Hello again, everyone. Hopefully this shorter length format of last chapter has been proven well-received by you all, as this chapter will be much the same, but afterwards will be going back to the original formula of much longer chapters in order to cover as much plot ground as necessary.

There isn't much for me to say this time around, as I pretty much covered everything I wanted to say last week, so I'll simply stick with the tried-and-true statements of my hoping you all enjoy what you read here today, and if you do, please be so kind as to leave a review letting me know what you think of my take on this portion of the known story so far. Feedback means a lot to writers.

And again, if there's anyone out there whose enjoyed what I've been giving you so far enough that you'd actually like to make any kind of fanart of it, feel free to let me know. It'd be interesting to see just what my love for something we all love just as much, has inspired some people to create, themselves. Of course, I'd never tell anyone what to do, but I'm simply throwing it out there, as I have heard that at least one person among the readership has expressed the desire to do so.

Once more, I'd like to give a thankful shout-out to my beta reader Mizu Hukikomori, who has been kind enough to stay in contact despite the mounting of some personal issues I'm wishing them all the best of luck in working their way through. My thought are with you, my friend.

My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters, the original events surrounding them, and the alterings of established events that occur as a result of their existence in this universe.

A/N: [[]] denotes that characters are contextually speaking Russian.

Chapter 33

Practical Test - Part Two

(Практический Испытание - Часть Вторая)

The echo of their footsteps and the pounding of their racing hearts were the only sounds Nikolay, Mina and Denki could hear as they rushed through the relatively expansive network of underground tunnels of their section of the training city. The muffled sounds of continuous destruction on the surface had thankfully long since subsided, either because Nezu had lost sight of them, or because he had simply destroyed all that there was to destroy. It was simultaneously unsettling, and a major relief.

With Nikolay continuously giving them the directions through the photo of the map on his phone, what could have easily taken up the rest of their practical test time only took a few minutes, as they finally reached the last corner that would lead to the storm drain tunnel entrance they had been looking for; their easiest shot at making it to the exit gate. However, the fact they weren't seeing daylight around the corner was already registering to them, and they could tell something was not right.

Rounding that last corner, they all came to realize just how correct that dreaded assumption was, as the storm drain tunnel had been completely sealed off by a huge pile of steel and concrete rubble, no doubt piled on from the surface level above. All three students could feel a wave of disappointment wash over them as they tried to catch their breath from the continuous running.

"Dammit! He really did plan for everything!" Denki lamented in frustration, while Nikolay simply bowed his head in thought. In all honesty, given how thoroughly manhandled they had been by their headmaster up to this point, even though none of them had wanted to admit it out loud, lest they jinxed their chances, they had already started expecting to find this tunnel entrance to ultimately just be a literal pipe dream.

"Hey, we can totally handle this! I can just melt us a way out and then it's a straight shot to the exit!" Mina pointed out, refusing to let herself be brought down any more than she already had before, as she started approaching the pile of rubble, conjuring up a thick coating of acid between her hands.

Unfortunately, her confidence wasn't nearly as contagious as it usually was, judging by the still worried look on Denkis' face. "Hold up, Ashido, we don't know what's waiting for us out there! For all we know, Nezu-sensei could be just outside that entrance with some other bullshit set of traps just waiting to rain hell on our heads the instant we poke them out!"

As Mina was already clearly about to try and tell Denki not to start acting so paranoid, a momentary glance on her part rendered her silent, as she saw Nikolay was already in deep thought. "For once, I agree with Kaminari-san. Nezu-sensei has shown complete and total control of this entire test from the beginning. He clearly must have thought up, and therefore memorized, every single detail of this area beforehand. He must have known us going underground would give us an inherent advantage, hence why he's made a point of cutting off all the exits we could have taken."

He could see the growing expressions of worry, and even defeat, starting to show in his teammates' eyes, but the young Russian refused to express the same, instead clenching a determined fist, with a similar focus in his green eyes. "That's why if we're going to pass this test, we need to approach this on two fronts. Nezu-sensei clearly still has the full advantage over us, both in terms of terrain control and height. We're never going to be able to get the drop on him…at least, not as long as we all stick together. To win, we need to grab his attention, take his focus off of our one most likely strategy, and keep him guessing before we ultimately take away his ability to keep us pinned down."

"You want to give him some kind of a distraction?" Denki asked, almost as though he found the idea to be too simple, even for himself. Mina, on the other hand, looked considerably more receptive to the idea, simply for it being better than having no idea at all.

To this, Nikolay gave a single confirming nod. "That's right. The exit gate strategy will be more possible if you two go for it together, instead of just one of you. So, Mina, you go ahead and melt down the rubble so you and Kaminari-san can get through, while I keep Nezu-sensei distracted. These tunnels perfectly match the layout of the surface level itself, so I can use these to navigate and take out at most, two of the cranes he's been using from below. Once those are taken out, he won't be able to do any more of those wrecking ball chain reactions he chased us down here with. He'll have lost his primary means of offense, which should hopefully take a majority of the heat off you two."

However, Nikolays' surprising display of confidence in his own plan, was only met with further worried looks from his two teammates, before Mina finally decided to step forward. "That sounds way too risky, Kolya-kun. The three of us together didn't stand a chance against him up there. How do you think taking him on by yourself will go better?"

To her silently pleased surprise, however, Nikolay didn't let the doubt get to him. Instead, he answered her with a small yet confident smile of his own. "If this goes well from the start, I wouldn't even have to fight him. Taking away his ability to manipulate those cranes and their wrecking balls will get you guys a free shot to the exit gate. If all goes well, you can both win us this test before I'd even have to worry about a fight. However, if it did come down to it, even if Nezu-sensei may have blocked off all the other manholes, there's no way he could account for the other most consistent means I could breach the surface."

Mina and Denki instinctively glanced to each other in momentary confusion, but Nikolay was visibly on a roll now, pacing in an anxious circle again. "A lot of buildings in Japan have a maintenance exit in their basement to get to levels like this. Nezu-sensei said this whole place was built to replicate a genuine city down to the minutest detail, so that has to be included here as well. Now look at this."

As his partners watched, Nikolay approached another of the tunnel diagrams on the nearby wall, and proceeded to start scratching little marks at several scattered points across it with one of the smaller tuning forks on his person. By the time he was done, all the marks formed an oval lining the perimeter of their section.

"This is how all the cranes Nezu-sensei was manipulating were arranged across our area, from what I was able to see when I jumped earlier. If he's able to manipulate all of them in a domino effect, then there's only one place he could possibly be if he wanted to have that consistent control."

With that, he proceeded to plant his finger at one spot in the far northeast area of their training section. "The biggest crane out of all of them was set up here, I could see it on our way in before the test started. The arm is long enough he could be able to control both these branches of smaller cranes. However, not only is the range it can withdraw the chain it swings too short for it to be able to destroy the area nearest its base, but the other cranes are too far away to be able to destroy it, either. Nezu-sensei has inadvertently created his own blind spot right where he's essentially standing. If it comes down to it after I've taken down the two cranes he needs to make his little chain reactions, that's where I'll be able to come up and face him if I have to. Hey, if this goes well enough, I might even be able to climb up that crane and get the drop on him before he even realizes I'm there. That'll definitely be enough to keep him distracted while you guys go for the exit gate."

Nikolay was practically beaming by the time he'd finally finished; a fact that made Mina and Denki feel terrible for still not feeling nearly as on-board with it as their Russian partner was. "I don't know, man; that whole plan still sounds like it counts way too much on you just getting lucky."

"Yeah, I mean, Sensei's had everything else figured out so far, there's no way he wouldn't have thought to come up with at least some kind of fancy safety measure for right where he's sitting. You could be walking into a trap for all you know, Kolya-kun." As much as he didn't want to say it out loud, lest it end up deterring him from going through with it, Nikolay knew Denki and Mina had very valid points. This plan was half-assed and desperate at best.

"I know. If anyone else had come up with a plan like this, I'd be saying the exact same thing. But with the way things are right now, it's the best shot we have. Like you said, Mina, if we all three stuck together through it, Nezu-sensei could just take us out all at once. But they said this whole test is a chance for us to showcase everything we've learned so far…and I think one of the biggest things we've learned, besides how to control and expand our Quirks…is our sense of teamwork. And as much as none of us like it, that teamwork sometimes requires us to split up and work separately; and right now is the biggest example of that. It's the best way for this plan to actually pull through."

