Mina didn't like the fact that her eyes were opening. She didn't like the fact that her alarm was going off. She didn't like the fact that it was daylight. A groan escaped her lips as she sat up, scrunching up the blanket, before swinging her legs free. "I couldn't…" Her palms dug against her eyes; rid herself of the lingering crust of sleep. "Ugh!" She arched her back as she shook her head. "I can't believe, 'Is this what Midoriya smells like?' was my first thought…!?" Her face was flushed, turning her pink skin red. "AAHHH!"

She froze stiff when she heard a wrapping of knocks against the door. "Hey…" It was Midoriya because of course it was. "I… uh… don't really know what your morning routine is, but um…" Her legs slowly slid out from under her as she safely fell to the ground. "Small apartment – thin walls. Y-You really can't be that loud, so… We really… um, have to be mindful about that." Her hands slowly covered her face as she hunched over. "So, yeah…" She shook her head. "G-Good talk – um… breakfast will be ready soon." She heard his footsteps cautiously and awkwardly walk away from his old bedroom door.

"I wanna die…" she thought. "I want a hole to open underneath me and swallow me whole…!" Another, quieter groan escaped her lips before shaking her head. "God…" Her palms smacked against her cheeks once or twice. "I gotta get it together…" She pushed herself onto her feet. "It's just… It's just Midoriya and Ms. Midoriya – Ms. Inko."

Mina pushed herself through her actual morning routine, getting dressed in the bare bones of her Shiketsu uniform. She stepped down the hall and spotted the folded futon in the corner of the living room. A turn of her body faced her towards the kitchen and dining table. All that high-strung anxiety that bubbled in her veins quickly quieted as she saw Inko leave the kitchen, setting the table.

"Good morning!" beamed Inko as she stepped out of her son's way as he placed drinks upon the table. "Did you have a good night's rest?"

"Yep! I slept like a baby," she lied through her teeth.

"That's great!" Inko pulled out the chair for her. "Come! We should all get breakfast down before…" She giggled, "Well, I guess we all have to go to work, don't we?"

Mina nodded, "Y-Yeah, I guess we do." She took her seat as Inko moved to sit across from her and Midoriya sat next to her. "W-What about you, Midoriya?" She nudged his shoulder, "I hope the floor wasn't too rough."

"Eh, it's good for your back," he said as he shrugged in his seat.

Her face contorted, "Is it?"

"No…" he whispered, subtly shaking his head.

Which earned a chuckle from Mina as she turned to Inko who opened her mouth to speak.

-X-

Mina turned back around as Midoriya closed the door behind them. In uniform, the pair made their way down the staircase and onto the sidewalk. "They seem like clockwork… Ms. Inko cooks breakfast, they eat, she leaves, and he makes sure everything's off in the apartment before he locks up…" She scratched her cheek. "Now that I actually think about it… That seems pretty normal…" She teetered her head. "Maybe I'm the abnormal one… Are most moms and dads gone before dawn…?" Her flat gaze widened for a moment, blinking, "Huh… They didn't have a lot of pictures hanging around the place… The few that I remember just had Ms. Inko and Midoriya in them…"

"He said it wasn't a sore spot, but then he got up and left pretty quickly afterwards…" She gave a subtle glance to Midoriya as they walked towards the train station. "Well, if it isn't one, I could ask him about it… If it is one, I'd have to apologize profusely after…" Her mind recalled the day they all properly met: that study session in Kaminari's room. "We all said we'd go see the fireworks display together… Hm…" Another detail from that day hitched onto her train of thought before she pondered, "Did Midori have a lot of friends growing up here?"

"Hm…" As Midoriya hummed, Mina's eyes widened as she realized that she said her thought aloud. "Not really," he answered with a forlorn smile. "No one like you guys."

Mina smiled at that. She was almost about to nudge him and tease over being so sappy, but then, she recalled why she had invaded his home in the first place. "No one like Kaminari?"

"…" He let out a breath from his nostrils, almost a sigh.

"What happened?" she asked. "You two have been avoiding each other and… I just…"

"I don't think there's anything you can do about it, Ashido." Midoriya's pace moved him ahead of her as he started upon the stairs towards the elevated station. "I told Kaminari that he'd get to decide to tell you guys – when or if at all."

Mina nearly chased him up the steps before stopping at the mid-way landing. "Are you… both still friends at least?"

He paused, looking over the railing to his right. "I don't know…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I know that really isn't an answer, but that's how I feel."

Her face contorted, a mix of her budding guilt and frustration. "You… You could've talked to us. Both of you."

"I know…" He chuckled as he stepped onto the station's platform. "Seems like we're both pretty stubborn."

