I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.


The three froze as the sound continued to fill their ears. They slowly turned around, eyes widening as a sweat began pooling on their chilled skin. The imposing figure that was Muscular still stood strong, his lips pulled into an evil grin. His one eye was completely focused on Midoriya, like a predator finally finding prey to hunt.

"You were annoying as Hell, jumping around like a flea… But that last hit changed everything! What a rush! You even knocked me out!" Muscular shouted, taking a step forward. Mineta quickly moved Kouta behind him, taking the one of the last two rocks in his pockets. What that will do now, the shorter boy couldn't say… But he had to stay strong and try everything.

Especially considering Midoriya was down an arm.

"What do you want!? Why is the League of Villains here!?" Midoriya asked, readying the baton in his left hand. There was a hint of fear in his partner's voice, which almost sent Mineta into the downward spiral called despair. If even Midoriya was afraid, what hope did he have against this monster?

"Something about that kid Bakugou. Don't know, don't care. All I want is to rampage without holding back! And you're the perfect person for that, Midoriya!" Muscular said with a manic laugh. Mineta ignored the fact that the Villain was inserting another glass eye into his face and reflected on what he said. What do the Villains want with Bakugou?

That would just lead to an early but explosive end to the League. Granted, this wasn't the best time to dwell on that…

"Here I come! Don't you dare disappoint me, got it!?" Muscular shouted as his entire body became wrapped in a wall of muscle. Mineta didn't even blink before the Villain was already before Midoriya. The green haired boy raised his guard as the sparks of One for All brightened. Not that did anything, as he was launched through the closest tree. And as if that wasn't enough, Mineta noticed how his partner's left arm caved in.

The baton, though still whole, fell uselessly to the ground.

Muscular then leapt after his mark, completely ignoring the paralyzed Mineta and Kouta. And neither of two even attempted to move, breathe, or even have a heartbeat. Only when Midoriya's screams ripped through Mineta's ears that he regained his bearings. He didn't know what he could even do now that the Villain was on a rampage, but he had to do something.

This wasn't going to be like the USJ attack

The shorter boy took off running, following the trail of destruction Muscular left in his wake. Mineta honestly couldn't even begin formulating a plan. He just kept his feet moving as the worry of many questions tightened around his neck. If both of Midoriya's arms were busted, how were they going to win? If this was Muscular at full power, how were they going to win? If the other Villains were just as strong, how were they going to win?

How were they going to win?

How were they going to win?

HOW WERE THEY GOING TO WIN?

"We… We can't win…" Mineta's desperate mind finally concluded. The shorter boy bit his tongue, the pain and taste of blood breaking the chains that threatened to root him in place. This wasn't going to be the time; this wasn't going to be the place for Mineta to break. Not until he pulls through this one last hurdle…

"Come on! Quit running! Where's that spirit from before!?"

The shorter boy sharply turned towards the shout. His mind regained some clarity as he began piecing together half a plan. This was it, no time for any more doubts. He turned again when he heard Midoriya's cry of pain close by. With a deep breath, he stepped onto the battlefield that was growing too big for him.

On one side of this destroyed patch of woods, Muscular towered over everything like the behemoth he was. The same sadistic grin still etched onto his face. On the other was Midoriya, whose body was at its limit. His arms, especially the right one, had darkened considerably and were steadily leaking blood. His body, now devoid of a shirt, was covered in scrapes and cuts. His legs trembled and threatened to collapse at any moment. Worse still was his back, the reliable back that Mineta admired so much…

It was crumbling.

The shorter boy didn't know when he began moving. He tossed the stone in his left hand upwards before slinging two hairballs, one in front of him and one on the ground behind Muscular. And upon catching the rock, he pitched it with a focus he never knew he could achieve. But as soon as the object left his fingertips, he jumped onto the hairball and launched himself to the other.

"GAAHH! The Hell!?" Muscular shouted, clutching at the left side of his face. Mineta shot off the hairball, aimed directly at the back of the Villain's head. When Muscular's hand moved away from his left eye, Mineta clung on and dug his left fingers into the exposed socket. And, with the torch that had been practically glued to his right, Mineta jammed it into the other.

Forget playing nice, this was life or death!

"AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Muscular howled, his body flailing about to throw off the intruder. But like the pest he was, Mineta held on and continued his pragmatic ploy. It was here that Muscular's right hand grabbed Mineta's right arm and threw him off, almost tearing the limb from the shorter boy's body. Not that it mattered since he was heading straight for a tree…

Mineta contacted with a warm body before the rough bark. Midoriya had used his body to catch his friend, perhaps even planned to take the brunt of the damage for him. The two still blew through the tree before being stopped by the next one, sending an agonizing pain through both their bodies. Midoriya and Mineta fell to the ground, neither of them stirring…

The pain in Mineta's arm and body slowly began dulling as darkness slowly ate away his sight.

"Wake up!" A voice fearfully cried out. A wave of cool water then splashed over Mineta, allowing him to snap awake. And judging from the twitch beneath him, Midoriya had woken up too. Both boys scrambled to their feet and faced Muscular, who was furiously clutching at his right eye. Mineta then turned to Kouta, who was tightly holding onto his baton.

"Thank you Kouta-kun, you saved us… But it's not over yet…" Midoriya said weakly, still focusing on Muscular. While he no longer had any muscles around his body, the pressure he exuded was absolutely crushing.

"Fuck… You got my good eye… Now I won't be able to see anymore bloody faces! You'll pay for that!" Muscular shouted as he turned in the wrong direction. The three boys froze and didn't dare let out a single noise. Muscular tilted his head, brows furrowed, before slowly scanning his surroundings like a sentry. He then began taking slow, cautious steps towards the trio, causing their hearts to seize up.

"I heard them over here a few seconds ago, so they couldn't have gone too far. Damn, just when I've gotten my adrenaline pumping… What a pain in the ass." Muscular grumbled loudly as he continued approaching. Kouta almost let out a whimper, but Midoriya covered his mouth with one of his battered hands. As for Mineta, he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the last of his rocks. Maybe 1A's right, Mineta was lucky…

As his left arm was still in throwing condition.

Mineta went through his pitching forms again, the chaos of the surrounding forest drowning out the grinding of his shoes. He slung the rock as fast and as far as he could away from them. The Villain was almost on top of them when the little stone hit a tree. A loud thud filled the air, stopping Muscular right in his tracks. Immediately, muscle fibers wrapped his body and he pounced towards the sound.

"There you are!"

It was only when his fist hit the trunk did Midoriya, Mineta, and Kouta ran like Hell. The rustling of the leaves as the tree fell to the ground would cover their escape. And by the time it settled, Mineta was certain they'd be out of his hearing range. Certain they won't be followed back to the lodge. Certain that they would finally be safe…

"AH!"

Mineta and Midoriya ground to a halt and looked behind them, Kouta had tripped. And looking back up, they saw Muscular was facing them, his grin becoming more gleefully unhinged. The Villain pounced again, the muscles on his right arm coiling to become larger. Placing a hairball, Mineta sprung forward and took Kouta, using his back to shield him from the attack. He knew his puny body would do nothing to stop Muscular, but it was the thought that counts.

Or at least, that's what he told himself.

But their death didn't come. The shorter boy opened his eyes and tuned his ears again, having shut them down in the face of annihilation. He heard strained grunts and saw a reliable back holding up the sky. Mineta's heart ached as tears poured from his eyes again. No matter how bloodied and beaten he was, Midoriya refused to give in.

That was the sort of Hero he was.

"I got you, Mineta-kun… So take Kouta-kun and run…" Midoriya said through gritted teeth.

"W-What about you?" Mineta asked hesitantly as he slowly got up with Kouta. He already knew the answer to that, but he didn't want to accept it. If he did, then that reality would come to pass. That his partner would certainly…

"I'll be fine… I'll keep him right here… So go… And please... Don't look back…" Midoriya answered, clearly choking on his tears. Any response the shorter boy had just died in his throat. And deep down, he knew that this was it. End of the line. So, upon taking one of Kouta's arms in his left hand, Mineta began running away… Turning his back on the first person who truly believed in him.

"I just realized! Being blind means I could really feel the blood between my fingers! So show me what yours is like!" Muscular shouted. The shorter boy could hear the earth crack and break, meaning the Villain was now crushing Midoriya even more.

