fucking. Way."

Mineta held up both thumbs at them and high fived Mina, then he turned back looking particularly pleased with himself as he walked back to the table. Almost instantly upon entering back into their space they layered him with questions.

"Did you really get Yaoyorozu to agree?" Todoroki said.

"My man!" Eijiro said holding his hand up.

"How the fuck did the monkey do that shit?!" Bakugo said.

Denki looked very confused, "Since when did you have any charm little buddy?"

"I didn't think any of them would be willing..." Iida rubbed his face, "besides a choice few..."

Mineta high-fived Eijiro, "That's right boys, I went up to fearless leader-

"Class President," Iida corrected.

"And she loved the idea!"

"But...how?"

"Well," he put his hands in his pocket and smirked. "It went like this. First, I went up to her and was all like, "Oi, Yaoyorozu-San! can I ask a question?" and she was all like, "yes Minoru what is it?" and then I was-"

"Can you explain it in a shorter detail...?" Tokoyami asked.

"Huh? oh sure. Basically, the rest is I told her that I wanted to dress up as a cheerleader and dance for the sports festival. Ashido-San got all excited cause she dances really good, wanted to teach me a routine," he started turning from side to side with a big smile.

They stared at him.

"Then Yaoyorozu-San said she'd tell Aizawa and that everything should be good to go! easy peasy!"

They stared at him.

"Yeah!"

They stared at him.

"...Y-Yeah?..." he looked from side to side and started lowering.

"...Minoru. That uh...that was uh...not what Denki or any of us meant."

"What? don't doubt my bestest-"

"Okay, okay enough of that. He meant the girls themselves dress as cheerleaders...w-were you not listening to any of the conversation beyond us noticing the One-C girls doin it?" Sero was shaking his head and laughing by this point.

"Minoru, please tell me that you're joking..." Denki said grasping his friends wrist.

"N-No?..."

Denki let out a small weep, "Why. Why would you go and do that?!"

"I-I thought that's what-"

"You fucking idiot! do you realize how many people are gonna watch you make an ass out of yourself more than you already do?!" Bakugo pointed a finger at him.

"My goodness..." Shoto rolled his eyes.

"Oi, Minoru!" Mina's sudden appearance from the end of the table made them all sit down and eat in silence save the boy she called out.

"Oh! Ashido-San, perfect." Mineta looked to Denki expectantly. However, his best friend was turned away. "H-Hey...Kaminari-San. Guys?..." all were either concerned with eating or making conversation amongst themselves save Bakugo who was watching with an air of sadistic glee.

"You wanna say something?" she tilted her head at him.

"Uh...um...well...you see..." he felt Denki grab hold of his pants, and small trickle of electricity. It was in a way where Mina could not see and Minoru suddenly seized up and saluted her, "Dance-Sensei, I-I am ready to go when you are!"

Mina smiled and laughed a little nodding her head at the apparent enthusiasm, "Oh, I'm not teaching you right now, just wanna say that we should start asap kay? I'll text you the deets this afternoon kay? hey Eijiro," she waved at him.

"O-Oh uh...hey," he waved back and smiled.

Mina smiled back, a gentle gracefulness in her step as she nodded at Mineta and turned, "Don't think I'll go easy on you, we have two weeks to get you all trained up. It won't interfere with whatever quirk training you've got going on right?"

"...Um...no, t-totally fine for like whatever. We just can't practice at my house."

"Oh, don't be silly I'll teach you here in the school. Not enough space at my house, same for you huh?"

"...Yeah."

"That's alright man, no shame in it! anyways imma get back to my table. See ya after class!" she waved once more as she walked off. Minoru waving back.

He turned back to all of them, "Y-You guys! you're supposed to be heroes in training!? where was my freaking rescue at?!"

"Coulda told her yourself, ain't our problem," Bakugo said.

"I agree, plus you really won't be getting into the tournament so honestly this may be the only way for you to make a big impact on the pro's," Denki said scratching his face.

"Aw come on, what if I am in the tournament?"

Half the table burst into laughter, the other half just gave him sympathetic looks. Even Denki was laughing. Eventually, Minoru started laughing too, "Y-Yeah, I know but it'd...be soo c-crazy..."

"Crazy enough to be called a looney!" Bakugo said.

"...Yep...uh...yeah!" Mineta rubbed his head and then sat back down. He sighed as the conversation went on, a victim of his own hubris.

---

Practice Room-UA

"UA, UA, how to spell it? just two letters! U to the A, U to the A!" he said three days later soaring into the air and doing a split kick with the pom poms out. Then he landed, huffing and puffing, sweat dripping off his head in a small patch on the mat below, "h...how was that Sensei?..."

He fell to his knees and looked up at Mina who'd procured a whistle for the lesson and made liberal use of it. They'd made their station in a small practice room with an old rolled out mat for him to dance on.

Mina nodded along, dressed up in an all-black shirt and pants with her arms crossed, "Good...but I need more height in that jump! once more!" she blew on the whistle, and he instantly got up like a soldier rising from bed.

"O-Okay!" he put his pom poms out, the orange skirt flapping as he did a twostep and his shoes squeaking off the floor. He shot the poms up, then to the left, then to the right.

"Don't work him too hard," Yaoyorozu said with her hands on her hips. She'd entered to see his progress and by all things considered looked impressed, "if he's actually going to do this then we need him not to be burned out by day of."

"Don't question Sensei's methods!" Mineta said as he did a corkscrew. He landed on his feet and brought one leg up then switched to the other and did this in rapid succession.

"I know my way, don't worry Momo-Chan," Mina smiled back at her then looked at her student, "he's been doing so well. I'm honestly a little shocked by his improvement. The first time he couldn't even do a two-step."

"Did...boxing...for like a year...the movement and the feet n' stuff is kinda familiar..." he said straining as he continued his dance. "That and all the...acrobatic crap from quirk training..."

"Hm..." Mina swung the whistles tie around in her hand, "don't tell me this is a ploy to learn about my fighting style for the tournament."

"N-Nope!"

Momo's phone buzzed and she pulled it from her pocket and looked at it. Studying it for a moment she said, "I'll leave you two to it, but...Minoru are you sure the other boys didn't put you up to this? they looked...strange at lunch the other day. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"...N-Nope! I...really...wanted to do this!"

"Okay, well you're obviously lying but if you wish to not tell the truth, go right ahead."

"Maybe Todoroki-Kun wants to see you in that outfit," Mina whispered and Momo just sighed.

"Be quiet, I'll be leaving now. Do well Minoru," she gave them both a wave and they said their goodbye's and she walked to the door and slid it open. It closed with a small sound going about the room.

Mina turned back, watching and giving instructions. The room was filled with the sounds of his strains and his grunts as he worked. "Momo raised a fair point though. What made Denki come up with this? when I asked him, he just said something about you thinking it was a good idea Minoru. Of course, I didn't believe that in the slightest."

He landed on one of his grapes and bounced off landing in front of her in a crouched position, his arms over his knees. "Ashido-Sensei...can you keep a secret?"

"Hm..." she crossed her arms letting the whistle hang, "that depends. What exactly is that secret?" Mina emphasized the 'is' with her usual dramatic flair.

"Um..." he raised up slowly. Though he wasn't able to meet her height as she was two inches over him. "Okay...so...my bestest most awesomest friend Kaminari-San saw a bunch of those One-C cheerlead girls and he...might've wanted to see you and every other girl doing it. And...I might've misheard and thought he wanted me to do it cause like I'm his bestest most awesomest friend "

"...Mineta?..." she breathed.

"What...?" he lowered his head, expecting a kick to come flying his way.

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

"B-Because Kaminari-San woulda shocked me if I'da said that."

"So, for the past three days you've been coming in here working your butt off because you thought Denki would get...I dunno struck by lightning?"

"No, I thought you or someone else would whack him. I can't let my bestest-"

"Right, right, listen I don't really care what the dude says. I mean...maybe Jiro might slap him around. But you didn't need to do all..." she waved her hands at the room and the puddles of sweat and stains on the mat, "this if that's the case." She lowered herself down to his level like a concerned sister to a little brother.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's fine! I am gonna kick his ass for wasting...hang on."

"Huh?"

Mina thought to herself for a good moment. She was about to ask him something else, that was before the door slid back open. The two stood expecting that Momo may've forgotten to tell inform them on the topic of the festival, but that thought was short lived as they saw him walking in.

"Well, well, so this is what class One-A is doing?! a show made by the pink girl and the grape boy? hm-ha!" he stood there smiling wide and laughing with his arms out.

"Oh, hi Monoma-San!" Mineta said waving and Mina looking as if she'd like to throw him from the nearest window.

"Good day little one! how's practice going?"

Mineta was about to open his mouth, but Mina grabbed it, "It's going fine, can you get out? you're interrupting his training."

"Ooh, pardon me! I wouldn't have thought your class to stoop so low as to copy the so-called lower classes. Then again, I suppose I should have expected much less or not at all!"

"We're not copying them!" Mineta smiled.

"Oh? and how's that?"

"Well, it's all girls and," he stood up and twirled around, "imma boy."

Mina put her hand up, "Minoru, don't engage with-"

"Hardly a difference! what you will be doing is entirely similar! pure plagerism at its basest of form."

"Those're big words!" Mineta smiled.

"Y-Yes, it is..." he rubbed his arm and stared at him weirdly for a moment before regaining his composure, "not to worry! we in class B shan't show you up too hard. I'm sure your little dance will be very nice-"

"Woah! thanks man! Ashido-Sensei is an awesome teacher! but uh..." he walked to him and stood on his tiptoes. Monoma stood back staring at him, "don't call her pink, she doesn't like it...just a warning because she asked me not too."

"Mineta...what're you doing?" Mina said rubbing her face. "Come on and get back to training."

"Oh, so she doesn't like that hm? what of you, grape boy? is my term for you most entertaining?"

"Yeah! ohh, actually could you call me Dark Citrus next? that was my villain's name back at battle trials. It was so cool. I won by the way, but it was mostly Yaoyorozu-San doing the heavy lifting. She's actually our class president now so I was so lucky to have her on my side. I got to fight my bestest most awesomest friend in the entire wide world. He can shoot electricity. His names-"

As he continued to talk, Monoma stared curiously down at him. He glanced up to Mina while pointing down at Minoru, "Is...he..." the boy glanced down again, "in the head?"

"He's actually ninth in the course."

"He is?!"

This made Mineta pause for a second before he started up again, "Oh, yeah I'm that too! wait, you look super surprised! Ashido-San did you bring a surprise?" he said turning back to her.

"N-No Minoru."

"But I saw him-"

"Come along and get back to dancing."

"Okay!" he went back to the mat and started stretching a bit.

Mina watched this, then looked back to the weirded-out loudmouth, "Monoma, can you save that bullcrap for when the Sports Festival happens? I'm trying to teach this guy and you're kinda interrupting that. We've got this room for the next ten minutes and-"

The door slid open again and Mina let out an audible sigh. Several women entered, two with animal quirks, and the others all dressed up in the cheerleader clothes.

"Oh my goodness speak of the devil!" Monoma said smiling at this opportunity. "Come in ladies!"

One of them, the apparent leader wore glasses, and she was very tall and very slim. "Oh, sorry we didn't know this room was...wait is this all you...is that a boy?"

"Hi!" Mineta yelled as he slid about the mat.

"It is!" another one with whiskers on her face said and she covered her mouth to prevent herself from laughing.

"Why is it only one?" another said.

"They copied! can you believe it?!" Monoma shouted.

"You're not with them?" the glasses girl said.

"What? no!"

"Then why're you here?"

"...Screw it," he walked past them and to the door, "we'll meet again pink girl!" he called shaking his fist as he stepped out of the door.

"Gonna kick your ass..." she whispered to herself as the girls stared at him leaving then looked to Ashido. "Uh, hey we've got this room for ten more minutes. This guy could use all the time, feel free to unpack and warm up but we'll be using for all of that time."

A small One-C girl with bright eyes through her long hair talked as the others nodded and went about doing just that, "Why is it only one?"

"I'm his trainer, and only he wanted to do it," Mina said.

"Oh...not bad, but...he's one guy," she said watching him and shrugging awkwardly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"He's a boy wearing a skirt and top, people aren't going to cheer they'll just laugh," glasses girl said. "Sucks, but that's how it'll go down."

"H-Huh?!" Mineta yelled from the mat, "nah, I'll slay!"

"What?"

"I'll be awesome!"

"I-I heard that...never mind. Are you honestly teaching him to do this? like, in front of a crowd?" she said to Mina.

"...Yeah, I am..." Mina said with her lip never thinner. "What's your name?"

"Oh, Kaoru Chihiro, yours?"

"Mina Ashido, puhleasure..." she shook her head and stared at her, then smiled, "listen here Kaoru. This is my student, and when you insult...my student...you insult me. So, if you would, please don't talk like that."

The girl giggled, "Oh I'm sorry, that's right you guys actually fought a couple villains. Very famous. Maybe he should stick to the little bit of fame with rhythm like that. Can he even do a two-step?"

"Yeah, I can!" Mineta called as he spun about and did it, albeit it was clear he was no expert to the task at hand. With every move there'd be something a keen eye to the craft would be able to point out. Shaking too much, his heel not pointed up or down, these things were clear to the inexperience.

"Adorable. Well, Ashido-San, maybe he should do something else like...I dunno..." she looked thoughtfully off to the side, "anything?..."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mina said.

"You do that."

"Minoru, let's get out of here," Mina said turning to the door.

He stopped, "Oh word?"

"Y-Yeah...come on."

"I still have to change."

"Go in the bathroom and do it then," she looked at the girls one last time, Kaoru watching with a small smile on her face.

"How've you liked doing this?" she said almost interrogating him when they were out in the halls.

"Huh? oh well uh..." he rubbed his head, "...um...Ashido-San you know..." he was smiling, always smiling, but when he looked at her there was something behind it, "y-you don't have to teach me if you don't want to."

"I wanna know how you feel about it."

He pondered this for a moment, "...I...liked it."

"Do you actually?"

"Y-Yeah!" he said it a bit too loud getting some strange stares as they walked, "it was cool...I felt...cool."

She looked at him, utter determination in her eyes, "Look, I dunno how this is gonna go down. Whether we get into that tournament or not, one thing is clear. You are going to be the damned best in recreation. I don't care if I have to break into that bitch's house and replace her coke bottles with sunshades.

"Y-You really think I can be better than all those people?"

"Yes. You are going to out show them, or so help me..."

"Uh...you're kinda being scary."

"Training tomorrow, be there. Ditch the chanting about UA but keep the dress up. I have something in mind..."

---

Day of The Sports Festival

The weeks passed on, each day like a year of its own as they were all training. Each had their own methods, and they did so with a ferocity unmatched. By day of, they were all gathering in the class with Aizawa waiting for the go ahead call from Nezu.

Mina stood with a cup of coffee in her hand, her eyes with bags under them and she was quiet as Momo and Tsuyu stood with her. They were all already in their sportswear. "You good there?" Froppy said.

"Yeah...coaching is tiring work...I wonder how Aizawa-Sensei does this with all of us," she said as he himself was in his sleeping bag, using the final preparations as a time for rest.

"Where is Minoru anyway? we have to leave in five minutes," Toru said popping out of her invisibility next to them and making the three jump. She was wearing specially designed sportswear with the fibers of her skin and hair.

"If he doesn't show up..." Mina said rising like a ghoul, "I'll-"

The door burst open, and he skidded to a stop inside with his sports shirt half buttoned.

"Never mind."

He went to Denki, and he was bobbing up and down, his grape braid bouncing happily. "Kaminari-San! Kaminari-San! today's the day!"

"Yeah, I know," he'd been standing with Eijiro and Bakugo before Mineta rushed in the conversation, "man I wonder what the first obstacle will be."

"I'm so ready for this dance! I brought the top and skirt and everything!"

"Huh?"

"T-The cheerleading stuff, remember?"

"...Oh...yeah, you're actually going through with that?!"

"Yep! Ashido-San was the bestest most awesomest Sensei ever! don't tell Aizawa-Sensei that he's got someone on the same tier," he whispered.

"...Little buddy, are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm even bringing it inta how I use my quirk. Grape backflip?"

"Stop talking about your lame dancing! me n' Kirishima were talkin!" Bakugo yelled at him.

"Hey it's alright, I'm sure you'll do great Minoru," Eijiro said smiling down at him.

"Oh, Bakugo-San, Kirishima-San...imma slay!"

"Whu...slay what? me!? I'd like to see you-"

He struck a pose and pursed out his lips, "Nope! gonna slay this dance! that and winning the tournie of course! but that'll come after!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Word!"

"...Where did he hear that stuff?" Eijiro whispered to Denki.

"Fuck if I know..."

"I'm totally far out rn-"

"Shut! up!" Bakugo seemed ready to start the battle then and there. However, before he could wring the boy by the neck, Nezu announced them all to the arena.

The journey there was filled with many a talk of who'd win, the pro heroes watching, and the audience. The millions tuning in for their first look at the new generation of heroes. The pressure was like an anvil on all their backs, the weight seeming lessened on more than others, and weighing heavy on others.

The trials were arduous, the obstacles fierce as they ran through the course. Bakugo blasting off, Todoroki putting down his ice, Midoriya flying through the air with a hunk of metal in his arms and somebody yelling, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me! what the fuck!?" at the sight.

Mineta tried, he did so hard. Throwing his grapes down to see where the mines were and jumping off people's heads to get ahead and using the newfound dancing skills to axel turn above a low shot from Sero's tape coming in at his side.

That was soon done, the four kilometers almost like four hundred from everything they'd been through. But they couldn't relax as Mic announced the calvarly battle next. Teams were formed. He'd come so close. The grapes, Tsuyu's tongue, and Shoji's shield like arms. But it wasn't enough, they were fifth in the end. No headband.

---

As Midnight stood over them, the other students speaking to her, Mineta smiled ahead but his eyes were glazed. He'd tried so hard, why didn't he win? he was supposed to win if he tried hard.

"Are you listening?" Tsuyu said tapping his shoulder.

"Huh? oh, why?"

"Some of them are dropping out," Shoji said.

It was true, when all was said and done, he'd gone up a few numbers. For a moment, he imagined himself actually winning. Hearing the roar of the crowd as All Might himself saw to the medaling.

On the nearby screen, he saw himself as the One-B students walked off stage. He was in the teens, and he was...number seventeen. But, he tried so hard?

"One...away?" he saw Ibara and Tetsutetsu nodding happily. Water was sliding down Minoru's face as Midnight presented them as new tournament participants.

"Hey! alright I got in," Denki smacked Mineta on the back, "pretty cool huh little buddy?"

"Y-Yeah! good job!"

"Awright! students! please make your way in the stadiums! there'll be a recreational period, and then it's onto the fights!" Mic yelled taking one of his usual exaggerated poses.

As he walked to the back, Denki ahead of him discussing something happily with Jiro, Izuku's voice made him jump, "Hey. Feeling okay?" he said walking next to him and smiling.

"Oh..." Minoru smiled himself, "yeah! that stuff you did with the metal and how Uraraka-San escaped my grapes? dang! it was cool!"

Midoriya tilted his head, "Well, it's...you seemed a little off in space when they were announcing numbers."

"Eh!" he shrugged, "nothing at all. Sometimes..." he looked back to the ground, "sometimes I wonder if my hard work-"

"Oi, Midoriya!" Mei came in like a battering ram next to them, "come on! Iida and Uraraka are ahead of us! we gotta get some new babies designed for you four!"

"A-Ah, okay!" he said, "what were you saying Minoru?" he looked back to the boy as Mei pushed him along.

"...Nothing! just how I'm bout to slay!" he gave the two a wide smile and a thumbs up.

"Oh right, the cheerleader thing, good luck! keep on smiling!" he called as Mei finally got him out of earshot to the other two.

"I'm always smiling!"

In the waiting rooms, Mina came to him. He was sitting in one of the chairs wearing the skirt and top already and drinking a bottle of water next to Denki as he saw her approach.

