I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.
"You should be thankful that your lives were spared. If it had been any other Villain, you wouldn't be here." Nighteye said sternly with a glare. And despite having bandaging over his eyes, it was still as intense as ever.
Right now, Mineta and Midoriya were sitting in Nighteye's Hospital room. The operation had just concluded an hour ago and yet… Neither of the two actually knew how they got here. One minute, they were in a corridor of the Shie Hassaikai basement. The next minute, they were at the hospital getting their injuries treated. Were they so distracted that they didn't notice until now?
It just goes to show how these events had shaken Mineta and Midoriya…
"We're sorry… When we saw Chisaki about to die, we just…" Midoriya began, eyes reflecting the last living moments of Overhaul.
"Jumped out… But it's not like we could sit by and watch someone die." Mineta said, his eyes blankly staring at the floor. Nighteye continued to stare at the young boys before letting out a long sigh.
"Don't misunderstand me, that wasn't the issue I was referring to. If anything, I find that sort of bravery reassuring. The problem comes when you provoked him into a fight. The man was able to kill Chisaki Kai and wound us… He wasn't someone a pair of students could capture with raw determination and hastily thrown plans. I'm only saying this to protect you two from the recklessness that has claimed so many Heroes. Even All Might was a victim to this foolhardiness…" He replied, subtly gesturing to where the Symbol of Peace was critically injured. And though the two boys said nothing, Nighteye was able to understand them.
"You both have a brilliant future ahead of you as the next great Hero duo… Don't make the same mistakes we did… You may go now. And please, think on how to handle a Villain who isn't inherently hostile towards you."
"Yes Sir…" Midoriya and Mineta said. The boys then shuffled out of the hospital room, bodies feeling heavier than ever. Even the sights of Uraraka and Tsuyu, who were waiting outside of the room, did little to lift their spirits. Still, they did try to put on a smile. At the very least, they shouldn't weigh anyone else down with the problems in their hearts.
"Uraraka-san… How are things going?" Midoriya asked. But upon getting a closer look at her and Tsuyu's face, Mineta could tell that they were bearing some serious news.
"It's… Going, I guess. Togata-senpai is completely healthy, despite his condition. Kirishima-kun is okay, just wrapped up like a mummy. Ryukyu is still in the ER but isn't in any danger. Eri-chan though…" Uraraka replied, growing increasingly hesitant after mentioning Eri's name. Mineta and Midoriya noticeably tensed to that, the stress of the day coming back. They went through all of this for her sake… If something happened to her then…
"She has a high fever and is unconscious. She lost control of her power when we left the Hassaikai building. Luckily, before any harm could be done, Aizawa-sensei stopped her. They're observing her in quarantine right now." Tsuyu said, finishing Uraraka's words. The two boys let out a light sigh of relief. Okay… It wasn't like that…
And as if to realize what she had said, Uraraka quickly tried to correct herself whilst fidgeting around.
"Ah! I didn't mean to give you guys more stress! Since you guys worked so hard on this raid, I just wanted to–"
"Uraraka-san, it's okay." Midoriya said, placing both hands on the girl's shoulders. Uraraka stopped and stared at the green haired boy.
"With all that's happened, my brain was too occupied to notice what's going on. So thank you for being honest with me and telling us what happened."
"Y-Yeah… No problem…" Uraraka replied, her face slowly getting redder and redder. And for the longest while, Midoriya just kept staring cluelessly at the gravity defying girl. Then, like a switch, he realized what he was doing and all the blood went to his face. So with that, the green haired boy simply removed his hands and backed off a couple of steps.
Well… Even if today didn't go the way they wanted… At least some progress was being made elsewhere.
"Still… It's disturbing you two were in such a daze. When those Heroes brought you both to the surface, your eyes looked really unfocused. What happened down there?" Tsuyu asked. Mineta tensed up again. Should he say it? The reason why he and his partner were so troubled? I mean, Uraraka told them what was bothering them…
So why not do the same?
"They're bound to learn about it anyway… So I might as well…" Mineta thought, mentally preparing himself to relive those moments. And so, after steeling himself, the shorter boy began the retelling of their encounter with Damocles and Stain. But while Mineta omitted certain details, mostly the ideological argument they've lost, it still felt like they stood in that hallway for half an hour.
All while Uraraka and Tsuyu's expression fell more and more…
"And so… Here we are…" Mineta concluded as he casted his eyes on the floor once more.
"It's… Not our proudest moment…" Midoriya added with a sad smile.
"Oh man… I… I have no idea what to say…" Uraraka said. Even without looking up, Mineta could tell the gravity defying girl was thinking hard on how to cheer them up. As for Tsuyu… All the shorter boy could hear were the troubled croaking from her throat. It was as though she had lost all the words in her head at that moment.
"I wouldn't know what to say either… Even now, I could hardly believe this sort of thing happened… That we ALLOWED this sort of thing to happen…" Midoriya said as the smile ran away from his face.
