Hello again, everyone. Well, now that we've had the climactic final battle of the arc, much like the original manga often does, these next couple of chapters will serve as a breather for ourselves and our intrepid heroes, as well as helping to establish that events that are soon to come. Nevertheless, there's no such thing as time wasted, as our characters are continuously growing, and that is one of the most essential ingredients in efficient and compelling storytelling.
So if you all like what you see here with this offering, please feel free to leave an honest review expressing your thoughts thus far. Or even if you just have some constructive criticism to share, those kinds of feedback are always welcome and appreciated.
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 alterations of established events that occur as a result of their existence in this universe.
I'd like to give a special shout-out once more to my beta reader Mizu Hikikomori. Even though real life has been getting in the way of their being able to serve as a buffer for where I need to make improvements, or even as a source of honest feedback, their continued involvement and support has been instrumental for me, and I'm continuously grateful for their assistance, in whichever capacity they're able to provide it at the time.
A/N: [[]]denotes that characters are contextually speaking Russian.
Chapter 28
Internship's End
(Окончание Стажировки)
By the time Friday had come around, Setsuna Tokages' body had completely regenerated its missing pieces and limbs, although the experience had left her thoroughly exhausted. However, despite that, now Oleg and all his students had been given a clean bill of health, and with the Erubi City police having been given everything they possibly needed to officially shut the case regarding them and Vukodlak, they were now given full permission to return to Musutafu City, so that they could officially complete the rest of their respective internship period, just as Nikolay and Mina could officially complete theirs.
That of course had not stopped the older Russian from taking possession of Nikolays' now tattered Hero costume, promising the boy he would come home to find it good as new. Given the fact their mentors weren't going to be in top physical condition to go back to active Hero work by then, there of course had been no complaints. It was essentially going to be nothing but lessons on further Agency logistics and Hero-public relation building, anyway.
When Oleg and his students had all finally returned home by early Friday afternoon, it was with almost cosmic timing that the Quirk History teacher had received a phone call from Yuuei, asking him to come by, as Nezu and All Might had something very important to show and give him. Figuring his students could use the school training grounds for the future exercises he could come up with, they all nearly immediately left for Yuuei, before he ultimately instructed them to await him at the training grounds.
When he had finally made his way and met with his fellow Hero and the headmaster, Oleg found himself presented and almost immediately outfitted with something quite incredible: a rather sophisticated looking mechanical apparatus that fit over the stumps of his two missing fingers like a veritable glove, with some rather complicated workings inside that immediately connected to the nerve endings in his hand, thus allowing him to move the prosthetic fingers with the naturalness and ease as though they were his very own; and all courtesy of the Department of Support, as well as a few resources from some of the bigger Support Companies, courtesy of All Might and Nezus' personal request.
"I trust you'll find these will make a fine replacement for the fingers you've lost before too long, Tunguska-san. We gave both the Department of Support and the companies we have the best relationships with, a full rundown of the properties of your Quirk, as well as your general physical capabilities in terms of speed and strength and endurance. As such, the prosthetics have been lined with a very special solar-absorbent coating that will allow them to help you build up your power through exposure to light just as effectively as the rest of your body.
"The actual materials they have been constructed with have also been specifically designed to be able to withstand not only the excessive temperatures that can be emitted when you release your energy through your hands without melting or malfunctioning, but also the extreme power and pressure exerted through some of your strongest punches. I believe that soon, you'll forget you even lost your fingers to begin with, they are designed to feel so natural."
Oleg continued looking over his new prosthetics, rhythmically closing his hand into a perfect fist and opening back up, visibly impressed with how seamless their movements were with the rest of his body. For as over-eager as Nezus' explaining was, almost as though he were trying to sell the thing itself, it was clearly justified. The Department of Support clearly had some brilliant young minds at work there.
"There's another convenient little additional feature built in as well, should you ever find yourself in a situation that calls for it when you eventually manage to get your Pro Hero License, Tunguska-san." All Might suddenly chimed in, eagerly stepping in to join his colleagues' side, pointing to the opposite wall from them. "Why don't you point your hand, flat of course, at that wall and try to replicate the sensation of throwing something? Let the feeling flow through your arm, and observe."
Finding no reason not to follow All Mights' lead, Oleg extended his left arm and hand flat, as far as it would go. Focusing on the wall, he began trying to feel the sensation of throwing an object with his left hand. He could feel the muscle memory at work as the sensation rippled through the sinew of every muscle along his arm, until right when he envisioned himself at the moment of letting go.
FWOOSH!
At that moment, the two prosthetic fingers suddenly shot out from the base fitted to his stumps, flying forward like two veritable bullets, before embedding themselves into the wall ahead.
All Might stood tall, as though he were simply waiting to hear Oleg express his surprise and impression with the ingenuity of this device. However, the Russian remained silent as he now looked upon the empty base upon his hand. "Well, it certainly would make for a decent surprise attack if I got desperate, but it hardly seems worthy of the excitement if I have to manually recollect them each time I use them."
However, All Might and Headmaster Nezu remained unshaken. "Ah, but therein lies the beauty, Tunguska-san. Extend your arm again, and this time, try to think of the sensation of catching something."
Once again following the smiling Heroes' advice, Oleg did exactly as he was told, and this time, once he had the sensations of something landing square in his palm and the resultant reverberations running up his arm, the air was suddenly pierced by that same sudden sound of the two fingers flying through the air, perfectly reattaching themselves to their respective spots at the base as if they hadn't detached themselves so easily to begin with. By this point, Oleg was now visibly impressed.
"A complex combination of very strong yet precise magnetism, triggered by signals from your brain down to the nerve endings in your hand to which the device itself is now attached. Last minute projectiles you can fire and recall and fire again with just the power of a thought. It really is a true achievement in the history of Yuuei Academies' Department of Support, if I do say so myself." Headmaster Nezu declared with indisputable pride in the ingenuity of the departments' students and teacher.
"I must say, this is really quite a marvelous invention. I'm honestly surprised none of the support departments at any of the schools back home were able to put together something so precise. There had certainly been more than a handful of Heroes back in those days that would have really been served well to have treatment like this." Oleg mused partially to himself as he continued looking it over.
"Really, Tunguska-san, after everything you had gone through in Erubi City in order to try and get Bezpalov-shonen back from that Villains' clutches and afterward, doing something like this for you is the very least we could have done." All Might reassured his friend while Nezu gave an equally understanding nod of enthusiastic agreement.
"That's right. We should all simply be grateful that things didn't turn out any worse than they did at the end of the day; and from everything All Might and Aizawa-san have told me, it would seem the overall training of all the students involved is the biggest reason for that. Your education for those children has really helped them step up to the challenge and give their all, it seems."
Despite the headmasters' enthusiasm, however, Oleg didn't look as fully convinced as he and All Might did; the slightest hint of bitterness in his voice as he spoke. "Yes, well…Aizawa-san himself doesn't seem to entirely think so. He admitted that the children did well, given the circumstances, but he still believes their presence in that situation at all is a sign of my lacking authority and respect as an educator. Honestly, a part of me can't help but agree with him. I told those kids to stay here so they wouldn't put themselves in harms' way. If any of them had gotten seriously hurt or worse because they decided to follow after me, I would have yet another thing I would never be able to forgive myself for."
For as downtrodden as Olegs' speech was making himself, All Might and the headmaster were quick to step in and make the Russian man look them in the eye. "Tunguska-san, this isn't a time for self-deprecation or regret. Yes, it is unfortunate that the children disobeyed your direct orders for their own safety, and as such, will have to have a good majority of their academic credits for the internship stricken, but the fact still remains that they pulled through and carried themselves admirably in the field of duty, just as real Heroes are meant to. Don't let Aizawa-sans' words take that away from the whole matter."
"All Might is correct, Tunguska-san. Besides, don't let the abrasive exterior and harsh bluntness of his words fool you; Shota-san is not as cold and heartless as you may think. You simply need to get to know his mannerisms and way of thinking and communicating a bit better, is all. The truth is that he's just as grateful that your training has sharpened those students' skills and confidence as the rest of us. Just don't expect him to outright admit as much right off the bat."
Tunguska bowed his head, before nodding in acknowledgment. The headmaster was of course correct, he could see that. Aizawa wasn't a cruel, apathetic sociopath; he was just someone who hid his real feelings with bluntness and cynicism. If they were ever going to be able to truly communicate and work together, Oleg needed to make as much of an effort to understand the way the man did things, as Aizawa ultimately would have to understand the way he did things. That was the only way.
"I must say, given the sheer amount of news I've been observing coming out of both Hosu City and Erubi City, it sounds like Midoriya-kun, Iida-kun, Todoroki-kun, Bezpalov-kun, Ashido-chan, Uraraka-chan, Hagakure-chan, Tokage-chan, Kaminari-kun and Mineta-kun are all going to be in for quite the popular Heroes' welcome when regular classes commence on Monday.
"Of course, we must not forget to give credit to all those responsible for ultimately helping those students make such an achievement possible. You really deserve credit for helping your son progress so splendidly as a future Hero, Tunguska-san. Each day, it feels like more and more of a miraculous breakthrough that he has managed to stand so strongly on his own among a class of other truly exceptional students."
Despite Nezus' praise, Oleg hurriedly shook his head with one hand lifted to motion for the headmaster to stop. "Please, Nezu-san, I can't possibly take that much credit. Don't forget that I had been trying to train Kolya in his Quirk for years beforehand. No, it was only because of this place, my fellow teachers, and most of all, his classmates and his friends; that's the real reason my son has managed to come this far in what is ultimately so little time. You should really be thanking them."