Thankfully, his understanding of their reluctance to split up was what ultimately got through to them, as Minas' conflicted eyes showed that she knew Nikolays' plan was ultimately their best bet, as much as she didn't want to go through with splitting up, while Denki just groaned in frustration once he glanced to his phone again. "Dammit…we only got twenty minutes left to win this thing! If we stay down here arguing, we might as well just give up now!"

Tucking his phone back into his pocket, Denki threw his head back and let out a heavy sigh, before finally looking Nikolay firmly in the eyes, now standing tall and…actually ready. "Okay, Kolya-san, if you really wanna pull this off and win us this thing, then I'm coming with you. Not only would you taking both those cranes out by yourself take way too long, but if our luck so far has been any indicator, Nezu-sensei would probably figure out where you'd be coming from if you just took out one at a time. But if we take them both out at the same time, we can at least keep him guessing just enough to get the drop on him."

Nikolays' already confident smile practically lit up as Denki approached and the two clasped a single hand together in a show of partnership. "Besides, there's bound to be a generator powering the crane he's personally using. I could overcharge and burn the thing out, make it so he can't even use that to attack us anymore, then you can handle him face-to-face."

As confident as the two boys looked together, Mina could still see a flicker of uncertainty in both their eyes. However, it wasn't enough to make either of them falter as Nikolay looked back down the tunnels they had come from earlier. "It's a hell of a long shot, there's no denying that…I don't even know if we'll be able to pull it off, or if Nezu-sensei will just wreck us both from the outset. But either way, it'll at least be enough of a distraction for Mina to get through the rubble, make that exit gate and pass the test for us."

The fact both boys were still trying to hold onto that momentary sense of confidence and courage, as well as putting their faith in her to help them win, filled Mina with a fair amount of pressure, but that pressure was offset by her own building sense of confidence and eagerness to meet their expectation and prove just as capable as them, pumping an eager fist in the air, with an excited smile and burning determination in her gold irises. "Hell yeah! Don't you worry, you guys! I'll get through this pile of rocks and get us that win, no matter what!"

"Well, then we'd better get hustling, Kolya-san! Time's wasting!" Denki declared, already sprinting back down the tunnel, with Nikolay already beginning to follow after, while Mina was already calling out after them: "Be careful out there, you guys! I know you can do it! We're gonna win, you'll see!"

By the time she couldn't hear her own echo anymore, but rather the shrinking sound of their running footsteps, Mina took a deep steadying breath to recompose herself, turned back to the rubble blocking her way, and quickly mustering up another thick, slimy coating of acid over both her hands, she proceeded to start barraging it with thrown handful after thrown handful of the cloudy liquid, every single throw being met with the strangely satisfying hissing sound of her acid eating through concrete, steel and plastic alike, all the while mentally willing herself to stay here and not go after her friends, in order to see through her end of their mission and help them all pass.


In the field tent, Tunguska was intently watching and listening in on the recent discussion between Nikolay and his partners. To see all three of them refuse to give in to the outward hopelessness of their situation, and actually hear his son show such attentiveness to their environment, and how he formed a seemingly thorough plan out of it, left the older Russian man with an immense swelling of fatherly pride in his chest.

"It sounds like Bezpalov-kuns' tendency to give in to panic has improved considerably. Although, given what you all went through during the internships, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Recovery Girl noted as soon as Nikolay and Denki took off down the tunnel while Mina got to work on the rubble. Tunguska lay back in his seat, fingers folded over one another, as he watched with that same pride reflected in his blue eyes.

"Yes. He's been trying so hard these last several weeks to improve his ability for planning, and now that he's in an actual situation, it's finally taking a hold on him. However, it's not just him, but his allies, as well. They were all just as prone to giving in to their emotions when things got tough, even if at least malenkaya Ashido was better able to brute force her way through it. Now, though, all three of them are proving much more able to keep a level head, even when the odds are stacked against them.

"I think it's safe to say that they've all become so much more connected with each other, that they're able to better influence each others' emotions for the better, in that way. As long as Kolya doesn't lose confidence, I feel he'll actually be able to help them all achieve victory today. However, it'll be most interesting to see how he does it, exactly, since Nezu-san is far from an amateur where strategy is involved. He'll surely have had every possibility considered, as far as what the students could try to do against him." As Tunguska finished voicing his observation thus far, Recovery Girl returned her attention to the screen displaying the test between Izuku, Bakugo and All Might, where the freckled boy had just unleashed at last a massive explosion directly in the Symbol of Peaces' face, allowing him and Bakugo to flee in the moment of distraction.

Tunguska had shifted his attention to this turn of events as well, feeling a different smile on his face as a result; one that he was able to see was clearly reflected by All Might once the smoke had finally cleared. Even though All Might was, to Tunguskas' immense surprise, actually slightly bleeding from his mouth in the aftermath, he still had the very same smile of immeasurable pride that only a mentor could have when seeing their student grow; just as Tunguska himself was wearing.

When it had started to feel hopeless, the circumstances were finally forcing Izuku and Bakugo to actually work together as an actual team. It truly was a miracle for the ages, as far as Tunguska was concerned. However, just as quickly as the two boys had taken off, All Might was already beginning to pursue them once more. Tunguska knew there was no way he was going to fall for the same tactic twice, so now it was truly anyones' ball game as to how this test was going to turn out.

"Oh, we have a development with Todoroki-kun and Yaoyorozu-chans' test, Tunguska-san. Looks like Aizawa-san is finally starting to make his move." Recovery Girl suddenly noted, and Tunguska practically screeched across the floor on his wheel-less chair, he was in such a hurry to see how two of the highest-graded students in 1-A were going to fare against their very own homeroom teacher.

"This should certainly prove a very interesting confrontation, I think. Those two are the only students in 1-A this year who actually took the recommendation exam, as opposed to the regular Entrance Exam like all the other kids." Recovery Girl suddenly mentioned, causing Tunguska to flinch in surprise, to which she gave a slight chuckle.

"Oh, surely either Nezu-san or All Might told you about that. If a student shows exceptional promise, either in terms of their Quirk effectiveness or intelligence, they're able to take a much more personalized and separate exam to get into Yuuei. Given Todoroki-kuns' father being the Number Two Hero in the country, it's no surprise he would possess both traits, as well as perhaps a little family pull to convince the school to do it that way for him; same goes for Yaoyorozu-chan, at least in terms of the intelligence and family pull."

Tunguska was now watching Shoto and Momo with particular focus. He had already witnessed the formers' power on full display in person, but he had never gotten the chance to see exactly how Momo could apply her Quirk in a combat situation, even despite having heard many of the testimonials from Nikolay about her actions at USJ. This really was going to be a most interesting matchup.


Team Todoroki/ Yaoyorozus' Side

For the last few minutes since the test had actually started, Momo and Shoto had been vigilantly making their way through the alleys and streets of their training area, with Shoto continuously keeping an open eye for any sign of their opponent and homeroom teacher, while Momo dutifully remained right on his tail, following his instructions of creating any small random object she could think of. At first she had thought he meant it as to provide them with a means of distracting Aizawa once he showed himself. However, as time passed, she came to realize the truth: he was using her Quirk as a gauge as to whether or not Aizawa was in fact nearby, and finally making his move.

As she continued following and focusing to pop out some small wooden dolls from her shoulders and arms, Shoto spared a moment to glance back to her over his shoulder. "I know I told you to keep making stuff, but what is that?"

Momo continued plucking the little dolls as fast as they came out, tucking them under the belt of her costume. "They're Russian dolls called 'matryoshkas'." If only she had known just how big a smile her choice of creation had put on Tunguskas' face at that moment as he observed the two from so far away.

"I see. Well, for the time being, if your Quirk starts acting up, let me know immediately, all right?" Shoto stated, already returning his attention to the task at hand, even taking his own advice for alertness by bringing forth the ice across his right arm.

