I own nothing. Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.
This was it. Today was the big day… And Mineta was not feeling it.
As Class 1A waited around in their assigned preparation room, the shorter boy stood isolated from the others so that his anxiety wouldn't spread to the others. Not that his actions mattered, since everyone else had their own feelings to contend with. Midoriya especially since he only had two weeks to figure out the issues with his new One for All technique.
And that is not even going into the amount of pressure placed onto him and the rest of the class.
Two weeks ago…
"Uhhh… Excuse me?" Uraraka asked as she faced the massive crowd that stood outside the 1A classroom. Mineta could only stare, mouth hanging as he tried to figure out what any of this is. The shorter boy looked over to his partner and Midoriya promptly shrugged. Bakugou, on the other hand, strode forward towards the crowd as though they were nothing but tall weeds.
Though given that this was Bakugou, everyone was a weed compared to him.
"Quit your gapping Rat Bitch, what did you expect? We survived a Villain attack, so of course they wanted to scout us out before the Festival. Now beat it cannon fodder, you're in my way." He said as a growl accompanied his words. Several of the students flinched at the glare emanating from the human grenade, slowly retreating from the site. And it really served as a reminder as to why Mineta and Midoriya was scared of Bakugou to begin with. Iida, on the other hand, was more than willing to call out his classmate on his disrespect.
"Could you please not call these fellows 'cannon fodder' just because we don't know them?"
"Hmmm, not what I expected… Considered me disillusioned if this is what the Hero Course has to offer." A rather flat voice said, cutting through the chatter. Things quieted down as Mineta saw a mess of lavender hair making its way through the crowd. And stepping out in front was a tired looking teen, his attitude somewhat lax. However, Mineta could sense something slightly unsettling about this person and he wasn't sure what.
Maybe it was his voice? Regardless, the shorter boy could see the coming trouble if he allowed Bakugou to do the talking.
"Just saying, this short fused ass isn't representative of the rest of us." Mineta chimed in, doing his best to wedge himself into the tension. The guy's eyes looked over to him and Mineta flinched as he saw the disdain in his eyes. For whatever reason, this guy wasn't having any of it.
"Sure, but that's not going to change the fact that you're all on thin ice. Why? Just look around, there are quite a few of us who wanted to be here but was shunted off to the other courses. However, if we do well in Sports Festival, we might get transferred into the Hero Course. And from what I can gather… The reverse is also possible for you." The guy said, his eyes going between each of the 1A members that he could see. Mineta swallowed the lump in his throat as the possibility that he and/or Midoriya could get the boot.
"Scouting the competition? Of course I'd do that. For a General Studies kid like me, this is the perfect chance to knock you off your pedestal. Consider this a Declaration of War against each and every one of you." The guy continued, the air around him darkening as the words hit them. Mineta clenched his teeth as he stepped back, feeling more than overwhelmed by this challenger's spirit.
Bakugou, on the other hand, stood firm before taking one step forward to stare right back at this General Studies student.
"Yeah, sure. Now get the fuck out of my way and take your whining elsewhere."
The guy just gave a smirk before stepping aside, parting the crowd with rather mocking 'after you, sir' gesture. And as Mineta and the others watched, the atmosphere surrounding the school began to change. A storm was coming.
…
Mineta snapped back into the present upon hearing Iida's loud announcement that the event was starting soon. And with that, the shorter boy drew the character for man upon his palm and ate it. A wish for courage as this battle will test both him and the friends he's come to know.
"I just hope two weeks is enough for us…"
"Are you feeling alright Mineta-kun? Do you need anything to drink? Perhaps a light snack?" Iida asked, walking around with a box of small goods.
"I'm good Pres, just need to get the jitters out. I'll be fine once we hit the field where we'll be on national television and watched by hundreds of thousands of people…" Mineta said, trailing off as the thought finally registered in his head. The shorter boy proceeded to take the nearest chair and sat down. He then took the baseball sitting on the table, which he brought along as a stress toy, and began practicing on several grips to ease his nerves.
What was it about this event that had him more nervous than any other event in his life? Could it be that if Mineta slips up, which was entirely possible given that it was him, he would be embarrassing himself in front of everyone?
This isn't good… He's slipping away from the ideal again…
"Let's check on Midoriya. Perhaps he can give you some last minute advice from his rather detailed book of Hero notes." Iida suggested, causing Mineta to snap back to reality.