However, Olegs' words were immediately answered by a hearty laugh from All Might, and an equally hearty slap on his back. "Please yourself, Tunguska-san. You're always so quick to deprive yourself of the credit you've more than earned. Don't forget that you're just as much of a teacher as the rest of us, and it was because of you being in that position alongside us, that those students were able to stand up to a force of true evil, and triumph! Give yourself at least some credit for that.
"Those students all chose to intern under you, even though you're technically not a working Pro Hero, because they trust you, and they believe in you, and they admire you. Surely that must mean something to you. Take the fact that you ultimately helped make their success possible, and try to be happy about it. It will make their facing the challenges of the future so much easier, I guarantee it."
To All Mights' delight, this reassurance did seem to bring the beginnings of a deeply moved smile to Olegs' face. It wasn't much, but he knew it spoke volumes. With that, the large Russian got back to his feet, stretching himself out with a heavy groan, before flexing the fingers on his left hand for one last bit of good measure for his newest toys. "I appreciate you all saying as much. But now that you mention 'teachers', I'm afraid I'll have to end our conversation here. My students are still waiting for me on the training grounds, and I must admit, these new little tools have me anxious to test them out and see how the kids work around them."
However, as he began to make his exit, All Might placed a hand upon his shoulder, forcing the man to a stop. "Before you do, Tunguska-san, there's something I would like to discuss with you between us, in private." Looking back, Oleg was momentarily surprised to feel an air of considerably more seriousness about the Symbol of Peace, even through his trademark smile. Knowing the man would never exaggerate, Oleg gave him a single accepting nod.
Soon enough, both men found themselves in the break room, wherein All Might finally reverted back to his lankier form of Toshinori Yagi. The idea that Oleg had brought his students along had necessitated the man pushing himself to stay in his muscular state, on the off-chance one of the kids would have come looking for their teacher if the conversation had dragged too long. "So what's on your mind right now, Toshinori-san? You don't ask for us to speak in private, even without Nezu-san around, unless it's serious. So what's going on?"
Never the one to mince words, Toshinori nodded and proceeded to give Oleg his answer: "I apologize for only telling you this now. I wanted to share with you some things that were brought to my attention yesterday while we were at the Erubi City hospital. I would have told you sooner, but timing and circumstances didn't permit it. I didn't want to run the risk of any prying ears listening in. Plus, there was also the consideration of what you had just gone through. I wanted to be certain you were alright, both physically and emotionally, for what I'm about to tell you."
"This is in regards to that phone call you had to take yesterday, isn't it? Please, just tell it to me straight, Toshinori-san, what did you hear?" Oleg asked, unable to help but come across a touch impatient.
With that, Toshinori proceeded with a heavy heart: "Well, I think you've probably come to the conclusion it had nothing to do with the Erubi situation, but rather revolving around Midoriya-shonen and Gran Torino. As his fellow mentor, as well as mentor to all the other students, I feel you deserve to know as much as I do when these developments come my way. With that being said, I might as well give you the good news first.
"According to Gran Torino, Midoriya-shonen has improved exponentially in the handling of One For All. Rather than focusing all the power to one singular point on his body, he's now able to equally encompass his overall control of that 5% of its power all across his body at once, thus removing a great deal of the risk of instantaneous injury when using it. According to Midoriya-shonen himself, through Gran Torino, this may have played the biggest part in his involvement in defeating the Hero Killer: Stain in Hosu City alongside Iida-shonen and Todoroki-shonen."
To Toshinoris' silent relief, the news that their shared student had learned to control and expand his repertoire with his Quirk so much in such a short time had brought a very pleased smile to Olegs' face. However, noticing the still brooding air over his colleagues' head, Oleg just as quickly returned to being serious. "That is good news, indeed. It's going to make his training both much less risky…and at the same time, that much more demanding if he's going to try and focus One For All across his body all at once in combat. So…what's the bad news?"
To this, Toshinori let out a gravely heavy sigh, one that actually sounded to be laced with regret. "I don't assume you've been keeping up with the news in the time since you and the students left Erubi City, so I'll just fill you in. Gran Torino, and the news, have been filling me and the public respectively in on Stains' specific ideology.
"According to him, he's of the belief that virtually all those that bear the mantle of Heroes today are fake, seeking the distinction in order to gain fame and fortune, rather than out of the sheer goodness of their hearts to save and protect people. Sadly, he is not completely wrong on this front, as there are indeed those more ambitious younger Heroes that have been drawn in by the sheer levels of fame and financial success that Heroism all but guarantees, rather than out of the sole desire to do what is right. Anyway, it is because of this 'corruption' of the world of Heroes, as Stain has referred to it, that he has seen fit to cull the world of the so-called fake Heroes in order so that only those that truly deserve the title can take their place, if there are indeed any he feels are deserving of it.
"According to him…only All Might fits the bill, as he said that only I have the right to defeat him. The news has delved further into his past, and it would appear that my introduction was when these troubling seeds in his head were first planted. It was only recently that he decided to take his crusade for the true world of Heroism in this far less noble direction."
Oleg sat back in exasperation in his seat, already feeling a considerable weight in the air, to think there were two Villains in such close occurrence of each other with such unsettlingly similar mindsets that had gone after their students. However, Toshinori was far from finished. "Gran Torino pointed it out to me, that the ideologies of Stain and I are nearly identical, primarily in that we both possess the kind of charisma that can easily inspire others…clearly, for better and for worse."
By now, Toshinori could not rightfully leave the barely visible shaking in Olegs' body unacknowledged. "Please, tell me what you're thinking right now, Oleg-san."
With an exasperated sigh, Oleg stared up at the ceiling lights, trying to articulate his answer as best he could. "It all just hits too close to home, reminds me too much of Vukodlak. Their ideologies are even more similar than Stains' and yours. Vukodlak, for years, has been of the belief that all Heroes, and all those that wish to attain the title, are essentially puppets and attack dogs for any number of governments and oligarchs wishing to consolidate their influence and power under the false guise of subjective justice.
"Unlike Stain, Vukodlak is of the belief that real Heroes have never truly existed, nor will they ever. In his eyes, that is why all those that call themselves Heroes, and all those that wish to become Heroes, deserve to die, so that the people that are often left behind to be tread under by those in power, don't have to worry about being wiped out by so-called Heroes when their masters take them off their leash. I suppose in that way, you could say Vukodlak envisions himself as some kind of twisted avenger; something outside the definition of a Hero that society carries. I guess in that way, Stain may think of himself the same way. What troubles me right now is the fact that there's no possible way these two men are the only ones that think the way they do, given how the world has essentially always been."
At this, Toshinori gave a regretful nod of clear agreement, leaving both men deep in thought. "It is a very troubling thought, and even if he may not know of the incident with Vukodlak, I know Gran Torino is of the same opinion as us. It's unfortunate enough that the news has essentially been leaking Stains' ideology out onto the public airwaves, but it could get even worse if both their ideologies were to be let out at once. Either one of them has the conviction and inherent charisma to inspire other Villains all around to likewise rise up and make themselves known."
Oleg shuddered to even think of the disastrous ripple effect Vukodlak's' utterly genocidal mindset would have if it were to get spread out to the underworld, but in this moment, simply thinking of his old foe forced the Russian man to consider one question he had unfortunately been putting off for too long. "When he was holding me prisoner, Vukodlak told me that the government had managed to pin down my location, and that was how he was able to figure out where Kolya and I were in Japan so specifically. But I know that when you helped us flee the country, we had done everything we could to cover our tracks so they couldn't pin us down. So now, all I can wonder is how it was the government was able to find out where we were, anyway."
Oleg spotted a particular glimmer of thoughtfulness in Toshinoris' sunken blue eyes; a telltale sign that he had an idea of some merit. When Toshinori made eye contact with him again, he could simply feel Oleg imploring him to share his thoughts. "I'm thinking of that man from back during the USJ incident, the one called 'Shigaraki'. Despite you never having fought crime here in Japan, even the first time you came here, he still somehow knew who you were, by name and moniker, even. The only reason I can think that was possible, was that someone else had to have told him about you beforehand, and by that same logic, it is very possible that same person may have personally reached out anonymously to the Russian government to fill them in on where you were, perhaps hoping, or worse yet knowing they would send someone like Vukodlak to eliminate you and Bezpalov-shonen, thus removing one more obstacle towards whatever their ultimate plans are."
The idea that there was some ultimate unknown party amid this whole sordid mess that knew about him, and had the resources to be able to reach all the way back to the Motherland so they could send one of the worst specters from his past in order to try and kill him, left a sickening twisting sensation in the pit of Olegs' gut. Worse yet, he could tell Toshinori was feeling much the same way. There was simply far too much in this grander picture they didn't know for certain, and both men hated it just as much as the other.
"Right now, the thing that worries me most, and Gran Torino, and I can only imagine you as well, Oleg-san; is that before long, the League of Villains will try to capitalize and claim responsibility for both the attacks in Hosu and Erubi City, regardless whether the perpetrators had any actual affiliation with them or not. With the news reporting on both incidents, the public has already started coming to believe that the League of Villains is a group that follows Stains' ideology, and it will only be a matter of time before word of Vukodlak's' practically identical ideology gets out there as well, and as such, the public will start to think the League follows his vision as well. Eventually, like moths to a flame, more and more Villains will be inexorably drawn to join their ranks, and thus, evil will grow. I'm paraphrasing a bit from Gran Torino, but the point still stands."
A veritable chill now hung between both men as Oleg brought his hands together, not looking much different from the titular 'Thinker'. "So what does Gran Torino make out of all of this from his end?"
"Well, he believes that whoever is really pulling the strings behind the League of Villains…an old enemy of mine, he is convinced, will doubtless use Stains' back story to recruit more Villains to their cause, and thus remove all known obstacles from their path. And if my hunch of how the Russian government was able to get your location is in fact correct, then it's very possible that this enemy may use Vukodlak's circumstances for the same purpose.
