**UA High School. Cafeteria.**

Minoru put as much distance between him and his classmates as possible, he basically ran out the classroom when the bell for lunch rang. He didn't want to get stopped by anyone to try and talk about his outburst. That he did NOT need right now. Not with all these other worries on his mind.

Classes seemed to drag on for Minoru what with many things, the looks he had gotten from his classmates for his outburst at the R-rated heroine Midnight, the thought of hanging out with 1B's big sister Kendo for what he could only guess was going to be some kinda private therapy session, his amped up urges causing him to be all twitchy in his desk. Mania helped by calming him down, which he was seriously grateful for on many levels. Then there was the matter on how the Hell he was going to gain enough power to best this Nine guy which was again, easier said then fucking done. Not only was he outnumbered and out powered by Nine's power and team, the very thought of facing him scared him senseless. Here he was thinking he was on top of the world and that nothing would ever be able to stop him now and reality just does it's usual thing of making his victories short lived.

And finally how he was gonna tell Denki his pretty much only friend in this school that he needed to buzz off. "( Aghh...Man how do I go about this? Just tell him we can't be friends anymore because I'm trying to change? )" Minoru played out many possible ways he could do this without seeming like a jerk but no matter how he tried, no playthrough yielded the right result. Which only frustrated him even more, these thoughts crashed against his mind like deadly waves from a raging storm.

Minoru gritted his teeth as he harshly gripped his chopsticks but quickly eased his grip so as to not snap them. "( God, controlling myself in fights is gonna be a chore now. Pulling my punches so I don't break bones or rupture something, keeping a level head so I don't lose my cool, as well as keeping these new urges in check along with my old ones…) " The boy let out a tired sigh, he was already locked in a great struggle and his mind was the battle ground. All these new thoughts and old fighting against each other to be heard, to be acted upon but only held back by Minoru's sheer power of will and Mania's support.

Minoru sat alone this lunch period far off from his classmates as to avoid any chance of conversion with them. They just wouldn't understand and he just didn't have it in him to reconcile with them at the moment, maybe once he had gotten his mind in a stable state so he could speak and discuss things in a controlled manner. This new power was both a blessing and a burden. There were many pros but many cons as well. Like making a deal with the Devil but there was a chance for you not to be the one who loses more than he gains from it.

"Hmm?" Minoru was pulled from his thoughts as he felt his arm raise to his ear. "Minoru. Kaminari approaches." Mania's voice whispered into his ear from a mouth formed on the sleeve of the symbiote uniform. Minoru frowned and quickly glanced around until he saw his electrified friend walk over to him with a smile on his face. Kaminari had come to have a talk with Minoru about what happened earlier in Midnight's class as well as tell him they needed to have a serious talk about his behavior as a whole. He needed to be honest that he needed to change otherwise he could end up expelled or worse.

"Sigh...Thanks for the heads up." The purple haired boy thanked his symbiotic friend. Mania's mouth quickly molded away as Denki closed the distance.

"Heeeey, Minoru! Wassup man? Why ya sitting all the way over here?" Denki chuckled and was about to sit down next to the boy but Minoru quickly held his hand out signalling him to stop. "Hey, um, can you come up with me to those steps over there?" Minoru pointed to the top row in the Lunch Rush's cafeteria that was supported by two staircases, one the left and one on the right.

"Up there? Sure dude. But um can we talk? It's kinda serious." Denki asked his friend as he readied himself to take the first step to really set Minoru straight.

"Well I kinda need to talk to you too so yes. But let's talk up there please. No one really goes up there so we can talk without distractions." Minoru insisted they both relocate for what Minoru was about to do next which was going to be very hard on him and possibly Denki too.

"Sure, sure. Come on!" Denki smirked and reached out to pat Minoru's shoulder but to his surprise, Minoru held up his hand and gently pushed his hand away. "Let's just go." Minoru said in an almost monotone voice as he removed himself from his seat and began to walk to the cafeitera's left side staircase.

Denki frowned a little at the cold shoulder Minoru was giving him but he also pieced together something was certainly wrong, Minoru didn't act like this at all. "( Oh man, what the heck could have gotten him so moody? ) " The electro boy's confidence wavered a bit at the thought of Minoru going off on him but Denki needed to do this. For Minoru's sake. As well as the girl's sake too. Denki steeled himself once more as he followed his shorter friend to and up the staircase. As he followed behind Minoru, the blonde noticed...was he taller than before? Minoru looked a whole inch taller then he originally did. Did he grow overnight? Or had Denki just not noticed until now?