"You ready?"

"Grgh..."

"Mineta, swallow the water," Denki side-eyed him.

The boy did so after taking it away. He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, "Yep! all good to go Ashido-Sensei!"

"Good," she got to his level, "you'll do good, I trained you."

"Really going through with the dance thing?" Denki said leaning his head at them.

"I didn't go through two weeks of praying to the dance gods for this not to turn out good!"

"It's not like I don't support you. I don't want you embarrassing yourself little buddy."

"Aw, I won't!" he said putting his hands behind his head, "I'll slay."

"Uh huh, I got the music all set up with Hizashi-Sensei. He was all good with it. I think class C is finishing up now actually," she looked to the screen and saw the girls out there. Mina frowned when she saw glasses. "Come on! get moving! I'll be watching in here, make me proud!"

She pushed him along and he went to the exit, seeing those within the ranks preparing for their matches. To show their quirks to the masses, to prove their strength. Meanwhile, he was wearing a dress and top set to go out there and make a fool of himself dancing according to most who knew about it.

"Good luck."

Tsuyu was watching him walk from one of the chairs as she sat with Ochako, her finger to her face. "I hope you do well."

For a split second, in the moment that he realized she'd said it to none other than him of all people. The smiling grape monkey. He was looking at her, and though none saw it, his lip quivered.

"Thanks Tsuyu-San!" he put his thumb up at her.

He didn't notice Monoma calling after him as he walked out past the waiting rooms, and he didn't notice the perplexed and unapproving faces of the girls from One-C passing him by. Karou's giggle and her raising her hand to her mouth to stifle it. Through all that, he was smiling like he'd never smiled before.

"Gonna slay, gonna slay, gonna slay," he whisper chanted to himself as he jogged lightly. The sun was high, and the clouds few as he stepped out to the roaring masses. He could see looks of strange and looks of humor within the audience.

"Next up! we got Minoru from class One-A with a classic!" Present Mic announced, his voice sounding throughout the arena. "Get ready for some more dancing as he ends our recreational period with a solo dance to Canned Heat ala Jamiroquai!"

He stepped to the stage, the massive monitor showing him and only him. For a moment, as he looked out at all these people he wished to be back in the waiting room, away from it all and letting the others take his place. But that feeling ceased to exist when the music started.

Putting the pom poms to the side, he held his head down bobbing it gently to the notes and then spread his legs as the beat dropped and the lyrics began.

"You know this boogie is for real~"

The crowd started picking up just a little as he held his position with the pom pom's his skirt flapping as he turned and brought them up over his head swaying his hips left to right.

The music played on, and he watched them little by little start to cheer, first small whoops, then clapping, and then they were cheering loudly. He was pulling the rope as One-A all watched from the waiting room. "Oh. My. God." Denki said.

Mina had her arms crossed, a smile on her face. Monoma could be heard yelling and screaming down the hall, and though they could not be heard the women in One-C were in their rooms staring blankly or with seething jealous anger.

His feet were light like there was candy in his heels, and he was squatting and doing an arm swivel with his hand.

Then he one stepped, two stepped, side to side, and using the momentum he wowed the crowd with a corkscrew into a handstand. This nearly failed as one of his legs was too over his shoulder, but he pushed up and caught himself into a backwards moonwalk, his hand raised.

To be there, to be out here. The people cheering him, he felt the smile this time. Like something warm in his chest and spreading through his body.

He was dancing like a madman, the routine meticulously done movement to movement. Mina had used letters and numbers for his arms and his feet, and it was as if his muscles had learned to count and know the alphabet. They were smiling, and that was worth the exhausted hours of intense physicality. It was all he ever wanted to make people do.

When he rolled in a somersault after throwing a grape down, he made a passe forward and trampolined off it kicking his feet behind himself putting the pom poms up into the air as he yelled, "Plus Ultra!"

Then he landed and the music had ended. The crowd was cheering as he stood there, and he bowed, he bowed to four sides, deeply feeling it. He felt it as he jogged off stage back to the waiting rooms.

---

A Few Days Later-Mount Lady's Agency

He stood in the office of Mount Lady, a young hero on the rise who was watching this on a flatscreen. She turned and looked at him standing with a big smile. But she didn't look happy to have seen that.

"Is something wrong?" Mineta said.

She tapped her desk, her light hair slightly jostling, "Why is this included in your resume?"

"Who can say they did a dance all on their own in front of millions for a school as prestigious as Yuuei?!"

"True, but this appears to be the only positive thing beyond you actually fighting some guys that anyone could have beat. Beyond that weird thing...what was it...a...no..nomu. Yeah, that's it."

"Aw come on," he said putting his hands together, "I'll really impress you with my heroing!"

"Right..." she placed the remote on her desk. "Look, I need a kid in 1-A, fame and all that, and I wouldn't prefer a grape headed guy in a tutu showing his ass off to a crowd full of people as he does a backflip."

"It was a skirt-"

"That doesn't matter, seriously how dense are you?" she shook her head, "but..."

"But?..." he got on his knees and bowed at her, "please be a good but..."

Mount Lady stared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open. She closed it, and looked to the window outside, then back to him, "Even though I think you're a complete moron..." she sighed, "you'll do since there are no other options."

"Whohoo! I won!" Mineta yelled jumping in the air from his bowed position with his fists raised and cheering so loud the people outside could hear, "Thanks Yu-Sensei!"

"...Oh my god you didn't win anything! you're just my intern now!"

"Whohoo! I'm an intern!"

"...This is gonna be a long week, a very long week..." she said rubbing her head.

Chapter 4: Shards of the past

Summary:

The real story begins now as the rise of villains continues and the death of All Might sends the entire country into a tizzy. All Mineta wants to do now is get serious, to not be number twenty anymore. He'll do his best as the world seems to try and tear him down.

UA'S Second Term-First Weeks In

He held his forehead on his desk in the throes of the world between sleep and between life. His hair was purple, messy, and it looked like it was in three styles yet somehow combined into a singular. One of these was large braid of purple sticky grape balls that hung over the side of his desk.

"Mineta."

"Wuh it wasn't me!" he shot his head up and saw Shota's gruff stubbled face looking at him over by the whiteboard. The others were looking at him too, some chuckling to themselves, and Denki shaking his head and sighing.

"...Right. Since you think sleeping in class is an option, you must think you know everything there is to know about the quadratic formula." His binding cloth held up a sharpie. "Why don't you come up and solve this problem on the board for us with all your knowledge?"

"Um..." he held the braid in his hand, a nervous tick he'd picked up, "Okay Sensei!" Minoru smiled and slid out from his seat, his five-foot frame making this rather easy. Standing gave way to the sight of his full self.

His shoulders were inward, and his body was thick, yet almost like an acrobat, often compared to that of a chimp or a monkey as some classmates pointed out. He rubbed his round young face as he walked past the others to the front.

A stinging sickliness went through his chest as he finally reached the whiteboard. He looked at the problem. "Here," Shota said, the bind holding the sharpie being outstretched to him. Minoru held out his hand and took it.

Then he turned to the white board and saw the problem. He paused, watching it for a moment. Then he started writing. The class watched him, though there were some missing from this year, a byproduct of the events in the summer.

"The leftmost B number is negative, not positive, remember to write the minus."

"Yep Sensei!"

"The middle B in the parentheses isn't negative and put a square root on it. Come on we learned this last semester."

"...Yep Sensei!"

"...By god..." he sighed, "enough, go and sit back down. Who wants to-"

"I will!" Bakugo popped his hand up in the air. He stood and walked over to Minoru, towering over him. "Give it here grape head, c'mon," he swiped it away, "you really gotta shape up little man, weren't you like ninth place last term?"

"Yeah! good job I wasn't sure if you were able to count that high," Minoru rubbed his braid with an index finger.

"Huh?!"

Eraserhead cut in before the debate could go further as he placed one of his cloths between them like he were herding cattle, "Bakugo, solve the problem and Mineta, please sit down."

"Okay Sensei!" he walked back to his seat as Bakugo stared daggers into his back, about to say something else, but then he relented. Turning, he easily did the problem within half the time Minoru had spent up there. He went fast, the sharpie squeaking against the board.

"See? it's that easy!" Bakugo said when he finally finished.

Minoru sank back into his seat, looking down at the homework they had for tonight. He glanced and saw Bakugo mean mugging him as he sat back in his seat a few chairs ahead. He smiled.

Aizawa went on explaining the formula, and he listened. He held his hands on his desk and watched. Midoriya sat in front of him, his eyes locked to the board. Behind him, Momo was much the same. Each took notes in their own way, Izuku with his mumbling and Yaoyorozu occasionally taking her hand away from the pencil and shaking it from the stress.

He'd never had much of a problem taking notes, well actually he never took them. He would just listen and always do well when the tests or quizzes came around. Grades weren't exactly something he cared all that much about, he'd just do well enough to become a hero and that'd be that. Issue was the grades had started slipping. Not good.

A period later and he was in Modern Hero Art, his hand on his face as he looked around Tokoyami to see the scantily clad Midnight tapping the image on the board cast by the blue light of it. Midnight spoke, looking to the board then them, "Tell me, what do see looking upon this? Yaoyorozu?"

Momo looked ahead, her usual sharp features softened as she stared oddly, "A...watercolor and realist piece of a bald middle-aged man in his underpants flying around a giant person?..." it was literally what the projector showed.

"While correct, you are also wrong. Here's why," she moved the ruler away and held it up in the air, "this is a piece from twenty years ago with a depiction of the underwear hero, General Briefs, done by one of his fans. Do any of you know his hero rank-Midoriya wait for me to finish my sentence before raising your hand."

"Uh...sorry," Izuku said sheepishly as he slouched down.

"Go ahead."

"Oh, w-well he was ranked number fifty-three for around five of his eight-year career before a one-on-one battle against a gigantic villain named Nephilim sent him skyrocketing to the number nineteen spot. I think he used his...undergarments to-"

"Ew, Izuku don't talk about that!" Mina said covering her ears next to him and making an ick face.

"W-What? I was just answering the question!"

Denki tapped Minoru's shoulder and whispered, "Think he used his skid marks to fight?..." as Midnight got back control of the class with the crack of the ruler against the board.

"Probably," the two shared a small laugh.

Midnight went on, "Tell me, how many of you when first viewing this thought, "who fights like this? what a fool!" go on raise your hands no judgement from me."

Many of them raised their hands, some didn't. Midnight saw this and smiled, "It's a natural reaction, what kind of dumb idiot would do this?" she leaned on her desk and took off her mask and placed it on the desk, "but then again, the only difference between this man on the piece and you are that he wore his underpants to work.

"Ew." Mina said.

"This relates back to the topic at hand, the wise fool or the sad clown paradox. There are two types of fools, one's who are ignorant to the nature of themselves and the world. The wise fool though seeming bizarre in nature is filled with a certain intellect when it comes to the facets of life. But there is a dark side to this. May anyone tell me why Captain Briefs career was cut so short?"

Izuku raised his hand almost instantly, "He suffered from severe bouts of depression for his entire life and finally lost to it seventeen years ago. During that fight with Nephilim, the monster murdered his entire team save him, sources agree that this is the turning point that led him to do it."

"Correct. Allow me to show you all an interview with him two months before his unfortunate demise." She clicked a remote beside the projector.

On the screen, they saw a video pop up. It was the man himself, small and stubby and without anything on but underwear. In his hands he had a plunger. When it started, they all had to either cover their ears or cringe back as his voice was so high pitched, "That's right! I flushed these villains into their cells with the help of my trusty friend here! I call him Wilson! say hi Wilson!"

Midnight paused the video, "Does he appear depressed to any of you?"

"Nope," Eijiro said, "I'm guessing all that funny behavior was a mask he went and put on. Lotsa people feelin real bad about things'll do that."

"You'd be correct, none of his friends and family saw his suicide coming. It was only when letters and notes discovered after the event were found did the true nature of things come to light. In many he spoke of the failure he'd gone through in saving his teammates, and how this ate at him, but ever the showman he played his personality for the people whether they found him repulsive or endearing. This is the dark side of the fool, for those who smile brightest are often the saddest. A mask, as well said by Kirishima."

Midnight put her mask back on her face.

"To finish off today's lesson, allow me to leave you with a story. A man goes to see a psychiatrist, he tells him he's sad and that the world seems so harsh and cruel. The good doctor tells him that treatment is simple, go see the local comedic hero Opsecundo, performing tonight. However, the man bursts into tears and says, "But doctor, I am Opsecundo."

The afternoon sky was clear of clouds and there was that familiar orange glow as the sun drew down sooner and sooner as winter came to the city. The party of five walked together from their classes, some strange study themselves. Their shoes hit the pavement walkway in small thuds, and they made the natural buzz of fifteen-year-old boys.

"You seein this?" Sero held his phone to the others, "Lurkers themselves are wanting lil ole me for internship."

"Oh yeah great for you!" Bakugo said his hands in his pockets.

"Someone sounds mad they failed the exam," Denki said smirking at him. "Guess who's joining with the lurkers too? me n' Sero are gonna be a dynamic duo."

"Shut up!" Bakugo sneered.

"I'm gettin on with fat gum, startin tomorrow actually. Tamaki works with the dude, so I know he's a beast!' Eijiro had never looked more pumped up to the lot of them.

"That's awesome guys!" Minoru said next to them, his purple eyes shining, "so-"

"Ay wait Minoru you got your license too?" Denki said looking back at him.

"Uh...yeah?"

"Oi, Bakugo Min-"

"I heard!"

"Ha!"

Mineta stared for a moment before he spoke once more, "...Um...well...I was saying I wanted to go and visit Mount Lady."

"So she can make you clean her mansion several times over again?" Sero said getting some chuckles from the others.

"She...wasn't the best to intern with in the week stuff we did, but maybe I did good enough that she'll ask Edgeshot to bring me on."

"Maybe, I dunno though. Hope you do find a way. I see you all the time in the gym so the hard work should be paying off," Eijiro put a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me, we wouldn't have got this far if we didn't work hard."

"You could always try applying to different heroes too, just a thought," Bakugo said. "When I get my license, I'm goin straight to the top. Jeanist is a prick, but I only accept the best!"

"Don't push yourself," Eijiro said. It was three words, but all knew what he meant by that. Don't get hurt. All saw the burn and knife scars on Bakugo's arm, all saw the strange calmness that he would take to even in these first few weeks of the second term, and all involved had received a thank you after his rescue and All Mights demise.

"I'm not, Eijiro," Bakugo said.

They were awkwardly silent for a little while before Sero shrugged and said, "I think Tokoyami is getting a thing goin with Hawks. Guess it makes sense right?" he started flapping his arms. "Guy works for the hero commission though, can you imagine it, dude being a government man?"

"Nope," Denki said.

"Not at all," Eijiro shook his head, "why do with a bunch of stupid ass regulations like that? bureaucracy ain't for me and I know it isn't for bird bro."

"Aw, I'm no politician but I have some respect for them trying to keep bad peeps from running about as heroes. Somebodies gotta do it right?" Sero rubbed his head.

"Uh, that's what heroes are for, duh," Denki said.

"Well, what's a hero?"

"...Your head feeling fine? any concussions from the license exam?"

"...Fuck off you know what I meant."

Denki stared at him, then tapped his finger against his face and said, "Saving people...getting money...and-"

"Getting girls? yeah, sure battery man," they all laughed amongst themselves.

The mood was lifted, and the cold seemed lessened. Mineta smiled up at Denki who himself didn't seem to notice the small boy below him who in turn pretended like his old friend had turned and smacked him on the back in his joy and left it at that.

"So what'd you guys go for AOE?" Mineta said, running up a little to join them closer.

Eijiro looked down at him, "Area O' Emphasis huh?...well y'know me I wanna save people and beat villains right in the thick of things. Goin for rescue and fighting classes, Aizawa's doin a thing on the latter."

"Oh yeah, Shinso told me a little about it. Seems...hard..." Sero said rubbing his tape projector thoughtfully. "I'm goin rescue and communication, relay messages and allat. Call me mobility king," he smirked and pointed a thumb at himself.

"Goin first responder and communication too," Denki shrugged absentmindedly.

"Oi, Katsuki, you been quiet what about you?"

Bakugo turned his head back at him, he thought for a moment, then said, "...Rescue, gotta...repeat..."

"Course you do," Denki said.

"Shut up."

Mineta seemed a little surprised, "None of you are trying out infiltration? or..."

Denki turned his attention to the boy, "Hold up, you replaced the rescue and quirk control shit for that?"

"What no? I took on another class is all. Three's the limit-"

"I know, it's just..." he tilted his head, "you get good grades n' all but isn't that kind of overachieving for you?"

"It's just one more class."

"Yeah, but for you...eh forget it."

"...Okay...wanna go shoot some hoops?"

"Pfft, you serious?"

"Yeah?...court got built right outside the dorms-"

"Nah me n' Sero got the Lurkers to get too."

"Oh...yo Kirishima-"

"Sorry man, Fat Gum awaits."

His cheerful smile faltered once more, "...Ah...well have fun."

"Maybe Katsuki-"

"Why would he?"

"Huh?" they all stopped to look at him. Mineta felt his throat get heavy.

"Um..." hair was rising on his back, "why would he when he's got more important stuff to do right?...it's just basketball."

"...Whatever," Bakugo said turning and going on.

"You sounded kinda...know what? it doesn't matter." He looked down at his phone and seemed surprised, "Oop! I better get a move on, see you guys!" Eijiro yelled and ran forward.

"Ah crap, bro we're going too! don't say goodbye," Denki yelled as he and Sero went on.

Mineta watched them leave, rushing past Bakugo and down the walkway to the school gate. The multi-colored tree leaves and grass artificial off the path. In that moment, there was a sort of wall between him and the others, this brick and mortar at least a hundred feet in the air. Two dimensions on either side. Separating him from them.

"The fuck're you starin at?" Bakugo said suddenly bringing him out of it. He'd paused in his walk and was staring back at him.

"...I was thinking," Mineta said moving on. He always stood away from Bakugo. At least six feet, and it was no different here. He walked behind him, the sound of band practice in the distance and the chanting in cheerleader practice. "You seen Midoriya-San?"

"What do I look like, his babysitter?"

Mineta stared at the back of his head, "...So have you seen him or not?"

"He's internin with Sir Nighteye okay?!"

"He is?" Mineta looked a little surprised.

"Yeah, somethin wrong with that?"

"Um..." his chest tensed. There was an obvious elephant there, interning with the former sidekick of All Might? but all Mineta gave in response as Bakugo side-eyed him was, "no?"

"Good."

"Good?"

"Good."

An hour later, he turned slow, placing his left palm flat out and passed. Dancing on the floor of his room, his four braids bobbing, moving with the grace taught to him by Mina for weeks. Her teaching for that dance at the Sports Festival had led him into discovering a passion for the craft. Though he could never quite surpass her style and rhythm.

The room was simple, nothing fancy like Todoroki's or Momo's. A wooden door to his right, the balcony at his left. In front of him a dresser with all his clothes with some of the t-shirts sticking out haphazardly, behind him a futon and a writing desk in the corner where he kept his backpack and violin at. A small white paper target on the wall with two grapes in the middle at the left and right sides.

Axel turning towards the hall leading to the door, his feet light and nimble. He spun a full one eighty and turned back. On the walls, there were posters of metal bands and a rather suggestive one of Mount Lady looking over her shoulder at whoever had taken the image with a smile. Some sort of parting gift from their week spent interning.

Then he stopped all of a sudden, sweating and breathing heavy. He'd changed out into casual clothes, a long-sleeved purple shirt and grey sweatpants. Going to his bed he sat on it and grabbed the phone which he'd left there.

Months later and he would still find himself checking the video. It'd garnered a couple million views over the course of these months. So many people commenting about him, and so many more now asking about Kamino.

He put the phone down and glanced down after he was done checking. Sitting up, he stood and glanced to the balcony to the outside. His room was on the second story, giving a nice view of the yard and the tall towers over the trees in the distance.