"It stands to reason they would know about your history with him beforehand, and his then-current situation of being under the governments' thumb, otherwise they would essentially be taking a gamble on the government sending nothing but foot soldiers after you. No, if they really wanted to make sure you would be gotten rid of, they would've had to know about Vukodlak's role for a while now, hence going to such lengths to get him over here."
With all of this information and speculation rolled together, a spark suddenly went off in Olegs' mind, just the same as it did for Toshinori, and just as it did for Gran Torino then. It was the same feeling as when they had their last conversation with Detective Naomasa days before; only now, the feeling was just as strong in Oleg as well. When the two men locked eyes, Toshinori knew his Russian friend was now finally thinking the same thing as him and his old mentor.
"I don't think there's any use in trying to deny it any longer, Oleg-san. With the way things have presented themselves to us by now, the fact is that…my old enemy, the man responsible for putting me in the state I'm in…the man responsible for killing my predecessor, is the one putting all the pieces together in this sinister game. Gran Torino and I have reason now to fully believe, as much as I wish I didn't…that All For One has indeed returned."
Both men instinctively swallowed the nervous dry lumps in their throats at the very mention of the name. It was astonishing to Oleg, how at this point, even just hearing the name of a Villain he had never even personally encountered, managed to strike a chord of pure fear in his chest. However, it was precisely because this situation could make men like them feel this way, that Oleg couldn't possibly leave them sitting in silence. "So…I suppose we have no other choice than to think as though he has indeed come back. So what should we do?"
The look of contemplation on Toshinoris' face seemed far more distant, as though his mind was somewhere far from what Oleg was thinking, leaving the older Russian quite anxious to be filled in. "Well…during our call, Gran Torino suggested that when the chance comes, I should tell Midoriya-shonen the entirety of the truth regarding One For All. It's without question that the boy would one day need to know the whole truth regardless, but my biggest conflict right now is deciding whether it's too early in his training to know what I do yet."
While Toshinori looked to resign himself to thinking further, Olegs' reaction was surprisingly instantaneous, as he practically jumped up from his seat, his blue eyes reflecting considerable intensity. "Toshinori-san, I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you: don't let your own doubts surrounding this cloud your judgment. If this is indeed as grave as you and Gran Torino think it is, then this is far from the time to be keeping secrets from the boy you chose to inherit your Quirk.
"I let fear and doubt cloud my own judgment when I took Vukodlak under my wing, keeping the entirety of our truth from him, and look at what that ultimately led to, how it affected so many people that I care about and love, even more than twenty years on. Trust me on this, the last thing you ever want is to destroy the bond of trust you and malenkii Midoriya have. My keeping secrets very nearly destroyed the bond Kolya and I were starting to repair; you don't want to be where I very nearly stood.
"If you want my personal opinion as your comrade and friend, then I think that if a Hero as long-lived and experienced as Gran Torino thinks you should tell malenkii Midoriya the whole truth of One For All, then that's exactly what you should do." As soon as he had gotten the entirety of his opinion out in the open, Toshinori put a contemplative finger to his pointed chin, clearly thinking long and hard about his options and the pros and cons between them.
"Besides, if it makes you feel any better, if you want me to, I'll be there with you as backup when and if you decide to tell him. We've worked together in preparing the boy for this long, what kind of partner would I be if I left you on your own now?" At this, Toshinori finally brought himself back onto his feet, looking Oleg straight in the eye with the beginnings of a grateful smile upon his gaunt face.
"Well, if nothing else, I'll at least keep the offer in mind…just in case I do end up getting cold feet after all." At this, both men couldn't help but let out a mutual tired laugh between them, as they both proceeded out of the break room so Oleg could get back to properly training his interns for what time they had left.
Erubi City, Sunday
The two days that had passed ever since Tunguska and the rest of their friends had left, practically flew by for Nikolay and Mina, even if all their mentors in the Kamuron Hero Agency were still technically hospital-bound, and the Russian boy had needed those days for his arms to finish healing. They never stopped riding the wave of euphoria of having managed to defeat their first genuine Villain, saving all the people they cared about, and actually being able to take the credit, and give it where it was most due. It felt like the two of them had earned a truly thorough victory for the first time ever, and it truly was the best feeling either of them could imagine.
And on top of all that, the fact that they had managed to pull it all off and see it through together somehow made the entire thing that much better.
Just as Recovery Girl had said, the cut on Minas' left arm had healed with nary a hint of a scar, but the number of incision scars that now stood out all along Nikolays' arms were there to stay, as was (much to both their sadness) the five slash marks across Nikolays' fair chest and right side, courtesy of Vukodlak's steel claws. As far as the boy was concerned, these were a far greater reminder of how carefully he needed to approach all future challenges his Hero education was going to present him from now on, for his sakes, and those of his friends.
However, scars and their meanings aside, it didn't leave either of them any less excited to learn what else they possibly could from Willow Light over the next two days. However, just as they had all silently feared, that time seemed to practically fly by, and now, that dreaded Sunday had finally come, the official end of the internship period. As soon as the sun had risen and it was confirmed that Nikolays' injuries had all fully healed, Willow Light was quick to get her charges to pack up their things so they could all head for the train station to go back to Musutafu City.
At first, Nikolay and Mina couldn't help but wonder if their mentor had in fact grown tired of them, hence why she was in such a rush to get them all going. However, when they had finally arrived at their platform, the two felt their hearts mutually lift to see all the Heroes of the Kamuron Agency waiting to greet them, all of them in various stages of being done up in casts and bandages.
Reflector still had a multitude of bandages all over his body, but definitely less than he had the day of their final fight with Vukodlak. Ninja of Valor still had a considerably thorough bandaging job wrapped all around his midsection, but the fact he was back on his feet was a good sign. Big Trouble essentially only had two braces around his neck and his stomach, making it quite impressive he was back on his feet as well. Even Power Press had finally been given a clean bill of health, at least as far as his being on the verge of death was concerned. He was still the one most done up in bandages, and had himself leaning on a pair of crutches to get himself around.
However, above all of them, the saddest sight, even for the smile on his face, was Master Mesh, who had since been confined to a wheelchair, with both his arms done up in casts and slings. And all the while, all Willow Light had to show for her troubles were some medical patches lining her sides underneath her costume.
"So…I guess if you're all out and about, that means they've cleared you to get back to Hero work?" Nikolay tried to break the tension with an admittedly weak attempt at a joke, but still one that earned some chuckles from all the Heroes regardless.
"Well, the Agency has already been rebuilt thanks to the Quirked construction crews, but it's still going to be a little while before you can consider us back in the drivers' seat." Big Trouble answered, only momentarily grimacing from a crick in his neck under his brace.
"That's right. No, the doctors gave us leave for this occasion so that we can see you two kids off properly. It's the very least you two deserve after everything you've been put through this past week." Reflector explained, smiling as he could already see the immense waves of emotion building on both youths' faces as they looked upon all the Heroes around them like they were being forced to leave actual family.
"Oh, hey, don't you two start crying now; this is a happy occasion when you think about it. You two have grown so much from how you were when you first came here. We have Púca-chan to thank for that. Even when we all got our asses kicked, you kids and your friends stuck it out, banded together, and saw your battle through to the end, and even stuck to your roles as interns after the dust had settled. Kids or not, that makes you genuine promising future Heroes in our book." Ninja of Valor quickly stepped in to try and stifle their tears, only to see that his encouragement was simply making the attitude behind their tears change for the better.
All the while, Reflector knew the two students deserved to know the entirety of the truth surrounding all their circumstances before they left, hence he stepped forward to get their attention. "I understand your education these last two days hasn't left you two much time to be filled in, but I thought you both deserved to know; the police have confirmed with me that Vukodlak is safely secured in a maximum security prison specifically designed to contain Villains. I've never been one to make assumptions, but in this case I think it's quite safe to say you don't have to worry about him getting out and coming after you again."
Mina instinctively let out a sigh of great relief, while Nikolay looked surprisingly thoughtful at the news, before he started digging into the pocket of his book bag, before pulling out a semi-crumpled piece of paper, holding it out to Reflector, while everyone else looked visibly surprised. "Reflector-sensei, I know this is an unusual request to make, but do you suppose you could give this message to the police, and see if they can maybe have someone translate it so it can be sent to the prison Vukodlak is being held in? I've been trying to write this for the last two days, but I want him to have it."
While momentarily surprised, Reflector could also see a distinct glimmer of intent in the Russian boys' green eyes as he held the paper to him. With an understanding smile of his own, the Mirror Hero took the message in his hand as though it were a precious gift. "Of course, Bezpalov-kun; I'll make sure it gets to him as soon as possible."
As soon as Reflector had taken the letter, Nikolay and Mina turned their attention to Master Mesh in his wheelchair. Despite the reassuring smile on his face, both of them couldn't help but feel their hearts break, seeing him in this condition. "Master Mesh-sensei, we're so sorry! This all happened to you because of us! Can you ever forgive us?" Mina immediately began apologizing; barely managing to keep herself from breaking out into heartbroken sobs that a situation directly involving them had cost a Pro Hero his entire livelihood.