"Okay, this is good." Minoru spoke out, snapping Denki out of his thoughts and brought him back to Earth. "Okay, Denki. I'm gonna let ya go first because what I have to say...it's gonna be a lot." Minoru rolled his shoulders and leaned against the railing.

"Thanks...okay, okay. Here we go." Denki took a deep breath preparing himself for the emotional talk. Despite Minoru being his friend, Denki really needed to draw the line in the sand to open Minoru's eyes to keep him from digging himself into a deep hole. Deeper than the one he already had himself in anyways.

"Listen, Minoru, bro. I'm worried about ya okay? You're walking on some real thin ice. Like really thin. I've run with you on a lot of wacky antics but after a while I started to shy away from it after um hehehe...ya know. Me and Kyoka started getting serious about each other.~" The sparky blonde blushed as he thought about his significant other.

Minoru rolled his eyes hearing this, while he was happy for his soon to be former friend on finding a girlfriend, Minoru didn't particularly care to hear about it at the moment.

"Ahem, but yeah I shaped up for her sake so as to not ruin my chances with her or make her think less of me ya know? Also because if I wanna be a hero, I can't do stuff like that and well….the same goes for you too man." Denki looked into the eyes of his purple themed classmate and friend with a serious and concerned gaze. His eyes being stern and yet at the same time pleading. Minoru didn't flinch from his stoic look and only kept silent and listened.

"Minoru...look it's no secret you have a really shaky reputation in the class and well UA as a whole too and you're not exactly making it any better. A lot of people don't like you and while it may sound kinda assholeish for me to say but they're not exactly wrong too." Denki's voice dropped as he began to get to the heart of this talk.

"The girls in our class dude. Kyoka, Tsu, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Ashido and Hagakure...Minoru, they don't like you. Or even trust you for that matter, often when me and Kyoka are just relaxing together sometimes she tells me about her and the other girls complain about you and often feel uncomfortable living in the same building as you." Denki rubbed the back of his head nervously as he went on with his speech.

"And for as you probably know, for good reason. Dude, I'mma make it real clear and please...PLEASE don't take this the wrong way but...you're a creep and it's really hurting you in the long run and it hurts others too and don't even get me started on Yaoyorozu and Tsu. You've treated them worse. What with that whole piggyback thing at the sports festival and the little grope thing at the USJ incident."

Denki's eyes narrowed down on his friend as he did feel very disappointed at what he did to Tsu in the middle of all that chaos. Now the piggyback thing at the sports festival he could forgive, but not that. Time and a place for things and that was the last thing he needed to be doing at the point in time.

"So all in all, you've betrayed their trust, hurt them, made them feel uncomfortable and are continuing to ruin any chance of them having any respect for you while at the same time just...well. Ruining your chances of ever graduating dude. Keep this up and Jesus...you could very possibly get expelled and I seriously don't want that to happen yo. I want you to pass, graduate, get your license so we can be hero buds together ya know? I mean, I've been through so much to let it end like this." Denki's face winched at the thought of Minoru being expelled after all the crazy life or death situations they had gone at the hands of the league of villains. It seemed so anti-climatic and so just...unfitting. Denki didn't like the thought at all. Not after how far he's come.

"So yeah dude, with all that said. I've kinda put this on the back burner for a while because I didn't know how to go about this at all. But with um...certain things rising up, I can't really sit on this anymore. Look Minoru, I wanna help you get over this problem you have. Before it's too late and you ruin your chance to be a hero forever! So first things first dude, ya gotta learn to control yourself, respect the girls, apologize and make amends and just over all clean up your act. I know that may seem like a lot but I'm RIGHT HERE for you. Promise! We can do this together! So...what do ya say pal? Won't lie, it's gonna be really long and a real hassle but hey. At least ya don't gotta do it alone right?" Denki poured his heart to his best friend as he held his hand out hoping his words had gotten through to the shorter boy.