She rolled her eyes, following after. "No kidding." She shook her head, crossing her arms. "I gotta be honest I didn't expect you to be."

"Yeah, I… didn't expect myself to be either." He waited on the yellow line for the train, crossing his arms. "But, there are times where you just… can't back down."

Mina stepped up next to him, cocking a brow. "Are you trying to sound cool?"

Midoriya turned to her, blinking, "No." He smiled, "Do I?"

"No," she said.

"Aw," he went.

Mina's mind wandered as they waited. "Shinso's probably right, though… The why…" Her head teetered, ignoring the bell chiming as a the train neared. "I was really hoping to figure out a way to fix all of this, but… I don't think I can…" Internally, she sighed, "If that's the case… Maybe I should text Ms. Inko and cancel this week-long stay… Probably have to call my Mom or Dad while I'm at it…" Her lips tightened for a moment before murmuring, "You know… I still feel like I don't know much about you…"

"Hm?" Midoriya raised a brow. "I guess?"

Her hands gripped the strap of her bag tightly. "Sports Festival… Seeing him in the hospital…" A feeling had bubbled as a pit in her stomach. She took a breath. "Your favorite food is still a pork-cutlet bowl, right?"

"Yeah?" His face contorted, "Where—" They both had to quickly grip their caps as the train blazed into the station, hissing to a halt.

The topic shifted as they boarded. "When's your birthday?" asked Mina.

"July 15th."

"Woah!" She clarified after seeing his surprised, confused face. "There are so many people in my class who were born in July!" She gestured to herself. "Including moi~."

"Really?"

She listed her fingers. "There's you now, me, Rin, Sero, and Shinso."

"I guess you can add my Mom to that list." Midoriya added, "The 4th."

Mina smiled, "We should all get together and have a little shindig for all of our birthdays."

Midoriya leveled a flat look. "Wow, a party of six people, one being my Mom. You really know how to plan 'em, don't ya?"

She noticed the upturn of his lips before acting offended and punching his shoulder. "You jerk!" She wagged her finger. "You've been spending too much time with Shinso and Jirou!" She pouted and crossed her arms. "It's turned you cynical and gave you a smart mouth!"

"Really?" he said with a great deal of sarcasm. She laughed and punched his shoulder again as he chuckled in turn before the train doors slid shut.

-XXX-

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open as Izuku stepped into Mount-Lady's office floor. His eyes landed on said Heroine who sat on the lounge's couch. She was in full costume, but was also adorned with a letterman-like jacket dyed in her colors with an assortment of branded logos here and there. "Kid," she greeted. "How's the arm?"

"She probably wouldn't believe me if I told I was completely healed… I don't really want to explain the whole Stain situation – especially if he shows up… Don't want her to think I'm a risk…" He faked a wince as he left the arm, rolling his shoulder. "I put some aloe lotion over it, so it should be all good to go."

"Okay." Mount-Lady jerked her thumb towards the restroom door. "Go get geared up, and then we'll head out on patrol."

"Oh, what's the plan?" he asked.

However, she dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "I'll tell you when you're dressed. Get going."

Izuku slowly nodded, "Okay…"

"Case's right there, kid," said Ichimoku, gesturing from his desk to the metal case on a random chair. His attention swiftly left Izuku's person and instead, went to his phone in hand. "No, it is not a fan meet-up. I need your guys far away from the route, and…" He sighed, giving a downtrodden look to his assistants as they all lowered their gazes. "Look, I'm willing to sweeten the pot and wet your mouths, okay? A real… scandal, alright?"

"What're they going on about…?" thought Midoriya as he walked into the restroom. "Are they talking to the press…? Trying to avoid getting swamped when she's out on patrol…?" He popped open the case and started to slip into his costume. "That doesn't really help me…" After his bodysuit was zipped up, his armor whirled into place and took his helmet into his hands. "How do I get his attention…? How do I even get him here…? How do I…" His thumb rubbed against the new emblem that was hitched into place upon the forehead-area – one that matched Shiketsu's. "Need to endear myself to Mount-Lady, first… Need to make a scenario where they listen…" His helmet slid over his hair and head. "I need to know what she needs…"

He stared at himself in the mirror, gear and all. "Oh, the pathetic nerd, thinks he can be some fucking mastermind…" His thumb hit the button under his ear, bringing the LED eyes to life. They blinked as he did. "How fucked in the head, are you, huh…? Gonna turn a Hero into bait…" His mind wandered, recalling a blond-haired, red-eyed boy and his sneer. "What happens if you fuck up…? Get her killed…? Said you'd never be much of a fucking Hero…!"

