My Hero Academia: Son of Justice

by Jayme F. Midorikawa

The son of the disgraced former greatest Hero of The Soviet Union is extended a chance at a new life by the Symbol of Peace, All Might. After having lived so long resenting Heroes and Villains, and being scared to death of his own Quirk, will he be able to step forward and become the Hero he once dreamed of, and will he be able to find new purpose through friendship, or even love?

47. Hideout Raid Arc Part 1 - Team Up

Hello again, everyone. Well, we had quite the wild ride during this story's take on the Forest Training Camp Arc, and now it's time to commence the buildup of another monumental paradigm shift in this take on the Hideout Raid Arc. As much as I have a blast writing up my own original action scenes or my spins on established fight scenes, it's the chapters in between that I feel really allow me to really work on growing the inter-personal dynamics and relationships between the characters, so there's a very distinct sense of accomplishment I feel when writing chapters like last weeks' in particular, or even this one. Hopefully you can all get the same kind of dramatic fulfillment that I do when you read these particular chapters.

I would like to give another grateful shout-out to all of you for continuing to stick with my story through the highs and lows, and I can only hope you'll all continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I would also like to once more thank my two beta-readers, Mizu and Jonny, for always being there to help steer me straight when I find a potential plan in the story that needs a second opinion. you two are indescribably 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 direct result of their existence in this universe.

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

Chapter 47

Team Up

(Объединиться)

"So, we get the tracking thingy from Yaomomo…and then we follow it…" Mina had started running through her understanding of the frankly insane plan that Eijirou and Shoto had expressed to the entirety of Class 1-A, not in case anyone was actually having trouble following, but simply because she couldn't stand the intense silence that had fallen over every single one of them over the last minute.

Everyone was noticeably very tense and uncertain in the face about what they could possibly say right now, not just to the idea of actually going after the Villains that had just attacked and nearly killed some of them, in order to rescue Bakugo, but also to the sentimental reasoning Nikolay had just expressed to them after having just been extended the offer to join by Eijirou and Shoto themselves, right along with Izuku.

Everyone agreed that this plan was insane, reckless and stupid all rolled into one, and the purely responsible thing, like Tenya had said, would be to simply return to their homes and let the Pro Heroes and the police handle the rescuing. However, there was no denying that Nikolays' words had also struck a very fine but resonating chord within them all.

That Nikolay had said, with no trepidation no less, that he could live perfectly contented not actually becoming a Pro Hero, but at least knowing he had done one truly good Heroic deed on his way out, was both insane to consider, but at the same time incredibly poignant. He was right; ultimately, a Heroes' true duty was to act in a situation when people needed help, and Bakugo was the perfect example of that right now.

Sure, there were many who were already about to make the argument that such sentiment was befitting of no more than a vigilante, and they were no less criminals than actual Villains were. But the conviction with which he had expressed his thoughts and reasons for going along with rescuing Bakugo kept anyone from throwing it right back in his face like that.

Nikolay himself didn't expect everyone to change their minds because of him. Hell, he was already pretty much prepared to have everyone call him irrational or careless for saying such a thing. The prolonged silence, and Mina actually going over the plan itself, was frankly a very pleasant surprise. However, even for what that was worth, he could tell by the looks in some of his classmates' eyes that they weren't taking well to his train of thought.

"So…do you really, truly mean to go and rescue Bakugo-san yourselves?" Tenya suddenly asked, and with his rigid posture but surprisingly restrained tone, it was impossible to tell exactly what was now going through his head. Heedless of that, neither Eijirou nor Shoto backed down, and with his own conviction let out in the open, neither did Nikolay; standing as tall and sure as he could upon his crutches.

"Even though the Villains marked us as murder targets, they snatched Bakugo away without killing him. They may let him live, but I honestly can't be sure that they won't kill him at any given point, depending on what he says or does. I don't think any of us can. That's why Kirishima, Bezpalov and I will go." Shotos' explanation of this was perfectly sound, and if nothing else, served to justify their taking action this way all the more. However, that was what Nikolay was thinking, listening to Shoto speak, before Tenya took a sudden aggressive breath through his teeth, and verbally exploded once more:

"STOP MESSING AROUND; ALL OF YOU! YOU ALL ARE GETTING COMPLETELY CARRIED AWAY! CAN ANY ONE OF US EVEN PARTIALLY BE CONVINCED THAT BEZPALOV-SANS' REASONING, WHILE ADMIRABLE IN CONCEPT, ISN'T UTTERLY IMPRACTICAL AT BEST?! SUCH AN EXTREME DECISION WAS CLEARLY MADE BEFORE OUT OF THE EMOTION AND HEAT OF THE MOMENT, THAT'S A GIVEN, BUT NOW THERE'S ACTUALLY TIME AND ROOM TO BREATHE AND THINK THINGS THROUGH!"

Nikolay couldn't even bring himself to feel insulted or angry that Tenya was seemingly trying to discredit his heartfelt sentiments for going, but before the infuriated class president could go any further, Mezo suddenly stepped in, barring Tenya with his one arm that wasn't currently still in a sling. "Hold on. Please, calm down, Iida-san."

Thankfully, the masked students' intervention managed to slow Tenya down a touch, as Mezos' barely visible eyes looked off into an unseen distance, a very thoughtful glimmer in them for all his classmates to see. "Kirishima-sans' frustration at not being able to do anything…Todoroki-sans' frustration of Bakugo-san getting snatched right before his eyes…and Bezpalov-sans' guilt and desire to try and make it right…I know how it feels, too. But, this is not a decision one should make based solely on how they feel."

Nikolay, Shoto and Eijirou all felt a distinct drop in the overall mood in the room, as Mezo had effectively added his name in Tenyas' side of the argument, and they could all practically feel the emotional tide around them shifting.

"We should leave this to All Might-sensei, Tunguska-sensei and the police. After all, they rescinded our combat authorizations, too. Sadly, we've already done all we can." Yuga stated, a regretful tremble in both his body and voice as he likewise sided with Tenya and Mezo.

"I agree with Aoyama-san…although, I know I'm not really in a position to speak, having been saved over and over." Fumikage likewise explained, keeping his voice as low as ever, and his answer as blunt as could be.

Nikolay and his two allies could still feel their stomachs twist further with the realization of just how many more of their classmates were actually siding against helping them, as soon Mashirao, Rikido, Hanta, Minoru, Kouji and even Denki and Ochako all went on to voice virtually the same sentiment; the last two hitting Nikolay especially hard after having actually fought alongside them as many times as he had.

All the while, Mina was still keeping her head slightly bowed in regretful contemplation, pushing her index fingers together as she often did when trying to think of her own answer to an incredibly difficult situation. She hated to see the faint but unmistakable looks of disappointment on her three friends' faces, but she also couldn't begin to say everyone else's reasons for saying no weren't very understandable. Hell, if it weren't for the distinct possibility of her further making a scene in front of everyone, she would've still been actively trying to talk them all out of it herself.

In fact, it was for that very same reasoning that Nikolay had to restrain the urge to try and appeal to everyone to reconsider. If he were to try, he knew deep down he would've only been adding onto Tenyas' case of him, Eijirou and Shoto going off recklessly with no actual thought.

Not long after Denki and Ochako had voiced their own doubts in the plan, Tsuyu was the last one to step forward, a very thoughtful and concerned look on her normally unreadable face, even as she had her thinking finger perched at her lip again. "I know we're all still in shock from Bakugos' kidnapping. However, let's be level-headed about this. No matter how just your feelings may be, if you engage in battle…if you all break the rules like that, then your actions are ultimately no different from those of the Villains."

Nikolay wasn't about to dare guessing what Eijirou, Shoto or even Izuku were thinking to hear their frog-like classmate and friend say such a thing, especially in the wake of what they had just gone through and suffered as a result, but Nikolay felt like she had just stabbed a dagger of ice and betrayal straight into his heart. How could she possibly be able to equate their wanting to actually save their own classmate to being anything like the monsters that took him to begin with, let alone so easily, from the lack of hesitation in her words?

At the same time as this, even Mina could feel a twisting pain in her heart at those words, too, and she still had found herself at a decisive impasse. Yes, as far as the rules of their society were concerned, then the four boys going off like this and breaking the rules was still breaking the law, and ultimately would make them no different, but there had to be some way of getting around that when considering their shared reasons for doing it. Was the society they knew really that immediately judgmental? Poor Mina and the rest of her classmates couldn't even begin to think of an answer to that. Right now, they were all still reeling from all their pain, least of all physical. Was this instance really going to end up tearing their class apart at the seams, and destroy so many of the bonds of friendship they had built together already up to this point? In its own way, for Mina and so many others, that idea was even more painful than the physical injuries they had all endured.

Knock, knock

A sudden wrapping at the door snapped every single student to attention, only to find a rather meek, middle-aged doctor leaning into the doorway. "I'm very sorry to interrupt your kids' conversations, but it's time for Midoriya-kun and Bezpalov-kuns' checkups. Guess it's a good thing you're both already gathered in here, then."

The realization of their mutual intrusion spurred many of the students to awkwardly bid their momentary goodbyes as they filed out, doubtless to check in on Kyouka and Tooru while they were still up here, but more clearly to try and diffuse the awful tension that this class-wide argument had left in the air.