The shorter boy in question didn't seem to be phased by Denki's speech, he had foreseen this coming sooner or later. Though Denki was right, it was no secret the class had a great distaste for him and he wasn't blind to it. He never had been. However he had come to accept that, after all. He was used to being hated by those around him, this was nothing new for him. Didn't make it any less bad but, it was his own doing in the end.

Which was why…this next part was going to be easy yet very hard for him.

"Denki...I've been well aware of that for awhile now. I'm not blind okay and I 100% appreciate you wanting to go the extra mile for me. Like a lot. It's just...my problem isn't simply a lack of respect. It's a problem dude. An addiction. A bad habit. Like once you pick up that bottle, it's really hard to put it back down. I've tried so hard to kick it and I never had any luck, I always ended up back in the same cycle...I always failed." Minoru looked down and gripped his fists.

Denki's face grew to a more saddened expression, while he couldn't excuse Minoru's actions, he saw deep down he didn't truly mean harm. Just someone with poor control over themselves, this made him all the more determined to help him. How could he call himself his friend if he didn't try to help him out with his problems?

"Well that's why I wanna help you man! Before it's too late. You've messed up pretty bad already and truth be told...I can't really say I'm proud or agree with how you've turned out. But, I'm still willing to he-" Denki was cut off by the shorter symbiote host boy.

"I'm not finished. Please. Sigh...Which is why. I'm going on this journey alone, I'm sorry but you can't help me Denki or the others. Our lives are too different. We've lived our lifes too differently. You can't help me because you can't understand me and the only person who can help me...is someone else like me. In other words...only I can help myself." The purple haired boy spoke in a calm and stoic manner.

"Dude...it doesn't gotta be like that. Okay yeah you're right, we lived our lives differently but that doesn't mean I can't understand you! I mean I already do to be honest." Denki tried his best to regain his footing in the conversation, Minoru words had thrown him off balance for he wasn't expecting that kinda line from him. Minoru wasn't the type for being alone, he craved attention from the others often at his own expenses due to his lack of self control.

"I'm sorry Denki but it does have to be this way and another thing...the me you think you understand is just the facade I wear day in and out. I've never shown you or the others the real me. The me who you know...is simply a mask. Sigh...A mask that's become stuck to my damn face." Minoru dragged the palm of his hand alongside his face in a frustrated huff as if trying to remove the metaphorical mask he spoke of.

"So please, stay away from me. I'm going to keep my distance from you and everyone else until I can fix that's done, then I'll talk to the others. Not that I'm expecting anything to change with them but at least no one can say I never tried." Minoru looked intently into Denki's eyes, he could see his electrified friend's face had a look of worry written all over it. He was concerned about his new way of thinking.

Minoru felt his heart tug a bit as he knew he had to get this next part over with. "And Denki I'm really sorry for this next part and please don't take it the wrong way but...we can't be friends anymore." Minoru heaved a great sigh as he dropped the bomb he had been holding since earlier this morning and not to his surprise, Denki didn not seem happy at all with this. He saw his friend's face contort into a look of shock, confusion and hurt.

"What? Dude are you kidding right now?" The blonde would step closer to the shorter boy hoping he didn't hear that right. Did he just hear what he thought he did? "No. Denki, look. It's better for the both of us if we just cut our friendship. There are things more important than me you should focus on. Like classwork, your other friends and your ahem, girlfriend." Minoru shoved his hands into his pockets as he spoke.

"I'm not like you or the others and I'll never be like you. So there's no point trying to fix something that won't fit in." The symbiotic boy said with a voice void of emotion, he purposely did this to keep his emotions level grounded.

"Minoru! Don't you think that's a bit much?! I mean yeah, I'm not happy with how you are but Jesus I don't want you to go away. I'm trying to help you!" Denki's words spilled out, rushed and shaken at the thought of Minoru throwing away their friendship.

"I know you Denki. I know. But don't misunderstand. I'm doing this because It's what I want. I've been thinking about this for a while actually and I've decided that I just can't be friends with you guys. Like I said before...you guys just don't and can't understand me and well...I don't want you to. You shouldn't have to. Or feel obligated to. I'm going to settle out my own problems on my own and move on from there. You guys just...do what you always do. Look out for each other." Minoru heaved a sigh as he looked away from the hurt face of the static blonde.