Izuku reached up; poked at the emblem above his visor. "What am I doing…? What am I thinking…?" He shook his head before turning to leave; pushing open the door. "I'm… I'm just going out on patrol… That's all…"

-XXX-

Yu stood, biting back a sigh, as her intern stepped out of the restroom. Her eyes widened for a moment as she looked him up and down. He was clad in a jumpsuit and armor. "Not quite Hero-looking… But… I guess he kinda looks a bit like a Tokusatsu Hero…" Her face contorted as her head teetered. "Actually, it's a bit too muted and toned down… Kinda looks militaristic, if I squint real hard…" Her eyes then met the visor's green orbs. "Then, there's the face…"

He blinked, "Is something wrong?"

"Not a terrible looking suit, kid," offered Ichimoku as he walked over. "Got a real practical look going for you. Not very flashy, though – you're not gonna have a lot of media presence."

Midoriya looked at himself, "Oh… you think?"

"What Support Company made it?" asked Yu as she walked over.

He shrugged, "I did."

Ichimoku's eyes widened. "You?!"

"Seriously?" questioned Yu.

Midoriya looked between them, almost shaking his head. "I can't tell if these are good looks…"

"Now, it makes sense. It does kinda scream 'I'm unique'…" As Midoriya stared on, Ichimoku chuckled awkwardly. "In, uh, multiple senses…"

The intern turned to Yu. "Does he mean that in a bad way?" His tone was akin to a toddler who was genuinely confused about what he did wrong. It didn't help that the orbs gave him a cartoon-like sad puppy look. "Man… first, my gag shirts; now, this…" It was super effective; Ichimoku was hit with a waft of guilt while Yu nearly stumbled back at the sudden level of… what she dared thought was cuteness.

Yu waved her hand, "No, no! It's fine. You look kinda cool!"

"You don't have to lie to me; it's fine." He was pretty dejected.

"No, seriously. Ichimoku's just being stupid," she said, smacking the man's shoulder.

Which queued him to say, "I'm actually colorblind! This could actually look cooler than I think."

'No, you're not,' she mouthed.

Ichimoku silently shushed her by putting his finger to his lips.

Yu shook her head, patting Midoriya's shoulder. "Let's… just go on patrol." She lightly pushed the intern towards the elevator to leave.

Ichimoku mouthed, 'I'm sorry'.

She shook her head and waved her hand as a way to say, 'It's fine'. The doors slid shut behind her and Midoriya as they descended to the ground floor before leaving for the streets.

"Okay, listen up. I got a few ground rules," she explained as she placed her hand atop of his head, pulling him ahead of her. "You're walking in front of me. As long as you're my responsibility, I'm not risking something happening to you when I'm not looking." He stumbled into his spot before they started down the rather empty sidewalk. "I got a route. We're gonna walk it. Half of it will take about an hour at a strolling pace." She waved her hand in a circle. "We get lunch. Then one more route for another hour and then back to the agency."

Yu zipped up her jacket before shoving her hands into her pockets. "It's early morning so there aren't gonna be a lot of people since most are at school or work. The most difficult thing for us to deal with would be some stupid kids skipping school. There's a junior high not too far from here, so it's to be expected." She peeked her head over his shoulder, poking the side of his head. "I'll let you handle them." She shrugged, "This is as softball as this is going to get. Either this or community work."

"Sounds like you got all of this planned out," said Midoriya.

Yu smirked and rolled her eyes. "This is nothing. I'm a professional – a Pro-Hero, and don't you forget it."

"Yes, ma'am."

She gagged. "Do. Not. Call me that. Just… call me Takeyama – none of that 'Ms' stuff either."

"O-Okay… T… T-Takeyama…" He did his best.

"You must be friends with one girl." She shook her head. "It can't be that weird to say my name normally."

"You're a Pro-Hero – it's kinda weird to… well, treat you normally." He scratched his cheek, or rather, his helmet. "You deserve respect."

She blew raspberries. "Then, respect me enough to address me as I ask."

Midoriya hummed, "Hm…" He teetered his head. "That… That makes sense…"

"I make a lot of that, actually." As they walked along the sidewalk, she lifted her chin, grinning. "Aren't you glad you joined up with me for your internship?"

-XXX-

As early morning slowly shifted to noon, Hitoshi and Ashido walked after Kamui Woods. They were in their Hero costumes with their Shiketsu caps atop of their heads. The group had long left his agency and started on this patrol. "I was really hoping to put this Maneuver Belt through its paces, but… I guess he doesn't quite trust our mobility yet…" After adjusting the mask on his face, he hooked his thumbs on his belt. "We're interns, but we're still fresh blood… Can't take too many risks with us…"

"So, we'll be making a slight detour from our patrol to investigate a possible disturbance in an abandoned apartment building," explained Kamui. "Well, it's more like a condo." He shrugged, "All in all, it shouldn't be a difficult patrol today."