"Hey, both of you stop with that right now, you hear?" Master Mesh immediately replied with stirring seriousness, forcing Nikolay and Mina both to look him in his bespectacled eyes, before he gave them both that same confident smile. "Don't you dare start blaming yourselves for what happened to me, alright? I knew the risks I was taking the day I decided I wanted to be a Pro Hero, just like you kids no doubt have a better understanding of those same risks, yourselves. Hell, you accepted those risks simply by going out there to face that Villain, even after what he had done to the rest of us. As far as I'm concerned, that show of action on your parts has certified you both as real Heroes, far more than any official piece of paper ever could. And let me tell you this right now, and keep it in your hearts from now on: even if I may not be able to work as a Pro Hero anymore, I'm not going to let that stop me from finding some other way I can help people just as much, and no matter where my road may take me, I'm going to keep cheering you two on every step of the way; you and all your friends. You kids really stood up and proved yourselves through all of this, and even if we may not have gotten to know each other very well, I can honestly say I couldn't be prouder of a bunch of aspiring young Heroes than I am right now."
Nikolay and Mina had to actually struggle to swallow their respective tears of gratitude for such kind words of encouragement, before they found themselves now being approached by Power Press, hobbling over on his crutches with a likewise warm, fatherly smile on his aged face. "Aw, hell, I've had even less time to get to really know you two than Master Mesh has. However, I'm not going to let that stop me from saying just how proud I am of you, as well. Not only did you actually fight through an understandably overwhelming fear and work together to bring down a far stronger opponent than you should've had to face this early in your lives, but even when all was said and done, you both remembered what Púca-chan and I taught you, and kept yourselves grounded and humble even when receiving the praise you rightly deserved. That euphoria of your very first genuine victory is such an easy trap for humility to fall into, and you kids all weathered it perfectly. You two are going to be truly great Pro Heroes when the time comes, I just know it."
With that, he extended a friendly hand to the both of them, to which Nikolay and Mina met him with very enthusiastic and grateful handshakes of their own, to which the older Hero couldn't help but laugh warmly.
Now, their attention was finally back to their official mentor of the week, as Willow Light looked upon her two personal charges with a smile that clearly showed she was trying her best not to get overly emotional, just as much as they themselves were. However, such a stoic display could only last for so long, before the first glistening tear ran down her freckled face, and she immediately reached in and pulled Nikolay and Mina into her arms in an almost overly-motherly embrace, sniffling and trying to formulate words through her sentimental tears the whole time. "I'm so, so, so proud of you two! I know I said it already, but I don't care! You two never broke apart and stood strong in the face of danger, even when everything was at its darkest! I knew you two were something special on your own, and even more so together, but you both exceeded my expectations more than you could ever know!"
As she continued to hold her two interns, and they happily reciprocated her gesture in kind, the rest of the Kamuron Heroes quickly joined in, until they were all encapsulated in one large group hug. Nikolay and Minas' hearts were both light as feathers as joyous tears ran down both their faces in the embrace of their collective mentors. It really did feel like they were bidding a whole second family of theirs farewell, with no certainty they would ever get to see them again anytime soon.
"We're going to miss you guys…so much." Nikolay finally collected himself enough to admit as soon as they all finally released each other from their group hug, seeing the nostalgic smiles on all their faces in return.
"Yeah! We'll never forget what you all did for us and taught us, that's a promise!" Mina enthusiastically agreed as she wiped the tears from her eyes, only for her and Nikolay to have a gentle hand placed on their shoulders from Willow Light.
"Hey, don't start talking like this is one of those permanent goodbyes. Yeah, you have to go back to your school now, but I know this isn't the end as far as things between us are concerned. I know in my heart I'll be hearing far more from you two in the days to come. After all, it's not every day that a couple of future Heroes like you two, manage to find each other and become such a powerful force for justice together."
By this point, the train that was to take them back to Musutafu finally pulled in; the electronic voice on the intercom calling for all intended passengers to step aboard. However, Willow Light maintained her grip on her two interns as they looked in her eyes with rapt attention. "In fact, let this be my parting lesson for you both to hang onto for all time now: getting stronger and finding your own personal courage in the face of danger is paramount for Heroes. Remembering where you come from and holding love in your hearts for all the people around you that you must protect, is of just as much importance.
"However, one thing you two should know and never forget, for this in its own way, may be the most important thing of all to remember: never let yourselves forget just how truly fortunate you are to have each other and all your friends as your partners and allies. No matter how hard things may get, as long as you always make the effort to be there for one another, no matter what; then there truly is no obstacle that you can't overcome."
Nikolay and Mina both felt their bodies practically reverberate with the sheer gravity of Willow Lights' final lesson, because it felt so right, so true to what they both were feeling after what they had gone through. Their success was because they had worked together, trusted each other, and looked out for one another. This truly was a perfect lesson for them to both take to heart and dedicate to memory, and Willow Light could see just as much, as a whole new light of inspiration filled her precious interns' eyes.
Another announcement of the trains' imminent departure cut any further lengthy goodbyes short, forcing Nikolay and Mina to hurry on board, but just before the doors finally closed, they both began eagerly waving goodbye to their mentors on the platform, almost simultaneously calling out: "Thank you all so much for everything! We'll never forget you! We'll stay in touch, we promise! Thank you!"
And as their sentimental goodbyes were silenced by the doors finally closing, the train quickly picked up speed as it left. The Kamuron Heroes continued to wave goodbye until the train was no longer in sight, and afterward, the silence that now hung over their heads was particularly heavy; leaving them all feeling as though a part of their lives that had quickly grown quite precious to them all, was now gone, and they were already missing it.
Of course, this mutual feeling between them didn't stop Big Trouble from suddenly snickering as he glanced to Willow Light, who was still staring down the tracks Nikolay and Mina had just left on. "I gotta say, you really are something, Púca-chan. Even down to the very last second, you're making a conscious effort to tie those two with the red string of fate. Probably broke that shipping heart of yours to have to say goodbye, knowing you won't get to see if it'll actually happen or not, huh?"
Just as Reflector and Master Mesh were both getting ready to scold their diminutive partner for his teasing, Willow Light answered with especially unexpected calm: "Of course it breaks my heart to have to say goodbye to those two, but it's not for the reason you're thinking. I know we'll see them again someday. I just know and feel it deep in my heart: Nikolay Bezpalov-kun and Ashido Mina-chan are the kind of star-crossed souls that only manage to find each other once in a lifetime; the kind that can change each others' lives exponentially, if they haven't already. There's a lot regarding them that I regret not being able to know, but there is one thing I can say with absolute certainty after this past week: as long as they have each other, those two stand to become a truly exemplary pair of Heroes one day, the kind this world and its people will truly be lucky to have protecting them."
With her deepest sentiments having finally been expressed, Púca Hitodama and her fellow Heroes finally departed from the train station, ready to head back to the hospital to finish the last of their healing, and finally head back home to continue carrying out their sworn duty.
While their hearts still felt light, and their spirits ignited with inspiration from everything they had learned at the hands of all their mentors, there was also an undeniable sadness still lingering in Nikolay and Mina as the train continued rolling ever onward from Erubi City, leaving their temporary home-away-from-home and their semi-family behind. Nikolay himself hadn't been sure whether to let it show, but when he could see the already nostalgic tears beginning to well in Minas' eyes, even despite the deeply grateful smile on her pink face, he figured there really was no harm in letting the full extent of his own feelings out as well.
Truth be told, seeing the Russian boy beside her even shed such sentimental tears of his own brought a whole new feeling of warmth to Minas' chest when she saw it; grateful to know she wasn't the only one willing to get emotional after all goodbyes had been said. "It really does feel sad to have to say goodbye. I mean, I know it was just a week, but it felt like so much longer, you know? It was honestly starting to feel kind of like home."
Nikolay wiped the tears from his eyes before taking a deep, steadying breath, a hopeful smile upon his fair face to match his pink partners'. "I agree, it's going to feel weird waking up in the morning and not having Púca-sensei greeting us and chatting our ears off over breakfast again. Yet I can't shake this feeling that we'll definitely see them again someday, and it makes me feel a little better. Until then, I think the best, and really only, thing we can do is to just keep doing the best we can together, and keep improving ourselves, whether it be in strength or general teamwork and planning, so we can become the best kind of Hero team we can be, and make them all proud."
Minas' immediate answer was one of the most enthusiastic smiles and agreeing nods the boy had seen to date, as her black-gold eyes were practically glistening with excitement for what they would be able to accomplish after this past week, remembering their mentors' words of just how strong they truly were together. Of course, Willow Lights' final parting lesson was still echoing loudly for both of them, but within Mina especially. Just as their mentor had said, the pink girl felt a sensation deep in the pit of her chest; a sensation of what she could only describe as gratitude; gratitude and an acknowledgment of just how truly fortunate she was to have so many wonderful friends in her life through this first year of high school, on top of the countless precious others she had made over the years. She loved every single one of them in their own special ways that made them irreplaceable to her.
However, she felt…something else resonating within her entire self in that moment, specifically for the young Russian sitting right beside her at this moment. Looking at him in the light of the morning sun as he kept reflecting on everything they had gotten to experience and learn from, Mina felt a gratitude that felt vastly different from the kind she had for all her other friends, and the fact she couldn't find the words for it was both confusing, exciting, and perhaps even a tiny bit scary.
However, that didn't make her any less grateful for the good fortune of them having found each other and become a precious part in each others' life. Since she couldn't conjure up the right words to say as much, Mina instead decided to express what she was feeling in that moment by laying her warm soft hand over his own, drawing Nikolays' attention so he could see the deeply warm smile on her radiantly pink face. "What're you thinking about?"
Unlike everything else that was going on inside her at that moment, Mina found the answer to Nikolays' overly simple question instantly: "I was just thinking about the last things Púca-sensei told us, about how lucky we are to have each other as partners. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about it, because…she's absolutely right. I'm really; really glad we met and became friends, Kolya-kun. I know it hasn't been that long when you think about it, but I already think of you as one of my most precious friends. I mean, that's not really saying much; I consider all my friends precious. I'm just trying to say that I'm really thankful I have you in my life. I know it sounds really sappy, but it's true."
