The triumphant return! I hope this is well worth the wait on this, the last day of January 2021. I feel there is more I can do but I will flesh it out next chapter. Now i just need to finish the next chapter of YHIM, which is almost done. After that, I shall work on other projects. Enjoy. :)

Edit: Readers pointed some things out to me so I made some fixes. I hope they enhance the story and help it read better. Have a good one, darlings.

Class 1-A was shocked, to say the least. The perverted boy who had tried peeking at Momo and groping Tsuyu had shown another side, and it was fear. He had seen the reality of the situation and he was not ready for it.

"Mineta, I don't understand. You wanted to be a hero, right? You made it through the entrance exam. We all are shaken after USJ but-" Izuku winced as his shorter classmate rounded on him, shaking and yelling.

"Those were robots, Midoriya. Yeah, they are big and scary but UA had control over them. These were actual villains. They were unpredictable and nobody would have died. The school wouldn't allow that, but at USJ? We could have died! You could have died! "

"I want to be a hero still, and maybe this is the best school for it but that's the problem, isn't it? We're a target. What makes us think this won't happen again? I think I should check other schools out. Maybe Ketsubutsu. I would say Shiketsu but you can't date cute girls there."

Mina pouted at the perverted boy's words towards the end, and Tsuyu just stared blankly at him, thinking back to her desire to drown him at USJ. And yet, both girls were taken aback by the tense moment. Izuku himself could only say "Mineta…"

Noticing the drama going down and the opportunity that had revealed itself, Shinsou could not help himself. He stepped up , licking his chops mentally. This was it. His opportunities were opening up like the gates of heaven.

"Are you so vain you think you're the only one looking to get into the hero course? Or did you forget that there will be competition?" A female voice came from the crowd. Everyone looked to see a girl with dark hair and pigtails, giving her fellow general studies student an icy glare"

The boy sighed and tilted his head. "Are we really doing this?"

"Of course. Don't think you are the only one whose dreams of getting into the hero course were dashed."

"You actually have a quirk fit for it. Your grades just weren't good enough."

Izuku watched the whole thing with confusion. He was still surprised by Mineta leaving the hero course, but to see two general studies students bicker over the chance to fill the seat before it was even cold was certainly something.

"They sure seem to be going at it like jilted lovers, huh?" Tsuyu commented. Mina looked at her friends, then at the two competitors, then back. Her eyes lit up and she started popping up and down in her shoes.

"Oh Em Gee! What if they are!?"

"Mina. Please don't ship two strangers we just met." Izuku smiled as a sweat drop fell down his brow. He knew the pink girl loved romance and the possibility of it, and that never weakened when she found it herself.

"Don't pay those extras or the perverted dwarf any attention, Deku! Focus on how I am going to kick you to the side of the road on my path to greatness! You and all those other extras. So don't get cocky just because you got to face real villains! I will figure out how you got so damn strong and I will beat your ass, you damn nerd!" Bakugou walked up to Izuku, looking him up and down with a seething rage. He offered a smile before walking over to his classmate, the smug blonde boy from before.

"You can have the scraps, bowlcut! I'm gonna-" Both Bakugou and Monoma were knocked out by Itsuka Kendou, who once again apologized to class 1-A. She had a very laid back yet sisterly aura about her.

"Sorry about these two. I know Bakugou won't be happy after being knocked out, but he needed to cool off. He needed to cool off though. We can't just be picking fights with our schoolmates. The festival hasn't even started yet." the redhead smiled meekly.

"Um, it's ok. Yeah… He doesn't like being hit. His mom is...yeah… but thanks. Kind of wish I could have done that growing up." Izuku laughed nervously, slowly getting quieter before catching himself and addressing the girl before him directly. "Thank you, um…"

"Kendou. I heard about you. My friend knows you and Ashido. Sorry I can't stay and chat more, but I should probably take these two away before they come to and start yapping again. I'll see you all at the Sports festival I guess. Have a good lunch!"And with that, the tomboyish redhead dragged her two classmates off as if they were bad acts on some sort of televised talent show.

Mina nudged Izuku and smirked. "Man, where was she in our lives? Never thought anyone could shut Mr. Boom Boom up so easily."

Izuku stared off , in awe that someone could handle Bakugou with ease in a way neither he nor Mina could. He couldn't help but agree. "Yeah. She was right though, we should meet up with the others and eat." He smiled and grabbed Mina's hand, walking with her towards their friends.