As Nikolay did what the doctor suggested and sat himself down at Izukus' bedside, he was suddenly yet briefly approached by Mina. "Don't worry, Kolya-kun, I'll be waiting for you out in the hall once you're all finished up in here. Promise." With that and a nod of understanding from the young Russian, she hurriedly made her exit, with Tenya almost robotically trudging along behind her, as though his anger was actively trying to stop him from taking every step forward he did.

As the doctor momentarily took his leave to get his supplies, it was now only Izuku, Nikolay and Eijirou left in the room, as the red-headed boy looked both his friends in the eye with nothing but intent. "Look, Todoroki-san and I, we talked to Yaoyorozu-san yesterday, after All Might and Tunguska-sensei had left. If we are going, it's gotta be fast. I'm talking about tonight, fast. Midoriya-san, with your injuries, I don't know if you're gonna be able to move, but I'm inviting you because…I think you're probably the most frustrated out of all of us. And Kolya-san, given how much blood you'd lost on top of the wounds you already got before, I don't know what your stamina would be like if things got rough, but if you truly do feel like you have any kind of responsibility for what happened that you need to right, I don't want to deny you that opportunity. I'm not forcing either of you to come with us if you really don't want to…but the invitation is still there all the same."

Eijirous' parting words resonated deep within the hearts of Nikolay and Izuku, knowing that was the bottom line as to where their place in this potential mission now stood, until they would both make their final decision. That kind of realization carried an especially heavy weight upon both their shoulders.

"Tonight…we'll be waiting in front of the hospital. If either one of you comes out to meet us then…that'll let me know what decision you've made." That was the last thing Eijirou said to his two injured friends as he finally turned around to take his leave, just as Tenya had suddenly started moving again, having momentarily stopped as his red-haired classmate had spoken.

With just the two of them now to keep each other company in the wake of this revelation of a plan, neither Nikolay nor Izuku could even think of what they could possibly say to each other about this. After all, the deeply conflicted and thoughtful lights in their eyes expressed it all already. They were both practically sworn by blood to follow through with this, and they both knew it about each other as well as themselves.

It was several minutes later that the doctor had returned to guide the two boys over to the orthopedic surgery office in order to have the extent of their bandages removed. The entirety of the way there, both boys could practically feel Minas' presence quietly following after them from a distance, in keeping with her promise.

Thankfully the procedure for both had gone quite swiftly, as the doctor had the attending nurses cut and split the casts from Izukus' arms, before just as quickly removing the bandages and patches from all over Nikolays' face, as well as the large mass of gauze, tape and various other bandages that had been adorned to the left part of his chest.

Looking in the mirror the doctor held up, Nikolay felt a momentary chill of painful realization when seeing the relatively small but jagged spot-shaped scar adorning his fair chest just above his heart. With that, on top of the clawing scars along his left side from Vukodlak, as well as the several surgery scars along the insides of his arms, Nikolay felt like his body was very slowly being transformed, just like Izukus', when he saw the several new scars now lining his right arm to go with the ones that had adorned his right hand for so long now.

With both boys now free of their bandages, the doctor stood tall, with a sharp and observant eye looking them and their scars over. "While the two of you were asleep, Recovery Girl came here from Yuuei and gave you some pretty strong treatment. You should both be able to move again without any problems."

With this, the doctor diverted his full attention to Nikolay specifically. "I suppose I should start by going over the less extensive report between you two. Bezpalov-kun, I can only imagine you don't realize just how lucky you really were. That bullet to your chest just barely nicked one of the three major arteries to your heart. Had that Villains' aim been just a couple centimeters more to their left…I'm afraid you wouldn't even be here right now. Still, you lost quite a lot of blood by the time we'd finally gotten to you. Thank your lucky stars your classmates and teachers had been there to revive you beforehand. Regardless, you're gonna be dealing with some considerable soreness in your whole chest area for a good few days, but the important thing is that the bullet's been removed, and your wound is healing properly. The unusual thing, based on the information we were given by the police in regards to the caliber of the bullet, is that it didn't go right through you. Based on that, the fact the bullet didn't fragment, and the angle at which it hit you, there's no feasible reason it should've gotten lodged in you."

As the doctor explained all of this, Nikolays' mind was awhirl with potential realization. 'I know I could feel my refraction ability go into full overdrive when I pushed Kendo-san out of the way of that gunshot. Is it possible that by doing that, I slowed the bullet down enough for it to end up getting stuck in me instead of going in and out? Am I going to have to try and train that ability of mine until it can actually just completely deflect projectiles before they even hit me? Is that even remotely possible?'

While Nikolay was feverishly thinking this over, the doctor then turned his attention to Izuku, looking intently at the scars on his arms with the young boy himself. "As for you, Midoriya-kun, I'm not going to sugar coat this for you; with the condition you were in when you arrived…you were such a mess. In this short amount of time, you've suffered a number of serious injuries, but…to be honest; this was on a completely different level."

Izuku could feel a chill across his skin as he looked at his newest scars, nervously looking up to the doctor at this very unsettling phrasing. "'A completely different level'…what do you mean by that?"

"Well, I took the liberty of looking over your medical records up until now. Every time you break your arms, it's as though firecrackers went off inside them. However, this time around was much more serious. The human body normally limits the output of your physical strength to 80%. But in times of severe crisis, that limitation is sometimes lifted and the body is capable of reaching 100%. It's called a 'fight or flight response'. That physical limitation is there because your body can't naturally bear the burden, you know? This time, though, you probably triggered your 'fight response' and released your full strength…and for an extended period of time, too."

By this point having finally come back from his own self-reflecting, Nikolay was listening to the doctor explain as well, and both he and Izuku could feel the foreboding of just what kind of note the doctor was heading toward with this lecture.

"Your bones and muscles were pretty beat up, Midoriya-kun, but worst of all were your ligaments. Your ligaments hold your joints together…and they have severely deteriorated in such a relatively short amount of time. In other words…if this happens…maybe two or three more times…I think if this same kind of injury keeps occurring…you will have to live a life without functioning arms."

Izukus' eyes reflected a sense of grim finality at those words. Nikolay could only imagine what he was thinking; knowing this kind of limit had now been placed upon him. How could someone cope with the idea of potentially losing the loss of their limbs, especially when that someone was dedicating everything they were to becoming a Hero? It had to be akin to telling a piano or guitar protégé that their nerves couldn't support them playing anymore. All this, on top of the knowledge of how close to death he himself had come, and the fact his own Quirk had made his injury worse than it could have been, left Nikolay feeling just as shaken as Izuku.

Before he could even start to express his sympathies for Izuku now dealing with this, Nikolay realized the doctor was looking at him again, this time with the same kind of worrisome gaze. "There was something else I came across while looking through your medical records as well, Bezpalov-kun, even though it doesn't directly tie to the injuries you received in the attack. Just to clarify, your Quirk is based around the absorption and release of pure kinetic energy, correct?"

Nikolay was now exceptionally nervous, feeling a touch of nausea. "That's right, sir."

The doctor let out a regretful sigh as he began looking through the second clipboard he had originally come in with. "While we were looking through your x-rays after your surgery, I'd noticed something peculiar. Much like Midoriya-kun, the muscles in your arms and legs have also shown similar signs of wear and tear through the continuous use of your Quirk, both in terms of the absorption and release. Unlike Midoriya-kuns' Quirk that simply releases that immense kinetic energy through the muscles, your own muscles have been getting put through twice that amount of strain, because your body absorbs that force through your muscles, and releases it through the same way. While the muscle damage hasn't been quite as extensive and repeated as Midoriya-kuns', it's still worth noting in how concerning it is. And that's not even the most alarming part."

Nikolay dreaded to ask what could have possibly been worse in his regard after the doctor had explained something that sounded so serious for him. As the doctor turned the page, his brow furrowed even further. "Up until just the previous weekend, the muscle damage inflicted by your Quirk was located solely in your arms and legs. It's in this most recent entry in your medical record where that changes, and even more extreme signs of muscular damage than your regular entries beforehand, were recorded being visible virtually all over your body, despite having managed to be healed shortly after. Tell me, Bezpalov-kun, what exactly happened the previous weekend that was so out of the ordinary for you in terms of injuries?"

Nikolay and Izuku alike jolted with remembrance, thinking back to their battle against the Villain, Wolfram, back at I-Island. Nikolays' answer came instantly: "Midoriya-san and I, we got into a battle against this Villain on I-Island; maybe you might've heard about that incident on the news. At one point, two of our teachers, one of them being my Dad, they got entrapped by his Quirk, and when I saw the kind of danger they were in, I felt this vibration frequency completely overtake my entire body.

"It was stronger than any collective kinetic force I'd focused into my hands or feet before, and I hadn't even willed it. It just came all on its own, and it felt like it was pretty much controlling my body. It was so strong; it was able to pretty much disintegrate pieces of solid steel at just a touch. It only lasted for…maybe fifteen or twenty seconds maybe, but when it stopped, my muscles and joints were so weak and painful afterwards, I don't even know how I was still able to stay conscious after all that, let alone stand."

