I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.
Mineta paced back and forth along the floor of his room. Classes had ended just an hour and a half ago, but what he learned then still bounced around in his head. From Stain's possible return to the secret of the Heaven and Earth Temple's arsenal, it was incredibly distracting. The tension was so great that Mineta couldn't meditate properly.
And that has led us here, to the shorter boy's current dilemma. Who should he call for advice over these matters?
He couldn't ask Midoriya or any of their friends, since they were preparing themselves for the Internships. Aizawa was busy getting the Internships ready for them. Mineta's father would beat around the bush with weird art metaphors. And Fenghuang…
The shorter boy didn't know why he couldn't talk to Shifu about this… She had been nothing but helpful to Mineta, changing how he fought and saw himself. But upon learning about the secret properties behind the Temple's arsenal, he couldn't help but ask several whys out of paranoia.
Why did Fenghuang and her Heroes need such weapons when they already possess incredible skills?
Why are they keeping this particular fact a secret from people?
Why did Fenghuang casually gift one of these weapons to Mineta?
Why was–?
The shorter boy let out a groan, forcibly emptying his mind of all the questions. If he kept bombarding himself with all these questions, he'll never be able to answer any of them. Mineta needed to slow down. Perhaps if he focused on things one at a time, he'd be able to at least solve something. So with a deep breath, he started to break things down calmly and logically.
First was why Fenghuang had these sorts of armaments to begin with. Considering the story of the Fog King, perhaps the Temple was armed with such weapons to deal with intangible threats? Mirio for example, he'd be unstoppable if he was a Villain. But with Mineta's baton, 1A would've stood a chance. In fact, if Midoriya had put more power into that first strike, the shorter boy would've been certain their smiling senior would've been on the ground.
And it's not just intangibility that would be affected. All defensive and utility Quirks would be weakened when struck by the Temple's weapons. Granted, the effect isn't all that powerful, a 10 percent decrease in a small area, it had an almost nonexistent effect on offensive Quirks, AND it required direct skin contact… But sometimes all that could be the difference between victory and defeat.
"Okay, that makes sense. Only about a third of the Heroes at the Temple have Quirks suited for direct combat. If they combine this Quirk weakening gear with martial arts, they could even the odds against any Villain…" Mineta muttered as he nodded to himself. That's one question down…
Now why did Fenghuang give him one of these weapons?
It started with the toilet he cleaned… Was that some sort of secret test on top of a secret training session? If so, what did it test? Mineta tried to put himself in his Shifu's shoes, even using Aizawa to help him assume the cryptic mentor role. However, nothing actually came out of that thought. He just arrived at dead end answers that were more weird than wise. So with that avenue closed, he focused on the last major question…
Why were Fenghuang and the Temple keeping these weapons secret? I mean, there were rumors sure, but no statement was released about the rumors. It was simply allowed to perpetuate until it became its own urban myth. The Heaven and Earth Temple and their mysterious arsenal… Could it be to prevent Villains from trying to steal their gear? Makes sense, given the answer to the first question.
There was, however, another possibility…
What if the Temple is keeping it a secret because they have something planned–
Mineta shook his head. He then took a moment to breathe in the silence around him, calming his thoughts. He then began thinking about the question again, though he couldn't shake off the sliver of doubt that was now in his heart. It was possible. Even Midoriya wasn't an entirely innocent person, his habit of breaking the law to do the right thing being the main culprit. The Temple could be doing the same thing.
But sometimes the road to Hell is paved with good intentions…
Mineta cut his thoughts right there, emptying his mind before taking a deep breath. This was going nowhere. No matter what, the last of the doubt was still wedged in him. And honestly, there wasn't much the shorter boy could do at this point by himself. With Midoriya currently unavailable… Mineta's eyes went to the one other thing that could resolve this...
His phone that sat on the desk.
Before, he didn't feel like calling Fenghuang. But now that Mineta was pushed to the limits of this crisis of faith, the shorter boy felt he had no choice. If he wanted answers, he should hear it straight from the source. Mineta has gotten pretty good a picking out a lie, especially from the people he knows. And Fenghuang did tell him to call if something was bothering him...
And given how this was eating away at his heart…
"Okay… Let's do this…" Mineta muttered as he picked up his phone. He opened up his contacts and scrolled down to the 'S' section and pressed the number for 'Shifu'. There were two numbers, one was for the Temple itself. The other number was Fenghaung's personal number. She said she it was so that her students, for whatever reasons, could call her if something was bothering them.
