For months, Izuku and Mina trained themselves. At first, they took a break to improve their bodies. They both pitched in with their allowances and bought a weight set for them to use. That was how they started. Months turn to years and on the last year of high school, they found a trash-filled beach. They started working out there instead, moving trash out to the side of the road for the cleaners to pick up later.

They worked on their quirks as well. By the time they found Dagobah Beach, Mina was able to shoot acid from more parts of her body together. Izuku was able to fly and improved the strength of his scales with the help of Mina's acid. He did find out he was able to breathe fire, but he would run out of steam fast.

It was halfway through twelfth grade. Izuku collapsed onto the sand after a hard day of cleaning up the beach. Mina flopped beside Izuku with a loud huff.

"Nice work, partner," Mina said, smiling up at the sky.

Over the years that they trained for a hero school, Mina reached a height of five foot five while Izuku was basically towering over her at five foot eight.

"Yeah...you too" he said in-between pants.

"We keep this pace up, we should be done by the end of the year"

"So our holiday will just be relaxing?"

"Of course not! We'll still be over here training our quirks. We still have yet to get you to transform individual parts of your body."

"But what if I can't?"

"Can't shman't. We won't know until we try."

"Just like we need to try to get you to cover your whole body in acid," Izuku shot back.

Mina flinched.

"With how exhausted I feel after three body parts, I dread the first attempt."

"Practice makes perfect," Izuku pointed out in a matter of fact tone.

"I hate you," Mina said half heartedly.

"I cherish our friendship, too," Izuku said with a smirk.

Mina breathed a loud sigh before sitting up. The beach was about a third of the way finished. There was still a lot more trash to clean up, but they were making progress.

"Oh, how about we get home and have katsudon?"

"You always want katsudon, Izuku," Mina said, giggling.

"It's so delicious, though," Izuku said.

"It's up to Mama Inko to decide if we're having Katsudon," Mina stated, standing up and brushing off the sand from her butt and legs.

Izuku got up with Mina help and they both headed for Izuku's house. Mina had become a regular resident of Izuku's home. Her parents realized how close the two were and decided to not worry about if Mina stayed over at his house. Of course, they had cleared it with the Midoriya matriarch before giving Mina the go ahead.

Mina enjoyed her newly granted freedom to visit her best friend's house. And because of her freedom, they grew even closer. The only time there would be one without the other was when they had to go to their own homes or when they had to go to school.

The pair arrived at Izuku's house and stepped in, getting greeted by Inko once they closed the door.

"Welcome home, Izuku. Hello, Mina," Inko said with a bright smile.

"Hey, Mom," Izuku said.

"Hey, Mama Inko," Mina greeted with a wave.

"I suppose you'll be staying over again?" Inko asked.

"Yep. Your house is closer than mine. And I'm too tired... And I like your cooking way too much," Mina added the last sentence with an embarrassed blush.

"Is Mina embarrassed?" Izuku asked with a teasing grin.

"S-shut up!" Mina snapped.

" It's so easy to tease you"

Inko took this time to leave. Mina then decided to retaliate while his mother was away.

"You do like teasing me don't you?" she said in a teasing tone.

"Oh, you bet I do" Izuku whispered into her ear.

Mina's face then started to somehow turn a different color, transforming into a dark purple indicating that she was blushing hardcore over Izuku's comment.

Izuku and Mina ate with Inko, telling them about their days. The most of what was talked about was their training at the beach and how their progress was going.

After dinner, Izuku and Mina plopped down on the couch and watched TV. Izuku managed to snatch the remote first and turned it to the news to see what new heroes were appearing. A notebook seemed to come out of nowhere and the nerd was busy scribbling down on a new hero.

"I'm starting to think you have a second quirk: creation of notebooks," She commented with a snicker.

Izuku seemed to not hear her and kept on scribbling notes. Mina sighed, shaking her head.

'Izuku Midoriya. Ever the nerd.' she thought to herself as she turned her attention back to the television screen.

There was a new hero that debuted called Hydro Thunder. It surprised her that there was no copyright claim made on that name. She shrugged. He didn't look like much. He'd probably be back to a sidekick by the end of the month.

The news switched to non-hero related news. While Izuku was distracted muttering about Hydro's quirk, she snatched the remote and changed it to another channel. It was a complete accident(not really) that it ended up changing to a channel that's currently playing the movie Alien.

She remembered the first time the two of them watched it together. And the reason they did.

Izuku arrived at their usual meeting spot after school and found Mina wasn't there. He was worried so he made the trek to his friend's school. Mina wasn't there either. So he decided to check her house instead.

Mina's mother was away getting groceries. He tried knocking. When no one answered, he tried to open the door. It was unlocked. Getting inside and removing his shoes, he searched for the pink haired girl.

