The training had gotten underway, with students arranged in two on two matches: hero vs villain. The premise was simple enough: the villains had a nuclear warhead in a building and the heroes needed to secure the device in order to win. The villains needed to incapacitate the hero team or at least hold them off while the timer ran out.

Izuku was paired with Ochako against Ibara and Tenya. He could only imagine how hard it would be if Bakugou was his opponent. He would go all out, he imagined. Or rather, as "all out" as he could manage without exploding in itty bitty Izuku chunks.

"So I saw the blonde guy in the hallway after lunch. Bakugou I think? He glares at you and Ashido a lot. Does he know you guys?"

"I...um...It's complicated. We...used to be friends. Not sure how ready I am to share it all just yet. Sorry."

"Hey, it's ok. No rush, Deku," Ochako cheerfully responded. Izuku froze, wide eyed and became serious.

"Please don't call me that. Ever…" the normally awkward and well-meaning boy became colder.

"Oh...sorry. I thought it was just a childhood nickname."

"It's nothing… less than nothing actually….sorry. You didn't know," Izuku calmed down and shook his head. "We can talk about it later." He offered a shaky smile. Ochako could tell something was bothering him but chose not to push it. "Yeah. We should probably focus on Iida and Shiozaki anyway." The brunette cheered, hoping to smooth things over. His past seemed to be a sore spot, so Ochako supposed she could ask more later.

"Yeah. I guess we...Uraraka...do you hear that?" The greenette changed his tone from bashful to cautious in an instant.

A distant rustling of leaves could be heard, though it was slightly off. It had a certain scrapey quality to it, with an undertone of writhing.

"Get down!" Izuku shouted as he pulled Ochako down, their bodies hitting the ground with a thud. The gravity girl gasped as her partner covered her.

Vines shot out like vipers, ready to strike but narrowly missing the two students. They stretched out longer before hitting a wall. They retracted soon after. Izuku's hood from his costume was snagged on the vines, leaving him unmasked.

"Oh man, that was rough. Guess they know where we are," Ochako dusted herself off and helped up her partner. "Sorry about your mask."

"Yeah. Thanks, Uraraka. Neither seem to have extrasensory quirks or heightened hearing, so they must be using Shiozaki's quirk to search all routes to the objective. This is going to be tricky," Izuku muttered to himself.

"You ok?" Ochako wasn't quite used to his mutter storms. It was charming in a way though.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Just formulating a plan. Follow me, Uraraka. We'll let the vines lead us to them," Izuku rubbed the back of his head

"Alright. I'll see you at the bomb. And , um...Midoriya?"

"Yeah, Uraraka?" the boy looked as his teammate paused for a second, clearly hung up on something.

"Sorry." The brunette looked less cheery now, showing remorse for bringing up a touchy subject with that old nickname.

"No worries. We'll talk later. Um...you can even give me a new nickname if you want after this," It wasn't the best time for conversation but Izuku spent enough time around bullies to know when someone just made a mistake. Ochako was nice and potentially the first friendship he had made at UA outside of his girlfriend and the friends he shared with her.

The brunette smiled and nodded silently, face beaming, even in this situation.

The two ran down the halls of the building, following the writhing plant tendrils until they reached a fork in the hallway. It was unorthodox for a residential building but perfect for a training exercise. Izuku thought for a moment. Divide and conquer was a good strategy, but not without pitfalls. Hesitating for a moment, the boy made a call.

"Let's reconvene in the bomb room. For now I think we should split up." Izuku gestured to Ochako.

"Are you sure, Midoriya?" Ochako asked with some doubt.

"About as sure as I can be. Let's move." The two students ran in separate directions, vowing to come together and win the round.

X

Ibara's eyes opened wide as she snapped to.

"Shiozaki, is everything ok?"

"I believe I have failed to restrain them. This may prove difficult. Forgive me. I thought I had touched them but it proved to be a diversion"

"Do not be so hard on yourself. Instead we must be hard on them. If we wish to do our best in this exercise, we should get into character, correct? It will help us get into the mind of the villains we fight so that we can more efficiently stop them."

