(this is a flashback if you couldn't tell, this takes place sometime between chapters 14 and 15, just getting that out of the way so there's no confusion, anyway, on with the chapter)

"Hey Trace", Mina asked, looking at him with excitement.

"Yeah Mina", Trace was putting his books into his bag.

"Would it be okay if I, oh I don't know, stayed the night at your place", Mina had a smile from ear to ear.

Trace smiled warmly. She had a way of washing away his worries. He looked at her and said, "Of course".

Mina practically squealed, throwing her arms around Trace, "Thank you so much, tonight will be so fun, we can play games, watch movies, talk for ages, and so on".

Trace simply smiled. She had a way of making him do it without a thought. Her energy, her kindness, her caring personality. She was truly an amazing person. He was proud to be able to say she was his girlfriend. He walked out the door, and proceeded to walk to the restroom. He clutched his necklace in his hand.

A small rectangular pendant, with her king etched into it along with half a heart. While they had gotten it for free, Trace still cherished it. It symbolized his love for her. It gave him a reason to smile. He continued walking, not even thinking about anything besides her. He never noticed the hands, reaching out to grab him. They pulled him swiftly into the locker rooms. He was thrown over the bench, hitting his head on the way down.

"You honestly think you can get away with being a murderer", a voice said. He didn't recognize the voice, but it seems familiar somehow.

"You don't deserve to be in this school, you worthless sack of shit", another voice. He still didn't recognize it.

Trace attempted to get to his feet, when a foot to the stomach knocked him back down. Trace clutched his stomach, pain spreading through his body.

"You won't be anything more than a criminal kid, no matter what you try to do to "Get Your Act Together", you will still be a criminal that deserves to be behind bars.

Trace looked up to the students, but recognized none of them. They all had hockey masks on.

He tried to get to his feet again, but something heavy hit him against the back of his head, sending him to the floor instantly. The item kept knocking him against his head, his back, his legs, anywhere it could hit, it hit. Trace grabbed onto his necklace and held it for dear life.

Unfortunately, the students attacking him took note of that. "Give me that necklace or we heart your pink friend", one of the students started trying to rip the thing from his hands. Trace wanted to stop them, but he couldn't, his entire body was numb. The student eventually got the necklace and began walking away with his friends, laughing the whole time. "Such a waste, you never deserved a girlfriend.

Trace was no longer listening. He simply got to his feet, picked up his backpack, and continued walking home. After another 20 minutes, Trace managed to get to his door where Mina was waiting.

Mina, seeing him, immediately started covering Trace in kisses. All of which, Trace returned. Mina began smiling from ear to ear. "You ready to get this party started", Mina threw a hand in the air to emphasize her question.

Trace smiled and nodded, swinging the door open. It was small but cozy. Trace stepped inside and went straight to his bedroom. He dropped his backpack down and began pacing. He needed to figure out a plan. How would things work? Or if they should be done at all.

Trace walked into the restroom connected to the bedroom and locked the door behind him. He walked over to the sink, and began hyperventilating. His hand to his chest. He began thinking about what the students said. Replaying every insult they threw at him. But then a look of horror found its way to Trace's face. It was her, he was sure of it. She had hurt him again, and HE helped her hurt him. Trace opened his cabinet, his body was moving on its own.

(Mina)

Mina had gotten bored of sitting around in the living room. 2 minutes had passed since he entered his bedroom. She yelled for him, but got no response. She waited a second to see if maybe he was delayed, but no sound came. Mina got up and entered the bedroom, searching for her boyfriend. "Trace". Mina began to worry heavily. The only place he was in was the bathroom. But no sounds were heard. Mina was about to knock on the door when a loud thud made her jump. Trace was on the ground. Without thinking, Mina melted the lock, and slammed the door open, to see Trace with a knife, his arms covered in cuts. Mina viewed the scene in horror.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed 911, doing her best to stop the blood flow. Trace grew paler with every passing second. Eventually, the ambulance showed up and took him to the hospital, the same one as the hosu incident. All the while, Mina was processing what had happened in that span of 20 minutes. This was supposed to be a fun get together for them, but instead, she was wondering why he had cut himself while sitting in a hospital chair. She had sat there for what felt like hours. Eventually the nurse found her and escorted her to Trace's room.

