I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.


Not much happened after that. Inko went back home after visiting hours ended and Mineta got his mind checked and his arm fixed. While the psyche evaluation wasn't particularly interesting, Mineta couldn't say the same about his arm's recovery.

Apparently, if the Quirk used only targeted his arm's bone and muscle, it'd ignore his nervous system entirely. Mineta couldn't even begin to comprehend how that worked. First off, how did the Doctor discover that specific aspect of his Quirk? And two, how does it even work? How does it avoid healing something that's intimately intertwined with the rest of the body?

The more he thought about it, the more it made his head spin. And Mineta was certain Midoriya would be having a field day trying to dissect the nuances of it. But if there was one thing the two would agree on, it would be that Quirks were weird.

"Why're Quirks so weird?" Mineta asked to nobody in particular. The question hung in his mind since yesterday. And naturally, it was starting to give him a headache.

"Cause Human's are weird?" Kaminari answered.

"Makes sense… Wait, that was way too smart of an answer. Who are you and what happened to the real Kaminari?" Mina replied, jabbing the electric blonde as a light laugh filled the air. But despite this brief period of levity, the atmosphere that surrounded 1A was still incredibly heavy and oppressive.

Hagakure and Jirou were still unconscious, though they were moved out of intensive care.

Yaoyorozu suffered a severe head wound and just regained consciousness yesterday.

Ojiro needed physical therapy for his tail due to the heavy damage it sustained.

Tokoyami AND Dark Shadow had to see a psychologist for 'control related issues'.

Even those who were up and about, like Iida and Kirishima, still had a few of bandages on them…

It was all a testament to the level of danger they barely managed to avoid. And even then, they weren't all that successful…

"I wonder how our teachers holding up? The Media's been rubbing in the salt non-stop..." Uraraka asked as she fiddled with her finger pads.

"It's even worse than in Spring… But I'm sure they're holding up and doing everything they can to find Bakugou." Sero commented. Mineta noticed Kirishima twitch to the name of their missing member. Being the only person who Bakugou let close, the guy must no doubt be feeling horribly useless. The shorter boy reached out to the red haired boy, putting the weight of his emotions into his hand.

"They'll find Bakugou. Hell, they might even be too late and find the bastard had already rescued himself." Mineta said with a chuckle. Kirishima could only sadly smile to that and nod in thanks. The shorter boy took a deep breath, wondering just when they will get out of this rut. He missed the chaotic but fun times 1A shared as students. As friends…

"Alright guys, Midoriya's room. Remember, with a smile." Mina commented, doing her best to keep up the cheerful façade. They could only nod as they opened the door to his room. And sure enough, Midoriya was awake. He still had those dark rings around his eyes, which meant he didn't get any rest. Or at least, his mind never did.

"Hey partner, how're you feeling?" Mineta asked, stepping forward as 1A followed.

"Mineta-kun… Everyone… Things could be better… How're the others?" Midoriya asked, turning to his friends.

"Some of us are still recovering… But we're all still here, doing what we can to stay strong…" Uraraka replied, unable to look at him in the eye.

"Not all of us… Bakugou's still gone…" Todoroki said bluntly, his heterochromatic eyes meeting Midoriya's green. Mineta winced as the pressure in the room became several degrees heavier. Why on Earth Todoroki would mention that and reopen wounds was beyond him… If it wasn't for the fact that he was still socially awkward, Mineta might've just smacked Todoroki.

Midoriya just stared at their dual colored classmate before turning his unfocused eyes to Mineta. That pleading look really stabbed at the shorter boy's heart. It was a defeated gaze that reminded Mineta too much of their despair drenched past. But as much as he wanted to smile for his partner's sake, he just couldn't muster the power.

"I won't lie to you partner, our exploding idiot's still out there…" Mineta finally admitted. Now that seemed to tip Midoriya back into the place he has always known. And though he spoke like normal, the tears in his eyes told of his true feelings.

"During our internship week… The Hero I studied under… He straight up told me that Heroes couldn't rescue everyone… It was physically impossible to reach for every hand that needs help…" Midoriya began, his voice quivering. 1A held their tongue as the green haired boy began to stare at the ceiling. That was Mineta saw that Midoriya was trying to raise his cast as though he was reaching for something.

