I own nothing. Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.

"I can't believe this is really happening man! Look at you! Look at me! We're really UA students! Heroes in Training!" Mineta shouted as he and Midoriya continued up the path to their new High School. In all honesty, the shorter boy could barely sleep last night due to his excitement. So much so that he had to steal one of his Father's energy drinks to even stay awake that morning. Naturally, that action lead to him becoming one juiced up grape.

Still, Midoriya didn't seem to mind his friend's sudden jump in jumpiness and just smiled. But the sight of it made the green haired boy seemed more afraid than Mineta expected. "It's pretty surreal isn't it? In all honesty, I'm a bit scared that this is all just a dream and my Mom will wake me up soon."

Ah, that's why. And it was a real enough problem to ground Mineta from his energy high. He gave a deep sigh and patted Midoriya in the back, putting the weight of his belief into him. "Don't worry, I can guarantee you that this is not a dream. We're really going to UA, you're going to UA."

Midoriya stopped for a moment and looked up at something. And turning to it, Mineta saw that they were standing before UA's front gate, the main building shining in the morning sun. The shorter boy looked back at his friend and saw that the fear was melting away. So with a slap on the back, he allowed Midoriya to take the first official step towards his dream.

"By the powers bestowed upon me, I hereby pronounce you, Midoriya Izuku, an official student of UA." Mineta said before applauding. His friend recovered from the sudden push and started to bashfully bow in all directions, as though there was an audience. And turning back to Mineta, he made a gesture for them to continue onward. With a nod, the shorter boy followed and the two made their way into the school.

After wandering around for a bit looking for their classroom of 1A, noting how big and shiny the halls were. The finally found it… And the door to the room was four times Midoriya's height, making Mineta feel real small. "That's a big door…" Mineta said.

"Accessibility?" Midoriya replied.

"Makes sense. You ready?"

"Well… I'm still a little nervous. I'm also hoping that we don't have Kacchan as a classmate… Or that one person from the exam who called me out…" Midoriya answered. That uptight person with dark neat hair and glasses came to Mineta's mind and nodded. While that guy could've been a nice person, he really didn't leave a good first impression.

Though Mineta shouldn't be the one talking about that… Given his track record…

But today was going to be different; he'll put his best foot forward and make a real good impression. That way, the girls won't find him too creepy. With a nod towards Midoriya, his friend proceeded to open the door.

"Please remove your foot from the desk! You're insulting our Alumni who sat here as well as the craftsmen who assembled it!" The person from the exam shouted.

"Like I give a shit about people who aren't here anymore. And which middle school did you go to for that stick up your ass, you fucking extra?" Bakugou replied, a cocky but rabid smile spreading on his face.

"S-Stick up my – I came from Somei Private Academy! And it's a fine school where I learned everything I need to further my studies here! And my name is Iida Tenya!"

"Somei!? Looks like we got a real elitist here. I'm going to enjoy turning you into a smear on the wall."

"A smear!? Are you really aiming to become a Hero?"

Mineta and Midoriya stared at the scene with blank faces, though there was some sweat rolling on the back of their heads. And Mineta was sure his friend was thinking the same thing as he was. They're both here…

The uptight person looked up from Bakugou and noticed the two. He then immediately walked over briskly, somehow looking both stiff and natural at the same time, and began introducing himself. "Good morning! I'm from Somei Private Academy–!"

"I-I head you before! Uh, my name is Midoriya Izuku and this is Minoru Mineta. Pleased to meet you Iida-kun…" Midoriya interrupted, no doubt trying to prevent a broken record from playing. Still, when his friend introduced him, Mineta gave a relaxed 'hey' as he gave a simple wave. Iida bowed to the shorter boy before returning to Midoriya, looking a little remorseful and frustrated. What?

"Forgive me Midoriya-kun; I misjudged you during the practical exam. You were able to perceive the true nature of the exam, whilst I could not. I hate to admit it, but you're the superior candidate."

Ah, it was that. Still, that made Mineta's heart swell with pride, his best friend was finally getting recognition. And he wasn't about to let that slip, he wanted to milk this moment some more. "Well that's why you shouldn't judge someone before getting to know them. You even put him on the spot during the exam orientation."

"I apologize for that as well! I'm just too honest for my own good and don't sit well with any disturbances!" Iida said, bowing to Midoriya again.