X

Tsuyu and Kirishima had a head start, making it through to the Lunch Rush cafeteria and to get their tables while Ochako, Mina, Izuku, and Tenya walked down the steps.

"By the way, Uraraka. You seem...um...rather pumped up for the Sports festival." Mina stated, thinking back to earlier when the brunette had all of a sudden emanated the intense aura of a martial artist in a way none of her friends had previously seen. Ochako, rubbed the back of her head bashfully before regaining some of her previous energy.

"Of course. This is our best chance to stand out and get scouted. We may be going to the top hero school and...noteworthy among our schoolmates for being attacked by villains and surviving, but this is big! Huge, really!" The girl punched the air, taking both Tenya and Izuku by surprise but getting Mina fired up.

"I never asked. Why did you choose to become a hero?"

"Oh, well, It's kind of embarrassing. You don't wanna hear…" The brunette tried to deflect. She had talked with her new friends before, heard of how Izuku and Mina met and of Iida's heroic lineage. She felt like she couldn't live up to her friends or that she might be shunned.

"Try me." Tenya smiled, letting his guard down. He could often seem loud and robotic, but Izuku and Mina were happy to see him acting more down-to-earth. Ochako's face flushed a bit and she kicked at the ground. She supposed she couldn't deflect forever.

"Yeah, girl! Tell us. It can't be that bad. I mean, Izu and I want to make people smile and put them at ease and Iida here wants to make his family proud, but there are like...So many reasons to want to be a hero." Mina chimed in, getting enthusiastic.

Ochako's face reddened a bit more. The pink girl could be a bit hyper but she appreciated the encouragement. With a deep exhale, the brunette addressed her friends, hoping that she had just been worried about nothing.

"Money. Have you seen the merchandising deals and the commercials? Discarding guys like Captain Celebrity, you have the Hero billboards and people like Uwabami. If I can strike it big...Well...I must sound greedy. It is rather basic compared to Iida's more noble motivations or Midoriya and Ashido's but, I just-" The girl paused, blushing and staring at the floor. Before she could continue, Iida chimed in.

"Now now. There is nothing wrong with wanting to live more comfortably. Besides, by your tone, I can tell you are not a base or greedy person. Your motives are completely valid."

"Yeah. Izu would probably buy a solid gold All-Might statue if he could!" Mina chimed in with a smile, causing her boyfriend to reel back.

"I won't be bullied for my taste in art." the green-haired boy stuck his tongue out and blushed, causing his girlfriend to ruffle his hair. Giggling slightly for a moment, Izuku continued. "But yeah. I probably would. Just because you aren't becoming a hero for the same reasons as us, doesn't make you less of one."

"Thanks, you guys. Really...but yeah, it's not for me. You see, my parents run a construction business back in my home prefecture but...business is bad and we're pretty poor. I moved to a tiny apartment to be closer to UA in hopes that, maybe, I could become a top hero and give them some extra money. I pretty much get all my food from school except for whatever I can get at a convenience store."

Ochako looked past her friends and out the window of the school, seeing a vision of her younger self wearing a tiny hardhat and trying to move some boards with her quirk before throwing up. Her parents consoled her and said something about following her dreams. And yet, this was her dream.

"I want to make sure that my parents can live a better life. If I can't save their business, I can save them from poverty by being a top hero! That's why I have to do my best in the sports festival!"

Ochako looked at her friends, expecting them to be weirded out by her display again. Instead, they were cheering for her and clapping.

"That...is so cool. You're more heroic than you give yourself credit for. Caring for your family and wanting to repay them for all they have done is most noble."

All of a sudden, the giant form of the #1 hero and UA's newest teacher slid into the hallway where the students were talking. "I am here, inconspicuously! Young Midoriya…" The large man hunched down slightly to reach the childrens' level and held up a small, cutesy bento box, wrapped in cloth adorned with his visage. "Young Midoriya, would you care to have lunch with me?"

Tenya was perplexed but also happy that his friend was looked on so favorably by the top hero as to be asked to attend a one-on-one luncheon with him. It was sure to be an unforgettable honor. Mina and Ochako couldn't help but laugh at how cute the scene was, juxtaposed by how massive and powerful the man asking the question was. It was almost like an uncle trying to be cool. Izuku followed his idol sheepishly, wondering what it was about. He looked to Mina, wondering if she was coming. Was this just a One-for-All thing or could she come too? Mina waved him off and smiled, mouthing "I'll catch up, teacher's pet. See ya soon!" before blowing a kiss. Izuku blushed at his girlfriend and caught the kiss in midair before slapping it onto his cheek with a little grin and turning to follow All-Might into his office.