---

Forest Training Camp-Beasts Forest

Months ago, he was bouncing off the grapes, grasping a tree limb and flipped down into the gas in that dark forest, silently thanking Momo for the mask he wore. Grabbing another grape and throwing it down at a nearby root that he then trampolined off once more, a huge grin under that covering.

"Mineta wait for me!" Momo yelled through the earpiece she'd given him. What was once a supposed forest retreat had turned into yet another attack by the League. Buncha bad guys? sign him up, he had to prove himself after being so darn scared back at the boat.

"Whaaat?! nuh uh! I gotta get to Tetsutetsu! why should he and Kendo-San have all the fun?!" he bounced off another grape and went on moving.

"Mineta!"

"It's fine Yaoyorozu-San! what's the worst that could happen!?" he was like a little kid, flying through the air and literally bouncing off things as he speeded along. The mist was getting denser, it was hard to see.

He landed, deciding to go on foot. Running along, his legs burning a little at this point, he passed through the trees.

Then he stopped, the report of a gunshot sending several flocks of birds to the sky. Now he was moving quiet, and several more rang out sending shivers down his spine.

"Mineta-"

"Yup...I heard."

"Wait for us, Shoto and Tokoyami's fighting some...thing."

"...Don't worry, those two're strong. I...could make a-"

"Dammit, don't!"

He pressed on, crouch walking and going towards the source. The darkness and the density was making vision hard, and it didn't help that his mask only added to the confusing visage.

His steps crunching on the ground, Mineta stopped short when he saw something, no someone, no some people. Dragging the heap of Tetsutetsu who was clutching at his side, Kendo's mask and big hand became visible and the two were both surprised by each other at that moment. Mineta nearly pulling a grape, and her nearly shifting her other hand.

"W-W...who! c-class one A?"

"Yeah! got a bad guy on your tail!?"

"Run!"

"Huh?"

"Come on!" she led him along and he was looking back as they went about. He could hear her huffing and puffing through the mask, and he saw the injured boy stirring somewhat.

"He...can..."

"Huh!?"

"Voice down!" Kendo whisper shouted. Her eyes were wide and her breathing even heavier as their run continued.

"But he's sayin something."

"Come on-" she nearly fell as the chips from a tree fell onto them, a bullet ricocheting off it. Instead, Mineta was the one to fall, tension rising in his throat as he turned about and saw him.

The first thing he remembered seeing were the round circular orbs of the eyes of the mask. A tall man wearing it ran through the gas, firing another shot that hit the ground three feet away from him.

Tetsutetsu murmured, "Can...make you...see...see..."

"G-Get him out of here!" Mineta yelled as they bolted forward and took cover.

"W-What? are you crazy!?" Kendo yelled at him. Her eyes panicked beyond the mask. Mineta nodded. More gunshots as they hid behind the trees, switching between them as to confuse the shooter.

"Probably! get him to Yaoyorozu, the others are on their way!"

"He'll kill you!"

"Maybe! but he's totally gonna die if you don't get him to somebody."

"Made...me...see..." Tetsutetsu clutched at his chest and was whimpering.

Kendo stared down at him, then back to Mineta, "F-Fine!" she stood up and enlarged her hand once more and tore back through the thicket.

Mineta then stood, watching her carry the boy away. He let out a breath. Okay, he was here now. This is what he wanted. A big hero moment to really make Kaminari-San and everyone else proud. So why the heck was his heart pounding so hard? he could practically hear it in his ears by this point.

Footsteps. He rooted himself against and oak and poked his head just a little bit out. The villain was standing, but his back was turned, and he was pointing his gun outward, holding it with one hand.

Mineta inhaled, then something touched his shoulder, and he turned sharp only to see his braid falling over his arm. Right, he had those. Grabbing one, he plucked it and the grape almost instantly grew back and he plucked that too.

Turning his head around the tree once more, he saw the villain still searching with his back turned. Reaching back, he quickly stepped out and threw both grapes hard like he were making some game winning shot. "Grape rush!"

The sound of his fast footsteps made the man turn just as only for one of them to go directly onto the muzzle and the other to sail by his head. The villain fired instinctively and Mineta drew back, only for the barrel to explode in his hand and the villain threw his hand up and grabbed it.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled.

Looking back, he witnessed the pieces of the broken gun falling and the man looked up at him, rage beneath that mask.

"Yeah!" Mineta yelled, "that's right!"

"The hell are you!?" the guy drew something shiny from his pocket. The pocket of a high school uniform.

"The one who will defeat you!" he grabbed two more and threw them, but the guy weaved around them and charged. Mineta nearly drew back, before putting his fists up and placing his left foot forward and right back.

Weaving around a downwards swipe, the liver shot made him instantly drop the knife. It cluttered against the ground and the boy galloped back as the villain fell, his body shaking from the hard shot.

Adrenaline running through him, Mineta breathed out, "T-That's right! get some! I-I mean do'ya give up evil dude!?" he was almost jumping in his stance. He blinked, then looked over to a two-inch cut on his right forearm. Blood was coming out, but he didn't feel it, so he wasn't worried.

"Mother...fuck..." the guy clutched the ground and crawled forward a bit, his head down as if he were bowing, "yeah..." he coughed, "yeah I give..."

"Cool! I actually won! imma hold you here till the others get here then," he placed his hand up to his ear, "oi, Yaoyorozu-San! I got the bad dude!"

Her voice near instantly came crackling back, "W-What?"

"Are Kendo and Tetsutetsu there!?"

"Y-Yes! but...Mineta you need to-"

"I'm here with him now, guys on the ground."

"But-"

"Don't worry I got something to make sure he won't do anything funny."

"Mineta!"

He stepped forward during her call of that with a grape readied to bound the villain, "Oh man, my bestest most awesomest friend Kaminari-San won't believe-"

"Mineta! Tetsutetsu says that the gas made him see his worst fear! watch out-"

Then it happened, the man swiped up, having regained the knife during the moment he'd been distracted. The eye of the mask was hit and Mineta jumped back, dropping the grape and nearly falling. He smelled something and tasted something awful, the gas. For a moment, he thought his iris had been hit but realized it had just been the goggle.

"Alright, that was a dirty sneak..." he looked down and saw the dead face of his mother raising from the ground, replacing where the villains head had been. The ghoulish look of fear and the blood splatter still raked across her face. Now he fell back.

"Stupid boy..." the head said staring down at him. "You had a chance there, but you gave it away." Mineta tried to stand back up and he started batting his hands out as the heads of his dead friends seemed to be floating around and mocking him with calls of "Coward!"

"W-What...what..."

"Tell me, what're you seeing?" he saw the villains arm go through the head of Kaminari and hit him square in the face. Mineta wobbled back alternating between clutching his ears and face. "Dead family? friends? it's a common hero fear."

"G-Get away! s-stop!" Mineta swirled his hands around. The whole world seemed drowned out by the heads now. The hand came through again, grasping him by the throat and with a grunt he was slammed to the ground.

The head of mom stared down, her face seeming rotted and worms were crawling out of her left eye. The faces of the class were all staring down and yelling at him as he struggled.

"Coward!"

"You're not a hero!"

"Stupid pervert!"

"You can't save anything you scared little-"

The voice coming from mom's face then spoke, "Your nervous system is being overwhelmed, your heartrate skyrocketing, your fight or flight response in shambles, you're going into shock. But don't worry, I'll make death come quick," it raised the knife which shined in the moonlight. Mineta's eyes widened, and he was screaming.

"Mineta!? Mineta! are you there!?"

The face looked up, then down to the boy, "Waste of my time anyway. Have fun for the next couple hours," It rose fast, and ran off leaving Mineta on the ground kicking up and letting out gibbering shouts. His eyes were wild as he swung his hands about.

They found him like this, the whole group did with gas masks on. The last thing he remembered before slipping away were the mocking faces being replaced by the real one's. His classmates helping him up and getting him back to the lodge.

For the next eight hours, he'd laid in a bed under the watchful eye of some classmates, then teachers, and then doctors. Throughout all of it, despite his throat burning like hellfire, he never stopped screaming.

---

Days Before The Kamino Incident

"They found Bakugo's location?!" Mineta said holding the phone to his ear and stepping outside into the hot sunny afternoon from his house. He went against the wall like he was speaking of something confidential.

"Keep your voice down," Iida said. "I'm here with some of the others. We're going to try and help-"

"Whoa whoa what?" he glanced about. Dad was inside on the couch sleeping, his mouth all the way open and drool falling out as the television played in the background. One of his usual daytime activities. "Help?"

"Yes...Mineta, listen...it's been a month and...I'm unsure what they might've done to him."

"...Uh...but...w-we..." he rubbed his neck. The debate of the choice was like walking on a tightrope made out of his intestines. "Is...Kaminari-San with you?"

"No," he went over the usual expected names and when he reached the second to last Mineta couldn't stop himself from talking, "Izuku and-"

"Y-You guys might get hurt...o-or in trouble. D-Didn't Tsuyu-San say that-"

"Tsuyu is joining us."

"...Oh..."

"Listen...sometimes rules..." he heard a huff, "they...must be set aside for when saving a life is involved. Especially when it's one of our own."

He didn't say anything, his stomach did backflips and his breath was heavy. He'd imagined facing off with those bad guys again, in the forest, that man with the gas.

"Mineta?"

"I-I'm..."

"I must hang up soon. Meet us at the Kamino wards train station, understand? or...are you not coming?"

For a moment, he didn't say anything. Leapfrogging between two sides of the fence, with the looming threat of his pants being caught by one.

"If you...do not want-"

"I'll go."

"...Alright, see you soon."

He put down the phone, his chest rising and falling, sweat coming down the sides of his head. His braid was scratching against the wall, and he looked in at dad who was still laid across the couch.

Like him, he was on the smaller side though with a prominent gut. The stench of the glue-like substance he produced from the top of his bald head was oozing out onto the couch mantle as Minoru approached.

His cheeks were chubby, with dark stubble on it, he'd not been the one to gift him with the purple hair. He wore jeans and a white work shirt with an undone tie.

Crouching down, he shook him gently. It took several attempts before he finally stirred. "Wha..." he grunted.

"I'm going out."

Dad blinked for a few moments, "...Whu..."

"I'm going out..."

"...Get milk before you come back..."

"Ok..."

---

Present Day-UA

He'd been there, with them. Seeing All Might in his final moments, Bakugo saved yet broken, and him just standing there. Helpless, so helpless. Like always. Mineta drew back from the balcony and walked back inside. He sat down on the futon once more, then he stared ahead. For a moment, he was motionless.

Then he brought his hands up quickly and hit his cheeks with the bone of his wrist in several intervals, making strange weeping noises as he struck again and again. He was hitting so hard that his vision was getting funny.

Then he stopped and sat there. Until there was a knock at the door, "Minoru! dinner's being served!" Todoroki. Mineta grabbed his phone as he wiped his face and looked down at the time. Seeing it, he stood up and stretched, then smiled brightly and nodded several times before walking over and opening.

Shoto was standing there, nearly a foot taller than him. His face had its usual cool expression and when he saw Mineta with his scarred eye he said, "Your eyes are red."

Mineta shrugged absentmindedly, "Eh, my eyes are reaaall itchy today."

"...I see..."

He jogged out joining Shoto as the latter turned and walked on the red floor, "Are the others out already?"

"You were the last one, so yes."

"...Hey uh...dude."

"What?" he looked at him.

"Think you could get me on with your dad?"

"...What do you-"

"An internship, the interning...stuff."

Shoto watched him for a second, thinking, "...No."

"Wha-why not?"

"It's nothing against you, my father wouldn't..." he glanced away for a moment, then back. "How are you doing?"

"Good!"

"...Are you sure?"

"Yeah!"

"...Ok."

Mineta slapped him on the back, "Don't worry man! I can always intern with somebody else."

"That's not...never mind..."

They moved on, and all was fine.

Notes:

For more information on what happened to Bakugo and Izuku during Kamino, check out this fic for more context https://archiveofourown.org/works/62091034/chapters/158805664

Also, thanks for reading.

Chapter 5: Give Up

Summary:

Mineta tries and tries to get into some kind of work-study with anybody. Not even wash accepts him. However, things take a turn as he begins to spiral and sends out his resume to none other than the Hero Commission.

UA-Gym Gamma A

"You sweep your arm under, not over," Ochako said kneeling and looking down as Mineta crouched on top of the person sized black and white dummy. They were on the mat in gamma gym and the others were practicing around them, some with quirks and some purely physical.

"Oops," he brought his right arm back and hovered it to the left before crossing under, then turned and fell back. Both his legs wrapped around the arm as he then pulled and fell back to the mat, landing with his chin tucked in his neck.

"Hey, you got it!" she smiled brightly, "nice job!"

"What if there's more guys?" he said locking the submission in on the thing so hard he was pulling the practice person up.

"Then don't do an armbar or work some footwork in to get back up and moving. You took boxing in middle school, right? apply that."

His hair skittered against the floor as he asked, "Should I yell gun head martial arts too?"

"...Uh...y-yeah if you want..." she rubbed her arm awkwardly, "for...now practice that when you can, it's like the most basic submission somebody can do. We can try throws next if that's all good."

Mineta nodded, "Sure, uh...before that..."

"What is it?"

He sat up, his arms hanging over his knees and him scratching his face, "So...is...Dragon Fist still taking...interns?"

At first Ochako didn't seem to catch his meaning, but then she realized and said, "Oh...well...uh..." she pressed her fingers together and looked away awkwardly. "D-Don't you have a thing with Mount Lady?"

"...N...She kinda...laughed over the phone when I asked. Is yours too busy?"

"It's nothing against you, I just don't think your...quirk would fit in, and she only takes in people who she can teach. For me and Nejire-San, it's flying, and for Asui-Chan its..."

"Reptile stuff?"

She nodded apologetically, "Yep."

He glanced up at her, his braid wet and drooping near the ground. Flipping it over his shoulder he said, "Eh, that's okay, thanks for being honest Ochako-San."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Call everybody...San or Sensei in Ashido's case."

"Um. I wanna be respectful," he tilted his head questioningly. Standing slowly, he shrugged his arms and rubbed his shoulder.

Ochako decided to leave the topic, "Have you tried any other heroes?"

"Oh yeah, I sent out like a ton of applications to a buncha different agencies."

This made her start up into her cheerful self, "Well, I'm sure at least one-"

"They all got rejected."

And like that, she was back to square one, "...Um..."

"Don't worry girl!" he said putting his hands up, coiling them into thumbs at himself and smiling, "I'll keep trying, that's what a hero does!"

Ochako giggled at the childlike excitability he always brought to the table, "You're not wrong I suppose. But...we should get back to training, here, I'll show you how to do a flip."

"Oh, I can do that."

"Really? show-" she was stifled as he stepped away and drew his hands up and went down, performing a front flip. She watched him strangely as he came back up. "...A...Gunhead martial arts...flip...not...not that. You flip the opponent, for like...if they have a knife."

"Woops!"

---

Musutafu-The Cities Walkways

"You really think he'll bring me on?" Mineta said as he jogged next to Izuku excitedly. The broccoli haired boy nodded down at him. There was this sort of calm that he'd entered the second term with. It wasn't like he was a different person, but he didn't get nervous around people much anymore, nor did he

"I don't see why not," he said smiling gently, "Bubble Girl already has her hands full enough so don't expect anything from her."

He'd asked him during class and Deku was more than obliging to try and bring him on. They'd gone and walked through the city together for the last half hour and were close onto rounding into Sir Night eye's agency.

"That's fine, what's makin her so busy? I'd think you and Mirio-San of all dudes would lighten the load."

"There's..." he looked as if he might've regretted saying that out loud but nevertheless, he spoke, "some sort of new drug out on the street."

"...Oh, so like peddlers or-"

"No, no, it's a drug which...think...steroids."

"Steroids?"

"For quirks."

Mineta started stroking his grape braid "Q-Quirks? so, like it makes your quirk stronger?"

"Pretty much. Nighteye-Sensei called it Trigger, but some other people call it "boost," from what I've seen."

"Hey, wait isn't that the same stuff that stops baldness and...E.D?"

Izuku chuckled softly at the last line, "It's an off-brand version, but yes. Nighteye-San wants to work to stop it, but it's been hard. There's some underground guys working on it too."

"Like a needle in a haystack?"

"Pretty much."

Mineta watched him for a little while. They never really had spoken when it was just the two of them. Maybe that's why he said what he said next, "Midoriya-San?" Izuku glanced over, "thanks."

Izuku thought for a second, "For what?"

"For...helping me on the boat and bringing me out here."

He seemed surprised, "Ah, you're welcome."

"You're...good though?" it was a layered question that Izuku picked up on almost instantly.

He was silent for a couple of seconds before answering, "...It's been hard...but..." he sighed, "on Bakugo too. He had to beg his mom to come back to school. Same with me. All Might...I wish he were here but...you can't change the bad parts of life. You can only move forward."

"No," Sir Nighteye said pushing up his glasses ten minutes later and pushing away the resume he'd received.

"Why not?!" Mineta said as he was crouched on the man's desk. His office was orderly with all manner of All might merchandise, a superfan like his intern.

"I cannot spare the time for another. My apologies, but there is simply no way I can deal with you and the others. Speaking of others, Midoriya."

Izuku seized up from where he was previously staring shocked at him, "Uh...yes sir?"

"Mirio's already out on patrol, do go and join him."

"Um...I mean yes sir. Sorry Minoru, but I have to go."

"It's...fine!" Mineta said smiling as he went in the back to get changed. The two watched him leave.

Nighteye's voice made Mineta's head shoot left back to him, "It's nothing personal...merely..."

Mineta's smile almost faltered, "Because I'm weak and my quirk is weird?"

"Don't...say that now, I'm sure-"

"It's what Mount Lady said, she's pretty funny."

"You meant that as a joke?..."

He nodded several times before Nighteye stopped him, "Nothing of your quirk either, actually, that's not entirely true. I'm...dealing with a personal loss, same for my two young interns. That and a new wave of drug peddling would leave me little time to guide you in any shape or way. I can recommend you to some other heroes, if you wish."

Mineta lit up, "Really? go ahead!"

He pulled out a paper from the drawer in his desk, then shut it with a thud, and cleared his throat. "I'm aware you've been sending out your resume to agencies, just make sure to tell me if you've already been rejected."

"Mhm."

"Gang Orca might-"

"Rejected."

"Very well, wash has a unique quirk such as-"

"Nada."

"...Hm, and here I thought he was looking...never mind. Crust-"

"No."

It went on like this for the next couple of minutes, so long that Izuku was done changing and saying his goodbyes to the two on his way out to the streets. with each apparent telling of rejection, Nighteye seemed to become more and more astonished by how many times a boy could be told no.

"...Okay...Yoroi-"

"Ie."

He slammed the paper down, "My goodness! how many heroes have said no to you?"

Mineta shrank a little, "A lot."

"Why? some sort of incident in your past? perhaps you're aiming too high?"

"Never had anything bad on my permanent record, UA doesn't let people with stuff like that in. Um...well...actually."

"What?"

"When I was in Junior High, I may or may not have peeped in on some girls...it was a big mistake...and it appears on my transcripts so..."

"I see..." he'd leaned his head to the left and placed his index and middle finger on his head. Letting out a sigh, he sat up and looked at him, "Okay, why don't we instead go over those whom you have not said no? can...you tell me that much?"

"Uh...well Mount Lady but that's because I called her, and she laughed at me when I asked and hung up."

Nighteye raised a brow, "Odd...even with the uniqueness of your quirk, I'd think her sort would find having more sidekicks, especially from UA would cause more fame and glory to be set upon her."

Mineta looked away, "Not this time. Uh...next guy is Endeavor but-"

"Always a but with you-"

"But his son's already told me that I wouldn't exactly fit in."

"Endeavor's a...well...he's a bit rough around the edges."

"Yep."

"You know his son?"

"Oh yeah, Todoroki-San's a cool guy. Literally, he can shoot ice out of one side of his body."

"...Understood...just...tell me one whom you know won't throw you out of the door the first step in."