"But… All Might… The reason why he stood so tall… The reason he smiled so brightly… It's to tell those he could still reach… It's okay… I am here… But I couldn't do that for Kacchan… Even though he was right there…" Midoriya said, the tears now flowing. He then stopped trying to strain his arms, allowing it to rest back on the cot. He then turned back to his classmates, though his eyes were simply on Mineta.

"I couldn't move my body… I couldn't save him…"

The atmosphere in the room had reached its lowest. Mineta really couldn't turn to look around as it would no doubt drag him down. Things were already hard enough as it was. So he began dedicating his mind to saying something wise. Fenghuang wouldn't want him failing others, not when there were still words to say. Unfortunately, it wasn't him that stepped up…

It was Kirishima. And he had a fire burning as hot as his red hair.

"Then let's go save him now."

Mineta snapped to his red haired classmate, just as everyone else did. The despair that choked the atmosphere was blown away and was replaced by sheer confusion. Kirishima then gestured to Todoroki, who was also looking particularly determined.

"Todoroki and I were just wandering around yesterday, looking for something, anything, we could do. With all that's happened, we felt like we could've done something more… That's when we heard Yaoyorozu talking to All Might and the police. She and Awase from 1B had stuck a tracker on one of the Villains and made the locater for it. One that All Might could use to find the Villains and, by extension, Bakugou." Kirishima explained. Mineta paled as he realized where this was going.

No… They wouldn't…

And luckily, Iida had stepped in to vocalize his concerns.

"Are you implying Yaoyorozu could make another tracker for us?" Iida asked, light ominously reflecting off of his glasses. And while anyone would buckle to that, Todoroki simply stared down Iida and stoically nodded. A memory of a place began reflecting off their class president's eyes, one Mineta knew all too well. Hosu…

"We should leave this matter to the Pros! It's not our place to intervene in these matters! Use your head, not your heart!" Iida shouted.

"I know! I know… But how could I ignore the screaming inside me? They were after my friend! My best bud! And like Midoriya, I let Bakugou slip through my fingers! I failed him! If I don't do this, I'm not worthy of being a Hero. Hell, I won't be worthy of being a man!" Kirishima retorted, hand clutching his chest.

"Dude, we know how you feel, but you got to calm down." Kaminari said, putting up a finger to try to get everyone to quiet down. And while that did successfully lower the actual volume of this 'debate', words were still being thrown around at full power.

"Just take a deep breath and let's think this through. If we go raiding, we'll cause all sorts of problems for the Pros. And that could domino into all sorts of other things." Sero said, laying a hand on Kirishima.

"You're right… You're all right… But I can't just… Midoriya, what about you? Is round two out of the question? Are we going to lay here and let the count reach 10?" Kirishima said before turning to Midoriya. Mineta flinched to that. If there was one person who could sway the crowd in either direction, it was his partner. Since his words always spoke the loudest, it gave Midoriya a lot more sway than he realize. And based on the light that just appeared in his eyes…

He knew what Midoriya's answer was.

"Midoriya-kun, no. This isn't something we need to spend time considering. Or have you forgotten what you've learned during internship week?" Iida asked; sweat now rolling down the side of his face.

"Of course we haven't forgotten. But everything the Villain's have done is questionable. Why try to kill the rest of us but keep Bakugou alive? That alone is suspicious enough to warrant investigation. And what's to say they don't have plans to kill him anyway. Something needs to be done before that happens." Todoroki argued, bluntly stepping forward.

"YOU FOOLS!" Iida began, ready to put his classmates into a chokehold. But before that could come to pass, Shouji put up one of his arms to try and maintain peace. Though in reality, they were all already split in ideology.

"I understand how you three feel. Some Hero in Training I turned out to be if I couldn't stop one of my classmates from being abducted… But this isn't the time to let our emotions get the better of us. All Might and who knows how many other Heroes have been assembled to rescue Bakugou. That should be more than enough." Shouji said as Aoyama vigorously nodded beside him. A hum of agreement echoed through the room, though it was Todoroki, Kirishima, and Midoriya who remained unconvinced.