"Yeah… I think I could use that…" The shorter boy said with a nod, putting down the baseball. The two walked over to Midoriya, who was currently showing Uraraka some of the pages within his notebook. With varying expressions, it seemed like the two were in a really deep discussion regarding a Hero's Quirk. Though Mineta wasn't sure which one based on the words he managed to pick out.
At least one of them was having fun.
That was until one Todoroki Shouto approached Midoriya, his shadow looming over the green haired boy.
"T-Todoroki-kun? C-Can I help you?" Midoriya asked as sweat began forming on his brow. Mineta steeled himself as well, seeing that this maybe a job for two. He didn't know much about their dual colored classmate, being that he kept to himself all the time. But whatever idea he has about Midoriya, Mineta was ready to throw it right back into his face.
"… Objectively, I'm stronger than you, more capable. And though All Might has his eye on you, for whatever reason that maybe, I will defeat you."
The room went silent. And despite the abrupt nature of this declaration, Todoroki had an air of strength and pride around him. Mineta's face, as his thoughts began processing what was said, began to scrunch up. His shoulder began to shrug as he raised his hand towards his classmate. And finally, Mineta vocalized his feelings in the most eloquent way possible.
"EXCUSE ME!?"
"Todoroki-kun, why are you saying this? Did Deku-kun do something you didn't like? Where is this coming from?" Uraraka asked. The girl looked understandably upset, seeing her friend being confronted for no reason at all. But there was a degree of gentleness in her eyes, her mind open to whatever explanation he could offer.
Which he didn't.
"I don't have a particular reason for calling him out. It just felt like something I should do. Dislike me if you want, I don't care. I'm not pretending to be anyone's friend anyway." Todoroki said, his voice as chilling as his glare. Uraraka's brows furrowed as Mineta began to feel the fury well in his chest. What's this guy's problem?
But before Mineta, Uraraka, or anyone else spoke up against Todoroki… Midoriya stood up and turned to him. And while he still had that nervousness surrounding him, Midoriya's back was straight and his eyes looked only forward. His unyielding spirit was burning brightly.
"I don't know why you feel the need to call me out like this Todoroki-kun… And you are very strong, much stronger and more skilled than someone like me… I can admit to that much…"
"But even with that said… I won't step aside and let you through without a struggle. Everyone is going for the top with everything they have, including the other courses. So why should that make me any different? To show everyone who I am, I'll gladly accept your challenge." Midoriya said, the roar of his words betraying the gentle tone of his voice.
The tide of the atmosphere swung in Midoriya's favor and Mineta was floored. His partner is looking real cool right now. The shorter boy always knew this day would come where Midoriya would stand proud before everyone. So with the smuggest smirk he could muster, Mineta stared right at Todoroki for his response.
"And there you have it. What say you Todoroki?"
Their dual colored classmate was as stoic as ever, despite of having his challenge thrown back at him. "Alright, see you then." He said simply before wandering off to his own isolated space in the room. The high that Mineta felt returned to normal. In all honesty, what was he expecting? The only person the shorter boy knew that would get a rise out of that was Bakugou. And looking over to him, Mineta couldn't see what emotion he was feeling.
All he could see was the same old anger.
"Class 1A, we are ready to begin the Opening Ceremony." Someone said as a knock at the door drew in their attention. And immediately did their class president begin doing his work. This was mostly to dispel whatever tension was left hanging between each of the 1A members. While it mostly worked, Mineta could still see a three way conflict brewing between Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki. Still, this wasn't the time and place to settle it. So with the hope that things go half well for both himself and his partner…
Mineta followed his classmates onto the field of screaming spectators.
The shorter boy looked around, doing his best to not act like a deer in the headlights. And through the roaring cheers and Present Mic's boisterous introduction of the first years, Mineta realized the full scale of this event. He moved towards Midoriya before giving him a nudge.
"This is it man… How you feeling?"
"Absolutely terrified..." Midoriya said, his voice shaking as one fist was held against his chest.
"I mean, between this crowd and being challenged by Todoroki, I would be surprised if you weren't." Uraraka said as she began rubbed Midoriya's back. Naturally, that had the opposite effect as the green haired boy turned into a big blubbering tomato. Mineta could only chuckle at the sight before turning to Iida for his thoughts. And noticing this look, the class president complied.
"It is indeed quite the crowd. But to perform under such scrutiny would be something we'll need to face in our careers as Heroes. So it's best if we make use of this time to acclimate to such pressure."
"R-Right! No pressure! Zero pressure! I am at peace! Zen!" Midoriya squeaked, his back still being rubbed by Uraraka. Mineta sighed as he decided to step in. If things were to continue this way, his partner would pass out from sheer joy and anxiety. The shorter boy stepped forward and placed a hand on Midoriya's arm, putting the weight of his words into it.