"Only guy left is...Hawks?"

"Oh," that wasn't noise of realization, but one of pity. Mineta appeared to not pick up on it. "Try him then. Listen, I'm very busy and-"

"Nah, it's okay Nighteye-Sama, I'll go n' talk to a friend of mine. He's interning with the guy too."

Nighteye watched him as he prepared to leave, he pondered something for a moment. "There are other options for interning you know."

His head spun around before his body did as he was setting off the desk, "Really?!"

"Keep your voice down, but yes. Are you aware of the Hero Public Safety Commission?"

"Coulda said Commission like a normal person, but yeah."

"Hush. They may offer some sort of entry level position. It's...more governmental than hero work, but if you're interested-"

He cut him off before he could even finish, "I'll think about it."

"That fast?"

Mineta wasn't smiling, a mere somberness to him as he gazed back. To anyone who knew him, it would be a strange sight, the boy never seemed to even frown. "I want to get with a big-time hero, someone who'll actually teach me stuff. But, if it's with those guys...well they trained that Hawks dude, didn't they?"

"Is..." Nighteye was fully looking down at him now, "that true?"

Mineta looked away, "After everything, I'd like to be a little more like...like All Might," he said looking at one of the posters.

Nighteye watched him with his palms pressed together, the final words to him a simple four-word sentence, "I wish you good luck, young Minoru."

He turned to him and smiled with a thumb up, "Thanks!"

---

Criminology Classroom-UA

"Lying," Tokoyami said, his raven head with narrowed brows as he stared at him. Nearly two weeks of having a license, and nothing to show for it. He had to ask him after class, he had to.

"Bro, there is no way this actually works!" Mineta said as they sat across each other, seated a big table in infiltration course. A small forensics lab took up half the class and the other side looked like any other beyond the new seating arrangement. Around them, the others went at trying their hand at the task, Ectoplasm watching over them all.

"Your pupils became wider, that's the telling sign Minoru," he pointed his fingers up to his eyes. "Even the hardest of criminals can give away info when one knows of that certain aspect of human nature. Now you."

"Oh, uh..." Mineta thought for a moment, "Is your favorite food...chicken?" he smirked.

Tokoyami looked miffed by that, "...First of all, screw off, but second, no," he watched as his pupils shortened into small little beads.

"...Truth...?"

"Yes, but that was an easy one."

"Well yeah, you like saba, I see you eating it all the...the...time?..."

Tokoyami stared at him. "Ask a harder question Minoru."

"Alright, alright," Mineta shook his hands and rubbed his hand against his chin.

"Give him a minute, or an hour," Tsuyu interjected, her big finger up beside her wide mouth and giving him a sarcastic face. She'd partnered up with the visible Toru who sat across with Tokoyami while the froggy girl sat next to Mineta.

"Tsu-Chan...let him think," Toru said. Today she'd chosen to not go invisible, so they saw her brushing her chartreuse hair down and watching curiously.

"All I needed was ten seconds!" Mineta said then pointed at Tokoyami, "can you fly!?"

"...Yes."

"True?..."

"In small bursts, yes, much better."

"Finally, I got a hard one. This seeing pupil's junk is super hard..."

"Tell me about it," Toru said, "Asui isn't easy to read."

Tsuyu bowed a little, "Ribbit."

"Technically you'd be the hardest to gauge," Tokoyami said looking over at her. Dark shadow was manifested on the table and laid its head down. Mineta and Tsuyu pet it as the other two talked.

"What do you mean-oh true," she laughed.

"No shot you forgot you can do that," Mineta said.

"It happens, what about you and your hair?" Tokoyami said glancing to him, "for the entire license exam, I distinctly remember a lack of grapes until the midround."

"Least he wasn't trying to fight naked," Tsuyu said still patting Dark Shadow.

"Uh...no comment..." Tokoyami said.

"Ohh, yeah," Mineta said putting his finger up, "it was that Camie girl, right?" he placed his hands on his head and started shifting it around until it went down into bangs similar to the spoken. He placed the grapes on top and they sank in as if integrating into his skull. "And she totally for real was all like this, omg gawd rizz you goi's!" Dark Shadow pecked his hand, "ow!"

"I'm not listening to that for another second," Tokoyami said. "Girl was a strange one though, she speaks like Ashido but with the dial turned up to eleven."

"Something like...okay now that...I forget you can do," Toru pointed at Mineta's head.

"Want me to do Tsuyu-San next? her knots are hard to do but I can pull-ow!" he tried to shy away as she roughly ruffled his hair back into its original crazed place. Pulling the grapes out she tried to take away her hand, but it was caught. She tried to tug but he stopped her hand.

"Nice one," Mineta said, "hang on," he grasped the grape, "now try," Tsuyu then was able to take her hand off.

"Your fault," Tsuyu said flicking her hand.

"I tell everybody to not touch the braid, and what do'ya do? ya touch...ow!" he cried as she slapped him with her tongue. "Three is too much for one class! don't go above the set limit!"

---

He didn't even have to be told no by Tokoyami when the class was done, and they were packing to leave. Mineta just saw the look of rejection on his face and left with an, "Just kidding!" making haste out the door.

Already he was near fifty yards out from class, watching the sun and feeling the crisp fall air on his face, causing what little facial hair he had to prick up. Like micro pins on a board.

"You can move fast," Tsuyu said from behind him. He jumped a bit and stared over to meet her gaze as she joined him. Like always, he smiled.

"Shouldn't ya be with Uraraka or Toru?! why're you hangin around with me?"

Tsuyu stared blankly at him, her calm expression was always a contrast to his many vibrant faces, "It's just odd."

"What is?!"

She held her finger up to her mouth, "I didn't take you for a quiet person."

"Aren't ya always croaking?"

"It's my catchphrase."

"Why is everybody so surprised that I'm suddenly takin a whole buncha classes? first Kamina-" he stopped.

"Denki?" she said inclining her head at him. The two were about the same height though he obviously weighed more, the protein powder having done wonders for him over the summer.

"Ain't cha got work study?!"

"Nope. We're off today."

"Then go n' relax Tsuyu-San! no need to talk to me-"

"You can stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Just be yourself."

"I am being myself?!"

"...Nope."

"Huh?!"

"Those jokes-"

"Yeah, I'm well known for-"

"You keep making fun of yourself."

"So what?!"

"It's not funny."

"Some people think it is."

"Who?"

"Denki and other people. C'mon Asui-San, that's just how guys are."

"Minoru, how many times do I keep telling you to call me Tsu?"

"Like twenty-nine-"

"A lot, but whatever. Forget it."

They walked together for a few more yards, Mineta scanning at his side to see if she was still there, every time she was. "How's it been, workin with Dragon Fist?"

Tsuyu appeared to pick up at that, "Pretty good, I've been learning a lot. The camo thing is looking pretty spry, I've even got this poison move in development."

"Cool! feels...funny talkin, we haven't...for-"

"Since Kamino," she said those words like they were most obvious.

"Yeah..."

"We did our best there."

"...Yeah..."

"You don't believe it do you?"

He didn't say anything.

"Minoru, did you...even ask Mount Lady to work study?"

He wasn't looking at her.

"It's not a bad thing-"

"Look I gotta go. There's this thing with the Commission I'm wanting to get in on, and I need to send them my resume. See ya Asui-San!" Mineta waved back at her as he ran.

Tsuyu watched him and placed a finger up to her mouth and deeply exhaled.

---

In his room, he stared down with a soft expression at his phone after hitting send. He wasn't sure what they would think. All he had left was a little bit of hope, but even that seemed fleeting. Sliding off the futon, he moved down to the floor and started doing push-ups. He knew a lot of types. Alternating between triceps, normal, and one arms he was like that for a while.

When he reached a hundred, he stopped and sat on his knees, reminding himself that Izuku and Bakugo could probably do three hundred. Then his gaze was set to the dumbbells beside his violin.

He'd thought it'd be enough. The boxing from middle school and the dancing Mina had taught him. In a fight with like five people, his quirk combined he'd probably win. But that was the minimum for a place like UA. So, this past summer he'd started working harder.

Things like video games, violin practice, and rest had to be put aside for physical and quirk improvement. He had to become a hero, he had to. For a little while, it hadn't hurt as bad when he was with all the new people. But after Kamino? seeing All Might? Bakugo? he was reminded of it and that pain wouldn't stop.

Why did they all reject him? why? he'd worked so hard and that apparently meant nothing. He saw everybody getting opportunity after opportunity, and he wanted that to be him. It was like a knife in his gut when he thought about it. You weren't his student, you weren't his friend, why do you even care? because a hero cares.

Would it ever be enough? when did he start getting noticed? getting appreciated? he wanted all of that and more, but there was also a part of him that knew all those things weren't really that important in the grand scheme of things.

Around fifty pounds, he grabbed the weights and without any rest or stretching like before, started curling. On the fifteenth he was thinking about the conversations he'd had in these past days, landing particularly on the last one with Tsuyu. There was something running through him, a kind of warm sweat of embarrassment and anger, at himself. Why did he have to act like that in front of her? in front of everyone?

'You don't believe it do you?'

'You keep making fun of yourself.'

'Just be yourself.'

'You saved our bacon back on that boat, good job, ribbit."

He placed the weights down and backed up and sat on his bed, seeing her face, "Yeah, like that's ever going to happen," he shook his head, "idiot..."

Then he brought his hands up and hit his face, hard. When he was done, he wiped the blood off his lip and stood. Then he walked to the door. Smiling, he listened to the footsteps approaching. There was a throbbing on the lower side of his mouth, he ignored it.

"Min-" Mineta opened the door before Shoto could knock who in turn looked surprised down at him for a split second before returning to his normal expression, "Dinners...being served. Is your lip bleeding?"

Mineta realized he was right, there was a trickle of blood running down his chin. Dammit, he didn't think he'd hit that hard but now here he was with a slightly busted lip. Touching it, he said, "Uh...oh, yeah! um, how'd that happen!? must've been my lips gettin a little dry!"

There was a concerned stare on his face for a second, "That doesn't look like-"

Mineta waved his hand as the other held his mouth, "Go on and get to Rush Todoroki-San, it's fine! I'll take care of it. Don't worry!"

Shoto seemed offed for another moment, then he just shook his head forward and turned. Mineta watched him leave, then he went to his bathroom to clean up and all was fine.

---

Kyushu Hawks Agency

The elevator shaft dinged open, and the doors slid as the robotic voice said, "Top floor," Meli stepped out holding her hands close as she and her band of security all in black walked into the top floor of Hawks office. It'd taken several stories before they reached the top, the man had a thing for high places and the finer things in life after all.

They were led by one of his many sidekicks, a man wearing a golden bird mask and a yellow and white stripped outfit, "He's speaking with one of the newer guys now." Leading them down the hall, they reached a door at the end that the man pushed open.

"Hm," she said. The middle-aged woman walked in. A fishtank to her left that cast a small blueish hue was the first thing of note. Many colorful aquatic creatures inside swam about the near ten-foot-long aquarium. Decorations of memorabilia on the walls of favored heroes were placed on the wall, and many comfortable blue and red articles of furniture took up the middle along with a large flatscreen tv on the wall. Beyond this, there was a corner door that led out to a long balcony.

Speaking of the mid-room, Hawks and Tokoyami were stood speaking to each other as Meli walked in. The boy in his usual dark attire and Hawks in his baggy coat and cargo pants, the wings massive and slightly fluttering.

"Keep up the fly training, maybe one day you'll be as fast as...oh sup pres?" Hawks looked from his student to the woman, his blonde hair windswept like usual. "This a social visit?"

"Takami, we have need of you. Tell your man to clear the room. YEO."

"What?..." Tokoyami said visibly confused.

"It means "your ears only," Hawks said doing air quotes at his student then turning back to her, "I can assure-"

"Non-negotiable," Meli said staring straight at him, "top secret business."

"Um...Hawks?" Tokoyami still seemed unsure even as the other sidekicks were leaving.

Keigo stared ahead at the woman, "Go on kid, get back to flying alright?"

"...Y-Yes...Sensei," Tokoyami stepped carefully past them down the hall and to the door. He glanced back only once before exiting. When the door closed, the room was silent as Hawks went to a couch and sat on it.

"You like to watch me, or're we actually gonna have a conversation?"

She didn't move, same with her men. They were almost like puppets, and she was the marionette controlling them, "Give me news on the League."

"Ah, of course," he placed a finger up and leaned back, "Pretty good. They're trusting me enough to meet in person. Mainly it's just with some burnt skin ass wack job, calls himself Dabi. Anything recognizable?"

"No."

He went on, explaining the ins and outs of what little he'd come by in the past few weeks. It took around five minutes for him to fully explain everything. Meli pondered it for about twenty seconds when he finally finished.

"Bout it," he said.

"...It appears we'll be in the long game for this..." she rubbed her face, "which leads me to another reason for my visit. We need someone new."

He raised his eyebrows and made a weird face, "Eh? explain."

"We've devoted personnel towards the countering of crime, but with the rise of these villains we've been stretched thin, and the operatives have proven to be...unreliable. Foreign aid is a hell all on its own and with our top agent wriggling his way into the hearts and minds of said villains, we need more."

"...What're you saying?"

"Some of the best. One should be enough if it's from a place say...UA? that boy is very powerful-"

Hawks stood up, staring at all of them and clenching his fists. He was not a man who was drawn to anger very easily, seeing him like this on a dime was a rarity that made even her flake from the usual glare.

"No."

"We-"

"My sidekicks are off limits Meli."

"You haven't-"

"I don't care. Tokoyami wouldn't even take the offer. Why're you people wanting another one? do I hafta remind you of the last guy who recruited from a school and the Nagant who did him in?"

She decided then to leave out the fact they'd already recruited from several differing schools, "It's different from then, a student from the best of the best of UA under the eye of the Commission could produce results within a year. We need an enforcer for the streets while you're occupied-"

Hawks pointed a finger at her, "Are you asking me to go and get a kid myself?"

"I'd thought you'd be willing to at least offer the position to your student. Since it is clear you are more than against it, however...we shall simply adjourn this meeting and be done with it."

"Pres, I'm serious," he shook his head, "we don't need another-"

"With how much you go and visit the woman, I'm surprised you speak so ill of her."

He glared at her.

"Good day, Takami," she said turning, her men following her to the door. Hawks watched her leave, the quiet permeating through the room. As they exited, and went back to the elevator, she heard a beep on her watch.

Glancing down, she saw the name. Mera. She waited until she was back in the limo outside before tapping the watch, a small feed of him appeared shot in grey and white video as she sat, the vehicle rolling along at a steady pace.

"Yokumiru here..."

"Report," she said.

"I've got some good news and some bad news Madame President-"

"Good, then bad."

"Huh, didn't take you for...forget it," he scratched through his ragged head as he stared ahead at a computer screen. "Good news is, I've been narrowing down candidates for the cause. The usual: broken homes, orphans, the lonely types y'know. Issue is that alotta the UA kids in One A got some happy families or...remind me, why are we saying this is a work study thing?"

"Hero society isn't exactly looking great right now. We must mask a few things for a little while. Nothing major, it's just...use a different word for something and it suddenly shan't garner suspicion."

He seemed like he didn't actually mean for her to answer the question but still said, "Uh huh, while my aides and I were researching, who would've guessed that one of the...One A kids sent out an application for an entry level position. Kinda crazy, the kids willing to stack papers all day if it means getting in."

The President looked intrigued, "Who is it?"

"That's where the bad news comes in," he sent a smaller image of a boy to her. Said boy was wearing a cheerleader outfit, performing a dance in front of a massive crowd. The Sports Festival from a few months back.

"Is...that the...grape headed one?"

"Yep."

"Oh, my goodness..."

"He fits the bill perfect. Dead mom, dad arrested for several public intoxication incidents. Bit of a wonder how he got in UA if I'm being honest. Perhaps it's a result of...hm...well...what I've seen his quirk is...not to be laughed at exactly."

"He's a One A student, of course he's powerful but...what of the floating girl? her family is a poor one is it not?"

"Already interning, wait how'd that thing about Hawks boy go-"

"He refused with...much anger."

"Told you it would happen."

"It was better to try than to not at all."

"Sure, sure, so what about the grape kid? think we should bring him on?"

"Of course, send some note or email asking him to come in for an "interview," as much as I wish we could've had someone...better, times are desperate. We need people on our side for what's coming."

"And...done writing, now sending...he'll be in for Monday afternoon."

"Good, hopefully this venture will prove most fruitful. I'm sure Captain Chikara will be more than happy to take on a new student."

"Eugh...you sure about hiring that guy back? the man's a bit of a nutcase-"

"Like I said, desperate times."

"Yes...Ma'am...times set for four-thirty, should fit in with everyone's schedules."

Meli gave a rare half-smile, "Good work. I'm sure his journey will be...interesting at the very least."

Chapter 6: The Interview

Summary:

Mineta is finally doing it! he's gotten an interview with the Commission and all he has to do is pass a test or two and he's good, right? right?...

The Hero Public Safety Commission's Main Building

The bright light from the floodlight above shined harsh in his eyes, and he placed his hand up as he saw people in suits seated around him on a high long table that circled around the room, and they stared down at him most if not all with a level of oddity.

At the center of this table, her hands pressed together and still like a porcelain doll as she looked down at him, an older woman with light hair spoke, "Minoru Mineta, child of Makato Mineta and Rosuta Mineta, the latter deceased. Cause of death lung cancer two years prior to now. Training to become a hero at UA academy. Currently boarded within the school. Based in the city at block five at house three fifteen."

"...Uh...yeah? I wrote that all down on the resume," he rubbed his head. They'd taken him to the very top of the Commission's building, at least what forty or fifty stories up?

He hadn't checked the elevator number as the men in black led him from the waiting room where he'd been kicked back going through the weird magazine's they had there. Trying to figure out the best way to keep his hair past thirty-five. The air was constantly cold up in the large, darkened space and he was rolling his shoulders back and looking at them.

The woman rolled her eyes, "Right...before we do anything with you. You may call me Madame President, do you know who I am?"

He nodded.

"Amazing. What my colleagues and I require out of you are a simple few answers to a few simple questions. You are going to give those answers honestly and fast as possible, do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?"

"Uh...is this still work stud-"

"Quick."

"Yes...yes!"

They started bombarding him, one of the figures instantly asking, "What's your name?"

"...Minoru Mineta?"

"Age?" another called.

"Fifteen."

Tapping a pencil against the wood, somebody sitting at the high table spoke, "Height and weight?"

"Uh, hundred-fifty centimeters and hundred and fifty kilos."

"Did you work study with one Yuu Takeyama about four months ago for an entire week?" the way they all spoke, almost robotic. Like they were mere husks of humans and the flesh inside was replaced with all machine and wiring.

"Yes."

"Are you in a relationship?" again, the questions went from person to person, it was putting him in a daze almost.

"No..."

"Are you close with any of your extended relatives?"

"...This doesn't-"

"Answer."

"N-No, my grandparents live in the countryside, and I go and visit them like twice a year but that's it."

"That should be enough," Madame President finally said. "Mineta, nothing I am about to tell you escapes the room. Understand?"

"...O-Okay..." he suddenly felt very small as all the eyes looked down on him.

Her eyes were almost staring through his body and outward unto the entirety of all. "The Hero Public Safety Commission works for the benefit of society and hero society at large. To keep peace from all threats. We have many at our disposal who work to ensure that mission, the largest example of this would be Hawks as I'm sure you're aware."

To him, it sounded like she was reading off an unseen teleprompter. But all Mineta did was nod, his shoulders folding slightly inward given standing tall didn't seem like an option.

"Now then, a few things before we go anywhere with this information. You fit our...expectations perfectly well, beyond one incident. Middle school, first year, peeping? care to explain that transgression?"

You could've lightly tapped and pushed him down in the moment he realized they knew. "Um...well..."

"No excuses or lies," her finger slid along the table, making a small scratching noise.

He could've said anything. It was an accident, he was a dumb curious kid, but no, none of that was true so he went with the full measure of, "...I...was...being a pervert..." his face was turning red from embarrassment, "not good...y'know...uh..."