With the red-white-haired boy once again on the move, Momo finally couldn't keep quiet any longer. "It's just as expected, Todoroki-san…"

"What is?" he asked bluntly, no longer taking the time to make eye contact as they continued forward. All the while, as she followed, Momos' eyes began to sink to the floor. "Not only did you quickly hammer out a strategy against Aizawa-sensei, but you also have the judgment to be able to make a snap decision on what's the best course to take."

For a spare moment, Shoto said nothing, didn't even pause to consider the kind of praise the class vice president was giving him. "It's nothing, just normal."

What he didn't realize, however, was the momentary pause that nonchalant, casual answer had made Momo take, as though his disregard of his own talent hit her square in the gut in terms of sheer skill comparison. "Just normal…is it? The recommended freshmen of Yuuei…should have rolled out with the same kick-off performance as the rest of the students. But concerning our practical skills as Heroes, I'm the only one who hasn't left behind any noteworthy results."

By now, Momos' stride had nearly slowed to a crawl, and her normally focused and professional expression had grown considerably more regretful, this time even forcing Shoto to slow down and at least look at her. "During the Obstacle Race, my Quirk wasn't able to provide me any distinct advantage, and I ended up falling behind so many of our schoolmates. And during the Human Cavalry Battle, even though I was heading my own team, my ability to make decisions and utilize the skills of myself and my teammates didn't help us in any distinguishable way, and I ended up causing us all to get dropped so early."

As she spoke, Shoto was beginning to finally see just what had been quietly boiling over in her mind for all the time since the Sports Festival. How nobody else had noticed it sooner was beyond him, especially for just how crystal clear she was now making exactly what was weighing on her.

However, before he could give her some kind of answer, he noticed something else…or rather, the lack of something else. "Yaoyorozu-san…your matryoshkas."

The moment he pointed it out, Momo snapped to attention and quickly realized, just as the boy had said, nothing was coming out of her body anymore. In these circumstances, that could have only meant one thing: "HE'S HERE!" "I'M SO SORR-!"

"If you're really sorry, then fly into action straight away." The deep, bitter-sounding voice of Aizawa suddenly spoke up from directly over their heads, and both students jumped in reaction to find the man indeed hanging upside down from a power line by the wrappings around his neck.

Shoto was immediately on the offensive, in the middle of swinging his right arm in preparation to hit Aizawa with a point-blank cold front, only for the black-haired teacher to let go of the wrappings keeping him suspended, freefalling only to land perfectly on his feet right in Shotos' face. "In a situation like this, you should first prioritize evasion, since the initiative's been taken from you."

"YAOYOROZU, RUN!" Shoto ordered to the still stiffened Momo, who wasn't even able to conjure up words. Within seconds, Aizawa suddenly dashed out of Shotos' line of sight, all the while lassoing more of his wrappings around the young boys' midsection. "Ah, so that's your plan? If that's so, then…"

Before Shoto could react the moment he saw more of the wrappings were still tethered to the power lines and adjacent pole, the wrappings around his body suddenly tightened around him like a snake, and he was swept right off his feet and up into the air, now left hanging helplessly like an animal in a snare trap, all with a single pull on Aizawas' part, before just as quickly tying the loose ends to the base of the nearest street lamp, officially making sure the boy wouldn't be able to just fall and get himself free. "Too convenient. I was planning on capturing you in any case. You're always one to attack."

Even as he dangled like a piece of fresh meat, Shoto continued struggling against his binds, still trying to put on the same air of confidence, even when feeling just how tightly trapped he currently was. "You call this…capturing me? If I use a little fire or ice on bonds like these, then I'll be out in no time."

"Fire, ice, either one's fine. Just watch out when you drop down." Aizawas' offbeat comment forced Shoto to look and observe, to find the homeroom teacher had actually laid down a large number of razor-sharp caltrops right where he would land if he tried to break free. The sight of it couldn't help but force a wry chuckle out of the boy.

"Caltrops…what are you, a ninja? I guess I shouldn't be surprised you'd come up with such a nasty counter." Despite the rather venomous comeback, Aizawa didn't look the least bit bothered, only taking that moment to apply some eye drops to his always tired-looking eyes.

"This is different from when you fought the Hero Killer. Right now, I'm a Villain who knows about the Quirks and quantity of Heroes, and has thusly prepared perfect counters against them. Your strategy's allotment of responsibility is quite lopsided, isn't it? It's commendable that you gave so much consideration to the girl, but wouldn't it have behooved you to discuss things with her a little more?"

As Aizawa applied his goggles once more and was already proceeding to leave, Shoto continued to hang, with the teachers' last words echoing quite poignantly in his head. He hadn't stopped to think about it before, but the man was right. He had essentially taken the reins of the strategy right from the start, and simply expected Momo to go along with it without any real input of her own. Thankfully she had managed to flee, but if things didn't turn out well and they would end up failing the test, Shoto realized he would have a considerable amount to apologize to her for afterward.


Elsewhere in their training area, Momo had long since taken Shotos' orders to heart and was simply running down every turn she could find for all she was worth. However, while her legs were simply focused on that one task, her mind was utterly awhirl with conflicting thoughts and feelings; her heart racing in likewise panic.

'How much longer until I reach the escape gate? Is there a shorter route I could take? Is this the right thing to do? Is Todoroki-san okay? Is this the right thing to do? It'd sacrifice some precious time, but should I create something to help me move faster? Am I really just going to run away like this? Where am I…where am I even running? Damn, this is no good…why? Why can't I think of anything?! Is this really all right?!'

As she continued to run, countless variations of all those doubts and questions exploding in her head non-stop, she didn't dare to look back, even as Aizawa was already racing through the air in leaps and bounds after her. "I've observed your loss of self-confidence since the Sports Festival."

The sound of his voice calling after her sent a jolt of dread into Momo, for if he was coming after her, it only could've meant that he'd already gotten Shoto, and she was well and truly on her own. If he got her, then that would be it; they would fail the practical test, and she would have yet another mark of shame to have to carry for the rest of her time here.

THWIPP!

Suddenly, with the sound of something zipping through the air, Momo felt something coil and tighten around her left wrist, yanking her arm back and forcing her to a screeching halt, wrangled like a piece of livestock. As Aizawa landed on the roof of a nearby house, using it as an anchor to reel her back, he could easily make out the conflicted, frustrated look on her face, far different from the fear she had only precious moments ago. "Oh, I'm hitting some sore spots, aren't I? So you really want to put me up with the trouble of a fight, huh?"

No matter how hard she tried to pull away, Aizawas' handling of his capture tool was simply too masterful. She was like a fly in a web, unable to escape. Now that nagging feeling of self-deprecation and failure was reaching a fever pitch in her aching heart. 'This…this is hopeless! I have no chance of winning against a teacher…!'

However, as her brain tried with all her will to come up with some kind of solution, that was when she realized something: 'Wait….m-my Quirk! I can still feel its power in me! He hasn't erased it yet, or he blinked at some point after he first found us!'

The explanations didn't matter; what did was that she had an ace up her sleeve again, and she immediately knew what to use it for: "CREATE!"

In the blink of an eye, a large and loose bracelet emanated from out of her constrained wrist, pulling Aizawas' binding out with it, and thus allowing Momo to slip her hand free, and proceed to make her escape. As she did so, Aizawa silently observed from above. 'She's going in the opposite direction from before. Must be to leave the call to Todorokis' judgment.'


At the same time, in the field tent, Tunguska was observing Momos' recent actions with similar silent intrigue. He had become so used to seeing her display incredible confidence and resourcefulness in the classroom, even to the point of helping admitted dunces like Denki, Hanta and, to a slightly lesser extent, Mina improve their grades for the written exam in just one week. To see her now acting like nothing more than what was essentially a cornered and frightened animal, felt just downright unnatural. However, that didn't mean he and Aizawa hadn't unknowingly started coming to the same conclusion, simply basing their observation on how she had been acting before the battle had actually begun, if not before the test itself had even come.

"Malenkaya Yaoyorozu really is much more complicated than her outward intelligence and inherent skill with her Quirk would have us believe, isn't she? Despite her incredible intelligence and resourcefulness, she's instead decided to continuously compare herself to malenkii Todoroki, and deciding he's a cut above her, and all because he has the one thing she, astoundingly, doesn't: self-confidence. She has a Quirk with the capability to handle almost literally any situation; you would think she would be aware of that and have the confidence to go with it."

