I own nothing. Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.


Going into this assignment, Mineta had plotted many plans.

Plan A, if Midoriya was his teammate, he would do his best to highlight his friend's strength and show off their synergy. And with that display of team work, it would cement them as the ultimate duo.

Failing that, there was always Plan B. Should he team up with a girl, he would help them achieve victory whilst making a good impression. He'd look like an alright guy and, boom, one step closer into their hearts.

And if that wasn't the case either, plan C. If he teamed up anyone else, he would at least bring them to victory as quickly and efficiently as possible. It wasn't ideal, but he's not going to laze around and do nothing because of it.

But, under no circumstance, has Mineta ever thought THIS was the road he would be on. He slowly glanced over to his team mate, who was constantly adjusting his grenade shaped bracers. Ever since the two arrived to where the 'bomb' was located, Bakugou hasn't said a word. But even Mineta could tell that his fuse was about to run out. And he has no idea what to do when it does.

"Maybe if I don't say anything, he won't notice me. And then, we tackle this assignment on our own…" Mineta thought as he turned away, sweat soaking his face.

"Imp shit, tell me what the hell's going on with Deku."

Mineta froze as a shadow loomed over him. He turned to his team mate and found him practically in his face. It took all of the shorter boy's will to not flinch. Not that that would matter to Bakugou. Mineta took a step or two back before finally gaining the courage to speak. Though, in all honesty, he had no clue what Bakugou was referring to.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't bullshit around the bush, you know what." Bakugou replied, a snarl escaping his throat. Mineta took several more steps back, his face turning pale. But even as fear flowed through his veins, he still had no idea what Bakugou was referring to.

And as a result, this caused Bakugou to let a frustrated groan before finally clarifying the question.

"His fucking Quirk you dumbass! You and I both know he's a Quirkless shit who isn't worth a damn. So what the fuck happened yesterday?"

Oh, that… Well this is a bit of a problem. Because Bakugou knows Midoriya was Quirkless and Mineta had time to witness this, it's going to be harder to convince him. Still, the shorter boy was still going to try and hide the secret of his friend's Quirk. Even if he had no clear idea what that secret may be.

"Look man, I'm just as surprised as you. When Midoriya threw that ball like a monster yesterday, I wanted to know what's up. And he told me he suddenly manifested a Quirk! Like, right before the entrance exam." Mineta said. He had to try his hardest to not show any signs of hesitation since Bakugou can easily pick through that nonsense. Despite that, he could see that his team mate was narrowing his eyes.

"Bull. Shit. We both know that Quirks only manifest by the age of 4, no later." Bakugou replied.

Okay, next excuse. And even Bakugou had to admit that Humanity's current biology was strange. "Quirks are weird. Even after all this time, we still don't know a lot about how they work. I mean, you sweat nitro glycerin from your hands and I have balls for hair. So for all we know, Midoriya has this super rare mutation that made him wait for his Quirk."

"Sure, it's weird… But how does a Quirk that just manifested, have the power… OF A FUCKING TANK! Admit it, Deku hid his Quirk and acted like he's helpless little shit to laugh at us. He wasted my time and your pity just to show us up now." Bakugou replied.

"Oh for the love of…" Mineta groaned, having enough of his team mate's nonsense. "Why does this any of that matter? Quirk or no Quirk, Midoriya will always be the same Midoriya we know. So why don't you shut up, help me help you win this fight, and get this over with!"

Bakugou's face noticeably softened, as though he never expected the shorter boy to be so fierce. But that can't be the case as Mineta showed this courage before. And soon enough, he received an answer when the explosive boy flashed a toothy grin. The image of a demon manifesting around him…

"Yeah… You're right… It doesn't matter if he has a Quirk now; Deku's still the same, useless little shit I know."

Mineta felt his already cold sweat ice over. Whatever he just said, it rekindled that hatred within Bakugou. And as he paced around, grin still present, Mineta could only hope that Midoriya and Uraraka had a good plan. Because he just made things a whole lot worse for them.

"Alright teams, you may start!" All Might shouted through the communicators in their ears. Before Bakugou could rush out of the room, Mineta grabbed his hand to try and change the situation.

"Maybe I should head out, I'm better at scouting–."