"Pervert? no...I was curious or something?" she paused, her brow raising up and down in several quick intervals, "very honest of you..."

"Uh...well...that's how I was in middle school. Not to sound stupid but...it took a lot of...soul searching to stop myself." What else would he say? there was a written record of him doing it. He stood there, almost sinking to the floor like a deflated balloon. "But does that mean I'm..."

"Being honest with us is an acceptable start, but an excuse would be better. That or denial. Hasn't UA taught you how to resist interrogation?"

"...No?"

"Perhaps it sounds odd. But trust me. In a career such as this, skills of that sort are certainly needed. Call that a test, a test you failed. But that's okay, for if you manage to meet other expectations, that little slip up will be forgotten."

"So...you're not mad about the peeping-"

"No. There are more important things to worry about. Next is the physical and quirk examination, the gentlemen outside this room will lead you there."

---

HPSC Training Area

When he entered, it was originally just a large room with weapon racks at the side and a wide vast floor planted over the earth which made for naturally formed walls around. Within the earth at the roof were large bright lights that could be as dimmed or brightened as the controller on the computer in the observation deck wished.

Mineta stood at its center, looking around at the place. There were multiple glass panels all around the center, of which brought slight familiarity to the boy. It looked exactly like the flooring of Gamma gym, concrete and huge, like at least two-hundred meters across. Small faults in the floor where stuff could pop up at any moment, which was why they'd told him to stand at the edge.

He placed his hand on his arm and rubbed. Sweat went in his eye, and he brushed it out. Whispering to himself, he said, "I'm here...would be nice if somebody would tell me what I'm supposed-" the lights then switched on forcing him to put his hand up and cover, "for the second dang time!?"

A section of the floor turned and there were two horizontal red lines parallel to each other like a race track. A voice crackled in through the speakers, "Quirk apprehension. Warm yourself up in a minute, then be ready. First is the fifty-meter dash, move as quick as possible, your quirk is allowed."

From the floor as he did this, more items that were made of metal unless their material required them not to be came forth. Obstacles. A climbing rope, jump hurdles, and even a slanted wall at the end where one seemed to need to complete the race at.

"...Uh...it's kinda like UA's," he said, the nervousness showing in his voice as he tugged on his sleeveless shirts collar. "We uh...did one..." no answer.

A large black rectangular clock decorated the wall in front of him. In big red letters it counted down. Thirty seconds, then twenty, ten, and five. As the final few moments came to pass all he could really do was rest his hands on the floor with two grapes in hand and place his right foot back and left forward.

Then he tore off the millisecond he recognized the zero on the clock. It began to count up once more. Multiple hurdles were cleared by well-timed jumps off the grapes, he made half the rope using one, and when he used them to climb up the slanted wall and cross the red line at the top, he let out a breath of victory. Then he looked back to the clock. Sixteen seconds.

His heart sank, last time it was twelve and that'd gotten him placed last. But then he thought of the obstacles he had to clear, and then he thought that Denki, Eijiro, Sero, and pretty much all the rest of the class would've done this quicker.

"Take the ladder down and prepare for your next challenge. Grip strength."

Each test was akin to the one's he'd done for quirk apprehension, in each at the end the process repeated itself. He could've gripped that harder, she could've jumped further, insert person here could've done more sit ups, though like usual he performed great in standing side jump. The heat on his face wasn't just from the exercise by the time he was done.

"Your time is up."

He stopped. The clock for the distance run had finally gone down. What, was it three or four miles that he'd run in the half hour he'd been given? damn it, he couldn't recall. That was like the one thing he was supposed to be good at, even better than Yaoyorozu and he was slipping there too? stop being trash for five seconds, please.

"Okay..." Mineta huffed heading back to the center. "Ball throw time...wait how am I gonna do that?"

"You won't."

An enormous man had entered the arena, yet Mineta saw the double doors he originally came through had not moved nor did he hear them. Jumping after hearing his voice, he saw him fully. Tall, probably a foot over him, and wearing a suit, a three piece at that. Tan skin, jet black hair with small white highlights, and a small, neat moustache that was just as black.

Instantly he was on the man, giving him a smile even though there were tendrils of fear tugging at his legs, "Oh, is that all for today? do I win? did you teleport in here? am I all set for work study?"

"One more test," he said placing a finger up to emphasize his point. Mineta looked at him. His eyes were dark, and they stared down at him, almost unimpressed. His accent was strange, and it took him a moment to place that it was probably South American. Lucky for him that Ashido had a Brazilian grandfather, allowing him to recognize the similar style of speaking.

"Is it written? on a computer? where are the desk-" he stopped when the man made a shushing motion.

"Hush. You speak too much and think too little."

"...Sound just like my homeroom teacher. Uh, who are you?"

The man stared at him, his eyes without shine as he stared down at him. The silence made the boy rub his arm in nervousness. "Call me Tsuyoi."

"Um...okay...Minoru-"

"Be quiet. I am aware of your name. As for the final test, you shall not fight any villain bots, nor will you throw a ball or any silly thing such as that. You will face me in a fight. You will not hold back, for I shan't either. If you lose, you're done."

"W-What?" he went off the ground and landed hard on his back, blind sighted by a hook to the chin. Mineta saw pure white for a split second and his jaw ached as he scrambled to his feet and fell to his knees, Tsuyoi standing above.

"Are you truly one of UA's best and brightest? truly in class A?" he stepped forward snapping his leg in roundhouse form and Mineta held up his arms. They went numb for a moment as he stumbled to his feet. He reached up, his twitching hand scratching for a grape.

"Hang on dude! I wasn't ready!" he jumped back and threw a grape. It hit his opponent on the belly who subsequently dashed back himself, looked down, then back to Minoru and shook his head.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Mineta yelled, "you weirdo! attacking me out of-" he fell back dodging a crane kick.

"On your feet." When Mineta did so, he was sent down by a crane kick that actually landed. His nose felt oddly shaped, and his head rang like a bell.

It went on like this for the next five or so minutes. Mineta constantly on the backfoot, using what he had to at the very most survive the never-ending onslaught. However, it seemed to be the end when a one two left him open for a power strike as his guard broke. He closed his eyes. Nothing came.

Opening one, he saw him standing there. In the fight his jacket had gone unbuttoned, and he was redoing the job, face as plain as ever. "W-What?..." Mineta wheezed looking at all the missed grapes surrounding the area. "But...I'm not done yet...we're not..." he placed his hands on his knees and sucked in and exhaled, "we're not done yet..."

"You can hardly stand, much less fight."

"...Shut up..."

"Such false courage."

"W-Who even are you?..."

"A friend of the commission, here to test potential. Nothing more, nothing less. However, with the state the world is headed in. Madame President left you in my hands to be trained or rid of."

Mineta looked up at him, a strange confusion on his face, "What?...rid of? does...does that mean I'm actually gonna be trained?"

"For now. You were not impressive, but the quirk has potential. I may teach you."

"Uh...r-really-"

"Quiet."

He stopped raising his arms instantly.

Tsuyoi looked at his fists, they were bruised. "A student of your apparent magnitude should have beaten me. Lady Nagant, Hawks, at your age they would've easily beaten me without a hitch."

"...Lady who? wait you know Hawks?!"

"Hm...nothing, old memories."

Mineta opened his mouth to speak, then stopped when he saw the man's face, "Um...okay..."

"Tell me, why do you think they picked you out of the other twenty? perhaps even some of those within the B class would've been better."

"W-What? you don't-"

His hand like a hot branding iron, Tsuyoi slapped him with all five fingers, sending Mineta to the ground. He then watched the boy. Perhaps the teen would attack, that was the expected result. But then he did something that made him raise an eyebrow.

"W-Why w-would you do that?..." Mineta said shakily as he looked up at him. He looked more like a middle schooler than any boy training to become a hero.

Tsuyoi seemed to think for a second, "Because you simply weren't up to my standards."

"W-Well then l-let me face you and-"

"No. You'll lose."

"H-How do you know y-you a-ass-..." he bit his tongue and said not another word.

"Allow me to give you a small secret."

"W-What?"

He leaned in close, very close. Mineta could smell his hot breath and sweaty cologne as his brow narrowed and he said, "In that entire fight, I was not using my quirk."

"...Y-You're lying!"

"If you cannot even force me to use my quirk, then what good will you be for your country?"

I-I will! I...I..." he was gasping and drew in long and hard breaths then exhaled, "I'll...b-beat ya..."

"Do you honestly believe that? I don't like having my time wasted Mineta," and when he saw him. There was nothing in his eyes anymore. Two pools of blackness. A void that swallowed infinity itself.

"W-What do you want me to do?!"

He grabbed Mineta by the collar and pulled him up, "You will have one week. Today is Monday, the next you shall meet me in a location where we will fight once more. The address will be given to you through email. You are not to share this with anybody, the events of today or any future beyond having a "good time," learning."

"I'm...you can't hit me-" he flinched as Tsuyoi raised his hand but did not strike.

"You are my pupil, and I will use any method to turn you into a proper hero. That's all you want, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes, but...p-please let me..."

"No. You have one week to show improvement, find any way you can. Any. For the sake of the mission, obstacles must be bulldozed through. If I am impressed, then you shall continue your work study here. If not, you are done."

Mineta nodded slowly, awfully afraid, the fear showing quite easily on his face.

"Now then, disgusting pervert. What have you seen here today?"

"W-What?"

"What have you seen here today?" his grip on him tightened and Mineta shook his head up and down so hard that his braid almost flipped over his shoulder.

"Nothing...n-nothing I swear..."

"Very well," he dropped him and Mineta landed on his back for what felt like the two dozenth time today. "Bon dia."

---

UA-Dorms

"Oh man..." Denki grunted kicking back on the couch next to Jiro who watched him oddly, "you would not believe the day I had." He crossed his leg and placed the other one on the table for there was no Iida or Momo in sight to tell him differently.

"Cleaning house for Mount Bitch?" Jiro said. They were mainly alone in the common room, most of the others had already gone to dinner but Denki seemed too exhausted to eat, and she always bought her own food and ate on her own time. That and the two of them could talk the day and even night away.

Denki grinned, "Pfft, nah. We were actually doing something for once. Patrol," he placed his hands out and expanded them as if it were some shocking revelation. "Nothing beyond a coupla purse or bike snatchers which me n' Sero had to take care of. Kamui-San said it was practice."

"That don't sound too exhausting."

"But like," he thought for a moment, "you ever get tired from being so damn bored? I think that's what happened."

"For me it's the opposite," Jiro's ear jacks bobbed up and down gently, "Orca's been working me to the bone. But I gotta few new tricks going so it isn't all terrible."

"Wanna show me?"

"Behave," she poked him in the chest, and they shared a laugh. Jiro sat with her legs crossed and watched him, "it's been a while. Since we've sat and talked like this. What were you doing all summer?"

He leaned in and looked around before whispering, "Training."

"Is that right?"

"You were too. I think..." his expression shifted, more serious than ever, "we all were."

She nodded, "Mhm. It's been real hard, man...poor Izuku. All Might going out like that. You can kinda...like," she brought her hands up curling her fingers a little as she thought of the proper wordage, "kinda see it in his eyes. But he tries to hide the pain."

"Yeah, I mean..." he sighed, "I know I was the guy shitting on Bakugo a lot but...nobody deserves to have...that...happen to them. Being taken by those freaks for a whole month I mean...and the pictures those bastards sent. Y'know the first people who got them was his parents?"

"Buncha sadistic fucks..." Jiro said with venom in her voice. There was always a ball of fire raging in her, fighting for what was right no matter what. Seeing her like that, the small marks under her eyes bunched into squares always made him think she was so cool.

"Easy, they're nowhere to be found."

"Dying in a ditch somewhere if we're lucky."

"Now that doesn't sound very heroic."

Jiro looked at him, and Denki realized that he probably shouldn't have said that, "Not like I'll go and start butchering them, but the bastards have tried doing the exact same thing and a whole lot worse. Makes me sick thinking about-"

"Hey hey," he took her by her hands and held them, "no need to get all down and out. C'mon, stay chill. Being mad will get us nill."

Jiro looked surprised at his hands for a second, then he realized and took them away, "Uh...sorry."

"No...it's...it's fine. Wasn't expecting that..." she brushed her hair back. "How about us?"

"As in?"

"Like...still playing guitar?"

"Oh...for sure," he smiled, "thanks for the pack of picks by the way. They sparkled, made me really rock."

"I know right? stuff like that'll make you shred your heart out. Y'know..." she rubbed her face and looked at him thoughtfully, "when we graduate, and all this League stuff is said and done...you wanna," she tapped her index fingers together, "go on a whole world tour? rocking and heroing? be pretty badass."

His unsure expression surprised her. Scooting back a tad bit, he answered, "Yeah totally."

"That doesn't sound total."

"Nah, it's...okay look...I may be a little scared. Okay? that sorta thing is...feels distant."

"Aw...don't feel bad, getting scared is a part of life. Especially in our field. Happens to me too."

"It does? but you're always so cool Kyoka-Chan," he said raising his eyes in surprise.

"True...however, I do get afraid but then I remember who I'm fighting for and keep going no matter if my legs feel like jelly or I get the feeling like imma puke."

He chuckled softly, "You uh...really know everything to say to make me feel better."

"Is what I do."

They watched each other, Denki felt his heart beating in his chest as they drew closer and closer and-

The door flying open shocked them both away from each other on opposite sides of the couch, expecting a whole host of classmates to come on in. Except there was only one.

"O-Oi, Mineta!" Jiro said with something in her throat.

"Here he is, little buddy has...huh..."

He stood in the doorway, the dead colorful fall leaves on the walkway behind him. His face was off and strange. "Sup guys?!" he said with a smile. There were small cuts along his cheek and forehead, fresh too.

"Where the hell have you been?" Denki said leaning forward on the couch as Mineta stepped in and took off his coat.

He drapped it over his left arm when answering, "Guess who got into work study?" he said tilting his head. "Me!"

Jiro took off her cap and fluffed it out, "Looks like they dragged you through glass as the initiation process."

"Wait hold up, you got into the Commission?"

"Um...yeah entry level stuff though. It'll just be like any other work study."

"Cool man!" Denki walked to him and the two high fived. Mineta touched his shoulder for a split second. He wasn't looking at either of them, through all of it. Okay, maybe for like a moment but he was always turning away or focusing on other stuff like the couch or slightly uneven table.

"Yeah, I'd say more but I'm so tired. Gassed completely. How're you two doing before I go up to my room?"

"You're not gonna eat dinner?" Jiro said placing her two hands side by side as she scooted forward on the couch.

"Eh, ate on the way home," he shrugged.

Denki sighed, "Ah man, maybe I shoulda done what you did. Lurkers ain't good for nothing beside cleaning Mount Bitch's house and listening to Edgeshots weird speeches."

"Yeah...maybe..."

"You good? you sound outta breath."

"Oh uh...like I said," he did jazz hands for some dramatic effect, "gassed. Anyways, I'm going to my room."

Jiro watched him moving slow as he moved to the hall. That kind of walk, it wasn't one of tiredness after a harsh workout, painful? whoever he was working under must've been going a little hard. Not her business though, not at all.

---

When he was in his room, he threw his stuff to the wayside and was making small sounds as he slapped himself in the face. Only serving to red up the previous harsh attack further and making some of his lacerations bleed. "Fuck...me...fuck...me...fuck...me," can't you do anything right you sorry sack of shit? it felt weird cursing, normally he wouldn't do it. Then again, would normal people hit themselves in the face for being stupid or weak?

He went so hard that when he was done and looking in a mirror in his bathroom, Mineta saw that a few new wounds had been opened up. He could easily excuse them as damage from an accident during training or something. For now, he had work to do.

Seven days, seven days to be good enough to beat him. He had to win. He had to win. He'd train harder than he'd ever trained before. As he walked to the center of his room, he fell to his first exercise, push-ups again. The new goal of four hundred on his mind. No rest from his previous excursion, true heroes never rested after all.

Even as his arms grew numb, he kept pushing and pushing, he'd win. He'd win. He'd win.

He'd win.

---

"Hey Kyoka, can I follow you?" Denki called to her from across the hall as they went their separate ways for the night. The others already in their rooms, or some stragglers still in the common room.

"Nope," she said over her shoulder at him, though she was holding back laughter.

"Worth a shot," he shrugged as he headed to his room and opened his room's door. Then he wasn't half smiling, his eyes drooping. He placed his phone on the the table at the center of the room as he walked in.

Heading to the black and gold sheets of his bed, he stood there for a small while. Glancing down at the basketball, then over his shoulder back to the shelf containing small memorabilia such as a godzilla figurine he'd received as a gift all the way back in elementary.

Then he turned back and crawled onto the bed. Reaching down, he felt the second phone between the wall and the bedframe. Pulling it out, as if on cue it buzzed with an unrecognized caller ID. Sliding the green phone at the left of the screen to the right, he placed the device to his ear.

"Chargebolt here."

Silence for a moment, then Shigaraki's unmistakable rasp of a voice responded, "Hey...kid..."

Notes:

I was gonna add more like Mineta going around training and Denki's talk with the league, but I think these work well for the set up in the next chapter so imma just leave it here as is. Today's an important chapter because I used an actual oc, even though not much about him has actually been revealed. As always thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed.

Chapter 7: Fool and Wise Fool's

Summary:

Denki has a talk with Shigaraki, meanwhile Mustard, Toga, Twice, and Magne discuss the benefits and negatives of working with the Yakuza.

UA First Year-Second Term

Denki looked out of his window down at the campus below before sitting back on his bed. He'd closed the curtains, shutting out the light and leaving his room in darkness. "It's been a minute since you've called, the hell's happening?"

"We're on the run? duh." he said from the other line. Shigaraki grunted in the gravelly scratching voice of his, like razors in the ears, "but that's soon subject to change, if everything goes well that is."

"So...explain?"

"We're setting up a thing with a couple old timers. Yakuza."

"...They still exist? thought they went extinct a couple decades back," Denki looked to his door, he thought he saw movement under the small crack, but he couldn't be sure. Still, he kept his voice down.

"Yessir."

"Need anything from me?"

"Not much you can do honestly. Beyond...tell us if they know where we are. I'll probably have something soon though. There's a new...item on the market. A pick me up. Not like heroin or cocaine, it's...special. I got Mustard working on getting a few shipments. Bit eh...strapped for cash. And Twice got us a meeting with the guy all behind it. We'll be raking in bands for sure if things go well. Yakuza can be some uppity bastards. All that honor and code bullshit. Like it matters."

"I thought you were keeping on the down low."

"We are. Spread out far and wide out in the goddamned sticks. Ain't had a bath in like a month."

"Shouldn't be a problem for your League playing ass."

Laughter, Shigaraki was laughing on the other end. It was a nasally giggle. "That's what fuckin Magne said, you two are pricks."

"You with her?"

"Nah, Spinner. Dabi and Compress are on their own the others are all together. I think you'll be real keen on knowing something by the way."

Denki leaned back on his bed, "That being?"

"This new boof on the market. It's crazy."

"I don't do drugs-"

"Me neither. But...it makes your quirk go haywire and you stronger, faster, take more hits, fuckin insane. Spinner's been taking it and he's...been holdin his own to say the least."

Denki's face shifted into something. A thing that was not himself. A being separate, yet not too far from the high school boy, "Cool."

"Aw, you don't sound happy."

Lowering his voice, Denki snarled, "You're threatening to slaughter my mother and friends like a bunch of animals and made me do shit I don't wanna talk about. You're lucky I'm being this civil."

"Dabi is willing right now, I can call him right up," no sound from Denki or from the phone. He'd started gripping his sheets, knowing the effect Dabi had upon people when he was allowed unrestricted access. Bakugo was a prime example.

Denki was small, "...W-What do you want me to do?"

"That's more like it. Remember, you're one of us now..."

"That's not true-"

"Oh, would the guy you murdered agree?"

