Hello again, everyone. Well, this is certainly a different approach I've taken for these next few chapters, as I'm essentially adapting the storyline of the first official My Hero Academia movie, Two Heroes. Since it tells its own complete story all on its own, there wasn't anything downright fundamental that needed to be changed in order to accommodate Nikolay and Tunguska, and being able to actually add some meaningfulness to their involvement in this story was actually easier than I initially expected, going into it. For those of you that have actually seen Two Heroes, you could look at this as revisiting a nostalgic event through the eyes of Kolya without him being a pointless extra, and for those of you who haven't seen the movie, I've taken the liberty of skipping absolutely nothing from the film itself as long as it was able to be learned or viewed from either Nikolay or Tunguska themselves, so you're still getting the overall full Two Heroes experience. I hope you'll all enjoy what I've come up with here regardless.
If you do like what you see here today, please be so kind as to leave a review, even if just to say if you think I'm adapting this specific material well enough or not. Again, I approached adapting this far differently than I have been when adapting from the manga, so you could consider this arc something of an experiment on my part.
I'd like to give another shoutout to my two beta readers, Mizu Hikikomori and Jonny Sjölund, for their continuous support and help in whichever ways they were able to provide, no matter how big or small. You both are beyond awesome!
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.
A/N: [[]] denotes that characters are contextually speaking Russian.
Chapter 37
Arrival
(Прибытие)
[[You seem to be holding up quite well for your very first time flying, Kolya.]] Oleg spoke up, clearly impressed, after a good long while spent in flight.
All the while, Nikolay, sitting at the aisle seat of their particular section, was maintaining a false calm on his face, while clutching the arm rests for dear life. [[Let's just hold off on that until we land, okay, Dad? If it's at all possible, maybe we can see about taking a ferry back to Japan when this is over.]]
Oleg couldn't help but chuckle, even though he had pretty much expected his son to have just such a reaction, having never actually been in an airplane before. [[I hate to break it to you, Kolya, but the airport is the only way people enter and exit I-Island, so you're just going to have to steel yourself for that.]] At the mention of this, his ears could barely make out a high pitched moan from deep inside Nikolays' throat, almost resembling that of a piping tea kettle for just a moment.
Yes, this Saturday had started especially early for the two Russians, as this was the day they were to disembark for their journey to I-Island, in preparation for the first ever I-Expo, wherein the general public would be treated to a festive showcase of Pro Heroes, and some of the latest scientific and technological developments in Hero work and all other Hero-based fields, with Oleg having been personally invited to appear under the sponsorship of the same Support company that had provided the materials that made up his prosthetic fingers and their mechanics.
He and Nikolay alike were both excited to see just what exactly this I-Expo was going to entail and have in store for them, but Nikolay was particularly eager to get a change of scenery after the events of this past week. Of course, he couldn't lie that his curiosity as for just what this I-Island was going to be like, didn't entice him even more. From what he had heard, it was supposed to be an entirely man-made traveling island. For all intents and purposes, it functioned virtually like an independent nation. As such, he and his father had to spend the entirety of the last two days getting official passports made for themselves in order to get in, as well as going over customs regulations for I-Island, specifically to see if they were allowed to bring their Hero costumes along; Oleg of course needing his for the sake of his being there as an official guest, and Nikolay simply out of feeling the necessity for always being prepared.
[[Come now, Kolya, try to relax. I know it's nerve-wracking, coming to an entirely new place with so many Pro Heroes, possibly from around the globe, just waltzing around, but it's not like we're going to be completely alone.]] Nikolay could appreciate his father maintaining a jovial attitude, even though he could imagine the man had to be feeling a twinge nervous as well. After all, he'd spent so much of his professional days working strictly within the Soviet Union; he didn't have any kind of professional or personal contact with Heroes from any other nation outside of All Might. Speaking of whom…
[[Are you sure All Might-sensei said he and Midoriya-san would meet us at the airport?]] he finally asked; relieved to see that Oleg didn't look the least bit doubtful of it.
[[Indeed he did. Once we land and get our passports and belongings checked in, we can switch into our Hero suits, meet them and be on our way.]] To hear it described so simply did admittedly make Nikolay feel a touch less nervous, at least knowing some more familiar faces would be there for the experience. What was better was that they weren't all going to be complete tourists, as Oleg had explained what he'd learned from the Symbol of Peace himself: that All Might had been personally invited to this event by the child of a close personal friend of his, some American scientist named David Shield, if Nikolay was remembering his secondhand knowledge correctly. Nikolay had never even met an American before in his life, and old national histories swept far, far aside, the prospect of meeting one, especially one apparently as close to All Might as he was being led to believe, was actually rather exciting.
Plus he couldn't deny that the chance to be able to spend some more personal time with Izuku and get to know him considerably better, perhaps even to the measure of some of his own closest friends in their class, was a pleasant possibility, too. After all, the boy had gone to the trouble of giving Nikolay the ideas that helped him ultimately pass their final exams earlier that week; to get to know him better and call him a closer friend was the very least the Russian boy could do.
Of course, it wasn't exactly like he and Oleg were even making the journey to I-Island completely devoid of any familiar faces around to begin with.
"Here, Kolya-kun, maybe some tea will help ease those nerves before we land." Handing him a can of cold tea from across the aisle was Mina, with her pink face aglow with an excited smile as always, if not even more than usual. Ever since Nikolay had told her of his and Oleg being invited to I-Island, she had taken total initiative by buying herself a ticket to the expo for when it would open to the public on Sunday. And of course, learning she had already done so drove Oleg to go one step further, and buy her a ticket on their flight, since their invitations had covered their travel and board expenses already. Mina simply hadn't been able to keep herself from squirming in her seat with eager anticipation the entire time.
"Maybe you should take some for yourself, Mina. If you're already this excited with a whole day to go until the expo opens, I don't think you'd want to exhaust yourself from the anticipation." Nikolay offered the same can back, but she was clearly unperturbed despite his advice.
"Oh, it's not a big deal, Kolya-kun; I can ease up in time and be plenty ready for opening day tomorrow. Yeah, it's too bad I didn't get the same invitations like you and Midori-kun did. I mean, that probably means you'll both get to see tons of cool stuff way before everybody else does. But hey, that's super exciting too, isn't it? You guys should totally take advantage; spend today taking it all in like a couple of VIP's! Besides, we'll all three get to hang out plenty tomorrow, so what's there to even worry about?"
Olegs' chuckling in clear approval of Mina's sunny attitude drew both teens' attention to the large older man sitting at the window. "That's the spirit, malenkaya Ashido. Besides, just because Kolya and malenkii Midoriya have the official invites doesn't mean you aren't able to spend time with them at all today. Even if the public may not be allowed to see the features of the expo early doesn't mean there's nothing for you kids to see in the meantime. From what I've heard, I-Island has more than plenty for you all to see and occupy yourselves with, so you could all potentially spend the entire weekend together if you really wanted."
This of course made Mina's smile that much brighter, with Nikolay soon reflecting the same sentiment, while Oleg simply sat back in his seat, smiling contentedly. Having as many of his friends around for their time in this entirely new place would do Nikolays' nerves some serious good.
"Oh, this weekend is gonna be so jam packed with fun, I can't wait! Aren't you excited, Kolya-kun?! After the week we've had, a trip like this is exactly what we need right now to ring in the summer to end all summers!" Mina, even in her excitement, still had the wherewithal not to bring up the unpleasant details she knew were still weighing heavily on Nikolays' mind when thinking about this week. His nerves had seemingly managed to mostly recover from the events of the previous Wednesday, but she wasn't about to bring up the details and risk him breaking into another near nervous fit again. Today was supposed to be a chance for him to move on entirely from that and make more unforgettable memories, and Mina was more than happy to be by his side to help make that happen, at the very least.
"Attention, passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are beginning to make our descent. If you will look out your starboard windows, you will see our destination, I-Island on our approach."
With the pilots' announcement, many of the passengers, Nikolay and Mina included, all quickly moved in towards their window to get a better look down at the sea. And what they saw waiting below was something words couldn't possibly do justice for, as both kids felt absolute wonder fill every fiber of their being.
I-Island was truly nothing short of an outright wonder of the modern world. From the outside it looked like a veritable floating fortress, simply sitting almost motionless on the water with a towering circular wall of the most pristine white, with the top rimmed with hundreds of thousands of wind turbines. However, inside those surrounding walls was a veritable nation-sized cityscape of glistening towers, greenery, solar panels and bodies of water dividing the three islands that made up I-Island's interior, that were essentially the size of the American Great Lakes. The three differing islands were all connected by a multitude of bridges that formed an inverted triangle when looking down from above, and in the center was a fourth island crammed with yet more sleek cityscapes and skyscrapers.
While Nikolay and Mina both looked like they were mentally trying to pick their jaws up off the floor from seeing just what a wonder of modern engineering this place already was from a distance, Oleg couldn't keep his own amazement to himself, either: "Atlantida nakonets podnyalas' iz glubin. Zamechatelnyy. (Atlantis has finally risen from the depths. Remarkable.)"
From the moment their plane landed on one of the numerous landing strips lining the leveled panel protruding from the nearest wall of I-Island, the rest of their disembarking process thankfully went rather smoothly. There were nearly two dozen planes having landed all across the airport, with tens if not hundreds of thousands of people filing in every direction the plucky trio looked.
The I-Island airport was a towering and expansive protruding wall of glass and numerous floors as high up as they could see, and once inside and having had their passports and belongings run through and returned once they themselves had taken a conveyor belt walkway, it only felt that much bigger, with the echoes of the countless guests coming to and leaving the island echoing into a veritable wall, only now and then punctuated by the echoes of numerous intercom voices either welcoming people to the island, wishing people luck on their journeys out, or simply advertising the I-Expo. Frankly, it was almost something of a sensory overload for Nikolay to be in such a colossal place surrounded by so, so many people, regardless of having his father and Mina around.
"Alright, as an official guest, I should probably get into costume now, I'm not sure if the same would apply to you, Kolya." Oleg eventually opened up after having taken in their surroundings for the moment. Of course, both kids under his supervision were immediately making a beeline for the nearby restroom doors, since there weren't any obvious changing stations nearby. The older man couldn't help but chuckle approvingly at their mutual enthusiasm now that they had finally gotten back on solid ground, and soon followed in after.
Soon, all three were back out in the lobby, now adorned anew in their respective Hero costumes, with Mina doing an excited little twirl on her heels, and Oleg looking to be glowing particularly bright, to now be here on an official basis. Nikolay at least felt a little closer to prepared now, just on the chance of something at all happening while they were here. Yes, he knew he needed to go into this as positively as he could, but the world of Heroes had proven to be nothing if not unpredictable.
"Alright, time for us to paint the town red! So, Sensei, any idea where All Might-sensei and Midori-kun said they would meet us?" Mina finally asked once she had stopped almost sprinting in place from her boundless excitement, while Oleg and Nikolay were both already busily looking around for any sign of the two, made much more difficult with the extensive crowds.
Of course, it didn't take long for Oleg to spot an unmistakable V-shaped head of blonde hair protruding from among the masses, and as soon as he began making a beeline for it, Nikolay and Mina were hot on his tail. The crowds practically seemed to part for them, before they finally spotted the familiar forms of All Might and Izuku similarly getting their bearings, already dressed in their Hero costumes as well.
With All Might still wearing the same awe-inspiring smile as he always did, it was almost impossible to see any change in his demeanor when he finally looked in their direction and came to a stop, with Izuku quickly following suit, only for his already wondrous-looking face to be stricken with pleasant surprise. "Ah, Tunguska-san, I'm glad you and Bezpalov-shonen were able to make it! And I see you've brought an extra guest along with you, to boot! Good day, Ashido-shoujo! I trust you all had a pleasant trip?"
"Indeed we did, All Might. Thankfully; since this was Kolya's first time ever flying." Oleg replied with just as much pleasantry, while their respective kids were already meeting each other in kind.
"Bezpalov-san, Ashido-san, what are you and Tunguska-sensei doing here? All Might hadn't mentioned that others from school would be here." Despite the clear surprise and confusion, it was clear that Izuku was quite happy to see them, while Oleg shot a likewise confused look to his momentarily embarrassed comrade.
"Apologies; time spent on preparation for the trip went by so fast for both of us, I didn't have a chance to tell Midoriya-shonen that you would all be here. There are plenty of other things I've been needing to prepare for in the interim, as I'm sure you'd understand." Indeed, Oleg did understand, considering just who it was that All Might was preparing to meet again in who-knew-how-long today.
At the same time, among the students: "Yeah, Dad got an invitation to the Expo the same time All Might did, from what he told me. He's been invited as an official guest; apparently being sponsored by the company that helped build his prosthetics, in fact. He had an extra invite, and I was curious to see what this I-Expo is going to be like, so of course I wanted to tag along."
And of course, Nikolays' straightforward explanation was immediately offset by Mina's sky-high excitement, once again practically hopping up and down on her feet, barely able to contain herself: "And when Kolya-kun told me about this whole thing, I went and bought my ticket, even if it is officially for when it opens tomorrow! But that doesn't matter; what matters is we're all here, and this is gonna be the best weekend ever! All three of us, getting to see a first-time-ever event like this on such a crazy-cool-looking island?! We're practically making history! Oh my God, this is gonna be SO MUCH FUN!"
It was almost on pure reflex, how Mina nearly pulled Nikolay and Izuku into another group hug that more resembled a double headlock while she was giggling that sweet bubbly giggle of hers when she was this excited. Both boys could certainly appreciate this immensely positive air of hers. Truthfully, they both knew they really wanted the change of scenery and pace, since a momentary look in each other's green eyes made it clear they were still thinking about what had nearly happened to them that last Wednesday; something neither of them was willing to bring up for the sake of keeping everyone else's mood up.
"Well, then, we have a lot of preparations left to do, so perhaps we should get out of these people's way, get to our hotel rooms and then see what this place has for us?" Oleg ultimately suggested, with All Might in full agreement, and soon all five of them were making their way for the lobby on the other side of the airport. Once they stepped out the entrance, they were met with the sight of an expansive pavilion adorned with numerous eye-catching carnival-esque attractions and structures as far as the eye could see.
"Oh, my god… this place is unbelievable! I can't believe I never even heard of this place before just a few days ago." Nikolay mused in bewilderment to himself, especially stricken with how, for as massive as the cities far off in the distance themselves clearly were, just how pristine the water was, and just how much vibrant greenery there was, especially when seeing it from the air.
At the same time, while Mina was just taking in the scenery with sparkling eyes of wonder ("It's so pretty!"), Izuku was likewise very excited, with that same big fan-boyish smile on his freckled face. "It really is incredible, isn't it? I'd heard about it for years, but it apparently only ever comes this close to Japan about once every two years! The idea that this whole island is actually constantly in motion is a marvel of modern engineering in itself, but I-Island as a whole is also a testament for the effectiveness of unifying all different forms of renewable energy together, from hydroelectric to wind to solar energy, the entire place is kept up and running constantly from it.
"I even did some more research on the flight over; and it turns out the entire island is a gathering place for scientists from all over the globe to study Quirks and develop new technology as a result to help Heroes in their work, whether it be in equipment or suit technology, among countless other things! This island is basically where every new development in the world of Hero work is first made! In fact, the reason the island itself is mobile is even an extra security measure to protect whatever developments are made here from falling into the hands of Villains! The built-in security system matches that of some of the most advanced maximum-security Villain prisons in the world, and there hasn't been a single recorded crime committed within its walls! And we're going to get to witness some of the newest creations and advances they've made firsthand when the I-Expo opens! I can only imagine some of the stuff they've already managed to make and have displays set up for. Maybe some of those designs will eventually make it to the Department of Support and we could start seeing about implementing some of them to our own inventories as well –"
By now, Izuku was already beginning to descend into his typical habit of mumbling nonstop to himself in his geeky excitement. However, in all honesty, it was nothing short of endearing, as Nikolay and Mina couldn't help but share even a fraction of that anticipation. Nikolay, especially, was now feeling particularly enthused, simply thinking that this place was already proving itself as a hallmark example of what happened when intellectual minds from all over the world actually unified toward the cause of working together and helping the world as a whole.
At the same time as the kids were taking in this incredible new environment, Oleg couldn't help but keep glancing to All Might. "Forgive me for asking, but why are you in your muscular form right now? Are you sure you're in a good position to be doing that right now?" Thankfully, Oleg was at least mindful enough to keep his voice to barely a whisper so that only All Might could hear him.
The smiling Hero never took his eyes off the path ahead as he answered: "It's for the sake of the crowds right now, Tunguska-san. As long as I'm within the public eye, I have to maintain this form. Don't worry; I'll release it only when the time is right."
The bluntness of All Might's answer ultimately told Oleg more than his actual words did. The man was ultimately here to see this old American friend of his, and had been invited by the man's own daughter. Was it possible that neither of them knew about the truth of his condition, even despite apparently having been in continuous communication? If so, then he could only imagine that revelation was going to be nothing short of devastating for them both.
With that, they proceeded to finally descend the steps from the airport onto the expansive central plaza itself. All around, the air was downright festive. Of course, the initial peace didn't last for long, as once they had reached the bottom of the stairs, they were approached by one of the expo's greeters who immediately recognized the real star among the group, and within seconds the relatively calm atmosphere gave way to a quickly growing number of exclamations from among the crowd, all echoing one thing: "OH MY GOD, LOOK! IT'S ALL MIGHT! ALL MIGHT'S HERE!"
Within seconds, the Symbol of Peace was being swarmed by several dozen nearly rabid fans, forcing Oleg and the kids away while All Might was essentially left on his own, maintaining the smile while looking around awkwardly at how many people there were with things to autograph and pictures to be taken.
However, for as sudden as this was, the man was no less admirable in his actions, as he displayed no sense of urgency or impatience, instead taking what time he could to give each individual person around him what they so desperately wanted. All the while, Nikolay and Mina both couldn't help the big, admiring smiles on their faces as they watched the whole thing play out. "All Might really is in his element right now, isn't he?" Nikolay finally asked; arms crossed over his chest when he could see the especially happy faces on some of the younger members of the audience.