Ashido raised her hand. "Are we going to be patrolling all day?"

"No. We'll only be doing this for about an hour or so, and then I'm going to show you what else Heroes do." He put his hands on his hips. "It isn't just about walking, waving, shaking hands, and taking down the bad guys. It's about the community too. You'll see."

"At least, we're getting a rounded experience, I guess…" thought Hitoshi.

"Now, work and school will keep most people inside and out of the streets. Makes things quiet, especially in a town like this." "It makes a basic patrol, but… sometimes, when there's less people in the streets, certain individuals get bold." "Keep an ear out for abnormal noises."

"Like glass breaking?" offered Hitoshi.

Ashido raised a brow. "Dogs barking?"

"Yes, Shinso. Maybe, Ashido." Kamui lectured, "Some people say that committing crime in broad daylight isn't likely or just plain stupid. And that's what makes some think it's a good idea." He gestured to the sky above. "Daylight means safety – a clear blue sky means a good day." His hand fell. "So you don't guard yourself. You plug both headphones into your ears. You don't hold tight to your pepper-spray or your bag. You leave your door unlocked because you forgot something and you'd only be a second." He sighed, looking over his shoulder. "Truth is: a crime can happen at any time."

"Patrols are best when they're slow and methodical. Shinso, you and I could swing between these buildings. Ashido, you could skate down this sidewalk with your acid as fast as a skier down a mountain. But if a bad guy spots you before you spot them, they hide, you sail past, and then… the bad things happen."

Hitoshi let out a breath as he meddled with his cap.

Ashido frowned, rubbing her arm.

Kamui stopped, turning around. "It's a heavy thing to teach you both on your second day, I know." He put his hands on his hips. "I'm saying all of this because it is the time to make these mistakes." Hitoshi and Ashido shared a look before Kamui continued, "You're kids. You won't be acting out on your own any time soon. Whether it be me or anyone else who takes you on, we have your back. We will fix your mistakes and probably admonish you for making them. Take them as an opportunity to learn; to understand the importance of what you'll do and the responsibility you'll bear." He stepped forward and put his hands on either shoulder of the pair. "You don't have to be good at this right now. You have time – make the most of it."

Hitoshi nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Yeah… right," said Ashido as she slowly, resolutely nodded.

Kamui nodded in turn before he continued to lead his interns. "Take our time… I feel like that's a first…" Hitoshi scratched his cheek. "I don't really want to make… those mistakes… And I'm sure that not all Heroes would be happy about their intern making a bunch of them…" He crossed his arms. "I guess this is his way of asking us to trust or… follow him…?" He teetered side-to-side. "I still feel stressed, but… kinda… relaxed at the same time…" He chuckled internally. "Talk about an oxymoron…"

-XXX-

Yu was annoyed by his face/visor thing; the half-orbs made his neutral tone seem to be complete sarcasm. "You offered to save a cat while being deathly allergic to them?"

Her hand smacked Midoriya's head – which hurt her way more than him, but that was neither here nor there. "Could you say it louder, please!?" She scoffed, "And I didn't say, 'I'; I said 'we'."

The action didn't seem to bother him. "True." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you have like an epipen or anything?"

"No." Her head teetered, putting her hands on her hips. "We'll stop by a pharmacy later."

He nodded, "Yeah, uh… The cat might jump down. You should take a few steps back."

Yu blinked before nodding and stepping away. "Oh, yeah, definitely." Once she was safely away, Midoriya started up the lofty tree.

Mount-Lady's patrol took them on a minor detour through a nearby park. "What's the name of this place anyway…?" She looked around and found an almost picturesque trail of hills and greenery. There were even a few bridges that crossed over the nearby… body of water. "Is it a pond or a lake…? It's in the middle of a concrete town, so it's probably man-made…" Her hands landed on a nearby gazebo which held the distressed girl.

She was in her college years, working as a cat sitter for money on the side. "I know you have to take dogs out for walks, but… a cat's kinda weird… But money's money, I guess…" Her name was… "It wasn't Kaguya – that's Ichimoku's assistant…"

Yu jumped as she heard a yowl from above. The green-clad boy let out a yelp as a ginger cat in a blue harness leapt to the ground. "Oh! Kenji!" cried the girl as she swiftly chased after the cat, snagging its leash from the ground. The cat was not pleased by this turn of events, but it seemed like he was going to learn to live with it. "Come on, come on! Let's get you home before Miss. Shimada does!" Once Kenji felt the tug of its leash, it flopped over which allowed the girl to pick him up and carry him away.