X

Izuku entered All Might's office, taking a seat as his mentor stood by the window in his true form. His bento sat on the coffee table while Izuku dug into his casually. The green-haired boy stopped to look at his mentor before the statuesque man sat back down and wiped blood from his mouth, locking eyes with the boy.

"I will try not to take up too much of your lunch, but I needed to talk to you. My power is on borrowed time. I can hold my muscular form for an increasingly minimal amount of time. 50 seconds specifically right won't be long before I can't really use it. That is why it is time. I need you to step up at the Sports Festival."

Izuku 's eyes widened, waiting for the older man to elaborate before swallowing a mouth full of gyoza his mom had made. The flavor filled his mouth but it went down hard as it hit the knot in his stomach as All-Might looked at him.

"Do you remember what I said to you on Dagobah Beach after you cleaned it up? The man spoke again.

Izuku scrunched his face into an approximation of his idol's and deepened his voice. "Eat this!"

"Not that!" All-Might shouted before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, taing on a more mellow yet focused tone. Despite being less intense, there was still a pressure in his words. "Look...This will be your coming out party, young Midoriya. You need to bring your A Game and announce to the world that you are here!"

Izuku looked on nervously. He barely had a good metaphor for his power, let alone the ability to handle the power itself. This was a lot being put on him and while he was grateful for the opportunity to be his hero's protegee, the responsibility was overwhelming. He hoped desperately that the years of being labeled a disappointment would not yield truth, especially now that things seemed to be going his way.

"You overthink things too much. You're stuck in a world of nonsense, kid. Look, I understand if I am asking a lot of you. You're just a first year in high school, but I just want you to remember how you felt when cleaning the beach, and the moment you were done."

Izuku left the office, only to see Mina waiting with some dorayaki. She pouted and raised an eyebrow, pretending to be disgruntled before smiling at the green-haired boy. She offered it to him and poked his cheek.

"Still hungry? I had some extra in my lunch and I wanted to share them with you." Izuku exhaled and happily took his girlfriend's offerings, walking with her through the halls and explaining what their teacher had told him. She listened attentively and reacted accordingly.

"Whoah, seriously? Not even a full minute? That's bonkers!" the pink girl said as she walked with her boyfriend back to class. "And he wants you to be the next him?"

"I mean...It's an honor. It really is. But it's hard to imagine a world without All-Might, you know? Let alone the fact that I was chosen to replace him."

"You don't have to replace him though. Not yet. Just be yourself, Izu. You don't have to do anything like he does. Yeah. He's the number one hero and you got his quirk now, but it's yours now. Just do your best, babe. I believe in you!"

X

"I can't believe Mineta is thinking of leaving. I mean, he's a bit of a perv but wow. The USJ thing really got to a lot of us, didn't it?"

Mina slumped in her seat, sighing as she took a sip of her bottled cappuccino. She laid her head on Izuku's shoulder and looked up at him, continuing her thoughts as the train departed.

"Things are changing, huh? A classmate is leaving, we have people competing for his spot, and we get to be on TV. It's wild, right?"

"It is. I thought you would be more hyped up."

"Oh I am, but today was a lot, even for me. Besides, I like snuggling up to my boyfriend, you goob."

"Did you want to train for it together? We can go to Dagobah."

"Nah. It's actually become more hopping now so not as abandoned as it used to be. It would be great for a date spot though. Maybe for golden week." the girl winked. Izuku rolled his eyes and blushed deeply, scratching his cheek bashfully.

"Maybe, I mean...if there isn't anything planned for that week. Also did you want to come over for dinner? I know it's short notice but you're always welcome."

" Not tonight. My parents will want to know in advance. Maybe tomorrow? On one condition."

"Is this something I am going to regret?"

"You're going to paint my toenails and give me a shoulder massage." Mina placed her index finger to her lips and winked before moving the finger to Izuku's nose and gently tapping it.

"Oh that's all?" The green-haired boy chuckled. "I thought it would be something worse."

"Eeew. Perv. You wanna touch my feet." Mina feigned disgust and playfully shoved Izuku away. "Get awaaaaaay~"

The rest of the train ride went like that, Mina teasing her boyfriend while he just took it and grinned. He had never thought being picked on would be something he enjoyed. It was the source of a lot of trauma and hangups. And yet here it was playful teasing, a warm light that filled his chest and made him feel not like someone pitiful or forgettable, but as someone deserving of love and respect. It was a feeling so wonderful that the only thing greater was told he could be a hero.