"Are you kidding? He's only, like, the single biggest and coolest Hero in the world, he probably gets hounded like this all the time everywhere he goes that isn't school! Just think about it, Kolya-kun: one day, when we both graduate and become Pros, we could end up being that popular one day."
Mina couldn't help but sound especially wistful at the thought of them becoming the biggest Hero duo of all time, while Nikolay couldn't deny a similar feeling of anticipation for that potential day, especially when looking at the eager smile on her face and glimmer in her eyes. "Yeah… that would be really cool to have, one day. Let's just not forget what Willow Light-sensei taught us in the end."
For as much of a proverbial wet blanket as he worried that reminder was going to make him sound, Nikolay was instead met with an amused giggle as Mina playfully elbowed him in the arm, still smiling from ear to ear. "Oh, don't worry; I'm not going to forget a word of that, no matter what. Man, you really are such a teacher's pet when you don't need to be, Kolya-kun. Well, it's not like I can honestly hold that against you. If anything, it just makes you that much cuter in the end."
While the pink young girl was proceeding with her playful and teasing poking and prodding at her once-again flustered best friend, a little ways away, Oleg and Izuku were likewise watching All Might's ongoing interaction with his adoring public. However, while Oleg was simply watching with a whimsical smile on his bearded face, Izuku was looking considerably nervous. "Should we maybe try asking those people to let All Might through, Tunguska-sensei? If this carries on for too much longer, he's not going to be able to maintain his form for the public when he needs to."
"I understand your concerns, malenkii Midoriya. However, we can't just force our way in there and tear those people away from their icon. He's put so much on the line time and again for all of them, it's only right they be able to express their gratitude for his existence whichever way they see fit to. Besides, All Might is a full-grown man, he's more than capable of letting them down gently once he feels he's spent enough time on this… I hope."
Oleg had to avoid making eye contact with Izuku once he realized he'd let his confidence in his comrade momentarily slip. However, being smart enough to see his other mentor didn't want to dwell on it any more than this, Izuku decided to take his own curiosity elsewhere. "I'm curious, Sensei… since you were pretty much All Might's equal in terms of power and popularity back in the Soviet Union… were you also flocked to by crowds like this a lot?"
At this, Oleg's awkwardness gave way to a glowing smile of pure nostalgia as he gave a deep, resonating laugh at the thought. "Oh, yes, malenkii Midoriya, more often than you could imagine. At least twice a week, anywhere I went within the Soviet Bloc, crowds of well over a hundred would always come to see me, from every major city to any moderate township, and even every tiny village. You could practically set your watch to it… and that's not including the numerous times the government would actually set up these huge, elaborate parades for me and my comrades every time we'd accomplished a mission together that saved the future of our people. Have you perhaps ever seen footage of those old Soviet military parades from back in the Cold War? It was essentially like that, but for Heroes like us."
Izuku could clearly tell just thinking about this particular subject was getting Oleg quite emotional, particularly in his blue eyes. "Do… do you ever miss having that kind of fame and reception, Sensei?"
Oleg let out a noticeably shaky sigh as he tried to figure out what the most honest answer to that question was. It felt like more time had passed than what actually had, by the time he found the answer he felt the most comfortable with: "Honestly… sometimes I do… but most of the time, I don't. It's the people I shared those moments of mass recognition alongside, that I miss the most out of anything else."
Oleg had to swallow a mighty lump of emotion in his throat before deliberately looking towards a nearby clock atop one of the streetlights lining the walkway. "I don't think this crowd is going to be dispersing much any time soon. Kolya, malenkii Ashido and I should really get to securing our hotel rooms for the night and getting our things squared away. Why don't you text us where you and All Might want to meet us once he's free again?"
Just as he was about to signal for his son and pink student to rejoin his side so they could finish their own business, Oleg and Izuku both realized the crowd was, in fact, already beginning to disperse from around All Might (whose face was now adorned with numerous lipstick kisses from the women among the crowd, which he immediately proceeded to vigorously wipe off), just as a singular female voice suddenly called out from among their numbers: "Uncle!"
As soon as they could see through the parting crowd, All Might's four companions saw a single brightly smiling teenage girl with long blonde hair, glasses and light blue eyes dressed in a white short-sleeve dress shirt underneath a red vest, form-fitting tan pants, a matching bow tie and socks in red plaid, and brown boots. What was more; she was actively approaching them from atop what, for all intents and purposes, looked like a powered pogo stick.
Without missing a beat, this sudden approaching girl practically jumped from atop her impromptu vehicle, and All Might was immediately on point to catch her from under her arms in his hands, practically twirling her around like a father typically would to a toddler, while she was still laughing joyously all the while. "Uncle Might! Long time no see! I'm so happy you came!"
At the same time, All Might's already constant smile somehow seemed to radiate with even greater joy than any of his companions had seen from him yet. "Thank you for inviting me! But, man, I almost didn't recognize you! You're all grown up now!"
"I'm seventeen now! I'm heavier than I used to be, aren't I?"
To this, All Might only proceeded to lift her higher and higher up like a toddler: "Not at all!"
While All Might and the girl continued enthusiastically greeting each other, Nikolay, Izuku and Mina were both simply floored that this seemingly random stranger turned out to actually know their teacher and idol as well as it seemed; while Oleg, once having ridden through his own sense of surprise, could only smile in natural realization that this had to be the girl who extended All Might and Izukus' invites to begin with.
Once All Might had finally put the girl back down on her feet, he was quick to take note of their surroundings: "Oh, right, where is Dave right now?"
Before anyone could begin to ask what he was talking about, the blonde girl was already quick to answer him: "Oh, he's in his lab. It looks like he's finished the first stage of some research he'd been working on for several years, so I invited you to this island as a surprise to celebrate that."
By this point, it was clear to everyone else that All Might was completely enraptured in nostalgia, talking to their sudden extra: "Is that what it was? By the way, what was Dave researching this time?"
As he and the girl continued to talk and catch up with each other, by this point even Oleg couldn't help but glance to the rest of the students very awkwardly, clearly not used to being pushed straight out of a conversation like this. However, finally realizing he wasn't actually alone and figuring to play the part of the polite expected guest, All Might proceeded to extend an introductory arm to his four companions. "Oh, my goodness, where are my manners? Everyone, please allow me to introduce you all to the daughter of my good friend…"
Dutifully following her 'Uncle Might's' lead, the blonde bespectacled girl eagerly stepped forward and greeted them all with a considerable bow and beaming smile. "Hello, and welcome to I-Island. My name is Melissa Shield. It's a pleasure to meet you all"
Both boys were of course quite nervous to be introducing themselves right off the bat to a completely new face, with Izuku awkwardly removing the glove from his right hand before shaking Melissa's: "I-is that how it is? N-nice to meet you, too. I'm Midoriya Izuku, a first year student at Yuuei Academy."
Following his curly-haired friends' lead, Nikolay likewise removed his right glove and quickly took Melissa's once she was free. "Zdravstvuitye (Hello), Shield-san. I'm Nikolay Bezpalov, also a first year student at Yuuei. I-it's nice to meet you, too."
Of course, Mina couldn't have been more natural at extending an eager introductory hand of her own. "Hi there, Shield-chan! Super happy to meet you! I'm Ashido Mina, first year student at Yuuei! Are you, like, best friends with All Might?! That's so cool!"
However, Oleg was thankfully quick to intervene before Mina could further over-extend herself with her first introduction. "I apologize; malenkaya Ashido's enthusiasm can tend to make her act without thinking. It's a pleasure to meet you, malenkaya Shield. I'm Oleg Bezpalov, Kolya's father, but you can call me by my Hero name, Tunguska. I'm a friend and colleague of All Might's at Yuuei Academy, as I'm sure you must have concluded by now."
Surprisingly, Melissa's attention was actually laser-focused on Oleg, looking him over observantly, specifically his costume. In just a moment, her bespectacled eyes lit up with realization. "Oh, I see, Uncle Might has mentioned you a few times in our more recent correspondence! I've known about your existence for a number of years, Mr. Tunguska, but I didn't think you would actually fit the image that had been built of you so well. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."
While Melissa was as cordial and polite as one could possibly be, Oleg and the students were simply floored that she had apparently known about him for years, despite his only having gotten back into the suit three months ago. Oleg could already feel the confused gazes from his students upon him, all of them clearly wanting an explanation. "Hey, I'm just as surprised as you three are; I've never worked closely with an American in my life. Forgive my bluntness, Miss Shield, but exactly how is it you know about me?"
To his relief, however, Melissa didn't look put off by the sudden questions at all, still smiling as brightly as she so far always had. "Oh, I've actually heard most of what I know about you second-hand from my Papa… who also learned everything he knows about you second-hand as well. Why don't you all come with me and I can introduce you, and he can fill you in on everything."
Of course, their young host was clearly all over the place with her excitement, as when she saw the three students again, she finally realized how sidetracked she had allowed herself to become, as she eagerly approached them all yet again. "That's so exciting that the three of you are Uncle Might's students, let alone students of such a prestigious school as Yuuei. You all must have very promising futures ahead of you. Out of curiosity, what kind of Quirks do you have?"
As though they'd been put on the spot, Izuku and Nikolay couldn't help but mutually stutter out their respective answers ("A p-power type—" "K-kinetic power, but you could also call it vibrations."), while Mina was more than happy to answer without missing a beat: "My Quirk's acid. Straightforward, I know, but I'm quite handy with finding different uses for it, if I may say so, myself. It helped me and Kolya-kun get quite far in a Sports Festival not too long ago."
However, Melissa's ability to multi-task was clearly something to behold, as even as the three students answered her question, she was at the same time extensively looking over Izukus' Hero costume with an especially sharp eye, completely ignorant to the green-haired boys shivering nervousness at this strange girl looking him over so thoroughly. Before anyone knew it, she was already starting to mumble her observations to herself in regards to his costume: "It's cool, but a rather unorthodox design. I don't see any Support items, either."
However, her mumbling came to an abrupt halt as her eyes landed on Izukus' uncovered right hand, specifically the numerous scars adorning it. "Maybe you should see about refining your costume."
Izuku was clearly struggling to think of what, if anything, to say to perhaps make her not remain so close, even despite the fact that he was clearly quite privileged to have captured Melissa's attention so thoroughly. Thankfully, a momentary glance to see his clearly nervous face breaking into a frigid sweat was enough to finally make the blonde young woman realize what she was doing and take an embarrassed step back. "Oh, my apologies, Midoriya-san! I've been studying Quirks, Support items and Hero costume mechanics for so long; I tend to let myself get lost in my own train of thought."
"O-oh, it's n-no trouble at all, Shield-san. I-I kind of do the same thing when observing different Heroes and new Quirks, myself," the freckled boy mumbled awkwardly, still too nervous to make eye contact. Thankfully, with the awkward air between them cleared, Melissa was then just as quick to address Nikolay next, once again looking over his costume thoroughly as well, with the Russian boy looking just as uncomfortable, while Mina was simply watching with a cheeky smirk, as though she were practically screaming 'You're a natural-born lady-killer, Kolya-kun,' with her mind.
"Hmm, a rather interesting concept for a costume, Bezpalov-san. It's a similar material choice to Midoriya-san's; clearly well thought out in terms of compensating for aerodynamics, temperature control, maneuverability and physical protection, and with some extensive mechanics in the gloves specifically. I noticed the holes adorning your palm and fingertips when we shook hands; clearly the means through which you dispense your Quirk, based on how you described the type it is. I assume this arrangement for your gloves is most likely a means to help balance and maintain the extent of power, and range of your Quirk when you have to use it. I hope you don't mind my saying so, but if it were at all possible, I would like to look over both yours and Midoriya-san's costumes more extensively at some point to understand all of the perimeters in their design, and see if perhaps I couldn't make some minor adjustments to help improve their overall effectiveness in the field."
Nikolay was only growing hotter under the collar with each passing moment. Whether Mina decided to step in to save him from his own embarrassment, or because she simply didn't want to be left out of a conversation with a potential new friend, was anyones' guess. "Hey, hey, what about me, Shield-chan?! What do you think of my outfit?! I came up with the design for it myself! Isn't it just the cutest?!"
Mina's approach, Nikolay and Izuku alike thought to be more than a little strong, but Melissa was surprisingly not put off at all as she gave an observant look at the smiling pink girls' costume. "Well, visually, your costume is quite nice, and is more than appropriate in terms of maneuverability, based on the material. The holes on the soles of your boots are a nice touch to aid in your mobility, assuming you're able to dispense your Quirk through more than just your hands, and are able to dispense multiple different forms of acid that aren't necessarily solely corrosive. However, until I can learn more about the actual mechanics behind your Quirk, I can't say for certain if any of this is really the proper material if you want to avoid accidentally melting it all off in the heat of battle, Ashido-san. After all, just because some materials are labeled as 'acid-proof' doesn't mean that applies to all different forms of acid, obviously.
Melissa's answer was ultimately less straightforward praise compared to what she'd told Nikolay and Izuku; but to all their pleasant surprise, the compliments Mina had managed to get from their host was already more than enough, as she was practically beaming more than ever to have her own look and inherent abilities positively recognized.
"*Ahem* I'm sorry to be cutting the conversations short, children, but we do in fact have an agenda to attend to before anything else." All Might's voice suddenly chimed in, and just as quickly did Melissa immediately get right back to business ("Oh, I'm sorry, I got distracted again! We have to hurry and make Papa happy! This way, everyone!"); hurrying to reclaim her advanced-looking pogo stick, before hitting a button and causing it to glow, and actually retract into her backpack like it had been an elaborate hologram the entire time, while Oleg was looking a bit torn all the while.
"Actually, Kolya, malenkaya Ashido and I still need to finish getting the cards for our hotel rooms before anything else. I still need to find out what exactly it is I'm expected to be doing as an official invited guest," he explained, clearly embarrassed to not have as much information as he had been hoping for by this point.
However, his attempt to break away was instead only answered with Melissa already proceeding on with that same pep in her step. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that right now, Mr. Tunguska. Papa is actually rather connected with a lot of the organizers for the I-Expo, which includes the companies that are sponsoring many of the Pro Heroes coming as official guests. I can contact the people needed to help get your accommodations all in order and help explain everything you need to know. Please, why don't you all come with me? I'm certain my Papa will be more than pleased to meet all of you."
With virtually no other option, the five of them proceeded to follow after their young female host, with Nikolay and Izuku clearly still looking quite flustered by their sudden introductions and interactions with her, while Mina was still as bubbly and sunny in attitude as ever. "Shield-chan seems really nice. I wonder what her old man must be like if they're old friends with somebody as cool as All Might." Neither boy could disagree with her sentiment, as blunt as it was. However, Nikolay and Oleg alike were more than a little curious to learn just how on earth Melissa and her father knew about the Sun of Justice as extensively as she was suggesting. There was no way in hell she'd learned it all from All Might.
Elsewhere at the entrance of the I-Island airport, an anonymous group of men stood shoulder-to-shoulder, taking in their surroundings, and more importantly, the sheer numbers of people filing into the island in preparation for the expo tomorrow.
Among their ranks, one scarred man's attention was momentarily broken by the silent buzzing of a cellphone in his pocket. He didn't even need to check to see who it was on the other side, as he dutifully brought it to his ear, keeping his voice down so no passersby were at risk of overhearing a word of it.
"Yeah? Yes, we were able to get into the expo without any problems. We've studied the layout of the target site, so we should be able to pull this off with little, if any, problems. So when will the goods arrive?"
"Please come get it at 3PM at Gate 66."
"Understood."
Click
Central Tower
From the moment of stepping through the doors of what was confirmed to be the tallest building in all of I-Island, a colossal series of interconnected towers, and traversing through the halls for the personal lab of Melissa's father himself, Nikolay and his friends couldn't help but feel slowly but steadily overwhelmed with anxiety and nervousness. If this man was as serious and important as all this hearsay was suggesting, there was no way to tell how exactly they were to best conduct themselves in his presence. At least, that was the case for Nikolay and Mina. With Izukus' track record, they wouldn't have been surprised if he somehow had the luck of the draw on making a good impression with a big-time Heroics scientist as well.
It wasn't too long, however, before Melissa finally brought her guests to a stop, and the kids all realized it was officially do-or-die time.
"I'm sorry, everyone, but if you could please wait out here for the start? Papa is probably still working with his assistant, Mr. Abrahams, and I don't want him to get overwhelmed with meeting too many new faces at once. Uncle Might, would you please wait out here until I give you the okay to come in?" "Of course, Melissa. I've been anticipating this just as much as you."
With that, Melissa proceeded to step into the lab through the one door, and All Might, Oleg, Nikolay, Izuku and Mina couldn't help but listen in through the opening at the awaited reunion, just catching the tail end of a conversation between two adult men inside: "It's not really a surprise Melissa would go to the Academy, even when there's an official school break going on."
"Of course it isn't. I mean, I am Papa's daughter, after all. I can't help being like him." Melissa's self-introduction between the two men inside was as confident as a scientists' genius daughter could possibly be.
"Melissa." "Hello, Miss." "Hello, Sam. Thanks for always taking care of Papa, who does nothing but research all the time." Aside from Melissa's well-natured tone, one voice sounded quite professional, whom the listeners-in could only assume was to be her father; and one considerably more put-upon, whom they could only assume to be this Abrahams assistant of his that Melissa had mentioned.
"I really can't speak contrary to that, I suppose. More importantly, what are you doing here? I would've thought you'd be out enjoying yourself if you weren't burying yourself in your own research at the Academy." The voice of her father admitted in noticeable humorous embarrassment. Yet despite that, he still managed to carry a twinge of professional authority, while also managing to sound perfectly fatherly at the same time, a surprising contrast after the reputational build-up Nikolay in particular had been expecting in his head.
"Well, Papa, in celebration of your completing the first painstaking stage in your recent research, I invited a certain person. A person that you love." With that, All Might suddenly proceeded to rush in with all the bravado he could without practically leveling the entire room from the sheer dominance of his presence.