"I suppose so but I do not believe that is what is expected of us here." Ibara stated calmly. "Besides… Surely to play at being wicked would invite wickedness into our hearts." The vine maiden shudders and lamented, causing even the straight-laced Iida some pause for thought.

"I suppose so. Still, I trust the teachers not to let evil taint us, so perhaps role-playing is not quite the invitation to disaster that you fear. And it wouldn't be very becoming of me not to trust my partner." He explained.

Ibara thought for a moment and exhaled. "Your reasoning is sound. I suppose it would not hurt. Very well…" the girl cleared her throat and became stone faced, shooting out her vines and covering the room. "Go, my children. Seek out the heretics and show them the light, lest they be consumed by darkness..."

Iida's eyes were wide beneath his helmet but he smiled. "Not bad. Not bad at all, Shiozaki. Properly chilling. You and I will make an excellent team," He offered his teammate a thumbs up.

Ibara blushed slightly and nodded. "Why thank you." She then turned her attention back to her vines. It was time to show these "heroes" what she could do.

Izuku dodged and rolled as the vines shot out in all directions. He hoped he could distract Ibara long enough for Ochako to secure the device. Unfortunately, Iida's speed was hard to counter.

"Think, Izuku. Think. He is fast and Shiozaki's "vine" is a powerful quirk with long range capabilities...it's hard to move around here...That's it!" A lightbulb went off in the boy's mind.

Izuku leapt around, subconsciously imitating Bakugou's movements to dodge the vines and get to Iida.

"Not so fast, do-gooder! I won't make things that easy!"

Izuku was trying not to smirk. Was Iida role-playing? He Was certainly dedicated. The young hero otaku couldn't help but join in. He decided an All Might impression would be too on the nose but he couldn't resist emulating his hero.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, villain. Why don't you come get me?"

Iida gave chase as Izuku switched to emulating the movements of his friends, particularly his girlfriend's fluid movements. Unfortunately she had more rhythm in her pinky toe than he had in his body, but he had years of watching her to pull from.

"Hoping to trip me up? A sound strategy but ultimately futile."

Izuku panicked and grabbed a slab of the floor, using One for All to rip it up and use it as a shield. He punched it in half, trying to restrain himself as to not level The building or destroy the mock bomb. The action caused damage to his arms as he held steadfast against the vines. His body was ablaze with pain as he gritted his teeth.

"I'll hold them off, Uraraka. Go for the warhead." Izuku shouted to his teammate.

Ochako hesitated, not willing to abandon her teammate. However, she steeled herself and made another break for it. If he could distract the two "villains" while she secured the objective, they could bring it back around.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who heard him. Iida rushed forward and delivered a brutal kick to Izuku's torso, knocking him unconscious.

"Forgive me, Midoriya. I must break character. I hope I have not caused you any long term harm. I held back," Iida whispered before picking Izuku up and tossing him to Ibara. The vine girl quickly restrained her unconscious opponent with her quirk.

"MIDORIYA!" Ochako shouted. Even if it was only training, she was still concerned for her friend and wanted to free him. Sadly, the objective came first. There was no way she could handle both opponents on her own, so she needed to get to the bomb.

Gritting her teeth, the brunette readied herself. She was outmatched but unwilling to give up. What was it Midoriya was trying to do? Get Iida and Shiozaki to knock each other out? Maybe she could try that. Time was ticking away though. She needed to get to the bomb.

"Not so fast, my dear. You may float like a butterfly, but I will sting like a wasp!" Iida called in over the top fashion as he ran towards her. The zero-gravity girl levitated herself but could feel her stomach lurch as her feet left the ground.

"Hurk! No...Not yet…" Ochako groaned as she tried using leaves and debris to distract Iida. Unfortunately for her, his mask shielded his eyes pretty well.

The gravity girl pushed herself to the point of queasiness, trying to get away, where Iida couldn't reach.

Instead, the speedster used Izuku's impromptu floor shield as a ramp to reach Ochako.

"You put up a good contest but it is over. Shiozaki, grab her!" Iida shouted.

Ibara obliged and shouted out another set of vines from her right side, aiming to restrain the other girl when Iida hit her.