"I know it's hard but trust me, you'll be better off not worrying about me. You got a lot going on for ya dude. Don't waste your time on me, I'll be fine. I've gotten the courage and strength to walk on my own and I'll be stronger than you've ever seen. So yeah. Don't worry." Minoru looked back to Denki who as he expected still wasn't taking this so well, in fact he saw very faint traces of electricity crackle off Denki showing his emotional turmoil. It pained Minoru to see the only person who ever really wanted to be his friend but sadly it had to be this way.

"Hey come on, don't give me that look. You don't need me around to be happy dude. Ya got a whole class full of friends, a hot girl and well more up ahead in the future. You've got all you could ever want. Besides, heh. I'm pretty sure your girlfriend wouldn't really be too thrilled about you wasting time helping someone who only harassed her, when you could use that time on her." Minoru chuckled a bit and tried to get Denki to see all the good things he had in an attempt to soften this blow Minoru had dealt him regrettably.

Denki listened to Minoru's words but no matter how hard he did, he just couldn't accept it, not like this! "You think saying all that makes this hurt any less? Huh? Telling me I have all the others when my best friend literally tells me to take a hike for trying to help him?" Denki's voice dripped with frustration and hurt.

"Denki, it's nothing against you or the others okay? I just...don't want us to be friends. I feel like it's better this way. Besides, the others can't stand me so it's fine. Nothing will really change if I just keep my distance. Not like I was really part of the circle of friends anyways and before you take that the wrong way, I know that it's my own fault I wasn't included in the class circle of friends and I'm not doing this because I'm angry about you guys not accepting me okay? I'm doing this because I think it's for the best for all of us. That I just keep my distance and fix myself and you guys just go on about your days not having to think or deal with me. It'll be fine dude. I don't think anyone will really care." Minoru tried his best to settle down Denki as he could see he grew increasingly annoyed with him.

"I would care, Asui would care, Mezo would care, Midoriya would care, Uraraka would care. Yes Asui and Uraraka would care even though they don't like you. Because they're just that nice, something you should be grateful for. But no, you're just throwing it away! Dude why are you giving up on us so easily?!" Denki's was getting increasingly frustrated with Minoru's dismissing of him and the others. What was his problem?!

"Denki seriously, you're getting worked up over so little. I mean come on, I can't mean THAT much to you. Don't get me wrong we had some fun times but I know for a fact you had the most fun with Jiro and the others. So don't sweat it okay? You can be happy without me. In fact this way everyone's happy. No one has to deal with me anymore and I can just focus on getting better. Win-win. Right?" Minoru did his best to show Denki the pros of this choice as best he could. He honestly didn't understand why Denki was getting all angry about it.

"DUDE! That's not the issue! Look, yes I could be happy without you but I don't want to! I don't want you to go away! And speak for yourself, everyone would NOT be happy about that! They care, you know?! Agh, maybe not ALL but a good number of them do!" Denki's voice got louder as his emotions began to get the better of him.

"Come on man! You're not unredeemable or passed forgiveness! You can earn it if you just try! Yeah it'll be a long haul but it will pay off and it'll be worth it! Minoru you have time to think about this!" Denki then gripped the shoulders of his shorter friend in hopes his words would reach him.

Minoru was taken back by how determined to keep him as a friend. It made him feel happy really, but also made this all the more harder. This choice for the better of both parties, even if he didn't see it. Minoru took a deep breath and let his emotions run cold.

"Sorry Denki, but I've actually had quite enough time to think. Now's not the time for thinking anymore. Now is the time for action and action only. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from here. Sorry dude, I just think it's better for us to just not be friends anymore. I know it seems harsh and jerky but I assure you, things will go smoother this way." Minoru said as he just wanted to end off this conversation for both their sakes.

"Smoother? So you turning your back on us after all we've been through and all the fun we had together will make things go smoother? That's it? That's your big plan? Just throw us away rather than try and make things right? After all the grief you've caused? You think just pushing it and sweeping it under a rug to forget about is fixing it? And worse of all...you'd just throw away the faith some of the others had in you deep down that you could be better?" Denki's eyes burned with only rage now as he gripped his fists. Both trembling as Denki summoned forth all his will power not to lash out at his friend. His words did hold power and they did sting but...Minoru had made his choice.

