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

"You guys were so awesome out there!" Mina shouted, not even five centimeters in front of them. Mineta picked at his ear as Midoriya let out a low groan from his throat. Not even two seconds back and the others of 1A were on them. And while their match was quite something, they didn't need to be in their faces about it.

"It was nothing really… We just fought to the best of our abilities..." Midoriya said, sweat rolling down the back of his neck.

"Yeah, totally normal for today." Mineta added as he shook his head in agreement.

"That match was far from normal. Between your shoes and your use of bandages, I'm starting to wonder if Mic-sensei mixed up your introductions." Sero replied, gesturing to Midoriya's feet and freshly bandaged arms. Mineta suppressed the urge to laugh upon remembering how his partner got them.

Upon visiting Recovery Girl, the tiny elder began whacking Midoriya's legs. She then scolded him for messing around with her hard work and that if he did it again, Recovery Girl won't treat him. And given how Midoriya had a tendency to injure himself, the green hair boy will now avoid exploiting her treatments.

"Well, they're partners in crime, right? It'd make sense if they have some of the other's ticks and tricks." Uraraka said, gesturing between her two friends.

"I can confirm this. Though it's more apparent in Mineta-chan than Midoriya-chan." Tsuyu replied with a nod.

"Come on guys, you're making it sound like we're joined at the hip. Me and Midoriya don't know each other THAT well." Mineta answered. It wasn't exactly a lie, since the shorter boy was certain he couldn't discern his partner's deepest thoughts… But the two of them were definitely familiar with their overall quirks and personalities. Hell, if both of them were given a relationship survey, Mineta and Midoriya might be incorrectly marked as family.

…

That sounded a little weird, so that probably meant it was time to change subjects.

"Anyway, did anything interesting happened while we were away?" Mineta asked, looking around.

"Like you wouldn't believe, Bakugou was actually cheering for you guys!" Kaminari said, pointing to the human grenade. Mineta then saw him twitch as he quickly turned around, eyes lit with hate and words full of venom.

"I didn't say shit Boltdolt!"

"Really? Because I distinctly remember you yelling out pointers to both of them." Jirou replied as a smirk spread across her face.

"As did I." Shouji said with a nod.

"Fuck off! You didn't hear me like you thought you did!" Bakugou argued back. Mind you, he was going against the two best listeners in 1A and still sounded convincing. That's probably the fear talking for Mineta, since there was still a lot of bad blood between them. However, the daring part of Mineta became emboldened by his classmates' jeering. And so, the shorter boy decided to join in on the fun. For old time's sake.

"I'm touched Bakugou. There really is life and warmth in that shriveled husk you call a heart."

"And there won't be any in yours if you don't shut up." Bakugou spat back, snarling each syllable. Mineta felt a shiver crawl up his spine and cold sweat run down. Yeah, he supposed that's enough taunting for one day. So with that, Midoriya and Mineta made their way back to their seats and began readying for the next battle.

Iida Tenya and Todoroki Shouto stepped out onto the field. Because their family names were know, the audience began expecting a entirely different fight. It was hard to imagine, to carry one's whole lineage with you everywhere you go. And the more Mineta thought about it, the more he felt the phantom pressure press around him. I mean, you're carrying the legacy of your family. One really bad mistake and it would leave a permanent mark for generations to remember.

"Maybe that's why Iida's a stickler for rules and Todoroki's such a stone cold loner… A lot of pressure on them…" Mineta muttered as Present Mic went through his introductions.

"It's more than you think for Todoroki-kun…" Midoriya replied suddenly. The shorter boy snapped to his partner just in time to see him cover his mouth. And when their eyes locked onto one another, silence existed between the two despite the noise of the stadium. He said something he shouldn't have, didn't he?

Mineta tried to formulate something to try and break the awkwardness that stood between them. But nothing came to mind.

"Guys, what are you doing!? Iida-kun needs our support!" Uraraka shouted, grabbing Midoriya's shoulder and shaking him vigorously. That brought the two out of their stupor and immediately went back to watching the fight. Midoriya did mouth one last word to Mineta, 'later'.

"Sure." The shorter boy mouthed back. Whatever it was, this must have something to do with Midoriya's conversation with Todoroki earlier. Hmmm…

As Mineta watched his class president dart around the field, avoiding the chunks of ice that were conjured, his mind kept turning back to Todoroki. What situation was he in that Midoriya needed to be part of it? Based on how his partner responded, it seems there was something going on in his family. And now that he was on the subject, Mineta couldn't stop drawing lines about his dual colored classmate.