Mina felt her cheeks turn especially hot the further she spoke, but as she rested her head on his shoulder, she never noticed just how red Nikolays' face was turning at the same time. There were all kinds of hidden implications behind those words, he knew that. However, whichever one she actually meant was the difficult part.
However, as much as Nikolays' mind wanted to dwell on the what-ifs, his heart knew there was no point in that. Knowing Mina, she had to simply mean that she was grateful to have him in her life as one of her best friends. Of course he felt exactly the same, how could he possibly not? She was the girl that pretty much single-handedly saved his life in the most important way of all, in the end.
He couldn't imagine a life without her after everything they had gone through and experienced together, he knew that much already. And in this moment, knowing that she felt so strongly about their friendship was all he needed and wanted. He had come to make so many irreplaceable friends in the short time he had been in Yuuei, but even if it were only Mina he had to confide anything in, or even spend any time together with, that would have been more than enough.
It was with that in mind, that he met Minas' warm and affectionate smile with one of his own: "So am I, Mina. I'm more grateful to have a friend like you than I think I'd ever be able to express with words." Such an awkwardly put-together but no-less heartfelt expression of sentiment brought a noticeable blush to Minas' cheeks as she giggled sweetly at his expression and words before resting her head back upon his shoulder and once again resting her hand over his; that smile never leaving her face.
This past week had been beyond chock-full of numerous exhausting feelings and experiences, and he wanted the rest of their train ride home to be as relaxing as possible. So, rather than let his mind wander any further and prod him with any more troublesome questions, Nikolay decided to make the rest of their journey home go by peacefully; gently resting his head against Minas', basking in the pleasant softness of her fluffy pink hair, not even minding the slight prodding of one of her horns against his cheek. With that, the two teens rested peacefully beside each other, silently basking in each others' pleasant warmth the rest of the train ride home, both more than ready to place the past behind them, and go off into their future with opens hearts and eager spirits, together.
The rest of the train ride back to Musutafu had thankfully gone without a single hitch, as did the rest of their journey from the train station. At first, after having spent an entire week together non-stop, he and Mina had finally parted ways so she could head to her apartment and no doubt finally change out of her school uniform or any of her other clothes she had packed for the duration of their trip. Figuring that would have been it, Nikolay had decided to take his sweet time on his way home, wanting to simply bask in all the feelings of today, and the new sense of peace he now felt in the aftermath of this past week. It was still quite euphoric, and he wanted it to last as long as possible.
Of course, the desire to finally come home and see his father again won out, and Nikolay soon hastened his way, and before long, he found himself looking upon the Bezpalov house once more. It was just as he began to finally make his way for the front door, when he suddenly heard a very familiar, and always welcome voice calling out to him from up the street; turning to find, once more, Mina rushing over to him with a fresh set of casual clothes on, and her costume suitcase and backpack in tow, her smile as bright and eager as ever. "Glad I was able to catch up in time. I can't help but feel knocking at your door after everything already would've been a bit awkward."
Despite her attempt at humor, Nikolay didn't try to hide his own minor sense of confusion. "Mina, I don't understand. I would have thought you would want to spend the rest of our day off relaxing at home after everything we've just been through."
Mina gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, clearly not seeing what the issue was. "Well, yeah, normally I would. I just figured that since school starts again tomorrow, and we've already spent the whole of last week together, what would be the harm in adding one more day to the record, you know? I mean, unless you're getting tired of being around me." There was an undeniable air of sadness in her voice as she said this, and it was hard to tell if this was another form of Minas' teasing, or if she was being genuine. Either way for Nikolay, it was like a knife in the heart to hear her talk like that at all.
"No, never; I swear I could never get tired of spending time with you, Mina." As much as he tried to sound as reassuring as he could, the idea that his earlier confusion had given her such an impression couldn't help but leave Nikolay feeling markedly ashamed. Seeing the boy deflate so quickly, to his surprise, got a surprisingly amused giggle out of her; evidenced by her giving him the sweetest little poke on the tip of his nose with her finger, making a cute little "boop" sound as she did so, forcing him to look in her eyes as she smiled warmly.
"Don't worry so much, Kolya-kun, I was just kidding. Though I really would like to spend the rest of our day off together, at least just so we can wrap this whole week up nicely." Without any attempts at teasing this time, Nikolay understood her intent perfectly, and thus answered Mina with a warm and accepting smile of his own.
From there they finally made their way to the front door; Nikolay all but throwing the door open to greet his father and finally close the book on this overly eventful chapter of both their lives. However, instead of the larger man on his own, the two teens were instead greeted by the sight of Oleg still surrounded by all his students and their friends, all of them expressing similar excited joy to see the two finally return.
"Whoa, what are you guys all still doing here?!" Nikolay and Mina both pretty much asked at once as they were greeted by their friends in a series of joyous hugs and shoulder pats (with Oleg still being watchful and spry enough to keep Minoru from trying anything on Mina amid the ruckus).
"Well, we all kind of just thought that since we've been going through so much this past week all together, it just sounded nice to be able to finish up the week by spending our day off together before school starts back up tomorrow. I know, it sounds really hokey, but it sounded like a nice idea." Ochako explained, blushing further with embarrassment by the end, at least until Nikolay and Mina regaled their friends of having virtually the exact same thought, causing everyone to laugh at the mother of all coincidences.
That was when Oleg finally beckoned his students apart so he could sweep the two into a massive bear hug, laughing heartily all the way, with Nikolay and Mina soon unable to keep but laughing happily right alongside him before he finally let them back on their feet. However, as soon as they were back on the ground, their eyes immediately noticed the brand new fancy prosthetic fingers adorning his left hand, feeling a momentary jolt pass through their bodies with the sudden surprise of it all.
However, even as his son and pink student couldn't help but stare, Olegs' smile never remotely faded as he flexed all his fingers just to showcase how fluid his prosthetics were. "I know, it's really nice, isn't it? Headmaster Nezu-san and All Might had them specially made for me. It honestly feels just as natural as the ones I used to have. It's funny, I used to think that whole 'phantom limb' idea was nonsense, but I swear I can feel them right there, like they might as well never have left."
Both kids felt the compulsive need to reach out and touch, but Oleg was one step ahead as he held his hand high, aiming his fingers at the nearby open window to the backyard. "They're not just standard prosthetics, either. Observe." On command, the two fingers suddenly fired forward from his hand like two bullets, shooting straight out the opening. As quickly as it had happened, the two suddenly flew right back inside through the exact same opening, and latched themselves right back onto his hand seamlessly. The large smile on his bearded face was like that of a little child showing off their fanciest toy. "Magnets and circuitry connected to my nerve endings so I can fire and recall them with but a thought and minor muscle movement. A true marvel in medical science alone, let alone the kind geared towards Heroics."
His smile only grew that much brighter when he saw the looks of pure astonishment on Nikolay and Minas' faces at what they just witnessed, while the rest of his students looked no less impressed, but had clearly already witnessed it in action, with Ochako grinning in slight embarrassment as she spoke up: "Yeah, Sensei and I have gotten to spar a couple times since we left and he got them put in. It's made it a lot trickier, since my Quirk doesn't really affect anything that already flies."
Soon, even Minoru and Setsuna were joining in: "Yeah, it's definitely given me a lot more incentive to work on making my aim more precise. It's damn hard, since they're so small and go so fast, and they hit hard, too!" "Yeah, but if anything, it's at least taught me how to better time when I go from offensive to defensive in a fight, so there's that. I mean, it's not like he can just direct the things this way and that like some kind of telekinesis, it's just those two functions so far."
When everyone looked to Denki to see if he had anything to say himself, he just groaned in embarrassment as he pulled down his collar, revealing a tiny bruise upon his chest. "I was scared my electricity would cause the things to short circuit right after Sensei had gotten them, so I've been trying to work on my actual physical fighting instead. Obviously I've got a long way to go."
However, Tooru was the only one especially giddy, practically bouncing up and down where she stood. "Not me, though. Ever since I tried sneaking into that Villains' hideout, I've been sticking to what I did before. No costume to follow me around with, no way for him to aim and hit me!"
"What are you talking about, Hagakure-chan? Sensei tracked you through your footprints in the grass and made you fall on your rear firing right in front of your face." Setsuna intervened, causing the invisible girls' posture to become much more rigid and annoyed.
"Oh, c'mon, Setsuna-chan, it was one time!" Regardless, this once again caused everyone, even Tooru herself, to start laughing in amusement, all-around simply grateful to all be back together so they could enjoy moments like this.
Of course, it wasn't long before Oleg silenced all the youngsters with a hearty clap of his large hands. "Come now, everyone, let's not forget that technically, the internship period is officially over, so let's not waste any more of your time with talk of training and such. You've all been through so much together, it's only right you should all be able to enjoy this last day of freedom however you all see fit before going back to the old regular routine."
While Mina and the rest of his students were all in very vocal agreement, Nikolay was still unable to take his eyes off Olegs' prosthetics, and his father could practically feel as much. It frankly broke his sons' heart to now have to see such a permanent reminder of his own weakness, for which the man who had single-handedly guaranteed his survival for so long, had to ultimately pay the price.
However, before he could dwell on it for a moment longer, Oleg stepped forward and knelt down so Nikolay could look into his eyes and truly see where the man now stood. "Don't torture yourself with nonexistent guilt, Kolya. I don't look at these things as signs of weakness. No; I choose to look at these and think of them as a reminder that from now on, that old Tunguska from all those years before that ultimately helped create someone like Vukodlak, he doesn't exist anymore. These are a sign that from now on, all I have to do is keep looking forward, and working with everything I have to become the kind of Hero you kids truly deserve that you can all genuinely look up to…of course, you included."