"I am here… shaking with emotion from our reunion!" However, despite that bombastic intro, he was only met with an especially uncomfortable silence, which ultimately spurred the rest of his companions to slowly step into the doorway to finally see this reunion for themselves.
"Toshi?" "A-All Might?! T-the real thing?!" Standing before the Symbol of Peace and Melissa were two middle-aged men; one clearly the assistant, simply from how plain he looked, with a blonde comb-over, sizeable gut and unassuming pale face. Beside him was a much thinner man with the same blue bespectacled eyes as Melissa's, with a clearly tired but wizened face, with a short light brown beard ending his chin, and a head of same colored, short messy hair.
It was clear from a glance to Nikolay just who Melissa's father was between the two, but most fortunately was that, much like the way he spoke, he didn't come across nearly as professional and overbearing or intimidating as the Russian boy had tricked himself into thinking he would be.
And that was only further cemented when All Might actually proceeded to rush the man in front, lifting him right off his feet and twirling him around in his arms, just as he had done to Melissa, to far less childlike glee as a reaction: "I have traveled all this way just to see you again, Dave!"
Once he had finally let 'Dave' back down, Melissa simply couldn't contain her excitement: "Well, Papa? Were you surprised?"
"Y-yeah… very surprised." By now, the bearded scientist's initial shellshock finally gave way to one of the most nostalgic smiles imaginable, as All Might helped him back to his feet.
"We both have Melissa to thank for our reunion today. Man, how long has it been?" At this, the comparatively smaller man (which wasn't saying much when considering how much All Might towered over everyone but Oleg) proceeded to actually give him a playful elbow to the arm: "Oh, don't go reminding me of how old I am. Neither one of us wants to think about that, do we?"
The laughter that immediately followed could have very well shaken the very foundations; it was so heartfelt and nostalgic, just as All Might was able to immediately recall himself back. "I'm glad I was finally able to see you again, Dave."
"Me too… All Might." From there, before everyone else, the two proceeded to bump their fists together in a show of long-time brotherhood that, if the initial circumstances hadn't seemed so awkward to the newcomers still watching, would've been downright heartwarming.
However, a timely clearing of the throat from Oleg, reminding All Might of his guests' presence, snapped him right back to full attention as he finally stood aside to reveal his fellow Hero and their mutual students.
"Ah, I apologize, everyone. Dave, allow me to introduce you to some close associates of mine. Everyone, this is one of my best friends, David Shield—"
"It's a great honor to meet you, David Shield-san! I'm Midoriya Izuku, All Might's student! I've read so much about you over the years; I'm a huge admirer of your work! A Nobel prize-winning scientist, a major authority figure in the field of Quirk research, Heroics-based science and technology development, and All Might's first sidekick and career-long costume designer through all his different ages? You're truly a marvel in the Heroics world, and I've always wanted to meet you in person one day! Thank you for giving us this opportunity, sir! I'm so deeply moved!"
Izukus' sudden turn into his more geeking-out mindset was met with a handful of reactions: from an amused form of embarrassed apology from All Might for the boy's enthusiasm, to a similar air of just plain amusement and gratitude from David for receiving such clear admiration from such an energetic young man.
However, all of these developments were quickly overshadowed when Nikolay, Mina and Oleg alike couldn't keep their own surprise to themselves: "This guy was All Might's sidekick/designed his costumes?! That's so awesome!"
With the three extra new faces having now made their presence abundantly clear and rendering the lab silent, with all attention now on them, All Might quickly took the lead again. "Yes; Dave, let me finish the introductions in kind. This is my colleague and fellow teacher at Yuuei, Oleg Bezpalov-san; his son and another of our students, Nikolay Bezpalov-shonen, and these boys' friend and fellow classmate, Ashido Mina-shoujo."
This time, the remaining two teens were able to give their greetings much more calmly and politely, to which David couldn't help but chuckle in bemusement. "Don't feel embarrassed, kids; that kind of reaction is honestly pretty natural when meeting people with a few decorations under their belts. I was pretty much the same way when I was yours and Melissa's age. Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you all. If All Might is serving as your teacher, and saw fit to invite you all this way, then that clearly means he sees something special in all of you."
"*Ahem* actually, malenkii Midoriya was the only student who came under All Might's invitation from your daughter, Mr. Shield. Kolya and malenkaya Ashido came under mine, as I'm apparently an official guest, like many of the other Pro Heroes out there." Oleg's chiming in drew David's attention.
Much like Melissa before, he proceeded to observe Oleg in his costume with an especially observant eye, before a smile of recognition suddenly came to his face. "When All Might mentioned you by your real name, I couldn't help but feel like I'd heard it before a long time ago. But that costume… that glow behind your head… there's no mistaking it. I'd heard a lot about you over the years, Tunguska… but it was honestly getting to the point I wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance to meet you in person. It's a pleasure, sir."
With a single step forward, David extended a friendly yet professional hand, to which Oleg, despite the clear curiosity on his face, eagerly took and shook in return. "Yes, your daughter said earlier that you somehow knew about me, which was how she knew about me in kind. I hope you'll forgive me for asking this so soon upon our first meeting, Mr. Shield, but I just have to know: I've never personally worked with a single American before in my life, so how exactly is it that you seem to know so much about me, from my costume's design to my actual name?"
In Nikolays' perspective, it was honestly amazing that, after having spent years living on the run and in hiding, his father was somehow able to ask these kind of questions of a man he'd never met before, and not sound overly accusative or suspicious. Good thing, too, as David looked rather understanding of the large Russian Hero's confusion.
"Yes, given past circumstances, I can understand why you'd be more than a little suspicious. Well, back when I was studying Heroics Tech in the States, one of my most stand-out professors was a former Soviet scientist and Hero costume developer from the Ukraine; Fyodor Kravchenko."
The glowing disk behind Tunguska's head suddenly flared up to a near blinding light for but a moment, forcing All Might, David, his assistant and the kids to reflexively shield their eyes, while the man himself had to support himself against the wall, looking like he'd just been nailed upside the head by a steel 2x4. By the time he realized what he'd just instinctively done, he was already repeatedly bowing his head in apology. "Please, forgive me, everyone, I didn't mean for that to happen. I just… I haven't heard that name in so, so long."
By this point, none of the kids could keep their curiosity a secret. "What do you mean, Dad? Who was this guy Shield-sensei is talking about?"
Taking in a deep breath, Oleg quickly found himself feeling overly nostalgic again, and looking much the same. "Fyodor Petrovich Kravchenko… he was the man who designed all of my Hero costumes, from my beginnings, all the way to my most modern iteration, which the suit I've been wearing since coming to Japan has essentially been copied directly from. I honestly never thought I'd hear his name being spoken again, since the last time I'd ever heard, he had retired from the Hero costume-crafting business and settled down back in the Ukrainian countryside."
By now, David was likewise looking surprisingly nostalgic. "Well, yes, that's what he told us he did at first, but then he decided he wanted to spread his knowledge to the next generations of Heroics Supporters, so he decided to emigrate to America to teach at the country's biggest Heroics Support school. He was especially passionate about imparting the importance of making costumes that actually compliment the wearer's specific Quirk. That man… was honestly one of my biggest inspirations for going into the field I'm in now, once I stepped out of the sidekick game."
By now, Oleg actually began to break into a deeply amused chuckle. "Ah, yes, I remember, he always used to say: 'you make a suit for a Hero solely for the sake of making them look good, you might as well go into funeral tailoring.' God, it's good to hear the man didn't just disappear. Is he actually here, by any chance? I understand this place is a practical haven for Heroics scientists from all over the world. I can just imagine the look on his face if he sees me again after all this time."
However, this time, the nostalgic air was finally broken, as David's pleasant yet tired smirk visibly sank, and he couldn't look Oleg in the eye any longer. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Tunguska… but Professor Kravchenko… he passed away just barely thirteen years ago. I only know, because we had actually stayed in pretty regular communication with each other after I'd graduated."
Oleg's own sense of pleasantness likewise faded, as did that of his son. The news that one of the man's oldest associates, if not one of his oldest allies, had died was bad enough, but what especially hit hard was the timing of it all. Observing the two Russians' changing expressions, even Izuku and Mina were able to quickly figure out just what they were thinking back on, given what they knew now about the two.
"Mr. Shield… are you saying that—"
"I'm afraid so. When the news started hitting the airwaves back then: The Siberian Flash, then the Union dissolving again and being replaced by that new anti-Quirk government… and watching how all those people started turning on you and everybody else in the former Bloc with Quirks… it just ate away at Professor Kravchenko… took away his willingness to live. He passed away not too long after that all went down."
Oleg had to reach out for something to try and sit himself against, having to deal with this latest gut punch to his emotions. However, when David finally lifted his head enough to try and meet his gaze, his bespectacled eyes seemed to light up with a different kind of pleasant remembrance. "Although… one of the last times we spoke to each other before his passing, he did say that, on the astronomical chance you and I were to ever meet face-to-face, since he had told us all about you back in university, he wanted you to know that he never lost faith in you… not in your heart or your spirit when it came to doing what you thought was best for saving the people. Even if the rest of your Motherland lost faith in you, he never did."
The air was especially heavy over Oleg's head for a good few seconds after David had finally conveyed his late professor's practical last words to the Sun of Justice. The kids could all see that Oleg was clearly using every ounce of willpower he had to not start breaking into tears, before finally swallowing that parting knowledge and emotion back down his throat, letting out another shaky sigh of acceptance. "Thank you… Mr. Shield, for telling me this. Thank you very much."
All this while, All Might had likewise been polite and understanding enough to not interrupt this impromptu change in the conversation, but by this point, he suddenly gave a pronounced clearing of his throat, as he had finally noticed that the beginnings of several traces of steam were beginning to emanate from across his back, just enough that the kids thankfully didn't seem to notice (at least in Nikolay and Mina's cases), but David and Oleg now certainly did, and his old friend was already one step ahead, as he turned his attention to his daughter.
"Hey, Sam; why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off before we meet up again for tonight? Melissa, I still have quite a bit of work to take care of before the big event, plus All Might and I clearly have some catching up to do; you kids shouldn't have to stand around here all day for us. Why don't you take them and show them around I-Expo? And Tunguska, I can imagine you still need to get your accommodations in order, and get all your sponsored guest information as well. I'll send word out to the organizers and they'll have you all taken care of before you know it."
Just as soon as David's lab assistant had taken his own leave, Melissa was quick to guide Izuku, Nikolay and Mina out of the lab and back down the hall, all while happily claiming she was happy to go with three future Heroes, which certainly left them all smiling more than a little brightly. Oleg was already quickly beginning to follow suit, before All Might suddenly raised an opposing hand, to David's visible surprise. "Tunguska-san, wait! Please, stay. Dave, I'm sorry for what you're about to see, but this is something that requires all three of us here to be on the exact same page."
As the four youngsters proceeded to make their way out of the complex, Melissa couldn't help but look only the slightest touch embarrassed. "I apologize for that back there, Midoriya-san, Bezpalov-san, Ashido-san. Papa has always been in something of a permanent rush when it comes to his work. He doesn't mean anything by forcing us out like that, I assure you."
Of course, none of her three guests looked even the slightest bit perturbed, all simply glad for the chance to have actually met the man face-to-face, even if Izuku was clearly the only one to have actually known anything about him beforehand. "It's no trouble at all, Shield-san. I mean, with all of the accomplishments and responsibilities Midoriya-san said he has, I'm honestly not surprised he's always busy and needing to find ways to do multiple things at once."
Of course, with Nikolay initially trying to diffuse any discomfort, Mina was right on his tail with the follow-up: "Now c'mon, let's not all get ourselves weighed down with all that stuff! We've got a whole day of tons of awesome fun stuff to see and do! I'll bet you know this place like the back of your hand, Shield-chan!"
Thankfully, Melissa looked to be rather pleased with her guests' enthusiasm as they soon stepped back out into the pleasant summer air with crystal clear blue skies. "As a matter of fact, yes. There is quite a lot we're putting together in preparation for tomorrows' expo, so why don't I show you all around? I-Island has more than plenty to see and do, more than enough to occupy anyone and everyone all weekend-long."
However, just as she was already about to begin to take them around, Mina was very quick on the interception, practically sliding to block her way. "Now hold on, we all shouldn't have to be on such serious formal terms if we're gonna be hanging out together all day! We should be able to talk to each other like friends, right? So why don't we knock that ball right outta the park? None of this 'Ashido-san' nonsense; you can just go ahead and call me Mina."
To Melissa's surprise, and Mina's delight, Nikolay was likewise quick to follow her lead. "I agree, so perhaps we should start over. It's really nice to meet you, Shield-san. You can just call me Kolya if you like. It's much less of a mouthful, I know."
Finally, Izuku, despite still looking rather nervous, was similarly quick to follow in his friends' footsteps. "And I-I'm… well, my friends call me Deku… if that's not too weird for you."
Much to his chagrin, Melissa's initial expression was one of total confusion and a touch of curiosity. "'Deku'? Quite an unusual choice for a nickname, I can't lie about that. But I'm certain you have your reasons for holding onto it… so what place do I have to criticize or judge? Alright; Deku, Kolya and Mina it is! And you can all call me Melissa, if you like."
Mina practically leaped up with an excited cheer while Nikolay and Izuku likewise shook her hand in gratitude and gladness to meet her more officially. From there, the new quartet of youth was on their way to see everything I-Island and I-Expo had to offer.
Oleg made sure to see that the kids were no longer within ear shot before finally closing the door, letting out a regretful sigh at what was about to happen. Once he gave All Might the confirming nod, the Symbol of Peace took a steadying breath, and in a sudden burst of steam that nearly filled the lab, he shrank back down to the lanky form of Toshinori Yagi; a change that left David visibly horrified once the steam had finally cleared. The fact that Toshinori gave no visible reaction in response to that of his old friends' made it clear that this was pretty much what he had been expecting. "You had told me of your symptoms in our emails over the last few years, but I… I wasn't expecting it to have gotten this bad at this point."
As he turned to see the especially regretful look on Oleg's face, his confusion only seemed to grow that much more. "Toshi, I-I don't understand. You wouldn't tell me that your injury effected you this extensively so long after the fact, which tells me you were wanting to keep this a secret as long as you could… so why on earth would you want more people to know than is absolutely necessary? No offense to you, Tunguska, but why would you want him to be here for this, Toshi?"
Both Heroes exchanged silent yet communicative glances with one another, and they both accepted that this was something they were both going to have to explain to their confused and worried host. "I'd actually known about All Might's condition for a while now, Mr. Shield. You see… he was the one who convinced me to come out of hiding, immigrate to Japan and apply myself towards teaching at Yuuei… precisely because he was honest enough to show me the truth about his condition.
"We hadn't seen each other in well over ten years, and he just somehow found me one night out of the blue. He probably easily could've come to me in his muscular form and told me he was extending a helping hand to a fellow Hero. Granted, I probably would've spat at the offer if he had, but no. He came to me in full honesty and asked me to help him whichever way I could to help prepare and educate the students of Yuuei, in order to help them become the Heroes our world is going to inevitably need when men like us can no longer keep fighting and protecting the people."
From here, Toshinori motioned for Tunguska to stop so he could say his own piece, stepping forward with a deeply thoughtful look in his sunken eyes. "It's true, Dave. Shortly after I left America in order to re-establish myself in Japan, Tunguska-san and I actually worked together a couple of times. And with all the different Heroes I've known and worked alongside over the years, I'm confident in saying that he's probably the closest thing there is to me in terms of power and presence. The fact is that those students need someone like Tunguska-san to be able to fill that role when I'm unable to be that for them, myself. The reason I wanted him here for when I showed you this, is because right now, you two are my closest allies, and I don't want the people closest to me to have any kind of discrepancy between each other in terms of what you all know about my situation."
Toshinoris' admission of all this was as heartfelt as both men could ever expect from a man as earnest as him. Thankfully to him and Oleg both, their respective explanations seemed to be enough to visibly calm David down some.
However, even as David and Toshinori began to speak much more calmly in regards to conducting some tests, Oleg couldn't help but hone in on the fact that not once in his colleagues' explanation, had he ever mentioned Izukus' role in everything, nor his inheriting One For All from the man. Was he supposed to take that as to mean David didn't actually know about the true nature of All Might's Quirk?
If that was the case, then did Toshinori even have any intention of filling him in on it while they were here? Either way, there was no earthly way Oleg was going to take it upon himself to tell the American scientist if Toshinori didn't want him to. Surely he had planned ahead enough to know when to finally tell David the entirety of the truth… surely.
In what had ultimately felt like little time at all, Melissa was able to show her three guests more of the island grounds than they ever would have expected to be able to, travelling on foot in a single day. As it turned out, virtually the entire island was refitted with attractions, activities and exhibitions for the I-Expo, and every single citizen was in on it, practically changing every street and building with decorations and advertisements and attractions from the ground up. Just from how the entirety of I-Island had looked from up in the air, the three Yuuei students were genuinely wondering if they would even be able to recognize this place by tomorrow.
Among the many things Melissa took the time to show them, at least from the outside, was the veritable city that made up the entirety of I-Island Academy, which actually formed one of the four mini-islands; the central island where the complex they had previously visited, as well as some more of the most mind-bogglingly tall mirror-like structures any of the three teens had ever laid eyes upon, were towering and gleaming against the sun; and a multitude of elaborate theme park-like attractions built across all the mini-islands, on top of multiple different structures that were apparently going to be for different technological showcases for every different Hero Agency and Support Company that was personally involved in getting the expo together. To put it all bluntly, everything their impromptu host had shown them thus far was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Along the way, she had also managed to tell them a bit more of just how I-Island as a city worked, primarily in that the one thing its inhabitants weren't technically allowed to do was travel outside its walls, as a means of protecting the confidentiality of the inventions made inside from ever risking falling into the hands of Villains.
