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

After the arrival of UA's Instructors, the League of Villains were quickly defeated and detained. However, Shigaraki and Kurogiri, the leaders of the attack, escaped to parts unknown. And while a most of the students of 1A got out unscathed, Midoriya and their teachers needed medical attention, Thirteen and Aizawa especially. So at best, today's victory can be considered bittersweet.

Right now, Mineta and his classmates were being brought back to UA on a bus. And as one would expect, there wasn't much of a conversation going around. Not that the shorter boy minded as it gave him plenty of time to think, mostly on his own absurd level of mediocrity. Even though he helped during the escape from the flooded zone, he felt like he should've done more afterwards.

Instead, he froze or gave up completely when the situation went so far south, it would be in Canada or some other far north country.

"Mineta-chan, those dead eyes are starting to make you look like a fish. It's creepy."

The shorter boy snapped out of his thoughts and looked next to him, fully reminded that Tsuyu was sitting next to him. It took him a few moments to process what she was saying, the degenerate part of his brain throwing more thoughts into the slush pile of thoughts. But once he finally cleared his head, it dawned on him that the girl just called him creepy. And not because Mineta was being his usual, perverted self.

He supposed that's a step up.

"I was just thinking about today…" Mineta replied as he rubbed his eyes.

"Yes, today was certainly something to consider. If All Might hadn't showed up, I dread to think what would become of us." Tsuyu replied, her face stiller than a stone. Thinking about it, Mineta never really saw his amphibious classmate show any real emotion. But he supposed that means she would be able to remain calm despite life threatening crises.

"Even then, you were pretty calm back there, being able to move and all. If the Villains weren't out of our league, I'd say you and Midoriya could've made a difference." He said as a small but wistful smile on his face. Mineta's eyes then drifted to his classmates, each one either contemplating or conversing on the USJ attack. And despite the crisis they've experienced, they were still holding their heads high.

But upon turning back to Tsuyu, he saw how she was observing him. Her head was tilted slightly as her blank eyes stared deeply into his. Mineta was now caught in a loop as changing or keeping his expression would tip Tsuyu off to his true thoughts. And with her next words, the shorter boy knew she figured him out.

"Mineta-chan, give yourself some credit. Without you, we wouldn't have escaped the Flooded Zone so cleanly."

"I know… But everything that happened afterwards? I could've done something to help you and Midoriya. It would've been pointless, but at least it's better than standing around too afraid to move." He said, averting his eyes from Tsuyu.

"Maybe, but no one would blame you for acting the way you did. It was a bad situation and anyone would've done the same." The girl replied, her normally flat tone becoming more and more encouraging. Still, Mineta wasn't convinced at all. After all, he wasn't just anybody; he was supposed to be a Hero in Training. Tsuyu sighed and laid a hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, putting the weight of her words into the gesture.

Mineta, upon receiving the gesture he normally used on Midoriya, began to feel his woes melt away. It felt nice…

"All of us are still young Mineta-chan, both as Heroes and as people. It's why we're attending UA, to learn how to become like the Heroes we admire. But we have to remember that all the greats started out as students that were no different from us. And by scrapping through situations like the one we faced today, they could become the legends we know them for. So when you say you're weak or afraid, remember that so were they at one point." Tsuyu said.

Those words rang through Mineta, but somehow it wasn't sticking nearly as much as it should. His amphibious classmate was absolutely correct, all Heroes started out as weak and afraid as he was. And by overcoming that fear, they become the inspiration that allow others to do the same. But his heart wasn't in it like it once was when he first met Midoriya.

And as he recalled the sight of his reliable back, it seemed to get further and further away from him.

Mineta hung on that last thought, brows furrowing in confusion. When did that sight become so distant? The shorter boy had looked up to Midoriya and worked hard to become worthy of his friendship, but this felt like some kind of deification. Like the kind where he would never be able to reach the same heights as the one placed on a pedestal. And through this, Mineta would underplay his own efforts and achievements to absurd levels.

Was that why he felt this way? Was it because he constantly compared himself to Midoriya and everyone else?

"I… I think I need to reevaluate myself…" Mineta sighed as he closed his eyes.