"Sigh...I'm going to get better. I'm going to change. It may not be the way you want me to change. But I will. And I'm sorry to say it like this but that's all you the others, the girls included need to know. My life has nothing to do with yours. It didn't before and it shouldn't now. Denki even if I do things your ways...I can tell you things won't change that much. A lot of them are just never going to accept me changing. A good handful of them, even the girls will always distrust me and not want me around. So what's the point in striving to get forgiveness or respect that's never going to come no matter how hard you try? I'm not putting myself down that never ending road. Where my salvation and growth depends on someone finding it in their heart to forgive me. People...just can't help but let others down. Especially if you let them down first. People like me...we just don't fit into the picture of this morally perfect society and because of that we're outcast and will always be as such. Don't you see? From the day I made my first mistake in this life I was branded. Marked and that marked followed me up until this day. So I lived with it. I suffered with it and I fought with it."

"I don't want to be stuck groveling on the ground begging for forgiveness for redemption in the eyes of others that's just ultimately pointless in the end. People have already made their impressions of me and they're not going to change. So I choose to grow and redeem myself in my own way. For me. For myself. Like Bakuguo...I'm not asking for a second chance. No one can give you peace or freedom…..so you have to take it. I'm going to train hard to take back my freedom. My peace that I lost long ago. So call me an asshole, a coward, deserter...whatever. I'm not Pervneta or the gremlin you all call me and see me as. I'm me and what is me? Whatever I choose myself to be." Minoru felt as though this was hardly him speaking. It felt like someone else was speaking through him. These words, these ideals. They felt so alien but yet so familiar. Maybe the will of the past hosts bleeding in from the symbiote to him? Or...was this just the true him peeking out?

"I'm sorry but...no. No okay? There's no going back or mending things. I can't live like you guys. I can't be like you. So us being friends was just never an option. I see that now. So I won't try. It's not that I don't want to. It's just something I can never do. We're just too different Denki, it's better this wa-" Even though Minoru could sense Denki's intense emotions, he without question was not expecting what came next. Before Minoru had finished his sentence, Denki had walked up and punched Minoru across the face. Minoru's eyes widened at this, did he just...hit him?

Denki could bear to hold back his anger no longer. Minoru had crossed the line, more so than ever. "You think just turning your back on the ones who trust you betrayed is the answer?! To just run away from the problem rather than just facing it!? Making up and moving on!? Some of them actually want to help you! And now you're just kicking them to the side?!" Denki was now full on yelling at the shorter symbiotic boy. Thank goodness the background voices from all the students of the cafeteria drowned Denki out from being heard by others, Minoru did not want him causing a scene.

Speaking of Minoru he was rubbing his cheek trying to register what just happened. Did Denki really just punch him over this? Denki of all people he knew, just punched him? Minoru hadn't even acted like his normal immature self. Minoru honestly felt like that was really uncalled for. He was just being honest with his feelings and he gets hit for it? From someone who was sympathetic to him? Did that Denki, really just resort to this?

"If that's what you wanna do then you wanna know what? The girls were right about you. That you're just selfish! Someone who cares more about himself than others!" Denki shouted at Minoru, this had been the first time Minoru had seen Denki genuinely enraged. Despite this, Minoru was more focused on what Denki just did than his outburst.

"...Enough." Minoru looked up at his former friend. "If we were really friends. You'd understand and support me. But I guess we were never really friends at all." Minoru's glare turned rather aggressive and cold. His eyes void of any trace of the boy he was, Minoru was cowardly, timid when faced with adversity, cracking like the shell of an egg under pressure.

But not this time. His eyes were focused but cold, not a hint of hesitation or fear. His face stoic and none readable. This unnerved Denki to great lengths despite his intense frustration with Minoru and acknowledging it couldn't be helped. "Dude...where is this coming from? What's wrong with you?" Denki asked as he slowly began to regret striking him just now realizing something may be wrong with the shorter boy. Denki was upset with his choice but hitting him was a step too far.

"My well being is no longer your concern. It would be best for you to keep your distance and I'll keep mine. So spread the word. I really don't wanna go around repeating myself." Minoru tugged at his shirt collar as he prepared to walk away.