As Tunguska muttered these observations primarily to himself, that didn't stop Recovery Girl from still listening and feeling the need to answer: "Yes, you would think. But don't forget that, in the grand scheme of things, so far Yaoyorozu-chan hasn't had very much opportunity to really prove herself in comparison to a majority of her fellow classmates. That kind of pressure, especially with a mentality like hers of needing to be at her very best, can really mess with ones' head. No matter how smart or inherently powerful and naturally skilled she is, she's ultimately still just a fifteen-year-old kid."

Tunguska gave a regretful sigh with an agreeing nod as he continued to watch Momo flee through the back streets. "I just hope Aizawa-san can somehow get through to her and help her rediscover that confidence, even if that may not be the actual role of the enemy he's supposed to be playing right now. She's a truly good kid with incredible potential; it's just a waste for her to keep weighing herself down like this."


For the last minute, Shoto hadn't tried to escape from his bindings, not for fear of the caltrops waiting silently below, but simply for the fact he could not stop thinking about Aizawas' parting words, about his ultimate negligence of giving Momo a bigger role of responsibility in the grand plan. 'I can't believe I didn't even stop to really think about it. Come to think of it, she actually did look like she had something she wanted to say.'

"Todoro…ki…san…!" The sound of Momos' approaching voice and rushing footsteps snapped Shoto from his self-reflection, now replaced only with surprise at her unexpected return, only for his expression of such to be quickly cut off when he saw the immensely worried look on her face as she struggled to catch her breath. "I'm so sorry, I…I'm always so…!"

However, a glimpse of sudden movement out the corner of his eye caught Shotos' attention, before he realized with a jolt that an unmistakable yet distant figure in black was quickly approaching from rooftop to rooftop. "Hey! Aizawa-sensei's coming!"

To hear what she had already dreadfully figured being confirmed out loud once more sent the ponytail-wearing girl into another mental tailspin, looking like she was psychologically running in confused circles. 'What should I do?! Should I save Todoroki-san? Or should I try to escape?! I don't…!'

"YAOYOROZU! You've got something up your sleeves, right?!" This sudden question on Shotos' part miraculously got through the noisy din in Momos' head, snapping her back to reality with momentary surprise, which the boy figured was enough of a clue for him to keep going. "I'm sorry; I should have asked 'is that all right?' earlier! But you've got something in mind, right?!"

As nice as it was to at least hear he realized he should have asked her opinion on the plan before, it still did nothing for the vice presidents' confidence. "But even your plan fell flat, Todoroki-san. So my plans would just—"JUST DO IT ALREADY! I'm telling you, you were more qualified than me! You got two votes for the class president election, remember?!"

That sudden remembrance struck Momo Yaoyorozu like a lightning bolt, her whole body going stiff, her cat-like eyes widening with realization that Shoto recognized clear as day. "I was the one who voted for you! Because I thought you excelled at that sort of thing!" By that point, even from his distance up above, he could clearly see Momos' whole face fill with indescribable raw emotion.

Of course, that didn't stop Aizawa from finally closing the distance, practically flying through the air, ready to come down on top of the young girl below with all his strength. "Are you two done?"

Momo shut her eyes tight, her body going on full autopilot as she began reaching for the first of the matryoshka dolls still tucked in her belt, while her mind could only keep shouting how disgraceful she and the example she left was, compared to her position among her fellows. If someone as undeniably skilled and confident as Shoto Todoroki saw her as more than worthy of her position, then dammit, it was time for her to finally prove she was worthy of that kind of respect. Nevertheless, her heart was no longer ready to simply give in and collapse, as she gripped the dolls tight in her fingers.

"Todoroki-san, close your eyes!" She declared this instruction the moment she proceeded to fling all of the dolls she had created straight into the air, right in Aizawas' path. Shoto immediately did as she told, and not a moment to soon, for just as Aizawa began to ask what was going on, the dolls all proceeded to open up, revealing each one carried actual flash bangs inside.

BOOOM!

The entire area was immediately consumed in a flash of blinding light, forcing Aizawa to not only stop dead in his tracks, but also to cover his eyes; the perfect distraction as Momo proceeded to finally undo the bindings around the street lamp, freeing Shoto and getting him back on solid ground.

As she and her partner now stood before their still recovering teacher and opponent, Momo felt a fire of absolute focus and determination fill every ounce of her body again for what felt like the first time in years. "I do! Todoroki-san, I do have one! An ace-in-the-hole operation…TO PREVAIL AGAINST AIZAWA-SENSEI!"

Even as she made this declaration of pure intent, she and Shoto never noticed how her words echoed up to Aizawa himself, and he could only look upon the young girl below with a truly satisfied smirk of approval on his grizzled face.


In the field tent, the entire place was echoing with one of the loudest bursts of laughter Recovery Girl had ever experienced in all her years, all resonating out of Tunguska from the pit of his stomach, the moment Momo had used her matryoshka-flash bang tactic on Aizawa. "Honestly, Tunguska-san, I know you and Aizawa-san haven't exactly been seeing eye to eye, but I didn't think seeing the man get caught point blank by such a move would amuse you that much."

Tunguska had to wipe a tear from one of his eyes, he was laughing so hard, before finally trying to catch his breath at last. "No, no, it's not that. I suppose you could say that move made me feel more than a little nostalgic. Not only the fact she actually used something I used to have as a child to make it possible, but the fact that she essentially copied one of my special moves without even realizing it. It can't help but make an old Pro Hero proud to see someone with such promise FINALLY start coming into their own. Malenkaya Yaoyorozu finally regained control of the situation, and I for one can't wait to see what she has in mind to help them win."


Team Ashido/ Bezpalov/ Kaminaris' Side

It had been a good five minutes since Nezu had finally decided to give his little wrecking spectacle a rest, primarily because, try as he might, he could not make out a single hair of his three young opponents anywhere amid the remains of their training area.

Sure, for a moment he had worried he might have gone a touch overboard and buried them alive, something he would more than happily make up for with any amount of chastising Recovery Girl would subject him to once she'd finished patching up the students' injuries. But then, the optimist in him had just as quickly helped him realize they had found shelter through the underground tunnels. After all, he had overheard them discussing the possibility back at the start of the test, thanks to all the microphones set up all over the surface level.

It was simply a shame he hadn't thought to put microphones or traps down there as well, on the instinctive assumption that they actually wouldn't have thought to go for the underground means of escape in the heat of the moment. The only countermeasure he had thought up as a response was to bury every other manhole entrance they could have tried coming out of, as well as burying the storm drain tunnel in order to keep them trapped inside, if for no other reason than to observe what, if anything, they would ultimately do in the time they had left, once they realized what a bottleneck they had forced themselves into to try and escape the more immediate threat.

'I must admit, for such reactionary students, their ability to come up with actions to take on a split-second notice do show considerable promise. I can't think of many people, young or old, who would think to actually utilize an underground means of escape, while trying to avoid getting crushed by falling debris all the while. But alas, their skills for long-term, alternative planning still need considerable work. It will be most interesting to see how they try to escape this current little predicament, let alone how they plan to deal with me the moment they show themselves again. Oh well, while it does pain me to have to come down on such promising students so hard, it is what Aizawa-san asked of me, to see just how well their respective mental capabilities complement…or deter each other in a situation. In that regard, I suppose this was inevitable.'

THOOOM!

A sudden minor shockwave across the training area, even reaching up the neck of Nezus' crane, drew the attention of the bipedal mouse headmaster as he was in the middle of sipping his tea. With his heart now racing with anticipation once more, he scurried up onto the dashboard of the control cabin, watching just in time to see the crane nearest to him on his left, began sinking into the ground below with a cacophonous thud, before finally tilting over and crashing on its side to the wreckage down below with a deafening metallic groan.

BOOOM!

A second, and much louder sound of an explosion suddenly ripped through the air, and Nezus' head practically turned on a swivel to see the nearest crane to his right was now likewise falling over, even crashing into the next crane after it, sending both towering metal structure crashing to the ground with devastating weight and impact.