And, of course, on the occasions Melissa could give them closer looks at what was to come, their mutual excitement naturally drifted towards the multitudes of different Pro Heroes in their elaborate and eye-catching costumes (some of which didn't even look remotely human) just walking the streets and expo grounds like it was just any other day, nearly all of them practically swarmed by their adoring public, with Izuku looking nearly ready to bolt over and try to introduce himself to them on more than one occasion, and Mina actually going the full mile and eagerly pulling her friends along for just that occasion, while Melissa could only watch the three together with genuine amusement and admiration for the clear-as-day tight-knit nature between them.
Of course, as nearly overwhelming as every single thing about this place and the palpable excitement in the air was for Nikolay, one thing he continuously found himself feeling every single time either Izuku or Mina pointed out a new Pro Hero coming just around this or that street corner or shop, was the unbearable curiosity of just how his father was going to fare, mingling and standing side-by-side with most if not all of these people tomorrow. Would any of them even have an inkling of an idea of just who he was? Would they know, and be happy to have him around; or would they be the kind to dig up the past that father and son were still trying to leave behind them? As excited as he was for tomorrow, there was no denying that the thought also left him considerably nervous, as well.
"You're looking a touch overwhelmed, Bez—I mean, Kolya-san. Do you perhaps need a minute? We have been going rather nonstop for a while." Melissa suddenly asked, stirring Nikolay back to reality as he realized he'd taken to staring at all the numerous Heroes around. Mina and Izuku were likewise looking back to their mutual friend with cheer and minor concern respectively.
"O-oh, no, I'm alright, don't worry. I've just never seen this many Pro Heroes in one place… well, ever. Are these really all invited guests, with sponsors and everything?" As he hurriedly caught up with his three companions, Melissa straightened her glasses with an expectant smile.
"Indeed, they are. I-Island has a lot of big Hero Agencies and Support Companies providing financial aid for the expo. It's going to be a great chance for entities from all over the globe to show what they have to offer, both in terms of Hero-based tech and Heroes in general. We pulled out all the stops for this event, and many of our supporters have responded in kind. It's going to be a true global event.
"The expo itself doesn't even officially start until tomorrow, but the organizers are actually putting together a reception party at the Central Tower tonight. All of those with official invites to the expo are going to be attending. It'll be a fantastic way for everyone to get to know each other better and perhaps build some stronger alliances between different companies and Hero agencies in the near future. Since you both came here with Uncle Might and Tunguska respectively, will you be attending as well, Deku-san, Kolya-san, Mina-san?"
Both Nikolay and Izuku looked completely floored at this sudden announcement, albeit for different reasons. Izuku looked only as though he were just now remembering something of grave importance ("Was that why All Might asked me to bring formal clothes?"), while Nikolay looked like he'd just been smacked right upside the head for the very first time. "What? Dad never once mentioned anything about a party! All I brought was my casual clothes and my costume; I don't have anything appropriate for something like that!"
Of course, Mina was exactly the opposite from her Russian best friend, as she looked nothing short of ecstatic at the prospect of going to a party, no matter what kind it was. She was practically squealing with eagerness as she hooked a trusty arm right over Nikolay's shoulders, pulling him in as her eyes were aglow with anticipation. "Oh my god, this weekend's gonna be even better than perfect, Kolya-kun! Two days of fun, making new friends, seeing the sights, and a party to ring it all in?! It's like a dream! I mean, I didn't exactly get an invite like you guys did, and my clothes aren't really big fancy party-appropriate, but who cares?! Don't you worry; I'll bet we can find a Quirked tailor somewhere to make us the perfect outfits! We'll be the talk of the whole thing by the time we get all done up, you'll see! Oh, this is gonna be SO COOL!"
However, in contrast to Mina's practically glowing positivity, Melissa looked the slightest bit troubled at the trios' display. "Well, yes, there is in fact a place you can go for the occasion… but I'm sorry, Mina-san. This party is specifically for those with official invites from the organizers. I'm afraid the invitations aren't actually extended to regular expo visitors."
The air went so still between the three, one could have literally heard a pin drop. Mina slowly retracted her arm from Nikolays' shoulder, the smile still on her face, but the glimmer gone from her eyes as Melissa's unfortunate news sank in. "Oh… yeah, I-I guess that does make sense. Sorry about that, Tunguska-sensei did say I tend to act without actually thinking; my bad."
However, while Mina was trying to apologize for her embarrassing display of childlike eagerness, Nikolay and Izuku, surprisingly, couldn't echo the same sentiment. "Isn't there anything that can be done about that, though, Melissa-san? I mean, we all came here together, to be fair, it's only right Ashido-san should be able to participate as well."
"Yeah, we came together because we thought we would get to share this entire weekend experience together. I realize the organizers have their rules and all, but this just doesn't feel right." Nikolay was quite firm in his belief and preference in how this should have played out, while at the same time hoping he wasn't coming across as especially rude or ungrateful. He could only hope he was following Izukus' outward example of simply trying to be understanding and calm, yet serious.
Suddenly, he felt the familiar warmth of Mina's hand on his shoulder, looking back to see the light had started coming back to her eyes already, as she was still smiling as eagerly as always. "It's okay, Kolya-kun, Midori-kun, you guys don't have to make such a big deal about it. I mean, Melissa-chan has a point. I bought my own ticket here while you guys got invited. As awesome as a party sounds right now, I don't wanna be rude by barging in uninvited and all. I mean, hey, if nothing else it'll give me a chance to get all nice and rested so we can do everything the expo has for us tomorrow! That's still gonna be tons of fun, no matter how you spin it! You guys should be able to have a night having fun and getting to know each other better, anyway, right?"
The fact that, despite having her initial hopes crushed, Mina had managed to bounce right back so thoroughly and suddenly, left Nikolay and Izuku alike looking nothing less than admirably at their classmate. For someone who clearly thrived on social interactions like she did, the fact she could keep her head up high with that confident and joyous smile on her face all the while, even in the face of being denied, was a testament to how clearly fit she already was, in spirit, to becoming a Hero one day.
Even Melissa couldn't help but look at the almost overwhelming pink ball of energy with an approving smile of her own. "That's quite a mature way of looking at it, Mina-san. I can see how you were able to get into a school like Yuuei now. Papa has always told me that real Heroes are determined by their attitude as much as by their power, and that the real ones always manage to take everything that's thrown their way, good and bad alike, and never stop smiling and holding onto hope, no matter what it's for. That's why he and Uncle Might were able to work together for as long as they did, and still get along as well as we saw."
Of course, for as deep as Melissa's commentary was, just the fact that she was essentially comparing Mina to All Might in any way, shape or form, left the pink young girl and her friends all mutually smiling in pride and amusement, respectively.
Clearly glad to see her companions' spirits lifted, Melissa chanced a momentary glance to another of the lamppost clocks nearby. "We still have a couple of hours before we would need to start preparing for the reception party, so why don't I show you all to one of the main attractions for the expo: the pavilion? It's where many of the tech developers for I-Island are going to be showcasing some of their latest inventions." To absolutely no surprise on her part, Izuku, Nikolay and Mina were practically alight with excitement for this, especially, and soon, the plucky new quartet was on the move once again.
Before too long, they had arrived, and Melissa extended her arms to show them the aforementioned pavilion: from the outside it looked no more assuming than virtually any convention hall. However, it was once they were inside, that their excitement turned into genuine awe.
The interior of the pavilion was dimly lit with numerous beams of dark blue light illuminating a multitude of elaborate glass displays, wherein lay almost countless fancy-looking gadgets, vehicles, apparel and other sorts of tools and indescribable new creations that the three found themselves struggling to find words for.
"Wow… it's like something straight out of a spy movie, isn't it, you guys? Man, I wish we could actually try some of these out, they look so cool!" Mina couldn't possibly hope to keep her excitable train of thought to herself as her eyes only seemed to grow that much wider and brighter with each new display she almost pressed her face against the glass of.
Nikolay was only barely able to restrain himself that much more from doing the same, as he continuously felt himself being compelled to try and take a photo of each new invention he set his eyes on, as if to dedicate them to memory so he could figure out which, if any, he would want on-hand the day they became available for Hero schools or the general Hero world to use.
Two displays of particular note to him and Mina were what looked like a metallic framework for hands and feet, with numerous small sensors built in at the joints. They didn't necessarily look so much like protective wear, but more like they were designed to be fit into the wearers' gloves or boots instead. The display placard read that these things were apparently designed to help measure, maintain and coordinate the exit points for differing levels of physical power from the wearer in the case of combat and evasion. Exchanging glances, Nikolay and Mina could both tell they were thinking the same thing: just how much simpler fighting and measuring the extents of their Quirks would be with these babies on hand.
Next to that, there was what almost looked like two small throwable objects; one that resembled a ball made out of the kind of foam material speakers typically had, and the other almost resembling a typical stun grenade. This time around, Izuku and Melissa both noticed what had gotten their two companions' attention. The bespectacled girl looked particularly intrigued by these ones.
"Oh, yes, these are some of the most recent inventions from the R&D branch of one of I-Island's bigger Support companies. They're a means of remotely-controlled long-distance dispersal attack; meaning that depending on the Quirk of the Hero using them, they could dispense a portion into these devices, throw them at a Villain, and with the push of a button, detonate them and hit their target with their original attack from a greater distance than their physical limitations would normally allow.
"For example, the foam-looking one is specifically designed for those with sound-based Quirks, like yours, Kolya-san. If you wanted, you could fire off a small burst of your kinetic energy into it, throw it either at a distant enemy, or plant it on the wall and put some distance between yourself and it, and when the chance would come, all you would have to do is press the coordinating button, and that very same kinetic burst would come out with the same measure of power as if you were firing it yourself.
"The canister-looking ones function much the same way for those with more physical dispensations as their Quirk, like yours, Mina-san. I know they're being crafted with numerous different materials to accommodate for multiple different elements. You could ultimately have a few made of a material that can withstand holding onto some of your stronger forms of acid without melting, and you could dispense it, again, with the push of a button and either incapacitate Villains or create a distraction or quick means of escape from a distance."
If it hadn't been for the fact that describing such inventions was clearly something Melissa was more than passionate about, Mina would have wanted to jokingly ask if she was trying to sell them these things, but for once decided to keep her jokes to herself, still simply just glad to be having the chance to see these cool new inventions essentially before anyone else. There was a surprising feeling of privilege that knowledge came with.
Of course, that simply paled in comparison to the overall feelings of gratitude the three students were feeling towards Melissa, not only for taking so much time out of her day to show them all this stuff when she no doubt could have easily asked someone else to do so, but also for going so far as to actually be offering her services in providing them with such tools as these if the time ever came for it. That was a kind of selflessness they simply didn't see every day. "If so much of this stuff was made by different companies and all, how do you know so much about them already, Melissa-chan?" Mina finally asked.
"Well, a lot of the inventions on display here are actually based on previous designs my Papa had patented over the years. Every single invention here helps Heroes around the world carry out their duties the best they possibly can, and he's ultimately helped make them all possible." Melissa admitted, once again leaving her three guests stunned. More and more, that man was being proven to be a complete and total genius.
In fact, Izukus' impression was so strong, he simply couldn't help but speak up: "I can't say I'm surprised that Support tech is something you're clearly very motivated by, Melissa-san. With all the innovations Professor Shield has contributed to the Hero Support world, you really must admire him, huh?" Izuku opened up, unable to hide his own admiration for her spirit, while their young host now looked quite thoughtfully to herself.
"It's true. I've admired him and his work, and how much it's helped people and Heroes alike, for as long as I can remember. I want to be able to contribute things just as useful and helpful, myself. That's why I've only ever wanted to be a scientist, just like him. I'm already in my third year at I-Island Academy, one of the biggest Support-based schools in the world. I know I need to study more if I ever want to be on the same level as Papa, but once I graduate, I'll finally be able to strike out on my own and make a name for myself in the field just like he did. I guess you could say it's a lot like how the three of you are studying under well-known Heroes in order to become the same kind of Heroes, yourselves."
As soon as Melissa had come to this realization, the Yuuei trio looked amongst each other, with looks of similar joyous realization reflected in Izuku and Mina's eyes, while Nikolay still looked to be much more contemplative. Finally, closing his fist with determination, Izuku broke the silence:
"You're right, Melissa-san. In the end, we're all simply trying to be like those we admire the most. For all my life, I've always idolized All Might, and wanted to become a great Hero, just like him. The fact I'm being given that chance… there isn't a single day I'm not only beyond grateful for it, but trying to push myself past my limit so that I can be able to hold that kind of title with confidence. He's been helping me along every step of the way, and I can't ever thank him enough for that, even though I know it hasn't been easy for either of us."
As Izuku was clearly starting to think back the more he spoke, Mina figured it was her chance to chime in her own two cents as well, inching in with that same beaming smile as she gave Nikolay a playful elbow to his arm. "Yeah, and I've wanted to be the kind of eye-catching and awesome Hero that helps people everywhere they go for as long as I can remember! I used to admire a lot of the ones you always saw on TV, but ever since we started at Yuuei, I've gotten to spend time with, train under and even work alongside so many other cool Heroes that don't get nearly that much attention, and they've all proven to be just as cool, if not even cooler, than the really famous ones! Just take Kolya-kun for example! If you knew just how much he's gone through, only to still get back up and keep trying to become a real Hero, you wouldn't even need another example to follow!"
Izuku was half expecting Nikolay to break out into another furiously blushing mess, as he typically did when Mina heaped tons of praise on his shoulders. However, instead, the Russian boy still looked especially contemplative, almost completely deaf to Mina's compliments, as he finally found his answer and raised his gaze to meet Melissa's.
"On one hand, you're absolutely right, Melissa-san. We are all simply trying to be like the people we admire. However, if that were all it was, my dad would be my answer to that. There was a time when I wanted to be just like him and nothing else. However, Mina's right; there has been a lot we've both gone through in order to end up here, more than we would have time to go over thoroughly, and more than I'm honestly comfortable sharing with you right now, no offense.
"The point is; looking back on that time has made me realize that, if you were to ask him, my dad would say that he doesn't want me to grow up to be the same kind of Hero as him. He would want me to become the kind of Hero that I myself want to be, something better. There are times when I'm not sure I even know what that really means…but that's why I want to keep sticking to this life path I've chosen, so I can hopefully one day find out exactly the kind of Hero I really want to be…and, in the end, I'm simply grateful, more than words can justifiably express, to have the irreplaceable friends I do, to help me stay that course when things have gotten tough…and no doubt will continue to be."
Nikolay had let himself get so wrapped up in his own head, trying to convey everything weighing on his chest, he felt immediately awash with embarrassment when he saw how deeply stricken Melissa, Izuku and Mina alike all looked once his out-of-nowhere speech had finally ended. Of course, once he started blushing, the smile immediately returned to their faces, especially as Mina once again pulled him in with a supportive arm around the shoulder. "You always manage to have such a way with words, don't you, Kolya-kun? If you weren't learning to be a Hero, I'll bet you'd make a great poet or public speaker if nothing else!"
Once she had finally decided to let the young Russian go free, his eyes met Melissa's, as she was clearly now thinking hard on something in kind as he had. "I've grown up around Pro Heroes virtually all my life, but none ever matched the kind of level of power, charisma and sheer presence that Uncle Might has. However, now that I've finally had the chance to meet Tunguska in person, after having heard about him third-hand for so long… he may not be on the same level, but he's definitely the one that's come closest so far in terms of presence and charisma.
"I'd never gotten to see pictures of him like Papa has, but he and Professor Kravchenko used to record their conversations after he'd graduated, that's how I came to learn so much about him while growing up. In pretty much every one, Professor Kravchenko called Tunguska the pinnacle of his Hero costume-designing work at least once, at least as far as in terms of being able to provide what he could to help a Hero be able to save as many people as he possibly could.
"Knowing what I've learned about what's happened to him, your country, and by extension, to you as well, Kolya-san, I can see why one would admire a Hero like Tunguska as much as Professor Kravchenko did… while on the other hand, I can understand why you would want to try and learn how to be a better kind of Hero in the end… perhaps the kind that Tunguska himself would admire. It's an admirable goal to reach for, if you don't mind my saying so."
Nikolay had not expected their host to suddenly be so forthcoming and gracious in saying such things to him practically out of nowhere, but that didn't leave him feeling any less emotional and grateful for such heartfelt words, all the same; especially when he could just tell from the supportive smiles and hands on the shoulders from Mina and Izuku, that they felt very much the same way as Melissa did. "Thank you, Melissa-san. Thank you, Midoriya-san, Mina… thank you all."
"You all look like you're having fun; especially you, Deku-kun." Out of nowhere was the unexpectedly blunt voice of Ochako Uraraka, snapping all four teens' attention like small animals in the wild, only for Mina, Nikolay and Izuku to visibly light up with pleasant surprise to see their ears hadn't been playing tricks on them.
"It's so good to see you guys! What are you all doing here?! Who's your… new friend?" Ochako finally greeted them with considerably more delight, momentarily pausing with a flinch in her smile when she looked in Melissa's direction. Only, she wasn't alone.
Rushing over to likewise greet their unexpected classmates and friends from across the pavilion, were Kyouka Jirou and Momo Yaoyorozu, who both looked almost as ecstatic as Ochako and Mina respectively did, as the pink girl swept Ochako into a full-on hug.
"Midoriya-san, Bezpalov-san, Ashido-san, it's such a nice surprise to see you all here. I honestly wasn't sure if we would see any faces from class all the way out here with summer break having started. You all looked like you were having fun." Momo admitted as she and Kyouka likewise expressed less animated reuniting greetings as Ochako and Mina had, while Nikolay and Izuku both greeted their classmates with surprised expressions of greetings, themselves.
"It's true, I couldn't help but overhear you all, so we pretty much had no choice but to confirm it was you guys." Kyouka likewise admitted, lifting her earphone jacks to emphasize her point, leaving both boys momentarily nervous at how easy it was for her to eavesdrop if she wanted.
"Yeah, and when I saw you all here from a distance, I could've sworn I was just seeing things, but it's so good to see you all again this soon after school got out! What are you all doing here?" Ochako once again asked as straightforwardly as her obvious excitement could possibly make her, just before Melissa politely cleared her throat in order to get everyones' attention.