"Minoru wait okay?! Listen, I'm really sorry...I shouldn't have hit you. I just felt really hurt...you're my friend and I want you to keep being my friend. I just feel like there's a better way than this. Where you can change, atone and regain everyone's good graces again. I'm really willing to help you through the hard parts dude! I'll HELP every step. I won't let you do it alone...come on man. A lot of them really wanna help you and wanna see you be bette-" Minoru couldn't stand this any longer he had to speak up. "No. Just no. Denki. If that's true. Why has no one truly tried to help me? Why is that no one went out of their way to ask "Why?" why am I this way? None of them bothered to try and get to the heart of the reason. Only proving that they don't care more. If they truly cared like you said…" Minoru would step closer to Denki as the blonde boy clenched his teeth at his approach.

"Things probably could have been different but sadly that's not what happened. I'm tired okay? I'm tired of suffering. I'm tired of being trapped. I'm tired of being lectured, hit, tied up and being stabbed with ear jacks. I'm tired. I just can't anymore okay? And you need to accept that. Since no one wants to help me, I have to help myself. But that's okay because I'm ready. I'm ready to face this road alone and all it can throw at me." Minoru glanced up at the electric blonde to really take in his expression of confliction.

His expression said it all. Denki of course says the clear fault of Minoru's actions of not respecting others boundaries but did they really make it any better? Harshly punishing him rather than just talking things out? Even though Minoru's voice and face were void of any emotion, Denki could feel the hurt from his words as he imagined just being in his shoes. Being stuck in a cycle you couldn't escape from with no help whatsoever…

"It's cool okay? Just go on about your days. I'll still be here. When the time comes when we need to work together don't worry, I got you covered. Denki. Life is just...It's something else okay? A lot of things happen that weren't intended and some things just don't quite go the way they should have. Ya just gotta learn to roll with it. You'll get it sooner or later." Minoru cracked his neck and stepped away from the dumbfounded Denki who still couldn't find his words out of fear of letting his emotions go wild again and just...out of surprise from the person who thought he knew so well.

Turns out he didn't know Minoru as well as he thought and it was pretty safe to say neither did the others. This was a whole other side of him he could have never guessed was there.

"See ya...Kaminari." Minoru switched to using Denki's last name as from here on...they were no longer friends. "You're a good guy. Stay that way. You're lucky ya know? Like the rest. You're lucky. Born with amazing quirks, talents, supportive families. You've got a good thing going. Focus on that." Minoru turned his back to his now former friend ready to take his leave and drop the curtain on this tragic act.

"Minoru I don't want to lose you." Denki stepped closer to the shorter boy but he simply moved ahead a few steps. "In a perfect world Kaminari, we'd both get what we want. But sadly the world isn't perfect and neither are we. So we settle for less and make do with what we can and I'm sorry but...there isn't anything for me to make between us or them. So I have to start new soil at my feet." Minoru heaved a sigh.

"Catch ya on the flip side." Minoru waved to his now ex-friend as he walked off and down the stairs of the high balcony of the cafeteria leaving Denki to let all of this sink in. He just lost his best friend for wanting to help him when really he should have helped him sooner rather than just enabling him. "Is this right? Is this really the best choice?" Denki leaned against the railing of the balcony and spoke to himself.

"No...there's gotta be a better way than this...right? I mean isn't that what friends do? Make it work?...Or maybe. Maybe Minoru just isn't a very good friend...or maybe I wasn't. Or maybe we both weren't." The blonde boy heaved a sigh as so many emotions and thoughts passed through his head. Never had there been a time where he was so confused or lost.

"Damnit. It didn't have to be this way. I mean, if he was really suffering like that why couldn't he just open up and talk to us? Or well me? Was he afraid to? Did he think we wouldn't listen? What? Damn nothing makes sense anymore. Was that even really Minoru I was talking to? It was his face, his body and his voice but it's like...someone else was talking through him or something. That look on his face I swear...it's like he wasn't completely there." Denki ran a hand through his hair as he tried his damned best to try and make sense of all of this.

"Sigh...How am I supposed to tell this to the others? I already got a feeling this won't end well." The blonde hung his head thinking about what Minoru could have gone through to make him make such a choice like this. It honestly frustrated him how little he actually noticed about his so called best friend, at this point their friendship seemed like a joke.

But it wasn't, he really did like Minoru and cared for him. He had fun with him and couldn't deny that. So why? How? How did all this go unseen by him? Was he that dense or was Minoru just a good actor? "Tch...Whatever the reason. I have to try something. Not like this. Not on this note." Denki gripped his fist as static danced around his hand. He was determined to make a difference in this situation, he swore it.


