I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.


The broken laptop fell onto the grass, the screen completely smashed in from the top. And though Mineta was no tech expert, he could tell it was inoperable in its current condition.

The shorter boy then looked to La Brava and found her tears flowing again.

"H-How could you…? That was… That was Gentle's dream right there… His hope… It was all he has left…"

It was heartbreaking for someone to sound this broken, a feeling Mineta knew all too well. No person should feel the depths of despair. Still, there was something within her words that the shorter boy knew wasn't true. 'All he has left'? Mineta couldn't help but say something and try to free this woman from the darkness.

"Please don't say that. He has– "

But Mineta was then interrupted by a fist to his face…

La Brava's punch didn't actually hurt. It did leave him stunned though. She lacked physical power. But with the emotions she poured into her fist, it made the punch feel like stone.

"What would you know about him? You have everything you could ever want! Friends, family, a life at your dream school, AND the biggest chance at making it in this cruel world…" La Brava shouted, her fists continuously striking the Mineta. But as if to punctuate her point, the weight of her strikes increased as more tears poured out of her eyes. Such was the depths of her desperation.

"But my Gentle has nothing! He has no family to turn to, no friends to rely on, no real place to belong! His dream, the one he fought tooth and nail for, is all he has left! His dream, the one he committed crimes for, fought past all the hatred for, needed me, a girl who forgotten how to live, for… Now it's all gone. It's all gone because you and your stupid friend got in our way! I-I hate you!" She screamed.

La Brava pulled her fist back again and threw it forward with all her might, tears flying free from her face. And Mineta simply allowed it to hit him again. He did, however, never broke eye contact with the woman and didn't flinch when it struck his cheek. The stoicism of the shorter boy startled La Brava, more so when he grabbed her by the wrist of the arm used to strike him.

"Let go! I'm not done yet!" La Brava shouted as she tried to pull away. But even with all her strength, Mineta firmly held onto the woman. He wasn't about to let go until he spoke his mind and put an end to this. With any luck, Mineta's words can pull this desperate woman from the brink.

"Listen to what I have to say, please."

La Brava eased her struggling and stared at Mineta through confused, teary eyes. With how Mineta acted before, of course she would naturally be conflicted by how he sounded now. But the shorter boy put faith in the sincerity of his words and the kind of people Gentle and La Brava were. Something told him that they weren't bad people deep down… That they meant well, but didn't end up doing well.

That they were as lost as Mineta and Midoriya was.

And sure enough, La Brava stopped struggling and simply stopped moving. The shorter boy slowly released her, hoping that this wasn't some trick to start hitting him again. But when the woman didn't do anything, just stare at him through tear stained eyes, the Mineta continued with his thoughts.

"I won't say that either of you had it better than us, you made it clear just how rough your lives were… But to say that you both have nothing left is just wrong."

"How would you know what's wrong or right about us? You know nothing about the lives we lived or why we do the things we do. You could never understand how alone we were… How the only thing keeping us alive is a fragile, impossible dream…" La Brava said, fists tightening as she looked away.

"Are you sure that's all you have left? Aren't you forgetting something? Because even if I don't know your lives… I know Midoriya and I can relate."

"Will you stop talking like we're the same!? Gentle, my poor Gentle… When will you get that he has nothing left! And you're telling me you can still relate to that!? Don't make me laugh!" La Brava shouted, turning away from Mineta. The shorter boy clenched his teeth, finding it harder and harder to say what he needed to say. Still, he pressed on.

If he didn't, La Brava will be truly lost.

"Even if we're not the same, we can still understand those same painful feelings in our hearts. Loneliness, hopelessness, powerlessness… They're old friends of mine just as they're old friends of yours. That's why I know for sure–" Mineta replied. But before he could finish, La Brava grabbed him by his shirt collar and shoved him into the nearby tree. Rage burned behind those pink eyes of hers, more tears pouring forth as La Brava dug her knuckles into Mineta.

"You don't know! People like you will never know the pain we feel! You were never trapped in your head, unsure if you're strong enough to live past today! You were never forgotten by the world, driving you to become something you're not! You were never stuck doing petty crimes trying to salvage whatever worth you still have left! After this, Gentle will have nothing! I will have nothing! So what do you understand that I don't!? What can you possibly understand about the man, the partner, I love with all my heart!?"

But just like Mineta earlier, the woman was able to finally hear herself.

La Brava released Mineta, took a step back, and spoke with a hush revelation.