In an instant, Bakugou threw Mineta aside as though he was flicking off a mosquito. And looking at him, the shorter boy could see the menace burning in his eyes."Fuck off, imp shit. If anyone's going out there, it's me. Stay here or I'll turn you into wine."

And with that, he left him to his own devices. For a while, Mineta just sat there with only silence to accompany him. He only thought to stand up when he began to hear All Might's voice ringing in his ear. "Young Mineta, are you okay? The match has started."

Mineta snapped back to his senses and found his fett under him again. But he still couldn't shake that ominous feeling that Bakugou left him. He proceeded to touch his communicator and sought some kind of guidance from the Symbol of Peace.

"Sorry All Might, but I'm worried that Bakugou might do something stupid. You… You would stop the fight if things get out of hand, right?"

"Ah, that's the problem. It's quite the concern, but I wouldn't be too worried about it. Everyone here must have put much effort to reach this point. So they should have the strength and resolve to break out of any pinch." All Might explained. But before Mineta could reply back, the Number One Hero began whispering to him.

"And you know just how much effort Young Midoriya has put in."

Memories of those months spent training alongside him resurfaced. Those days where Midoriya collapsed from exhaustion, vomit out his breakfast, and pass out in the middle of class were stressful. But as Mineta witnessed those events slowly become rarer and rarer, he realized just how that hard work was paying off. And because of that effort, he was here attending UA with him.

Yet here Mineta was, doubting all of that.

He slowly clenched his fist before he beat it against his own chest.

"Young Mineta!?" All Might asked, clearly confused over this action.

"I'm fine… But thank you All Might, I almost forgot something important…" Mineta replied as the pain slowly subsided. He needed to keep those memories close to his chest. He needed to remember that they were no longer the weaklings that got pushed around. That they, that Midoriya, earned the right to stand here like their more capable classmates.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it. Good luck." All Might said before the communicator went silent.

So with a deep breath, Mineta began running around to begin his preparations. He began scattering, seemingly at random, his sticky hair balls all over the place, several were even on the ceiling. He did, however, leave one spot completely empty, the area around the door. The short boy stopped as he felt blood bleed from his head. Taking out a handkerchief and wiping away the excess, Mineta examined his handiwork.

Normally, this wouldn't even look like a strategy. But, to a really observant or savvy person, this was a rather dangerous trap. Like cheese puffs to an animated toy, these balls are just far enough apart to walk carefully around. But one careless misstep and you're going to have more than ruined soles.

Mineta took another deep breath before he heard the door open slowly, breaking the silence. On instinct, he quickly leapt onto the nearest set of balls and sprang up towards the ceiling. And as he reached the ceiling, he quickly grabbed onto and dug his feet into the four balls closest to him. His cape then retracted like a curtain, tightly bundling itself so that couldn't sway at all.

He was now one with the ceiling.

"This still hasn't gotten any easier… But at least my cape's anti-dangle bits are working." Mineta mumbled to himself. It was certainly a strain on every muscle in his body. But he at least had the element of surprise.

He looked down from his position and saw Uraraka. And based on how she was looking around the entire room, she was looking for the best path forward. This delay was his chance to strike. Mineta, with whatever strength he could afford, began to slowly crawl towards Uraraka's location. And as he got closer, he heard Uraraka talking to herself.

"I don't have time for this. I'll just…" Uraraka said as began pressing her fingers around her body. Mineta quickly began adjusting his position as the girl began to float. With one last glance, seeing Uraraka kicking herself off the door, he let go of the ceiling and let gravity do its work.

Mineta fell. And as Uraraka floated through the air, the short boy landed right on top of her with a thud. But that was enough to send them both into the ground, where dozens of sticky balls waited for them. Luckily for Mineta, he harmlessly bounced off them. Although he did crash into that one spot that wasn't covered enough.

Unfortunately for Uraraka…

"Gross! What is this stuff? It's so sticky."

Mineta looked up from his half dazed state and saw a struggling Uraraka. He pumped his fist before taking out the capture tape he was given. He actually got someone with his Quirk! So, triumphantly marching, he greeted his captured foe.

"Hey Uraraka, having fun there? Cause I know I am."