Those words stopped Denki in his tracks. He looked to his free and watched it quivering as he spoke, "...Y-You made me," even his voice sounded shaky.

"Aw...you could've died there instead, but no. You agreed to tell stories outside class as soon as we got to ya in that pretty little forest. But...hey, you're doing a way better job than the other guy in that you aren't leaving us to wherever the hell he currently is. Then again, we got Bakugo because of him."

"And who lost him?"

"Ask Sensei why we didn't just kill his ass, not me. I was done the moment that sonuva bitch blasted me in the face. Gotta admit, he held out pretty well, but we were this close to breaking him. Unlike you who didn't require any such convincing. The first sign of danger you gave in."

"Why don't..." Denki stood up, he had to stand as he felt something heightening in his stomach. "You just...fuckin tell me what it is you want? cause if not why the hell're we still talking?" His voice was still shaking. It made Shigaraki laugh.

Without missing a beat he started to explain, "You're in with the Lurkers ain't ya? pretty easy sources of info to get from there. Imma start calling every week, and eventually when the heats died down, days. You're gonna give me everything I needa know about the shit their doing and you'll damn sure, make sure, to throw them off our trail as much as humanly possible. Edgeshots really wanting to take us down, ain't he?"

"The whole goddamned hero society wants to take you down. But...yeah, half of me and Sero's time is spent lookin through files and evidence while Mount Lady and Kamui Woods fuck off somewhere. It won't be too hard to get rid of anything really incriminating. Edgeshot's always all over the place so he ain't even there most o' the time."

"Badass kid. Well, I think I'll let you get back to whacking it or whatever you were doing. Don't call me, hide this phone, and if you say anything...your mama pays for it."

Denki opened his mouth, but Shigaraki had already hung up.

They'd taken him through the portal. One with a mask making him see nothing but his worst nightmares. When he woke, he was deep in the basement of their hideout. Sensei was there. Denki felt his heart pounding in his ears as he thought of him, laying with his knees to his chest. Sweat ran down the bridge of his nose and tickled the tip.

He'd not known who the man was. Apparently, he was some big-time yuppie working in insurance that would squeeze every last penny out of his clients while never actually helping them when they made a claim. However, all Denki saw was a dark-haired middle-aged man. He looked like a family man, somebody who had people waiting for him at home.

Sensei placed his hand on Denki's shoulder as the man cried with his gag in his mouth, "He is weak, I have gifted you his quirk. Without it, he is nothing. It shall be a service to him and the world if you would simply snuff him out here."

"Y-You..." Denki looked at the electric sword he'd newly produced, he was crying. "G-Give it back...I don't want it...i-if he's useless w-without one just...just give him another okay?"

"I'm sorry Kaminari, but I've made my decision. Some shall have to die in order for my new world to come to fruition." Sensei placed himself on his level, his face even without eyes or nose, somewhat somber, "I know it's hard, but he has seen me. Seen...you in fact. In a better world I would gift him another quirk and he'd be sent on his way home to his family."

"C-Can't you like...erase his memory or something?..."

"No. There are some things I cannot do. Yet."

Taking his hand, Sensei leveled with him. Denki was crying so hard that he could barely see. "It's okay...you'll be fine...I promise. As long as you do what I say, you won't end up like him."

"P-Please..." Denki wept as Sensei raised the boy's hand and the man's eyes went wide.

"Make the sword..."

"I-I..."

"Your mother will suffer, your friends, Kaminari this will be good for you. Come now..." Sensei placed his free hand on the boy and held him in a strange embrace.

It surged through his body, the newfound power like an infinite source. He could feel the volts and they were certainly above two million. His head wasn't feeling funny. No, it was...almost like it was gone. He felt focused, his brain wasn't losing any sharpness. Then he saw the sword. Beyond the small light of the room, he saw the thing shining golden and buzzing.

"Look at that...with the new quirk mixed with the old, your voltage shall experience a surge in strength. There are still drawbacks, nothing is perfect save a few things. Give it time, and one day you may rival the strongest of your classmates, surpass them even. And all you have to do is stab that man right there."

Denki looked ahead, he wanted to throw up, he didn't want to be here, he didn't want to be here, he had to be away. "I'm sorry..." he felt it bubble from his throat. A simple movement, a thrust of the blade into his neck. Death was almost instant. The man's eyes went up into his head as the light slowly drained from his eyes.

He tried looking away, but Sensei grabbed his face and made him watch. "You must see. Be true to yourself Kaminari. Know that you are not alone. Because I. Am. Here."

An hour later, Aizawa found him knocked out in a bush a couple miles into the forest. He told everyone that he barely managed to escape them back through another portal. Perhaps they wouldn't have believed him if Bakugo hadn't also been taken, and they were so concerned with that. Perhaps they would have. He didn't know, but God had he wished so. There was a manhunt for Katsuki, and of course Kamino. Who could forget that? maybe if they had told him, and he had gone there things would be different.

Months later and here he was on his bed, hiding the secret phone back between it and the wall. Nobody knew who he was. Maybe one day they'd find out, he hoped they would. Please let them find out.

Laying back on his bed, he curled into a ball and tried to sleep.

Somewhere In The Outskirts of Musutafu

"I'm so bored...why couldn't I go out too?..." Twice whined as he leaned his black and white masked head down on the coffee table in the abandoned house, he, Mustard, Magne, and Toga had all taken residence in. The game they were playing had been hearts and he was face first in his cards. No lights so they lit the room with candles and makeshift lamps.

"Hi bored, I'm Kenji," Magne smirked down at him with her large lips. Usually, a joke like that would get him out of the funk, no such luck here as he remained with his head down. Rolling his face in the cards. "Uh...can you at least do that without messing those up? a fifty-two deck isn't easy to find Jin."

"You mean steal?" Toga said.

"Potato patato."

"It does kinda suck," Mustard said as he placed down a ten, "but it's either this or..." he reached a hand out, his piercing grey eyes and shaggy blonde hair glinted in the light. "Prison."

Toga patted Jin's back, "It's okay. Think about it this way. We'll all be out soon and living free."

"Soon...yeah how many months are in a soon?" Jin raised back. His cards slightly crumpled. "I swear, Overhaul better not bitch us out."

"Why...Overhaul?" Magne questioned raising an eyebrow. "Pretty weird title. I mean, all ours don't sound amazing either but...ah who cares?"

Kinta thought about this for a moment, then he looked to his friend, "He's big time. Like, billions of yen big time."

Twice thrashed up like windy grass, "Hey! I found him, lemme explain..."

"Sorry..." Kinta chuckled, "but haven't you done that already?"

"Let him do it Kintie," Toga poked her head up from Twice's accusatory face. "Jin likes telling it."

"Listen to your girlfriend!" Twice instantly followed, "okay...so..." he paused, "hang on it's coming back to me. There it is. Okay, basically I was robbing this fishing company out on the docks and these guys pull up when I'm making a getaway. Got lucky cause these guys had just gotten their shit stomped and I was running out of steam for more," two copies of himself suddenly appeared and pointed at themselves.

"There were these guys all dressed up in suits and they helped me escape. Then they tied me up, but you know how that goes, so they left me unfastened instead. Then I met the guy. He was wearing some weird bird mask and spoke really eloquent and stuff. Money, power, the whole bad guy 'join me' speech you see like in a movie."

"I dunno..." Magne rubbed her chin, "man...you know what I really wanna do?"

"Huh?"

"Go live on a conservation, y'know, see the animals and live on the outdoors. My dad was a conservationist, it's what I...wanted to do too before...this," she waved her hand.

Kinta pondered this, "That's a good dream to have, but...pretty far off big sis."

"Yeah," she nodded, "if we manage, I'll let you all come live with me, how bout it?"

"Awesome!" Jin popped up, "I always wanted a duck!"

"First things first, we hafta worry about bird mask," Toga raised a finger.

"I'm...sure Tenko will think of something. He's got to."

"Worst comes to worst, carving the chicken is an option," Himiko did one of her trademark slasher smiles.

"Let's hear the guy out first!" Jin waved his hands, "money is always a good thing! until it's not!"

"I mean...trigger speaks for itself. Imagine the cash we'll make if we start moving. All that product, sure we'll be putting ourselves out there again but it's either now or later at this point," Kinta tapped his finger against the table.

Toga tapped her finger against his neck, having reached past Jin, "Nerd."

"You smell like fish."

"Pot meet kettle."

"Young love," Magne smirked.

"Me and who?" Jin said.

"Right..." Kinta sighed.

"You're not wrong," Magne placed her hand on the table, "bit of data crunching, we'll be making boats of money real fast, but...we won't be free. Yakuza are all about codes of conduct and dumb stuff like that. I would think that we're different from that, or at least I'd like to."

"Well..." Jin rubbed his head, thinking on her words while the two teens did the same, "We'll be doing it until we have enough. Then we should be good to move onto like a big ole island in the pacific...or...something. Conservation, like you said big sis."

"I've been running for a long time, with money and without," Toga closed her legs into herself sitting on the chair. "To be honest, I trust you guys more than anything All For One or Shigaraki ever said."

Kinta watched her as Toga said that. He looked away, thinking. "I don't think we'll be safe anywhere, to be honest. I don't like the idea of working under this guy either though. But...better than prison or death."

"You gotta have some hope Kintie."

He looked at Toga. Then he looked away, "Yeah, suppose you're right."

Two Years Before UA First Year

The blue light of his phone read seven-forty-five in the morning. Bags under his eyes Kinta stared down at it, his neck slightly craning as he brushed his teeth, scrubbing under the gums and all. His long bushy blonde hair reflected the screens, and he was listening to a favored walking song.

"Kinta!"

"Mrm!?"

"Take out the trash when you leave, I'm going to go lay down."

"Mhm!"

"Make sure to do it properly this time, we don't need any spills!"

He spat the gargled-up toothpaste out in the sink and washed it down. Then he lifted his head back up and answered, "I will." No response from mom.

She'd been up all night pulling double shifts at the office, it was the least he could do. Still, a thank you would be nice every once in a while. Reaching down, he took hold of his glasses and placed them on his head. They were large, near coke bottle size.

A small box of contacts had been given to him by mom some time ago but placing them in always made him fear that they might get stuck. He just stuck with the glasses, even if they got him made fun of.

Fear was a strange topic, for it related to the mind and the mind was something he'd always been interested in. How people functioned, how they thought, how they might think and function.

That and the world wars were another pastime, he even kept a small Kraut mustard gasmask under his bed. It was one of a kind, having been purchased from an antique store he frequented. Finding items from that time was a rarity, he always hoped he could get more.

He stepped out, the bathroom close to his room. Stepping inside, he went to a small bookshelf he kept psychological textbooks on and grabbed one. He'd read the 'Anxious Generation,' before. Color coding the passages he favorited. Still, another read during lunch couldn't hurt.

Placing the book into his bag, he stepped back out in the hallway and slang his backpack over his shoulder. He moved down the hall past the door and into the kitchen where he saw Mom, her short blonde bob of hair looking down at her phone as the trash bag sat full next to the can a few feet away.

She was eating chips there and watching a show on her phone. Seeing this he said, "Can't you eat at the table? I spent like all Sunday cleaning the house."

Mom didn't answer.

"Mom."

"What?" she said sharply to him, jerking her puffy head around. There was this constant purple hue around her neck, an odorless gas she needed to release around once a week otherwise her skin would start changing to the color.

"...I hope you have a good day," he said grabbing the trash bag and turning and heading for the door. He didn't hear her say it back.

The day was going to be a hot one according to the big numbers on the weather app and he could feel the remnant heat of the summer on his face as he walked down the streets, his dark winter uniforms undershirt already caked with sweat.

No father to speak of. It wasn't a topic mentioned in the house. He'd always been a very paranoid and frightened man and one day he just couldn't take life anymore. He'd found him with a bottle of pills next to the toilet and there was no other story to tell.

The streets were filled, and the buzz of the people was loud and filled his ears. Heat stroked across his back, and he rubbed his forehead slick of sweat. Some of which slid down and burned his eyes. Somebody brushed past his shoulder saying no apology as they went on their way.

Kinta closed his eyes hard to try and alleviate the pain, but it wasn't an easy task as he wiped his eyes several times. Finally, he opened them, and the sun's brightness made him squint.

The skin on them had turned a small shade of red and the heat and further sweat irritated the hell out of him. He flipped his hair over his shoulder. There was something buzzing alongside his ear and he clapped it as he brought his hand up. Pain shot through his drum as for a moment the sound of buzzing seemed to have gone away, but then about ten seconds later it was back.

Cherry blossoms flew around the school's gate as he walked along, the words of his classmates drowned out. He'd had to learn that little practice due to their mocking. Kinta made himself a bit of an easy target for that sort of thing. Though he couldn't drown out a strong arm wrapping around his back, almost tripping him.

"Osore! thought I recognized that ole hunched and depressing posture. The rat ass hair gave it away!" a boy with curly black hair looked down and laughed at his own joke as he said it.

"H-Hey Saito-San," Kinta said nervously. He didn't want to look at him, but he had to be sure his fellow third year wouldn't throw a punch. Something he was known for doing rather frequently when it came to small fries.

"Whatcha have in your bag there?" he said as they went along. Nobody around them paid any attention to the clear distress Kinta was in, but that was a regular occurrence. People like him were never shown any kind of concern. That and the people of the country didn't really care to help. Why just last week some first year in a ward a few stations away was found hanging by his kid sister in his room. His crime? having a supposed 'evil' quirk.

That was the excuse. Whenever a student did something like that it was one of three things he'd kind of narrowed down: They were villains, they were just mentally ill though without explaining why, they were quirkless, and finally they just had an evil quirk. If you could combine these, the media would have a field day with it.

"Oi, stop staring at the ground. Let me see what's in your bag quirkless man," there were those without quirks and that's what he was thought to be though the alternate knowledge of what he could really do was too much knowledge for Kinta, and so it'd remained a secret, his mom and doctor only knowing the true potential it could have.

It certainly wasn't like Saito who increase his own strength on a whim by five times, no risk of any muscle or bone breaking, the only drawback was how much he limited himself. Surely, a guy like him would find success.

The boy had gone behind him and opened his bag, holding Kinta there with one arm around his midsection as he scoured through, "P-Please let me go. This is embarrassing," he begged.

"Who the fuck carries around psych textbooks eyesore? you're weird for that man, psycho shit," Saito said throwing the book over his shoulder. "Weird as hell," he let go of him, Kinta fell to the ground, "then again what'd else would anyone expect from a quirkless freak? genetic anomaly and all that."

"H-Hey!" he jogged of the concrete path, not thinking about the fact his bag was open he knelt down only for the rest of his textbooks to spill out onto the grass. "Shit..." he was clearly flustered as he garnered the odd stares from other classmates.

Saito was getting his kicks out of the sight, "Come on retard, first periods in a few minutes. Hurry, hurry quick or you ain't gonna make it!" he said smiling and laughing.

'How about I shove my fucking gas down your throat you piece of shit?'

Kinta shoved all of his books back inside. When he stood zipping his backpack up and turning in a huff, he saw Saito already walking beyond the double doors with a big grin on his face. Some were staring at him as they moved on. Kinta didn't see them though, looking ahead he stared right into the boy's back like he had laser vision.

Ever since elementary he was passed around by bullies like a favored toy. The isolation, the loneliness, the weekly or sometimes daily beating. Sometimes, when he was in his darkest moments after a horrible day he would imagine using his quirk on them, just for a brief moment and to defend himself. But that thought was pushed away, he'd be seen as even more of a freak than he was now. That and the criminal charges which would only cause Mom more headache and strife.

Plus, he didn't want to hurt people. He was the type of guy to catch a fly and release it out of a window rather than grabbing a swatter. The thought of that was just...awful to him.

In class, he kept his head low as lectures went on throughout the morning. Writing down all the notes he could in his notebook, completely absorbed in the process. His grades were probably the only thing he excelled at, and for good reason. The plan to go into the field of psychology would require good grades in order to make any kind of reputable university notice him. Become a successful psychiatrist and pay Mom back for everything she's given him. A win-win if there ever was one.

Something hit his back. That was okay, he'd just ignore it. Bullies were supposed to always go away or stop if you just ignored them. Though he did wonder, why couldn't the owl headed teacher see what was happening? did he even care as his head turned uncannily from the board back to the class?

Something else hit his back. Kinta was starting to feel the familiar flustering rising, the embarrassment and shame of being treated like a lower-class citizen. Sweat creeped under his armpits and his neck heated up like a hot oven. His pencil was scratching the paper, and his index finger had started tapping against the desk.

About ten seconds later, as a breath escaped him and he thought whoever was doing it stopped, something much harder hit his back. He heard the tapping of a pencil below his desk. His stomach felt funny. Sucking in another breath and sighing he kept writing. Nobody was paying attention, nobody seeing the clear injustice going on, maybe if he had a fucking quirk they would.

Kinta paused, okay don't think like that or else you'll be angry all day. Keep ignoring like usual, keep ignoring and move on without a care. There were just a few months left of high school, and he'd be onto university. Think of the scholarships, think of all the money Mom will get-

A paper ball hit his neck. Think of the scholarships, think of all the money Mom will get, she'll never have to work again, and you'll be a rich awesome doctor or counselor. He'd stopped writing and was just staring down at his paper.

"Osore."

The teacher was calling him, and he took a second to look up. The owl's eyes were narrowed in on him, "Please do not leave trash around your desk."

"What?..." he looked about the sides and he saw multiple paper balls and a pencil scattered amongst the white concrete flooring. "That's not mine, sir."

The others were staring at him, "Excuse me?" the teacher said.

'It's not mine, you stupid fucker. Some asshole was throwing this at me, how could you not see it?'

Kinta leaned down and started picking the items up. He then stood, "Do not throw them away now, sit down the lecture is still-Osore, sit down-sit down now," he'd turned around and was looking for who might've done it.

Nobody in the class said anything, no sign of Saito either so maybe a friend of his? then he saw him. A boy with an eye in the middle of his forehead. All three were staring like another student but Kinta knew better. He'd seen him alongside his meat for brains friend.

Walking to the boy's desk with all the gathered trash he spoke, "Here, this belongs to you."

"What? dude get that outta-" he jumped a little when Kinta dumped it on his desk. "What the hell!?"

"Osore, sit down," the teacher repeated as cyclops got to his feet and Kinta stepped back.

"It's yours," Kinta said softly, realizing the height difference was rather grand between them. The guy stared down at him with fists clenched.

"What's your problem?!"

Kinta just stared at him.

"Osore, throw that trash away and sit down or you will go to the principal...thank you," the owl finished as he saw the boy walk over to the can and back to his seat, leaving the other standing in confusion.

At lunch he sat at the furthest edge of the school's property eating a sandwich from home. He was sitting on the steps of the entryway and was slightly craned down enjoying his food.

Normally he'd go for the roof, but the sun was so bad that he was swimming in a pool when he stepped out there. So, he opted for a shaded spot under a cherry tree. It was nice honestly, away from anybody who would look at him funny, anybody at all.

"Sitting like that's really bad for your back," a small voice said.

Until not.

He looked over his shoulder and saw a girl holding her pack with both hands at the front of her hips. Kinta straightened up a little, "Okay." He got a better look at her: slender and long blonde hair. Under her golden eyes were smallest bags. He was probably about half a head above her, though he wasn't the tallest guy in the world.

"I'm serious, bad posture can really do a number on you," she said crouching next to him. "Back stuff, neck stuff, it all adds up and then you're walking with a stick like," she leaned down and mimic'd a cane and walked a few steps as if she were ninety years old. Then she walked back and sat with him.

Kinta didn't seem impressed at the acting, "Fixed it didn't I?"

"Sassy."

"Stating the obvious is sassy?"

"It's your tone of voice," she said tapping her lips as he took another bite of his sandwich. She watched him, "Is someone having a case of the Monday's?"

"Kind of..." he murmured.

"Spill the deets."

Kinta glanced at her oddly, "Uh...why?"

She tilted her head, "Why not?"

"...Who are you?"