Contrary to what many would have believed when someone saw their primary means of attack get taken away from them, Nezus' expression showed nothing short of nearly childlike delight, even instinctively clapping with applause as he laughed approvingly. "Oh, this is just splendid! Looks like my young opponents are more resourceful than I thought! They actually decided to bring the fight to me this time! And their little plan has already proven quite effective, I must say! Without those two cranes for me to strike against, they've effectively removed my primary means of attack. They've just reduced my range of effect over the training area immeasurably! Oh, I do so look forward to seeing how this plan of yours intends to develop, my students!"


Even from the other side of the training area, Mina could hear and feel the intense shockwaves and collapses of the two cranes, instinctively looking back in worry. She couldn't imagine how Nikolay or Denki could have managed to get away from something like that completely unscathed. She was now more than halfway through the rubble on her end; clearly Nezu had decided to really pile it on in order to hold them up, but she wasn't letting that stop her.

However, her instinctive worry for her friends was screaming for her to ditch this waste of time and effort and get back to them, at least to make sure they were all right.

However, she stubbornly shook her head to try and quiet that inner voice down. She had to keep reminding herself over and over again, just as she had been already, that they had gone and done things this way, solely for the sake of her being able to get to the exit gate and get them their win. They were counting on her, just as much as she was counting on them, and as noble as going to check on their safety was to her personally, she knew that in practicality, she would ultimately be letting them down, and she wasn't about to break the trust they'd both put in her, not when her role in this plan was ultimately so vital.

Furrowing her brow and looking back to the remaining pile of stone and steel before her, Mina Ashido proceeded with her continuous barrage of handfuls of acid, every step of the way mentally praying that Nikolay and Denki were all right, wherever they were.


Despite how initially overwhelming the network of tunnels was at first glance, once Nikolay and Denki had actually started putting the young Russians' plan into action, navigating proved to be far simpler, especially once the two boys had settled on a spot to meet back up at once they had both managed to take out a single crane.

Nikolay could already hear the panicked breathing and sprinting footsteps of Denki come rounding his own final corner, just as soon as Nikolay did. As they finally came to a stop, they both took in the sight of each other trying to fight to catch their breath, both of them covered from head to toe in the dust from the debris of the cranes collapsing. "Great work, Kaminari-san! How did you manage yours?"

"You…you first! I gotta try and slow my heart down before I keel over! I nearly got crushed when I brought mine down!" Denki gasped and wheezed, while Nikolay finally hunched over, hands on his knees, trying to regain his steadier breathing as well.

"I had to sacrifice all my smaller tuning forks, firing them over and over against the ceiling, one blast-assisted throw after another. After a minute, I heard this large cracking sound, and soon the whole ceiling started to go, and I had to practically fly down the tunnel to avoid getting buried."

That was when Denki did indeed notice that all the smaller tuning forks normally lining Nikolays' costume were gone. While it was a shame the boy now had one less tool at his disposal if they were ultimately going to have to confront Nezu personally, at least the plan had worked so far on his end. Straightening himself back up, the blonde boy finally answered in kind: "Yeah; that hunch you had about the maintenance basement doors was right on the money, man. I found a few small canisters of fuel stockpiled in that basement, and the stairs led right to the base of the crane. All I had to do was pile 'em up at the base, open one and leave a trail to the top of the stairs, then I just produced one spark to light it up and then I booked. You obviously heard how well that went."

Both of them now feeling emboldened by their (so far) streak of success, the two boys continued down their route through the maze of tunnels. With the diagram posted up on nearly every wall, it proved thankfully much easier than they initially thought to find themselves in the section of the training area Nikolay had deduced Nezus' primary crane was situated. Surely enough, they even managed to find another basement level maintenance door.

Sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth, Nikolay counted to three before finally throwing the door open, only to find yet another thankfully accessible basement with adjoining stairway going up. Now they could finally get out of these tunnels and just hope the rest of their impromptu little mission wouldn't face any more considerable obstacles.

"Wow, for as thorough as he's been throughout this thing so far, I would've sworn Sensei would've had booby traps set up down here. I mean, you'd think he would've figured we were coming up through these doors." Denki noted, while Nikolay was simply trying not to let his inherent nervousness show, likewise surprised their headmaster would do something so…careless.

"If it had been, I honestly don't know how we would've been able to check for it, so let's chalk this one up to dumb luck." It pained him to have to admit he hadn't thought of a way around such a distinct possibility, and the shaken look in Denkis' eyes pretty much communicated the same, clearly having been counting on the Russian boy to be able to handle this plan every step of the way.

Nevertheless, the important thing was that they were both here, and now was just a matter of keeping Nezu distracted long enough so Mina could get through the rubble across the area, get to the exit gate, and bring this test to an end.

As soon as the two boys carefully snuck out the door at the top of the stairs, they found themselves in an empty yet thankfully intact ground floor hallway lined with windows. Hurriedly crawling to the other side and keeping their heads just below the window frames, Nikolay slowly stuck his head up to just where his eyes were above the sill, able to now see the outside, with Denki hurriedly following suit.

"Perfect, the crane's just where I thought it would be. It doesn't look like he's set up any traps around it, either." Nikolay noted in a hushed whisper as he scanned the ground around the base and ladder. His eyes soon went up to the arm of the crane next, observing the forebodingly still wrecking ball, and the track underneath the arm from which it could be extended or retracted, both in terms of the chain itself, and how close or far to the tower it could be. "Now I'm far from an expert on physics, but from here, it doesn't look like that wrecking ball can reach these buildings, even at its closest point to the crane. That should take the pressure off of us as long as we stay close by, even if Nezu-sensei manages to spot us."

"Maybe we should focus on taking the generator out first, keep him from trying anything fancy with this last one. Look, I can see it from here." Denki suggested, nudging his head in a direction away from the crane itself. Indeed, there was a sizeable electric generator humming along in another corner, with numerous cables attaching it to the towering metal structure.

"Yeah, we should, but this is still proving too easy. Nezu-sensei could be watching that generator for all we know. There's no way he hasn't figured out what we're trying to do after taking out those two other cranes. We need to approach this from two fronts. My Quirk is naturally loud, so if I tried launching myself up after him, he'd hear me coming, easy. I'm going to have to climb up manually and try to get the drop on him. Once I get up there, I'll give you a signal, like letting the sun catch off the brass rim of my cap. Once you see it, Kaminari-san, you run for that generator and you give it everything you've got. Sound good?"

"Sounds too risky, if you ask me. I think maybe we should've brought Ashido along, after all. She could just melt the base of that thing, bring it down, and we could just bolt for the exit gate from there." Denki noted, and while Nikolays' eyes clearly showed that he fully agreed with that thought, his body language was resolute.

"We already discussed that, though. If the three of us were all together in one place, Nezu could take us all out at once and then we'd fail. At least this way, even if this plan goes to hell, as long as we keep his attention on us and away from her, she can still have the best shot at helping us all pass. Now we don't have much time left, so what do you say?" Nikolay watched as Denki was clearly trying to think of some other way to argue against this half-assed (at best) plan of theirs. In the end, however, he realized Nikolays' point, and with a sigh, finally formed an accepting smirk.

"What the hell, it's as good a plan as any when you say it like that. Let's just win this thing." Denki replied with an approving single thumb up. With that understanding having been made, Nikolay proceeded to keep sneaking in a crouching walk for the exit door, with Denki stacking up right next to it and keeping it open so he could still see the later signal.

The steady hum of the generator and crane was foreboding with the accompanying silence of no further destruction, not helped when Nikolay looked up the ladder to see just how truly gargantuan this mechanical behemoth really was, with the distant cry of a bird up above simply punctuating the sense of vertigo he was already feeling just looking up it.

'Dammit, come on, man! You've come this far, don't back down now! Just put one hand and foot over the other and don't look down and you'll be fine. You can practically fly as it is, this is ultimately no different.'

Shaking his head to try and erase the sense of fear building in his gut, Nikolay hastily proceeded to climb up the ladder, never taking his eyes off the top, and refusing to even chance glancing downward after a full minute had passed. Every step of the way, however, all he could hope was that Nezu simply hadn't noticed his and Denkis' arrival from down below yet, and he still had the element of surprise on his side.

Before too long he finally reached the top, having to make the conscious effort to not breathe too heavily to catch his breath, lest Nezu ended up overhearing him. As soon as he had his arms on the metal beams of the neck to anchor himself, he looked up, and felt his body instinctively flinch when he spotted the small form of the headmaster perched comfortably at the very end of the crane arm, overlooking the expanse of the training area, and most importantly, with his back turned to the boy.