Though as that thought ended, he began to kicking himself. Out of all the things he could say, he chose the most dubious option. Perhaps, as the focus that Aizawa's training granted him faded, his more perverse nature began creeping forward. A cute girl was stuck to the ground after all, how could Mineta avert his eyes to such a sight?

Mineta forced himself to look away to purge his thoughts. He had to keep it together or face the dire consequences waiting ahead. We're talking about retaliation from victim and friends, expelled from UA, convicted of sexual assault, and ostracized by all of society. But worst of all…

Facing Midoriya's disappointment.

That concept nearly brought Mineta to his knees. It was enough to shock him back into focusing on the task. He approached Uraraka and tied his capture tape around one of her arms. The girl was giving him a weird look and a part of Mineta began sweating. Was he thinking out loud during all of that?

"Umm… What's up?" He asked, praying that nothing was wrong.

"I could ask you that, you weren't talking back when I answered. What's wrong?"

Before Mineta could even hesitate to answer, a rather loud explosion echoed through the building. All the hairs on the back of Mineta's neck stood up as he began to clench his teeth. Midoriya was still fighting out there and is probably losing with his underdeveloped Quirk. But this is where the problem lies…

If Mineta doesn't help Midoriya, he'll end up all burnt and bloodied.

But if he does, then it'll just show how little faith he has in his partner.

"Go."

Mineta turned to Uraraka and saw the calm stare she was giving him. And despite the position she was in, the girl had a whole lot more dignity and grace than him right now. However, beyond that, Mineta had no idea why she wanted him to go. It's not fair to say this since they only just met yesterday… But does she not understand the kind of dilemma he was in?

"Don't give me that look, I could tell you're worried about Deku-kun too. He's alone down there fighting against someone who I could tell is much stronger. And since I'm stuck like this, you're the only one who can help him."

"But how? I don't think you know this, but I can't exactly help the other team." Mineta replied. Well at least that was enough of an answer since it left his true issue vague. But he's still stuck at square one. Uraraka, on the other hand, gave him a flat stare, as though she was burying her head into her hands.

"Who said anything about helping the team? Do you even remember what you need to do to win?"

For a moment, Mineta's mind blanked. He could feel the blood flowing more in his brain just to find the answer. But the moment the memory reappeared, the boy slapped himself. The solution was stupidly obvious. In a mix of worrying over and preparing for the fight, he forgot how to win it. It was a team fight that ends when one team could no longer fight or the time runs out. And since there's only one person on the other team left…

"Uraraka, where's your–?" Mineta asked as he quickly turned to the girl.

"My belt, left side." Uraraka replied. The boy quickly looked at her belt and noted the closed compartments on the side of it. He crouched down and began fiddling around with it until it opened. Mineta then proceeded to remove the capture tape from within. He quickly closed the compartment and ran to the door, expertly stepping around his sticky balls.

"Hang tight, it'll be over quick." Mineta said, before rushing out. Not that Uraraka could go anywhere before the match could end, but it's nice to say something.

Mineta kept running and running, following the sounds of explosions through the building. When he came across several blast marks and craters, the boy knew where the battle was. But he couldn't just show up right behind them. Mineta needed to intercept them somewhere down the road somehow.

"Come on Shitty Deku! Use that fucking Quirk of yours!"

The shorter boy quickly hid against the nearest wall and peered around it. There they were. Bakugou was laying waste to everything while Midoriya did his best to survive. Mineta felt sick as he noticed how much damage his friend took. Burns covered his arms, blood spilled from his nose, and the jumpsuit Ms. Midoriya got for him was practically shredded.

It was like their first meeting all over again… Only this time, Bakugou's serious about sending Midoriya home in casts.

But unlike then, Mineta had the power to move. And this time, he could finally do something for his savior. He stepped out as Midoriya and Bakugou continued to fight, too focused on each other to notice him. He then removed one of his baseballs from his bandolier. Mineta entered his pitcher's stance and focused his attention on the fight before him.

Bakugou and Midoriya began to slow down. And while it wasn't that much slower, Mineta could start to predict the two's movements. Here, he chose his moment. His leg was raised as every muscle began readying themselves. He stepped forward, his body twisting, and his arm whipped around.