"My apologies for interrupting. I take it these are some of your fellow classmates? Perhaps we can become better acquainted. I'm Melissa Shield; it's a pleasure to meet you all. I apologize for any kind of misunderstanding; I was simply showing Deku-san, Kolya-san and Mina-san around the I-Expo. You're all welcome to join us if you're their friends, as you seem to be."
Contrary to her momentary pause before, Ochako now nearly turned red in the face with embarrassment for having interrupted her three friends, who had clearly really been in the middle of something, but thankfully the blonde American girl was far from annoyed at the intrusion, as she, Ochako, Momo and Kyouka quickly proceeded to properly introduce themselves, and they could now all be on equally sociable footing again.
Remembering Ochako's recent question, Nikolay was now eager to step in and clear the air: "Well, my dad and I actually got invited to come here for the I-Expo tomorrow… well, my dad, specifically, because the Support company that helped make his prosthetics are offering to sponsor him while we're here."
Of course, with so many friendly faces around, Mina could hardly stay quiet, herself: "Yeah, and when Kolya-kun told me about it, there was no way I could just sit something that sounded this cool out, so I went and got my ticket first chance I got, and we all flew here together! I'm so happy you guys are here, this is gonna be the most awesome weekend starting the most awesome summer ever!"
Taking in the overall jovial atmosphere among all the reunited Yuuei students, Melissa began to step in, herself: "Yes, as a matter of fact, I actually was the one to extend the invitations to Uncle-!"
Just before she was able to mention All Might by name, Izuku suddenly perked up and hurriedly stepped in, motioning for Melissa to not say another word, much to her very visible confusion. "I'm sorry, Melissa-san, there are reasons I can't explain right now, but could you please not tell them that I came here with All Might? Tunguska-sensei, Bezpalov-san and Ashido-san only know because we essentially came here together."
Thankfully for both of them, the rest of Izukus' peers were still far too absorbed in catching up with one another to notice the sudden awkward series of events between them.
As a matter of fact, with the brief catch-up of recent events, Ochako was now looking even happier than before: "Wow, so Tunguska-sensei is here, too? I didn't think he would be apart from you guys if that were the case, coming to a whole new place and all."
Thankfully, Mina was far more than ready to keep chatting Ochakos' ear off, while Kyouka had taken that chance to approach Nikolay, a rather sly smirk on her face. "I have to admit, I was surprised seeing you like that a minute ago, Bezpalov-san. You and that Melissa girl were looking surprisingly chatty from a distance. Didn't think you'd come to become such a smooth talker with a veritable stranger this soon. I guess Mina-san must really be doing wonders for that anxiety of yours with girls, huh?"
Nikolay couldn't pick up anything but sarcastic teasing from the purple-haired girl at his side, but that didn't stop him from answering her in total honesty, still simply riding the wave of relief that seeing his classmates had put him on. "I guess, maybe you could say that. When I heard we were going to be meeting an American scientist, and that his daughter had ultimately invited us, I was nervous as hell. Better grades or not, I don't know if I'll ever be fully comfortable attempting a full ongoing conversation in English. But, her Japanese is surprisingly spot-on. That definitely made getting past the awkward part of the introductions a lot easier.
"Still, if I'm being honest, I do actually feel a measure confident with very basic two-or-three sentence conversations in English, after enough practice. I don't want to try and crowbar it into any conversations we could have here right now, but I definitely feel better about it than I did a couple weeks ago… and I know I have you and the music you've been providing us to thank for a lot of that, Kyouka-san. I know I've said it more than once before, but thank you again for all of that."
The whole group had taken to stepping out of the pavilion and back into the open air as they all carried on their conversations in this moment, and to find herself once again being given extensive gratitude from her Slavic classmate for a subject that ultimately had nothing to do with where they had started, had left Kyouka freezing up in place, trying to hide her now visibly blushing face under her purple bangs once again. 'Dammit, why does his train of thought have to keep going there, and right here in front of everyone? God, I knew I should've just stayed home instead!'
Unfortunately for Kyouka further still, Nikolay, Ochako and Mina, this time, had noticed just how red her cheeks were. It was only for the grace that Nikolay was ultimately clueless as to why, that she had managed to avoid dying of embarrassment on the spot when he spoke up once more: "Whoa, are you feeling okay, Kyouka-san? I get that this summer heat takes some getting used to. You want to maybe get out of the sun for a minute?" For lack of any better ideas, Kyouka hurriedly nodded her head; all the while silently praying that Mina, of all people, hadn't caught on to what was really going on with her already, like she had the aggravating ability to.
"Why don't we take a rest at that café we passed by on the way here? I'm sure some iced tea will do wonders for everyone with this change in climate." Momo suggested dutifully, and with a unanimous cheer of approval from Mina and Ochako (while Melissa could only giggle in amused agreement at their shared enthusiasm), the whole group was soon on their way, and within barely a couple minutes, soon found themselves relaxing in the shade of a quaint yet busy café, partaking in some especially delicious tea as they took in the all-around excitement in the air, and the deep blue, beautiful sky above.
"I'd never seen Kyouka-san have a reaction like that before. I mean, it'd been pretty warm before school even let out already, but why do you think it got to her like this now of all times?" Nikolay eventually asked Mina, sitting beside him as she took a pensive sip of iced coffee, looking knowingly at Kyouka at the next table over, while also pretending to look like she was actually trying to think about an answer. Of course, Kyouka avoided making eye contact with her like a curse.
"Honestly, maybe it's just the excitement of everybody all over the place. I'm sure that kind of thing can really overwhelm people used to being by themselves for fun. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you've managed to hold out so well for this long, Kolya-kun." Of course, Mina suddenly turning the attention back to the Russian at her side had him scratching the back of his head in his own lighthearted embarrassment, before she suddenly poked his shoulder to get his attention again. "But speaking of looking all weird, what about Midori-kun? Ever since Urara-chan, Yaomomo and Kyouka-chan found us, he's been looking like he just barely missed getting hit by a truck. What do you think that's about?"
Nikolay honestly couldn't tell if she was looking for a genuine answer on his part, or if she already had an idea in mind and was simply testing to see if he was on the same page as her. In the end, he wasn't about to start trying to figure out Mina Ashido's way of thinking, and decided to go the straightforward route: "Maybe the heat and humidity is starting to finally catch up with him, too. He's been maintaining a calm and relatively collected demeanor so far, maybe he just wore himself out."
However, his answer only brought a mischievous grin to Mina's face. "Maybe… or maybe he's just relieved Urara-chan didn't accuse him of putting the moves on Melissa-chan when she saw us all talking. I mean, we've all seen how she is around him ever since the year started. Plus, you must've noticed the look on her face when she first saw us with Melissa-chan earlier. If she got all jealous, seeing him with a totally strange new girl, I don't think either of us could blame her for feeling that way, right? She's already scary intense when going into a fight, could you imagine what she would be like if she got full-blown jealous?"
Thinking back on it now, Nikolay could completely understand that being Mina's automatic theory for their green-haired friend's immensely relieved expression, while the rest of them continued shooting the breeze together. Even if Ochako never said anything about it out loud, she was hardly the subtle type when it came to how much she already dearly valued her connection with Izuku this far into the school year.
In a way, it was practically a perfect mirror of how Nikolay and Mina themselves held their friendship with one another more dear than practically anything else. Neither of them had proven the slightest bit subtle about it with each other, and honestly, he wouldn't have wanted to change that if he had the chance. There was something truly satisfying and affirming in just how open Mina was in how much she treasured him as her friend, and how he, in his own way, felt the same for her.
Before his train of thought could take him much further, the sound of a glass being loudly slid across the table to his spot snapped him back to the present, right before a second one similarly slid right to Minas' spot, to her mutual surprise. "One pink lemonade and a White Russian-in-name-only! Don't pound them down all in one place!"
The familiar voice exclaiming this with sheer amusement nearly jolted Nikolay and Mina, as well as nearly the rest of their classmates, from their seats as they looked back, only to find the snarky grinning face of Denki Kaminari, dressed in a waiters' uniform of all things. However, before anyone could express their pleasant surprise and greetings to their blonde classmate: "Kaminari, what are you doing, throwing unordered drinks around?! That's ticket money you're throwing away!"
The piercing screech that could only ever come from Minoru Mineta cried out from across the café, and following the source, there indeed was the diminutive grape-haired boy in a similar uniform, struggling to carry a platter full of glasses over his head from table to table.
Once he was finished dispersing his latest round of orders, Minoru hurried over to the gathering of familiar faces, still scowling up at Denki, while everyone else was simply happy to see yet more familiar faces. "Wow, it's like everybody's coming here one after the other!"
"Are you kidding? When we heard about this I-Expo thing going on tomorrow, there was no way Mineta and I were gonna miss this! I mean, it's pretty much gonna be like the biggest party ever thrown! Besides, a chance to get a load of some of the sleek new gadgets that Pro Heroes are gonna get to use on Villains, before they even hit the market? That's about as close to feeling like a VIP as I think we're ever gonna get!"
"That's right, we get to see the expo on our breaks, and we get paid! It's the perfect setup! Gatherings like this means people coming from all over the world, and tons of people means tons of hotties coming to get a load of what the Hero world has in store, and heat up the town with their presence in return! Speaking of which, I see you guys managed to catch the attention of quite a looker already. You think you could introduce us?" Minoru chimed in to contrast with Denki's childlike eagerness, before setting his black eyes squarely on a momentarily unaware Melissa.
Thankfully, Denki was already quite aware of his classmate's wandering eyes, as well as Mina and Kyoukas' mutual disapproval of Minoru's already devious demeanor (even though Denki also found himself quite stricken with their pretty bespectacled extra, as well) as he firmly grabbed onto his tiny shoulder. "Anyway, they were looking for extra hands to help with working, so we just jumped right on it. We've been working here to scrounge up some expo ticket cash since then."
Already, Mina, Nikolay and Ochako couldn't help but start laughing in good-natured amusement at just how much of a cosmic alignment this reunion all around was starting to feel like. It genuinely felt more and more like their class as a whole was connected by an invisible string of fate.
"Kaminari-san, Mineta-san, what do you think you're doing, just standing around and talking?! If you're going to take the money, then work harder! You need to present yourselves as good, honest, hard workers, as representatives of Class 1-A and Yuuei Academy to the eyes of the global Hero community! Make haste and see to the rest of your waiting customers at once!" The strong, authoritative voice of Tenya Iida suddenly shouted from across the café, as Class 1-A's president rushed over the moment he saw his two classmates essentially doing nothing. Of course, once he and the rest of his classmates saw and recognized each other, much of that authoritative tension in his body language softened (so to speak), at least as soon as Denki and Minoru hurried away to avoid getting yelled at any further.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I wasn't expecting to see so many of you here, if I'm being perfectly honest. Oh, please forgive me, I'm Iida Tenya, president of Class 1-A at Yuuei Academy. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Tenya hurriedly greeted his classmates before just as quickly turning on a dime and formally introducing himself the moment he spotted Melissa among their numbers. Of course, his naturally rigid, nearly robotic way of moving and addressing others and himself couldn't help but make her giggle with genuine amusement once again. With each new face, these Yuuei students were proving more and more to her to be quite the fascinating and thoroughly amusing tight-knit bunch. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Iida-san. I'm Melissa Shield."
No longer able to keep all of his compounded surprise to himself from running into so many of their classmates consecutively, Izuku couldn't help but speak up: "What exactly brought you out here, Iida-san? I would've thought you'd still be preparing for when our forest trip gets announced."
Following his lead, Nikolay finally couldn't help but likewise ask: "In fact, what about all of you, Uraraka-san, Kyouka-san, Yaoyorozu-san? This seems like quite a ways for you all to go so suddenly after school ended."
Straightening himself further within his already rigid Hero suit, Tenya struck the same dutiful posture he always did when announcing what he practically considered his duty. "Yes, well, the entirety of the Iida Hero family recently received invitations to attend the first ever I-Expo tomorrow, in recognition for our generations of service in protecting the innocent and fighting against Villain-kind. However, with my brother still going through recovery, and my parents both being currently occupied with further commitments, I took it upon myself to attend as our sole representative, as well as representative for the collective potential and reputation of Class 1-A and Yuuei Academy, respectively."
From there, Momo sat herself up straight as she likewise gave her own answer: "My circumstances are at once similar yet markedly different, if I'm being honest. You see, my family's company and several of its subsidiaries have considerable investments in I-Island and the I-Expo altogether, and as such, we were formally invited as well. Unfortunately, my parents both had other business matters that required their immediate personal involvement, so I decided to attend as my family's representative, as well. It only felt right for me to attend, anyway; since one of our subsidiaries is the very same Support Company that provided the materials and schematics for Tunguska-sensei's prosthetics."
Momo stated this fact so casually, while everyone else momentarily began choking on their drinks in surprise. Nikolay was honestly having trouble processing the bottom line of it: in essence, Momo and her family were the ones sponsoring his father being here in the first place.
The ponytail-wearing young woman could see the look in many of her classmates' eyes, asking her to give further details. With another sip of tea, she went further: "You see, ever since this school year started, my parents have been staying rather attentive to the news when it comes to Hero activities in Japan. I suppose you could call it their way of displaying protectiveness over me, since I'm indirectly involved as of right now in such things as a Yuuei student.
"When the news of the Vukodlak incident and the Stain incident altogether began making the rounds, the knowledge that so many of my personal classmates had been involved with both, left them both quite shaken. Upon learning that one of my teachers had even suffered some extensive injuries as a result of trying to protect said students, they decided to extend a helping hand the way they thought they best could. The timing turned out to be rather fortunate, as it was supposedly around the same time Nezu-sensei approached them for the same purpose. Our company has provided multiple means of support to Yuuei over the years, after all.
Nikolay was still, frankly, floored with an overwhelming sensation of gratitude to Momo and her family, and the need to express it as such. "Forgive me, Yaoyorozu-san, I'm still trying to process all of this. I felt downright beholden to you for your help before the Final Exam… but now I feel even more so."
At this, Momo immediately brought her hands up to stop him going further, a rather awkward smile on her face as she likewise shook her head. "No, no, please, you need feel nor do any such thing, Bezpalov-san. I already told you and the others I was and still am happy to help you all whichever way I can. It's the same way with my parents. Tunguska-sensei and all the other teachers have been putting so much of themselves forward to help me and the rest of us become the best kind of Heroes we can possibly be. Extending their services to help your father recover from his injuries was simply the way they thought they could best express their gratitude for all of that."
Many of Momos' classmates were now looking at her with pure admiration in their eyes, even though Mina was once again quick to steer the same conversation back to Ochako and Kyouka: "What about you guys? Did you both get super lucky and get free tickets grocery shopping or listening to the radio?"
Ochako, of course, looked rather bashful, unsure whether or not to answer, while Kyouka was clearly debating with herself if it was appropriate for her to say anything. Eventually, though, Kyouka was the one to finally find the courage to answer: "Actually, Yaomomo had two extra invites, since her parents weren't able to come. She offered them to two of us, and even offered to buy plane and expo tickets and a hotel room for the rest. We decided to play rock-paper-scissors for the invites, and Uraraka-san and I ended up winning; so Tsuyu-san and Tooru-san decided to relax in our hotel room until the expo opens tomorrow, and we can all go together then."
The look of total surprise on Mina's face made it all too clear just what was now going through her head, thus Momo decided to interject with a slightly embarrassed smile: "I realize you never heard from me about this in the interim since school ended, and I apologize for that, Ashido-san. I was originally going to invite you alongside the rest of the girls. However, I had overheard from Kirishima-san that you had actually already purchased an expo ticket of your own back on Wednesday, and I didn't want to bother you over something you already had."
This fortunately seemed to put Mina back in good spirits, much to Momo and Ochako's delight, before the rosy-cheeked girl chimed in further: "As it turns out, there's actually a lot more of our classmates on the island as well, we ran into a lot of them on the plane ride over and after we disembarked. They all came of their own accord, so I can't say where they are exactly, but I thought you all would've liked to know, as well."
Of course, this put some truly happy smiles on everyone's faces, simply to know that even if they weren't all together now, in their own way, the whole class was thematically back together already. In fact, just seeing and sensing this truly festive and tight-knit air among all of these students, brought a deeply appreciative smile to Melissa's face, specifically. "I always heard that classes for Hero schools are naturally more bonded than in regular schools, but the comradery between just those of you I've had the pleasure of meeting already is something else entirely. I do hope I'll have the chance to meet the rest of your classmates at some point while you're all enjoying your time here. Since I've already volunteered the role of host to you thus far, I'd like you all to know I'd be more than happy to show you all around when the expo opens. I'm confident you'll all find it to be an unforgettable experience, especially getting to take it all in together."
Nikolay and Izuku both couldn't help but feel rather touched that simply watching their friends' examples was already leaving such a positive impression on their kindhearted host. Of course, Mina and Ochako were the most outwardly happy to hear Melissa say such things, already promising to take her along on anything and everything they wanted to try, come tomorrow.
BKOOOM!
The ground beneath everyone's feet only momentarily shook, but the echoing boom of a massive explosion perked everyone up to full attention, with Izuku instinctively shooting up from his seat, looking in the direction the momentary fireball in the distance was coming from. "Come on, we should check it out! It could be trouble!"
As soon as he even started giving instructions to his peers, Izuku was already bolting in the direction of the explosion, with Nikolay, Ochako and Mina almost immediately right on his tail, with everyone else quickly following suit, their pleasantries now replaced with a sense of total urgency.
Several more, less intense explosions continued tearing through the air as they went, helping them know exactly where to go. The crowds of onlooking civilians also likewise helped. However, once the students managed to make their way through the crowds to see what exactly was going on, it wasn't a miniature warzone they were met with, contrary to what all the explosions had them expecting.
No, instead they were now looking down upon a rather large miniature canyon/mountain/waterfall setup dug into a large portion of the park, wherein there was a multitude of robots set up all around. However, the most eye-catching bit wasn't the terrain or the robots, but the fact that they immediately spotted an unmistakable spiky-haired figure half-dressed in red practically jumping from robot to robot; a resounding smash and subsequent explosion pronouncing every move they made.