The doctor, of course, looked very concerned to hear Nikolay describe the sensation like this, especially as he kept looking over his medical file while listening. "Understandable, since the human body isn't designed to be able to withstand a frequency of pure physical friction of that level. The fact that it's channeled through every single muscle fiber and inch of bone in your entire body is even worse, since it ends up concentrating that friction to the point that, if you were to maintain that all-encompassing kinetic frequency for much longer than what you just described, your body would start breaking apart from the inside out. This isn't the same as your organs or heart rupturing or bursting the blood vessels inside your brain and giving yourself a major hemorrhage, or even breaking your bones down from the inside. I mean this would legitimately be your body disintegrating itself entirely."

Nikolays' already exceptionally pale face looked even whiter as he felt overcome with horror at the thought of what the doctor was describing could happen to him through the sustained peak of his own Quirks' power. If it hadn't been for the fact that he had virtually nothing in his stomach, he would've wanted to heave from the horrible sense of anxiety this knowledge now gave him.

At the same time, Izukus' eyes widened with what Nikolay could only describe as an epiphany. Before he could ask; his green-haired classmate turned to personally address the young Russian beside him. "Kolya-san…you've never deliberately tried to push your Quirk to that level before?"

Nikolay shook his head fervently: "Of course not. After continuously using my Quirk at the limit I already had back then, the pain in my limbs was bad enough. There's no way I could've been able to reach a level like that through my own focus and willpower, especially in my entire body. If I had, that would've meant trying to train that refraction ability way sooner. And besides, there's no way in hell I'm going to try pushing myself to that point again after what the doctor just said could happen!"

As much as he could actually understand Nikolays' reluctance to want to push himself that hard ever again, hearing his Russian friend confirm all this left Izuku looking as contemplative as always, before finally expressing his only conclusion out loud, still staring off at an unseen horizon as he did so. "Kolya-san…it sounds to me like you actually went Plus Ultra at I-Island then…or at least as close to it as you could."

Having heard All Might use that term as many times as he had, Nikolay couldn't help but feel an astonishment to hear Izuku saying he'd actually gotten to that point without even realizing it, or at least close to it. Seeing this expression on his face, Izuku could completely understand the shock he had to be going through. "The moment of pushing yourself to your absolute physical peak, and then going beyond that; All Might always said that one only truly reaches Plus Ultra when they will it with 100% of their heart, soul, will and strength. If I had to guess, my final attack in my battle to save Kota-kun…I think that might've actually been me going Plus Ultra as well, but it's too hard to tell in your case."

Even with the gravity of this potential revelation, Nikolay was in full agreement: "Yeah. If the way All Might-sensei's described it is true, then I don't think I could've reached it then. Don't get me wrong, all I could think of at that moment was doing everything in my power to save him and my Dad, but I didn't think for a moment of going beyond my limit, because I just didn't think of such a thing."

Of course, having said that out loud, Nikolay and Izuku alike shared a mutual wide-eyed stare that, perhaps, the Russian boy really had inadvertently gone to that level back then after all, just like Izuku had.

A pronounced slam of the two clipboards on a nearby desk from the doctor snapped both boys back to full attention, as he proceeded to finally carry on with his explanation regarding their conditions, while now also digging through a drawer and pulling out a small handful of envelopes.

"Well, in Bezpalov-kuns' case, all he needs to do is try not to exert himself more than normal so that his bullet wound may finish healing. As for you, Midoriya-kun, whether or not you return to your previous condition depends on rehabilitation and building your strength back up through repeated usage, even if it hurts. The other stuff…well, we're leaving that to Yuuei…but you're both getting discharged today. Recovery Girl was thorough, but ultimately through with you especially, Midoriya-kun. You must've pissed her off a bunch of times already, huh? Although, given your medical record, I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise. Nevertheless, for as reckless as you both were in the heat of the moment, that doesn't change the fact that lives were saved because of you two. They say that illness starts in the mind…so I'll ask you boys to try not to worry about things so much. Try to stay positive."

With that, the doctor proceeded to hand the envelopes in his hands to Nikolay and Izuku together. As the two boys took them with gratitude, Nikolay couldn't resist his own underlying curiosity to see who could have written Izuku, only to see a piece of paper with rather messy-looking handwriting, all too understandable once he saw who had written it as he silently read it alongside Izuku:

"Midoriya-san, sorry for punching you in the balls. Thank you for saving me, even when you didn't know a thing about me. Please get well soon so I can thank you in person. Kota.'

Nikolay could feel his own heart warm up to read such a simple yet completely heartfelt letter from the once hot-tempered little boy. He could definitely hear a restrained choke from Izuku as he kept reading it over and over in silence.

Not wanting to intrude more than he already had, Nikolay now realized he had two letters in hand, and upon opening them, he felt his own heart catch in his throat as he realized one was likewise from Kota, and the other, with much cleaner handwriting, was from Itsuka Kendo.

"Niko-san (your family name's too hard to spell, so Aunt Mandalay suggested that instead), I'm sorry for saying all those bad things about you, Midoriya-san and your classmates. I know you got hurt really badly because you were trying to save them, just like Midoriya-san did by trying to save me. I understand now that that's just what Heroes do, and that's all you were both trying to tell me then. I hope you both get better soon, so I can apologize for being such a brat before. Kota."

Nikolay could already feel himself getting misty-eyed, just knowing that in the wake of everything else, Kota had even thought to write him as well as Izuku, considering everything the freckled boy had gone through for him specifically. In a way, Nikolay felt genuinely honored, if not even a touch undeserving. However, he couldn't allow himself to get as caught up in it before at least seeing what Itsuka had taken the time to write him.

"Bezpalov-san, if you're reading this, it means you woke up after the rest of Class B and I already left the hospital to go back to Yuuei, and for that, I'm sorry for not sticking around to thank you myself. Tetsutetsu-kun is, as well. We try not to dwell on what-ifs, but the way things stand right now, we owe our surviving that Villain attack to you, and I'm sorry I couldn't act fast enough to keep you from getting shot to begin with. Hopefully when you and the rest of Class A return, we can all continue to become better friends, because you've all proven to be real Hero material in my eyes after what happened. I hope you all recover with no problems so we can all continue forward together for the rest of our time at Yuuei. Kendo Itsuka, Class B Representative."

Nikolay had to swallow the lump building in his throat as he carefully folded each letter and slipped them into his pocket. He already knew he was going to be treasuring such written sentiments every day for the rest of his life after everything that had happened. He and Izuku both were silently making that very same promise to themselves.

Afterwards, the doctor had finally cleared the two boys to either return to their rooms to continue resting up, or whichever else they felt they still needed to do here, as with their having officially been discharged, they were officially free to leave at whichever time they wanted with the rest of their cleared classmates.

As Nikolay stepped out into the hall again, he was glad to see, just as promised, Mina was still waiting patiently outside. Her arms being crossed over her chest, and the distinctly thoughtful look in her eyes made it clear to him right off the bat that she had a lot on her mind, but that still didn't stop her from visibly lighting right back up the moment she saw him and Izuku step back out.

"So, sounds like you two are finally okay to hit the road again, huh? Of course, we could probably still stay here for now, though. I mean, it's not like we even have school tomorrow; plus as long as Kyouka-chan and Tooru-chan are still unconscious, I know I wouldn't feel right going home."

Nikolay and Izuku both could already tell that Minas' train of speaking was especially disjointed, as though she were just saying the first things that came to mind, instead of simply expressing her own train of thought. Nevertheless, now was far from the time to bring that up, especially after how worried she and the rest of their class had been for them.

All the same, sensing the unspoken tension between his Russian and pink friends, Izuku hurriedly excused himself. "Well, it's getting close to dusk already. I guess we'd both been out of it longer than I thought. I should probably get changed back into my own clothes again. Hope I'll see you again soon, Kolya-san, Ashido-san."

As soon as Izuku left the two of them alone, Nikolay and Mina now found themselves in the middle of an especially uncomfortable silence. They were both finding it especially difficult to look each other in the eye, even though neither of them wanted to bring up the more-than-obvious elephant in the room between them.

In the end, Nikolay couldn't take the silence as he said the very first thing that came to mind when looking at how empty the hall around them was. "I have to admit, I'm surprised Kirishima-san wasn't waiting out here with you."

Unfortunately, this diversion didn't pan out, as Mina didn't go into a full-speed excitable rambling as she typically did, and he had secretly been hoping, so that they could put their focus anywhere else. "Normally he would be; I know he would. I mean, you heard him when he found out you were awake, he was just about as worried as I was, and that should tell you a lot. But after that whole…thing back in Midori-kuns' room…I guess I shouldn't be surprised he would want to be alone to think. Kiri's always been that way when he gets really passionate about something and it doesn't pan out; at least for as long as I've known him."

Before Nikolay could even begin answering her, a distinct rumbling from his stomach broke the uncomfortable silence. What would have once been a call for complete embarrassment turned out to be something of a blessing in disguise, as Mina was finally able to start giggling again upon realization. "Come on, enough talking about all this heavy stuff. The important thing is you and Midori-kun are both okay again, and I'll bet you're starving right now, huh?"

Nikolay wasn't about to deny that, now that she'd brought it up. With a delighted smile finally adorning her pink face once more, Mina gladly took Nikolays' hand and proceeded to take him down the halls for the cafeteria, all while the young Slav could only once again wonder what he could possibly say to her in regards to the specter now hanging over the head of every single Class A student.