"Okay… So what do I know about Todoroki?" Mineta thought. His eyes went to the person in question as he got dragged around by an incredibly fast Iida. And while the shorter boy was impressed by what seems to be the Class President's secret move, Mineta couldn't give it much attention right now. Sorry Iida.

Todoroki Shouto was the son of the Flame Hero Endeavor, the best Hero after All Might. He had an extremely powerful, two in one Quirk dubbed Half Hot-Half Cold. He is also quite aloof, ignoring the rest of 1A no matter how friendly they are to him. And, as Midoriya had recently revealed, he has some kind of issue with his family.

"And that's all I know… Not much to build theories on but you don't need facts to guess." Mineta thought, eyes on the match. He then saw Iida's speed drop before getting turned into an ice cube. Todoroki won this match and will be the one to fight Midoriya in the semi-finals. And as his dual colored classmate began thawing Iida out with his left side, a new thought clicked in Mineta's mind.

Never did he see Todoroki use his 'hot side' in combat. In all of his fights, it's only been ice, ice, and more ice. The only times where he brought on the heat, it was only to melt the frozen landscape he created. Why was that? Why seal half of your own abilities?

It's like purposefully blinding yourself because you hated how the world looked.

Another click echoed through Mineta's mind, another possibility has formed. Turning his eyes to the Pro Heroes in the audience, the shorter boy couldn't spot the regal but imposing Endeavor. Odd considering that it was hard to miss a man who was perpetually on fire. And as Tsuyu and Mina began leaving to prepare for their match, Mineta went along with his stray idea.

"Let's just keep going. I don't want to miss Tsuyu's fight." He thought as he gave a confident wave to his amphibious classmate. And, as though to not disturb him, Tsuyu simply gave a nod and quickly left. While it was concerning that someone else was now able to skim his thoughts… Mineta would let his future self worry about it. Because right now, he was following a lead.

Okay… Does Todoroki not using his fire have something to do with his Dad Endeavor? Was there some event that caused a schism between the two? Hmmm… But as Mineta thought about this angle, the more closed off things were becoming. He did not have enough information to even make a good guess. There was something to this though, just not from this perspective.

"Then how about I flip it around… Why is he dead set on using his ice half? If he inherited his fire from his Dad… Was his ice a mutation? Was it received from his Mom? Or was it from an ancestor?" Mineta thought. While Quirks were weird enough for the first to happen… And it wasn't impossible for the third to happen… That second question is probably the case, as with most people.

Alright, that's a possibility to work with. Todoroki loves his Mom and uses her ice. He hates his Dad and rejects his fire. Something happened between these three that caused this schism to form. That sounds about right given what the shorter boy knows so far. However, Mineta had a feeling that he was missing a piece of the puzzle. Now while he was missing a lot pieces, this one felt obvious enough to be included into his deductions… But wasn't.

What was it again?

Mineta hummed to himself as he heard Present Mic introduce the next pair of fighters. With that, his mind began to fire up some more. He's going to come up with a working theory in time. He wasn't going to miss this match. So with that, the shorter boy began reworking his thought process. Perhaps it was better to go back several steps and think of simple facts about Todoroki. Like his appearance for example.

He had heterochromia, two different colors for both his hair and eyes. What's especially interesting was how the division in his hair matched the nature of his Quirk. It was like his entire being was in conflict with itself, one side threatening to destroy the other. And with the way Todoroki's acting, the fire side is losing. I mean, there's even a physical mark on that half just to drive home that point.

Wait…

"… What is that mark? A scar? Then what made it? WHO made it?" Mineta thought. That question went onto his mental deduction board. And with that, he revisited the other points to see if something could be drawn. But choosing between both the Father and Mother for the scar created several contradictions.

Endeavor wouldn't cripple his own son if he wanted Todoroki to become a great Hero. And while all the other details lined up, Mineta still found no cause for the Flame Hero to severely injure him.

Since Todoroki seems Hell bent on using his ice half, it meant that his Mom couldn't have given him the scar. Because if she did, he wouldn't be so keen on using it so much. In fact, it would be the reverse of reality.

Mineta leaned back into his seat, brows furrowed as he kept drawing lines and possibilities. He couldn't stop now, not after getting this far. But any leads to his original question just kept getting more and more unlikely. And soon enough, he was at one giant dead end of a mental block. Why couldn't this be simple like All Might and Midoriya's secret? That one he cracked without any major issue.

Though to be fair, the shorter boy knew way more about his friend than he did about Todoroki.