Mina was curled up against his bed crying. Seeing Mina in such a state hurt Izuku and his quirk.

"Mina," Izuku said.

Mina jolted in surprise before looking at him. She looked to have been crying for a while already.

"I-Izuku..." Mina hiccupped.

Izuku went up and pulled Mina into a hug he felt she needed right about now.

"D-do you think I look weird and not intimidating?" Izuku asked between sobs, clinging to her as if she was his lifeline.

"Who said that?"

"E-everyone... They say aliens are disgusting... And that villains would just laugh at how I look and say that I'm weak..." Mina sobbed harder when she finished her sentence.

Izuku felt like murdering the entirety of Mina's school in that moment. But that feeling was primarily coming from his quirk's instincts. His eyes shined once in that thought process.

'They deserve to burn,' Came a calm voice in his mind.

'No, that would be wrong.' Izuku thought.

'They hurt her. They need to pay,' The voice replied.

'Mina wouldn't like it if I went on a murder spree.' Izuku thought.

Izuku then got an idea. She gently got Mina's attention.

"Come here, Mina. I want to show you something," Izuku said, helping Mina up and walking with her to the couch.

He put in a movie he watched when he was younger. Alien. Mina's sadness seemed to change to interest as she watched the movie. Once the movie was over, he looked at her.

"Did you see what I wanted to show you?" Izuku asked.

She tilted her head. He smiled.

"I wanted to show you that alien can be intimidating and that even if you look like one you shouldn't let that bring you down"

Mina nodded. She understood, but he wasn't done.

"And besides. Quirks are what you make of them. Instead of a weak alien you could become a scary and strong one, like the one in the movie.," Izuku said with a wide smile.

She felt a new wave of tears come and she buried his face into his shoulder and cried some more.

"Thank you, Izuku... Thank you so much..." she said between sobs.

He sighed, happy now that Mina was feeling better.

Mina smiled at the memory. Izuku must have remembered as well, because he smiled and slightly inched closer to her. She smiled and gave him a sideways hug.

"You remember, too?" Izuku asked.

"Of course I do."

They both silently watched the movie, smiling throughout the entire thing.

Inko came in to check on them and saw the two sitting closely. She smiled fondly at the two.

'When are they going to start dating? I'm getting a little impatient.' Inko thought to herself before silently chuckling and walking back into the kitchen.

At the end of the day, Izuku retired to his bedroom and Mina got the couch ready to be slept on. As Izuku lay in his bed, he felt something inside himself. It felt strange and he couldn't comfortably sleep.

Izuku heard the door open and Minw stand in the doorway with a pillow in her hand.

"I can't sleep," she mumbled.

Without a word, Izuku moved over in his bed and removed the blankets to allow her into the bed. She slid into bed and cuddled up to him, her pillow forgotten on the floor beside the bed.

The first time this happened was a month into hanging out with Mina. It was also the second time she slept over at his house.

"Aren't you going to head home?" Izuku asked.

"Nope! My parents are currently out of town, so I can sleep over here."

"Isn't that something you need to clear with me and mom first?"

"I just told you didn't I?"

"Dear, I think it's fine she sleeps over. It'll be fun," Inko commented with a smile.

That settles it! Let's go on a movie marathon!" Mina shouted with a fist in the air.

Mina was excited. This was the first person she's ever been on a sleepover with. And she was wanting to make it worth it!

Izuku and Mina watched movies all night long, but as it was about to turn midnight, Inko pulled the plug and told the two to get to bed.

Izuku helped Mina set up a sleeping spot on the couch and left Mina so she could be alone.

When Izuku got into bed and got comfortable, he heard Mina enter his room. He looked up at her with tired curiosity.

"What is it?" Izuku asked tiredly.

"It's... my quirk..." Mina muttered. A few weeks after the Alien movie incident the two of them found out that she had an additional quirk that gave her the personality traits of certain animals, although they couldn't figure out which.

"What about it?"

"It sometimes... gets lonely... Could I... sleep with you?" Mina asked ashamed.

"Sure. If I can help, I will," Izuku said with a tired smile, moving over on his bed.

Mina thanked Izuku's kind heart for helping her and was loving the heat of his body. She got into bed and got close to Izuku, cuddling into his side.

Mina started getting restless every so often right after meeting Izuku. She knew it was her quirk's fault, but she couldn't help but feel guilty for wanting to sleep in the same bed as him. She felt so happy that Izuku was willing to help her.

Izuku sighed, closing his eyes as the feeling he had subsided in the presence of Mina. It was weird to him how it happened every so often and seemingly at random nights. And the only thing that could calm it down was Mina.