---

"Okay, I improvised with what they had at the line, Kolya-kun. After almost two days of nothing but fluids, you gotta get some protein in there; you almost look like you could get blown away by a gentle breeze. Good thing they had plenty of red meat, potatoes and rice up there. They even had some good looking dumplings, though I know they aren't the kind they had back at the camp dining hall, sorry. They even had sushi, ramen and natto, so I hope you don't mind I grabbed you some of those, too."

From the moment they had stepped into the thankfully quiet cafeteria, Mina had immediately decided to make herself the helper to put all other helpers to shame, guiding Nikolay (despite his insistence not to trouble herself) to a seat near a window looking out at the mountains, before just as quickly rushing over to the lineup where all the food waited for visitors and patients alike to pick.

Within minutes she had come back with a veritable mountain of different foods all stacked together. Even for as hungry as he knew he was, even Nikolay knew he couldn't possibly eat this much, and if Mina was honestly expecting him to, he had some bad news for her. Even if she was planning to share, it seemed just a bit much.

However, his continuously growling stomach, and even her own, kept him from saying she was going overboard, and for the next ten minutes as they both silently looked at the slowly setting sun, Nikolay and Mina proceeded to slowly but surely pick away at this bountiful helping of her own choosing, which of course resulted in her eating all the natto she had gotten for him before either of them even realized it.

As admittedly cute as her display of embarrassed realization was, it didn't soften Nikolays' own embarrassment when, after a short while, Mina had started to pick chopsticks full of either rice, meat or dumplings, and was playfully trying to convince him to open his mouth. When he refused, she of course got that puffy-cheeked pout, but the moment he tried to tell her not to be upset about it, she immediately slipped the food right in, having simply been waiting for him to naturally let his guard down with her.

"C'mon, Kolya-kun, after almost two days of having practically nothing I could do to help you, you can at least let me have this one little thing. Besides, having a girl who actually wants to help take care of you after waking up in the hospital? What kind of high school boy wouldn't want something like that just once in their life?"

Considering how much Mina had been clearly scolding herself for not being able to do nearly enough for him before in her own opinion, Nikolay couldn't rightfully deny her this one little helpful deed for a friend she held dear to her heart. Besides, he couldn't imagine she wouldn't be doing this same thing if it had been any of their other classmates who had just woken up from a coma. As such, as Mina continued playing her little chopstick-feeding routine, he didn't put up any more of a fuss, instead just glad that he was alive to actually be able to share a moment even remotely like this with her again. From the faint emotional glimmer in her golden irises as she continued, he knew Mina was just as grateful for it too, if not even a tiny bit more so.

"Once you polish this off, do you think you might wanna go back home to Musutafu or Yuuei after all, Kolya-kun? I haven't heard anything on the news about the police or the Pro Heroes making any moves yet, so Tunguska-sensei could still be at your house. I think we both know he'd absolutely flip with joy to see you on your feet again. I mean, if you did want to leave, or if you wanted to stay, I wouldn't blame you either way. I personally don't wanna leave while Kyouka-chan and Tooru-chan are still unconscious, but I know a lot of the others have actually gone back since the doctors and police cleared them to leave, and I can totally understand why."

Unfortunately, as Mina continued talking about the justification for either choice, Nikolays' mind was in several other places at once. On one hand, he was still thinking about everything the doctor had told him and Izuku about the potential devastating physical effects of the peaks in sheer power of their Quirks if used recklessly. On another hand, he was unable to ignore the fact that despite Minas' return to her outwardly cheerful and precious personality, there was a clear air of artificiality to it, as though she were trying to force this change in her demeanor in order to put his own worries to rest.

And on yet another hand, he was still so mired in contemplation about the overall wisdom in his decision to join Eijirou, Shoto and Momo in their mission to rescue Bakugo. And unfortunately for Nikolay, his own distant and silent demeanor was not just in his own head, as Mina had long since stopped talking, and was now observing his own distant expression with a very regretful look on her face. She was trying so hard to steer away from this subject in the hopes that it would convince Nikolay to, at the very least, stay with her and the rest of their classmates, away from potential harm or worse.

However, just from looking at the contemplative depth in his green eyes, shimmering in the evening sunlight, Mina could no longer pretend to ignore just what was hanging the heaviest over both their heads. It was so clear that his mind was far from the subject of going back to Musutafu, and there was no question just where it really was. She hated the fact she had to bring this up, but Nikolay was giving her no other choice with his thoughtful silence. "Kolya-kun…?"

The sound of Minas' usual musically cheerful voice now sounding so much more serious and nervous, finally made Nikolay realize just how obvious he had been, and the conversational position it now landed them both in. Mina was having a hard time now maintaining eye contact, as she was clearly struggling to will herself into having to talk about this…but will herself, she ultimately did, as she gave Nikolay no choice but to look her in the imploring black-gold eyes: "Are you really considering going through with Kiri and Todoroki-kuns' plan, Kolya-kun?"

Nikolays' following sigh of resignation carried all the weight he had on his shoulders. "I know why you don't want me to go, Mina, and believe it or not, I completely understand why, of course I do. After what happened, I would have to be the densest person on the planet not to. But please, at least try to understand; this isn't about some kind of personal devotion to Bakugo like it seems to be with Kirishima-san and Todoroki-san. Frankly, I don't know if it's possible to go back from hating him after that fight, but I still can't just sit by and do nothing while those Villains are doing god-knows-what to him.

"The fact is: we know he's in trouble, and we actually have a chance to save him. If I'm not willing to put all the personal crap aside and act on that chance, then I have no right to call myself a Hero, let alone keep training as one. I mean, you were there, you heard what I said back in Midoriya-sans' room: for all any of us know, Aizawa-sensei could be gearing up to expel me the moment I show my face in Yuuei again. If that's the case, I'd rather know I did the right thing. No matter what anyone else says, I can't stop feeling like I'm responsible for Bakugo getting kidnapped, and I want to rectify that before it's all over. I don't blame you for a second for not wanting to go with us, Mina. You and the rest of the class deserve to be safe after what just happened."

To Nikolays' surprise, however, despite his trying to speak as straightforwardly and calmly as he could, Minas' reaction was almost instant, as she dropped her chopsticks and planted her hands on the table, looking at him downright imploringly. "That applies to you too, though, Kolya-kun! You and Kiri both keep saying how you want to save Bakugo because he's one of us, but so are you! Don't you think you deserve to be safe with the rest of us too, by your own logic? I know I probably sound selfish telling you guys not to do this, but please don't get me wrong; if we had way more of the class as backup, I would be going out there with you guys to save Bakugo! I don't want anything bad to happen to anybody, not even him!"

Before Nikolay could answer her argument, Minas' voice began to crack with emotion again as her eyes started to glisten with fresh new tears. "And I wish you'd stop using that logic about going out by doing the Heroic thing, Kolya-kun. You already almost died acting and thinking like that."

As she futilely tried to fight the urge to start crying, Mina instinctively reached out and held onto Nikolays' hands; a considerable desperation evident in her grip. "When you stopped breathing after the attack ended…that…t-that was the closest I'd ever come to losing someone, and it…it was the most horrible feeling I'd ever experienced in my life; I actually felt like a part of me was dying with you, Kolya-kun! I still think the fact we were able to revive you was a miracle, and I don't want you to waste that by acting all reckless, even if it's because you're trying to save someone! I don't want any of you to do that, can't you understand? You're just as precious to me as Kiri, Todoroki-kun, Midori-kun, Urara-chan, Tsu-chan, Yaomomo and everyone else in our class! I don't want to lose any one of you, but it feels like you guys are acting like the attack and your injuries were no big deal, like all our feelings are no big deal after what we all just went through!"

Nikolay, of course, immediately felt terrible when hearing Mina word her view of his, Eijirou and Shotos' actions like this, because in a very strong way, she was right. If the roles had been reversed, and he'd been the one climbing the walls with heart-wrenching worry over her for days, and finally getting her back, only for her to immediately go throwing herself into the fray again, he also wouldn't have been able to help but feel like she was completely disregarding the emotional trauma he'd been put through.

But the young Russian simply couldn't find that compromise between his emotional desire to just simply be here for Mina and the rest of their classmates, and his self-sworn duty towards his goal to become the best kind of Hero he could be, even if it was the kind that was ultimately only able to save one person in the end. And even in that regard, he didn't want to simply give up and not at least try to give the teary-eyed pink girl some kind of reassurance.

"I really don't think either Kirishima-san or Todoroki-san think that, though, Mina. Nobody's denying just how serious that whole attack was, and nobody is saying that the worry, fear and sadness you all felt after the fact isn't valid. I mean, at least think about it like this; we aren't going to be going off all reckless and rushed like we were in the heat of that whole attack. This time we'll actually all be working together, with time to really come up with some kind of plan. With Todoroki-san, Yaoyorozu-san and maybe even Midoriya-san, I'm confident we'll be able to find a way to get Bakugo back without getting ourselves in serious danger this time. I mean, that's three of the smartest students in our class all in one, I know we could be able to pull it off."

Mina immediately began shaking her head with clear frustration; the tears flying from her face once again glistening in the sunlight. "I'm not saying they wouldn't be able to figure something out; of course they would! I just don't understand why you feel you have to go, Kolya-kun! Me and Kiri almost watched you die, isn't that enough? I can't even start to understand why he would actually ask you to come along right after you woke up again, but I understand why you would actually volunteer even less, and please don't give me all that stuff about guilt or responsibility for Bakugo getting taken. I already told you that Villain took him in a way that nobody even noticed, so his shape wouldn't have changed anything.