(Trace)

Everything was black. It hurt so much. His arms were on fire. What was going on. All he remembers is a blow to the head. He remembered being pulled into the bathroom, every insult they threw at him. But he didn't remember getting up. So why did his arms hurt, and not his head. All he could hear was a steady beep every second. Was he in a hospital? He didn't know what to think anymore. He began to scream. He wanted out. He wanted to see his friends. He wanted to see her. If he's in a hospital, he must either be a patient, or asleep. He wanted to wake up either way.

It felt like years had passed, but his eyes finally opened. The light was blinding though, so he shut them and started over, repeating this until his eyes adjusted. He could see he was in a room. His arms were bandaged, but weren't hurting at the moment. In fact, they felt amazing. He had a slight headache, but he could push that aside. And of course, a few seats for guests as well as an empty bed. Trace laid there, pondering what happened to him.

(Mina)

Mina came bursting through the door. "TRACE", Mina was so scared for Trace. His skin stayed pale. He had enough blood in his body, but his body remained pale. She was about to wrap him in a hug, when the doctor put a hand on her shoulder.

"Apologies miss, but I would refrain from any physical actions, as he has wires connecting vitamins and nutrients into him".

Mina was shocked to hear this. The doctor motioned for her to follow him out of the room. She followed without hesitation, she needed to know what was wrong with Trace. She stepped out of the room, the doctor shutting the door behind him.

He turned to Mina and began. "You see, he was extremely malnourished, it was like he hadn't eaten anything in days, after doing a few scans, we have determined he is suffering from depression and stress, after many questions, we determined he thinks his well being doesn't matter as long as others are okay, we worry he has lead this lifestyle for years".

Mina sat there stunned. If he had lived this way for so long, why did he only now decide to do this. Did something happen to him? No, none of that matters right now. Mina looked at the doctor again, "Can I see him Doctor". Concern filled her voice.

The doctor immediately nodded, opening the door. "Just be gentle with him, as his body is still processing everything". The doctor went next door to check on those patients.

Mina slipped back into Trace's room, shutting the door behind her. She walked up to Trace's bedside and watched his sleeping figure. "Oh Trace", Mina began crying, no longer able to hold back tears. "What drove you to harm yourself".

Trace couldn't answer since, well, he was asleep.

Mina began running a hand through his hair. His hair was so soft. He hated seeing him like this. She was so scared. What if he lossed to much blood? What if he wouldn't wake up? What if she loses the boy? Mina gently wrapped Trace in a hug, crying into his chest. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. Which is why she began smiling when a hand wrapped around her waist. She looked down at Trace, seeing his eyes flutter open.

"Mina?", Trace was still out of it so he couldn't tell.

"I'm here Trace", Mina took his hand in her own, rubbing it with her thumb.

"What happened to me Mina", Trace wanted to figure out what happened as quickly as possible.

Mina began to frown. "You cut yourself all over your arms", Mina began sobbing, but anger crept into her voice. "Why would you do this to yourself, why would you leave behind all your friends".

Trace was surprised by the anger. "I don't remember ever entering my house even, I remember walking down the hall of UA, then I got pulled into a restroom, where I was insulted and beaten", Trace's eyes widened a second before becoming glossed over, "Oh yeah, her".

Mina looked at him with confusion and worry. "What happened Trace".