"Whoa, no way! Kirishima-san is here, too?!" Nikolay exclaimed in delighted surprise as soon as the last of the robots exploded into a thousand pieces, and the red-haired figure of Eijirou Kirishima came to a stop in the middle of the canyon, visibly heaving his shoulders as he tried to catch his breath. An electronic chime suddenly echoed from up above, drawing everyone's eyes to see a large electric scoreboard hanging over the canyon, with his name suddenly being projected upon it in the space labeled for eighth place, and a time of thirty-three seconds, just at the same time one of the peppy announcers on the ground level announced much the same.
"What on earth is this?" Izuku asked curiously as he took in the whole scene. Just as soon as Eijirou exited the scene, the destroyed robots were cleared and just as quickly replaced with new ones, and the next person to enter ended up being the unmistakable, yet far less pleasant, visage of Katsuki Bakugo, taking his place at the starting spot in the center.
"This is the Villain Attack, one of the many attractions we have set up for the expo. Anyone with a Quirk who wants to, is able to go in there and see how quickly they can clear the entire area of over twenty Villain robots. They're going to have a series of prizes ready to give to the participants that take some of the higher places on the scoreboard when the actual expo begins, but in the meantime, everyone is still welcome to try their luck at it."
Melissa's explanation was thorough yet concise, and definitely left more than a couple of the observing students with a desire to go down there and try their hand at it as well.
However, before anyone could even start to think about heading for wherever they had to sign up, the starting chime had already since rung, and almost just as quickly had rung to signify the end of the round. While everyone had been either watching Bakugo, or listening to Melissa, the hotheaded boy down below had already made quick work of his own array of targets thanks to his accuracy, reflexes and explosions, securing his name in the top slot on the scoreboard, earning first place at just fifteen seconds.
"Whoa, hey guys! How cool is this?! Didn't think I'd see you all here!" The cheer in Eijirou's voice as he hurriedly approached his classmates at the railing surrounding the attraction grounds was as unmistakable as the giddy smile on his face once he finally caught up to them, with Mina immediately meeting him with a hearty slap on his shoulder.
"Way to show those buckets of bolts what you're made of, Kiri! That was awesome! And to take 'em all out in less than a minute? When did you suddenly learn to get so fast, you!?" Of course Mina was ecstatic to see yet another old friendly face again, while Eijirou was simply looking quite proud of himself as well.
"Ah, I'm sure you'd probably wipe the floor with my time if you went in there with your crazy fast reflexes, Ashido. Me? I just kept thinking back to what we did to win the last test, and I've been trying to work on timing my Hardening, and where to activate it just right, that's all. I probably could've done it even faster if I'd had you firing me off at the start there, Kolya-san. Hey, if you and Midoriya-san are here, does that mean All Might and Tunguska-sensei are here, too? I'll bet they could both clear this whole thing in the blink of an eye! Wouldn't even be a challenge!"
Nikolay and Izuku exchanged a momentary glance, not at all surprised that seeing them here would set Eijirou into full fan-boy mode for their respective teachers. "Well, Sensei's rather busy right now meeting someone really important. Melissa-san here is that someone's daughter and our host, actually. She's been kind enough to show us around today." As soon as Izuku introduced the bespectacled girl, she was taken quite off guard by the eager handshake from Eijirou, before he realized his lack of tact and repeatedly bowed in apology for his over-the-top greetings.
Wanting to save his red-haired friend from any further awkwardness, Nikolay chimed in: "My dad actually got invited here as a sponsored guest for the company that helped build his prosthetics. According to Melissa-san, there actually haven't been that many instances of fully successful high-grade prosthetics in the Hero field, if any, so this is actually a really big deal for him to be the showcase for one of the first examples of that. In fact, it actually turns out Yaoyorozu-san's parents own that very company, so she's essentially sponsoring him. Can you believe that? A-anyway, once he finds out the details, I could tell you where he'll be for the expo tomorrow so you can check him out. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to see you and everyone else out here."
Eijirou was already looking downright ecstatic for the opportunity, but before he could start thanking his Russian friend, or say anything else to anyone for that matter, the festive air was broken by a resounding: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
The crowd of onlookers instinctively parted to get out of the way of a visibly irritated, if not outright fuming, Bakugo, as he had launched himself up to cling onto the guardrail in front of Nikolay and Izuku. However, much to Nikolays' lack of surprise, Bakugo practically ignored him in order to get right in a very nervous Izukus' face; veins practically popping out across his forehead. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing coming all the way out here, Deku?! What, was it not enough you had to be the one to pass that damn practical test for both of us; you have to come here to try and take my thunder in this dump, too? Don't start letting that shit go to your head, you damn nerd! You're not even close to my level, and you never will be, you got that?! You might have gotten to make me look bad back there, but not here! I'll bury you before I let that happen again!"
Izuku was barely even able to get a word in edgewise, before Bakugo suddenly turned his head on a swivel to shoot another contemptuous glare at the unfortunate Russian boy foolish enough to stand near him. "And why the hell are you even here, wasting space and everyone else's time?! You think just because you managed to beat a blind man and a has-been in a fight, that that suddenly makes you good enough to be here? That it somehow puts you anywhere close to my level? Hell, to Deku's, even?! Screw you! Until you can somehow prove you're nothing more than just some puffed up daddy's boy who can shoot a load of hot air out his hands, at least when he's not bawling his eyes out at the drop of a hat, then get the hell out of my face!"
Nikolay was honestly surprised that Bakugo hadn't gone the extra step by spitting in his face before Tenya had thankfully thrown himself in between the three boys, ordering Bakugo to stop. However, that didn't make the indignation and anger quickly building in Nikolays' chest any less potent as he, Mina and a sighing Izuku watched the blonde boy fling himself over the rail and make his exit, daring Izuku to even try and get his "pathetic little score" out of the challenge below. All the while, Melissa could only watch the recent interaction, just plain confused why the blonde boy had been so angry, to which Ochako could only say it was pretty much his default mood.
Clenching his fists, Nikolay couldn't keep quiet: "God… just once, it'd be nice to actually run into people from class and not have to deal with Bakugo and his constant bullshit. Why is he even here?"
While Mina simply had her cheeks puffed in frustration at their classmate's constant shitty attitude towards her friends, Eijirou just let out a sigh of regret for his conduct. "Right around the time school let out for the summer, I overheard Bakugo talking about how he actually got invited here; you know, for winning the Sports Festival and all. Anyway, I just decided to tag along with him when I found out. I mean, he said he'd kill me if I stuck too close to him or embarrassed him and all, but he didn't make much more fuss than that. The whole thing sounded like it could be a blast, anyway, so why not go, right? Plus, I figured I could probably be able to help keep him from causing or getting into any trouble as well… case in point, just now. If he'd started trying to throw hands, you best believe I'd be stepping in, don't worry about that."
Nikolay could only hope Eijirou would ultimately prove to be correct in that assumption, because he could already tell it was getting harder and harder to just ignore Bakugo's constant insults and disparagement, or at the very least just let it hit and then let it roll right off.
At that moment, Izuku suddenly straightened himself up and turned to Melissa. "Melissa-san… I think I'd like to give this Villain Attack thing a shot, too."
In practically no time at all, the whole display around the canyon setup had been repaired, with all the targets set up in different places than before, while Izuku stood at the ready in the center, silently taking in his surroundings with his green eyes darting to and fro while waiting for the starting bell to ring.
Before everyone's eyes, his green hair began to stand on end, and that unmistakable green spark began to emanate all over his body, as his fists began to glow. At the very moment the bell began to sound, Izuku practically disappeared from the starting spot, flying like a literal bullet as he ricocheted from boulder to cliff face, waterfall and back, using every robot across the canyon like a stepping stone, smashing them to pieces with every single turn he took, with those sparks and the accompanying glow making him resemble more a beam of pure light all the while.
The rest of his classmates couldn't even follow him all the way through before the final robot got obliterated with Izukus' final ricochet, punctuated with that sweet finishing bell, while the whole crowd of spectators cheered excitedly at his impressive display. It didn't even matter when his name shone up on the scoreboard directly under Bakugo, secured in second place at sixteen seconds completion time.
"Man, no matter how many times I see him do it, it never ceases to amaze me." Nikolay mused as Izuku tried to catch his breath while taking his leave. Ochako and Tenya were likewise enthusiastically cheering for their mutual friend, while Mina held onto the guardrail, bouncing excitedly at the same time. "I know, right?! Midori-kun looks so cool when he does that!"
All the while, Melissa was silently watching Izuku depart, while continuously replaying the events in her head, more than certain of exactly what it was she had just seen. She hadn't seen a speed and explosive power similar to that from anyone… but All Might. Why Izuku was displaying pretty much the exact same power, she couldn't begin to hazard a guess, but one thing she was certain of was that, somehow, the boy was actually restraining his power while in the field. That had to be the only explanation, when comparing this with the previous showcases she had seen of the Symbol of Peace exhibiting his own power at its fullest.
As soon as Izuku reunited with his classmates, he was practically being crowded by all of them, showering him with all their praise for another impressive showcase of his Quirk; all while Bakugo kept his distance, once again visibly fuming as he overheard his rival receiving all the unwarranted praise he knew in his gut that nerd didn't deserve, especially for only getting second place. It was simply the fact that his position in first place hadn't been broken, that was the only reason he hadn't flown into a full-blown violent rage the moment Izuku had shown his face again. If anything, he was simply that much more determined to go right back in and prove he was the better between them.
Suddenly, the chime and announcement they had come to recognize as the notification for a new participant sounded, and as everyone instinctively returned their attention to see who it was, nearly all of the 1-A students felt their hair stand on end with yet further surprise at the sight of an all-too familiar head of half-white-half-red hair standing in the starting area, waiting for the next round of robots to take their places.
At the start of the chime, Shoto Todoroki knelt down and proceeded to unleash a colossal torrent of pure ice that consumed nearly half the stage in a glacier.
The round was over about as quickly as it had started, as the finishing bell rang. The rest of his classmates watching from above couldn't help but exclaim with excitement when the scoreboard actually placed his name right in the first place slot, smacking Bakugo down to second, while Shoto now sat at the top with a finishing time of fourteen seconds.
Nikolay, Izuku and the rest had half a mind to rush over to the entrance point to the arena to congratulate Shoto on his out-of-nowhere win, but before they could, a deafening explosion erupted behind their backs, as Bakugo had launched himself right back into the arena, solely to get in Shotos' face; while the boy in question simply looked at him and acknowledged him with that same air of complete indifference to his presence.
"HALF-AND-HALF BASTARD! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA, APPEARING HERE SO SUDDENLY TO MAKE EVERYONE THINK YOU'RE SO AWESOME, YOU BASTARD!?"
However, even as he was getting screamed at point-blank, Shotos' attention seemed to just go right past Bakugo and to the spectator classmates above. "Oh, Midoriya-san and the others are here, too?"
"HEY, DON'T YOU FREAKIN' IGNORE ME! Why the hell are you even here, anyway, when you don't give a shit about anything like this, huh?!"
In comparison to Bakugo's bloodcurdling screaming, Shotos' total calm was like the patience of a saint as he spoke up as nonchalantly as ever: "The organizers for this expo wanted my father to attend as a special guest. Of course, he had no interest in being here, so I decided to come as his representative, instead. You're of course welcome to do better to gain your top spot back if you so desire, Bakugo."
From where Nikolay stood, Bakugo almost looked like he was legit foaming at the mouth with animalistic rage. Before he could say anything, though, Nikolay was stirred from his focus when Mina eagerly grabbed onto one of his sleeves, gently shaking him so he could see the eager glimmer in her eyes. "Hey, hey, Kolya-kun, why don't you get in there and give it a shot yourself? Don't you wanna put all your tricks to the test and show Bakugo what you can really do? I know you could totally kick ass in there!"
Nikolay appreciated Mina's encouragement (immediately followed by Eijirou, Ochako and Izukus' as well) enough as it was, but the idea of actually proving himself in front of Bakugo's eyes for once, and having a chance to finally make him eat those poisonous words of his, was ultimately too good for him to pass up. And so, with the supportive calls of his friends and classmates, Nikolay eagerly made his way for the sign-up spot to give the Villain Attack a run for himself.
Time passed like nothing at all as the chime and peppy announcement for his involvement sounded, and Nikolay stepped out into the canyon/waterfall setup, already watching as one robot after another began to take its matching place all around him. Of course, the whole area looked much bigger from inside than it did from up at the guard rails, but that didn't matter. He just needed to see where the best place to send himself first was, figure out a course, and several alternatives just in case, and then follow through. For all intents and purposes, this was the moment of truth. That was exactly what went through his head as he straightened his mariner's cap and set his goggles over his eyes in preparation.
His hands hovered over the handles to the two tuning forks hanging at his sides, and as soon as the starting bell pierced the air, Nikolay opened his eyes, fired himself in a forward jump by his feet, and immediately proceeded to kick his right foot forward so the sole of his boot would meet the face of the robot directly in front of him. The moment just before impact, he fired off through that one foot, channeling that huge dose of kinetic energy point-blank through the robot's chassis, shattering it apart from the inside, while the kickback ricocheted Nikolay back the way he came, directly for another robot perched directly atop a small rock spire.
The encouraging cheers of the crowd and his classmates didn't even register, as his mind was solely focused on one step at a time. As he flew, he kicked himself off the second robot, this time by his left foot, repeating the process of shattering this one with another ricochet kick, and this time he proceeded to draw out the two tuning forks from the sheaths at his hips, focusing his gaze on three consecutive robots sitting atop three different perches on different rock formations and the top of the waterfall ahead.
Never breaking his course or momentum, Nikolay proceeded to channel a large dose through both his arms and into the tuning forks in his hands, following through by swinging one after the other at the two robots to his sides. The impact against the first to his right resonated with an especially powerful ringing of metal against metal that echoed through the whole canyon arena, as all that stored up energy tore through the robot like it was nothing. The momentary resistance sent Nikolay spinning to his right like a human top, miraculously managing to not break his trajectory, before he extended his left arm and likewise brought his left hand weapon against the robot to his left, destroying it in the exact same manner.
Once again, the impact now had Nikolay spinning to his left the exact same way, and just as his body was about to collide with the robot upon the waterfall ahead, he proceeded to swing both his tuning forks at once in a single arc, bringing two full doses of newly stored kinetic energy straight into its side, practically reducing it to nuts and bolts on impact, as the Russian boy's momentum came to nearly a complete stop as he hung in the air for that moment.
However, it was far from over, as he already had his eyes focused on the next set of robots lined up along the water below. As he still had that split second of air time, he proceeded to swing his body's mass to his left, firing through his hands one after the other, throwing the tuning forks with the added force to their momentum, essentially making them like spinning blades of pure destruction, as they not only slammed and channeled their stored up energy into the first robots in the lines, but actually proceeded to ricochet off one robot after another, destroying each one in rapid succession until they were all reduced to scrap.
With already more than half the twenty robots destroyed, Nikolay proceeded to kick himself upwards again from a nearby rock protruding from the face of the waterfall underfoot, and from there proceeded to break into a nearly perfect mid-air run for the next set lining the other canyon walls on the other side, before breaking his mid-air sprint with another forward launch, this time using the distance between them as a chance to aim and fire all the smaller tuning forks from the pouches along the chest of his chakha by hand, stabbing them all directly into the faces or torsos of each robot like makeshift kunai, destroying them one after the other.
With all the robots now lining that opposite wall taken out, Nikolay looked down to see there were only three more now evenly spaced apart on the ground below for him to deal with. They were spaced enough so that he couldn't hope to take them out with that same ricochet kick move from the start. But there was something he could still do.
Rolling his body forward so his feet were now facing the opposing wall, Nikolay fired off from his feet with enough power to bring his mid-air momentum to a complete stop, leaving him momentarily hanging in mid-air, perfectly spaced between all three robots.
With a momentary glance down to the ground, he was relieved to see it was made up more of dirt and rocks, rather than pure solid stone. That would make this next and hopefully final move of his that much more feasible.
As gravity finally came to take him back down, Nikolay proceeded to turn his body, palms facing the ground, as he mentally counted down to the perfect moment to do what he was about to do.
At just two seconds before impact, he proceeded to fire two full doses of his energy through both his hands, producing a resonating shockwave that nearly shook the entire arena to the point even the crowd could feel it beneath their feet. However, as he felt the solid earth once again meet his knees, Nikolay knew that wasn't the finisher he was looking for. No, that was what the multitude of rocks that had been kicked up into the air from that massive shockwave were for.
Thinking back to his miraculous last ditch move that had won him and his team their practical test win before, Nikolay proceeded to follow through by bringing his hands up so they were extended fully to his sides, and from there, he proceeded to throw his whole body weight into a spin on his knees, as he proceeded to fire another quickly collected full blast from his hands, propelling all those momentarily suspended rocks like a multitude of bullets from the sheer force rippling through the air, tearing through the armored chassis of the three remaining robots like tissue paper, before they all simultaneously fell to the ground and exploded on impact. The adrenaline rushing though his veins as he finally came to a stop nearly caused Nikolay to completely miss the sound of the finishing bell and congratulatory finishing announcement, quickly followed by the cheers of the crowd, and the especially ecstatic cheers from his friends and classmates.
Getting back to his feet, Nikolay couldn't resist the opportunity to see how well he did, and what he saw nearly made his heart jump into his throat:
He had actually managed to bump Bakugo down to third place, as his name now sat comfortably between Bakugo and Shoto in second place, at just fourteen-and-a-half seconds.
Nikolay was still trying to comprehend it, even after he had been given back his tuning forks and had made his way out of the arena and back to his friends. Even when Mina and Eijirou were both practically lifting him up off the ground in their respective cheer, and Izuku, Shoto, Tenya, Kyouka, Ochako and Momo were likewise extending their congratulations, he still wasn't entirely here, still just trying to process the fact he had managed to do so well.