"You don't have anything else to prove to anyone as far as we're all concerned, Kolya-kun, and even if that wasn't the case, you're still in a way more delicate shape than you normally are. If you were to go out there with them, and got into trouble…you might not end up as lucky as you did last time. If that were to happen…*sniffle* we…we'd all have to live with the fact you were dead, and there wasn't anything we could do to stop it…*sniffle* *sob* anything I could do to stop it this time."

As Mina proceeded to start crying, Nikolay felt all the energy in his body leave all at once with the expected, but no less painful, realization her words had led him to: "So you really won't go with us."

Minas' emotions were in such a state of flux, that for once she couldn't bring herself to actually answer him, but her continuous crying in the wake of her last sentiments already told him everything her words possibly could have. Mina wanted more than anything right now for Nikolay to reconsider going. If she couldn't somehow convince Eijirou, Shoto and Momo to do the same, she hoped that if she could at least convince her Russian friend, it would somehow carry over to them, no matter how stubborn Eijirou could usually be.

But to hear him continuously insist and try to convince her of his own safety by going directly after the same Villains that nearly killed him, ultimately broke Minas' heart, as it proved that no matter what she could possibly say, she wasn't going to change his mind so easily. Her choking sobs simply would not stop, which made it much more difficult for her to eventually speak again: "I-I…I wish you weren't doing this, K-Kolya-kun. E-even if…*sob* even if you were right, and…*sniffle* and Aizawa-sensei did end up expelling you after we got back to Y-Yuuei…t-that would still be better than…*sob* than a life where you were dead. Even if I became a Pro Hero in the end, that kind of life would still just feel so empty, knowing I'd never be able to see, talk to or even just spend time with you again. I…*sob* I-I don't want to lose you, Kolya-kun!"

Nikolay could feel his heart break all over again to hear Mina say this amid her wailing sobs, but alas, Mina wasn't finished even then, as her mind naturally went to the one last thing she could possibly say to try and get him to change his mind. "Even if I can't get you to reconsider for me…are you really willing to make your dad and everyone else at school so sad, too? You have so many other friends that love and care about you just as much as I do; don't you know how devastated we'd all be if you died? Would you really be okay breaking Kyouka-chans' heart like that?"

Minas' eyes went wide and she slapped her hand to her mouth the moment she realized what she'd just said on mental and emotional autopilot, while Nikolays' own sadness had immediately turned into total confusion, with his face reflecting just as much. "Why did you bring up Kyouka-san specifically, Mina? How does she fit into this that I don't already know about?"

Mina wanted to scold herself to high heaven for blurting that out so recklessly. The last thing she'd ever wanted to do was take this potential moment away from Kyouka, in the hopes she would eventually work up the courage to do it herself. But, in the end, she was still unconscious, and Mina had just opened a door she had no way of closing again, especially by the inquisitive look in Nikolays' eyes. She had been so imploring in trying to get him to reconsider up to this point, so there was a damn good reason she would drag someone else so specific into the argument, and he wasn't going to be left without an answer.

'I'm so sorry, Kyouka-chan!' This was all Mina could mentally scream, on the insane chance it could somehow reach over to her purple-haired classmate, as she finally opened up in the last way she'd ever expected to at all: "Because…b-because…because Kyouka-chan so obviously has a super huge crush on you, you adorable little dummy! Haven't you noticed how lately she's constantly turned red in the face whenever you compliment or even get near her? How she's never able to keep eye contact with you? Come on, didn't you even stop to ask yourself why her heart rate was so insanely fast when she plugged those jacks of hers into your hand during the final test, or why she would keep going so out of her way to keep personally giving you more and more music, when you could just as easily find it yourself on your phone? How much more obvious could she have possibly been without just straight-up tackling and kissing you all over in front of the whole school?!"

Nikolay, upon thinking back, now that Mina had essentially spelled it out for him, looked downright shell-shocked to know this well kept secret of Kyoukas' at last. To Minas' silent hope, it actually seemed to be triggering a glimmer of real thoughtfulness in his green eyes, as he slowly brought his hands together over his mouth, bowing his head in silent contemplation. Mina was still mentally kicking herself for going behind Kyoukas' back like this, but it was the last possible means she had, and by god, it looked like it might actually work. "Kolya-kun…I'm so sorry to drop that on you so suddenly, I really wanted Kyouka-chan to be able to tell you herself when she finally found the courage to…but knowing the risks you're taking by going out there…I-I just couldn't let you go without you knowing that. Are you really still willing to go through with this, even if it could mean breaking Kyouka-chans' heart if something were to happen to you?"

Even as she spoke, Mina hated herself for using Kyoukas' unspoken feelings like this. Hell, even if it weren't for that, she was hating the fact that she was giving Nikolay even more stress and anxiety than he already had, as his hands had started to tremble the longer he kept thinking on everything she had just told him. Even if she was willing to do whatever it took to keep Nikolay from harm, she never wanted to torment or betray any of her friends like this. For those good few moments, she didn't even recognize who she was anymore; this was what her emotional desperation had pushed her to.

All the while, Nikolay now found himself being pulled in two different directions. He still wanted to try and do what he could to help Eijirou and Shoto save Bakugo, but at the same time, he now found himself increasingly motivated to stay after all, for both Mina and Kyoukas' sakes, and those of the rest of their classmates. What had once seemed like a surprisingly simple question as to what the truly right thing was for him to do had now only become that much more frustratingly complicated.

Now at a mental impasse, Nikolay found himself thinking back across the school year thus far, which brought about the one memory that quieted his conflicted mind at last. As grateful as he was for that, he regretted the fact that this was going to devastate Mina even more than she already was, talking about all this.

Interlocking his fingers and taking a deep breath to steel himself, Nikolay finally looked Mina in her watery eyes again. "Mina…over this past semester, you've said more than once that one of the things you admired the most about me was how, after everything I'd already lost and gone through before coming here, I'd ultimately found that old spark of mine to pursue becoming a Hero again, and never backed down since. I was a fool for not telling you any one of those times, but to hear you say that meant more to me than you could ever know. Heroes are supposed to inspire others, just as much as they're supposed to save and protect others. To know that, by simply wanting to pursue my old dream again for myself and my parents, I was even inspiring a single other person was one of the greatest feelings I could've imagined, and for that person to be you made it even more special than that.

"Of course I understand all the reasons you don't want me to do this, of course I do. I don't want to hurt you or Dad or Kyouka-san, Uraraka-san, Midoriya-san or anyone else in school. I want to be able to come back and see your smiling faces again, and be able to go on knowing I did the right thing and everything will be all right…but I know that making those kind of promises before doing something this serious is just foolish.

"You're right, simply staying away from the danger, with you and the others, would be the smart thing to do. But at the same time…I haven't backed down from any obstacle that's come our way since then, and I can't shake the feeling that if I were to back down from this, knowing that someone is in danger and I chose to do nothing about it…I'd be betraying all of the faith that you and everyone else has been placing in me all this time since I decided again to try and become a Hero. I wouldn't ever be able to look any one of you in the eye again, knowing I was now simply living a lie and calling myself something I had no right to be known as.

"And not just that, but I would be betraying myself for a second time…betraying the hopes and memories of both my parents, on top of everything else. I…I just can't…go back to living that kind of fake life again, even if it were without all that repressed sadness and anger, it'd be just as false as that old life in the end…and I can't subject you and the others to having to be a part of something like that. If you want to get right down to the foundation of this whole thing…that is the truest and most personal reason why I have to do this, Mina. No matter how this pans out in the end, I want to be able to say with all honesty that I lived my Hero life as truly as I could to myself, and a real life like that is the kind you all deserve to have a place in."

Mina was absolutely speechless, not only for the unparalleled amount of deeply personal opening up Nikolay had just laid out for her in his last attempt to try and justify his final decision to go, nor even for just how much his love for all of his classmates and friends clearly mirrored her own and how intrinsically tied it was to his ultimate motivation for going, but also in just how resolute she could now unmistakably see and hear the young Russian was being right now. In its own way, that's what made the pain she was now feeling that much more rooted and agonizing.

This wasn't simply about trying to right the wrong he was convinced he'd done, nor was it for the sake of getting one last mite of satisfaction out of what time was potentially left in his life as a Yuuei student. No, this was about trying to see to it that the life he'd dedicated himself to, the life he'd already fought, bled and nearly died for, was worth the purpose and meaning that his family and friends had all given it. This was about making sure that his life, and their roles in it, was lived as honestly as humanly possible for a young aspiring Hero, and there was simply no talking someone out of that kind of mindset once they had put their heart and soul into it. For so long already, Mina had essentially already called Nikolay her Hero, and he had all but declared that he wanted to make sure he was still worthy of that title, least of all to himself, most of all to everyone else.

This realization of how steadfast Nikolay was in his decision, and that there was nothing more she could do about it, left Mina with her head bowed in all kinds of swirling emotions, the sounds of her sniffling tears the only thing to be heard. Nikolay instinctively tried to reach out to her to try and somehow ease her sadness, but before his hand could even halfway cross the threshold of the table, the pink young Hero across from him suddenly stood from her chair, still unable to meet his apologetic gaze again. "I'm sorry, Kolya-kun…but I…I-I need a minute alone."