Trace sighed before saying. "You remember the girl who made me cut myself, and the boy who she was dating behind my back?". Mina nodded. "Well, they either go to UA, or they broke into UA, either way, they were two of the assailants, I couldn't figure out who the third person was", Traces eyes fell to the ground, "They were insulting me, telling me how I was worthless, how I didn't deserve a second chance, I guess in the end, they got what they wanted, they even took my necklace, the one we agreed to have with us at all times". Tears began falling down Trace's face. "I'm so sorry Mina".

Mina grabbed his chin and turned Trace to meet her gaze. Trace was in pain, but she needed to say a few things. "Trace, i'm sorry, but I need to get a few things out of me, so i need to say a few things". Trace nodded, prompting her to continue. "I'll be honest, I'm pretty angry, at you for cutting yourself, which was really stupid, the people who attacked and insulted you, which really pisses me off, and myself for not noticing sooner". Mina was practically shaking with anger.

Trace was about to raise his right arm, but remembered it was connected to the tube sending nutrients and vitamins to his body. He began moving his hand to Mina's cheek, but she slapped his hand away. "I'm sorry Mina".

Mina began yelling, "NO, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR SORRY", Mina extended a pinky out to Trace, "I WANT YOU TO PROMISE ME YOU WON'T EVER INTENTIONALLY CUT YOURSELF AGAIN", Tears were streaming down her face.

Trace began raising his arm, extending his pinky and wrapped it around hers. "I can't keep hurting myself like this, I need to find my confidence if i'm going to be a hero, ", Trace looked into Mina's gaze, a small smile forming on his face, "so I promise, I will be better, I will stop cutting myself, and I'll push those thoughts from my head".

Mina continued her stern look. "I mean it Trace, I don't want you to cut yourself anymore", Mina's tone turned from one of anger to one of concern, "It's scary to see you in the hospital bed, I thought I lost you Trace, I can't go through that". Mina was crying at this point.

Trace wrapped his free arm around her, practically pulling her onto the bed. "Mina, I promise you, I won't leave you, I don't want to hurt you ever again, I promise I won't do that again, I want to change for the better, please, don't cry", Trace began to tear up, "cause you're gonna make me cry".

Mina held him closely, she was scared, he was in a hospital bed for goodness sake. She wanted to keep him safe. She wanted to help him get better. She wanted to help him get over his depression. She wanted to do anything she could for him. The two of them sat there crying in each other's arms for a few minutes. Mina was the first to stop, soon followed by Trace. They had gotten all of that out.

Trace became more solemn. "Look at me, I'm broken in front of my friends, I'm so weak".

Mina immediately grabbed his left hand. "You are not weak Trace, you are so strong, you defeated the hero killer, you defeated the Nomu, you saved my life countless times over, and I can't thank you enough, and crying isn't weakness, it shows your willing to show others your pain, it's a sign of trust". She smiled at him, hoping to cheer him up.

Luckily, it appears to have worked. Trace had a joyous smile on his face. "Thank you so much Mina, for saving me". Those words caught Mina off guard. "If you hadn't found me, I might not be here now, so thank you so much".

The doctor walked in, seeing Trace with his left hand in her hands. "Okay, Trace, you should be well enough, I'm going to remove the needle from your arm, and you'll be allowed to be on your way". Trace simply nodded. The doctor immediately went to work, removing the needle and covering the spot of injection with a bandage. "Now", the doctor began, becoming more stern, "you were extremely malnourished, it's truly a wonder how your bones didn't crumble to dust, anyway, you need to eat more, to put nutrients into your body, so I recommend you at least pick something up from a restaurant".

Trace nodded quickly, "Okay sir", he knew he had to listen, for Mina's sake but also for his own.

"Also", The doctor raised his head to meet their gazes, "If it's not an issue, someone needs to accompany you until tomorrow, to ensure nothing occurs overnight".

Mina quickly said, "I'm having a sleepover at his house, so I can watch over him".