"Urg...now…" Ochako dropped to the floor and gagged, trying not to puke in her helmet. Missing with her vines, Ibara instead grabbed, Iida.

"SHIOZAKI, NO!" Iida cried out as he was restrained by his own teammate.

Perfect. If Izuku wasn't unconscious, he would have smiled. Ochako slowly picked herself off the ground and stumbled to the bomb. She was almost there. The anticipation had her stomach in knots. Or maybe that was the vertigo.

"Oh no. Oh no!" Ochako panicked. She could feel it coming now. She was so close. So…

Vomit fueled the inside of her helmet as the girl fell in a heap. It wasn't long after that the buzzer rang, signifying the end of the match and serving as an alarm for Izuku. His head was ringing as he drifted briefly into consciousness, only to hear five disheartening words.

"MATCH OVER! VILLAIN TEAM WINS!"

The Hero team had put up a valiant effort, but their opponents were just too good in the end. The villains had won it. Izuku's tactical mind and powerful quirk were not enough in the end to grasp victory, nor was Ochako's determination As he laid back on the stretcher, he sighed to himself. Ochako gave him a thumbs up, however, as she was helped up to the nurses' office too

"We did our best. We'll just have to give it our call next time." the brunette smiled.

X

Mina watched in concern as her boyfriend was carried to Recovery Girl on a stretcher by the medic robots. Their new friend was also escorted. She had minimal injuries, but had thrown up profusely afterwards and needed some rest as well. All-Might tried to hide his emotions as well. He was bummed that his successor had lost but this was the beginning of the school year and the boy was up against people who had a much better handle on their quirks. He also didn't have as much familiarity with how they worked. Ultimately this could serve as a learning experience. He looked to his students and cleared his throat.

"Right. Now to determine the MVP of this round. Anyone want to hazard a guess?" The number one hero cleared his throat and addressed his students.

Mina was tempted to raise her hand and answer Izuku, but she didn't want to show her bias. Besides, the green-haired boy had still lost, with two broken arms and a bruised chest.

Momo had raised her hand instead, ready to provide her insight. All eyes were on the recommended student as she took the floor.

"Yes, Miss Yaoyorozu. Go ahead." All Might permitted.

"This is a tough call. Midoriya, though defeated and clearly unused to his quirk, demonstrated quick thinking and an adaptable strategy. His attempts at using his opponent's strengths against them while Uraraka made her way to the device were commendable.

However, allowing Shiozaki's vines to go wild around the device would have ended in tragedy had this not been a training exercise. He also could have destroyed the building and the mock warhead with the force he used. He rendered himself unable to utilize his arms, which took him out of the running.

Speaking of Shiozaki, her attacks became more reckless and desperate and, while she attempted to play the role of villain in this scenario, that facade fell apart quite swiftly.

Iida did a far better job of coordinating with his partner while committing to the villain role assigned him in this scenario. He could have lost easily, however, with Midoriya's plan to trip him up, combined with clever use of Uraraka's zero gravity.

As for Uraraka herself, she seemed out of her element dodging multiple opponents with fast attacks and nearly made a mess out of things trying to defend herself. She recovered well at the end but it could have ended prematurely in the villain team's favor.

All that said, I have to give it to Midoriya. He had a strategy from the beginning but was willing to adapt it when things went awry. His willingness to sacrifice himself for his partner was also noble and commendable, even if the hero team ultimately lost."

The girl opened her eyes and looked at her classmates and teacher, who were all dumbfounded by her long and detailed evaluation. "Sorry if I was a bit wordy. I do have another nitpick but it was quite a match. The girl bowed politely and looked to her teacher.

All Might was taken aback. If he knew any better, he would say she could teach this class. "Yes, well said. I couldn't have put it better myself. Their form could also use some work. Err, anyway, let's get on with the next match. Ashido, Aoyama, Kirishima, and Sero? You're up!"

The four students readied themselves and took their positions. The siren sounded as the match began.

"Game start!"

X

Up next was Mina and Aoyama against Sero and Kirishima. They were glad to be up against at least one opponent they were familiar with but still cautious about it. Mina tried to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand. She couldn't wait to visit Izuku and Ochako though.