It was indeed quite uplifting to hear the man speak of an injury so permanent with such a light of hope about him. It couldn't help but bring Nikolays' eyes down to the now-permanent surgery scars adorning his arms under the sleeves of his uniform, with his left hand even instinctively reaching up to just barely touch the beginnings of the five slash scars running across his chest. With his fingertips hovering just barely over them, he lifted his head to meet his fathers' confident gaze; a similar light now beginning to take form within his green eyes, to Olegs' unspoken delight. "You're right, Dad. I need to look at these the same way. No one ever said that being a Hero wouldn't come with moments that are hard, or painful, or even just downright terrifying. But I can't let that drive me away after coming this far, either. Nobody here has, so I can't let them or myself…or you down by letting that kind of fear hold me down."
Oleg could tell his son was struggling to really try and make his point, but a single reassuring hand upon his shoulder took away all the anxiousness out of the boy, as his father smiled reassuringly. "You could never let me down, Kolya…nor could you ever let any of your friends here down, either. In a way, you and your classmates are connected like one big family already. So as long as you keep fighting for yourself and them alike, and always understand just what it is to be a real Hero, you won't ever be able to truly let anyone down."
With his heart swelling with pride and devotion, Nikolay instinctively looked to his friends, all still in the throes of excitedly conversing among each other of their respective training and hopes for the next week when they would see the rest of their classmates again. To simply see the smiles on their faces as they were fully committed to simply living in this hard-earned moment brought a smile to Nikolays' face of such heartfelt gratitude for everything they now had, that it couldn't help but bring a single tear to Olegs' eye.
"I'm not going to quit, Dad, no matter what gets put in our way from here on. I have too many people that are important to me to ever think of just quitting, just like we all do. We have each other, and that's too great a thing to give up on as it is. I won't lie, I am scared of whatever might come next…but I know we can handle it as long as we all stand together." Nikolay declared with all the heartfelt sincerity a boy his age could muster, echoing Willow Lights' parting lesson in voice and heart, feeling it practically bind itself to his entire spirit, becoming a part of him that would help drive him down his path towards becoming a Hero that much more, just like he knew it would for all his beloved friends.
More than satisfied to hear his son say as much, Oleg gently nudged his son forward so he could finally be back among all his friends, so they could truly bask in the joy of their victory over the past week together, just as they were always meant to; the proud smile never once leaving his weathered, bearded face as he simply took it all in, looking upon the students as though they were all his own children, feeling an immeasurable pride in every single one of them for what they had helped each other accomplish and attain.
The progression of the rest of the day had its share of quite enjoyable moments, even in some unexpected ways. At one point early into the afternoon, Denki had come to Nikolay and the others to showcase and describe an interesting discovery he had made through his phone, wherein numerous Muy Thai practitioners were seen viciously kicking at the bodies of trees. Of course, all he had been met with initially was confusion from everyone, but it was the surprising amount of research he had done going into it that really got their Russian friends' attention, and curiosity, piqued.
"It's totally badass, man! These guys apparently make a training routine out of kicking these trees, not to see if they're strong enough to knock them down at the root, but because doing it so much causes these thousands of mini-fractures in the bones in their legs. Because they aren't full-blown fractures like what you got before, they heal much faster, and it causes those bones to become gradually more dense and durable for when the actual fighting has to start."
To his delight, Nikolay leaned in to closer observe, a contemplative finger upon his chin, not unlike how Tsuyu typically looked when thinking. "So why exactly are you showing us this?"
Denkis' excited grin couldn't have been brighter if he tried. "It just gave me the idea, you know, that maybe if you were to try repeatedly sending gradually stronger vibrations up and down your arms or up and down your legs regularly, it might have the same effect and gradually make your arms and legs more durable. I mean, we're not always going to be fighting as a group all the time, we're eventually gonna have to fight solo, it could do you a lot of good in that case."
At the suggestion, Ochako and Mina looked downright horrified at Denkis' words. "Kaminari-san, you can't seriously be suggesting Kolya-san subject himself through tons of micro-fractures on the off-chance he'd get stronger! Recovery Girl isn't going to keep helping him if he does that!" "Yeah, and besides, how do you know if he were to start, we all wouldn't suddenly get thrown into such a fight like you're hinting at before he'd even have a chance to heal? One wrong move and he could end up breaking all his limbs like that!"
Both girls' protests were especially heated, while Setsuna couldn't help but chuckle in mild amusement. "Maybe you should consider similar kind of training for yourself, Kaminari-kun. Try sending those little electrical surges through your brain, slowly grow their wattage and see if you develop a tolerance for it. Maybe you won't be at risk of short-circuiting so often then."
At this, Mina seemed in surprisingly vehement agreement. "At the very least it could help you think your ideas through a little better. What kind of friend suggests his other friends purposefully hurt themselves, no matter if it's for training or not? I mean, those kickboxer guys, if they aim those kicks even a little off, they could break their legs clean in half, how do you know it wouldn't be the same for Kolya-kun? You shouldn't be putting such reckless ideas in his head." As if to put the period on her overall point, the pink girl even went so far as to hug their mutual Russian friend tightly from behind and over the couch, as if she were trying to protect him, while he and Denki couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous display.
That was when Minoru decided to quickly squeeze his way into the scene, his own cellphone at the ready. "Okay, forget about Kaminaris' dumb bone-building idea. We're supposed to be having fun, remember? Now come here, Bezpalov, and let me show you something truly amazing!"
The grape-haired boy found himself alone within a heartbeat; everyone had fled so fast just from the tone with which he suggested such a thing.
The idea Denki had come up with, while reckless at best, did provide its own inspirational merit, as Nikolay had decided to test out just how strong his leg launches could really be, in order to get an idea of a physical foundation, with Mina and Tooru suggesting the idea of riding on his back to see how high it could take him with another persons' weight added on. Surprisingly, even Ochako went along with the idea, volunteering herself as a Zero Gravity backup in case the offset of weight brought them down for a crash landing.
After initially launching on his own to see how high up he could ultimately go (approximately nineteen feet high), Tooru ended up being the first one to volunteer, subsequently clinging onto the Russian boy from behind more than a little tightly, resulting in her nearly choking him from the anticipation, and also resulting in him feeling more than a little of her body pressed right up against his back. As such, with his heart rate and adolescent hormones going at full blast, the boy nearly launched them from the backyard and backwards onto the roof. The only reason the two managed to avoid ending up in the hospital again, was due to very fortunate positioning allowing Tooru to land on the roof on her feet and accidentally kick them right back off, with Ochako already coming up to take their gravity away mid-fall.
Needless to say, the less than stellar performance, especially after seeing how red Nikolays' face was, got Setsuna laughing quite hard, right before she proceeded to take the invisible girls' place, holding the already flustered boy very close, and very familiarly. "Remember this feeling from way back when? You should be used to it this time."
It was with barely more control that Nikolay managed to launch into the sky again with the lizard-like girl hitching a ride, this time managing to avoid nearly plowing into the roof before managing to stick the landing much better. Tooru was already hastily making her way back in afterwards, completely unaware of Minoru sneaking in to try and hitch a ride as well once she got on: "Oh, c'mon, let me have another try! He's more used to you, Setsuna-chan!"
Setsunas' retort was made with one of the cheekiest grins any of her friends in Yuuei had seen her make since the beginning, her fangs on full display: "You'd best be careful not to get in too close, Hagakure-chan. You might end up making Ashido-chan jealous."
At this mention, Mina went especially rigid, with her naturally messy pink hair looking like it was nearly standing on end; but even though her already pink cheeks were turning a few shades darker, the look in her black-gold eyes was pure and simple determination. "I am not jealous, you guys; I don't get jealous. But now that you mention it, I haven't even gotten a chance yet! Make way!"
Before Nikolay could let the rest of the heat leave his face, he felt it come back with a vengeance when he felt the (by now) very familiar sensation of Minas' arms wrapping around him from over his shoulders, putting herself entirely up against him. "Let's show them what your Quirk can do, Kolya-kun! Reach for the stars!"
Practically on her command, Nikolay felt another surge of energy rush down his legs, and soon he and Mina were propelling straight up like a bottle rocket; the pink girl on his back laughing excitedly the entirety of the way both up and down, of course with Ochako once again coming in to take the gravity away at the last second for their sake.
By that point, Nikolays' whole face was like that of a freshly picked tomato, and he was breathing so hard that once the girls were all done laughing, they unanimously decided it would be best to stop for his sake. All the while Denki gave him a congratulatory wink and a single thumb up, the reasons for which Nikolay could imagine were practically legion. Minoru, on the other hand, could only give him a look of pure jealousy for what he'd unintentionally gotten to experience, even at his own expense.
Time practically flew by afterward, as early evening came on before they even knew it, and with it came the realization of a long-planned eventuality: the enactment of Nikolays' long awaited movie night. As soon as they had all eaten for the night and gotten changed into their pajamas, their eagerness to spend the rest of the evening huddled up together to partake in Nikolays' single strongest hobby was palpable.
Of course, as Nikolay had never hosted such a thing as this before, it was pretty much anyones' ballgame as to what they were ultimately going to watch together. It was pretty heated, between romantic comedies for Tooru, science fiction for Setsuna, action for Denki and (of course) erotic thrillers for Minoru. However, in the end, it surprisingly ended up being scary movies for the night, by way of a three-point vote from Nikolay, Mina and even Ochako. To see the two girls look at each other in such surprise that they both enjoyed such things was downright precious, especially when the blushing brown-haired girl actually felt the need to explain herself ("My Daddy has always been a big scaredy cat with those kinds of movies, but my mom and I both love them. Weird, I know"). Soon enough, they were smiling and laughing with each other like they might as well have been long-lost sisters.