It was here that Tsuyu stepped forward. Mineta prayed that their most stable and honest member slap some sense into them… Otherwise, there would be Hell to pay.

"I know you're frustrated that Bakugou-chan's been taken, we all are. But if we don't think things through… If we just run off without considering the law… Then we'll be no better than the Villains." She said. Now that floored practically everyone. To compare them, Heroes-in-Training, to their opposite… Now if that didn't convince them, the shorter boy didn't know what will.

But upon seeing his partner, Mineta's stomach dropped. Midoriya's unyielding eyes burned just as his reliable back stood straight. It didn't matter that he was sitting in bed; he towered over all of them. And his gentle words simply roared.

"Thank you everyone. I'm truly blessed to have friends like you. But unfortunately, we must go. I must go. I know it's reckless… I know it's stupid… I know we'll probably get hurt… Maybe even killed… But I just can't stay still, not when there's someone who needs help. Fenghuang once said something that resonated with me, just like All Might's 'I Am Here'… Heroes who fail to even try could never help anyone, not even a single life."

That quote froze 1A. Combined with the name of the Heroine who visited them, the weight of that wisdom broke the other side's argument. The certain outcome was now thrown back into the air. But Mineta knew his partner had already won. He knew, 1A couldn't argue with that. Not when Midoriya continued to hit them with his courage and strength.

"Leaving it to the Pros is the smart thing to do. But if we wait for someone else to solve our problems… If we wait for things to get better… If we wait and hold out for a Hero… We'll be like those who see a crime happen and do nothing… A Bystander." Midoriya continued. Iida, Tsuyu, all of 1A… Any arguments on their tongue just died to that. They all looked to each other for something, but not a single word was spoken… Until…

"No…"

All eyes fell to the one person who said it. Midoriya calmly took a deep breath before turning to the last person he had to convince.

"Mineta-kun…"

"No! You can't just twist Shifu's words to fit your own narrative! As your partner, as your FRIEND, I'm going to put an end to this! Right here, right now!" Mineta shouted as zeal and fury surged forth from his small body. To use this burning passion against the person he normally used it for… Life was certainly strange…

"Mineta-kun, wasn't it you who told me that evil wins when good men do nothing? So why is now any different?" Midoriya asked.

"I did… But the good men, they're not doing nothing. All Might's going to find Bakugou with all the support he's going to get. The League won't know what'll hit them." Mineta spat back. In that instance, all other voices and presences didn't matter to the shorter boy. Right now, it was him and Midoriya. And the green haired boy responded in kind.

"And the Heroes won't know what'll hit them… Did you forget that Shigaraki could have help waiting in dark? And if they come out, All Might will be forced to fight the odds without any rest. That's why we need to be there, to ensure All Might has the help. However little it may be."

"Do you even have a plan for when that happens? I'm not talking about a hypothetical cheat like the Cavalry battle… I'm talking about a REAL, down to the wire, plan to WIN! Because unless you tell me what it is you're doing, I'm not backing down!"

"Of course I have a plan. I have Kirishima-kun with me. Todoroki-kun as well… But most of all, I have you." Midoriya said, his certainty punching through Mineta's will. However, this was when he remembered the promise he made to Inko the other day. So with gritted teeth, Mineta fought back with all his strength. Not planning to give an inch.

"If it was for anything else, I would've stood by you... Talking about Heroes and costumes… Putting on a show for the audience… Fighting to prove who we are… But this? You're asking too much of me. We're outmatched Midoriya. Those Villains, they're stronger and more skilled than we are right now. If we go, will there actually be a difference?" Mineta asked.

"If it's you and me, there will be. It's like Aizawa-sensei said, having someone reliable at your back could mean the difference between victory and defeat." Midoriya replied, the glint in his eye similar to that of their scraggly homeroom teacher. Mineta gritted his teeth. That point wasn't something he could easily overcome. But that didn't mean he was out of options.

"Don't you remember our fight with Muscular!? Even with our skills combined, we couldn't put him down. We were saved by a miracle. You can't honestly rely on that when things go wrong!"