"Partner… I'm Gentle's… Partner…"

"That's right. Even if he doesn't have family, friends, or a place to belong… He still has you, just as you have him." Mineta replied.

La Brava stood there, her eyes reflecting all the memories she shares with Gentle. And Mineta simply stood there and began reflecting on his own memories as well. It was hard to imagine that he allowed that simple, but important, word to slip his mind. Partners… It was their connection to the dream they had, to become the next great Hero duo. It was that word that allowed a younger Mineta and Midoriya to fight back against the growing hopelessness.

A hopelessness that Damocles brought back out of them… And that, in turn, made them forget what it all meant.

"But… What do we do now? Gentle's dream… We're back to square one…" La Brava asked, her eyes growing dim again.

"And is that so bad? Achieving your dreams isn't easy. You'll stumble, fall, and maybe lapse back into your old self… But if keep standing up, partner by your side, you'll find your way forward one day. And I wouldn't say you're back at square one. I mean, didn't he inspired you? To live your life with courage? Then he's already living his dream, you're proof of that."

La Brava's eyes snapped back to the shorter boy, her stunned expression matching how flushed her cheeks were.

"I'm his dream?"

"For sure. And I'm guessing he's your dream too, given how much you love him." Mineta replied with a nod. La Brava was now in full giddy schoolgirl mode as her face became as red as her hair.

"Of course! Gentle's so kind and sweet and caring. He welcomed some weirdo who hacked his address and gave her tea and made her feel good about herself! He even colored around his eyes with permanent marker for my sake! Gentle is everything I could ever want! Can you say the same about your friend?" La Brava rambled before jabbing Mineta with a finger. The shorter boy swatted her hand away before puffing his chest out.

He wasn't going to lose when it came to bragging about his partner.

"Don't sell our friendship short; we're called the next great hero duo for a reason. As long as we're standing together, we can never lose."

"… You're not together right now though." La Brava replied.

"But we ARE together, in our hearts." Mineta said, placing his free hand onto his chest. This simply caused the woman to groan, no doubt suffering some kind of mental damage from that awful line.

"Ugh, how can you say that with a straight face?"

"What? You don't believe me? Then let's go check on our partners right now! Midoriya's probably won this by now." Mineta said as he began walking back to where Gentle and Midoriya was. Even though he showed his back to La Brava, the shorter boy was sure she wasn't going to pull anything. And proving that was the woman herself as she confidently walked past Mineta.

"Not possible, since my Gentle never loses."

But as the two of them went along, Mineta noticed how La Brava would get more and more hesitant to take the next step. At this point, the shorter boy had walked past her. And seeing her face had confirmed what Mineta had been suspecting. There was a shadow of doubt cast over La Brava and was on the brink of breaking down from trying to maintain her confidence. But all this proved was that she and Mineta were like one another, just like their partners were.

"You believe in him, right?" Mineta asked, turning to La Brava, who jumped at the question. But as she processed the words spoken to her, she regained some of her heart. The unease in the woman's walk faded and she moved forward with restored determination, passing Mineta again. So with only a nod from the shorter boy, the two continued on their way. It wasn't long before they both found their respective partners again. However, instead of fighting tooth and nail as they had left them…

Midoriya and Gentle were just sitting around and talking. They were still looking roughed up… But they were exchanging words instead of their fists.

"Gentle!" La Brava cried as she ran towards the dapper Villain. She tackled him, tightly hugging him as he hugged her back.

"La Brava! You're okay! That young man didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No… But he did help me remember something important…" La Brava replied, her tears soaking into Gentle's dirtied jacket.

"Then you're the same… I've almost lost something more important than some past dream of mine… I'm sorry, La Brava… You've always done so much for me and yet I've done nothing but–" Gentle said, holding her tighter. But before he could continue, La Brava reached up to his face and gently touched his bruised cheek.

"Please don't say that, you've given me everything I could ever want. You gave me the courage to live, a path to follow… The love I longed for. Tobita Danjuro, you gave me all those things and you keep on giving. So please, don't say that you haven't done anything… You've done more than anyone could ever know. That's why I want to stay by your side... That's why I still love you."

Tears fell from La Brava's eyes, but it wasn't those despair filled drops from earlier. It shined with the happiness exploding from her heart. And as Gentle continued to stare, tears started to well up in his blue eyes. His voice shook as his arms held the woman in his arms just a bit tighter.