"Are you going to tell me?" A voice broke her out of her trance.

"Tell you what?" Mina cocked her head and gave her friend a look of confusion. What was he getting at?

"How your beau got his power, of course. You introduced him as quirkless but that clearly is not the case now, no?" Aoyama asked slyly.

"He's just a late bloomer, dude. I thought we went over this. Anyway, stay frosty. The other team probably has eyes on us. I can slide in while you distract them. I'm good at evasive maneuvers,"

"I'll say," Aoyama whispered under his breath, annoyed by both his partner's evasiveness and the holes her acid had eaten through his cape.

"Hmmm?" Mina looked towards her partner. "Did ya say something?"

"Nothing~ They should be up ahead. We are facing your friend with the spikey hair, yes?"

"Yep. So at least we know partially what we're up against. Sero is new though, so we have to prepare for him. Got a plan?"

"Be dazzlin' as always. How about you? You're the one who associates with a walking hero encyclopedia, non?"

Mina thought. She wasn't Izuku. She didn't have as tactical a mind or several volumes of hero notes at her disposal. But she was good at going with the flow.

Still, she couldn't help but think about how her boyfriend would approach it. She had to take stock of what she knew and what she had. Aoyama was awful at breakdancing but they both had decent moves, especially Mina.

"Follow my lead, Mr. Sparkle! I think I got one." the pink girl grinned. She looked to the side in deep thought. "I wish you were watching, Izu. I think you'll be proud." She muttered to herself. "This is going to be one for your notebooks."

-fifteen minutes later-

"BANZAI!" Mina screamed as she dropped through the ceiling, a perfect circle melted through the ceiling. Debris preceded her fall and crumbled as it hit Kirishima in his hardened form.

"What the- OOF!"

The redhead gasped as Mina landed on his head, knocking him to the ground as both friends fell to the ground. Meanwhile, Aoyama was hunched over in the corner, clutching his stomach.

"Sacre bleu! This was your plan?" the French boy groaned. His stomach was sore from the laser he shot off earlier in his ambush attack. Why did he have to be a decoy?

"It's a work in progress. Besides, I've got this." Mina offered a thumbs up as she melted through Sero's tape and rushed for the fake nuclear device. Unfortunately, the entire room was a jungle of tape.

"Wowzers, I was hoping this would be easier. It's like being a moth surrounded by flypaper." Mina thought to herself.

"Easy there, Acid girl! We're not going to make this easy!" Sero got to his feet with renewed vigor and shot some tape at his opponent. She narrowly dodged and put up a splash of acid to melt through his quirk.

"Hey, Kirishima, a little help? Her backup is down. Block her path!" Sero called to his teammate.

"Don't have to tell me twice, dude," the hardening boy nodded and slammed his fists together in preparation. His expression became serious as his hand became rough and jagged.

"Sorry, Ashido. Nothing personal,"

Unfortunately, he was about to kiss the floor as a weight launched itself at him. It was Aoyama, who had lifted himself up and decided to tackle the other boy. He held on for dear life, trying not to think about the sculpted dabs in his hand. He blushed and clenched his eyes shut.

"Hey, man! Get off!" Kirishima shouted and struggled. Aoyama, however, refused to budge.

"No, Mon Ami. I am quite comfortable. Besides, our friends seem to be having fun and I wish not to interrupt," the boy winked.

Mina did what was akin to a triple axel as she shot acid towards the tape, trying not to be too sloppy. "Damn. I could hit the bomby boy. Gotta be careful."

Mina fell back after being caught in the leg by a stray stream of tape. Before Sero could capture her, however, she did a backspin and pulled her opponent off balance. Recovering quickly, Mina got up and delivered a savage uppercut.

"SHORYUKEN!" she shouted with pride as Sero went flying back. As he hit the ground, Mina grabbed some of Sero's tape and used it to restrain him.

"Hah! Headed by your own pasta! Score one for me!" the pink girl congratulated herself before turning to the bomb.

"It's petard…" Sero corrected with a strained voice.