"Goodnight, Izuku," she whispered tiredly.

"Goodnight, Mina," Izuku replied, drifting off into sleep.

"THE MORNING! IS HERE! THE MORNING! IS HERE!"

Izuku tried to reach for his alarm clock only to feel a weight over him stopping his movement. In his groggy state, he didn't know who it was. He removed the blanket and heard a whine from the person holding him down.

"Mina..." Izuku muttered.

"Hmm..." She opened an eye.

"We need to get up."

"But it's so comfy," she muttered with a sigh.

"Do you really want All Might telling us the morning is here all morning?" Izuku asked.

Mina groaned, getting up off of him. He reached over and turned off the alarm clock. As he was about to sit up, Mina landed on him again, holding him down again.

"Mina!" Izuku groaned.

"I don't wanna get up," Mina complained.

"If we don't get up, we won't be able to clean up the beach," Izuku said.

She was silent. Then she sighed. Izuku felt her weight get off from him and sit on the side of the bed. Izuku followed her, sitting next to her.

"Sleep well?" Izuku asked.

Mina stretched her arms and yawned before giving her answer.

"Very. Thanks again," she said with a smile.

"It's not a problem. If I'm able to help, I will," Izuku said returning her smile.

"I'm going to get dressed."

"Right."

Izuku watched her leave before laying his back on his bed again. He breathed a heavy sigh. Ever since they started doing that, he was becoming more comfortable around her. But he couldn't help but feel guilty. Shouldn't this be what couples do? And if it is, shouldn't Mina do it with the person she likes? A thought struck him but he quickly dispelled it.

'She couldn't like me.' Izuku thought, shaking his head.

Izuku got up and got dressed in his school uniform before heading to the kitchen.

Izuku was used to the heckles he got during school. How they called his quirk a villainous quirk. It didn't hurt him like it did before. When Mina helped him see it wasn't villainous, he never really took any of the insults from the teachers and classmates seriously anymore.

As he was about to head to the beach, he was stopped by Bakugo.

"Going to hang out with that bitch again?" Bakugo asked with an evil smirk.

Izuku felt anger rise up from what Bakugo said, but decided against retaliating.

"So what if I'm going to hang out with Mina, you piece of shit?" Izuku asked. "It doesn't matter to you."

"Oh, but it does. You see, I know what you're doing. Training to get into a hero school. But hero schools don't take villains. You should give up," Bakugo growled.

Izuku looked to be contemplating his response.

"Thanks for the suggestion. But no thanks. Also by that logic, you shouldn't apply either, Mr. I-bullied-someone-for-14-years.," Izuku responded with a smirk.

"You don't seem to understand," Bakugo begins before making an explosion with one hand. "I wasn't suggesting."

"And you don't seem to understand that you don't control me, Boom Boom boi."

Bakugo got angry at Izuku's statement.

"Perhaps you've forgotten who you are, Deku," Bakugo growled, pulling his hand back.

Izuku knew what was coming and sighed in annoyance. Bakugo had been upping the bullying as of recent because he could and Izuku was the prime target. At least it allowed him to improve the strength of his scales.

As Bakugo shot his fist forward to Izuku's stomach, the green haired boy formed scales over his abdomen and chest. Bakugo released an explosion as soon as he hit Izuku. Izuku didn't even flinch.

When the smoke cleared, Bakugo growled as he saw Izuku still standing. Seeing the green scales under the hole in his shirt, Bakugo let out a curse.

"One of these days, Deku. Your scales won't save you. And I'll be there to put you back in your place," Bakugo declared before stomping off.

Izuku waited a few moments before walking away to the beach.

When Izuku got there, Mina asked what happened. Her worries calmed when Izuku said he used his scales to shield himself.

'This Bakugo person should die,' came the voice of Mina's quirk.

'No, we're trying to be heroes. We can't kill,' Mina responded.

'You didn't say anything about maiming,' Mina's quirk responded after a slight pause.

Mima breathed a sigh. Izuku raised an eyebrow, thinking she was sighing at him.

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking, that's all," Mina responded.

"About?"

"If we get into the same hero school as Bakugo, I can dish out some payback for you," Mina said with a smirk.

"I think it would be fun watching that. But just leave some to me alright?."

"Take the fun out of it, why don't you,"Mina fake pouted.

Mina and Izuku laughed.

"Alright. Let's get started. We need you to be able to form your wings by the end of today!" Mina said with a smile.

Izuku groaned.

"Who's complaining about getting started now?" Mina asked with a smirk.

"Point taken," Izuku grumbled.

The two trained for the rest of the day. Izuku and Mina were on a sure path to becoming hero students. Their goal: to go to UA to be the best heroes in Japan.