"I-It's okay! I was the one being disruptive!" He answered. The green haired boy then began to nervously move through some small talk with his classmate. Mineta began nodding to himself as he listened, no doubt satisfied by this result. While he could've laid it on a bit thicker with the guilt trip, that might've turned things awkward. And it will also no doubt make them look like they're looking for people to ego stroke them.

Kind of like Bakugou and Mineta doesn't want that.

"Curly hair… You're that plain looking kid! And his weird friend!"

Both he and Midoriya turned around towards the new voice and immediately saw that brown haired girl from the exam. His friend, naturally, began to get all flustered and began spouting half coherent sentences through his stuttering. The girl didn't seem to mind that the person she was talking to was a mess, no doubt chalking it up to nerves. Mineta again nodded, noting that today was looking really good for Midoriya and himself by extension.

But man, did this girl look really good in that uniform.

"I'm Uraraka Ochako by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself when we met before." The girl greeted.

"N-N-No p-problem! My name is Midoriya Izuku! And thank you for helping me on exam day!" Midoriya blurted out, the heat radiating from the blush on his face. The short boy tapped his friend's arm twice in quick succession, making the boy back up a few steps. That was a signal between them to back up and cool off whenever things got heated. For Midoriya, it was to pull him out of conversations he has no idea how to navigate. And for Mineta… It was to make sure he doesn't go too far with his usual habits.

"Sorry about Midoriya, he's just got the first day jitters. I'm Mineta Minoru, his partner in crime."

"Nice to meet you and I know that feeling. When everything's so new and exciting, I get all sorts of butterflies in my stomach. I just hope our teachers won't be too scary and harsh with us." Ochako said with a heavy exhale. She was still being very cheerful though and that just amped up her appeal.

And with a cursory glance at the other girls in the class, Mineta feels that this was going to be a great first year.

"You're not here to socialize."

The shorter boy froze to that voice… That tired, monotonous, and gruff voice… The very voice that had drilled the skills he learned into his skull… Midoriya seemed to notice too and both of them looked at the floor behind Ochako. The girl turned around as well when she saw them focus on something behind her. And they saw an unkempt man wrapped up in a yellow sleeping sack.

"You're here to be Heroes." The man continued. He said this while pulling out a juice pouch from inside his sack and placing it into his mouth. With a single powerful suck, he drained the pouch of its contents. Ochako began backing away slowly as the man climbed out of his sack, electing to stand next to Midoriya. But he and Mineta were more concerned with the person that just came in.

"Aizawa-san!?"

"Aizawa!?"

"That's Sensei to you. Starting today, I'll be your Home Room Teacher. My name is Aizawa Shouta, Pro Hero, too tired for any of this, questions or concerns?" He replied quickly. But before anyone could ask one of many questions, the man just went on to with his to-do list.

"None? Good. Now get changed into your Gym uniforms and head to the grounds, we're burning daylight." He said, pulling out a uniform from his sack. Mineta flinched at the sight, despite already knowing that his former master kept random stuff in his sleep sack. Just what else is in there? Still, his body already began moving out of habit and the class of 1A followed reluctantly. Midoriya caught up to him and leaned over, voice in a whisper.

"Do you know anything about this?"

"Not one bit… But he's going to go Kung Fu Master on us…"

The class went into their respective locker rooms and began changing out. Mineta would've loved to search the room for any old peepholes left by former students. But all his mind could think about was the trial that Aizawa was no doubt going to put them through. There were also the words 'I'll know' resurfacing from his memories... One day, he'll have the heart to pull through with his desires despite these things.

But today is not that day.

The class all stood outside in the fresh spring air of this sunny morning, staring at their teacher. He slowly scanned each one of them before sighing, a sign that he was finally getting started.

"Right now, I'm going to test you and your Quirks." Aizawa said. There was no flair or nothing to his words, but it did stir even more confusion amidst them. A test? Right now? Mineta knew his former Master was an oddball, but he thought that was just with him.

"B-But what about the Entrance Ceremony? Or the Guidance sessions?" Ochako asked, reasonably concerned about the suddenness of all this.

"None of you can afford meaningless detours like that, so we're immediately getting our feet wet. And before you complain, UA is known for its 'free style' education system, allowing us to get creative with the curriculum." Aizawa replied. The class met their teacher with more confused stares, though Mineta was starting to see where he was going with this. Mostly because he was on the receiving end of that 'free style' education before the school year started.