"That would definitely for the best. There's value to your being here, that much I know. But what that maybe is up to you to find out." Tsuyu replied. Mineta slowly nodded to his amphibious classmate before she removed her hand from his shoulder. He then turned to stare out the window, entering a stage of deep thought once more.

From here, things just passed Mineta by as his body went into automatic. Too lost in his thoughts to notice that 1A made it back to UA without further incident. Too absorbed over Tsuyu's words to realize he changed out of his costume. Too concerned over his own severe incompetence to pay attention to his surro–

"OW!" Mineta grunted as he clutched his face. Looking up, he saw that he was in front of the Nurse's Office. He raised an eyebrow as he rubbed his throbbing nose, did he came here to fetch Midoriya?

"Well, at least I can still be called his friend. No man left behind." Mineta mumbled as he knocked on the door. A moment later, a short old lady in a lab coat a size too big for her opened the door just enough for the two to make eye contact. This is Recovery Girl, one of the best Healers in the city and possibly the country.

"Ah, you must be here for Midoriya, he just finished recovering." She said before turning back into the room. Mineta really couldn't get a word in before the door opened a little more, allowing his friend to slip through with backpack in hand. While the shorter boy wanted to ask why they were being sneaky with door… He concluded it probably had something to do with All Might, who should be in the room as well.

But, that was not his secret to uncover.

"Hey man, glad to see you're still in one piece. How's our Symbol of Peace?" Mineta asked, tone as casual as it can be. Midoriya flinched a little at the question, as expected of a secret keeper, but he quickly came back to his usual, optimistic self. Nice recovery.

"All Might's fine, just some cuts and bruises in a few places. Nothing some ointment and sleep can't fix." He replied.

"Always with the ointment… Anyway, you ready to go?" Mineta asked, noting how Midoriya was already out of his substitute Hero costume and in his school uniform. His partner just nodded as he slipped his arms through the backpack's straps. And with a wave farewell to Recovery girl, with Midoriya's parting words being a nervous 'see you later', the two began making their way out of UA.

Midoriya and Mineta walked through the empty halls in silence as the remnants of the setting sun finally vanished. Outside the window, the shorter boy noted how bright the stars seemed to shine that night. It was as though the sky put on her best evening dress that was decorated with the finest gemstones. But it did leave him wondering… For every brilliant light that reaches them, how many thousands are drowned out by the cold void of space?

How many martyrs die, forsaken and forgotten, for each Hero that's commemorated?

"Mineta-kun? Are you okay? You're… Crying…"

The shorter boy looked over to his friend and noticed how blurry he was. And upon wiping his eyes, Mineta felt just how tearstained they were. "Huh… Looks like I am…"

"Is… Is this about that attack on the USJ?" Midoriya asked carefully. Close, but no cigar. This kind of made the shorter boy wondered if his partner knew him like he did. Another step in the downward spiral towards endless incompetence, so below average that even his best friend doesn't want to deal with his problems.

"Yeah… That was pretty scary… We'd almost died…"

"It was, but that's not what I'm talking about. You feel like you should've done something more." Midoriya replied. The shorter boy stopped and so did his partner, both of their gazes meeting. Mineta's eyes were teary, uncertain, and surprised. Midoriya's eyes were focused, stalwart, and encouraging.

"How did–?"

"We've been best friends for almost three years; I can tell when you're second guessing yourself. And I guess today's the breaking point isn't it?" Midoriya answered, his tone calm and level. Mineta was the first to advert his eyes, his sight now focusing on some arbitrary spot on the ground.

"I just want to be useful to someone…" The shorter boy said, fists tightly clenched until his knuckles were white.

"But you are! If you weren't there are the flooded zone, Asui-san and I would be fish food."

"Then what about after that? When you tried to blow away that hand covered guy and Tsuyu was trying to get you away from that giant monster, what was I doing? Nothing, I just stood there and watched that guy reach towards me and Tsuyu. If All Might hadn't showed up, all three of us would be dead." Mineta spat back.

It didn't feel right to refute what Midoriya was saying; especially when he was doing everything he could to encourage him. But there was no changing reality; he didn't do anything even when his classmates were in trouble. Midoriya, however, refused to believe that, the light in his eyes and the weight of his words showing just that.