In the end, it was a pulse-pounding good time for all, as Ochako immediately set the mood with 'Night of the Living Dead' of all things. It was a testament that such an incredibly old movie could still manage to make the likes of Minoru, Denki and even Oleg scream so animatedly throughout, which in its own way put the biggest smile on Ochakos' face, at least until the ultimate downer of an ending.
Without wasting a moment once it had ended, Mina immediately followed up, to Nikolays' expectation, with 'Alien'. It just felt too perfectly natural for them all to be experiencing such a movie at their pink friends' recommendation and choice, as they all quickly found themselves getting sucked right into it.
There only proved to be one moment throughout that managed to break the rest of the girls' attention from the screen, however, as at the moment when the captain in the movie got jumped by the titular creature in an air vent, not only did everyone nearly jump right out of their seats, but Mina had even instinctively clutched tight onto Nikolays' arm in response, though the boy was simply too enraptured to notice, or was really trying with everything he had to play it cool. Either way, seeing such a precious sight got all three of the other girls smiling knowingly at each other.
After rounding out their three-person selection with Nikolays' personal choice of 'The Shining', Oleg decided it was time for all the children to get to bed so they could be up and ready for their long-awaited return to school in the morning. Unlike most kids their age, the whole lot of them were visibly excited for whatever tomorrow would bring them, as they were soon all freshened up and snug in their sleeping bags all across the living room, even Nikolay, whom Oleg had decided deserved to round out this virtually perfect day among his friends.
Of course, generally festive mindsets didn't stop the girls from taking extra precautions, hence why as soon as Oleg had turned out the lights in the living room, Setsuna had seen fit to send some of her pieces out to weigh down and restrain Denki and Minoru in their sleeping bags so they couldn't get out to try anything funny with the girls in the middle of the night.
Soon enough, all was silent, and the living room was filled only with the peaceful sound of everyones' steady breathing as they all quickly fell asleep. At least, with the exception of Nikolay, who was simply staring through the dark at the ceiling above, still riding the overall wave of euphoria he had been engrossed in since this day had even started.
He wasn't even sure how much time was passing as his body simply refused to fall asleep. It was honestly getting to the point where his excitement gave way to worry, as he really didn't want to be sleepwalking through their return to school tomorrow while everyone else was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
"Hey, Kolya-kun. Are you still awake?" The sudden sound of Minas' whispering voice from the sleeping bag next to his nearly made the Russian boy jolt. He couldn't see her through the shadows, being too far from the window for the moonlight to help him see. Nonetheless, he could still somehow just feel her eyes watching him intently from where she lay. "Are you still awake, Kolya-kun?"
Once his momentary surprise had passed, Nikolay instinctively nodded: "Yeah, unfortunately."
"What are you thinking about that could still keep you up this late? I mean, this whole week's been pretty busy, in case you haven't noticed," she asked, with a little dash of good-humored sarcasm; Nikolays' ears picking up the sound of Mina rolling over in her sleeping bag so she was now on her stomach, and could more importantly look in his direction easier.
Taking that moment to think about it, Nikolay felt another smile beginning to tug at the corners of his mouth as his chest swelled with emotion. "I've just been thinking all day about…about how grateful I am; I mean for everything, not just the fact we got to spend this awesome last day together. That's been really, really nice in its own right. It's such a pleasant change of pace, instead of having to go from fighting someone like Vukodlak, and immediately having to go back to the regular school routine."
Even though he couldn't see it, to hear Nikolay express such sentiment brought a warm smile right back to Mina in kind, as she never took her eyes from the direction of his voice, resting her head on her crossed arms beneath. "I know, right? I'm really glad you got to end this week getting to feel what it's really like, hanging out with so many of our friends, and not having things go all wrong this time. Getting to end it all like this, with us all together, it couldn't be more perfect than that. And with all that out of the way…I'm really glad I could be here to share in it all with you, too, Kolya-kun. We all deserved a day like today."
Very much following in her same vein, Nikolay likewise rolled himself over as he panned his gaze through the darkness of the living room, listening to the soft breathing of all their classmates and friends, using that to simply visualize where they all were, and how peacefully they no doubt had to be sleeping right now, simply taking in everything they had ultimately accomplished over this last week. Somehow, having all of that roll into one moment on this night, brought about words of true realization from the Russian boys' throat as he simply looked upon them all.
"That's exactly right, Mina. Days like today, even quiet moments like this; this is what it's ultimately all about. I'm not even just talking about what we're training and learning to do at school, I'm talking about just life in general. Being able to enjoy days like today and simply bask in blissful moments like this with the people you care about, the people you let into your heart like a family you didn't even know was waiting for you to come along…that's what living is ultimately all about. And knowing that now…I just find it so hard to believe that there was once a point in my life, not even three months ago, where I would've actually considered living a life devoid of that kind of sentiment, let alone connection."
Nikolay quickly rolled over in his bag, somehow knowing in his heart that he and Mina were making eye contact even through the shadows. "We've all been through so much since this school year started…and yet no matter how hard or scary things got, it only ever ended up making us stronger, made us just want to keep pushing ourselves forward that much more…especially for me. It's that desire to never let myself, or anyone else around me, give up, that makes moments like right now that much sweeter. I look at just how I'm feeling each day now, even when things are at their hardest, and even if it may come as just a brief whisper in my head to give up, my heart never falls into that place, and neither do I. It's to a point where I even find myself looking back on how I was a year ago, and I struggle to even recognize that that was once me."
Willow Lights' parting lesson once again rang true in the depths of his chest as Nikolay finally reached his ultimate point, able to practically sense the deeply joyous smile on Minas' face to hear him fully acknowledge just how much of a truly positive change he had gone through of his own accord and will. "And you know, when I think back on it all, and especially when thinking about what Sensei told us this morning right before we left, I finally realize just how truly fortunate I am. Because when I think about it, I know that I never would have even begun to go through all this change if it hadn't been for you, offering your friendship to me so openly the day of the Entrance Exam. I was nobody to you, and yet you offered so much to me right out the gate…and looking on it from where we are now, I can't ever thank you enough for that, Mina."
If it were physically possible, Nikolay would've been able to see Minas' pink face practically glowing red with flustered embarrassment to hear him giving her such high praise for what virtually amounted to no real effort on her part, instead simply doing what came naturally to her. "O-oh, c'mon, Kolya-kun, I didn't start all that for you. You obviously wanted to try becoming a Hero back then, even before. If anything, you're the one who started it all, going out of your way to try and give me back my phone when you had no reason to. What kind of person would I be if I didn't try to express my gratitude for you going that far for me when you barely even knew me?"
Mina felt confident she had managed to make her point and end this conversation before it could get even more emotionally charged, even though she remained as she was so she could keep looking in his direction, just in case the boy had yet something else to say. For a moment, she was only met with silence. Then: "Yeah, you do have a point there. But let me just ask you one thing, and please be honest: even if I hadn't gone to the effort of giving your phone to the police so they could give it back to you…if you had seen me for the very first time that day at the Entrance Exam, as nervous as I was back then…you still would have tried to offer me your friendship then, wouldn't you?"
Mina felt her whole body momentarily go rigid with shock that her Russian best friend had managed to completely catch her off guard in what was admittedly a brilliant conversational tactic. There was no way she could possibly steer them away from the truth, even if she wanted to. Silently commending Nikolay for being so clever, Mina ultimately answered: "Yeah…I would have. No question about it."
She could practically feel the warm, knowing smile on Nikolays' face in light of her answer, as she heard the boy roll over onto his back, returning to staring back up at the ceiling. "I know. I know, because that's really just the kind of person that you are…the best kind of person, who only ever wants to do what they can to help others with whatever ails them, and stays true to themselves and the people they care about, no matter what. And it's for that reason altogether…that you're my Hero, Ashido Mina."
Nikolay could have sworn in that moment, that he felt the portion of the living room in Minas' direction grow a full degree warmer, as she felt her whole face flare up with heat, and her heart momentarily seize in her chest, as she tried to process the full emotional extent and sincerity in what she had just heard the boy lying next to her fully admit. For what felt like the first time in her entire life, Mina Ashido felt well and truly speechless, only by some miracle being able to not only find words to answer him with after a few incredibly awkward moments of silence, but while also having the wherewithal to keep her voice to a whisper so no one else would overhear them. "T-t-that's not fair, Kolya-kun! H-how the heck am I supposed to answer something t-that…that c-cheesy?"
She of course picked such an on-the-surface dismissive means of describing what Nikolay had just said, but the truth was that she honestly felt that to be one of the single sweetest things anyone had ever told her, and it still left her heart and her head in a total state of flux on how to process it. That was when she heard the faintest hint of chuckling coming from Nikolay, as he had one of the proudest smiles on his face as he glanced her way. "If it makes you feel any less awkward, you can consider that payback for that little stunt you pulled in that photo booth two weeks ago. Now we're even."
Nikolay admittedly felt a thousand kilos lighter, having finally found it within himself to get so many of his deepest thoughts and feelings out in the open at long, long last. Even if having to do so for some had left his best friend a no-doubt blushing flustered mess, it was ultimately worth it. Now he felt like he could actually finally get to sleep in time.
However, just as everything had been truly quiet just long enough for him to finally close his eyes, his ears picked up the sound of rustling fabric, and before his mind could begin to wonder what was going on, his nose suddenly began to pick up the faint yet undeniably present and pleasant scent of strawberries; the fragrance Mina always carried with her wherever she went.
As Nikolay opened his eyes to be met with plain darkness again, he suddenly felt a weight come down upon his whole body, before feeling the warmth of Minas' arms embrace him over his shoulders from the front. From the strawberry scent filling his nostrils, to the ever-so slight tickling of her hair against his forehead, and the warmth of her soft breath against his neck as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder, Nikolay realized with foundation-shaking certainty that Mina was actually resting on top of him as she hugged him close.