The girl brightened up, standing she bowed and curtseyed, "Himiko Toga, cutest first year in the entirety of Hosu high!" she held up two peace signs and kicked her left leg up.

He watched her, "Okay..."

"Not awed by my overwhelming cuteness!? how bold!" she brought her hands to her face and faked a shocked gasp. "Either you don't like girls, or you have the will of ten thousand men!"

Kinta kept looking over his shoulder through the entire talk, nothing beyond students sitting together or alone for at least a couple dozen meters. None watching them. "Heyyy, don't ignore me!" he turned back and saw her pouting.

He placed a hand on his chest, "Kinta Osore, third year."

"Eh? scary..." she slinked down next to him.

Kinta shook his head in annoyance, "Okay sun princess."

"Girl, that's a compliment. I'm a sunny side up, just look at my hair."

He stared at her, "...Right..."

"Soo," she craned her head near his shoulder, "can I ask you a question Kinta-Kun?"

"Kun?..."

"We're friends, aren't we?"

"...Sure..." he shrugged.

"Cool! so, can I?"

"What?"

"Ask you a question silly," she took a hold of his arm's sleeve. He retracted it after Toga tugged several times. There was some surprising strength behind those hands.

Blushing a little, he answered, "Go ahead Toga-San."

"First, we're friends now so it's Himiko-Chan or just Himiko, second..." she got in really close at him and he shrank back a little as she smiled down at him. Her face was odd, and her teeth they were razor sharp. Briefly, he wondered if the girl had some sort of shark thing going on. "We're similar, aren't we?"

"We are? you mean hair?"

She seemed a little caught off guard by that, reverting to a confused look, "Huh? no, no," she shook her head and went back with her original half smile. "Like we're similar quirk wise."

Something cold shot through his legs, "Oh, uh, you have the wrong idea," he said shaking his head no. "I'm quirkless."

Toga tilted her head slightly, "Come on Kinta-Kun...this is a safe place. You can share yours with me."

"We just met five minutes ago."

"And?"

"And I'm quirkless, what makes you think we're similar?"

"The same kinda posture. You have a quirk you're ashamed of, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"Same kinda-"

"Are you for fucking real right now?"

"Yep!"

"Well, you're wrong."

"Nope!"

"Yes, you are."

"Nope!"

"Yes!"

"Nope!"

"Y-...goodbye," he placed his sandwich back in his lunch sack then stood up.

"Wait hold on!" she took hold of his wrist, "I'm super cereal, for realsies!"

He stopped, then turned back to her sitting position, "Look, I don't have a quirk, okay? just...stop making fun of me."

"Kinta...that's not happening at all..." she wasn't smiling, instead she was staring with a certain thoughtfulness. "People with quirks they don't like, I can see em from a mile away. Always holding our heads down and stuff. You look no different."

"You know about that?"

"All my friends in middle school were peeps with quirks that others would call," she made air quotes, "odd. We have to stick together."

He surveyed her. Gently he took her hand away from his wrist and turned back fully at the girl, "Where's your friends?"

"They're going to different high schools. Sucks but...hey haven't I found a friend in you?"

"...Yeah, sure Himiko-Chan," there was a feeling in his stomach, pity. A sinking set on his shoulders as he thought of his previous vulgarity. Taking some steps, he slowly sat back next to her. "But I really don't have a quirk."

"Are you sureee?"

He nodded.

"Dang. Either you must hateee your quirk, or you must be being honest. Are you being honest?"

"Yes."

"Good, lying hurts my feelings a whole lot so don't do that Kinta-Kun."

"I...won't."

Toga grinned, "Awesome! so you do any clubs? "I'm in the gymnast one, wanna watch me do a backflip?"

He leaned a bit to match her level, "No, and I'm not in any clubs."

"No sports or anything?"

"No."

"Dang..."

"What?"

"Boring as shit..." she murmured looking away and puffing her lips out.

"Fine! I like psychology stuff you jerk! and taking long walks, and...and video games!"

"Ohh!" she lurched her head back around to him, "diagnose me therapy man!" Toga pointed at herself.

"I dunno..." he made an exasperated face at her. "Bipolar?"

"Is that the north or the south?" she said crossing her arms and pointing in opposite directions.

"Oh very funny."

"Hoping north-"

The sound of the bell ringing drew their heads back to the building, "Aw. Lunch is over already?"

"Did you eat anything?" he said standing. He'd managed to finish his sandwich through her small rambling about the poles.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Eh, big argument with my mom this morning. Had to get outta there, and I totally forgot to make myself something."

"I see..."

"My next class is on the top floor so I'd better hurry-" she stopped short when he handed her a small white ball seemingly ordained with a black rectangle at the bottom. "What...onigiri?"

He'd pulled it from a small container in his pack, "Here, take it. I'd give you more, but I don't have anything else."

Toga was certainly not expecting that. She stared at the food for a moment, then snatched and held it with both hands as she bit in ravenously. The thing was gone in three bites, and he stared at her with a raised eyebrow as she kissed her fingers. "Thank you."

"Be sure to eat when you get home," he said feeling a familiar creeping in his neck as she gave him a warm smile.

Toga nodded, "I will. See you Kinta-Kun and...thanks again," she gave him a small bow and jogged off. He watched her go, then looked down at the ground and he himself was smiling a little. The heat of the sun didn't seem all that bad then.

Later in the day he was rushing hurriedly on the streets, his pack slung over his shoulder and him sucking in breaths and exhaling as he'd been jogging for the last two miles. There was little wind, and he turned left brushing past several people. In the distance the store was square and with double sliding doors.

He was gonna make it, gonna make it. Kinta was forced to stay after class had ended to find his backpack thrown below the stairs. Somebody, though he had his suspicions, had taken the thing when he turned away for just a few moments.

The ding of the doors told his arrival, and he went to the counter and flipped over the small barrier. There were shelves filled with many manner of items, mostly snacks and some coolers at the walls with drinks in them. Heading through the counter, he was almost instantly faced behind the smoothie machine by his manager. He was a big man, tall and very skinny with glasses.

"Have an explanation for me?"

"L-Look I'm really sorry," he said bowing, "and..." he stopped when he saw the clock. Three after five. "Three minutes?...what you're mad because I'm a few minutes late?"

"Three minutes too late Osore," he said sticking his finger in Kinta's face. "There is no reason that you need to be this late-"

"I-It's just three minutes..." Kinta looked away as his manager bore down on him.

"Excuse me?"

"Three minutes!" he said suddenly lurching his head back towards the man, "who cares?!" and then he stopped himself. Silence between them for a few moments. "I...I'm sorry I didn't mean..."

"Don't ever talk to me like that, where did you get the idea to think that was the kind of way to act?" he droned on, threatening him with being fired among other things. Kinta stood there with a blank expression. His shoulders slightly shifted down. Tuning it out was getting harder and harder.

For the second time today, he imagined the purple gas flowing out and him inhaling it. What was a man like the manager afraid of? probably anything that might get germs on him if he had to guess. Then he stopped himself and felt his stomach churn at the fact he'd been thinking in such a way.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes...senpai," he nodded.

"Good. By the way, you're working half of graveyard tonight," he said as Kinta was preparing to go and change uniforms.

"What?"

"Half of graveyard tonight. Til midnight."

"But...but why? I have school in the morning."

"Hey, if you wish to keep complaining feel free to leave through that door."

"...I-"

He stuck his finger in his chest, "Do it, or you're fired. I'm already running late enough as is for my daughter's recital, and I don't need you whining about every little thing. Kids these days...have no idea what it's like to work real hours," he said going back through the open counter and closing. "School is a vacation to what's waiting for you in the real world."

Kinta watched him go, his expression dowry as the manager walked through the doors. He sighed, then walked in the back and changed.

Work was fast paced as always, him going through customer after customer. None of them thanked him, most were short, probably because of the heat. The hours wore on, the sun going down and the day finally cooling into night. A small fan buzzed on the counter, his only source of air conditioning. Maybe he shouldn't be leaving when the other guy was supposed to be there beforehand, but he was sure that it wouldn't matter.

The clock read twelve as he came out in a fresh set of clothes. Bags were under his eyes as he passed the counter and went out into the city. The subway was only a few blocks away so the walk wouldn't be terrible.

When he entered through the door, Leo was waiting for him. The Akita sat at the doorway and was licking his hand as he went into the living room and sat down on the couch. His puppy followed him and placed the front legs on the couch, the back pawed up to try and climb further. "Met a cute girl today buddy," he said to him.

Leo's fox-like face was scrunched up, and Kinta reached down and helped him up. He patted the puppy's triangular ears and Leo's tongue stuck out a little, panting. He whispered gently to the dog, stomach growling but he could always eat in the morning.

Kinta found him eating out of a spilled trashcan about four weeks ago, much tinier than now. He could barely even walk.

"That's life, isn't it?" Kinta said to the animal. After putting food in the dog's bowl, he walked to his room and bed and sat on it. Then he laid back and sleep came easily.

---

Present Day

Kinta was laying back on the old stained couch, and he was staring up as he rubbed Toga's head. She'd laid on his stomach and they were holding each other. It wasn't something they did often, only Twice and Magne had seen them like that, but it was a great comfort to them both.

"What do you think they're talking about?" she said sleepily.

"Our next move...probably," he whispered as he started drifting off.

Outside on the porch, Magne looked out into the tree line as the blue and black clear night went on. The moon was at a crescent and Twice was getting quite a kick out of it as he watched, "Feels good to be outside...been cooped up in there for far too long."

She let him watch the sky, and for a moment wondered if she'd allow him to do so and then maybe have this conversation another time. But then again, Magne had already done that three times in the past couple of months.

"Ain't it great..." when he turned back and saw her, he stopped. "What's wrong?"

There was no greater way of saying it, no fancy words, no nothing. Magne had to come out swinging and she needed too with precision in fear of backing down once more. "Those two...in there..." she thumbed to the house. "I think we should cut them out."

Notes:

Another introduction to a few characters I thought had a bit more potential, especially Mustard if you couldn't tell by the longass backstory that I'm only telling part of. Also, we finally get to see him not trying to murder in a chapter so that's cool. Gonna wrap this fic up in another chapter or two then move onto the actual Shie arc in another fic which I'll finally be able to use Izuku and Froppy more. Gonna do like a USJ group up with them and Mineta. I wanna make all the arcs their own distinct short or novel length stories depending on the factors of course. Hell, I may even use movie villains, getting pretty into this fandom. I've even started working out more so I can achieve the proper superhero Dark Citrus physique.

Chapter 8: Two methods

Summary:

Mustard tries to sell off some Trigger, and after one week of training passes Mineta finally has his showdown with his new teacher.

"Huh?!" Jin stared at her as Magne looked away, "...w-what do you mean? like...cutting them out entirely...like from the League?"

"Think about it," in the moonlight he could only see the right side of her face lit up, "Jin, they're kids. You and I...we're not. I've been...well I've been thinking a lot and-"

"We can't just abandon them, where is this even coming from?" Jin shook his head and looked to the forest and looked back.

"It ain't that...think about..." Magne sighed and ran her hand over her face. "That boy and that girl don't need us. They need someone who'll help them. They still got time."

Twice shook his head left and right vigorously, "They've killed, same as us. Those bastards will treat them all the same. The time for going back dissapeared a long time ago. We have to trust in Tenko."

"And are they better with us? because I think...I think," she looked to the ground, "they still got time. Not like me, or the others. Toga can get help and Kinta...well he loves her more than much of anything else."

Jin was watching the door as she talked, making sure there were no listeners. Toga had a propensity for dropping in on conversations. "What about your dream?"

"Even I've realized it to be a fantasy, Jin. You must realize I'm right. With them...maybe the court will be merciful. They're two really unwell kids who were just...thrusted in among adult killers."

"But they are killers...look..."

"Jin please just hear me out. I joined of my own free will. I lost...a good friend and...nobody cared. Police, the media, the whole world. I realized," Magne shook her head, "nobody else cared about me, nobody else cared about her. My whole life I've been treated like...like shit. And...one day I couldn't take it anymore so...I killed someone. Toga...Kinta those two're the same in a way. But they're different. Might be...seen different. They're just kids. They did it because of an urge and self-defense. Not like me. Not like you."

"They will not listen. Not after...everything. I hate to...quote Dabi here but he's right, if there's a hell, we're all going to it."

"Jin."

"They won't-"

"Jin!"

The door opened and the two stopped speaking and looked over and saw Kinta walking out. He glanced at the two of them, his grey eyes dark in the night, "What's wrong?"

"...Big sis thinks the moon is made out of cheese!" Twice yelled. The next minute was spent laughing and trying to calm from it

"R-Right..." Kinta shook his head and wiped a tear off his reddening face.

"Where are you going?" Magne looked to the briefcase.

"Selling."

"Alone?"

"It's what Shimura wanted. There's a small-time outfit who wanna get their hands on this trigger stuff," he motioned to the briefcase.

"You're going alone?"

"...You two do it too. Don't worry about me."

"Okay..."

"Himiko-Chan's asleep. Had to be sure, otherwise...she'd...follow."

"...Why don't you let me do that?" Magne put out her hand. But Kinta moved the briefcase away from her.

"...Uh...but Shimura wanted me to do it. Dabi said so."

"Dabi says a lot of things. C'mon Kinta-"

"Big sis," he shook his head. Kinta seemed more like a boy shaking away from his mother to a simple task than anything else. "I got it. It's a dingy little motel on the outskirts of the city."

Magne paused. She glanced to Jin who seemed of all things expressionless beyond his mask. Then she looked back to Kinta and spoke, "...Alright honey, be...be safe. For Himiko's sake. Try not to do too much damage, we really don't need the heat on us."

"You got it."

---

An Hour Later-Musufatu

He folded the tens of thousands of yen and put them into his uniforms pocket. Then he just stood there in his mask and uniform. Looking at the bodies. One of them. A young man not unlike himself, had his brains splattered all about the room like a bad paintjob.

Kinta looked about and saw there really had been no guns among them. He looked to his Ruger. Sliding the cylinder open, he loosed the shells and they fell to the hardwood floor. He then grabbed another loader from his breast and slid it in and closed it and put the revolver at half cock. He went to place the weapon into his inside pocket, then stopped.

Pausing, he scanned the room. Four men. He moved to the open briefcase on the table and looked inside and saw the trigger hadn't been touched in the scuffle. He closed and snapped the little lock down, then he grabbed the briefcase and moved to the door.

He opened the door and went through the halls of the motel back down the stairs. His gun was held in one hand, and he was carrying the briefcase in the other. When he reached the front lobby and glanced at the dead clerk, he stopped once more. The front doors were closed, and it was pitch black outside.

Turning around, he walked back the stairs. The room number he went into was one-oh-four with a sightly view of the surrounding area from a balcony with balustrades being the only thing stopping someone from falling.

Under the streetlamps and neon bright signs, he saw their cars. His gas, if focused, could certainly reach them. He'd have to take a chance on the couple precious seconds that they wouldn't notice its purple hue in the dark. It flowed like smog towards them. There was a man with a raincoat on over his suit and he was close. Kinta aimed, his hand under his right and his index finger near tapping against the feather trigger.

They were rousing and some of them had seen the gas and one even tried snapping his fingers to create a light. All it changed was their silhouette's to seeing them fully. He took the revolver out of half-cock when he listened to them coughing and fired. The first one went down instantly, and the others scrambled behind cars, some recklessly throwing out knives or projectiles as a feature of their quirk that didn't touch him.

The muzzle fire was giving him away, and when they knew his position, he saw fire shoot up as he was reloading. Kinta slipped back inside as it hit one of the balustrades, the pieces of which fell off like crumbs. Then the fire stopped suddenly. Letting a sigh escape him, Kinta stepped out and fired.

Three minutes later he stepped out onto the porch of the motel and scanned the destroyed cars and bodies. His gas had cleared but he kept his mask on. One of the men was still alive, two bullets in his thigh and knee. Blood was draining from him across the cold pavement. Kinta must've hit an artery. He approached. The guy was wearing a tan suit, and his hair was dyed blonde, the black roots still viewable.

His eyes were open when he approached. Kinta looked down at him. Kneeling, he studied him. The man looked away.

"Look at me," Mustard said.

The man did not listen. "Look at me..." this made him turn his head.

The man's lip quivered, "I got...money...all you could ever want...please...get me to-"

"No. You know how this ends."

The man stopped. He stared at him. "Are you going to look away?"

He glanced at him, then he looked away, then back. "How much?" Mustard finally asked. The man turned his head back. Sirens blared somewhere in the distance.

Kinta shot him in the head. His eyes were shocked at first, and he watched as they were drained of light. There was a small light from a nearby shot out streetlamp reflected off his masks eye and it went out, leaving darkness there and nothing more.

When he arrived back to the house, he stepped to the stoop, the only sound being the wind. He'd watched the many leaves falling from the trees as they blew about before stopping.

There was a small creeping up Kinta's back and his head shot around and he saw Toga standing just a few inches from him. "Himiko?" He would've stepped away had the door not been there.

"Where were you Kintie-Kyun? I woke up and you weren't there..." she was speaking softly, her eyes staring right at him. Right into his soul.

"Out. Tried to...sell off some trigger. Come on I need to tell big sis-"

"You aren't lying to me are you?" she laid her hand on his shoulder and squeezed, "I don't like being tricked Kintie."

"The fuck is going," he stopped. Kinta let a breath escape him, and he spoke gently, "...No, I'm not lying to you alright? stop it."

Himiko held out her tongue like she'd been dehydrated for the last year, "I'm...so...thirsty...not a drop in a week...please Kintie."

"I thought you said you had enough to last a month-"

"So, what if I did? I'm out now...more...please..."

"L-Look maybe you should try holding off-"

Her grip on his shoulder tightened and he watched her mouth opening, teeth shining in the dark, her eyes yellow like a wildcat. "More..."

"Toga..."

"Please..."

"god...dammit..."

"I need it..."

"Why couldn't you have me bring you some?"

"Because yours is the best..."

He tried to step away, but she lay her other hand on his shoulder. She was drawing him in as if Himiko were trying to embrace him, but Kinta knew better. "Himiko-Chan."

"Because I love you the most."

"Please."

"...Don't you love me the most?"

"O-Of course I do-"

"Then let me have some..."

"Jesus please Himiko."

"If you loved me the most, you'd let me..."

"I-I do-"

"Then let me."

He studied her face. Sweat running down his face, "Give me the knife."

"What will you do with it?" she'd been hiding it in her sweaters pocket and pulled the weapon out. She was looking at him right in the eyes, her smile gone.

"I'm going to cut my hand, and I'll let you drink. Okay?"

"I can do it."

"Y-You hurt me last time, cut too deep."

"...Alright..." she sighed and handed the blade to him. Kinta held it in his hand.

"I won't ever hurt you, please know that," he said softly. "It's...just this hurts a lot."

"I'm sorry," she looked away.

"N-No...I shouldn't have refused. You need it."

She slowly turned back and watched closely as he pressed it to the back of his palm. He grimaced and slid about two inches across and let her lap from his hand. Himiko held his hand with both of hers and he looked away while she did so.

---

The Hero Public Safety Commission Headquarters

He looked at her standing at the window when he walked in. Her blue dress, formal. Everything about her was that way. Hair, the drone of a way Meli spoke. In a way he was sometimes surprised himself by it, and he was a man who prided himself on discipline. The grey sky darkened the fall day, and the lights of the city danced about even though it was merely two in the afternoon.

"You're early, Tsuyoi."

"Better that, than late," he joined her side. She was dwarfed by him, fifteen centimeters over her at least. He glanced at her. "I quite like the students you've sent me. There's...potential there. In those two."

"What of Mineta Minoru?"

"Potential. He's a perverted fool from what I've read and seen, but so are most Marine's and there have never been truer warriors. Give it time."

Meli watched the ground of the city, "Even then...this will take time. Time that we don't exactly have to waste. All Might's left...much for us to handle," she put a finger to her head and nodded it left to right.

He watched her, "Go on."