With his heart and anxiousness catching in his throat, Nikolay hurriedly got his feet onto the arm and off the ladder, before hurriedly removing his cap and tilting it so the sunlight reflected off the line of brass along the brim, angling it back down the way he came. To his relief, he soon spotted the distant blonde spot that was Denki start carefully making his way out the door and straight for the generator just a couple yards away. This was going exceptionally more smoothly than Nikolay had expected, and he was going to take this chance for everything it was worth.

Treading lightly on the toes of his boots, Nikolay slowly but surely crept his way towards the anthropomorphic headmaster at the end. The entire time, he kept hoping Nezus' ears wouldn't twitch in realization that he was no longer alone, yet they never did, to both his relief and confusion. All the time, he kept reminding himself to never risk looking down, which made making sure he was always keeping himself balanced even despite the occasional strong gust of wind, much more difficult.

Before too long, Nikolay was finally just behind Nezu, ready to practically jump on him, but instead opting to pull out a pouch of his restraining cord from his belt. Thankfully, the crane was positioned to where the sun didn't show Nikolays' shadow anywhere Nezu would notice. As he tightened his grasp on the cord, ready to practically hogtie his unaware opponent, another sudden gust of wind forced Nikolay to brace himself, but that wasn't the biggest surprise of the moment. What had been was that the wind was enough to actually knock Nezu off the arm of the crane.

At least, what Nikolay had previously thought was Nezu. Instead, what Nikolay found floating harmlessly down to the ground was nothing more than what had to be a custom made stuffed version of the Yuuei headmaster, easily made up to be mistaken for the real thing unless looked upon directly.

Of course, what followed just as quickly after the realization that it had been a fake, was the fact that it was a deliberately set up fake.

"Oh, chyort (shit)." Nikolay muttered in realization to himself.

VRRRRT!

Suddenly the air was broken by a loud mechanical whirring, forcing Nikolay to look back to find the arm-length track for the wrecking ball was retracting, thus allowing the wrecking ball itself to now swing around in a much closer arc to its base, just like Nikolay had earlier guessed.

Just as quickly, then, the arm suddenly began to swing from under the Russian boys' feet. It was with so much sudden speed, in fact; that coupled with the wind current, it had been enough to force Nikolay to actually lose his balance and go tumbling ass-over-tea kettle over the side, now finding himself quickly freefalling to the unforgiving ground below.

It was honestly only through sheer dumb luck and immense concentration, that Nikolay managed to focus enough of his energy and sense of spatial awareness together, and was able to fire out of his hands and feet in good enough conjunction with each other, and was thankfully able to stabilize himself mid-fall, to the point where he was right side up again, and quickly refocusing enough to try and start firing himself back up the height of the crane, realizing the element of surprise had now long since been lost.

At least, that had been the plan, until Nikolay realized two things, much to his disbelief. One: Nezu had somehow managed to find the perfect adjustment of closeness and length for his wrecking ball to allow it to plow right through the closest buildings he had once thought untouchable, subsequently raining concrete and steel right in Denkis' direction down below, forcing the blonde boy to scramble for cover away from the generator.

And two: the ball had finished plowing through said buildings, and was now swinging right for where Nikolay was at that moment, once again ready to swat him out of the air like a pesky human fly.

BWOOOM!

The full force blast Nikolay had fired from his hands and feet forward, sending his body careening backwards out of the wrecking balls swinging arc was entirely instinctive. What wasn't, was his subsequent panic at the breakneck speed he had sent himself flying, before trying to flip his whole body over in mid-air so that he could get his feet behind him again. Frankly, it was a miracle he hadn't ricocheted off the walls of one of the wrecks already.

BWOOOM!

A thankfully well-timed blast from his feet managed to stop his momentum dead in its tracks, and in the single moment he hung motionless in the air, he focused on the nearest level surface of the remains of one of the buildings nearby, and quickly fired from his feet again in a back-to-back burst, propelling himself forward.

Never taking his eyes off the goal, Nikolay struggled to maintain his bodies' sense of balance level with the ground below, as he tried to concentrate enough to fire one shot at a time out of one foot after another, attempting to replicate the mid-air running tactic he had been practicing feverishly since the Rescue Race nearly a month ago.

The arm of the crane and the wrecking ball were still in the middle of completing their original turn, and Nikolay knew in his gut Nezu was simply preparing to send it round for another to try and knock him out of the sky. However, he wasn't going to let himself get caught unaware like that again. With that dedication in mind, Nikolay proceeded to start moving his legs in a sprinting manner, firing an even-enough-powered burst with each 'step' to maintain his balance, for all intents and purposes, literally sprinting on air.

Up in the cabin, Nezu was observing this last-second tactic from the Russian boy below, and once again found himself chuckling with genuine delight. "Oh, splendid work on your part, Bezpalov-kun. I see what you and Kaminari-kun were trying to do now. You both decided to bring the fight to me as a distraction! I've yet to see Ashido-chan among you, which tells me she must still be somewhere underground, doubtless trying to melt an exit for herself so she can get to the exit gate undisturbed so you can all pass. Your plan to draw my attention from her is selfless, and therefore commendable, however it's clearly shown to be relying far too much on one possibility of events and outcomes. You need to be able to plan for each and every possible, or even implausible, turn the fight can take. My boy, you need to consider that your opponent is actively planning ahead just as much as you are, and taking every step needed to put those strategies into action! The moment you do that, you'll be able to plan and outmaneuver them in return! To do otherwise will leave you and your plans open to be derailed with just the slightest action taken!"

All the while, just as Nikolay gave the last burst from his feet so he could meet the rubble surface running, Nikolay had likewise come to the same realization in the heat of the moment: 'Dammit, it's happening all over again! You're just going for the very first possibility you can find, and just act on it and hope that the elements around you don't plan around it to get you in their trap! But what else can I possibly do? Nezu-sensei isn't giving me a chance to actually observe how he acts or thinks! All I can do is react and hope for the best!'

Not losing his stride, Nikolay hurriedly blast-leaped from the first surface to that of the building adjacent, not taking the risk of stopping for a moment, his mind still in a rushing argument with itself the whole time. 'Just stop, Nikolay Olegovich! Don't you see what's happening? You're just making excuses! Of course he isn't going to just let you read him like that! That'd be too easy! You think the obstacles all your other classmates have been dealing with so far just let themselves be read like an open book? No, they had to observe what they could in the heat of the moment, from multiple angles if need be, and then think through it, think around it, come up with actions they themselves could take in order to make those obstacles open themselves up, or get their opponents right where they want them to be, even if that plan has to come to them at the very last moment! It's just like Midoriya-san told you about Bakugo; he acts in order to get the pieces to fall where he wants them to! You need to be able to plan enough in order to do the very same as he does! You've been taking everyone elses' examples to heart, now start acting on them! Stop panicking, stop complaining, look around you and think!'

With those words ringing in his head, Nikolay looked back to where the wrecking ball was now swinging, and in that moment felt his brain go into overdrive as he found himself observing the very specific arc at which it was swinging, directly for the structures he was now sprinting through. 'At that angle, and at that speed, the rubble it's going to create with the impact will go flying upwards and forwards, most of it easily big enough for me to use as stepping stones. It won't just be the buildings I've run through already, but the ones ahead as well. That'll provide even more debris for me to use to my advantage! If I can time both the steps of my mid-air run and my foot launches to propel me with each piece of debris, I could use the damage from Nezus' own attack as a means to close the distance between us faster than he would be able to react. I just need to time my initial jump just right. 3…2…1…NOW!'

Just as the sound of impact echoed from behind him, Nikolay launched himself sky high and forward through both feet, just in the neck of time to avoid the steel ball plowing through where he had just been standing. Just as he had predicted in that last moment, the cloud of dust and debris left behind was massive, and there were well over a hundred sizeable pieces of debris now flying through the air in all directions, more than half of them big enough for Nikolay to at least land a single foot upon and use as a propelling launch pad.