With that, Trace and Mina walked out of the hospital, heading to a nearby pizza place to pick up their order. 5 large pizzas, 2 with pepperoni, 1 with bacon, 1 plain, and one with pepperoni and bacon together. Trace walked into the restaurant, and collected his order. After being out for about an hour, they finally reached Trace's house. They immediately began loading up super smash bros, Mina had requested that Trace help her become a better Pokemon Trainer player.

"Your down b stalls you in the air but doesn't remove your up b so don't worry about swapping in the air, the only thing you have to worry about is end lag on your down b", Trace was training her aerial game, she was pretty good at ground combat but she couldn't fight in the air to save her life. They had been at it for a half-hour now. Half the pizzas were gone, the majority of said pizzas eaten by Trace.

"What if I stick with ivysaur for range, then use charizard as a recovery option", Mina had her hand to her chin.

"Charizard is your power house, ivysaur is your vertical recovery, but he is also your ranged fighter usually, Squirtle is slower than charizard, but still pretty fast, you're essentially three fighters in one big package, so use each one to the best of your ability", Trace had a smile on his face. They kept at it for hours straight, but Mina wasn't getting the hang of it. She nearly threw a controller in anger. Trace sighed. "Alright, let's take a break, I can see you're frustrated".

Mina put her hands on the sides of her head. "How will I be ready for the tournament? How can I put up a good fight? How can I-".

Trace wrapped her in a hug, "calm down Mina, we have an entire month to train, you can do it, I will do the best I can to train you".

Mina began to calm down, snuggling up against Trace. "Thank you Trace". The two of them sat there wrapped in each other's arms.

"So", Trace began, "anything in particular you wanted to do". Tonight had been the most fun he's had in years.

Mina looked at him with a sly smirk. He knew that smirk all too well. She grabbed Trace's head and pulled him to her, planted a kiss on his lips. Trace simply closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss as much as possible. Trace was lost in joy, he couldn't get enough of her. He loved her from the bottom of his heart. They looked each other in the eyes, both longing for the other. Thoughts began appearing but they were pushed out by both people. Neither of them were willing to cross that line yet. They broke the kiss, a blush apparent on Trace and Mina. Trace looked into her eyes, those beautiful golden eyes. "Thank you again for saving me Mina".

An alarm in his pocket started going off. He checked his phone to see an alarm for Midnight was set and going off.

"We should prepare for bed", Mina got up and took her bag with her to the bathroom.

Trace quickly got up and went to his closet, changing from his casual clothes to some pajamas, the legs were covered in multiple smash bros logos, his shirt depicting pac-man saying waka-waka. He began heading toward the bathroom, forgetting Mina was already in there. He was too tired. He cracked the door, causing Mina to scream. Trace woke up immediately and shut the door. "Oh crap,", Trace put his head against the door, "I'M SORRY MINA, I FORGOT". Trace began walking away from the door, blushing heavy on him. He went back to the couch and began playing a round of smash bros to distract himself.

After a minute or two, Mina came out of the bathroom, in a simple pair of pajamas, they were pink and black, simple as that. "What the heck dude", Mina was joking mostly, but he didn't have to know that.

Trace looked to the ground. "I went to my closet and changed, at that point I was tired, so I forgot you were changing, so I cracked the door and got an earful from that screech".

Mina thought about continuing the joke, but decided against it after hearing the regret in his voice. Mina sat on the couch beside him and took his hands in her own. "Don't worry Trace, it's okay, it's not like you saw anything, so it's no biggie. Mina wrapped him in a hug, trying to calm him down. Mina ran a hand through his hair, an action she knows, he loves. He began purring, snuggling up against Mina. Mina giggled before saying, "we should get to bed".

Trace simply nodded. They got up and Trace led them to the bedroom. They got snuggled up and fell asleep in each other's arms. Trace would do his best to keep his promise. He knew he would be happy. He would do his best to ensure this. He loved her to the moon and back. He would do anything for her. He would do everything he could to protect her.

"I will get better… for her sake". Trace closed his eyes. And reopened them at the forest they were training at.