Yu looked up as Midoriya plunged a hook into the tree before descending with his line. "Good job."

"Thanks…" He tugged on his line and it grew taut. "Aw, crap…"

"What is it?"

Midoriya began to pull, trying to free the hook from the treetop. "Don't worry, it's just—" His metal heels dragged on the paved path. "It's a bit stuck." The orbs narrowed as he spoke through gritted teeth, straining. "I got it! I totally got it!"

Yu shook her head as she watched the boy, "Park's are touch and go for places to look out for…", before catching a familiar voice. She turned to see a wood-covered man walking down the path with a purple-haired boy and a pink-skinned girl in tow.

The purple one said, "Because people think that no thief would run here since they'd be completely out in the open."

"So, they'd try to play into that by pretending to be a civilian and acting completely calm to mislead everyone," added the pink one.

Kamui Woods chuckled, nodding, "You're both catching on. Well done. Ah—" He stopped in his tracks when he looked ahead and spotted her. "Mount-Lady, this is a surprise."

She couldn't help but grin. "Woods!" She forced a chuckle. "It is so weird that you just keep showing up after me, huh?"

"I was there before you!"

Yu cooed, covering her mouth with one hand. "Gross~." She tilted her head. "Touch a nerve~? Can't believe you'd act like that in front of your sidekicks~."

Kamui froze stiff for a moment. "Ah…" He turned to his sidekicks. "Sorry, Shinso, Ashido. I…" He took in a breath and let out a long sigh. "We have… a bit of history."

Ashido gasped with sparkles in her hips, bouncing on her heels. "Seriously!? Did you two date or something!?"

Yu chortled, "I haven't even seen his face – how could that ever happen?"

"You having a problem there, Midoriya?" asked Shinso.

Midoriya grunted, pulling harder. "Oh, I'm fine – totally, all good! No bad things!" He panted, letting the line droop before letting the coil in his belt spin as he stepped further away. "Ugh… It's—it's the angle I know it." Now, he stood in the grass and pulled taut again, leaning into a 45-degree angle. "I got it! I'll be home free! Pork-cutlet, here I come!"

"You have a sidekick?" asked Kamui.

Yu shrugged, waving her hand. "Intern – Field Support Agent or something."

"Sidekicks before sidekicks," commented Shinso.

Ashido pumped her fist. "You got this, Midori!"

"They know each other…?" Her eyes trailed to the caps on their heads and the shiny 'S' upon them. "Ah… Shiketsu students…"

"Ah!" Midoriya face-planted against the ground as the line came free. "I got it!"

Ashido giggled, clapping, "Woo!"

"You showed that hook who's boss!" laughed Shinso.

Kamui stepped over to Yu. "It's only his second day?"

"Yeah?" She raised a questioning brow.

His head teetered. "As they… seem to be friends, perhaps we should… merge our patrols."

"What? Like partner up – us, seriously?"

Kamui took in a big breath. "As much as they're supposed to be learning, they're also children and should be allowed to be kids… relaxed…" He shrugged, "I'll still be giving them my two-cents and you can give them yours. All in all, I think it would be a nice experience for them. I mean, I assume you're doing this now for the same reasons I did. It's not like there'd be much action today. Let's just wrap up our patrol, I have a minor detour planned, then we'll have lunch, and go our separate ways."

Yu tapped her chin. "Hm… Okay… If…" She smirked, "If you pay for lunch… for all of us."

"W-What? Are you serious?"

"Yep."

Kamui looked at the trio for a moment before rolling his eyes. "Ugh… Fine, whatever, I'll pay for lunch."

She extended her hand, "Deal!", and he begrudgingly shook it. "Score~…!"

-\ XXX /-

AN: I understand that the Chapter Title is kinda false advertising, but also naming chapters? Getting difficult. Tried to get inspiration. Percy Jackson to the rescue. "Midoriya Fights a Tree" is still very funny to me at this time, and gets funnier when it is stacked against every other chapter title.

Now, why is this chapter just chatting? Well, there's been a slight alteration to the plan. I, once upon a time, hinted that an event akin to "The Raid: Redemption" would happen this season. That is being pushed back because I have two other events going on, and they all would just bloat the latter half of the season.

With all that said, I've decided that this be a truly finalized decision by the end of this season.

And so, thank you for reading and criticize away!

Update Window: July 20th - 30th

Intended Due Date: July 20th - 25th