"It's a mess...this whole generation thing with One For All. We're lucky Izuku Midoriya didn't fall right into the clutches of All For One. Your boy and him were both there."

"I've seen the footage. Courageous acts by all."

"More like foolish, if that evil had gotten his hands on One For All..." she shook her head, "there would be nothing stopping him. No weapon could harm him, they barely do already but..."

"But he was defeated. No man is capable of controlling the world on his own..." Thiago shook his hand. "He might've posed a threat here, but I have good reason to believe there are beings easily capable of defeating his league of fools."

"And where are they? currently engaged in a never-ending struggle within the middle east? perhaps China or Russia."

Tsuyoi eyed her, "They're certainly engaged elsewhere. What I mean is, your Commission should be able to handle itself. Besides, All For One was imprisoned after all. Though that League of his if left unchecked might prove an issue."

"We have our best working on it."

"Takami?"

"Yes. As...strange as he is he gets the job done."

"I would know. I did train him for a time. Who else do we have?"

"Gran Torino has proved compatible, he's currently spearheading the official investigation but...he's not exactly willing to listen to orders all that much. Though he has a planned meet with All For One."

"The old partner of Nana Shimura?"

"Indeed...so much to talk about, so little time..." she sighed.

"Two boys of UA potential are good...but...I'll have to agree with you there. If only we had more operatives with close to their level."

"That's what I wanted to bring up next," she eyed him. "Allow me to show you something."

She brought him to her desk and turned on a small tablet on top of it. "In order to meet this threat in kind, we've developed a few...countermeasures."

The image of the tablet flipped on, and he saw multiple tanks of purple liquid, people inside them. Then he realized they were not people. The ground and room itself was dark save the white coats of the men and women working and studying at the beings within the holding tanks.

"Are those..."

"We took them after the Kamino incident. The people used were...already dead, if we had a way to bring them back, we would have. But...there's more use now than ever, our scientists are doing their best to reprogram and study the specifics of their making. It's been a..." she tapped her finger against the screen, showing close ups of the ghoulish and twisted bodies of the nomu. "Arduous process."

He studied them. "I trust this information is being shared back home?"

"Of course. It's about the only help we've been getting."

"Your complaints should not be confided in me. I'm merely trying to assist. When do you expect deployment?"

"A few months from now. Two or perhaps three."

"Not as quick as I'd like...but..." he thought for a moment, "ah he wouldn't be ready for that..."

"Minoru Mineta?"

"Torn apart. But maybe in the future."

"Right."

"I'll be meeting him tonight. I've already sent the message. If all else fails, we may have to look into the lesser classes or perhaps other schools."

"Can you not teach him to Commission standards?"

"I never told you I was able, merely that I would do my best. His past makes me think this will be quite difficult."

She watched him, nothing beyond his eyes beyond the darkness. "Well then, best get to it. I've so many more meetings, one in ten minutes."

"There's a floor..."

"Hm?"

"How smart, a secret floor for these experiments. I thought it on the elevator up here, it went on for much longer between the fifteenth and sixteenth. Appears that theory was true. But right in the middle of the building?"

"Basements are overrated if that is what you were thinking."

He smiled. "That and the extra protection, the coded door to your office, you've nearly become as paranoid as your predecessor."

"Don't patronize me."

"I was not."

"Hm."

"I'll be out of your hair. Expect a report on the boy soon. I'd quite like having more you know," he said as he walked to the doorway.

"Give it a month or two, we'll see how this current situation plays out...using children for these kinds of things can be quite controversial remember."

"True. Goodbye Miss President."

---

UA-Gamma Gym

"Cut!" Momo yelled. They all swept forward and stepped into the V-shaped right slash. They then triangle stepped and lunged at long guard and stepped back and awaited her further command.

"Good...rest for a moment," she nodded and placed the sword flat at her shoulder. It was dulled but one must always treat even the practice weapons with the respect of a real one.

"Phew..." Itsuka murmured while holding the cross guard as a support, her auburn hair tied into a bun. "Hard on the back."

"It's not awful..." Shoji shrugged, holding six of the practice swords in his hands. He'd taken to them like a modern-day Musashi.

Pony's dinner plate sized iris's shot up to him and her voice sounded even more American than usual, "Mistah, you got muscles fah days," she turned her attention to the swords, "Them things is probably like styrofoam to you."

"Dude curls double of what I deadlift, you should see him," Mineta huffed as he wiped sweat from his forehead with a small paper towel.

"Minoru..." Shoji chuckled softly.

"See he's laughing like that cause he knows he does it to piss me off. Yeah, yeah keep it up bro. He knows what he did."

Todoroki looked down at his sword and seemed to be thinking about something. He was at the front, so Momo noticed fairly quick. "Anything wrong Shoto?"

"No."

"...Let me rephrase that, what's on your mind?"

"I was deliberating over how much fire and what temperature I may need to light this without melting it. I wish to make a fire sword."

"...Um..."

"Like Kaminari's electric one."

"That's not how it works."

"...Sorry."

When they put away swords for the day, it was by a large closet used to store practice weapons among other items they'd use in their training. Momo took and placed each practice longsword in their respective boxes. When he was outside Mineta and Shoji walked together out of the gym with a fresh change of clothes.

Quite the sight they were. The giant and child of the class. Mineta was lightly jogging and Shoji merely needed to walk to keep up with him. There was something red poking out of his long sleeves on his wrists.

"Arm bands?" Shoji asked under his mask.

"Huh?" Mineta turned to him, "Oh yeah," he flashed them like brand new toys. "I picked them up a few days back."

"Nice. How much?"

"Five kilos."

"Five?"

"What?"

"A bit much is all."

"Nah man, I've been gettin stronger."

"That's good...pace yourself though."

"I will man. Hey, how about you?-" his phone buzzed. Mineta instantly wound it from his pocket and looked at the screen for a moment. He stared.

"What is it?"

"Ah...hero intern-work s-stuff..." he waved his hand. "Gotta go."

"Wait we just worked out don't you need some rest?"

"I'm good!" Mineta yelled back to him as he scurried off.

The last week was full of working out. Though Shoji hadn't known that. Dancing and Jiu Jitsu with Mina, running with Shoji, sword practice from Momo, boxing with Kirishima, and his quirk training and own respective workouts between those of course. With each high he got from them, he knew he had to win. He had to win. Please.

The message was simple. An address that told him to be in the city at a certain location in his costume by nightfall, and a number. He was out of the school by five in the afternoon and he rode the train tapping his foot against the ground while people stared at him, and he ran the sidewalks of the city and eventually he was moving from rooftop to rooftop in an industrial section of the city. A large motel was laid bare in front of him, a bright neon sign read vacancy with the 'n' shorted out.

Breaths sucked in and out. He stepped from the sidewalk, no people around him. The moon was soon to be out, and the sun had gone down over the horizon. He went to the door and opened and stepped inside.

There was only a clerk at the desk who'd been looking at his phone. Mineta approached the small desk, air conditioning blowing softly as the man looked twice up at him. Mineta opened his mouth, then stopped and thought for a moment.

"Is there...something I can do to help you?..." the guy asked behind his coke bottle glasses down at him. His hair was slicked down the middle and his chin were non-existent.

Mineta then realized something was booming up above, music. "If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me who's in room two-oh-two?"

"It's empty."

"Where's the music coming from?"

The clerk glanced down at his shifting hands, "Look...they gave me money I-I..."

"What?"

"Nothing...cops are probably outside...please don't hurt me man..."

"I...I won't. You got the keys?"

"I gave em to all of them."

"How many?"

"About...five."

"...Alright. Thanks," he smiled up at him. The man seemed odd as he walked past him to the door to the stairs.

Walking up the stairs, Mineta felt a sense sweep through his body and his hair was standing up on his neck and his legs seemed heavier the further he went. He realized then how tired he was. There was almost a voice, telling him to go back downstairs and out of the door. Smacking himself in the face seemed to push the thought away entirely.

He entered the hallway, seeing the large, carpeted floor before him. The smell of nicotine and the sound of bad music shook the entire building.

Placing his hand on the hard wooden walls, he felt along them. An odd beat sounded through them. Dragging his palm, Mineta stopped short of one of the middle doors. Room one-three-four. So, the clerk hadn't lied.

He could smell the alcohol and other substances even outside. Slowly, he grabbed several grapes from his head and walked to the walls, placing them about the immediate area around the door.

He placed a hand on the doorknob after walking back to it. Locked of course. There was an easy fix for that. Taking out a small pin, he stuck it into the keyhole. Thank you, Aizawa-Sensei, for this knowledge.

Several times he stopped to look around, no bodies coming his way or in the hall. Good, he needed surprise. The music would drown out any noise.

When it snapped open, there was a moment where he felt something fill through his body. Around his waist all the way to his torso and up through his head. A breath escaped him. Then he wound the door open.

Inside, a couch and chairs were gathered around a coffee table. Sitting on them were five men dressed in suits of black or white, each starting up when they saw the boy. He ran forward, jumping off the table and planting his heel into a lizard heteromorphs face.

A small cry, one of a child emanated from a connected shoji as one man grabbed him by the cape, the bastards quirk granting him the strength of three men. Mineta was flung right out of the door and hit the wall hard. As his head spun, he cursed himself for not placing a grape there.

They were screaming something, but he wasn't listening. Most were threats and breathless insults. The lizard was quick to follow up, rushing out of the door and grabbing the boy by the throat and pressed him against the wall. The muscle memory kicking in, Mineta grabbed his wrists and plucked them down. He then elbowed him with all his small might.

Swearing, the lizard wrenched back and covered his scaley nose. Two others came out by this point, ganking him. Getting past their friend, they reached out for him. One got a hold, the other he maneuvered around with his small body. He nearly tripped and brought a hand up only to grab one of the grapes.

As he swore, Mineta lurched back and forth trying to slip out of the guy's grasp. He felt his hands going hot and that's when he knew all methods were required. His knee came up and crashed into the family jewels.

Seeing him reel down and groan painfully, Mineta lifted his leg for a knee smash, but was picked up by the strongman again and smashed into the wall. A harsh breath escaped him, and stars were in his peripheral. The one caught with the grape was kicking back at him and only managing to hit his friends arm weakly instead.

The momentary distraction allowed Mineta to poke his finger into the big guy's eye. He let out a screech, dropping Mineta on his ass. Not done, he pushed up and kicked him in the knee as hard as he possibly could. A loud snap and more of his screams were audible over the music as he toppled back.

The other two had finally made their way to the outside and stepped over their friends. The one in the back pulled something. He tried bringing the gun up, but his friend was in the way, and much taller than Mineta. Meanwhile, his buddy was attacking. He'd turning his fingers into boney knives and stabbed at the boy.

Grabbing his arm, the man swiped back tagging him across the chest. Speckles of blood appeared on the darkened costume. Mineta didn't have time to notice as two shots of the gun rang out, all of which hit the wall and the door at the end of the hall. They all covered their ears from the sound.

Mineta opened his eyes to see them standing there, and he was standing there breathing heavily as they all huffed. Then the lizard remembered they were in a fight and rushed towards him bowling past the other two with a yell. Dropping to the floor Mineta threw a grape behind him at the same moment and lay sideways, tripping and causing the man to get stuck. He then got up and finished it with angry blows to the sides of the head. He nearly hit him in the back of the head but managed to restrain himself.

He cried out as something cold poked into his leg. He swung his head back and his skull hit knife fingers directly in the chin. Mineta saw him fall back only to see the barrel of the gun right on him. He moved his body left, bringing the same sides hand up and grabbed it. Three shots popped out causing his ears to pop in turn as he punched the gun into the man's hip and attached a grape to it. The man brought his foot up and kicked him in the torso and Mineta tumbled back.

Another moment passed as he looked up and saw all of them struggling with his grapes or struggling to even move. He saw the strongman holding his inward knee, and he witnessed the man attached to the wall trying to tug his grape, and he heard the lizard man behind him trying to swallow his own tongue, and he looked to knife hands laying oddly on the floor with blood coming out of a gash from his chin, and he saw the man with the gun running at him.

He fell on Mineta, using his free hand to reign down blows. Tanking some, especially a nasty shot to his eye that darkened it later, he moved his head and used the momentum against his opponent, causing him to tumble against the wall. As he got up, he felt his heart pounding in his ears as he jumped up and dropkicked the guy into one of his grapes. He then threw a grape at his head, almost panicking when he thought it'd covered his nose but no, it'd just come very close. Merely his mouth was covered.

No time to think about that when he screamed because of hot hands coming out of nowhere and placing a burning hand on his cheek. He turned and with hysterical strength smashed his hand against the wall where a grape awaited. Then he kicked in his leg with a roundhouse and struck five times before the guy stopped trying to use his other hand. It felt like half Mineta's face had been in an oven as he fell back.

Slowly, he got up and watched the strongman trying to stand. They stared at each other, the only two left yet one was down a leg. Sharp breaths escaped the both of them and sweat was all over Mineta's back. Making a motion to come at him, the villain found the boy doing just that. He threw a grape dead center at his head, causing the guy to turn his head as he looked away.

A grape jump infused kick to the forehead sent him to the ground. Mineta was quick to follow up with small mountains of grapes to all his limbs as his head bled.

Taking a moment, he looked around. They were all down, save the first to get stuck on the wall. He tried to whisper but Mineta said nothing and flipped for an axe kick to the top of the guy's skull.

He lay on the floor after doing that, his whole-body sore and wracked in pain. Wheezing, Mineta groaned softly and coughed hard for about thirty seconds. Then he flipped to his right.

Slowly, he managed to stand and walk inside. He passed by the table and the couch full of money and chips and beer. Then he walked to the door and opened the shoji and peered inside a dark room.

A bed lay at the back middle, and two nightstands. Quickly, he walked inside and switched on the light and when he looked to the bed once more, he saw the pillow placed under the sheets. No child.

Something awful bubbled in his stomach, but he didn't even have time to register before he did a forty-five and saw a shape flying at him. He felt the kick impact at his chest and hit hard against a window.

He flew back when the glass buckled behind him and he felt the wind before hitting the ground. Blinking, he saw up to the broken window and second story he'd just been wrenched from. There was somebody on the roof. Hard to see because darkness had fully taken the city, but the lights allowed Mineta to recognize the large silhouette.

"I had thought you would never show," Tsuyoi spoke.

Mineta coughed, standing, he fell once more. Around him there was a small park connected to a gate between it and an alley that led out from the building. Little trees about, and a bench dedicated to a woman long dead.

"W-What w-was that for?..." Mineta haggard out. His mask and cape were torn, a small cut above the knee of his sweatpants.

"I told you we would fight. Those men were simple gangsters I tracked. Now, you face me."

Mineta watched him, and Tsuyoi did not look away. "You...actually gonna use...your quirk?"

"Indeed."

They stared at each other. Mineta's hands balled, and he looked to his left and ran throwing down a grape. He bounced up right at him, but the mentor was quite ready. With a great leap he struck the boy back.

Falling back, Mineta threw grape after grape up, but he couldn't catch Tsuyoi. He caught himself on the building with one grape and looked up and saw with blinding speed his opponent moving down with a hard hammer fist. He jumped back and landed on his knees on the grass. Tsuyoi landed several feet away.

He was quick to his feet and threw out more grapes, the mentor dodging around them. They were starting to cake the area. Tsuyoi moved to him and Mineta bounced away around the park. He did a corkscrew and landed, nearly stumbling.

Tsuyoi was relentless and quick, he was on Mineta before the boy could even blink. The teacher had his fist up. Instead of guarding, however, the boy fell back.

His hands hooked around the wrist, and he brought his leg up to the man's stomach and flipped him. He turned back and watched his teeth gritting harshly like a gnashing hammer as Tsuyoi went with the flip and landed on his feet.

But he was still turned away. Running forward, Mineta jumped and tried to dropkick him in the back only for Tsuyoi to sidestep and chop him down. Expecting him, the boy held his right foot up and barely tucked his chin, but his mentor thought better as he stepped away and waited for him to stand.

Mineta watched him. Tsuyoi had opened his mouth, he was breathing hefty, and in the lamplight from nearby he saw sweat sliding down his head.

Standing, Mineta shrugged his shoulders backwards and forwards. He had to say something really cool right now, or else he'd look dumb, "You're sweating cause you're...old and...and white hair...and...shit."

"...Be silent," he moved in once more and Mineta saw the many grapes spread out about the place and then he remembered the one on the wall of the motel. He galloped back, his feet finding another grape. Barely did he scrape by the tips of Tsuyoi's fingers.

Soon, he was bouncing all about the area and finally he landed upon the wall grape. He turned back once, praying this would work and at a great speed he launched himself headfirst at the disbelieving Tsuyoi. With a scream, he crashed his skull right into his chest.

Stars were all he could see next. He was on the ground, something hard against his back. Mineta rose and looked about and realized he was on a rooftop. "Awake?"

Tsuyoi had said that. Mineta saw him and the man was looking down at the city. Shakily, he rose and joined him, looking down at the passing cars and people and the lights that never seemed to dim. The buzz, the sounds, a strange beauty to it all. "D-Did I pass?..." he rubbed his head.

"...Yes."

"YAY-"

"Quiet."

"Yes sir..."

"Where you able to identify what my quirk was?" he was holding his arms behind his back, the white of his facial hair the first and most noticeable thing about him.

"...Super strength? speed? you kinda seemed to have it all."

"Technically you are not wrong. But there is more to it than that. Mine is referred to as hysterical strength. I am able to activate and tolerate levels of adrenaline that would kill normal man. However, the downsides can be...tiring. I must choose the times I use it carefully. A lesson to be learned there. One must pick the most opportune moments to strike."

"Um...wow..."

"What is it?"

"Nothin..."

"Were you listening?"

"Uh...yes?"

"Good. Your quirk, it's...has...a lot of potential."

"Thanks?..."

"You proved yourself there. Believe it or not."

Something shot through Mineta, making him perk up. "T-Thank you!" he seemed giddy.

"You will only earn that praise when you've proved exemplary. Though you knocked yourself out you proved your willingness to fight, your cowardice, it was gone from you."

"I...well...it's uh...something I've been coming up with."

"Well then, my "foolish" pervert of a pupil," he turned and looked down at him, "are you ready for what comes next? because it shall not be as easy as it was today. There were mistakes. Those gangsters got away, and when you were knocked unconscious before the police arrived your grapes only curdled and vanished by a hairs inch. I had to get you away as well. Many mistakes."

"Y-Yes...yes I am!" he clutched his hands together and bowed, "I promise Sensei I'll never mess up again or be scared or anything! w-whatever you want!"

They stood on that rooftop, and for the first time Tsuyoi gave a hint of respect with a slight nod. "You've a long way to go, but with my help I shall make you the best of the best."

"Y-You mean it!?"

"Yes. As of today, I name you, my student. Mineta Minoru."

Mineta nodded happily, pure joy in his expression. Unknowing that this would be the man whom he came to despise the most. All of this because he wanted to become a hero.

Notes:

This shall be where I end this sort of prelude fic. I already have some stuff set up for my next fic in the series. Essentially, it's gonna be the events of Two Heroes but a group of 1-A, with Mineta obviously in the group, crash on the plane ride from Japan to America and end up in the middle of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Them fighting the Tijuana cartel ensue. Also, this version of two heroes will be pretty different if you can't guess given it takes place pre Shie arc and All Mights dead and stuff. I think it'll be a lot of fun to write and can't wait to post the first chapter.

But as for this one, thank you very much for all the views, kudos, and comments. Never thought I'd be this successful with Mineta as my main pov character but here we are.

Notes:

First and foremost, thanks for reading, second you may be asking why the pervert joke character? well, I kinda like the challenge of taking a hated character and making them beloved or at least compelling in a fic, just go and look at some other stuff I've written (please I need numbers) this is going to be an actual longfic unlike all of my other mha one shots so hopefully I do good enough like that person who wrote Saint and Sinner (go check their work out its way better than mine and longer than 10 pages)

Anyways I hope you all enjoyed, see you on the next chapter.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Rakka's Mainline MHA Verse