And that caught his attention.
"Midoriya, remember what you came here to say?"
The green haired boy panic halted right then and there. His back and shoulders began to straighten and square away. And within his green eyes was the shine of unyielding courage Mineta knew him for. Midoriya took a deep breath as his next step forward was with spirit and purpose. Uraraka and Iida could only stare as the change in their friend's gears was nothing short of extraordinary.
"Yeah, that always gets me too." Mineta said, nodding in the direction of his partner.
The crowd of first years continued to coalesce at the center of the stadium where their event referee waited upon the small stage. And Mineta had to inwardly cheer as it was one of his favorite Heroines, the R-rated Hero Midnight. The provocative heroine cracked her whip, forcing all eyes to be on her. Say what you will about her, but she really knows how to command the crowd.
"Welcome one and all to the legendary UA Sports Festival! We have loads of things to witness today, so let's get straight to the Athlete's Oath!"
"Thinking about this… Was it really wise to let her be a High School teacher?" Tokoyami whispered to no one in particularly.
"Eh, it works out one way or another." Mineta answered back, enjoying another opportunity to examine Midnight up close again. Though that ended when Midnight cracked her whip again, shouting out the name of the student representative for the oath. And it was the last person anyone could've guessed.
"Bakugou Katsuki of 1A! Make your way to the stage!"
Mineta's brows went to space as his jaw sunk straight through the Earth. Out of all the students they could've chosen, they choose the one that would enrage the rest. The shorter boy had no doubt that Bakugou would whip everyone into a wild frenzy by calling them a stepping stone for him. And it would take all of zero seconds for him to drag the rest of 1A through the mud.
But that was only if Bakugou hadn't done that already two weeks ago.
The human grenade stood up on the stage, all eyes and ears on him. But instead of flashing his usual cocky grin, he had this mean scowl upon his face. "Athlete's Oath… Honestly, it makes jack all sense. There's only one law each and every one of you losers should know, there's only room for one winner. And if you think you can take it from me, I welcome you to try. But let me warn you, you'll be a stepping stone the moment you cross me."
There it is. The fuse has been lit. The first years of the other classes began yelling all sorts of counter taunts and other obscenities as Bakugou walked off the stage. But the air around him was noticeably different from what Mineta knew. This wasn't the completely overconfident bully. And looking to Midoriya, seeing his cautious expression towards Bakugou, made the shorter boy realize something.
Bakugou was using that to motivate himself. Those high stakes would force him to use everything in his power to live up to those standards.
"There are easier ways to do that…" Mineta commented.
"But that's Kacchan for you…" Midoriya replied with a nervous laugh.
"What a claim! Let's see if we can follow that exciting start with our first event!" Midnight shouted as a screen was projected behind her. Assortments of events were flickering through like a roulette wheel, moving too fast for anyone without the right Quirk to read. With a flick of her whip, the R-Rated Heroine continued her introduction
"This is the qualifiers! The stage where many go home crying each year! So get ready, our first event is… This!"
The roulette stopped and what was on screen was Obstacle Course Race.
Mineta let out a sigh of relief, seeing that this was the type of environment his Quirk shined brightest. But what about Midoriya? Did his partner figure out enough of his new ability to make it work?
"This will be a race between all 11 classes! The course itself is a four kilometer lap around the stadium itself!" Midnight said before pointing towards a gate that began opening. "And in accordance of the freedom our school preaches, you're allowed to anything so long as you don't leave the course! Racers to your positions!"
The crowd turned to ready themselves as Mineta took a look at the gate. And not even five seconds of examining it did he realize that it was a chokepoint. If he were to rush in, the shorter boy would no doubt be swallowed and crushed by the stampeded. And he refused to experience that again.
"At the back it is then…" He thought as he went backwards. He noticed a few of his classmates moving back as well. Midoriya was a given. But Uraraka, Iida, and even Bakugou was with them. This must mean that they saw the issue with the gate as well.
Beep.
Mineta's attention snapped back to the gate as the first light lit up. This was it, no more time to think. He needed to get his head in the game. The shorter boy knew first place was out of the question, but the top ten should be feasible if he put all his effort into this.
Beep.
He took a deep breath and stretched out his limbs. He readied his body for a sprint, mind focused on but one thing. This was it, the moment of reckoning.
START!
