I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.
"On second thought… This is the biggest question of today…" Mineta thought as he silently moved after his targets.
It was in the dead of night and he was hiding amongst the trees around the path to UA's Ground Beta. On the path proper was Midoriya and Bakugou. The former was silently anxious, fidgeting around as if trying to figure out what to say. And the latter was grim yet contemplative, similar to how he looked after the End of Term exam.
"What's going on with those two?" Mineta thought as he reflected on how they got here.
…
After the License Exam was over, the examiners presented who passed on a big display. Of course, Midoriya and Mineta was able to pass, as well as most of their friends in 1A. However, Todoroki and Bakugou weren't among them. Their behaviors during the Rescue portion had really shot their chances of passing. It was here that everyone received papers that contained their score and the reasons for any point deductions.
And Mineta's paper contained something so peculiar that he couldn't stop staring at it. Even when 1A were all back at the dorms, the shorter boy just couldn't put it down.
"Is your thing still bothering you dude?" Kaminari asked as he appeared over Mineta, who was sitting on the couch.
"Of course it does! The first two, I get. I did think about other things when I should've focused on the rescue and I did take too much time scrounging for items, even if they were useful in the end… But the third is just nit picking. Lacks a notable and reassuring presence… What am I supposed to do about that? Grow a meter one way and three in another?" Mineta ranted before tossing the paper onto the coffee table with a huff.
"Eugh, I just imagined wide Mineta and it's not pretty. Just stay the way you are okay?" Hagakure commented as Iida filed away Mineta's exam report. The shorter boy dejectedly just gave a thumb's up before sinking into the couch to exercise his lack of presence. Then again, having no presence was a good thing for a predator type Hero. So he supposed all wasn't lost…
"You shouldn't fret over it too much Mineta-chan. That comment was in the 'other notes' section, so I doubt you lost much, if any, points over it." Tsuyu said before sipping some of the tea Yaoyorozu made.
"I know… It's just the principle of it…"
"It is a pretty terrible thing to do, criticizing something you can't exactly change… But hey, at least you've made a new team attack with Midoriya today. The way you two just bounced around Gang Orca's crew and made a mess of them, it was incredible. How'd you and Midoriya do that without crashing into one another?" Ojiro asked as he pulled up a chair from one of the tables.
"If you don't mind, could you start from the beginning? Tokoyami, while an excellent story teller in his own right, tends to overdramatize the details with poetic speech." Shouji replied as he came into the conversation.
"I am neither dramatic nor a poet…" Tokoyami lied abruptly as his cheeks turned pink.
"That's 100 percent a lie and you know it. But seriously, what's this thing you and Midoriya did that's got everyone curious?" Jirou asked as she and several others sat down. However, Mineta didn't want to start until as many members of 1A came around. He wanted as many people to hear about his and Midoriya's exploits as possible. So he began looking around to see who else was around.
That was when the shorter boy saw his partner talking with Bakugou.
Though their conversation wasn't long, the tense expression on Midoriya's face told Mineta all he needed to know. Something was going to happen between him and Bakugou later. And based on the three years he knew them for, the shorter boy could tell it wasn't going to be good.
Nothing good ever came out of Midoriya and Bakugou being alone…
…
Snapping back to the present, Mineta quickly but quietly moved to the next point of cover. He, Bakugou, and Midoriya had entered Ground Beta a few minutes ago. But why they were here, the shorter boy couldn't say. However, before he could ponder on it any further, Mineta spotted a small robot with a security hat. He stopped and observed as the robot looked in Bakugou and Midoriya's direction. It didn't seem like it noticed him…
"Or I've already been caught and I just didn't realize it until now…" Mineta thought before shaking his head. He'll assume that, somehow, he hadn't been spotted yet. So from this point on, he'd needed to be more careful if he wanted to stay out of trouble and get his answers. This secret meeting between Bakugou and Midoriya was, after all, highly suspicious…
The shorter boy headed down the nearest alleyway. He traveled along it for a few moments before coming out the other end. But when he spotted more patrol robots, Mineta was forced to take another detour. And upon his fourth detour, a terrible realization washed over him. He was completely lost. Honestly, he should've seen this coming.