With that, to her own great reluctance, Mina turned heel and hurriedly left the cafeteria, leaving an equally regretful Nikolay alone, now resting his face in his hands, still firm in his final decision, but unable to reconcile just how much he'd broken Minas' heart by declaring so.

---

Mina had gone straight to Kyoukas' hospital room after leaving the cafeteria. The rest of their classmates had long since either departed to other parts of the hospital, or had gone home to Musutafu City. In a way, Mina had decided this was ultimately for the best. The last thing she needed right now was for everyone to start asking why she was still crying so much, and forcing her to have to relive that disastrous argument in the cafeteria over and over again.

Now, she was simply here, alone with her restless thoughts as she sat by Kyoukas' bedside, watching the unconscious girl lie motionless. Without an air tube in her nose, she genuinely looked like she was simply fast asleep. Since the doctors had confirmed she and Tooru would pull through, Mina knew it was simply a matter of time before Kyouka would likewise regain consciousness. Perhaps that reassurance was the only thing keeping her from collapsing into a sobbing mess while watching her, unlike how she had been with Nikolay.

Regardless, the sickening sense of déjà vu this whole scene was giving her was far from lost, as Mina could feel a bubbling up of sadness and frustration alike building in her chest; for numerous reasons, to be sure.

Seeing one of her friends like this instinctively brought back awful pangs of that emotional anguish Mina had felt when nearly witnessing Nikolay die, and then staying by his bedside and silently pleading every waking moment that he and the others would wake up, and never truly knowing if her wishes would be granted in the end. She hated the fact that she still had to be suffering a pain even remotely like that even now. All she wanted more than anything was for the last of her dear friends to please wake up so they could all finally go home and put this awful memory behind them at last.

Of course, seeing the oddly calm look on Kyoukas' face as she slept couldn't help but divert Minas' restless mind elsewhere, but as long as it was far away from her agony when Nikolay had been unconscious, it was more than a welcome change, relatively speaking, as it was still nowhere near her preferred place of constant excitement, happiness and optimism.

'I'm so sorry I told him like that, Kyouka-chan. I hope you can forgive me when you wake up. You deserved to be able to tell him yourself one day, but I…I didn't know what else to do. But I promise, I don't care how, but from here on, as soon as you're back up and on your feet, if you're willing to go for it, I'm gonna make sure the rest of your road towards finally telling Kolya-kun how you feel will go the way it's supposed to. Nobody deserves to have their high school romances ruined, no matter what, and I'm not gonna let my taking your initiative ruin the rest of that for you. That's a Mina Ashido promise from me to you!'

Mina instinctively yet gently wrapped her right pinky finger around Kyoukas', unsure if the short-haired girl could even feel it. But in a way, she still felt as though her sentiments had managed to get through, and that was the most important thing.

Of course, in the resulting silence, now that Minas' mind had quieted down on that front, she now couldn't help but find her train of thought going elsewhere; somewhere just as resonating, but for her, nowhere near as clear cut.

Among everything else Mina had been constantly thinking back on over the last couple of days, one thing she herself was surprised to find herself constantly coming back to was the taunting words of that psychotic Toga girl during their own battle.

"The two of you are both in love with someone, aren't you? You both can just feel it, can't you: that warm lovey-dovey fuzzy feeling in your stomachs. The persons you both love, you wanna be just like them, right?"

Those words were constantly replaying in Minas' head like a broken record, and it had left her going down a very uncertain train of thought she had no idea how to get herself out of: 'Why am I letting that girls' words get to me so bad? I don't love Kolya-kun any more or less than any of my other friends, it's not like what she was suggesting…but then why did her saying those things make me feel so much more intense afterward? Wait, why did I automatically think of Kolya-kun when she suggested that, if that's not how I actually feel? How do I even know that's not how I feel, anyway? It's not like Kolya-kun's the only boy whose ever been super nice and sweet to me before, or even the only boy I've ever wanted to be best friends with; I mean, just look at Kiri…but then I've never gone and kissed anyone on a total whim like Kolya-kun, either. And I've even done it way more than once now! I don't think my feelings for him as a friend are any different than what I feel for everyone else, so then why does Kolya-kun alone have me acting so differently with him in comparison?'

Mina felt like she was in a complete mental state of conflict with herself, but as she kept turning back to Kyouka in her bed, that unrest eventually managed to, at the very least, quiet itself, so that she could finally notice and fan the flame of resolve that had started to grow in her chest ever since Nikolay had regained consciousness.

As she observed Kyouka in silence, Mina naturally began to picture her smiling happily back in class…and from there, she began to reminisce and envision the similar happy smiles on everyone else's faces, one after the other, and the picture of each one warmed her heart more and more. By the time she finally found herself thinking of Nikolays' smiling face again, that managed to bring a sudden clarity to Minas' thoughts, and all her confusion and conflict vanished immediately.

The smiles of all her friends' happiness were something truly precious to hold onto, and Mina didn't want anything to take that happiness away from them or anybody else if she could even remotely help it. Becoming the kind of Hero that could fight for the happiness and smiles of all the people she held dearest to her heart gave her all the motivation and drive she could have ever asked for, and on top of that, she had finally become clear and accepting on exactly what she could do that would guarantee everyone would be back together in class with all those smiles shining bright again.

Mina silently clutched tight onto the sheet as she looked thoughtfully upon Kyouka, biting her lower lip as the fire in her heart now began to fuel her entire Heroes' spirit with a strength she hadn't felt before.

"I don't know if you can actually hear me right now, Kyouka-chan…but don't worry. Everything that's happened to all of us, I won't let it be for nothing. We've all been through too much for me to let it possibly end like this. Bakugo getting kidnapped was bad enough, but nearly losing Kolya-kun like we did…I swear I'm not going to let something like that happen ever again, to any one of us, but especially not him.

"I promise I'm going to make sure you get all the time in the world you need so you can personally tell him everything you want to one day, Kyouka-chan. These last few days have been so hard and confusing in so many ways, but now I finally know what I can do—no, what I have to do. I'm going to do the one thing I know I can do to keep Kolya-kun safe; for his sake and yours…for all of ours."

Mina once again wrapped her pinky around Kyoukas' to convey to her just how serious she was in this oath she was now swearing to herself, the unconscious girl before her, and every single one of their friends. Out of a maelstrom of emotional devastation, confusion and upheaval, Mina Ashido, in the strangest way, felt more collected and certain in what the right thing for her to do was; more than she had felt in the last few days. Not only had her mind and her heartfelt devotion to her friends felt completely reborn anew, but her already impressive resolve in becoming a Hero had emerged from an emotional inferno that much stronger and unbreakable.

---

The wait outside the hospital had been tedious and patience-wearing for both Eijirou and Shoto, but for the former especially, as he'd found himself incapable of standing still, knowing every second they had to wait for their three potential partners to arrive, the League of Villains could have been doing any number of terrible things to Bakugo. How Shoto was able to remain so outwardly composed, frankly, was beyond him.

By the time the sun had finally descended behind the last of the mountain peaks, ushering in nightfall, Eijirou had also taken to gritting his sharp teeth with anxious anticipation. "I don't get what's taking them so long. Yaoyorozu-san at least said she'd think about it, and Kolya-san all but confirmed he would come with, and I know I saw the same kind of look in Midoriya-sans' eyes, too. They should've been here by now."

Again, Shoto was downright peaceful by comparison in demeanor. "Well, no matter how impatient we get, it's ultimately all up to them. Even if Midoriya-san and Bezpalov-san said or hinted they were going to come, we need to remember the state they'd just woken up from, along with the potential dangers we could end up running into. It's not fair of us to force our classmates to come if they're not at their best."

Eijirou instinctively kicked at the cobbled ground in frustration. "I know that! I just hate feeling like we're wasting time when-!" As Eijirou whipped his head to look at Shoto as he rambled, he was stopped when he saw a noticeably pleased look in the boys' heterochromatic eyes. Following his gaze, Eijirou felt his anxiety and impatience ebb away as he was greeted by the sight of Momo stepping out the entrance, albeit with a single medical patch on her forehead.

"Oh! Yaoyorozu-san, I'm glad you're finally here…" Eijirou already began to greet their vice president, before realizing the slightly troubled look in her black eyes, as she only slightly looked back the way she came.

To Eijirou and Shotos' mutual surprise and further relief, Momo was soon joined by Izuku and Nikolay side-by-side, the former still wearing bandages around his forehead and a patch on his right cheek, and the latter with two band-aids lining under and around the outside of his right eye, the one remaining wound from his and Bakugos' brawl still needing to heal.

"Midoriya, Bezpalov. It's good to see you both back on your feet." Shoto greeted them both as straightforward and blunt as ever. By the two boys simply being here, Eijirou had already gotten his answer as far as they were concerned. Now it was time for the ultimate deciding factor for whether this plan of theirs was even going to happen or not. "Yaoyorozu-san, what's your answer?"