No, what did bring Nikolay back was the bloodcurdling sound of Bakugo straight-up roaring like a bloodthirsty animal; his face nearly blood red, and his red eyes twitching manically, as he practically fired himself right for the Russian boy like a human cannonball, his hands clearly at the ready to blast him to smithereens. "YOU LITTLE COMMIE PIECE OF SHIT! HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME LOOK BAD JUST CAUSE YOUR ASS GOT LUCKY?! I'LL TEACH YOU TO RESPECT YOUR BETTERS! DIE!"
It was once again only through the speedy intervention of Tenya rushing in and hooking his arms over Bakugo's neck and his right arm, that Nikolay didn't get a fistful of explosives right to his face at that very moment. Even then, he wasn't sure if he felt entirely safe, as Bakugo was actively struggling against his class president's considerable grip. "That's enough, Bakugo-san! Remember where we are! Attacking a fellow classmate simply for scoring better is no way for a student of Yuuei to conduct himself! Your behavior is leaving a bad impression of our class in the eyes of who-knows-how-many people! Please, calm yourself!"
Bakugo was still hyperventilating through his grinding teeth, even as he brought his attacking arms down, and his extremely aggressive posture very slowly began to ease up. After what felt like an eternity of feeling those red eyes shooting nothing but homicidal hatred right at him, Nikolay felt like he'd been saved by the very grace of heaven itself, as Bakugo finally let out a very frustrated groan, too angry to even meet his eyes anymore. "Fine… whatever! I'm going back in there and getting my top spot back! Consider this the last bit of luck you're ever gonna get, cause if you ever make me look bad again… you're a dead man."
Even after Bakugo's back was turned as he stormed off to run his way through the challenge again, Nikolay could somehow STILL feel those eyes burning with hatred, staring him down through the back of the fuming boy's head. He didn't even know he had actually started trembling, until he got nudged out of the depths of his own fear by Mina, who took that chance to point it out herself, much to his detriment.
All the while, Izuku was just awash with relief that Tenya had somehow managed to talk Bakugo down from straight-up cleaning Nikolays' clock, at the very least. He knew all too well what it was like to be on the receiving end of that kind of anger from his old childhood friend. He honestly wouldn't wish such a fate on his own worst enemy, if asked. He was definitely going to have to keep a more watchful eye on Bakugo from now on, just to make sure he didn't actually try to obliterate his Russian classmate the next time he roused his ire; he knew that much for certain.
As he turned back, already prepared to apologize to Melissa for that less-than-pleasant display from one of his own classmates, he was instead met with a nearly glowing expression of impression and admiration from her towards all his classmates. "Your friends are quite the fascinating collective of talents and minds, Deku-san. I can only imagine what regular classes and Hero training is like with them around. I suppose it's just as to be expected from a bunch of future Heroes."
Looking back to all his friends, Izuku could feel a similar glow of admiration quickly growing inside as well. "Yeah, they really are. Yes, some of them have considerable obstacles they're trying to overcome, but no matter what kind of challenges get thrown our way, we always end up helping each other find a way to succeed. I already feel lucky enough having All Might as my teacher… but at the same time, I feel just as lucky to be able to learn how to become a great Hero with friends like them at my side. We're all lucky to have each other, when you think about it."
Over the next twenty minutes from there, the rest of the observant 1-A students one-by-one decided to give the Villain Attack attraction a run of their own. By the time it was over, students like Tenya, Momo and Mina managed to end up securing their own places within the top eight ranks on the scoreboard, thanks to Minas' slide and reflexes, Momos' on-the-spot ingenuity in what to create and when, and Tenyas' sheer speed, which ultimately earned him the number one ranking over everyone else, to Bakugo's further enragement.
At the same time, students like Ochako and Kyouka still managed to pass, but with their Quirks not exactly working in terms of speed, they ended up securing their own places within the top fifteen.
All the while, as Nikolay and Izuku watched their classmates and friends give their all one after the other, neither of them ever noticed how Melissa had momentarily sequestered herself from the rest of the crowd, focusing instead on speaking to an undisclosed other person on her phone, out of sight of the others.
Elsewhere, Undisclosed
From their arrival to I-Island to their scoping out of the numbers of people filing out of the airport, to their observation of the entirety of the island's interior layout, to their exit from the airport to the pre-determined meeting place, this mysterious group of unidentified men were like a well-tuned machine in their coordination with one another. Every step of their purpose in being here was to be perfectly timed if they were to succeed. They all knew this, and they all knew the scarred man that had been named their undisputed leader in this covert mission would be able to help their mission succeed as long as they followed his orders to the letter.
And so far, this had proven true, as just as he had said it would, at this time, their long-awaited delivery had finally come, the tools with which they would see their mission through. Even if they had to neutralize a couple ill-timed security guards along the way, everything else was going as smoothly as it could be.
The leader stood in silent watch as his men sifted through the few crates that had been slipped into this inconspicuous cargo bay within I-Island's walls. His employer had told him and his men to come to this spot in order to gear up, and he had come through, just like the leader knew he would.
His men were all as professional as could be as they suited up in their protective gear, and armed themselves with an assortment of assault rifles, now resembling more an official covert army, at least until slipping back into their assorted civilian clothes, in order to not stand out between here and their real destination. Considering the potential resistance they would be put up against once their plan went into full swing, they couldn't afford to be anything less.
BZZZT
Suddenly, the cellphone in the leader's pocket began to hum, and he was immediately on his game as he answered, watching his men all the while. "Yes, everything is proceeding smoothly here. I received the goods as planned. It's just like you said, the shipping crews didn't even think twice, it got through security just like you said it would. My men and I are all geared up and ready. We had to take down a couple security guards, but it wasn't anything permanent, nothing that'll draw unnecessary attention. Everyone knows their jobs, where they need to be and what they need to do, even if something somehow goes awry. I have no reason to think it will, though.
"What? All Might? He must've slipped under our radar back at the airport; I would've recognized him in any crowd. What do you mean there's someone else we need to look out for? Why would All Might have anyone else with him, it's not like he'd really need any of that kind of help. Tunguska? Seriously? No, I've definitely heard of him, more than once, in fact. I'd heard some of the rumors of him suddenly resurfacing in Japan over the last few months, but I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not. So, All Might really did bring him back to light. Don't panic. We'll deal with it. With this hardware you've managed to secure for us, I know we can handle even a couple of Heroes like them with little trouble."
Click
As he proceeded to watch his men finish loading up on their gear, he couldn't help but simply muse to himself quietly: "So, All Might and Tunguska are both here, two Number One Heroes in one place. Never thought I'd get the chance to see them both with my own eyes. Very interesting."
Central Tower
"Does this machine usually take this long to get the kind of readings you're looking for, Mr. Shield?" Oleg asked with a twinge of impatience clear in his tone. For what felt like so much longer than it actually had been, he and David Shield had taken to running Toshinori through a complex scanning apparatus that looked more like a human-sized test tube. The currently scrawny blonde man had been laying there motionless with a number of wires and a breathing apparatus taped all across his body, while the computers attached to the whole thing kept running different scans up and down him time and time again.
"I've been fine tuning this machine for the last few years, ever since All Might had first told me of his injury. He hadn't elaborated on how bad it had gotten over those last few years, so I didn't think we would be looking at him in a state such as this. Other than the last time I ran him through it around when he first got injured, I've only ever tested it a couple of other times on similar Heroes who volunteered as test subjects to gauge its accuracy. As a scientist, one can never truly say an invention has been truly perfected… but I have to believe this can give us the closest thing to it for All Mights' sake. Once I understand exactly what we're looking at, I can figure out the next best course of action to take."
As though that explanation were the magic touch, the computers suddenly began to emanate a noise, indicating all the scans on Toshinoris' body had been completed. The man himself remained motionless even as the suspending liquid he'd been submerged in drained away, while David and Oleg alike felt increasingly nervous at just what the results were going to be. Oleg couldn't pretend to understand half the technical jargon David had already proven quite prone to spouting off over the last near hour they had spent running these kinds of tests on Toshinori, but he did know that his friend and colleagues' condition was only getting worse, and having a solid idea of how bad it was would be affirming, in its own strange way.
Once David finally pulled up the results onto his computer, Oleg could swear he saw the color practically drain from his face at what he saw. "What is going on, Toshi? Why are your Quirk numbers going down so dramatically?!"
For a moment, Toshinori said nothing. However, David was far from patient, as he shot up from his chair. "Even if you were seriously injured during your fight with All For One, to suddenly get these kind of numbers is too unusual to be ignored! What in the world happened to your body?!"
David never noticed this, but by his saying so, Oleg's expression lit up with realization. So his previous suspicion had proven true, after all: David really didn't know the truth, let alone the whole story, of One For All. It was more than surprising, considering the mans' old position of being All Might's very first sidekick, according to Izuku. However, he knew Toshinori had to have had a good reason to keep that a secret from someone in a position so inherent of a Heroes' full trust and confidence.
As Toshinori slowly got up from the medical bed, however, it was clear he wasn't sure how to answer his old sidekick's most pressing question, and that only seemed to hurt David that much more. "If you're a Hero for a long time, your body's going to fall apart, any veteran knows this."
At this, the middle-aged American sounded as though he were fighting tooth and nail to not start getting choked up as he gripped his hand into a frustrated fist. "At this rate, the Symbol of Peace will be lost forever. Thanks to you, the crime rate in Japan had fallen and been maintained to a mere 6%. Nearly every other country has crime rates above 20% The only exception to that is Russia, and that's only because of the events of the Siberian Flash.
"There were so many times over the years that I wished you had just stayed in America." The grim finality with which David said this left the lab feeling especially cold. However, Toshinori proceeded to get back onto his feet, a contemplative look in his sunken eyes once again. "There's no need to be so pessimistic, Dave. After all, there are plenty of capable Pro Heroes out there, and plenty of brilliant and courageous people to support Heroes, like you. And besides, for the time being, I'm still able to be All Might for a couple hours every day."
Toshinori said this with as much reassurance and confidence as he could muster, but alas, David still looked completely unconvinced. "But… it's possible that another Villain like All For One will appear again somewhere. When the day eventually comes that you can't use your Quirk as the Symbol of Peace anymore… it could embolden such a Villain to rise up and bring Japan into absolute chaos once again. After all, it had once happened before, so long ago before you came along."
Toshinori suddenly spoke up with surprising resoluteness, snapping his old friend and Oleg to attention, as the frail-looking man tried to embody the same kind of confidence he did in his form as All Might. "I have to disagree, Dave… because contrary to what your machines and test results will tell you… the fact is that the Symbol of Peace is still alive and well, and will continue to be so, even when the day comes that I finally lose my Quirk completely."
Looking between Toshinori and Oleg, another look of silent realization momentarily reflected in David's eyes. "Toshi… is this part of the reason why you actually managed to track down Tunguska and drag him back into the public eye again? Was that some way of trying to find a Hero who could at least partially fill the gap your absence will leave behind, to try and keep hope alive in the people?"
Truth be told, neither Toshinori nor Oleg could blame David for having that be his first guess with this information. After all, Oleg had thought the same thing more than a couple of times over the last nine months since he and All Might had reunited. However, he couldn't simply just stand by and be silent while Toshinori was visibly struggling to find a way to help his American friend understand as much of the truth of this ugly matter as he needed to.
"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Mr. Shield, but I think perhaps I can help clear the air on this matter. I told you before that All Might came to me because he needed my help and expertise in the Pro Hero field to help educate and prepare the students of Yuuei for their careers as Heroes. That story is still true. However, there was actually more to it than that.
"You see, he also approached me, because as one of the few Heroes to even come close to his level of power, he wanted my assistance in helping him prepare the next Symbol of Peace, whomever that may end up being, in being ready for the responsibilities they would end up inheriting once they took up that mantle.
"We all know that every generation of new Heroes has the potential to give birth to the next Symbol of Peace that can inspire hope in people the world over, and it's our responsibility to try and help find the next Hero worthy of such responsibility, and make sure they know exactly what they may have to do when things get tough, even to the point that it may seem all hope is gone.
"Admittedly, there's no way for any of us to know who the next Symbol of Peace could end up being. It could be any one of the kids we're teaching at Yuuei right now, or it could be a starry-eyed youth with a good heart on the other side of the world, there's no way to know for sure. However, All Might and I have both agreed that we're not going to let the finite time he has left with his Quirk weigh us down with despair for what the future holds, because the Symbol of Peace is ultimately a symbol for the future mankind has the potential to achieve. As long as either one of us has anything to say about it, even when All Might is no more, there will always be a Symbol of Peace ready to take his place and ensure that the world and its people are in good hands and being protected. I don't expect you to trust me the same way you do All Might, Mr. Shield. I wouldn't dare to assume so much. But you can believe that sentiment: the Symbol of Peace will never truly die."
Oleg was simply too caught up in the building emotions within his own impromptu speech to realize what a clear impression he had just made, as Toshinori looked up to his colleague, visibly impressed with the power he put into those words and his sheer presence. At the same time, David, who at one moment had looked nearly forlorn, now actually looked genuinely moved as he look at this towering Russian man, with practically a miniature sun now shining bright behind his head, as though he were actually seeing All Might as he was back in those olden days so, so long ago.
The thought of that, in particular, couldn't help but pry out a wistful chuckle from the scientist, as he leaned himself against the wall, clearly emotionally exhausted. "For all those years after I graduated… Professor Kravchenko and I… especially during the days when Toshi and I worked together, and in the years after he went back to Japan, he would always compare you two, saying that you were essentially like two sides of the same coin, in terms of power, presence, and especially in charisma. I never dared ask him anything about one of you simply copying the other. He only ever said just how insanely similar you two were to each other. As much as I respected the man, I just couldn't see it. But now, having actually seen you in the flesh and having actually listened to you… I can finally see it. No wonder Toshi actually came to you, of all people, for help in all of this."
Oleg and Toshinori once again exchanged surprised glances, but this time it was in the most pleasant sense. It was good to know that, just like that, Oleg and David had managed to establish that much more of an understanding between themselves.
Near the Pavilion
Everything the kids had gotten up to since reuniting, while having not taken up the entirety of the day, certainly left many of them feeling as though they had, as when they ultimately regrouped at the same café as before, many of them truthfully felt exhausted from simply having gotten to have as much fun together as they already had.
Of course, their exhaustion was far more pleasant compared to the kind they could all clearly see Denki and Minoru were going through, clearly having been worked to the bone in the interim since last they'd seen their two working classmates.
As soon as Nikolay was about to extend a helping hand by offering to buy the two something to refresh themselves and get their energy back, a wayward glance and the sound of a tiny electric chime drew his attention away, just in time for him and several of the others to see Melissa had just received a message on her cellphone; and whatever it was had to be something big, given how especially happy she looked now. Of course, Izuku couldn't help but be the first to ask: "Is something going on, Melissa-san?"
The blonde young woman's smile only seemed to grow that much brighter with sheer pleasantness as she continually turned her attention as she spoke so she could grant each of her guests and their friends the respect of full eye contact. "Yes, something I believe you'll all find just as wonderful. I know what I had said before, about the rules of the reception party being strictly for those guests to the island with official invitations only. The rules have been quite resolute in that. However, having gotten to meet and get to know as many of you as I have today, and especially seeing just how close you all are with each other already, it simply doesn't seem right that you should be forced apart under such circumstances. My Papa and I are quite closely connected with a good number of the organizers for the I-Expo, so I had decided to take the liberty of asking if they could perhaps see if they had a few extra invitations for the party tonight they could send to the rest of you that hadn't officially been invited already as official guests; namely Mina-san, Kirishima-san, and your two hard-working friends there… er, Kaminari-san and Mineta-san."
The moment Melissa had gotten to her point, Denki and Minoru alike nearly dropped the assortments of dishes and silverware in their hands as they nearly sprinted to the table their friends had all seated themselves around, looking as desperate and pleading as two men dying of thirst in the desert. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WE'RE SERIOUSLY INVITED?! NO JOKING?!"
Of course, for as overly animated as the two boys were, much to Melissa's off-put amusement, Mina's reaction was especially powerful, as instead of the typical jumping, dancing and cheering she was so well-known for, the pink young girl was actually trying with all her willpower to avoid breaking into overjoyed tears, with Nikolay actually looking like he was on the verge of doing the same, simply dumbstruck that their host would go this far for all of them after having only really known her for half a day at most.
"Thank you… thank you so, so much, Melissa-chan! You're the best! I don't know how, but I swear I'm going to make this up to you, and that's a promise!" Mina finally choked out through her joyful sobs, while Melissa could only giggle at how much this kind gesture had really resonated with her.
In fact, while Denki and Minoru had likewise just broken down into immensely grateful bawling ("OUR HARD WORK HAS FINALLY BEEN REWARDED!"), the rest of the 1-A students looked no less grateful for this opportunity being extended to all their friends from nowhere but the goodness of their hosts' heart.
Of course, with it having all but been confirmed of just what their plans for the night were going to be, Tenya once again took his place of authority as he began adjusting his wristwatch. "Right, I believe we're all clear on the events for the evening, so I recommend all of Class 1-A with the proper invitations report to their respective rooms to freshen up and prepare their formal attire. I understand there are going to be a fair number of Pro Heroes in attendance, so we must all do our best to avoid embarrassing Yuuei in the eyes of genuine Pros! The address for the reception party will be at the Central Tower, so let us all meet up in Lobby 7 at 6:30PM sharp. I shall take the liberty of contacting Todoroki-san, Kirishima-san and Bakugo-san. Class 1-A, dismissed!"
Even when faced with the prospect of something as fun as a party, their class president still kept himself moving so robotically, but that was hardly what anyone else was thinking about, even as he took off at full throttle. They were all now simply preoccupied with the worries of getting formal party attire together and getting themselves ready in time to actually meet Tenyas' imposed deadline.
Just like that, everyone began to depart from the café to see to their own respective personal preparations, to which Melissa was thankfully kind enough to inform them that, with her having reached out to the organizers before, they would all expect to have their official party invitations already waiting for them in their respective hotel rooms.