His brain was still running a mile a minute, trying to judge which angle to approach the control cabin of the crane from, while his eyes were laser-focused on the debris around him, picking which ones to launch himself off of with each and every jump and step he made, planning the route each one could take him down all at once and using those split second judgments to calculate and build his final approach.

This sensation was incredible, it was almost like he was on the outside looking in, as his brain was a flurry with numerous different approach strategies, and guiding his body along like a puppet on a string; a very agile and focused puppet. He almost couldn't help but wonder if any of his classmates felt like this when in the heat of the moment and coming up with their own miraculous strategies to come out on top. Depending how this test would ultimately play out, he swore he would at least ask the likes of Izuku and Shoto when this was all over.

He was like a veritable human bullet, not much different from how he'd observed Izuku in the Rescue Race, bouncing from surface to surface with inhuman speed and precision. The thought began to occur to him of maybe telling his freckled friend as much later on, until he noticed that the arm of the crane was suddenly starting to slow down, with the momentum of the wrecking ball sending it swinging high, before it would inevitably come swinging back the other way; and Nikolay could once again tell in a split-second observation of its current swinging arc, that if he continued on any of the remaining routes he had available to him through the air, that steel sphere would come plowing into him, or at the very least knocking his feet out from under him, thus ending his current mid-air rush into action.

Nikolay realized as long as Nezu had that wrecking ball at his disposal, it was going to be a constant threat to his plan, and thus he needed to do something to take it out; only this time, he actually had an idea. With his eyes focusing on the neck of the crane, he proceeded to launch himself right for it, out of the arc of the wrecking ball, and as he flew, he proceeded to draw the large tuning fork hanging at his right side, already proceeding to fire a good dose of his kinetic energy through his right hand into the metal tool itself. The vibration resonating through it was already producing a distinct sound of its own.

Nikolay landed against the neck of the crane with considerable force, but ignored the rippling going through his body from the impact as he hooked his left arm and leg through the gaps in order to ground himself. He was now once again focused solely on the point where the wrecking ball chain met the track along the arm. If he could find a way to detach the chain, he would take the wrecking ball out of the equation and make the rest of this test immeasurably easier.

He only realized then just how little time had actually passed, as the wrecking ball was still in the middle of the peak of its previous swing, just about to continue with its following swing in his direction. Capitalizing on that momentary gap, Nikolay proceeded to aim his larger tuning fork in hand right for the point where the chain met the track. It was too little time for him to confirm if he would be able to hit it from this angle, but he also knew it was his only viable shot and he had to take it. Situating the still vibrating tuning fork in both his hands, never taking his eyes off the mark, Nikolay proceeded to fire as much energy as his arms could handle point-blank into the tuning fork, at the same time loosening his grip around it enough so that the blast would not only transfer into the tool, but also fire it like a handheld harpoon or spear, flying straight and true for the chain.

The piercing sound of his weapon meeting the chain head-on was so sharp yet satisfying, especially when his ears could pick up the sound of that vibration actually growing louder and louder, until, before his eyes and to his amazement and relief, one of the links of the chain finally snapped in half from the immense concentration of overpowering kinetic energy forced right into it, and as if time came to a crawl, Nikolay watched as the chain detached in the middle, and the wrecking ball proceeded to fly back through the air away from him and the crane, officially now removing Nezus' primary means of offense. Had it not been for the fact that the clock was still ticking and he still had the headmaster himself to deal with, Nikolay would've wanted to scream with celebration that his last-second counter-attack strategy had actually paid off.

The larger tuning fork he had used had long since fallen harmlessly to the ground below, but Nikolay still had the one at his left, as well as a couple more pouches of his binding cord in his belt, so he settled for the fact he would only have those and his own melee skills and Quirk to help him from now on. So with that in mind, he proceeded to kick himself off the side of the crane and launch himself up the rest of the way by his feet, landing squarely on the arm on both feet, immediately taking care to position himself where he was as well balanced as could be. Immediately turning to face the control cabin, he was momentarily surprised to see Nezu had actually left the confines of it, and was now standing on the arm as well, looking the young Russian boy square in the eyes, both paws tucked behind his back, a deeply pleased smile on his white-furred face.

"ADVISORY: THE FIRST TEAM TO CLEAR THE EXAM IS TEAM TODOROKI/ YAOYOROZU!"

The sudden intrusion of Recovery Girls' voice over the intercoms caught both Nikolay and Nezu by surprise, as they both took that moment to take their eyes off one another and look in the direction Shoto and Momo had been sent. While Nezu simply looked as contemplative as he always did, all Nikolay could feel in that moment was amazement and relief: the former that his two classmates, for as inherently skilled and intelligent as they both were, had actually managed to beat their homeroom teacher, instead of just going for the escape option; and the latter that so far, his classmates were actually coming through. It honestly left him feeling a whole new swell of confidence in his chest.

"I must say, I'm impressed. Aizawa-san is far from a slouch, so he would've no doubt given those two quite a run for their money. They've truly proven themselves in the field of battle, it would seem." Nezu commented mostly to himself, before finally returning his attention to Nikolay before him, spurring the young Slav to do the same, getting his head back in the game.

"As for the subject of you, Bezpalov-kun, you deserve some recognition yourself. Your capabilities in last-second planning and strategy thus far have proven more exceptional than I had initially thought, given your previous track record. You and Kaminari-kun have actually managed to remove my two most effective means of attacking, an essential step when you wish to actually face an opponent with an immediate advantage over you. Bravo.

"However, what you've proven to now possess in terms of planning, you must make up for in focus. Never forget, even when their most immediate advantages are taken away, your opponent will always be planning ahead for that eventuality. Case in point…" As Nezu said this, he immediately began pointing just past Nikolay, clearly motioning for the boy to actually turn around and observe whatever the headmaster had seen. Needless to say, the boy wasn't buying it.

"Just this once, I can assure you this isn't a trick. I suggest you look now while you still can." Nezus' voice was still as approachable, and therefore unreadable, as ever. With this consideration, Nikolay took a deep breath and looked back over his shoulder, just in time to see a flying barrage of numerous large pieces of rubble come flying through the air right for the crane, coming in at an arc as though they had just been launched by a series of trebuchets.

What Nikolay had failed to notice in his rush to remove the wrecking ball from the equation, was that with the momentum still behind it from its previous swing, when Nikolay had broken its chain, he had sent that thing flying right for one end of a partially destroyed bridge elsewhere in the training area, and that had essentially made that bridge, in its subsequent teeter-totter-esque collapse, act like a makeshift catapult, sending all the rubble that had collected on top of its remains, the resultant projectile payload.

Nikolays' realization, unfortunately, came too late, as the rubble hammered against the arm of the crane with enough force to send it turning with even greater speed than it could muster on its own, sending the Russian boy toppling over the side and plummeting back down to the ground, while Nezu had long since scurried back into the relative safety of the controls cabin. The debris barrage had ended almost as quickly as it had come.

Nikolay could barely manage to try and stabilize himself enough to get some kind of idea where he was relative to the ground, at least just before he ended up falling through the already ruptured side of a mostly intact water tower protruding from the wreckage below, with the considerable amount of water thankfully still inside managing to break the rest of his free fall.

The frigid cold of the water thankfully kept Nikolay from blacking out from both the long fall and the impact, as he hurriedly broke back through the waters' surface, struggling to catch his breath before grabbing the ruptured edge of the towers' side, already starting to pull himself back out. Not only had Nezu managed to blindside him with an environmental attack he hadn't even bothered to think about considering, but now he'd even added the humiliating coup de grace by leaving him a sopping wet mess in the process.


In the field tent, Tunguska was sitting in contemplative silence, having watched the latest development in Nikolay and his teams' test, in the aftermath of Recovery Girl having made the announcement of Shoto and Momos' recent victory in their own.

"Kolya certainly has gotten himself into a real bind now. He's done well, going for what makes his opponent strongest, and removing them from play. That's exactly what I would've done at his age. But he's still clearly trying to get the hang of planning enough to accommodate himself and his allies. He needs to take into consideration what his opponents could be cooking up at the same time. That kind of mental multi-tasking separates the real potential leaders from the wannabes, when you think about it. I wonder if he'll be able to recover from a last-second blindsiding blow like that or not."