"Midoriya-chan no… This isn't your fault, neither is it yours Mineta-chan. It's just like the USJ attack; we just weren't prepared for an intruder of that level." Tsuyu replied. Mineta let out a sigh as he clenched his fist. What she was saying made sense… And yet why does the pain in his heart remain? It was like it was constantly mocking them for their inability to do anything, even now.
"I know that… WE know that… But we didn't train this hard just for history to repeat itself. We got through the forest lodge attack, survived a serious bump in our relationship, and passed the Provisional license… Surely there was something we could've done. But I feel like all of that was for nothing! I feel like nothing!" Mineta shouted, the pain in his heart growing. How on earth was he supposed to rid himself of this feeling? No matter where his thoughts go, Mineta would encounter a large shadow blocking the path. And no matter what positives he used to prop himself up…
Mineta would just be swallowed by the shadow in the end… A feeling the shorter boy knew Midoriya felt too.
"Mineta-chan…" Tsuyu murmured, reaching out to the shorter boy. But after a moment, the amphibious girl retracted her hand and fell silent once more. Uraraka tried to say something to cheer everyone up. But when all three of them had become crestfallen, it was hard for her to really stoke the fires in their heart.
"It wasn't for nothing! Neither of you are nothing! You're just… We are…" Uraraka began before quickly losing her words. However, a new voice came onto the scene to help the girl along. And despite only saying a few words, they held energy and power of an entire speech.
"Only Human. We tend to forget that the moment the mask goes on."
Mineta's eyes snapped open as he turned to face the owner of that voice. And there, just standing several steps behind him, was the teacher that taught him so much about himself. The Radiant Wing Fenghuang was there, her wise smile widening as she saw Mineta's surprised face. However, before the shorter boy could say or do anything, the Heroine just put one hand up.
She then gestured towards Uraraka, giving her a chance to finish her thought. All eyes went back to the gravity defying girl… Her own brown eyes sparked by the meaning behind Fenghuang's words.
"We are just Human... Ordinary people trying to do extraordinary things… But sometimes, like anyone, we fail for reasons beyond our control. A really strong Villain messes things up, a building collapsing in the middle of a rescue, a cold that puts you away from the field… All of these things could just happen and we could only watch, especially when we're still just students. There are just things we can't stop…"
But then flames within Uraraka's eyes ignited. And within them was a resolve Mineta wished he had right now.
"But there are things we can do because we're human. We learn, we fight, and we grow. And as long as we live, we'll eventually become someone who overcomes the things that stopped us before. You pushed that armored guy further than 4 Pros and a Villain could, right? That means you two were closer than anyone to bringing him down. So next time, knowing his limits, you'll be able to win because I know you two. You're the next great Hero duo and I'm proud to call you my friends."
When Mineta heard those words, the pain in his heart became weaker. Even after the things they couldn't do, Uraraka still believed in them. She was still proud of them. And after but a moment, Tsuyu began speaking up as well, the flames in her eyes having been ignited as well.
"That's right… Since the beginning, you two together could do things no one else could. And it was always a sight to see when the two of you act as one. What's more is that, no matter what the circumstances were, you and Midoriya-chan always bounced back stronger than before. So what if you lost today? By the tomorrow, I'm certain you'll find a way to best him. Because that's how students like us could become like the greats… Right, Mineta-chan?"
"… I can't believe I've already forgotten that. Even if we don't get anywhere today–" Mineta began, a small smile forming on his face as he turned to his partner.
"We'll get somewhere tomorrow as long as we fight for it." Midoriya finished, light returning to his eyes. The two boys nodded to one another, feeling the strength in their bodies return. And though Mineta could still feel the pain in his heart, the warmth of the girls' words was something he couldn't ignore. It was here that Fenghuang approached the group, her wise smile adding to their rising strength.
"Well said you two. We're Human, so failure is inevitable. But because we're Human, we can grow stronger from those failures. As long as we never forget that, nothing is impossible. After all, it's how you all got this far. And based what I've heard so far from Miss Ryukyu and the others, I'm certain you'll go even further than they did." She said as she stood next to Mineta. The girls' eyes widened upon hearing the Dragoon Hero's name. And naturally, that was the first thing they asked.
"You saw Ryukyu? How is she?" Tsuyu asked.
"Other than the stitching across her abdomen, she is perfectly fine thanks to your sound first aid ability." Fenghuang replied.
"Aizawa-sensei did most of the work… So we didn't do much…" Uraraka said, a blush forming on her face.
"Regardless, Ryukyu wants to thank you both for your help. Go see her in room 309 and hear what she has to say." Fenghuang said, gesturing to the corridor she came from.
"Then we'll be going on ahead. So keep your chins up, okay?" Uraraka asked as she faced Midoriya.
"And try to remember those lessons you taught me. I'm sure it'll help now more than ever." Tsuyu said, turning to Mineta.