It was dark, Ground Beta didn't have any usable street signs, and Mineta had no idea where Midoriya and Bakugou were going. That was, until he heard a distant explosion. The shorter boy darted towards the sound, his heart beating even more than usual. But as the explosions continued, Mineta decided to just screw it and climbed up the side of a building. And when he got to the roof…
Mineta saw just how far he wandered off based on the plume of smoke that was a few blocks away.
"Damn it! I should learn some tracking!" Mineta grumbled loudly before making his way to the explosions. To save time, he began bouncing across the building tops. He even sprung to buildings across wider streets, despite the great risk doing so. But to the shorter boy, this was nothing.
It was for the sake of his partner, after all.
Mineta landed upon a roof just above the source of the explosions. And down below, he could see his partner and his nemesis going all out against each other. Not only were they trading blows, but they were also exchanging words. But because of the distance and Bakugou's explosions, Mineta couldn't hear what was being said clearly.
Something about Midoriya's… Face? His personality?
"Got to get closer…" Mineta thought as he began making his way down. He chose the nearby alleyway to scale down to ensure he remains hidden. And after carefully making his decent, the shorter boy peered around the corner. The two were still going at each other, both of them covered in bruises. But regardless of those injuries, they fought on with all their heart.
It was here that Mineta recognized what this was. Midoriya and Bakugou were trying to understand one another's feelings. And based on how the explosive blonde's eyes contained the shadows of self-doubt, the fires of anger, and the fog of confusion… The shorter boy guessed that this had something to do with the recent events surrounding All Might.
Since Mineta knew, for a fact, that Bakugou was as much of an All Might fan as Midoriya.
"But to what extent? Did he figure out Midoriya's connection to All Might?" Mineta thought as Midoriya landed a particularly heavy kick against Bakugou's guard. But the explosive blonde managed to hold his ground, quickly delivering a counter attack by turning his hand and released a great explosion. The green haired boy tumbled back from the blast but managed to find his footing mid tumble.
He then looked up with eyes full of resolve.
Midoriya hurled something from his hand, a palm sized piece of asphalt, like a baseball. And while Bakugou barely managed to dodge it, the green haired boy continued to throw several more pieces of varying sizes at him. The explosive blonde let out a frustrated grunt as a projectile grazed him, causing smoke to vomit from his hands. A thick cloud soon enveloped the street, blinding everyone.
Mineta clenched his teeth as he felt the air shift, holes in the smoke cloud being blown away. But as a loud battle cry rang out from both Midoriya and Bakugou, the shorter boy knew it was going to end soon.
A massive explosion and a tempest of air erupted from the cloud, blowing out the nearby glass windows and doors. Mineta even had to duck behind his corner to take cover from the intense clash. But as the dust settled, the shorter boy peeked out and saw a disheartening sight. Despite all of his growth, Midoriya was laying on his back with Bakugou standing victoriously over him.
He was, however, a lot more battered and exhausted than normal.
"So All Might wasn't completely wrong… Choosing you… Fuck…" Bakugou grumbled as he fell to one knee. Mineta swallowed the lump in his throat. So he did figure out Midoriya and All Might's connection…
"But I still lost to you Kacchan… So I have a lot of catching up to do…" Midoriya replied, gasping between words.
"Don't give me that bullshit… Even before UA... You've already passed me…" Bakugou replied sadly, trying but failing to get back on his feet. Mineta raised an eyebrow as Midoriya slowly sat back up. There was an even darker shadow surrounding his eyes than before. Even his angry façade has completely fallen to pieces, leaving behind a pitiable husk of the man they knew.
"Kacchan…? What are you–?" Midoriya began before Bakugou cut him off.
"Do you remember what Mineta Minoru said to me back at Orudera?"
Mineta began combing his mind back to that point. But due to the amount of time that has passed and the demoralizing events that usually happened, the shorter boy couldn't really say. His partner really wasn't any better as he couldn't think of anything that Bakugou was referring to. But as the explosive blonde sat on the asphalt in defeat…
He revealed the truth himself.
"You're too scared to admit that Midoriya's a far better Hero than you will ever be… That's what he said before I tried to cave his face in… Before your gut took his place… Every time he even IMPLIED something like that, something in me goes nuts. And unless I start kicking both of your sorry asses, it won't shut up. But after Kamino, I finally understood why I felt that way…" Bakugou began, his eyes falling further and further into darkness. That's when Mineta realized what it was that the explosive blonde felt. That visceral reaction from deep within towards an unsettling realization…
Just like with what happened to Mineta, Bakugou realized a terrible truth about himself.