"For so long, I believed I had nothing left to hold onto… Even my dreams were slipping through my fingers… But when you appeared outside my door, you've kept that last sliver of hope alive. You've taught me video-editing, kept me company through my unsuccessful career… Made me believe in myself again. Aiba Manami, you've brought more richness and warmth to my life than any tea ever could. So please… Will you continue being my partner?"

"Always, my Gentle…" She said, her smile growing wider and brighter.

"Oh La Brava!" Gentle cried, tears finally falling from his face before pulling La Brava into a loving embrace.

"Feels like we've been forgotten… But I suppose this is fine. How did you two stop fighting anyway?" Mineta said when he walked to where Midoriya sat.

"The same way I imagine you'd got her to stop and come back, I found the words that moved his heart. It was certainly more effective than trying to restrain him again… You have no idea how much I struggled without your help, he was matching me blow for blow at 20%! If it wasn't for the hairballs you've left, I would've been in a lot deeper trouble." Midoriya replied with a laugh.

"Would you say it would've been hairier?" Mineta asked with a smirk. The green haired boy couldn't help but groan to that awful joke. However, the smile on his face never went away.

"It would… But when I remembered the words you gave me 3 years ago at the park, I tried even harder to win. I had to prove your faith in me wasn't wrong, just as he had to prove her feelings weren't wrong. Eventually, we've stopped trading fists and began trading stories to argue who has the better partner. It felt kind of weird though… It's like I'm talking to another version of myself."

"I know, except his version of me is an attractive woman… So I feel like they got a point over us." Mineta replied with a grumble.

"This isn't a competition Mineta-kun… But there is something we got over them." Midoriya replied as he reached for something in a tall patch of grass. And after one smooth toss, the shorter boy caught something with a very familiar shape and feel.

"A new good luck charm?" Mineta asked as he stared at the baseball in his hand. Midoriya nodded but a shadow overtook his vibrant green eyes as he looked down at his scarred right hand.

"Yeah, thought it might help reconnect me to you. I wanted to remind myself of everything we've been through, good and bad, and never let go of it again… But I suppose a part of me didn't really give it my all, since Ashido-san saw how off our dancing was..."

"Yeah, we lost so much of ourselves to Damocles… Since his shadow, his sword, just kept hanging over us… I honestly thought it was over between us." Mineta replied, tightening his grip around the baseball. He could still feel the glare of those empty eyes in the back of his head. However, unlike before, the intensity felt inconsequential to the shorter boy.

Perhaps it's because he, they, remembered what actually mattered.

"Me too… Which is why I'm glad we met them when we did, reminded us of something really important." Midoriya said as he looked back at Gentle and La Brava, who were still embracing, with a smile. That's when the green haired boy stood up, dusting off whatever he could off his dirty clothes and hands. He then faced Mineta, one hand outstretched towards the shorter boy.

"Which is why I want us to start again with all the things we've learned. So… It's nice to meet you, I'm Midoriya Izuku. You can call me Izuku if you like."

Mineta looked at his partner, then at the hand being offered to him. It was the reverse of when they first met. But it was appropriate, since so much had changed since that first exchange. They still got their asses kicked and things still could be better about their situation… But they were still together.

They were still here.

So after putting the baseball away, the shorter boy shook Izuku's hand.

"Mineta Minoru, but call me Minoru. You ready to become the next greatest Hero duo, Izuku?"

"I am, Minoru-kun!"

It was a little strange, calling each other by their first names… But there was something about it that felt very empowering to Minoru. It felt like he and Izuku have fully come to understand one another. They were free, free from the inherent restrictions of a family name… They were one now, true partners.

"You thought of something strange, didn't you?" Izuku asked, noticing how his friend's face scrunched up awkwardly.

"You know me too well man…" Minoru replied with a sigh.

"What's going on here!?"

The new, snarling voice caused everyone to jump and quickly face the source in panic. Standing there was a large man who dressed, and behaved, like a beast, complete with a muzzle over his face. It was Hound Dog, UA's Guidance Counseler. And with him were 4 copies of Ectoplasm, all of whom were ready to fight.

"Hmm!? Who are you two!? And what have you done to our students!?" Hound Dog asked with a snarl as he began stomping towards Gentle and La Brava. But as the two clung to one another, fear dancing in La Brava's eyes, Minoru put himself between the Hero and the Villainous pair. As stupid as this will sound… But he's going to try to cover for them. Gentle and La Brava weren't bad people. They were just…

"A lost couple! They were trying to find a secret tea house and ended up getting lost." Minoru said quickly. That wasn't a total lie… That tea house Gentle and La Brava came out of was quite well hidden.