"That's made up. What even is a petard. Anyway, I have to deactivate myself," Mina scoffed as she continued to melt through the tape. It was difficult to get through, like one of those halls in a festival attraction. Ultimately, though it paid off. As the pink girl grabbed the device, she raised her hand in victory before looking at her confused classmates.

"Deactivate yourself?" Kirishima asked as Aoyama clung into him like capture tape.

"Because I'm the bomb! Duh!" Mina winked and posed as she stuck out her tongue.

The "villain team" groaned, both at their loss and at the acidic teen's bad joke.

"Hero team wins!" All Might's voice announced over the intercom, signifying the end of the round. Mine cheered as she helped her teammate. She was eager to get out and head to see Recovery girl. As hyped as Mina was to see the other matches, there was someone she needed to see more.

She zipped out of the room and was ready to go until the intercom sounded again.

"Hold your horses, Ashido. We still have class and you are uninjured. Come back for the rest of the class, then you can go check on young Midoriya," All Might announced.

The footage was silent, but the pink girl's disappointment was palpable, as was her embarrassment. Mina wasn't exactly someone who felt shame, but to have her devotion to her boyfriend announced to the class was a little embarrassing. Bashfully, she headed back to the monitor room with Aoyama and watched the rest of the matches, unable to get Izuku off her mind

X

Izuku woke up in Recovery Girl's office, his arms in a cast. There was a bowl of candy on his bedside table and a familiar face at his side.

"How are you doing, Mr. Crunchy bones?" Mina sat next to her boyfriend's bed with a reassuring smile. She wasn't fond of him being injured and would have to help him find a better way.

However, she felt that at this time, her boyfriend needed support. He must have been feeling from his loss.

"Still feeling sore. I wish I had done better, Mina. I kind of messed up. I failed to stand out in my first basic training session and I let my partner down," Izuku spoke in a low, crestfallen tone. "Plus I missed your match. I didn't get to see how you did. Or how Tsu and Kirishima did. I missed everything..."

"Babe, are you kidding? You looked so cool. Like yeah, it wasn't some big flashy all-out battle with explosions and emotions where you won in a last ditch effort but I could see you on full display. We all could! You protected Uraraka, you tried to use Shiozaki and Iida against each other, and you were super "go-with-the-flow" about it. I am super proud of you. Plus, Uraraka tried carrying on with your plan. You really inspired her!" Mina spoke in an impassioned tone, arms waving wildly as her eyes sparkled.

"I suppose. But All-Might would have won," Izuku groaned as he looked sullenly at the wall.

"You're not All-Might though. You're a kid, like me. You haven't had your quirk that long and yet you are still keeping up with everyone else. We're all in this together. Besides, you still got MVP of the match for your plan and your quick thinking. Give yourself some credit, Izu!" Mina placed a hand on Izuku and smiled at him. "Speaking of the big guy…" Mina was cut off as a door slammed.

"I AM HERE...TO CHECK ON MY STUDENT!" All Might rushed in dramatically, throwing open the door to check on his protege.

Before the man could get closer, however, he was pulled down by his ear. Recovery girl had grabbed on tight.

"Hold it right there, young man! You are the number one Hero! Have more foresight than to burst into the room unannounced. People might question why you are visiting this young man. Also, don't slam doors!" the normally sweet old lady chastised.

Mina tried not to laugh as the hulking mountain of Justice was felled by a grandma.

"I'm sorry, Recovery girl. I just wanted to check on my students!" All Might apologized profusely before deflating like a balloon, coughing up blood as he did so.

"Careful! Please don't get blood everywhere. Should I get you a hospital bed too?"

The school nurse calmed down, regaining her composure as she looked over Izuku and Mina.

"It's very sweet of you to check on your boyfriend by the way, Ashido. It could have been worse I suppose, but his arms were a mess."

All-Might tossed Izuku his mask. "You dropped this. Probably not wise to lose your cowl, kid, but I suppose it couldn't be helped. Seems like you are already inspiring others, judging by miss Uraraka and Ashido."

