I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.

Since that day, Mineta and Bakugou showed more restraint towards the other. While they still expressed disdain for one another, no further arguments have broken out. And even when the two were placed on the same team, their tolerance held up. Though that was only achieved because they've kept communication to a minimum. After all, if no one talked more than necessary then no one exploded.

That was the silent rule Mineta and Bakugou had established between them.

And so, Class 1A felt a calm unlike anything they've experienced since their arrival at UA. But when the final week of June came, this delicate peace they've come to know would soon crumble. The shadow of an inescapable danger began to cast itself over UA. And this danger was so great that not even the teachers could even hope to stop it…

END OF TERM EXAMS.

"This is the way the world ends… Not with a bang… But a whimper…" Kaminari moaned as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Indeed… This is perhaps our darkest hour yet." Tokoyami said, sweating rolling down his feathers.

"If both of you have time to wax over hopelessness, then go do some studying. And wasn't English your best subject?" Jirou asked, poking the electric blonde with her jacks.

"My other grades left it bleeding in a ditch…" Kaminari muttered before sinking further into his stupor. Mina's laughter was then heard over all this anxious clamoring, sounding strong and hopeful. However, if anyone listened close enough, they could pick out the sheer despair buried deep within her.

Not that she was the only one; all of 1A felt the pressure in different ways.

This whole situation stemmed from what Aizawa had said a few weeks ago. The Hero classes have the opportunity to go to a forest lodge during their summer break. And not only would it help accelerate their Hero training, but it'll also help them unwind from all the school work. All of this didn't come without its risks however. Should someone fail, that person will be trapped at UA in remedial Hell for the rest of summer.

"I'm more worried about the practical than anything else. At least we'll know what to expect on the written test." Mineta commented while he fidgeted with his baseball. All the various grips he knows were starting to feel even more natural in his left hand. He wouldn't know if it would be as accurate or as effective as his right... But it never hurts to be prepared.

"That is an issue… Hopefully the teachers won't be too unreasonable." Tsuyu replied with a nod. It was here that Kaminari became even more lifeless while Mina began to cry her poor heart out. The shorter boy soon began to mentally kick himself for making such a careless comment. The atmosphere and tension was bad enough as it is; now the despair was actually palatable.

"It's over… I'm looking forward to all the stories you guys have to tell…" Mina said sobbing.

"Ashido-san! Kaminari-kun! Don't give up! We'll all pull through one way or another. If you stop here, you'll never reach your fullest potential." Midoriya said, doing his best to sound encouraging.

"Umm… I might be able to assist you two with the class materials. Though I have nothing for the practical portion…" Yaoyorozu said before lowering her head in defeat. Mina's face immediately brightened while Kaminari was revived from his death like state. The two began to cheer as they approached her, thanking her for her merciful offer.

"Calm down you two, you'll smother her. But, uh, if you don't mind Yaomomo, I need a bit of help too. Quadratic functions still got me stumbling." Jirou said as she took out her notebook.

"And I need some help with classical literature. So may I join the party?" Sero asked, clapping his hands together.

"Could I come as well? I need to brush up on Science…" Ojiro said as he rubbed the back of his head. These earnest requests for aid had changed Yaoyorozu's surprise into pure simple joy. She gladly accepted her classmates' requests and quickly began scheduling a group study session. Mineta stared at the group before turning back to his own.

"Maybe we should do a group study too. That way, all our bases will be covered."

"Sounds good, we can meet up at Mott Teahouse. Does Wednesday after school work for everyone?" Midoriya asked as he looked to Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu, and Todoroki.

"As long as it's not Friday then I'm good. That's sales hunting day." Uraraka said with a nod.

"I'll try to make it. I usually help my little siblings with their school work." Tsuyu replied.

"I have to make a delivery run for my brother first. So expect me to be a little late, as much as that pains me to say." Iida answered, clenching his fist.

"I like tea." Todoroki said with a nod.

"Then that's that. We're going to nail this thing!" Mineta shouted confidently. The class door opened and Aizawa stepped through, causing 1A to immediately go to their seats. He stood at the teacher's podium and looked to his students. He then proceeded to let out a hum of satisfaction.

"Good, you're all in high gear today. Let's hope that'll be enough to get you over the exams." Aizawa said as he began his daily announcements. From that point, class proceeded as it always had. But the sole difference is that 1A was more attentive to what was being taught. The slackers like Mina and Kaminari were actually paying attention. While the more studious students like Yaoyorozu and Iida were making even more detailed notes.

But even with the written portion taken care of… That still left the practical. And by lunch time, no one still had any idea of what that might entail.