"Then what's with his injuries and yours? And this field! It's mess! This couple tried something and you've fought to stop them, didn't you!?" Hound Dog questioned, gesturing to the mess around them. Minoru had to fight the urge to flinch, but he couldn't stop himself from going silent. This was going to be a lot harder to hide.

"We were doing some training… And he got startled and fell over…" Izuku replied, stepping in as well. Though based on how the green haired boy was sweating, anyone could tell he was lying through his teeth. I mean, that much was obvious given all the evidence pointing to what really happened… But God damn it all if they don't try something to help those two.

It still wasn't too late to turn their lives around, to pull them from this crooked path.

"… I recognize him. He's that Villain who's quick to run and uploads his crimes." One of the Ectoplasm clones stated. This time, it was Izuku's turn to flinch as there wasn't much he could do about that. However, there was something that Minoru could do. Even if it was by far the biggest stretch of a lie in the history of lies…

"He's a cosplayer who likes to dress up like villains, no matter how obscure they are. It's tasteless, I know."

"Excuse me!? Tasteless!? I'll have you know this is the height of dastardly fashion!" Gentle interjected, before La Brava quickly silenced him with her hands. But finally having lost his patience, Hound Dog let out the loudest roar that Izuku and Minoru has ever heard from him. It honestly looked as though he was going to just barrel past the two and just maul Gentle and La Brava. What would Izuku and Minoru do then?

"Enough of these ridiculous lies! We know they're villains! Stop trying to cover for them with your half baked delusions!"

Something about the beastly Hero snapping at them caused something in Minoru to snap. Yes, they were trying to cover for villains. Yes, they were concocting lies that no one would believe… But he and Izuku, they witnessed something real within Gentle and La Brava. Something only they could ever hope to understand. So…

"Sensei, they're not villains, they're lost. And isn't it our job, as heroes, to help them find their way again?" Mineta said as his eyes focused into a glare. Hound Dog angrily raised a single finger, readying whatever counterargument he had on his tongue. However, a single long pause came out instead. It was clear that, no matter what words came to the beastly Hero's tongue, he physically couldn't voice his thoughts. It was a statement you literally couldn't argue against.

So, in defeat, Hound Dog clenched his fist and let out a frustrated snarl.

"It seems the Radiant Wing had a greater effect on you than we all realize." an Ectoplasm clone commented with an amused hum.

"Don't you dare encourage this kind of behavior! This sort of rebelliousness will only cause problems for them later on!" Hound Dog shouted, his words slowly becoming more incoherent.

"Then let's just agree to get them back on schedule. I'll bring the students back to campus; you and the other clones can 'escort' the gentleman and lady 'off premises'." An Ectoplasm clone said as he stood behind Izuku and Minoru. The shorter boy grit his teeth, it seemed they ultimately failed to convince their teachers. But looking at Gentle and La Brava, he could tell they appreciated his and Izuku's foolish gesture.

"Gentlemen, it was truly a pleasure. I… I hope your feelings continue to reach others, the same way it reached Manami-kun and I." Gentle said as he stood, Hound Dog moving in to keep him check.

"And thank you, for helping we remember what really mattered." Izuku said, bowing slightly to the dapper villain.

"Alright, alright, don't you get too sentimental about all this. And shouldn't you be hurrying? Your class's performance is at 10, right?" Hound Dog growled. Izuku and Minoru froze, realizing just how much time they've used trying to get a handle on Gentle and La Brava. The two then looked at their hands, realizing they've also dropped the items they've bought earlier. So with a quick explanation to the Ectoplasm clone, Minoru and Izuku made a mad dash to retrieve their belongings.

But not before the duo looked back at their counterparts, who were simply smiling back at them. So even though they couldn't prevent the fate that would befell them… Minoru was glad he and Izuku met Gentle and La Brava. And he hopes that they all meet again one day.

One day, where they can show that their hearts weren't misplaced.


And that has been Chapter 117!

When I first wondered on what would happen when Mineta and Midoriya met Gentle and La Brava, I came to the realization that the pairs are one in the same. Mineta and La Brava are partners who believed in grand dreams of the weak and unassuming Midoriya and Gentle. So combined with the prior events with Damocles wrecking their sense of self, it was only natural to have our heroes-in-training reflect on themselves by looking at another pair. The fight ended on a more peaceful note, but I think it was worth it.

I've got nothing else to talk about. So...

Until Next Time. T1.