And since Mineta fitted that category, he hit call. He just hoped that Fenghuang wasn't busy…
One ring. Two–
"Good evening, Young Mineta. How have you been?"
For a moment, the shorter boy couldn't speak. The gentle tone of her voice, the same voice that helped shape him into the person he was now, was reverberating through his mind. The memories of the days he spent with her had regained their strength and came flooding back to Mineta. The warmth and pride Fenghaung had shown him… And Mineta, for a moment, doubted all of that…
"Yes… I'm sorry Shifu…" Mineta apologized, trying his best not to cry. How could he have ever doubted his teacher? Like Aizawa, Fenghaung has only ever looked out for him. She didn't deserve the suspicions he was unjustly giving her.
"… Mineta, what is troubling you? You're not so weak that just any issue brings you close to tears." She asked, her voice sounding like a soothing rain.
"I've learned what the baton you gave me actually does… And I was thinking you and the Temple might be up to no good… That you weren't the person I thought you were…" Mineta replied as he raised his baton so that he could see it.
"Young Mineta... I bless your kind soul, apologizing for having a reasonable fear. Heroes and Villains, regardless of ideals, would see the potential in Temple's arsenal. Extreme durability combined with a Quirk weakening effect? It's no question that they would want that power for themselves. And here we are, keeping that power secret and all to ourselves… It's suspicious, especially to those like yourself who never knew about any of this."
"But I shouldn't doubt you of all people! You've helped me learn more about myself, helped me discover my potential. And yet…" Mineta replied, his hand clenched tightly around his baton.
"No one is above doubt. We are Human, Young Mineta, and Humans are fearful creatures. We tend to fret over imagined truths and seek answers to nonexistent issues. Even now, I still have thoughts dwelling in my mind that I haven't worked out yet… My teachings… My Hero work… My ability as a confidant… I dwell on those things every day, hoping I'm half the person others think I am…" Fenghuang answered, her voice become much more somber. A contemplative silence filled the air between them. However, as the soft hum of static died down, Mineta heard his Shifu regain heart in her next response.
"But by facing each day with hope in my heart and the will to better myself, I can become the person others believe I am. Something I'm sure you've done even before you've met me. So even if you feel guilty now, you'll know better next time by remembering this moment."
The pain that had gripped Mineta's heart did feel a little better after that. However, even with that out of the way, the questions that had been plaguing him were still there. Even if Fenghuang is someone Mineta can trust… That still left the mystery of the Temple's equipment unanswered. What were they for? And why the secrecy?
"Of course Shifu… But if you don't mind, I have a few questions about all this that needs answering." Mineta asked after a deep breath. Here goes nothing…
"Then ask away. I will not hide anything from you regarding our strange armaments. As for why I didn't say anything about this before… It was simply because it didn't matter at the time. When I gave you the baton, my first goal was to get you to learn how to fight with it."
Well, that answered one question. And while Mineta should've been a little hurt, seeing how his Shifu had hid some pretty important information… The shorter boy saw her point. There was no way to bring up the Baton's special properties naturally in a conversation. Besides, Mineta was more concerned with the whole 'Stain hunt' at the time.
"That's understandable… Then could you tell me why guys have these in the first place?" Mineta asked.
"Do you remember what I said regarding the main mission of the Heaven and Earth Temple?" Fenghuang replied. The shorter boy raised an eyebrow to that. Was that related to why the Temple is armed with these special weapons?
"I do." Mineta answered, nodding to himself.
"Then the purpose of our tools and the reason behind its secrecy is tied to that… We aim to better a person's self so that they, in turn, could better the world. This is our sacred mission, one we defend everyday against the wayward souls that lurk in the dark. But as Villains become stronger and more sinister, it becomes harder to uphold the Temple's ideals. So we secretly armed ourselves with the tools of our trade and train to our limits with them in hopes of countering the spreading shadows."
As Mineta thought so earlier... Still, to be armed with such things in the first place… It was mildly disconcerting. But at the very least, these weapons were in good hands.
"There is also a sort of motivational aspect involving our secrecy on the matter. If the public were to see us take down powerful foes without knowing about our equipment, our martial abilities would be seen in greater light. And that provides the lesson that, even without a great Quirk, you can still be strong. It simply a matter of how much effort you put into your training and studies." Fenghuang continued, snapping Mineta out of his thoughts.