"Softball throwing, the standing long jump, the 50 meter dash, endurance running, grip strength, side to side stepping, upper body training, seated toe touch… You've done all of these before in Middle School. But because you didn't use your Quirks for the sake of 'recording sensible averages', your true strengths and weaknesses are never clear. This is just the Department of Education procrastinating, keeping around a standardization that just doesn't work anymore. This is why we're all here, to test where our limits are." Aizawa continued. He then pulled something from his pocket and tossed it to Bakugou. Looking over, Mineta saw it was a softball with a black band around the center. The sight immediately made the short boy think of the balls he used during training.

The scraggly teacher then made a gesture towards the throwing circle. Bakugou, without a response, just stepped forward and began stretching. Aizawa said nothing else as he waited for his student to perform the exam. The human grenade pulled back his arm and slung it forward, an explosion erupting from his hand towards the end of the throw. "DIE!" He screamed. Mineta stepped back from the intensity of that throw, most of his classmates also flinching to the sudden blast. The whole scene looked more like an artillery cannon firing than a person pitching.

Is this what happens when Quirks are used for mundane things?

No one could see where the ball landed, a consequence of being shot out like a cannon. But luckily for them, Aizawa already had the results. Turning his phone to the students, Bakugou's distance was displayed. 705.2 meters.

"This is the first step in figuring out what kind of Heroes you'll be." Aizawa said. Mineta heard a whole lot of chattering around him, all excited and hopeful. But based on how his gut was feeling, his experience with Aizawa, and how concerned Midoriya was… This whole test was going to have one Hell of a consequence. And as their homeroom teacher stared at them with dead eyes, an aura of dread surrounded him.

Mineta never witnessed him exert this kind of presence.

"Do you all honestly think the three years you'll spend here will be all fun and games? If so, then you're in for a rude awakening. Should one of you prove to be utterly hopeless and is placed last after all eight events, you will be expelled on the spot."

The shorter boy immediately looked towards his friend and saw the desperation become more apparent. What the Hell was Midoriya going to do about this? According to everything he said, Midoriya's Quirk was a recent development and he has next to no control over it. It was full power or none at all, neither of which would be helpful for this trial. Mineta needed to say something, no matter how futile it would be.

"Sensei! You can't be serious about doing–!"

"And why not? Through all the fame and glamour, being a Hero is a high stakes job that has you carrying the lives of many on your shoulders. Should you buckle to the pressure, chaos will waste no time consuming the peace your forefathers have brought about. So if cannot handle this little test, what makes you think I'll let you handle a real crisis?" Aizawa interrupted, bloodshot eyes glaring at him. The short boy couldn't argue with that and had to bite his tongue. This was a corner he couldn't get Midoriya out of, he had break out under his own power.

As their teacher began walking away, he said one last thing to all of them. "Prove me wrong."

Mineta could feel the determination radiate from everyone. Even his friend mustered up some courage to those words. It's for real now, no turning back. They all lined up for the first event on schedule, the 50 meter dash. With two students at a time, Mineta watched his classmates make their runs with varying results.

Iida just completely demolished this part, the engines in his legs launching him forward. His total time was a brief 3.04 seconds. The girl that ran, more liked frog hopping, with him, Asui Tsuyu, had a time of 5.58 seconds.

Uraraka tapped her clothes and shoes, though the shorter boy had no idea what that actually did for her. But whatever that was, it still only resulted in a fairly average time of 7.15. The guy with the tail, Ojiro Mashirao, was a full second ahead of her.

Midoriya and Bakugou's turn. Both of them started normal enough, until the human grenade used his Quirk in the middle of it. He launched forward like a bullet, resulting in a time of 4.13. The green haired boy however got a time of 7.02, average compared to everyone else. "Don't mind it Midoriya, you'll find your footing." Mineta thought as he got ready to run.

The first thing he did was put balls on the starting block and pressed his feet hard into it. Already, Mineta could feel his body being rejected by the things and had to really to dig in. Once the signal to start sounded, he let go of the ground and sprung forward and covered at least half of the 50 meter track. The rest of the way, he just sprinted as hard as his little legs could. "5.82 sec." He heard the machine said. Five seconds better than his Middle School time, looks like the Quirk does make the difference.

Still, that only proves how big of a hurdle Midoriya was facing.

The next event was the grip test. Mineta first watched his friend do it and again, the results were rather unimpressive. And to think 56 Kg was strong for their age in the past. He was in a similar position, with the strength he mustered only going up to 47 Kg.

"Seriously!? 540 kg!? Are you an octopus or a gorilla?" He heard. Looking over, it was from the tallest member of their class who had at least three hands gripping the device. Although, his immediate thought to that sight had zero pertinence to the task at hand.

