I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.


Mineta paced around the living room, allowing the UA press conference to play in the background. He began thinking about the question he asked himself several minutes ago. But when all thoughts pointed to the same conclusion, the shorter boy had no choice but to accept it.

His partner was most likely doing the rescue.

While he wanted to chastise himself for not trying harder, Mineta knew there was no point. If Midoriya didn't budge then, he wouldn't budge now. Besides, it's not like he could call him right now. The guy could be knee deep in enemy territory right now with Todoroki and Kirishima. All Mineta could hope for was that they stayed out of sight and avoided battle like the plague.

He also hoped those three weren't alone and had someone with a more rational mind on hand.

"This pressure's killing me..." Mineta said. His stomach then began to painfully rumble, causing him to remember that he hasn't eaten anything past that first bite. So with nothing better to do, he went into the kitchen to fetch the rest of his cooling meatball sub.

However, he only finished swallowing his second bite when he heard the TV say 'Emergency Hero News, disaster strikes Yokohama City's Kamino Ward'. The shorter boy dropped his sandwich and dashed back to the TV.

On screen, the camera was pointing down towards what was basically an empty wasteland that stretched several city blocks. Surrounding that was several ruined buildings, more than half on the verge of collapsing all together. Mineta could feel the chill as he realized that there was only one person capable of this level of destruction…

"All for One…" He thought, biting at his finger nails as the camera focused on two figures below. One was All Might, his costume somewhat damaged by the battle. He was standing over a man in a black suit wearing a shattered, full face helmet. All Might's fist was through the helmet, but it didn't seem to have knocked him out. What's more, the Symbol of Peace's body was emitting steam…

"He's at his limit…"

All Might, face projecting the very image of rage, pulled his arm back to punch his foe again. But the Hero was soon blasted high into the sky by a force from All for One's left arm. All Might was thrown so high, he was almost level with the news copter. But soon, an old short Hero caught him before guiding him back to Terra Firma. Mineta recognized him from Hosu; it was All Might and Midoriya's mentor, Gran Torino. If he was called to the front lines, then this battle would decide the future of their country.

Should All Might secure victory, peace would be preserved for just a little longer.

Should All for One win… Mineta had already imagined that scenario one year ago, total societal upheaval.

The camera focused on All for One body as he staggered back onto his feet. Mineta almost vomited at the sight of his face, or the lack there of. The Villain's upper head had no features, just a mass of scarred tissue with a semi-broken re-breather covering his mouth. He truly had an appearance as hideous as his character.

"It's hard to believe that a single Villain is capable of this level of destruction! It's even more disturbing to see him match our Symbol of Peace blow for blow! All Might still stands, but without much support… I fear that even he might…" The news caster said, losing the nerve to finish his sentence. Mineta reflexively went for his baton for extra resolve in these trying times, only to remember that Ojiro hasn't given it back yet.

He had to handle this on his own.

"Come on All Might… I know you can break through this…" Mineta muttered. He remembered how the man powered through two blows to his weak spot during the End of Term exams. If he could remain standing after that, then he could survive anything. But then again, this WAS his arch nemesis he was contending with…

All for One left arm began swelling again, taking aim at All Might. But as Gran Torino dodged one way, All Might hesitated before jumping towards the other. A civilian was there, still trapped in the rubble. He swung one of his mighty fists, splitting the pressure wave his foe sent out. And though the surrounding area was thoroughly dusted, the spot behind All Might was protected.

Though that wasn't what Mineta was focusing on.

Standing there on the field, on live television being broadcasted all over Japan, was the emaciated All Might. His bony arms, his thin frame, and sunken eyes… All of it has been shown at the worst possible moment. Mineta's stomach began to fold in on itself as the news caster began to express everyone's surprise.

"A-Are you seeing this? All Might has shriveled up…"

"Damn it… Not now… Please not now!" Mineta shouted, gripping at his head. He couldn't even begin to think of anything other than the chaos that would soon breakout. Was society ready for this? Was 1A ready? Was Midoriya ready? Was he ready? But before his mind could continue to spiral out of control, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. And looking over, Mineta could see his Dad crouched next to him.

"… An artist must believe in their subject. Only then could their true beauty be seen." He said, gesturing back to the TV. Mineta followed and saw that, despite All for One's taunting, the light in All Might's eye hasn't lost their luster. What's more, his back still stood strong and straight as he exerted his Heroic will. Some hope began to rise within Mineta. Maybe he had let his imagination get the better of him.

Even if he was weakened, All Might was still their Number One Hero.

All for One relaxed his cocky stance and entered a more cautious one, his breathing clearly staggering. But something about it was unsettling as the Villain was clearly saying something. And this something had a very clear effect on All Might. His blue eyes lost almost all their luster as his back faltered. All Might then began floundering his words, almost as if to deny whatever cruel truth was unveiled.

To see the Symbol of Peace lose his nerve made Mineta fully aware of how far he reversed his growth.

Because if his Dad wasn't here, he'd have gone under a rock to wait out the rest of the storm.