"Of course." Mineta and Midoriya said. And with that, the two girls walked down the corridor before disappearing around the corner. Now that left the two boys with the Radiant Wing. With the surprise of her appearance now calming down, the time for the main question was now. So, turning to his mentor…
"Why are you here Shifu? You don't usually leave Inuito unless you have business elsewhere."
"Hmm… Before I answer that, do you remember who it was that escorted you out?" Fenghuang replied, rubbing her chin as her eyes reflected a thought. Mineta tilted his head. Was there a reason for that? No, there was always a purpose behind her questions. But even then, the shorter boy couldn't recall any of the details. He was so distracted by what happened today that everything between Stain and Damocles leaving and now was a blur.
"It was a… Hero that dressed like a swashbuckler and… He wielded a fancy sword, a rapier I think, in his left hand." Midoriya said, slowly recalling the details. That was so like him, to absorb information on Heroes no matter the situation… Still, that description fits Vengador, the master fencer of the Heaven and Earth Temple. For Mineta to be unable to recall even him…
How distracted was he?
And as to answer that, Fenghung began speaking again. But this time, she sounded a lot more serious…
"I thought so… I didn't want to say this in front of your friends and demoralize them after their passionate words, but… You two are going to need more than a motivational speech to overcome your current predicament. After all, witnessing your first death and being absolutely defeated soon after isn't something your heart can forget…"
Overhaul's final moments flashed before Mineta's mind, as did Stain forcing them to accept their loss. But despite how quickly it passed, the shorter boy saw, heard, and felt everything in visceral detail. Damocles' contempt filled voice… The despair that filled Overhaul… The drops of blood that landed on his and Midoriya's face… The pain of being unable to do anything as Damocles and Stain shattered everything they stood for…
It all came back as easily as opening a door. And just like that, the warmth from the Tsuyu and Uraraka faded.
Allowing the pain in his heart to take center stage again…
Midoriya and Mineta's eyes fell upon the floor, the darkness returning to cloud their eyes. Of course… Even if they weren't to blame, the fact of the matter was that they still failed as Heroes. And that was going to be a lot harder to deal with than their lack of strength. That must be why their hearts hurt so much. Despair had finally taken root deep within them.
"Though casualties, especially deaths, are sometimes unavoidable, it is our duties as Heroes to preserve as much life as we could... We are often taught this to get us ready for the dark realties of Heroism. But what the schools don't, or can't, show is the true nature of such an event as it would irrevocably change us. It is why so many Heroes become different the moment they witness the truth… Death and despair has scarred their hearts… A scar you two now bear…" Fenghuang said grimly. Mineta and Midoriya could only continue stare at the ground, with silence being their only other response.
That was until Fenghuang gently laid her hands on boys' shoulder.
"Shifu…?" Mineta said as he and Midoriya looked up at the Heroine.
"But that doesn't have to be the end of it. One can learn to live with the wounds inflicted upon our souls. Through time, effort, and companionship, you, like many others, will find your way forward again. And whether you find yourselves once more… That will be for you to decide." She said, squeezing their shoulders.
"But… How do we move on from something like this?" Midoriya asked with still dull eyes.
"That is something I cannot tell you. While the words of friends, family, and mentors help alleviate the weight, finding the true answer ultimately lies with you. Inner peace could only be found within, through the storm that clouds our mind and the thorns that pierce our hearts. This is the path that we, the wounded, must travel to become whole again."
The Radiant Wing then pulled Midoriya and Mineta into a hug. It was surprising, but the shorter boy just melted into it. And after another moment, the green haired boy also accepted the embrace. The pain in their hearts didn't leave… But they, at the very least, could face tomorrow with a little more courage and hope. Combined with Uraraka and Tsuyu's warmth, this allowed the light within to stay lit.
However small it maybe…
"But know this, my young Heroes… Whatever answers you arrive at, I know you'll have the support of your friends. You are, after all, the next great Hero duo and they will await your return." Fenghuang said, pulling the duo a little closer. Mineta was speechless, but not because of his scarred heart. Instead, it was the tears from his face that stopped his words. Midoriya was much of the same, trying and failing to keep himself together.
The two boys returned the hug, crying into Fenghuang's shoulder. And the Heroine simply sat there; taking those tears as she slowly rubbed their backs. And for a while, they stayed there…
For the journey back up from the bottom begins the moment all this ends.
And that has been Chapter 107.
When I talk about the Dragon Path, I am referencing the Chinese legend of a carp climbing a great waterfall to become a dragon. And while I'm no mental health expert, nor have experience with trauma, I believe the analogy between facing one's inner pain and turmoil and this legend appropriate. It's about overcoming all odds and adversity before you and becoming stronger. So if you find yourself in such a position, I will be cheering you on. You will find your way forward along whatever Dragon Path you walk.
The right answer will come to you, I just know it.
So with that said...
Until Next Time. T1.