"You… You were scared of me…" Midoriya said, his green eyes widening behind swollen eyelids.
"Deep down, I knew you were closer to All Might than I ever was. Sure, I had the power like him. But when it came to everything else, I was crippled. I knew I couldn't reach out to anyone like you could. I knew I couldn't hold onto anyone like you did. I knew I didn't have any real charisma like you…" Bakugou explained as he rubbed at his eyes.
"W-Wait! Of course you had charisma! You had–" Midoriya replied before Bakugou cut him off again.
"Do you think any of those fucks would actually stand up for me? And could they do it with the balls Mineta Minoru had when he stood up for you? That's how I knew you were better than me. You actually had someone loyal, someone who would stick with you through all the bullshit I create. It's like he's a leech that–!"
The explosive blonde stopped abruptly, shaking his head.
"No, that's not right… I had leeches. They just kissed my ass and fed off my successes. But you… You had a friend, a partner, someone to lick your wounds with. Someone to share what small victories you could get…" Bakugou corrected. Mineta thought about what his nemesis said… And thinking about it, he was right. None of their former Orudera classmates were very reliable. If it came down to it, no one would actually side with him.
Bakugou was truly alone amongst a crowd.
"I'm sure someone would've stood with you. I mean, Kirishima-kun has been your steadiest ally since USJ. So you must've been doing something right if that happened." Midoriya answered calmly.
"Oh please, if I was doing anything right, we wouldn't be here. But no… Ever since walking through UA's doors, it's been one shit show after another. Nothing ever went my way; I couldn't even lose on my own terms… And now, here I fucking sit, winning a fight that changed nothing… That meant nothing." Bakugou replied venomously as he turned away from Midoriya. While a pit began to form in Mineta's stomach over those words…
The new voice that came onto the scene interrupted those thoughts.
"I wouldn't say it was for nothing, Young Bakugou…"
From the road behind Midoriya, the thin form of All Might stepped out from the inky black of night. Both the explosive blonde and the green haired boy tried to scramble to their feet. But a simple gesture of 'stop' from the Symbol of Peace caused both of them to continue sitting. All Might then walked over to the two and sat down between them.
"I've been listening to your conversation since the beginning… And I have to apologize. I've never noticed how you felt about things until now. To think that, even someone as strong as you could–" All Might began.
"But I'm not strong! If I was, you wouldn't be like this!" Bakugou interrupted with a shout.
"Young Bakugou, this isn't your fault. I couldn't change when the people needed me too, causing all of this to happen. But you two are different from me; you're still young and growing. By meeting here tonight and coming to understand one another, both of you have begun changing." All Might continued, undaunted by the explosive blonde's shouting.
"Young Bakugou, having confronted your fear of Young Midoriya's Heroic heart, you will begin to realize the importance of developing your own." All Might said, looking to Bakugou. Bakugou didn't look convinced by the Hero's words, but he didn't argue against it either. He simply thought about it.
"And Young Midoriya, having lost again to Young Bakugou's relentless strength, you will eventually understand what victory truly means." All Might said, turning to Midoriya. The green haired boy silently stared at his mentor before turning his gaze to his injured hand. He then gently clenched it whilst in deep thought.
"The desire to save… And the desire to win… They are two of the three things a Hero needs to maintain his sense of justice. And if you both could learn that, I know you both could become the greatest Heroes." All Might said with a soft smile. Mineta nodded to that. Just like Mineta and Midoriya, Bakugou and Midoriya were opposites yet equals, one lacked a trait the other possessed. And if they came together…
They would become a force to be reckoned with.
"Wait… What the Hell's the third thing?" Bakugou asked, snapping up from his meditative trance.
"Something that even I couldn't maintain forever… It's the power that allows us to recognize and overcome our own weaknesses, the desire to change one's self. Sounds cliché, but not too many I'm aware of hold onto this simple desire out of pride or complacency. But you two, as well as your classmates, are different and not just because you're young. All of you have a tenacious drive for self-improvement, not to mention an array of wise mentors. It's little wonder you've all grown so much since the start of the school year." All Might answered, his pride clear in his voice.