"Don't falter Minoru… Believe…" His Dad said, his grip on his son's shoulder tightening. There was a slight tremble in his hand, something Mineta knew to be steady no matter the circumstance. To be shaking meant that his Dad was holding back his fears too. This made the shorter boy wonder if Fenghuang and Aizawa also felt this uneasy.

"… How could I not? He's our Hero, right?" Mineta asked, a shaky smile appearing on his face. It was a desperate self reassurance… But the shorter boy doubted he was alone in this. He just knew everyone was calling out to the Number One Hero, hoping beyond all doubt that their words will give him the strength to stand tall.

And so he did.

Sunlight colored sparks wrapped around All Might's right arm before regaining its Heroic muscles. And though the rest of his body was still thin, the Number One Hero was ready to fight once more. That's not going into the other miracle that manifested itself at this darkest hour. Endeavor, Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, and even a heavily injured Tiger was helping in any way they could.

The former two were doing their best to land a hit on All for One while the latter two were rescuing whoever they could. It wasn't much… But every little help gave All Might the time to ready himself for the final attack. It showed just how much All Might was loved by his country. A love he earned by showing just how beautiful the heart of a Hero could be.

A beauty many hoped to one day achieve...

But, almost as if to spit at that beauty, All for One blew away Endeavor and Edgeshot and faced his nemesis. His right arm then began to convulse and bloat. Mineta's stomach sank as the limb became grotesquely larger than the Villain's body as all sorts of things sprouted from it. Metal studs, spears of bone, other hands… It was a hand befitting of a demon.

All for One darted for All Might as both figures pulled their respective arms back. And when their fists were finally thrown, the force exploded everything around them. But it wasn't long before Mineta saw All Might be pushed back. He was losing ground despite being still on his feet. And blood was clearly pouring from his arm…

"Come on… This isn't over yet…" Mineta muttered as All Might managed to finally hold his ground. And, in a surprising move, the Hero shifted his right arm's power to his left hand. He moved around All for One's monstrous arm and struck him. Even if it was shallow, Mineta knew from Midoriya that this was only just the beginning.

Perhaps that's where All Might got this strategy…

All for One's right arm began swelling to retaliate against that blow. But just one look at All Might's face and anyone could tell what he was saying. So, with his power back into his right arm, his voice and words exploded through the aether.

"Even if you break my body, my mind, my spirit… It won't change anything. Do you know why!? Because I AM STILL HERE!"

All Might stepped in, his body twisting as his fist flew forward. All for One's face practically crumpled as the Hero dragged him down from where he stood. The Villain slammed into the ground as the recoil shattered the ground and kicked up a massive plume of dust. It honestly looked more like an eruption than the aftermath of a punch…

But as the dust settled… In a sizeable crater… All Might stood hunched over the unmoving body of All for One. He was staggering and bleeding a lot, barely staying on his feet. But as the seconds passed, he slowly raised his left fist high into the air and stood as straight as he could. Mineta felt tears roll down his face as the news caster blubbering out the news to the nation.

"All Might won! He's standing tall over the unconscious Villain! The nightmare's finally over!"

Mineta's dad pulled his son in close, hugging him as he let out a tense sigh. And judging by how much he was trembling, the amount of fear within his Dad must've been staggering. The fear of All Might losing… The fear of society collapsing all around them… The fear of losing his son next…

"You see Minoru… Believe… And things will turn out fine…" He said, sucking in air to keep himself steady. The shorter boy returned the hug, feeling his own worries melt away. They really dodged a bullet… But things were not over yet. Japan still has to deal with the consequences of tonight. But for now…

"I'll be heading to bed now… So don't stay up too late…" His Dad said as he stood up. He then shuffled to his room and closed the door behind him. Mineta whispered a 'good night' before turning back to watch the TV.

Hours passed as the news continued on the Kamino report. Heroes were continuing the rescue efforts well into the aftermath of the battle. And soon enough, All for One was shown being loaded into an Iron Maiden containment unit.

All Might was still overseeing everything, despite his terrible wounds. His blue eyes then glanced towards the camera as an idea flickered within his gaze. He turned away as he raised an arm, pointing directly into the camera. His voice, despite sound a little rough, still roared with power.

"You're next."

Mineta paused to think about those two words. While it sounded like a cool one liner, and it would be in any other context... The shorter boy knew there was something beneath the surface.

"I've done all I could… So please, fight in my stead."

Midoriya, successor of One for All, must take All Might's place in the coming battles. Mineta didn't know how his friend took the message… But what he did know was that they needed to reconnect. Even if their fight left a permanent scar on their bond, they were still partners. And he wasn't about to let Midoriya fight a battle of this magnitude without help.

Because just like how All Might had others to lighten his burden, Mineta shall do the same with Midoriya.

He just needed to think of what to say when they finally meet again.


And that has been Chapter 78!

I've got nothing new to say, this chapter was written with the same thought process as the last one. How would you feel if you were watching All Might fighting his final battle? That's the driving question and I imagine a great fear would appear within your heart. I mean, that's generally how anyone would feel watching a great disaster unfolding before them.

But I digress... Next chapter, Aizawa goes to visit Mineta's home to discuss matters with his father.

So with all that said...

Until Next Time. T1.