"Will you just shut up!? If you want my blood so bad! Then try and take it!" Midoriya answered with a fury. That air began swirling more violently, as though One for All reacted to his resolve and continued to support him till the end.

"No! Stop! We can't just run!" Kouta screamed, digging his heels into the ground. Despite this resistance, Mineta was still determined to get them as far away from here as possible. Determined to wake up from this nightmare. Determined to not be here when Midoriya was finally killed. He couldn't bear to see that… He just couldn't…

"Aren't you his partner!? The Hero who has his back!?" Kouta screamed, still clawing at Mineta's vise grip. Now that stopped him. Mineta stood there amidst ruined trees, Muscular and Midoriya's war cry echoing all around him. He slowly turned to Kouta, the boy eyes were equally full of terror and tears. But in his hand, the same one Mineta had grabbed, was his baton. The shorter boy released his hold on Kouta and gently took the weapon from Kouta.

Fenghuang had given him this to help him grow. She believed he could overcome his fear of failing others, believed he could become steel… Believed he could become better. And yet here Kouta was, exemplifying her teachings better than Mineta could.

"Even if… Even if Mom and Dad died… They were still together… And I just know they wouldn't have been the same if only one of them got away…" Kouta continued, his voice shaking just like his body. Despite this, the young boy still managed to fish something out of his pocket. It was Midoriya and Mineta's baseball… Since when? Mineta didn't know, but the message was clear.

"You can't play catch by yourself…" Kouta said, holding it out to Mineta. He collapsed the baton, a somewhat difficult task due to the bend in it, before accepting the ball. Mineta held it to his chest, his fingers naturally finding its place across the seam. He began remembering how this baseball, and every other like it, was there for him and his partner.

From the first rally at the park of their origin…

To the one they performed yesterday amidst 1A and 1B…

This was their bond; living proof that Midoriya and Mineta were but two halves of one whole.

Cape and Cowl.

Cloak and Dagger.

Yang and Yin.

Saint and Sinner.

"Let's go." Mineta said solemnly as he turned back. Really, they weren't that far from Muscular and Midoriya. But this distance of several meters felt like a mile to him as he ran back. Though the sight of his partner finally being crushed destroyed Mineta's spirit… It didn't stop him from giving one last defiant shout with the last of his zeal, fury, and courage.

"MIDORIYA!" Mineta screamed, the baseball leaving the tips of his fingers.

"Let him go!" Kouta shouted, firing a weak blast of water at the same time.

While Kouta's water didn't do much, the baseball sailed forward with determination. Even if there wasn't much of a path forward, Mineta still gambled on it. The ball cut through the air, threaded through the narrow gap between all the muscles, and struck Muscular right between the eyes.

Considering this was Muscular, the projectile didn't really do that much damage. But it did catch his attention...

"What's with you and the eyes!? If you want to be killed so badly then just wait your turn–!?" Muscular began before the air began swirling again. The muscles on Muscular's fist began snapping from beneath as something began to lift it. Dust danced all around as a luminous body began to rise from the earth, his vibrant green eyes releasing a steady stream of sparks.

"Don't you dare TOUCH THEM!" Midoriya screamed, now back onto his feet and matching Muscular's strength 1 to 1.

"What the–!? Your power!?" Muscular said, looking nervous for the first time since the fight began.

"One for All, Plus Ultra!"

"Delaware!" Midoriya simply opened his right hand and blew apart all the muscle surrounding his fist, staggering Muscular.

"Detroit!" Midoriya then pulled back his right arm, strange black tendrils wrapping the entirety of it.

"SMASH!"

He was like a bullet that launched right into Muscular, his punch piercing through every last ounce of defense he had. And when Midoriya's fist stopped, the Villain was gone. The only evidence of his presence was the trail of overturn trees and loud rumbling in the distance. Mineta stared as Midoriya's arms flopped back to his side, still very bloody, broken, and free of weird tendrils. But soon enough, the shorter boy's eyes fell naturally to the one place it always had…

The back that shook and shivered…

But ultimately stood straight.


And that has been Chapter 73!

Not much to say this week, so I'll just give you the details for the next update.

Next time, we'll see Mineta and Midoriya help try and gain some control over the chaos. It may or may not go as planned...

But with all that said...

Until Next Time. T1.