"I give up... Whatever it is, Midoriya will fill the gaps… For now, I'll enjoy the rest of Tsuyu and Mina's fight." Mineta thought. He relaxed the tension on his mind and body before finally turning to the match.

"Ashido Mina has been thrown out of the ring! Asui Tsuyu wins!" Midnight announced. The shorter boy stared at the field, eye twitching as he tried to skim what happened. Mina was covered in slime while Tsuyu's tongue wrapped around her. Based on assumption, Tsuyu managed to get her mucus on their pink classmate. Then, the amphibious girl wrapped her tongue around Mina and threw her out.

But how did Tsuyu get her mucus on Mina? What was Mina doing before then? Mineta will never know. At least, not until he sees the recordings. But where's the fun in that? He'll never know the suspense of watching it unfold before him. He'll never feel the joy of watching his favorite win. He'll never share the experience with the others of 1A. And it was all because he got caught up in his theory building.

"… Midoriya, can I talk to you?" The shorter boy asked as he faced his partner. The green haired boy flinched, slowly turning with sweat rolling down his neck. He then stared into Mineta's exhausted eyes and gave a sigh, looks like there was no avoiding the subject. Midoriya got up from his seat and looked around to his classmates.

"Mineta-kun and I are going to get a drink, does anyone want anything while we're there?" He asked. And after a round of 'no thank you' and 'I'm good', Midoriya looked to Mineta and wordlessly gestured to the exit. The shorter boy nodded and left his seat, following his partner for that 'drink'.

…

"Okay Mineta-kun, how much did you work out?" Midoriya asked, popping the tab from his can of green tea. Cutting straight to the point was something he hardly does, favoring dancing around a subject more. However, when pushed enough, his partner would meet the challenge head on. Such was the nature of Midoriya Izuku.

"I only know that Todoroki has a problem with his Dad and that his Mom is somehow involved. It's why he only uses his ice half and does everything he can to avoid using the other. But what that problem is, I don't know. All I can guess is that his scar probably has something to do with it." Mineta answered. He was met with Midoriya's unblinking stare. And not before long, his partner let out a defeated sigh.

"Mineta-kun, that mind of yours scares me sometimes. It's no wonder you figured out 'the egg' from day one." He said, briefly making an All Might impression with his face.

"If it wasn't important, I wouldn't have bothered. But since you're part of the Todoroki conflict, I might as well try and help you by doing some thinking." Mineta replied.

"I appreciate it Mineta-kun… But I've got it under control. I know what I want to do once Todoroki-kun and I hit the field."

The sounds of the crowd outside boomed through the stadium's interior. Midoriya and Mineta both took a deep breath as the tensions mounted once more. The Tokoyami and Bakugou fight has just ended and the destined time was upon the green haired boy. So, upon throwing out his can, Midoriya began to prepare himself for battle. And Mineta could easily tell what his partner was up to.

Those squared shoulders and straightened back said it all.

"Try not to lose before you get that message through Midoriya. It'd lose any meaning if that happened." Mineta said.

"I know. But don't worry, Todoroki-kun will get it. I'll make sure of that."

And with that, he was off. Mineta nodded to his partner's back before hurrying back to his seat. If this conversation indicated anything, he didn't want to miss this fight. It was a clash between two different kinds of titans after all.

The implacable iceberg against the little pebble that could.

And that has been Chapter 32.

This chapter was a strange one. I've always wondered what would happen if Midoriya even hinted at the whole Todoroki situation. Like who would be able to piece together why their classmate was acting so distant. Or even, why he only used one half of his Quirk most of the time. So when Mineta heard this hint and how his partner reacted to revealing it, he would use that 5/5 intelligence to put some puzzle pieces together.

Not the most exciting chapter. But hey, it's always fun to see how a character thinks about new information.

"I mean, that's half the fun of mysteries. All those clues and how people use their big brains to connect them."

Exactly. Any way, how are you, my dear readers, doing? Things are getting pretty crazy in the world with this pandemic going on. And just as a reminder, please do not leave your home unless you have to. Wash your hands and make sure you are eating and sleeping properly. But while that will help preserve your physical health, the boredom of not being able to leave your house is going to do a number on your mental health.

So, to help give your mind stimulus in these trying times, I'll be changing the update schedule of The Saint and The Sinner to every two weeks. So look forward to more misadventures involving two nerds.

"We get to revisit a famous scene next, except from another angle."

I think they could already piece that together. Any how, that's all I have for this update. So...

Until Next Time. T1.