However, as Izuku began to leave, Melissa suddenly reached out to stop him in his tracks: "I apologize, Deku-san, but would you perhaps mind joining me somewhere first? There's something quite important I'd like to discuss with you while we still have time." Completely caught off guard that this girl was asking to speak to him alone, Izukus' whole freckled face nearly turned a wide-eyed deep red, but he was eventually able to stutter out a barely comprehensible "O-of c-course."
Satisfied with that answer at the very least, Melissa then turned her attention just in time to find Nikolay and Mina about to take their own leave. "Oh, could you please wait, Kolya-san, Mina-san?"
The Russian boy and pink girl stopped right in their tracks; the latter looking especially excited to hear what else their new friend and host could possibly have to give them after everything else she'd done for them today.
"I remember what you had both said before, about not having any proper attire for something so formal as this party tonight, so while I had reached out to the organizers earlier, I also took the liberty of contacting the proprietor of one of the best tailors on I-Island, very much fitting the description you had given earlier, in fact, Mina-san. Since you're both official guests of the I-Expo and the Shield family, they've guaranteed neither of you will be charged tonight for anything. The address will have already been sent to both your phones by now."
Needless to say, Nikolay and Mina once more found themselves at a loss for words, only able to once again express their mutual gratitude for Melissa's kindness and hospitality as straightforwardly as they could, with her smiling with gratitude of her own all the while, before reminding the two they had best get moving if they wanted to be on time.
So, of course, Nikolay and Mina were soon on the move, following the directions provided on their phones. Along the way, Mina was practically over the moon, skipping, prancing and leaping with joy every step of the way. "Melissa-chan is a bona fide angel; I'm calling it right now, Kolya-kun! Here I was, certain we wouldn't get to go together, and then she just comes in and blindsides us with the most awesome gift ever! This is gonna be a night to remember for the rest of our lives, I just know it!"
While not nearly as animated, Nikolay was likewise bright-eyed and smiling from ear to ear at just how miraculously everything had actually managed to turn out. "I can't wait, Mina. I mean, today has been a ton of fun already, but this just feels right, like the perfect way to end it. I mean, I've never actually been to a formal party like this before, let alone any party that would be considered official. Have you?"
Mina was still halfway with her head in the clouds as she twirled on the heels of her boots, grinning with anticipation all the same. "Nothing as fancy as Melissa-chan is making it sound, but who cares? A party is a party all the same, we go to have fun! And what could ultimately be more fun than getting to chat, play and dance with your best friends in the whole world? It doesn't even matter if they won't be doing my kind of dancing; it's all as much fun as could possibly be if you just approach it right, if you ask me! Don't worry, Kolya-kun, if you want, I'd be more than happy to try and guide you along with it."
Mina was still in too much of a state of pure happiness-induced euphoria to notice that the suggestion of the two of them dancing together on a much more intimate level than their experience at the arcade weeks ago, had left Nikolay nearly coming to a crawl as his fair face nearly started glowing red with fluster. However, the realization that they had already reached the tailor shop Melissa had directed them to, stopped him from turning into a stuttering mess, as he and Mina eagerly made their way inside.
Central Tower
With the afternoons' worth of tests having finally run their course, and still needing to prepare himself for the time he would need to spend in the public eye at tonight's events, Toshinori wasted no time changing back into his towering muscular form of All Might the moment David had finally confirmed they had done all they could to properly diagnose where his condition currently stood.
"Thank you for everything you've done for us today, Dave. It pains me we weren't able to meet again under more entirely pleasant circumstances. I know Tunguska-san and I still need to prepare for tonight. Hopefully I'll catch you both at the party and we can spend our remaining time together much more pleasantly." However, while it was clear to All Might and Oleg that it still deeply pained his American friend to know just what little time the Symbol of Peace ultimately had left, there was actually a glimmer of hope evident behind his glasses.
"Yeah. Hey, Toshi…?" Just as All Might had begun to make his exit, David had called back, stopping him with complete curiosity. "What's up?"
However, for a few lingering moments, David said nothing. With the sun to his back, it was hard for either of the Heroes before him to see, but there was a great deal of conflict burning within those blue eyes behind his glasses. "… it's nothing. See you at the party."
With that, All Might proceeded to take his leave, with Oleg following closely behind. "Wait. Tunguska, I apologize, but… would you mind staying for just a minute?" The Sun of Justice stopped dead in his tracks, exchanging a genuinely confused glance with All Might, before ultimately giving his friend an assuring nod to keep going and they would indeed reunite later. With that, All Might finally left, and the large Russian Hero awkwardly stepped back into the lab.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to derail everything we had been talking about by bringing this up, but I just can't help but know. You see, I've known Toshi virtually his entire Hero career, at least for as long as he had become a well-known figure in the Hero world. I know he got his initial start in Japan, but it wasn't until he came to America that he really started to make a quickly growing name for himself, showing up at my university as an exchange student. That was nearly twenty-five years ago, and nearly a handful of years later, that was when he decided he needed to go back to Japan, and that's where he officially came to start being referred to as the Symbol of Peace. So I just have to ask… how on earth do you two know each other?"
The sigh Oleg gave as he sat back down to think was filled with pure nostalgia, his blue eyes looking past the wall of the lab and out to an unseen horizon, going back so long ago. "Well, judging by your time table, the first time All Might and I actually met and worked together would've been about twenty years ago, so right around the time you say he left America. I was… I had been dealing with a lot at that time; my own sidekick at that time had turned into a Villain… and I had just lost my father. I was still recovering from all of that, when we started getting all this news about a series of coordinated public terrorist attacks occurring in certain areas along the eastern coast of the Russian landmass, as well as along the western coast of the Japanese islands.
"At first, nobody knew why, so our governments decided to put All Might and I together as a team to find out what was going on. I won't lie to you, Mr. Shield; at first, I didn't like the man one bit. To me, he seemed to exude the boisterousness and ego of pretty much every American that I had been brought up to expect. Thought he could do anything and everything without any help. Pure arrogance, let's put it simply. However, as we worked our way further and further towards resolving these incidents, I came to realize that All Might was working not towards furthering his own fame, but because he genuinely wanted to save as many people as possible, just like I did. It wasn't about putting one country and its ideals over another, it was simply about protecting and saving people, just like it always should be when it comes to Heroes.
"In the end, what had started out as distaste and resentment between us turned into what I could confidently call a much greater respect for one another. All Might has never stricken me as someone who can express his feelings of another person subtly, so that's why I feel safe in saying the feeling was quite mutual from him. Anyway, we had ultimately come to learn these terrorist attacks were actually an elaborate scheme from two teams of Villains from both our countries, working together to try and initiate a war between the Soviet Union and Japan. Once that had become clear, we made short work of the lot and had them all sent to prison. That's the short and sweet version of the first time we ever worked together."
Listening to this brief yet thorough story, David couldn't help but chuckle in remembrance to himself. "Yes, you're certainly not wrong; for better or worse, Toshi has always worn his heart on his sleeve when it comes to who he considers his friends and who he doesn't. I just… I never heard a word about this after he had left. At least, not to the extent you have. The closest thing I can recall had only ever said he had stopped a group of Villains terrorizing several cities on Japans' western coast.
Another wistful sigh from Oleg. "That's no surprise. Even if there was no Cold War this time around, the Union still liked its privacy and keeping its secrets. I can easily envision the men in charge of the press wanting the people to think I'd solved our portion of that whole issue entirely on my own. Well, that's all long since come and gone. No use dwelling on something so long ago that ultimately makes no difference."
From there, Oleg proceeded to think back further, this time with a much more pleasant nostalgic smile forming under his thick beard. "The second time we worked together would've been just before Kolya, my son, was born. All Might had extended a hand to invite me over to Japan to serve as a guest lecturer at nearly all of Japans' Hero schools. That was a surprisingly lax time in Russia in terms of the crime rate, so I felt much more comfortable going. I had my comrades in the New Bogatyrs to keep an eye on things, anyway. It was a nice experience, seeing an entirely different country outside of the bloc, and to stand before so many future Heroes and try to impart my knowledge and experience unto them was more than a little gratifying.
"Of course, the whole time I spent there wasn't entirely without incident. We had a couple of times where some Villains tried to stir up trouble at a few of the cities we had gone to, but we were able to make quick work of them together through and through. I suppose that's the one and only way any people in Japan recently have actually been able to recognize me by look and name alike. I guess some people back then decided to dedicate me to memory along with the rest of that countries' Heroes, even if I had ultimately only gone into action less than a handful of times. Oh well, I suppose I should be grateful that even what little I ultimately did in the grand scheme of things left some kind of an impression on somebody."
Both men soon found themselves in a considerably uncomfortable silence, as Oleg now found his reminiscence starting to go where it inevitably always did when thinking of the past. "Barely more than two years after that was when the Siberian Flash had happened. By then, I'd actually come to consider All Might a friend. So, with that in mind, the fact that I never heard from him again either before or after that incident, until just this last November… that hurt particularly bad. I know that was definitely a large part of why I was less than receptive to him when he first showed his face at my home, even if I didn't recognize him at first, in the state you've just seen him in. And yet, despite the fact I was making it no secret that there were some very hard feelings on my part… he still went out of his way to offer my son and I a chance at a new life, a better life, where we wouldn't have to spend the rest of our lives constantly looking over our shoulders, keeping our Quirks hidden, and simply counting down the years until death. Even after all those years, All Might hadn't changed. He was still doing everything in his power to save people… and that's exactly what he did for us in the end… and I know I'll never be able to thank him enough for that, most of all for my boy's sake. What we had before he showed himself to me again… that was no way for my son to live."
It was clear that Oleg was quickly approaching the verge of emotional tears thinking back on it, so David was quick to offer the man some water to recollect himself. As soon as he'd pounded it back, Oleg looked thankfully much more collected. "Spasibo, Mr. Shield. So, since you asked, now I have to know: how exactly did you and All Might first meet if you were his very first sidekick?"
This time it was David's turn to look totally nostalgic as he chuckled with remembrance of days long since past. "Believe it or not, I was actually still in the middle of studying to become a major scientist in the Heroics Support field at the time. One day, an experiment had gone wrong in one of the labs, resulting in a large explosion, with myself and several other people trapped in the ensuing blaze. It would've taken too long for the firefighters to get there in time to save us. And then, out of nowhere, this big guy with protruding blonde hair and the biggest muscles I'd seen yet on a person, just comes in out of nowhere, rushes into the fire… and actually manages to save every single one of us at once.
"The confidence he radiated, the bravery he showed by just rushing into those flames without any hesitation… and the way his smile just inspired hope at even a moment's glance… I just had to know who this man was… and that was ultimately how Toshi and I came to become friends, and not too long after, crime-fighting partners. Even if all I could really do was design the overall look and mechanics of all his Hero costumes, and drive us to the scene of danger when need be, he never once made me feel like I was ever less than him. Given the attitudes of a considerable number of Pro Heroes at that time, especially in America, that was a very pleasant change of pace for a lot of us who specialized in the Support department.
"In the end, it was just a really fulfilling feeling, knowing that despite our differences in ability, we were ultimately working toward the exact same goal, and ultimately shared the same dream: to become a Symbol of Peace to inspire hope in the world. I think that, more than anything else, is what's bonded us together so strongly, even now after all these years."
The fact David didn't carry on from there helped Oleg understand this was about as much reminiscing as the man was willing to put himself through for now, especially after having seen the Hero he respected more than anyone else, reduced to such a comparatively pitiful state just minutes before. So, realizing there was nothing more between them that just needed to be let out into the open, at least for now, Oleg and David finally got up from their seats, the large Russian Hero once again making his way for the exit. "Thank you for sharing your stories with me, Tunguska. It's… it's always nice to know just what my old friend had gotten up to after we'd been forced to part ways."
Oleg's returning smile was as genuine as could be as he looked back to his and All Might's humble host: "Thank you as well, Mr. Shield. Hopefully we'll both see you at this party tonight. I think we all deserve to be able to pass the time together on more pleasant terms, wouldn't you agree?"
The tired yet thoughtful smile on David's face answered the Russians' question without anything actually needing to be said, and with that, Oleg finally took his leave, ready to finally settle into his hotel room in preparation for this curious little party tonight, never once aware of the glimmer of uncertainty that once more flashed across David's face once he was alone.
The experience Nikolay had just gone through at the tailor shop had been interesting, to say the least. Apparently, the way it had been set up, was that guests simply drew out their concept for their outfits on a series of touch screens once the tailor himself had taken in their measurements at but a glance, and from there, they apparently proceeded to make any such outfits from scratch to later be sent directly to the customers themselves, no matter where they were settled within I-Island.
And that latter claim had especially proven to be true, as in the less than an hour after he and Mina had gone through that very process of drawing up their desired outfits (in privacy from one another, as Mina didn't want to spoil the surprise for either of them), Nikolay had finally found the hotel they were to be staying at, found the room he and his father were to be sharing, and had finally finished freshening himself up in the shower, looking himself over nervously, unsure if he was really going to be ready and, more importantly, be able to look proper for this party, having been so initially unprepared.
Of course, he didn't have long to dwell on it once he stepped out of the bathroom, only to find both Oleg sitting in wait in a chair at the window overlooking the city below, and a wide white box sitting at the foot of the boys' bed. [[You must've found quite the tailor to be able to have this all made up and waiting just outside our door in such little time, Kolya. Good thing I showed up when I did. Otherwise, someone easily could've snatched it away for themselves, and you'd be quite out of luck.]]
Oleg was already in the process of getting up and heading into the bathroom to freshen himself up, likewise, while Nikolay couldn't help but chuckle sarcastically. [[Well, maybe if you'd told me beforehand that there was some kind of big, formal party we were expected to go to, I would've tried to get a formal outfit together before we'd gotten on the plane. At least Mr. Shields' daughter was kind enough to call the tailor ahead of Mina and I so they knew to expect us. We didn't even have to pay for anything. I just hope this fits… both physically, and stylistically.]]
[[Well, go ahead and try it on and let me have a look once I'm all done in here.]] With that, Oleg proceeded to shut the door to grant him and his son alike the privacy they needed, as Nikolay opened up the box and let out a deep, shaky sigh as he saw the formal ensemble lying neatly folded inside, just waiting to be worn. [[By the way, Kolya, did you know that malenkie Asui, Hagakure, Jirou, Uraraka and Yaoyorozu are not only here, but are actually staying in the room right next to ours? Do you think that would fall under the category of cosmic coincidences?]]
[[Yes, I'm almost certain it would. We actually ran into them earlier. Kirishima-san, Bakugo, Iida-san, Kaminari-san and Mineta-san are here, too. They're all actually going to be at the party. Melissa went and got the rest of us official invites, in fact. That's why Mina went to the tailor with me, in fact.]] Nikolay could only keep his answers as straightforward as possible as he tried to squeeze his way into each piece of his new outfit, and straightening it all up to look as neat on himself as possible.
Meanwhile, Oleg didn't answer initially, still processing how wonderful it felt to know that so many of his students were actually here, and as such, how many of his son's friends were here to help make his time on I-Island even that much more unforgettable. He could scarcely imagine how this weekend could turn out much better for the boy out there.
After several minutes of this, the shower had finally stopped running, and after a handful of minutes more, the door creaked upon, and as Oleg's towering form stepped out in order to grab his bags to change into a formal attire of his own, he came to a complete stop as soon as his eyes fell upon his son, standing in front of the only mirror in their hotel room, looking himself over from head to toe in uncertainty. [[Kolya… turn around and let me see.]]
With a deep, steadying breath through his nose, Nikolay nervously turned around and let his father look over the formal attire he had drawn up for himself:
From the bottom up, a pair of sleekly shined black leather ballroom shoes, with a matching pair of form-fitting black pants, and upon his person, a finely sewn and pressed white uniform-like shirt with red cuffs, red folds buttoned upon the shoulders and a red collar, all adorned with golden trims and buttons, and the chest had a single thin red line extending from the center of the collar to Nikolays' right, before going straight down, resembling a single large flap, lined with two rows of large golden buttons keeping it firmly closed.
From an outsider's perspective, anyone would've considered this suit of Nikolays' to be formal, if not fancy at the very least. However, to Oleg, he understood exactly what he was looking at better than anyone, and he couldn't help but feel so proud of just how well his son wore it. [[An Imperial Horse Guard Cavalry ceremonial uniform.]]
Of course, while Oleg looked simply stricken with it, Nikolay couldn't help but lower his gaze nervously. However, Oleg, immediately seeing this, placed an assuring hand atop his son's head, forcing him to look him in the eye. [[Don't worry about what I or anyone else out there could possibly think of how you look, Kolya. All that matters right now is how you feel you look in it. In my eyes, you've never looked more grown up than you do right now. I know your friends will no doubt feel the same once they've seen you tonight.]]
Nikolays' smile of self-pride was practically glowing to hear his father voice his approval so thoroughly; a sight that could never fail to make his father smile in kind. He simply couldn't wait to hear what the rest of Nikolays' friends would have to say once they saw him dressed so regally. And so, it was with that in mind, that the man finally grabbed his own large suitcase, and began to retreat into the bathroom once more. [[Once I'm all finished in here, we can finally get going. I have no doubt your friends already have a time and meeting place all set up for all of you. Breathe deep and be happy, Kolya. I have all the confidence that tonight will be one for us all to remember for the rest of our lives.]]
With those parting words, Oleg ducked back inside and shut the door again, while Nikolay once more looked himself in his new snow white-and-red attire with a whole new air of confidence in himself. He could only imagine how everyone else was going to look, and most importantly, just how this night and party was ultimately going to go for all of them. All things considered, he simply couldn't wait. His first day on I-Island was shaping up to end on the most literally perfect note he could imagine… or he could at least hope it was.
And there's the new chapter for the week, and the first part of my attempt at adapting My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. For those of you unfamiliar with the movie, not only do you not have to worry about my having glossed or skipped anything plot crucial, but you can also rest assured that next weeks' chapter will have much more action in store for you all.
If you liked what you read here or think that I'm doing well at portraying this specific material, please be kind enough to take the time to leave a review letting me know what you thought.
All of you stay safe, have a nice week (hopefully free from wildfires and breathing in tons of resultant smoke), and I will see you all with the next chapter on 08/28!