X

Time passed by like a montage, filled with hard work and determination. The days crashed like the waves of Dagobah beach as Izuku and Mina readied themselves for the big event. Everyone had apparently been doing the same, at local pools and gyms or even at their own homes.

The day had arrived and the air was electrifying. Izuku couldn't help but feel nervous as he was surrounded by so many of his peers. He still had trouble recognizing them as peers and not superiors. Each of them had such amazing quirks that they likely had better control over. He had to regulate how well he used his if he wanted to be able to compete any further in the sports festival.

He had promised All Might that he would do his best and stand out at the festival. This would be his debut as All Might's successor. He looked at those he would be up against. There were his new friends, Ochako and Tenya, Class President Momo Yaoyorozu, and Aoyama, a mutual acquaintance of Mina's.

And then there were his original crew., the ones who were his first real friends in a long time. They were all ready to do their best. Was it not only fair to do the same.

"Hey, you ok? You seem lost in thought. Don't get too distracted or you might miss the buzzer.," Mina grinned, winking at her boyfriend. She always knew what to say to either calm his nerves or get them worked up.

"Yeah. I have to focus up. All Might is counting on me."

"Yeah, but...don't worry about All Might, K?"

"Mina, I-"

"I know. You are his successor and you have to step up and all, but you will. I believe in you. And trust me, I am the step-up queen. Don't worry about whether you will let anyone down. You won't, K?"

"Mina...Thank you," Izuku smiled, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. Ochako and Kirishima watched from afar and felt themselves blushing before shaking their heads.

As if waiting for the sweet moment to pass, the first event came to a roaring start, quite literally as the giant robots from the entrance exam stopped into the clearing like huge metal leviathans.

Everyone reacted accordingly, with some running for cover until they could get their bearings and formulate a plan, while others jumped right in as if this were just another day. Mina ended up separated from her friends and boyfriend and danced around the battlefield, doing her best to dodge the robots and return their destructive sentiment.

Feeling invigorated from Mina's words echoing in his head, Izuku rushed forward into the fray. He spied a freshly damaged robot. The boy pried off a piece of armor from the robot and used it as both a weapon and a shield.

It weighed him down significantly but he felt it would be useful later on. Mina was confused at first but rolled with it. She knew the boy had something up his sleeve. As long as he was still in good shape, she was happy. She turned her gaze to a robot in front of her and spread a veil

Izuku and Mina stood side by side. They were going to compete and see who was best. There was every chance they would end up on opposite sides in a future event, so they were preparing themselves. Mina would rather be working with her boyfriend, but she also knew she couldn't coddle him. Besides, pushing him to do his best and hopefully find a way to control his quirk would be a plus. As encouraging as she was, the thought of her favorite boy in the world constantly turning his bones into dust made her wince. That sheet of metal he had looked awfully heavy. It was her time to think.

Her eyes widened and lit up. She had an idea. It wouldn't be a race per se, but it would guarantee that he could make it to the next step alongside her.

"Izu, run with that metal and slide on it. Follow my lead." the pink girl declared excitedly. Izuku looked puzzled but did as she said. He watched as she skated along on a trail of slime and left some behind. That's when it clicked.

"Mina, you are a genius!" He exclaimed. Those words were enough to make her trip up a bit. It wasn't often she was complemented on her intelligence. Sure she was able to get into a top hero school, which was no easy feat, but thinking wasn't considered her strong suit. To have one of the most studious people she knew complement her like that meant the world.

Izuku slid on the sheet of metal, trying to surf on it at first but deciding to stay crouched to lower his center of gravity and keep him from falling. The last thing he needed was to lose momentum.

Izuku and Mina kept pace, turning a competition between so many eager students looking for a spot in the limelight into a race between boyfriend and girlfriend. Tsuyu watched the two and smiled. She could sense a friendly rivalry going on and decided to keep up.

She was conflicted on the topic of someone replacing Mineta. She wasn't fond of his perverted antics, but to have a classmate leave so early had made her think about how the USJ incident had really changed so much. She hoped she could keep up. She knew Mina had boundless energy and Izuku had gained a lot of it himself since they had first met. He was still timid and awkward, but he had shown how much initiative he could take.