"Yeah…" Izuku's thoughts turned to Ochako. He didn't really have much chance to talk to her, as Recovery Girl's quirk knocked him out. He felt delving into his past with Bakugou was too soon, but he really did want to make friends with the brunette. He got along well enough with her and Iida.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Recovery girl spoke. "I really hope you don't make a habit of breaking your bones, young man. I know this quirk of yours is too much for your body, but that is exactly why you should learn some restraint. I hope your girlfriend can help reign you in,"the old lady teased. She was slightly stern in her words but also quite compassionate.

"As for you, you are his mentor. Please do a better job of keeping him from shattering his arms." the school nurse turned on a dime and snapped back at All-Might, who was bowing his head apologetically.

"Yes. Of course."

"Man, granny's got teeth!" Mina whispered to Izuku, who stifled a laugh. As oddly scary as it was to see someone who could keep the symbol of Peace on his toes, the boy couldn't help but be amused.

"I certainly do, young lady. False ones however, I'm afraid. That reminds me. How did you get roped in to this? Toshinori here is pretty choosy with who he tells about his secret."

"Toshinori?" Izuku asked, his eyes widening. Was that...All Might's real name? A whole new world opened up for the fanboy and he could feel his brain running a marathon.

Mina, on the other hand, bashfully looked aside. "I kinda yelled at him… it was scary to go off on All-Might. I mean, he's flipping All-Might! But he initially told Izu he couldn't be a hero so I had no choice." Izuku looked just as embarrassed as his girlfriend did while telling the story. All-Might merely coughed.

"Yes, young Midoriya. My name is Toshinori Yagi...though I wasn't quite ready to divulge that yet…" the tall gangly man frowned at Recovery girl. She merely shrugged as if to say "And this poor child didn't ask for powdered bones. Tough break, kiddo. The symbol of Peace noticed this and sighed. "And yeah. Miss Ashido really did stand up to me. It's not everyday a middle schooler chastised me." the man sheepishly scratched his face.

"She seems like a keeper to me. You're all right in my book, Ms. Ashido. I feel like your boyfriend might frequent here, unfortunately, so please keep him out of trouble. Mr. Midoriya here probably prefers getting kisses from you anyway," Recovery girl teased, causing Izuku to turn beet red and Mina a deep lilac.

The pink girl kissed Izuku's cheek, deepening his blush. "You know it, Nurse lady. Anyway, is he free to go? I want to walk him home before I hang out with my friend Tsu tonight."

"You two are free to go. I want to talk to your teacher privately anyway." All-Might nodded, though he seemed hesitant, as if he expected to get another earful. Recovery girl was not an angry person, however. Merely a concerned physician looking out for the well being of the students. All-Might respected that.

The two curly haired students took their leave and went on with their day. As the school day wound down, they said goodbye to their friends and headed to the train station together.

Izuku sighed blissfully. He was already feeling better, not just physically, but emotionally. He was lucky to have a growing support structure, and at the center of that was Mina. It wasn't the most masculine move. He felt it might be silly or weird, but at this point. Izuku was willing to trust in Mina not to judge. He rested his head on her shoulder as they walked, less fearful of PDA then he was before. Even after years of dating, they still took baby steps, which suited them both. However, they had certainly hit their stride, with no signs of slowing down.

"Mina...Thanks for everything. You...um...you really are my hero…" Izuku choked out.

"I know, Midorkiya...You're mine too. Love you~" the pink girl nuzzled her boyfriend before pulling away slightly. She dragged him behind her as she ran for the station

"Love you too…" Izuku smiled as he ran to keep pace. He really was happier than he had been in a long time and the sting of his loss had already subsided. Mina couldn't help but beam alongside him. Just another day in the life of a happy pink girl.

X

Meanwhile, earlier in the day...

The training had gone by fairly quickly, with some hero teams faring better than others. Tsuyu had been paired with a tall boy wearing a facemask. Together, they made quick work of their opponents and earned praise for their swiftness and range.

Bakugou scowled as he overheard everything that had occurred during lunch. It seemed like 1-A's training was eventful. Deku's shitty girlfriend had apparently done very well in the basic training. He slurped his food angrily, remembering all the grief she had given him. And as for the quirkless runt himself, he had lost, which should have given the explosive boy some satisfaction. And yet it didn't. It didn't numb the nagging in the back of his head.