"Octopus… That's pretty sexy…"

"M-Mineta-kun!?" Midoriya said, taking a step back from his short friend. Even that spooked him, so much that he forgot about his terrible score.

The next event was the standing long jump. While Mineta was able to clear a large distance using a few of his balls, Midoriya's distance was painfully short. As his friend sat in sand, the anxiety within Mineta began growing. Was this a sign that things were not meant to be?

The fourth event was side to side stepping and the shorter boy demolished it. Stacking balls between the boundaries and throwing himself into one, he was able to bounce between the two stacks at break neck speeds. Although… He really couldn't stop on his own.

"Get me off this crazy ride!" Mineta shouted, resulting in Midoriya pulling him out.

"That was incredible! Really puts my efforts to shame…" He commented, immediately reflecting back on his own performance. Mineta really needed to try and get his spirit up, even if the effectiveness of them were blunted by his own superior scores.

"Don't give up! You can pull through! I know you can!"

Midoriya just gave a half hearted smile, he hasn't given up… But his friend already had one foot in the grave called despair. Damn it, what was there to do? There was no way to cheat or help him. The only real option was if Mineta deliberately got abysmal scores from here on out. But even then, he might have already scored too many points and Midoriya would definitely not accept his sacrifice. The only thing Mineta could hope for was a miracle.

The class went on to the ball throw, some throwing good pitches and some throwing bad pitches. That was until Uraraka stepped up and threw it. The softball slowly kept climbing higher and higher, getting further and further without stopping. And after a full five minutes, Aizawa just turned his phone around to show the infinity symbol on it. Mineta and Midoriya especially paled to that result.

"Midoriya, you're up." Aizawa said. As Midoriya shuffled forward, muttering something to himself, Mineta listened in on the conversations nearby.

"Midoriya-kun isn't doing very well…" Iida said, his tone sounding concerned. At least Mineta could take solace in the fact that he wasn't the only one worried for his friend. Though, Bakugou had to ruin it by spilling the beans over his friend's former 'condition'.

"Of course he isn't, the little shit's Quirkless."

"Surely you're joking. Haven't you heard of his feats during the entrance exam?" Iida replied. Good come back, that'll surely make him confused.

"Huh? Now you're the one fucking with me. Hey imp shit, tell him what's wrong with Deku."

Oh great… Iida looked at Mineta and he had to use all of his power to not show any nervousness. What should he say? Since Bakugou knows, he won't be able to easily escape with a lie… A half-truth maybe? But would it even fool these two smart dudes?

Fortunately or unfortunately, Midoriya's throw result distracted them all with a score of… 58 meters. He can already see Bakugou's smirk on his face, not helping the feeling of sorrow within Mineta. It's over, Midoriya won't be able to catch up…

"Just for the record, I erased your Quirk before your throw." Aizawa said, drawing in the attention again. The man then pulled at his scarf, unfurling as it all floated around his head. More strangely, his hair was standing up as well, slightly swaying in the breeze. Mineta was stunned, he never took this appearance before during his training period. Midoriya on the other hand was half awestruck and half startled, his eyes staring at something the shorter boy couldn't see.

"Erased… Those goggles… Of course, you're Eraserhead, the Erasure Hero!"

Now that sent a chill up Mineta's spine, his memories pulling up facts Midoriya told him before in the past. Eraserhead operates at night, where crime is more likely to happen. Using predator tactics and his ability to negate Quirks, he ambushes Villains and takes them out before they could fight back. But because he shuns the media, Eraserhead is more of a passing shadow few know about.

And this was the person that trained him.

Aizawa approached Midoriya, saying something to him that no one could make out. But based on how Midoriya was apprehensive and how his former master was looming over him, Mineta knew it was nothing good. Their teacher's hair and scarf fell back down and he handed the green haired boy another softball. At least, he was getting a second chance… But that might be the last straw.

Mineta muted out all the other conversations happening around him focused on Midoriya. He was muttering to himself again, his face darkening by the second. Maybe he should say something to raise his spirits, but that might ruin his friend's concentration... What to do…

That's when he saw Midoriya move, taking a throwing form similar to the times he and Mineta practiced fielding. But this time, he was swinging his arm in a wide arc. But what he hadn't expected was the soft glow on one of Midoriya's fingers and the ripping shockwave that soon followed. The shorter boy's eyes widened as the ball flew far from anyone's sight, with Midoriya shouting something towards Aizawa.