There was something in the back of her mind that bothered her, but she was focused on the present. Her quirk allowed her to keep a steady pace as well. She wasn't the fastest in her class, but her leaping ability came in handy when it came to moving around.

Izuku ran behind Mina, almost myopically focusing on her until a loud explosion rang in his ears, followed by a sudden chill in the air as a stream of ice shot past. That was enough to snap him back into reality. He didn't need to win, he just needed to make it into the arena for the 2nd event. And yet this was his shot. He needed to make this his coming-out party as All-Might's successor. He could not go all out with One-For-All though, not yet at least. He was surprised he had been keeping pace this well without using his quirk.

He and Mina had made it to the next stage: a series of ropes and platforms overlooking a vast pit. Mina froze, not sure how she could make it through. She had decent balance but tightrope walking? She never learned how to do that. Tsuyu made it with ease, as did a bizarre steampunk girl from the support course, who had used her gadgets to cross.

Mina kept looking back the entire time. She could not keep her full focus on the race, no matter how hard she tried. She had focus issues in general. However, she couldn't help it. She didn't want to coddle Izuku. She knew he wouldn't like that either. And yet she absolutely wanted to ensure that he made it there with her.

"Have faith in him, ribbit. You just have to believe in him, Mina. He'll make it."

Mina sighed and ran ahead, giving one last look towards the rope bridge and whispered her hopes to Izuku. Tsuyu was right.

Izuku struggled with the scrap of metal as he had it tied to his back. It weighed him down, making him question how strong the rope was and if his finger strength was enough. He had trained too much to be a no-hoper though. He had people who believed in him. He had promised All-Might he would stand out and make himself known at the Sports Festival. He had promised his friends he would do his best. He had promised himself that he would do his best. He had promised Mina that they would be in this together.

A hand reached out and grabbed him with a familiar warmth.

"You came back for me?"Izuku panted as he climbed up , needing a moment to regain his balance

"Yeah. Sorry. I know I should have faith in you and allow you to do things on your own but it felt lame to just completely turn my back on you, ya know? Not that the others are lame, but they also aren't dating you."

The two rushed ahead, trying to catch up to everyone else.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up." Izuku shouted, giving Mina a thumbs teenage boy smiled before looking at the minefield. Again, he was glad these obstacles weren't fatal as by all accounts, they should be. Giant robots, bottomless pits, and landmines? It was like a warzone, but with teenagers. Izuku chuckled nervously, telling himself it wasn't that bad and that he would hopefully never be in an actual war situation. Otherwise, he might end up more traumatized than he already was.

"What are you doing, Midoriya?" Jirou had stopped to ask, confused by the strange muttering boy as he used the scrap metal from stage 1 to dig up mines and put them in a pile. Everyone was focused on getting ahead and he was just wasting his time doing something strange. It was hard to believe he was dating one of the cutest girls in class.

Izuku laughed bashfully and barely made eye contact. "Other than embarrassing myself, making a huge gamble. Hey Jirou?"

"Yyyyyesss?" The punk girl asked in a confused and slightly annoyed tone. She wasn't exactly close to the boy who served as vice-president of the class.

"Your quirk is advanced hearing right? You might want to get out of here. These may be non-lethal mines but they will still be loud enough on their own. With a pile of them here..."

Before Jirou could ask any other questions, Izuku yelled "Surf's up!" and slammed the scrap metal onto his grenade pile, holding on for dear life as he was catapulted far ahead. Jirou covered her ears and ran, trying not to get distracted. However, she could not help but gain some more respect for this strange boy. In some ways, he was just as alien as the girl he was dating.

Mina looked up and saw Izuku go flying up above her, watching with awe and excitement. She lost all tact and cheered as she ran around the mine area.

"Woooo! You crazy son of a bitch! I love you, babe!" SHe stopped as she felt a click under her feet and felt herself get rocked backwards as a cloud of smoke and a loud bang filled her senses. She shouldn't have gotten distracted. Still, she kept going, wafting the smoke from her eyes. "Woops. Should have paid more attention."

Izuku was coming up on Bakugou and Todoroki, the two biggest contenders in the race. He needed to stand out while also conserving his strength for later on. There was only so much time to react.

Bringing the shield down with a slam and a thud, the green haired boy gave himself the momentum to tumble past the finish line and into first place. With that act, the boy propelled himself not only into the lead but into the attention of those before him and those behind him. The buzzer roared. More people made their way into the stadium but the event had reached its climax. Stage one was complete.