Minoru didn't go back to his seat, he instead went out into the hallway to think to himself. "Wow, I really just did that." Minoru leaned up against the concrete walls of the hallway really letting what happened sink in. As he did he felt his arm raise up and his wrist be held to his ear.

"It was for the better Minoru." Mania spoke through a formed mouth on Minoru's sleeve once more.

"Yeah I mean, I don't disagree but I felt kinda bad. Even though he punched me." The boy rubbed his cheek at the memory of that.

"Unneeded fodder we have no time for. We must hurry and set plans into motion and make fall back plans as well. First things first, Minoru, we must gain more power and quickly. Our arsenal as it is will be enough to face the foes that hunt us." Mania warned Minoru of the direness of their situation. Minoru hadn't forgotten but he wasn't about to go off the grid or anything he still had to worry about school.

"Yeah, yeah I know okay? It's just...the only thing I can think of is getting it from my classmates but I'm VERY hesitant to try that." Minoru admitted, he feared something would go south for sure.

"We understand Minoru but some of their quirks would be very useful. That Yaoyorozu girl's quirk would certainly be of great use for us. We could have a near unlimited source of resources at our disposal which we will need." The symbiote impressed upon Minoru the pros of this idea.

"Well you're not wrong, her quirk would really be helpful in keeping us stocked on things we'll need but I dunno. Let's come back to this later." Minoru waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

"Very well, but let's come back to this soon. Now for another concern of ours. Listen Minoru we will not be able to face this threat alone. Even if we gain far more power Nine's followers together along with him will be too much for us. We will need others to help us. We'll need allies, however it can't be anyone you know here or any other associated with the law." Mania warned.

"Then who? If we can't count on any of the heroes then who?" Minoru questioned his symbiotic companion.

"Remember what I told you Minoru? Use your wits to manipulate things and people around you. This concrete jungle is filled with misguided and aimless souls who could easily be influenced and swayed. Use your talents of manipulation to bend them to your will. Rally them to your side. Use the memories and knowledge of your predecessors. Both Doku and Sabishi both knew this city well and knew exactly where to find where the scum of this society festers. Use their knowledge to your advantage Minoru." The symbiote strongly advised it's host to use all resources he could gather.

"Hmmm. Well it's not like we have many other options. I'll do it. We'll get started tonight at midnight. Let's not waste time and get started as soon as possible and see what we can find. Best time to do this is at night where all the demons and ghouls come out to play. Fight evil with evil in this dog eat dog world." Minoru agreed to this plan and was already bracing himself for tonight.

"Very good Minoru, as long as we play it smart and aggressive we shall come on top in this deadly game of cat and mouse." Mania was determined to ensure not only it's survival but Minoru's as well. He refused to lose another host, Mania would keep Minoru at all costs.

"Heh, yeah. Still scared as Hell but deep down...I'm actually kind of excited. That's weird but I welcome it. Let's work together and win this game." Minoru smirked almost crookedly.

"Yes Minoru. Yeeeeees.~" Maina's voice would go silent as the mouth on the sleeve would dissolve back into the symbiote UA blazer.

"Heh...Lunch should be ending soon. After this I got 3 more classes until I'm free for today. Oh wait shit. Gotta meet Kendo on the roof to talk shit I forgot. Ah, well. I can still hang with her for a while and still be able to prepare for tonight. Sigh…" Minoru heaved a sigh as he would glance around the empty hall around him. "Things...really aren't gonna be the same anymore huh?" The boy would glance at his own hand that was no longer his hand alone. It was shared. This body of his, is now shared by another life. He truly wasn't the same being he was before, he was something new. Something more and he was eager to find out what that truly meant.

"...What am I now?..." Minoru would clench his fist as this one question would follow him for how long, he could only guess, but whether or not he would get an answer to this question was irrelevant. Only one thing mattered right now.

Strength. In this society, it was almost the only thing that truly mattered.


To Be Continued...

Author's note: Sorry this took so long. Personal matters and stuff. I'm gonna do my best to update more frequent for yall. So please let me know how you guys are enjoying the book, feedback does help me out. Okay thanks and stay frosty out there.