"We would've been dead no matter what any of us did, that encounter was just WAY over our level. So what if you didn't do anything? That's a normal reaction to have given what we been through. There's only so much fear a person could take before they freeze up. Even I have my limits, regardless of how much courage you think I have. And hey, at least you didn't run away screaming in the other direction." He replied.

Mineta wanted to argue against that. But like with Tsuyu, he couldn't really find any reason to. What he was saying makes sense, especially that last statement. He could've taken advantage of the fact that Shigaraki and Nomu would be distracted by his classmates to swim as fast and far away as he could. Mineta would've lived while Midoriya and Tsuyu would certainly die. It was the true coward's way, surviving at the cost of one's dignity and allies.

But Mineta didn't take that path. Instead, he chose to die at their sides. And that thought made him felt a little better, knowing that he wouldn't just abandon people.

"Yeah, I guess that counts for something…" Mineta said, holding his head a little higher. A quick glance towards his partner and the shorter boy noticed something. There was still a fire in Midoriya's eyes and words on his tongue.

"No, it's not just something… That part of you is everything that I'm grateful for."

Midoriya's voice was just as calm and level as it was. But Mineta had to take a step back at the sheer impact of his words. He didn't stutter or mumble. He didn't avert his eyes. The green haired boy had looked straight ahead at Mineta and put all of his heart into those words.

Mineta could only hang his mouth agape to that, words completely failing him. And through this pause, his friend pressed the advantage and continued speaking his mind.

"When we first met, you told me that there's a Hero in me and even offered to be my partner in crime. It was the first time in my life that someone believed in me, believed that I can be something more than just a Quirkless weakling. What's more, you didn't waver when Kacchan and everyone else picked on you. You kept faith and stuck around."

Those words brought back all the memories from before UA. Of the times Mineta argued against Bakugou and his cronies. Of the times the two had to downplay their bruises to Mrs. Midoriya. Of all the times Mineta had to reaffirm Midoriya every time he felt unable to reach his dreams. There was of course the irony that came with it, as the roles have now been swapped. Mineta wiped at his eyes and silently nodded to his friend. Yeah, he did do that.

"Do you remember what you told me beneath the underpass? Before that sludge Villain caught us? You said 'there are plenty of jobs that involve helping and saving people… But Heroes can do one thing better than they could, and that's bringing hope to others'." Midoriya continued.

"Yeah… I did say that…" Mineta replied, a smile forming because he knew where this was going.

"Well then, by that logic, that would make you a Hero too. 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." Midoriya said. Despite his calm voice, Mineta felt the roar of his partner's words. It completely shattered his doubt and the pride he held came back full force.

He was Mineta Minoru, partner to the Midoriya Izuku, and nothing was going to change that.

"Man… When did you get so cool?" Mineta asked with a laugh, wiping his eyes one last time.

"It just happened, though I guess that's the thing about change. We just don't know when it happens. But if I can grow like this, so can you. We just got to keep trying and face tomorrow with everything we got. Are you with me?" Midoriya said as he held his fist out. Mineta nodded and bumped it with a fist of his own.

"I'll do my best, partner."

And that has been Chapter 16! It was a true struggle to write this and I had to channel the full power of my feels to get these results.

"And I say it was a job well done. You built it up over the course of several chapters and now you picked the fruits of your labor."

I hope so. If our dear audience didn't enjoy this chapter, I'd seriously question my ability as writer right about now. So please, leave a review on how I did, give me that sweet validation.

"Given up on the subtly huh? Well, I guess that's the mark of a growing author too. The blatant demand for reviews."

Oh shush you. Any how, I've been thinking about what I should do for the next chapter and I had two choices between canon and nonsense... But then after some thought about whether or not to put it up to a vote, I decided that, F it, I'm going to bludgeon you with nonsense of the highest order.

"And you're getting indecisive? Truly this an update to say that you're becoming more and more like a professional writer."

I have no rebuttals for that... But that is all I have for this update. Still looking for work and being a responsible adult, so keep wishing me luck on that front. With all that said...

Until Next Time. T1.

"Chao Chao."