"Which is why I'll start observing, the one thing I know how to do best. And from there, I'll plan out the means and methods to break through our current pinch. We only got one shot at this after all… And I don't want to leave anyone behind. That's why I've been working so hard, harder than anyone else. I know this. You know this. Even Mom–" Midoriya countered. But the moment he mentioned Inko, Mineta felt his eyes twitch as the fury boiled over more.

"Don't you DARE bring her into this!" Mineta interrupted, cutting down his partner's words.

"Do you know how much your Mom cried yesterday? She sat right here and told me how powerless she feels. Her little boy, the same one I'm facing right now, was being broken and she could do nothing but watch! I had to remind her of everything you've learned, of the friends you've made, just to calm her down! Are you going to waste those tears!?"

"… I won't. Despite all the pain I put her through; I know she's proud of me. She never stopped gushing over the fact that her little Izuku made it this far. I've never seen Mom so happy and full of life… I've given her hope... The same kind you gave me the day we met." Midoriya replied, his tears reflecting the happiest moments of his life. Unfortunately, the tears in Minta's eyes were the exact opposite.

He was experiencing the worst moment of his life.

"I didn't help you out of the dirt just so you could die in it later!"

"Then why did you help me?"

"Because you took a beating for me! You were hurt! You were alone! You were literally DOWN IN THE DIRT! I couldn't just run away and leave my Hero there! You didn't deserve to be abandoned like that!" Mineta shouted, tears finally flowing down his cheeks. But the silent determination of Midoriya didn't flinch to that action. Though Mineta could tell it hurt his partner just as much as it did him.

"Then why is it okay to abandon Kacchan to the same fate? Isn't he hurting? Isn't he alone?" Midoriya asked sadly. Mineta choked for a moment, realizing that his partner's last question purposefully opened a hole in his argument. But he had to hold on, no matter how in tatters his argument was. He just needed another angle of attack… Even though he was all out of it.

"God damn it Midoriya! What happened to tempering your courage!? I'm trying to talk some sense into you! But here you are, planning to fly straight into the sun! I promised your Mom to stop you if it ever came to this… I had argued, shouted, fought tooth and nail to get you to change your mind... And yet we're STILL here! Aren't we partners? Doesn't my opinion mean anything to you!?"

"Of course it means something! There's nothing I cherish more than our friendship… But just as fish swim and birds fly, this is the shape of my heart. Asking me to go against it is not a choice I'm willing to make. I won't become a person who turns a blind eye to someone in need." Midoriya said, the flames in his eyes reaching its highest intensity.

"But this isn't being a Hero! This is being a martyr! You know what that is, right!?" Mineta asked, staring dead ahead into his partner's eyes. The two, for the longest while, stood there in silence. Not a single response was given as both wills began to flicker and wane. But the moment tears began gently flowing from Midoriya's solemn eyes, Mineta knew who had won.

"Yes, I do."

Mineta felt his zeal and fury die right there. His arms fell to his sides as he gave one last pleading look to Midoriya. But his partner simply closed his eyes and shook his head. The silent 'I'm sorry' was all it took for Mineta's current self to crumble away. And beneath the remains, only the coward remained.

The shorter boy's legs took off, dragging the rest of him out the door. Mineta heard his classmates call out to him, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Not while the running kept his heart from collapsing to the pain it felt. Honestly, Mineta could run the entirety of Japan and none of it would help close his wounds. He doubted anything could help now…

He just fought with his best friend, his partner in crime…

His Hero…


And that has been Chapter 76!

You know... I know Midoriya is, well, Midoriya... But if I went through what 1A just when through, I too would hesitate to throw myself back into the fire. And you must remember, Mineta also made a promise to Inko that he would keep Midoriya out of danger. But if Midoriya himself is adamant about going... What could've been done to prevent this? I have always been thinking about what would've happened if Midoriya and Mineta got into a fight and what could've caused it. This chapter was the result of me thinking about that.

But what did you think? If you had a friend who kept throwing themselves into danger, how would you respond? Tell me your responses in the usual place.

Next chapter, Mineta will be receiving words of encouragement from a man closer to home. So with that said...

Until Next Time. T1.