As a result of all that, the great weight that rested upon his fingertips simply vanished.

It sailed straight and true… Right into Bakugou's hand that was about to explode against Midoriya. The force of the pitch caused the rather powerful blast to miss, leaving the two stunned. And taking advantage of this, Mineta threw one of his sticky balls to the ground and jumped on it after a running start. He launched forward and practically tackled Midoriya.

Once the two were on the ground, Mineta scrambled to his friend's arm and tied the capture tape around it. And had it not been for Aizawa's training, and his own skittish nature, he would've been too slow.

"That's the match! Villain team wins! Now return to the command room for a review."

All Might's bombastic voice roared through the building, signaling the end. Mineta let out a long sigh, it was over. Although saying it was over could be stretching it. The short boy felt himself get lifted off the ground as knuckles dug into his chest. Here, he found himself with the avatar of rage and pride himself.

"Oh… Hey Bakugou…" Mineta said, his bladder starting to fail him.

"Don't you give me that bullshit, imp fuck. Why the hell are you here? And why the hell did you end the fight?"

Surprisingly, for someone who's basically a human bomb, Bakugou's voice was calm. But the absolute fury etched onto his face betrayed that serenity. Mineta was terrified, completely so. However, he has to stand by his choices and face the consequences. So with a hard gulp, Mineta mustered his courage and challenged him head on.

"Isn't it obvious? I was just being a smart Villain. Why wouldn't we gang up on ONE person? And besides, I think Midoriya's had enough for one day, he looks like shit."

"I didn't need your help… And Deku isn't that fucked up, he could go another round. He owes me at least that much for fucking pulling his punches." Bakugou replied. He proceeded to toss Mineta aside and walked towards Midoriya, who was now up and about.

"Kacchan, I–" Midoriya began.

"Shut up, piss stain! This fight isn't over! One day, I'm going to make you use that damn Quirk and I'll crush you like always. So don't get full of yourself and think you got one over me. You didn't win, I didn't lose. Got it!?"

With that, Bakugou stormed off without another word. Mineta stared at the explosive boy, one brow raised much higher than the other. So much of what that guy said went right over him. Thus leaving the short boy with only one adequate word to utter. "What!?"

"It's complicated Mineta-kun… But thanks for the save; I actually wasn't sure what to do once Uraraka-san got caught." Midoriya replied as he limped next to his friend.

"I'm surprised you sent Uraraka in without any advice. Like, I thought you would give her all the details on me." Mineta said. Of course, maybe he did. But maybe the girl forgot when Bakugou started attacking them. Or maybe Mineta was just that unpredictable.

"Well, I told her what your Quirk did and how you would use it. But it's not like I can predict what angle you'll be coming from. Up would be a good start, but I know you're smarter than that. You're small and tricky, like a… Rat?" Midoriya replied, clearly confused at his own conclusion.

Mineta opened his mouth to protest. But as he thought about it, it made sense. He was small enough to go beneath notice. He was also crafty in the same way a rat had to sneak around for food. And he supposed that most people find him repulsive like one. So…

"Yeah… I guess that's what I am…"


And that was chapter 12! Mineta has emerged victorious from this first battle.

"But at what cost?"

I know... I don't feel good about doing in my sweet baby beans. But it was practically unavoidable given the path I decided to go down. At the very least, I'm still setting up for Bakugou's development, seeing that it was something too important to give up. However, I'm not too sure how well I did writing this chapter, so feedback is appreciated.

"Only you could prevent bad fan fiction."

Amen to that. Any how, are you folks having a good New Year so far? Mine's going alright, except for the fact that I failed to have a chapter ready for one of my other stories.

"This lazy butt was too busy getting mauled by zombies to do any writing. Or any of the other shit he was meant to do."

Guilty as charged. But now, I'm getting my focus back. It won't be enough to go back to my bi-weekly schedule, but I'm motivated to tackle my plate of responsibilities. So wish me luck.

"Good luck, you're going to need it."

Thanks for the vote of confidence. But that is all I have for you this update. Next time, we'll bear witness to the many shenanigans of our crew during halftime.

"Warning, your enjoyment will have varying mileages."

So with that said...

Until Next Time. T1.