These feelings swirling around in the pit of his stomach were like wasps, stinging every inch of his insides. Being in the same school as someone he saw as inferior was bad enough. That person having friends and a girlfriend was even worse. He could even brush aside being "saved" by that loser. But for him to have had a quirk this whole time and to be praised by All Might, even in failure? That was becoming too much to bear.

He was even beginning to miss being called "Kacchan", not that he would ever admit it. It was annoying and he hated it but it was at least something he could point to and say "that's right. I am above you."

The whole thing sickened him. He should have been the top dog, leaving all those extras and asskissers at his old school behind. But now he had baggage to contend with.

Fuck those nerds. I will kill them all with my power, show those extras what a real legend is.

"Thinking to yourself? My my, I was concerned when I didn't hear you shouting obscenities," a smug voice slid into Bakugou's ears. It was Monoma.

"Fuck off, bowlcut!" the spike blonde growled as he ate his spicy curry.

"How vulgar. At least I know you are still yourself." the fancy boy took out a bento stored in a european-style box.

"I hear our shot at Basic Training is tomorrow. Unfortunately it seems the class with all the prodigies and legacies will sadly overshadow us."

"Knock it off, dude. Nobody is overshadowing anyone. Stop scheming things based on stuff you overheard from Tokage." Kendou showed up, arms akimbo as she frowned at the two ill-behaved blondes.

"Yeah. Were you snooping on Mina and I?" Setsuna pouted next to her friend. None of that mattered to Bakugou. He had no time for these squawking nobodies. He would get to the top on his own.

And yet the blonde prodigy couldn't help but feel he had fallen. Eavesdropping? Sneaking up on people? Was this who he was? It was sickeningly pathetic.

"Whatever…" Bakugou scoffed. "It doesn't matter. Because I am going to murder the basic training." He picked up his tray and walked back to the classroom.

The cries of his classmates fell on deaf ears. Not even Monoma, who was on his side, could get through.

He walked down the hallway with a violent smile on his face. This was a setback, an annoyance. He needed to get his head back in the game. He hadn't lost anything. He hasn't been made a fool of. Not yet. He might have been a student like the rest of them, but Bakugou was ready to teach anyone who got in his way a valuable lesson about their place.

"Watch your ass, world. I'm about to show everyone what victory looks like…"

X

After school, Midoriya residence...

It had been a long eventful day, but Izuku was grateful. Sure he had lost, but he was still commended. What's more, he was starting to feel like he belonged at UA afterall, even in defeat.

Izuku returned home to see his mother on the sofa. She was engrossed in the latest news report and had apparently not heard him. This was a golden opportunity. Izuku wasted no time as he leapt into the seat next to her. A little mischief wasn't a bad thing and he was feeling surprisingly silly after his talks with Mina, All-Might, and Uraraka.

"Hi mom! Anything good on?"

"Wah! Izuku! Are you trying to give your mother a heart attack!?"

Izuku frantically waved his hands, trying to calm the situation. That was the last thing he wanted. "W-What? Of course not! I just...I wanted to thank you...for the costume. I know it could be tough for you, raising me on your own, practically. Thanks for believing in me. I know you feel like you failed in a way, but you didn't."

"Those words are too kind. I feel like I should have done more to have your back before, so I will do all I can now as your mother...I do have to say you have become more surprising lately. You haven't jumped out and surprised me since you were 4."

"I must have a positive influence in my life." Izuku smiled bashfully "O-Outside of you, I mean."

"Well she is always welcome. I'm surprised she isn't here now in fact."

"Tsuyu invited her over for a sleepover so it's just me for now."

"My little boy...my sweet Izuku. I am so proud. Things are really looking up for you." Inko hugged her son once more.

"Mom, c'mon." The boy blushed and squirmed. However, he didn't put up a real fight. How could he? He was happy. He lost his first basic exercise, but like Mina said, this was new to him. They were all out of their depth but he hadn't had his quirk for that long. Even with little practice runs of it before classes started, there was no way the boy could fly through classes without some growing pains.