"I guess that makes sense, Aizawa is sort of the same when he fights… But I still have one last question… Out of everyone in that Temple, why did you give me the baton even though we just met?" Mineta asked. The shorter boy expected a silence to follow his question. After all, he couldn't come up with a good answer no matter how long he thought. But, once again, he underestimated the thoughtful wisdom of the Radiant Wing. Because even if Mineta didn't have an answer, she had one.
And by the sounds of it, Fenghaung always had the answer ready.
"I saw something within you, Young Mineta. Through the inexperience, self doubt, and personal vices… There was hope. A hope to become stronger, to stand taller, to become better… You, like my Masters and Heroes, were exemplifying the Temple's sacred mission. So, without hesitation, I granted you proof of that potential and accepted you as one of my own. Because, as far as I'm concerned, you are already a Hero."
Mineta froze. Then, within his mind, another memory began to surface. There, the shorter boy stood with Midoriya in the halls of UA after the USJ attack. And there, he recalled the words that his partner uttered… 'It's because you cheered me on that I had the courage to keep trying. You're a Hero and there's no one else I trust more with my back than you'. It didn't matter how weak or pathetic he was, Midoriya already saw Mineta as a Hero.
So for Fenghuang to feel the same, it made Mineta's heart ache. He knew they believed in him, more than most people would… But to hear them actually say it was something else entirely.
"Shifu… I never thought of it like that… Thank you for believing in someone like me… And again, I'm sorry I ever doubted you…" Mineta said, doing his best to hold in his tears.
"I should be thanking you for being so honest with me. I can't tell you how many of my students keep certain matters to themselves. I mean, it's okay to have personal secrets... But when those secrets start negatively impacting your life, it's time you talk to someone. Though I must ask, why didn't you talk with your partner about this?"
"We, uh, did… Midoriya put the worst of my paranoia down. But since he didn't know you all that well, he couldn't deal with the lingering questions. And the whole 'trust her, she might have a reason' thing could only do so much on my overactive imagination." Mineta answered. As much as the shorter boy admired and trusted his partner… Midoriya wasn't always going to give him the best answers. The green haired boy was more of a jack of all trades and what Mineta needed was a specialist.
"That makes sense, not everyone has the right answers for your questions. Though I do hope mine were satisfactory for you, Young Mineta." Fenghuang replied.
"It is Shifu, thank you."
"Then if that is all, I will leave you to it. I imagine you and your friends are incredibly busy given all that has happened. So, if you have any other questions, just give me a call. Until next time Young Mineta."
"See you Shifu."
And with that, the phone went silent. Mineta took a deep breath and let out the longest sigh of relief. So, Fenghuang was the person the shorter boy knew all along. But while there were still a few nagging questions, Mineta knew it didn't matter. He had faith in his teacher. And he knew she would correctly resolve whatever it was that required the Temple's unique arsenal.
"I don't know what's going on, but I'll believe in Shifu." Mineta said, setting down his phone and baton. Suddenly, the phone began buzzing, causing him to jump. But upon recovery, Mineta examined it and saw that dinner was ready through 1A's group chat. And so, with his head held a little higher, the shorter boy began heading for his room's door.
Only to realize something while he was opening it...
"I should've asked Shifu if she took Provisional Interns!"
And that has been Chapter 98.
This was a bit of a weird chapter. But if you were in Mineta's shoes, wouldn't you be suspicious over this weapon and it's strange properties? This is why Mineta spent this chapter wondering just what was the point of having such things and why there was such secrecy surrounding it. Still, I hope this wasn't too much of a slog to read. I promise the next chapter will be a bit more interesting to read.
In other news, I am starting to write fan fiction for Spy X Family. This is mostly get certain ideas out of my head and get some motivation to continue my other works. For those of you on , you might've noticed I posted a story called The Home I Wish I Had found it missing from my archive. This is because doesn't support a certain feature that gave the story extra depth. So if those that are curious, you can find the story up on . Just type in the username Ive_Ben_Writing or title The Home I Wish I Had and you'll see it.
But that is all. Next update, we'll be visiting Nighteye and see if he thinks our duo are more than worthy of his time.
So with all that said...
Until Next Time. T1.