It didn't matter that the signal was just an automated voice; every student reacted the same way. They all ran towards the open gate. And, as Mineta expected, there was a huge bottle neck. Students, desperately trying to squeeze through, were pushing and shoving each other out of the way. And given how sardine in a tin can it was, no one could use their Quirk effectively to get out.
That was, unless you were creative.
Mineta threw a ball towards the ground and jumped onto it. The shorter boy proceeded to jump onto and launch himself onto the heads and shoulders of the students trying to squeeze through the gate. And due to the density of people, he could run along them like any old road. Even though he felt kind of bad about giving people neck problems.
"Sorry! Excuse me! Rat scurrying through!" Mineta shouted, his feet pushing against the heads and shoulders of others. Over head, Bakugou darted by, propelled by his explosive Quirk. Moments later, Uraraka came floating by at a good speed. But the last person who came by was the most interesting.
Jumping from wall to wall with ease, shrouded in green sparks and a soft light, was Midoriya. And just from the glimpse of his face, he could see how hard his partner was concentrating. It was inspirational how fast he was growing.
"Can't be falling behind now can I?"
Mineta pushed against the crowd and upon reaching the other end of the passage, where the crowd was thinning out, he threw out a ball and jumped to it. The shorter boy kept this process up until he saw the next obstacle ahead. A crowd of the robots from the entrance exam, with the values between the zero points to the three points.
"Oh you got to be kidding me…"
It was here that Mineta noticed something. Bakugou was strangely caught up by several two point and three point robots. Normally, the human grenade would be able to blast through them all easily. But this time, he was more focused on a precise application of his Quirk, shutting them down with a well timed burst. He must be trying to preserve his strength throughout the entire race.
But this moment gave the shorter boy an idea. An idea so stupid it might work.
He rushed forward towards Bakugou as the number of robots surrounding him went down. Mineta threw down a ball and leapt towards the human grenade. And he stuck himself to Bakugou the moment the last robot was destroyed.
"What the Fuck!? Get off!" Bakugou shouted upon noticing the extra weight. He began to violently shake around, attempting to reach for Mineta to pry him off. But with each shift of his body, Mineta moved away in equal measures, just staying out of his reach. And whenever he needed more options, he attached another ball to Bakugou to provide another gripping point.
"FUCK OFF COCKROACH!"
Bakugou aimed his palms behind his back and it sparked. Mineta, in response, quickly grabbed the balls that sat on Bakugou's shoulders and jumped. The shorter boy, still holding onto the balls, managed to do a hand stand and avoid the imminent blast that followed. Although it was too close for Mineta's comfort. He fell back onto Bakugou's back and the human grenade was just about done with this farce.
"Listen here you Rat Bitch, if you don't get off of me RIGHT NOW, I'll make sure the rest of your stay at UA will be an utter shit show."
"Maybe… But at least I get to say I 'caused Bakugou Katsuki to lose'. Seriously, while you're busy with me, Todoroki is getting further ahead and I just saw Midoriya run on by." Mineta countered with the air and confidence of a used car salesman. Of course, the shorter boy was really on the verge of soiling himself since he knew Bakugou would definitely make good on his threat. But in turn…
The rat knew exactly how to pull this grenade's pin.
Bakugou glared at Mineta from over his shoulder before turning his attention to the path before him. With a growl, he muttered something at the shorter boy. "Get in my way and you're off."
"Absolutely, I'm already in enough trouble as it is."
Bakugou didn't say anything in response as Mineta braced himself. And soon enough, the two blasted forward at a speed one wouldn't expect from a person with a man attached to him. But whether this was the winning formula or not had yet to be discovered.
Such was the way of war.
And that was Chapter 20. So, what do you think of this slightly longer chapter? I cut out the part with 1B because I felt that this wasn't the moment to introduce them into the story. This was meant to be Shinso's and Todoroki's moment. But worry not, for I will include Mineta's thoughts on the class when Monoma starts speaking out of turn.
"Wow, way to stomp the B team further down the mud."
Yeah, but they aren't as important now as they are later on. So that's that. But what do you think about the action thus far? Especially with Mineta latching himself to Bakugou?
"Eh, it was a bit contrived."
I know, but that was the only way as Bakugou would zoom way ahead of Mineta faster than I could say 'damn'. And what about Mineta's ability to climb Bakugou like a jungle gym?
"You mentioned it way early on ahead, so you'll be fine."
Maybe, maybe... Any how, that's all I have for you this update. Stay tuned to find out what happens when you deliberately throw a grenade at your own feet.
"Not to mention what happens when you use a refrigerator in the process."
So with all that said...
Until Next Time. T1.