Mineta found himself nodding to the Hero's words. Even if All Might was just repeating Fenghuang, the shorter boy knew it was a lesson worth learning again. It was, after all, the reason he was able to stay by his partner's side despite the obvious strength/virtue gaps between them.
If Mineta wasn't worthy of being Midoriya's partner, he'll just work hard until he is.
"You're right, that is God damn cliché… Any tips to help us become someone as perfect as you?" Bakugou asked with sigh.
"Oh no, I'm not the perfect Hero, or the perfect person for that matter. If I was, neither of you would be suffering for my mistakes. And it's not becoming perfect you young men should be aiming for, but becoming whole." All Might replied. Mineta found himself raising an eyebrow. Didn't he hear something like that from Fenghuang?
"Whole? How? And in what way?" Midoriya asked, tilting his head.
"Good question. I should let Young Mineta explain that." All Might answered, an amused tone escaping his lips. Mineta flinched as All Might's shining blue eyes landed on the corner he was hiding behind. The shorter boy wanted to run, especially when Midoriya and Bakugou turned to where All Might was looking. But given what transpired tonight, Mineta found his legs unable to move away.
Tonight was a night of truths… So it was best to surrender to it…
Mineta stepped out from behind his corner and gave a bashful wave. "Hey… Uh… N-Nice night?"
"M-Mineta-kun!? When did you get here?" Midoriya asked, eyes widening.
"You little shit! How much did you hear!?" Bakugou shouted, trying to get up but the pain kept him down.
"Just the end bits, where I was right about you and All Might's words of wisdom." Mineta replied, doing his best to not sound too smug on the first point. Bakugou let out a growl that got progressively louder before All Might gestured for the shorter boy to sit. And to that, Mineta obliged.
"I apologize for giving you away, Young Mineta. But after what happened during the End of Term exams, I made sure to keep my senses tuned for sneaky little rodents. Anyway, care to share what you know with these young men?" All Might said before gesturing to Midoriya and Bakugou.
"Uh… Sure… Um… Let's see…" Mineta thought, closing his eyes. He thought back to the various lessons he was taught. Though it was strange… When did he become 1A's dispenser of sagely wisdom? From Todoroki, to Iida and Tsuyu, now it was Midoriya and Bakugou… He always had something helpful to say to them.
"Based on everything I've learned from Shifu… Becoming whole is about bringing every fragment of yourself, known and unknown, good and bad, together. And by doing that, you'll be able to find your true and best self. It'll be uncomfortable and we'll suffer a lot… But we'll learn a lot about ourselves and come out better for it." He continued, reflecting on his understanding of the world.
"Learning about ourselves… If that's the case, then I'd say we learned a lot tonight. And I'm sure, from this point on, we'll learn even more." Midoriya said as he looked to the night sky.
"Just try not to suck so much… You've got the strongest guy backing you and an annoying pest at your side." Bakugou replied, his eyes going to the ground.
"Not cool man. At least refer to me as THE annoying pest, UA's king of nuisances." Mineta spat back, glaring at Bakugou.
"Fuck that, you're no king of mine." He retorted, glaring back.
"I guess some things will never change…" Midoriya chuckled nervously.
"Perhaps it's still just too early to tell, Young Midoriya. Regardless, if you three are working together, learning from one another, you'll eventually surpass me. And I'm not just talking about my raw strength, since the sum of your parts will be greater than mine. So hold your head high young men, for you have my faith." All Might said, looking to the three Heroes-in-Training before him.
The fierce roar within those gentle words stoked the flames in their heart even more. And as the four sat there, discussing the future they were working towards, Mineta couldn't help but reflect on the past. One year ago, He, Midoriya, and Bakugou were but three pieces that barely functioned together. Bakugou ruthlessly tormented Midoriya and Mineta while Mineta and Midoriya could barely keep each other safe.
But now…
Sitting here with the Symbol of Peace…
Mineta realized that all of their fortunes had finally turned around. That tonight was the beginning of something beautiful…
And that has been Chapter 94!
I still got no news this week. So... Next update where we close out on one of our stories strange side quests.
Until Next Time. T1.