"S-Sensei! I can still move…!"

Mineta could see that his friend's finger, the same one that glowed, was horribly bruised and bloodied. But it wasn't broken, Midoriya still stood strong as his eyes shined brightly. The shorter boy couldn't help but break into a smile, Midoriya was just that awesome. And many others thought so too, all of them cheering the green haired boy.

Though…

"You little shit! What the Hell is this!?" Bakugou screamed, his dash forward augmented by explosives. Before the human grenade could even get a swing in, his body was halted by strands of cloth and his Quirk fizzled out. Aizawa, once more showing his abilities, was holding back his student with ease.

"Just so you kids know, this is my personal capture weapon. It's made of carbon fibers and a special alloy wire, practically inescapable once you get tangled in it. Also stop getting violent with your Quirks, I have dry eye."

Mineta's sentiments were the same as everyone else's, what a setback. Still, thanks to their teacher, Midoriya was able to side step his childhood friend and come back.

"Is your finger okay?" Uraraka asked.

"Yeah man, that doesn't look healthy at all." Mineta said. A part of him wants to be in on this conversation, but he senses a budding friendship between the two. Maybe he should let them interact more, see where that development would end. And depending on things went, he could… Push them closer. But that was something for another day.

"It hurts a little… But I'm still fit enough for the rest of the events…" Midoriya replied.

"You were really cool you know, that ball just went flying." Mineta said, his arms replicating Midoriya's throwing form. Uraraka was nodding like crazy to his words, also replicating the form but not nearly as well. It was adorable really.

"That would definitely be one for the record books."

"No… Your score was definitely more impressive…" Midoriya was blushing. The shorter boy could feel his inner mastermind twiddling his fingers at the two. But before any other thought could formulate, he heard his name be called.

"Mineta! Your turn!"

"Yes Sir!"

From that point on, Mineta never bothered to try too hard. His pitch in the ball throw was just his standard fastball. It didn't comparably get a lot of distance but many others applauded him for his perfect pitching form. And during the remaining events, the shorter boy deliberately did worse than Midoriya despite his protests. He didn't like pitying his friend like that, but Mineta didn't have the heart to overshadow him after that amazing throw.

So the events ended with more lack luster results… And so came the dreaded results. The shorter boy patted Midoriya's arm with the full weight of his emotions, doing his best to ready him for the inevitable. Mineta didn't want their dream to become the greatest Hero duo to end, but there was nothing he could do. He looked at Midoriya again and noted the frustration and sadness in his face. Even his eyes were closed so that he could hide his shame.

"No matter what Midoriya… You're still a Hero to me…" Mineta said, using his other hand to wipe at his eyes.

"I know Mineta-kun… I know…"

Aizawa brought up a hologram to show the final scores. And predictably, Midoriya was in last place and is the person who'll be expe–

"I was also lying about the expulsion thing." Aizawa said flatly. Mineta's arms fell to his side as Midoriya's eyes shot open, Uraraka and Iida staring right at their teacher. The scraggly man gave them all a smug grin as more words came out of his mouth.

"It was a logical ruse meant to bring out the best in you."

"WHAT!?" Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida shouted, each of them showing their surprise wildly. As for Mineta… He was on his knees, screaming incoherently at the sky away from the class.

"Of course it was a lie; he wouldn't expel us for something like this…" The girl with the pony tail, Yaoyorozu Momo, replied; sweat rolling down her head at the sight. Mineta, still on his knees, turned around and gestured at her with tired eyes.

"Lady… Just don't. I literally can't even right now."

"Anyway, that's all for today. You can find the printouts about the year's general curriculum, the class schedules, and stuff back at the classroom. Midoriya, take this slip and go to Recovery Girl's office to get that finger fixed. And just so you know, tomorrow won't be any easier. Dismissed." Aizawa said. The man then gave Midoriya a slip and walked off to parts unknown.

Mineta shook his head as he got up, dusting his knees and went to Midoriya. "Let's go man, I need to get away from this crazy…"

"Yeah, let's…"

And as the two followed their classmates back to the main building, Mineta began seeing a smile on his friend's face. That made the shorter boy held his head a little higher than before, seeing that they dodged a bullet. The dream's not dead yet, they still had a chance to make their mark.

Look out UA, the next great Hero duo is here to stay!

And that has been Chapter 9!

I really have nothing to say this update so I'll just close it hear. Just remember to leave a question, comment, or concern and I'll get back to you.

So with that said...

Until Next Time. T1.