As he watched his son slowly start climbing out from the ruptured water tower, Tunguskas' eyes momentarily drifted to another adjacent screen, wherein Momo and Shoto were currently making their way for the exit gate of their training area for the central section. Immediately, memories of the rest of their test just a few minutes ago began replaying, as a proud smile tugged at the corners of his bearded mouth.

That entire climax of a test had truly been a thing of beauty, from the moment Momo had declared having a plan that could have allowed them to beat Aizawa, all the way to the glorious finish. Right out the gate, she and Shoto had engaged in a wild foot chase with their teacher hot on their heels, still acting on their instincts despite having clearly had both their Quirks erased along the way.

Overhearing her as they ran, it was apparent that she had noticed Aizawas' recent inability to keep his eyes open as long as normal, and therefore maintain the effectiveness of his Quirk, ever since sustaining his injuries back at USJ, and she had already figured out a way to capitalize on it.

Utilizing the split second between Aizawas' blinking and reactivating his Quirk, Momo had actually gotten Shoto to use the very same colossal ice wall he had revealed back in the Sports Festival to cut their teacher off, effectively giving them a chance to use their Quirks for longer before he would ultimately catch up with them again, and she had decided to use that chance to essentially create a near perfect replica of what were essentially the same wrappings as Aizawa himself wore.

However, Aizawa actually didn't proceed to continue his pursuit, and instead simply stood vigilant, waiting for his two students to make their next move. Given that their escape gate was to his back, Tunguska, being the ever present observer, hardly found that surprising.

No, what was surprising was when Momo and Shoto actually decided to make a run for the gate right in full view of their teacher, with nothing but black cloaks to cover them. It of course made sense, given how Aizawas' Quirk only worked when he could see his targets clearly. However, for them to just come running right out the front door like a pair of amateurs was…exactly that.

When Aizawa swooped in from above and wrangled both their heads together like a professional cowboy, both he and Tunguska alike felt the test was as good as failed for them. At least, until those two cloaks went flying up to reveal Momo had ducked down from within, and Shoto hadn't even been with her to begin with. Instead she had simply created the upper half of a mannequin to make it seem she had been with another person. Not only that, but she even had a small catapult sitting at the ready at her side with her created bundle of wrapping as the payload, much to both teachers' surprise.

For a moment when she tried to fire, a momentary miscalculation of distance caused her to miss the lever, and when Aizawa swooped in ready to wrangle her up for good, once again it felt like a grave certainty that the test was as good as over, unless Shoto had some kind of last second save in mind, wherever he was.

But in the end, Momo didn't let her momentary slip up stop her, and she finally fired the catapult with another desperate flick of her wrist, and the small medieval device finally fired, sending a whole tangling mess of those wrappings all around Aizawa in the air. However, it hardly was binding around him the way his very own did, and as he watched from afar, Tunguska couldn't help but wonder if this was really all she had been counting on in order to win.

However, that was when she suddenly called for Shoto to fire his heat along the ground, and her partner finally revealed himself from within the tangled mess of the cloaks after all, sending a wave of fire along the ground as Aizawa still hung in the air. Before both teachers' eyes, the bindings Momo had fired quickly proceeded to shrink around the 1-A homeroom teacher, ensnaring him quickly and thoroughly in a matter of seconds. As it turned out, listening to her explanation as it happened, she hadn't made those wrappings out of the exact same material as Aizawas' simply because she didn't know what his were made from. However, hers were made from what she called nitinol alloy, a material that returned to its original shape when introduced to intense heat.

With that, Momo and Shoto had finally managed to slap their cuffs on Aizawas' wrists, and effectively passed their practical test, both to Recovery Girl and Tunguskas' delight, and Aizawas' silent pride as a teacher.

However, for as exciting and ingenious as that entire confrontation had proven to be, there was a moment after all had been said and done that Tunguska couldn't help but listen in on, but which hit him with a resonating wave of emotion as he observed the two children in the aftermath.

"Was it really that easy?" Shoto had asked once Momo had finished putting the cuffs on Aizawas' wrists.

"No…I mean…when I tried to launch the catapult's volley…I slipped up. Sensei noticed and took some distance…and in the opening that gave him, he should have been able to prevent what came next, but…" As Momo explained this, she finally couldn't help but confront the teacher himself.

"Sensei, you…deliberately made it seem as though you were caught in our trap." Even when confronted with his own duplicity, however, Aizawa gave no visible sign of reaction, as though he'd really been found out.

"I was just keeping an eye on Todoroki right next to you. I was able to see you, but Todoroki was concealed by the cloth. I thought I was going to be frozen. And I thought retreating back was my best option. So I guess that all went according to your plans after all, huh?" With this truth having been revealed, Shoto gave an expression of silent consideration before addressing his partner.

"Ah…it really did come down to whether 'we had time'…thank you." With those two last words finally being spoken out loud, with her and her honest efforts being the cause and recipient of it, Momo Yaoyorozu honestly began to shed tears right there in front of everyone, present and distant. Even through the screen, Tunguska could see the immeasurable emotion in her normally studious eyes. Through that, even he could see that this was truly one of the single happiest and proudest moments of her young life, even if Shoto inadvertently put a wrench in it when he noticed her sudden emotional display, immediately asking if she was feeling sick and offering pointers on pressure point medicine.

With that entire struggle having now been overcome, Tunguska and Recovery Girl alike both collapsed back into their respective chairs, with the elderly little nurse chuckling softly to herself. "You see? Even for how outwardly abrasive he may be, at the end of the day, Aizawa-san is just a big softie."

Tunguska wasn't about to argue with her. If Aizawa hadn't been soft somewhere inside, he doubted the man would've actually let his son off the hook after going to the length of trying to run away, no matter how much responsibility or maturity the boy had shown immediately afterward.

Turning his attention back to some of the other screens displaying some of the other tests, he and the nurse were quickly given some clear signs of how some of the other teams were doing. Over in the test between Minoru, Hanta and Midnight, the taller tape boy had already been knocked stone cold unconscious by the sleeping gas of their teachers' Quirk, leaving Minoru all by himself and at her mercy.

And over in the test between Kyouka, Kouji and Present Mic, the English teachers' booming amplified voice was leaving his two students completely at his mercy. Frankly, though, it was hardly to be unexpected, pitting someone with a Quirk like Present Mics' against two students whose own Quirks revolved solely around sound. Having witnessed her Quirk in action, Tunguska could tell trying to go up against the teacher in a frontal assault would've left Kyouka exposed and at his mercy. Plus, considering Koujis' Quirk apparently allowed him to talk to and command animals, it was almost too easy to see from the startsthat the sheer volume of the teachers' voice would send them all running before they'd even get close. If there was a way for those two to beat him, or at least get past him, then it was going to be anybody's guess.

Tunguska soon turned his focus back to the screen for Izuku and Bakugos' test against All Might, and what he saw and heard displayed front and center made him flinch in surprise.

"Magnificent, boys! Despite your reluctance to do so, you joined forces and stood as one to face your enemy…HOWEVER! FOR YOU BOTH! THAT IS MERELY THE PRE-REQUISITE OF THIS EXAM!"

With an almost sinister air permeating him this time, All Might stood tall and proud, with one foot pinning a frankly helpless Bakugo to the ground beneath, and he had Izuku dangling like a helpless animal by his arm in the grip of one hand, both boys looking completely and utterly helpless before him.

To see their shared disciple in such a precarious position left Tunguska both worried, but also anxious. The boy had proven plenty resourceful in nearly every other situation he'd been put in up to this point. He knew for a fact he and All Might had both taught him enough to find a way out, even against an opponent like this. It was just a matter of seeing exactly how he was going to do it.

Looking back and forth from here back to the screen for Nikolays' test, where the boy had finally pulled himself out of the water tower, and was now looking up to the still continuously rotating crane Nezu was controlling up above, the Quirk History teacher could only continuously ask both boys exactly what they were planning to do to achieve victory, if they even could.

And there is your new chapter for this week. I know we were once again treading a lot of very familiar ground, but if it's for the sake of essential character development, then it's more than worth it in order to make the overall plot of this take on the story the best it can possibly be.

I hope you all liked what you saw here, especially my original content, and if you feel like it, feel free to leave a review expressing your thoughts on how this take on MHA is so far.

Stay safe, have a nice rest of your week, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 07/31!