"Hush. You're my little boy and always will be. I am proud of you, Izu-bunny."

It was nice, the mother and son pondered, that despite everything, they could have this moment of playfulness they hadn't had in years. For that, they were grateful and both parties had to restrain the urge to hug and cry. Ultimately, they couldn't hold on and did so anyway, salty tears trickling into their mouths as they smiled.

X

Mina kicked her feet comfortably as she laid down on her stomach amidst the blankets she brought with her. The Asuis had provided a delicious dinner of shrimp Udon with Okra ohitashi. The pink girl was now settling down to bed with Tsuyu.

The room was pretty much what you would expect. It was filled with frog themed paraphernalia, photos of friends and family, and Tsuyu's stuff for school.

"Thanks for inviting me over, Tsu. It's nice to have a sleepover. Maybe we can do one with the other girls in our class when we get to know them better." Mina playfully kicked her feet as she rested on her stomach. Tsuyu had put in her Blu Ray disk of Sgt Frog for the two of them to watch.

"Any time, Mina. It's not often I get to have friends over. It feels like it's been a while since you or Habuko have been over. She is feeling sick so she couldn't make it."

"Awwww, that's a bummer. I liked doing her hair last time. It's super fluffy, like mine or Izuku's"

"Do you think we made the right call? Not going to UA about Bakugou, ribbit?" the froggy girl pressed a finger to her chin as she laid down on her blanket. It wasn't exactly Fair to have a sleepover with the host in a bed and the guest on the floor.

"I've been asking myself that a lot. Izuku said we should let him try to improve as a person and give him the chance, but I really don't know. At least he stays clear of us."

"Yeah. He's really scary. I just hope Midoriya is ok. It can't be healthy being around his old bully."

"I should talk to him about it. Again, I mean. I know it eats at Kiri a little. It's Izuku's choice though. Just hope it's the right one."

"So do I. At least he didn't start anything yet."

"He said "it just wouldn't be manly to start a fight out of nowhere but I feel like a bad bro doing bupkis!" in his usual Kiri way, " Mina said, slipping in and out of her Kirishima impersonation. Tsuyu couldn't help but let out a small, croaky laugh.

The two girls drifted off to sleep, knowing they would ride the train together in the morning. Mina looked longingly out the window before closing her eyes and entering a deep sleep.

"I wonder what tomorrow will hold."

Ack! This took forever. Between work, life, and just feeling generally burnt out because of that and quarantine, I feel so lazy sometimes. Add to that the fact that I have several projects on my plate again and you have a very sleeby Magpie :(

I hope this didn't come off too rushed. I have been working on and off on this chapter for over a month.

This is my longest chapter so far and I had a lot I wanted to cover. I decided to gloss over some things for now, like Tsu's match (she will get more love. I promise), and Izuku, Iida, and Ochako interactions will come soon, as will interactions between Iida, Ochako, and the rest of team Curl.

There is a lot I can talk about but I feel a bit tired so feel free to ask questions if I don't cover them here. First off, I thought that Iida and Ibara would make for a solid team-up. Given how Ibara has Bakugou's spot in 1-A in this fic, it makes it easier. But also, you have two potent quirks actually managing to work together, rather than Bakugou running off to do his own thing. As such, after consulting with my beta reader (AnchoAshido), I felt like having Izuku and Ochako lose here would make for an interesting and believable turn. It wasn't a total sweep.

Technically you could probably consider it a draw. But I wanted to show izuku's struggles and how even when he fails, he has people to lift him up so that he can keep going. In turn, he inspires Mina and Ochako in a way.

As for Iida and Ibara, it probably reads as a ship tease but you just have to wait and see. (Or you can choose not to read it that way. Totally valid)

I also want to continue planting seeds of development for Bakugou, with things coming to a head later on. That is all I will say.

As for the main romance, it is still fluffy and cute. I want to really convey the trust these two crazy kids have for one another and how they care for one another. ( I might test it later owo)

There are several characters I want to flesh out and explore, but ultimately, this is the tale of Izuku and Mina and their journey, as both individuals and as romantic partners.

Anyway, that is all for now. Thanks for reading. I will try to update more often. Love you! 3