"Do you think the practical will cover what we did in Hero Fundamentals?" Uraraka asked before munching on some rice. The noise of Lunch Rush's cafeteria was lower than normal, no doubt some groups had already begun studying. Mineta hummed to that, racking his brain for any sort of clue. But the moment he factored in Aizawa and Fenghuang's roundabout teaching methods, he knew the practical could literally be anything. So with a shrug, he began to chow down on his hotdog.

If it was going to be this mysterious, there's no point in worrying. They'll just have to wait and take it to the chin as best as they could.

"Whatever the case, keeping our selves in tip top shape is– OWW!" Midoriya began before crying out in pain after someone purposefully bumped the back of his head. Everyone at the table snapped up from their meals and looked to Midoriya. That was when they saw 1B's Monoma Neito looking down on them. Mineta had to hold back a frustrated sigh. He just finished dealing with one pompous ass, now there's another.

"Oh I'm sorry, your head was just so big that I couldn't help but hit it." Monoma said with a smirk.

"May I ask what issue you have with us?" Iida asked solemnly, the glare off his glasses becoming pronounced. However, despite the attempt at intimidation, the arrogant boy continued to be condescending.

"Me? I have no issue with you, not when your class is already full of them. I've heard two of you had gotten into a fight recently. Are you all so bored of your victories that you're now starting your own trouble? How pathetic, it's no wonder I haven't heard any more good news out of your class. You're all so sloppy that people have started to censor you!" Monoma taunted. While his use of outdated events was laughable, the rest of it still pissed Mineta off. But getting into a fight with Monoma now will only validate his claims.

So for now, the shorter boy has to roll with the verbal punches.

"Oh, I should really get going before I'm seen with you. I don't to be blacklisted like you! So be as rowdy as you like 1A! We'll take your place long before you– Gah!" Monoma began before he yelped in pain and began falling over. From behind him, Kendo Itsuka quickly caught the tray her classmate held and his limp body.

"I'm really sorry about this guy; he's been a bit unhinged since you beat us at the Sports Festival." She said as she put down Monoma's body on a nearby chair. The girl then took a look at Mineta, her expression showing hesitance over something. Midoriya noticed this detail and carefully broached the subject as best as he could.

"Is there something wrong Kendo-san?"

"Ah! No, I just remembered something an upperclassman told me. Apparently the practical portion of our test will be like the entrance exam. We'll be fighting robots and accumulating points." She answered, waving her hands before her. But regardless of the gestures she made, Kendo's words surprised them all. They were going against the faux Villains?

"Really? Oh man, we should've thought of that. Acquiring new knowledge is a skill all Heroes need when dealing with unknown factors. Had this been a professional setting, we would've charged in blind. That's risky… We'll have to be careful from now on." Midoriya said before devolving into his signature muttering. Kendo slowly backed away as the green haired boy kept going with his line of thought. That was until someone regained consciousness.

"Damn it Kendo… You've just thrown away our intelligence advantage… We could've actually bested those detestable 1A mongrels." Monoma said before taking another chop to the neck.

"They're not mongrels or detestable. At least, not all of them are…" Kendo said going into a nearly inaudible mumble. She then glanced back at Mineta, teal eyes trying to burn a hole through his skull. The shorter boy bristled as he looked away, hand shielding the side of his face.

"I think she's still upset over what you did during the Sports Festival." Tsuyu said as she watched the 1B students sit down amongst their classmates.

"I know…" Mineta replied, wiping the sweat from his neck.

"Wait, why are we waiting around? We should really finish our lunch and get back to the gang. I'm sure they would like the status update." Uraraka said before going garbage disposal on her meal.

"Good idea, I'm sure Ashido-kun and Kaminari-kun would be relieved upon hearing such great news." Iida replied with a nod. And so, their group went back to eating, the worry of the practical gone. But as Mineta finished his lunch, he couldn't help but feel something was off. He didn't think 1B was lying about the robots… But something was stopping him from completely buying the story.

Call him paranoid. But Mineta has a good sense when it comes to cryptic nonsense thanks to his two masters. This simple task could, in reality, be hiding the most Herculean trial they'll face in school.

Mineta should voice this suspicion the first chance he gets.

And that has been chapter 55! A relatively boring chapter, seeing that it's the set up to the Practical portion of the end of term exams. But I did my best to make it interesting. From 1A's reactions to the upcoming exams, to the gang's encounter with 1B, I wanted to make sure there was something to catch your attention.

Did I succeed? Or was this all just a bore? I eagerly await for your response.

Since I've got no other news this week... Next update, we'll be seeing just what sort of nonsense 1A will be thrown into. And though we know what will happen, there will be a slight twist to this test of skill. So with all that said...

Until Next Time. T1.