Momos' contemplative gaze looked as though she'd been rehearsing her answer for this moment for far more than just the last day, and she still looked no less troubled about it than she had when he and Shoto had first brought their idea up to her. Thankfully, that didn't leave her mute, as even though she struggled to meet Eijirous' eyes, she still began to speak: "I—

"WAIT!" "NOT SO FAST, YOU GUYS!" The already tense nighttime air had been effectively shattered by the boom of Tenyas' voice speaking out from behind Eijirou and Shoto, quickly accompanied by the naturally high energy of Minas' voice calling out from the hospital entrance; forcing the gathered group to look both ways to find the class president standing imposingly, while Mina rushed out to catch up with them. The sight of her sudden arrival had Nikolay naturally apprehensive after their last conversation, and left Eijirou and Shoto alike uncertain where her decision was ultimately going to lie. But it was Tenyas' already overbearing presence that had Eijirou especially tense. "Iida-san…"

However, Tenyas' gaze was focused solely on Izuku and Shoto, the former of whom was struggling to maintain eye contact with his bespectacled classmate and friend, already having a damn good feeling just what Tenya was about to try and do here, just as much as Nikolay did with Mina now being here.

"Why…why, of all people…WHY YOU GUYS…?!" Tenya was putting unexpected strain into his words, as though it were taking every ounce of willpower for him not to be screaming at the two, even as Izuku finally willed himself to look Tenya head-on, to silently prove his decision had been made, regardless of the protest about to come his way, just as Shoto and Nikolay instinctively did as well.

"The two of you, who scolded me for my own reckless pursuit…who received a special pardon after that incident in Hosu City…! Why are you guys trying to make the same mistake I made?! This is too much…!" Tenyas' hands were by now starting to shake with considerable tension, not helped when Eijirou was the first to instantly ask: "What are you talking about, man?"

Nikolay didn't dare to ask in kind with him, knowing now what he had learned after the internships of exactly what Izuku, Shoto and Tenya had gone through together against the Hero Killer, Stain, and how Tenya had so badly veered from his own lifelong path towards becoming a Hero because of letting his emotions take control. He couldn't begin to blame his class president for feeling betrayed now that Izuku and Shoto were doing the very same thing. It was essentially through chance that he wasn't standing on Tenyas' side in all of this, himself. Besides, as far as he knew, Mina was fulfilling that role herself just by being here.

"We're still under the protection of the school…and now is the hardest time for Yuuei. Who do you think will have to take responsibility for your actions?!" Tenya grunted through his clenched teeth, almost sounding like he was on the verge of tears of pure anger.

Perhaps seeing him getting so close to that point was what convinced Izuku to finally speak up for them: "Iida-san, you've got it wrong! It's not like it's okay for us to break the rules-!"

POW!

With a speed as insane as his sprinting, Tenya suddenly threw a white-knuckled right hook straight into Izukus' face before anyone could even blink. It was a miracle the green-haired boy hadn't gone down like a tree from that one hit alone, but while Eijirou and Shoto were both left wide-eyed and speechless with disbelief, and Momo and Mina both looked downright horrified that their friends were coming to blows, Nikolay was already instinctively, yet reluctantly, getting into a defensive stance and readying his energy into his hands. 'If Iida-san is really willing to do this much to keep us from going, I'm prepared to answer in kind! It's not like this is the first time we've fought, I know how his fighting style works…although he has gotten a lot faster than before, thanks to training. Dammit.'

"OF COURSE I'M FRUSTRATED TOO! OF COURSE I'M WORRIED! WHO WOULDN'T BE?! I'M THE CLASS PRESIDENT! I WORRY ABOUT ALL MY CLASSMATES! IT'S NOT JUST BAKUGO!"

As Tenyas' tormented voice echoed all through the night sky, his piercing eyes just as swiftly shot up to meet Momo and Nikolay as well, the pure emotion in them stabbing right through them, as Nikolay lost every last bit of his will to fight him.

"ALL THREE OF YOU…SEEING THE INJURIES YOU HAD…HEARING THAT BEZPALOV-SAN ALMOST GENUINELY DIED…AND THEN HAVING TO SEE ALL OF YOU LYING IN THOSE BEDS, JUST LIKE MY BROTHER!"

And just like that, the reason for Tenyas' anger being this explosive all clicked at once for every single one of them. It was honestly rather shameful to realize they hadn't once stopped to think about that fact when Tenya had originally called them out on this plan. They had simply thought he was being the rule-following authority figure as always, and while that was true, there was still so much more leftover emotional trauma fueling it.

Tenya thankfully didn't look like he was about to start throwing any more punches as Izuku slowly stood up straight before him, but his shoulders were still trembling, as was his furious voice, sounding like he was approaching closer and closer to breaking into tears. "IF YOU GUYS GO THROUGH WITH THIS RASHNESS…if something happens to you that can't be recovered from, like my brother…ARE YOU ALL TRYING TO SAY MY CONCERNS DON'T MEAN ANYTHING?!"

When Tenya began to lift his hands towards Izuku again, this time Mina and Eijirou were both starting to take the first steps forward to intervene, before he suddenly planted them firmly on the freckled boys' shoulders, bowing his head as his shoulders shook with pure emotional anguish. "Do my feelings…not mean anything?"

"Iida-san…" both Izuku and Mina simultaneously muttered in sympathy for their president, seeing him get this emotionally low for the first time ever. But just as Mina was already beginning to reach out to lay a supportive hand on Tenyas' shoulder—"Are you here for the same reason, Mina?"

Finding herself now the center of most of her classmates' attention, Mina heard no resentment in Nikolays' voice as he asked her this. If anything, he sounded especially regretful that he had to stay resolute in his decision if that was indeed why she was here.

Fortunately for them both, they wouldn't have to be forced into that position again, as Mina cleared her throat and stood as straight as she could, with no trace of her typical cheeky grin on her pink face, and an unmistakably serious focus in her black-gold eyes as she looked at everyone around her so they could all see and hear how genuine she was about to be. "No. Actually…I'm here because…I've decided I'm going with you guys, too."

After having heard her be so vehemently against this idea for so long, Nikolay couldn't even try to not let out an automatic "huh?!" in response to this. It was about the reaction Mina had been expecting after last time, just as much reflected in the eyes of everyone else, especially Momo and Eijirou.

Taking that as her cue to explain her sudden shift in decision, Mina went on to explain with no hesitation or uncertainty: "I'll just say it up front: I don't like Bakugos' attitude at all. No matter how nice we try to be to him, especially Kiri, he just yells and treats us all like crap. But despite that, Kolya-kun and Kiri are both right; he is still one of us, and I don't want to ever leave anyone in danger if I can help it.

"I still want to be friends with every single student in our class, in Class B, and in the whole school if possible. I want to be able to make the kind of precious high school memories that we can all be a part of, and remember for the rest of our lives with bright and shiny smiles on our faces. If we didn't do something to get Bakugo back, so many people would be sad, and we'd never be able to make those kinds of memories together. And if going out there together and saving Bakugo is the only way we can help all our present and future friends at school, including Bakugo, be able to smile without a trace of sadness, then I couldn't really be the kind of Hero I want to be if I wasn't willing to fight for that chance. So no ifs, ands or buts; I'm going with you guys, and that's that."

For Nikolay and Eijirou, this sudden shift in her decision was definitely unexpected, but her wording for her reasoning couldn't have been more naturally Mina Ashido if she'd tried. For that, the two boys couldn't help but smile in mutual gratitude for her doing this.

As for Momo and Shoto, however, as much as they could appreciate the heartfelt side of her decision, it still came across as particularly childish and ill-advised for the potential risk. That's why the black-haired ponytail-wearing girl was in the process of starting to ask Mina to reconsider. However, Mina could simply tell Momo was about to do so when she stepped forward, hence Mina held an objecting finger up to stop her, with a surprisingly confident grin on her pink face. "But it's not just for that reason, either. I'm not about to start acting like Kolya-kun and Midori-kun didn't just get put through the wringer and…almost died because of it. So that's also why I'm coming along; so I can make sure to keep an eye out and watch all your backs for as long as we're out there doing what we have to. I'm not about to let any one of us here, or anyone else in class, get that badly hurt again, no matter what. We all know those Villains are serious business, and we need all the feet on the ground we can get, and if that just ends up being all of us here, then we'll find a way to make sure that's enough, right? The point is, we've had plenty of time to lick our wounds, and now it's time for us Heroes to just do what Heroes are supposed to do…and act."

Nikolay could just feel his heart light up with deep appreciation for Minas' intentional wording of her sentiment, especially when she deliberately glanced his way at those final words, with a warm and knowing smile on her face that he immediately returned. Thankfully, the irony wasn't lost on anyone else, as Eijirou, Izuku and Shoto couldn't help but even slightly glance his way and smile in knowing appreciation for Minas' volunteering, themselves.

"Well, I think it's safe to say we have everyone here that's going to be accompanying us for this mission. With that being said, Iida-san, Ashido-san, we wanted to let you both know first that we're not trying to confront and attack the Villains head-on, not at all." The moment Shoto suddenly clarified this, both Tenya and Mina looked like they'd just been completely blindsided, having been driving themselves mad with worry for the last several hours to only learn this now.

Spurred on by Shoto, Eijirou likewise stepped in, hands confidently in his pockets to match his assuring grin. "That's right. We never denied what you were saying before about how dangerous this could be, and that's why we're going to rescue Bakugo without combat. This is a covert operation; a way for us to fight without breaking the rules!"