As he began struggling for words once more, he suddenly felt Mina shift just slightly so that she could whisper directly into his ear, her voice as soft as he had ever heard her speak before: "I have to confess something, too, you know. The fact that, even after you had gone through everything you had before coming here, that you can just admit that you're scared, and yet still manage to keep finding it in yourself to never give up on your dream, even when things actually seem hopeless, and even with the life you once lived…in that very special way, among other reasons…that makes you my Hero, too…Nikolay Bezpalov-kun."
[Jóhann Jóhannsson - Gúmmískór]
Just as she had moments before, Nikolay felt his own heart hitch in his throat and his face grow hot to hear Mina whisper something so heartfelt from so up close; and that was all before she swiftly placed her hand against his mouth to keep him from speaking, and instead leaned in and proceeded to press her lips against his cheek in another brief, playful kiss. The moment she pulled away, Mina was off like a shot, practically leaping from his sleeping bag back to her own, and all without making a sound. "We aren't even anymore now, Kolya-kun, and you're not gonna get me with the same trick twice. Sweet dreams."
The satisfied smile on her face was as bright as could be as she snuggled back under the covers with her back to Nikolay, knowing that last little move on her part would leave him far too flustered to try doing anything else, let alone say anything else. However, as she began to let herself finally go to sleep, a little inquisitive voice in her head left her wondering one thing:
Why, out of anything else she possibly could have done to answer Nikolays' sentiments, was hugging and, more specifically, kissing him the very first impulse that came to her? She had been told sweet things by friends before, but she had never felt so compelled to answer in such an extreme way before. To say that her own actions had left her very perplexed would have been a massive understatement; and it was a question that Mina found herself constantly thinking over throughout the night, even long after she had finally managed to go to sleep.
And all the while, neither she nor Nikolay ever knew that throughout the entire thing, Tooru and Setsuna were both listening in intently, trying with all their might not to start giggling, while Ochako was left a furiously blushing little strawberry of a girl where she lay, struggling to comprehend what she and the other girls had just inadvertently listened in on.
Of course, that didn't mean the whole thing hadn't likewise ultimately brought an approving smile to her face, especially considering everything they had witnessed develop between the two over the last nearly two months. It was such a short time, and yet to see how far along the two had come in their attachment felt like nearly an entire childhoods' worth.
Tartarus
Anyone would have stated obviously that it had been three days since the Villain known as Vukodlak had been thoroughly defeated in Erubi City, and taken away to the maximum-security prison for Villains known as Tartarus, wherein he would most likely live out the rest of his days.
However, for Vukodlak himself, within the isolation of his cell, time had virtually lost all meaning. It was certainly warmer than his old cell back in the gulag, but prison was still prison. And even then, that wasn't what was continuously going through his mind as he remained silent.
In the days that had passed, he had indeed regained his Quirk from seemingly out of nowhere. His hearing and sense of smell and taste had come back in full. Hell, he could hear the partially muffled musings of whoever was in the cell next to his, continuously rambling on about a world full of fake Heroes, and how they needed to be culled for the good of the world. If it hadn't been for that idealistic drivel that always followed, Vukodlak would have almost wanted to refer to his neighbor as a man after his own heart.
It was indeed a relief that he had his Quirk back, but the fact of the matter was that, without the lingering taste and scent of Tunguska or Nikolays' blood to help guide him along their trail…he was essentially left with no actual direction to take himself. For what he realized was the first time in his life, from within these confines, he actually felt well and truly directionless, both literally and in his life in general.
It had been humiliating enough when Tunguska had managed to defeat him so thoroughly the first time. He had spent so much time putting his body through hell in order to make sure it wouldn't happen again. Instead, he had now tasted complete defeat twice, and this time by the hands of Tunguskas' son, and a whole bunch of other juvenile Heroes-in-training.
Such a loss would weigh heavy on the pride of any self-respecting Villain. For one with such a disjointed idealistic compass as Vukodlak, however, it instead left him more contemplative than anything else, primarily in whether this was some kind of sign from the universe to start questioning the direction he was leading his life down. It was an amount of personal doubt he hadn't felt in many, many years, and he was as perplexed as any uneducated child to now have to face it and nothing else, perhaps for the rest of his life, even.
Clang, clang, clang!
A sudden intrusive knocking at the heavily reinforced steel door to his cell managed to stir Vukodlak from his deep state of nearly meditative thought, as he lifted his head to meet whoever was on the other side with his silent attention.
"Vukodlak, we've just received a letter for you, courtesy of the Erubi City police. They say it's from the Russian boy among the Yuuei students that beat you. We had the stenographer translate it into Russian brail so you can read it for yourself."
Just as soon as the guard at attention finished explaining his intrusion, Vukodlak heard the sound of a single folded piece of paper being fed through the only slot in the door. Maintaining his balance upon his only remaining leg, and unable to deny the twinge of curiosity upon hearing who it was ultimately from, Vukodlak took the paper and returned to his cot, unfolding the paper and then intently running his fingertips along the bumped lines in order to fully understand it.
'Vukodlak,
'I imagine it must be pretty surprising for you, to actually receive a personal letter from someone you call your enemy, someone you tried to kill, and whose family and friends you tried to kill. Knowing that, you probably may have thought this to be a letter of me personally condemning you and everything you've done and stand for. I actually want you to know that's far from the truth. Yes, I can't forgive you for what you did to my father and grandfather, and for what you tried to do to me and my friends. However, that doesn't mean I hate you. If anything, I feel sorry for you.
'I'm sorry you had to go through so much loss in your life. Not just of your own family and friends, or even your ancestral home, but most importantly of yourself. No matter how many awful things you've done in your life, I still believe, just as my Dad does, that nobody is born truly evil from the beginning. Our upbringings, our environments, play the biggest role in what ultimately shapes us into becoming who we are meant to be. As tragic as it is, life just seemed to be relentless in taking away the things you cared about and believed in, to the point where you now see belief in a better world to just be a lie, the kind that can manipulate those that genuinely want to do good into doing what we all know in our hearts to be terrible things.
'Obviously, I don't share your mindset, even if I can understand it. I know there are countless things in life still worth believing in, just like my Dad does. He believed you had the potential to be a Hero for a reason. Even if you may feel you've been betrayed by the world and the people in it too many times to believe that real Heroes can ever truly exist, I'm making you a personal promise right now.
'I promise you, that I'm going to keep trying my hardest to at least try and prove to you that it can indeed happen, and become a real Hero, just like Tunguska believed in. If I and my friends and classmates could somehow be able to accomplish that, then perhaps it could help give you back a little hope that true good can, in fact, exist in this world again, and Heroes can be the ones to help deliver that true good to those that most need it, just as they were always meant to be. I can only hope that if we can help give you that feeling back, maybe you can realize you don't have to live the rest of your life with so much hate and anger anymore. Having spent as much of my life feeling those things as I have, I can honestly say that nobody deserves to live their lives like that, not even you.
'I'm not foolish or naïve enough to think it'll be easy to become a real Hero. I don't even know for certain if I'll succeed. But if doing so can help give you even a little reassurance that nobody in this world is too far gone amid the darkness in the world, then all that struggle will ultimately be worth it.
'Nikolay Olegovich Bezpalov. Solovei.'
As he kept running his fingers through the letter, reading it over and over again in his head, Vukodlak began to laugh, barely managing to keep himself from breaking out into a full blown fit of hysterical cackling as he finally let the paper fall from his hands and to the floor. The blind Villain struggled to regain his breath as the sentiment behind it just felt so utterly ridiculous to him.
[[Oh, Kolya…you poor, naïve little fool, just setting yourself up for so much disappointment.]] However, as he began resting himself back on his cot, staring into nothing as always, Vukodlak couldn't help but really take in the intention behind the letters' existence to begin with. To him, it simply defied everything he knew to be logical. It was insane, simply knowing that even after everything he had done and tried to do to Nikolay, his father and everyone he cared about, the boy still went out of his way to not only personally write him in prison, but to even express no ill will or resentment towards him. Instead he actually gave him tidings of sympathy, and hope of all things! It was enough to make Vukodlak question if Nikolay had truly heard a word of his and Tunguskas' story to begin with.
However, if the boy simply had not been listening, then there was no possible way he would have been able to summon the kind of pure fighting spirit that he did back in that construction site. There was no possible way a Villain like Vukodlak could have lost to someone too stupid to actually take in what he had gone out of his way to tell him.
So with that in mind, a question he had never once considered began to make itself known to him: given everything he had personally witnessed and experienced at Nikolay Bezpalovs' hands, and even those of his little friends…perhaps the very existence of such an enigma of a child was, in fact, the very first scrap of proof that Tunguskas' once foolish idea of a real Hero could actually exist after all.
Vukodlak had lived far too much of his life in denial of such a notion to simply accept the possibility right out the gate. However, the seed had indeed been planted in his brain, he was self-aware enough to realize that; and it was with that realization that Vukodlak was able to ultimately come to a stance he could feel somewhat content with, as he softly muttered in acceptance to himself:
[[I don't know if you truly are going to become the proof that so-called real Heroes can truly exist in this world, Kolya. However, you do intrigue me, very much so, in fact. If you do, indeed, manage to prove your fathers' ideals true after all…I certainly hope I'll be there to witness that realization myself. Perhaps then I can finally find the conclusion to this lifelong debate I've been seeking for so, so long. Don't disappoint me now, Kolya.]]
And there is this weeks' new chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Maybe be so kind as to leave a review letting me know one way or the other.
I hope you all have a good rest of your week, stay safe, and I will see you all with the final chapter of the Vukodlak Arc next week on 06/26!