Even though he had been completely preparing himself to go in fighting as best he could, Nikolay felt awash with relief to know Eijirou was being smart about this, while having naturally assumed Shoto to be doing so right from the start.

Suddenly, Momo finally stepped forward, a determined glimmer in her own eyes as she looked her fellow students through their hearts and souls to voice her own sincere intent. "I believe in Todoroki-san…but! I came with the intention of accompanying you all as a failsafe! Should the unthinkable happen, I will prevent combat!"

Eijirou, Shoto, Nikolay and Mina all looked as hopeful as could be to finally know for certain that Momo would be joining them after all. Soon, all eyes were back upon Izuku, who still had his head bowed down in reflection. "I don't really understand it myself, but…after being told that my hands can reach Kacchan…I just can't sit around…I can't help thinking that I want to save him! And I know, deep down inside, every single one of us here can't help but feel the same way…and that's exactly why we're all here right now, and that surely must include you as well, Iida-san."

Nikolay and Mina couldn't have agreed more with Izukus' words. Even though they had both mentally and emotionally willed themselves towards being here, there was no denying that they both had felt this instinctive unrest in the pits of their stomachs; a feeling that they had a natural born duty to make things right. To hear Izuku describe it and credit it to everyone around him, it now seemed so clear that this was essentially their natural senses of Heroism trying to guide them.

As Tenya saw this unspoken shared determination and assurance on all his classmates' faces, he actually could feel his apprehensions and worries slowly beginning to wane. With Shoto, Momo and Izuku in their ranks, then there was clearly no question they were going to be approaching this situation as strategically as possible, and that aspect of their plan would only be that much more improved with his own involvement. And with students like Eijirou, Nikolay and Mina included, their physical capabilities in a situation would be that much better as well, especially with Izukus' condition being what it was.

He still couldn't rightly agree with this plan in terms of official legality, but there was no denying that everyone's hearts and spirits were set on this, and there was nothing more he could do to talk them out of it…nor was there a chance in hell he was going to simply turn his back on them after everything else. And so, it was with an especially exhausted-sounding sigh, that Tenya Iida finally looked in the eyes of all his classmates and friends with a new kind of spark behind his glasses. "A parallel, huh? In that case…TAKE ME WITH YOU!"

Nikolay let out a deep sigh of relief he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in, while Mina was already jumping up and down in cheer, looking like she was one spur of the moment thought away from simply running up and hugging Tenya with gratitude for joining in. All the while, Nikolay couldn't stop smiling with immeasurable gratitude to her for joining them as well. Of course he was unable to help but worry for her now that she was involved, but he wasn't about to let that stop him from seeing this mission through, just like the rest of them. The important thing was that every last one of them here was at the very least willing to try. If they weren't willing to even do that much, then they had no right to call themselves Heroes, and they all knew this well.

Seeing the shared confidence and determination on the faces of all his present friends, Nikolay felt genuinely good about their chances. As long as they went into this as carefully and prepared as possible, then there was a damn good chance they could actually pull this off without getting into another insane fight. With their Bakugo Rescue Team finally formed up, they were officially ready to set out into the big scary world of Heroics, for once without any Pro Hero supervision, and save their explosive classmate with everything they had.

---

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

When Tunguska had been informed that a number of Pro Heroes had stepped forward to join the future rescue operation with the police to get Bakugo back from the League of Villains, and that a strategy meeting was to be held that very night, he was among the first to be there alongside All Might, unwilling to waste a single moment more than necessary to make sure their plan was as airtight as could be. It had been hard enough that he'd been informed, just at the time of his leaving for said meeting, that Nikolay had actually woken up from his coma and was now in full recovery.

All the man wanted at that moment was to be there to hug his son and thank whatever god was there that he was all right. But he'd sworn to All Might and Detective Naomasa that he was going to provide his full heart, mind and strength to this mission to get their mutual student back, and he was never the kind of man to go back on his word.

It was that very same laser focus on getting Bakugo back, getting the League of Villains behind bars, and getting back to Nikolay, that kept him from feeling especially out-of-place when he'd come to see the number of (mostly) much younger and actually licensed Pro Heroes that had stepped forward, and now stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the meeting hall for the debriefing. This was ultimately a fortunate boon for him, as it allowed him to ignore the especially judgmental sideways glare he and All Might both received from the Flame Hero, Endeavor, as well as the scattered unfamiliar and confused glances from a lot of the other Pro Heroes at the sight of the strange foreigner in their midst.

Thankfully, Detective Naomasa was quick to keep the silence and chatter as brief as possible, as he already took his place at the head of the conference hall, filling all the Heroes in his presence with an all-encompassing sense of drive and purpose. "We've got quite an impressive lineup gathered here. Now, let's start the strategy meeting!"

Tunguska took a sharp inhale through his teeth, not even realizing All Might had silently done the same. This was it, the time for them all to at last take the first step towards putting an end to the League of Villains and getting Katsuki Bakugo back to Yuuei safe and sound where he belonged. For the first time in thirteen years, Tunguska, the Sun of Justice, felt like he was right back in his Pro Hero heyday again, to be standing among so many other holders of the Pro Hero mantle.

---

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location…

Anyone else who had woken from a pitch black void, only to find themselves ensnared to a chair in a dimly lit room that looked like a bar, surrounded by a multitude of clearly psychopathic Villains, two of whom were instantly recognizable, would have felt themselves become overwhelmed with pure gut terror, the kind of sensation that would keep them from being able to be calm, let alone think straight.

Of course, Katsuki Bakugo wasn't like anyone else. So when he found himself in that very same kind of situation, waking up after having been rendered unconscious for who-knew how long, unable to move and being stared down from all around by a handful of Villains, two of whom he recognized from all the way back at USJ, all he felt was that simmering aggression and anger building in his chest, not only for having actually been taken by these freaks, but especially for the fact that they clearly didn't take him seriously enough as a threat to have just killed him when they had the chance.

One way or another, the moment the opportunity presented itself, he was already determined to make them regret that decision more than any other they'd been stupid enough to make in their lives.

He wasn't even about to give any one of them the courtesy of the typical questions of asking where he was or what they wanted. He didn't give a shit, to say the least. That much was clear to his band of captors as well, as the lanky white-haired man in blue with the disembodied hand clutching onto his face, whom Bakugo had by now come to know was called 'Tomura Shigaraki' was the first one to ultimately break the silence after about a minute from Bakugo finally waking up.

"This may be really sudden, I know, but…Aspiring Hero, Bakugo Katsuki…won't you become one of my comrades?"

The cold sound of Shigarakis' voice didn't even begin to intimidate Bakugo, nor did this sudden insane request of his. In fact, the idea that this supposed all-powerful Villain had apparently orchestrated this whole kidnapping just for that purpose, and the idea that he thought it would actually work, instead brought a greatly bemused smirk to Bakugos' face, showing his defiance even despite his shitty odds and inability to even move. "Spare me your shit…and die, you asshole."

---

Meanwhile, in another undisclosed location…

"Sensei, are you absolutely certain you want to go through with this?" The lone elderly doctor couldn't hide his personal skepticism, as his sole patient and leader remained seated and wired to his makeshift throne in front of the doctor, with his scalpel hanging perfectly still just below the base of his neck.

"If I wasn't, Doctor, then I wouldn't have asked, now would I? Don't worry; Super Regeneration will take care of the incision in no time at all. It's nothing compared to what All Might did to me when last we fought. Just make sure you give my specific instructions to Shigaraki and Kurogiri afterward. After all, this is nothing more than a failsafe, so there's a chance they may not even need them once all is said and done."

Per his Sensei's instruction, the doctor made the slightest incision into his back, to which the single man upon the throne didn't even flinch or make a noise. Instead, he simply continued to speak as though nothing out of the ordinary were happening; sitting, observing and being operated upon within the darkness of his lair.

"Forgive me, Sensei, but I'm afraid I still don't quite understand why you insisted on this little procedure," the doctor eventually spoke up once he'd gone through exactly what his leader told him to, and was now proceeding to suture the surgical incision, even despite the latters' insistence on his own healing.

"Shigaraki Tomura has been slowly but surely getting all the necessary pieces together and in place on his end that he'll need. However, despite everything going as I'd predicted, I still haven't been able to shake this one insignificant yet annoying little thought from my head. In all the years I've known All Might, with the exception of his few precious sidekicks throughout his time, he's never actively gone out of his way to seek another Hero, one who isn't even at his level as well, for any kind of assistance.

"Of course, I've left him growing ever weaker with each passing day, but even then, he easily could've gone to one of his old sidekicks for help. But no, instead he actively seeks out another Hero entirely, and one that had disappeared from the public eye for well over a decade no less. It's an especially long way to go for someone well past their prime, and dragging them back into the limelight to help train a bunch of pitiful brats. Something about that entire scenario just isn't adding up.

"For All Might to suddenly break from his normal behavior so long after I'd already inflicted his ending injury upon him, and to seek out a has-been of a Hero and drag him all the way here with his kid in tow…and then for his young disciple and his foreign friends' son to start showing up more and more; both of them growing stronger and fighting back against every threat I've manipulated into their respective paths…there's a definite reason All Might sought them out specifically, and that's the one little piece of information I'm missing right now, and I intend to get it, one way or another."

Sitting silhouetted before the numerous screens, the man was already beginning to smile in satisfaction at the fleshing out of his already thorough planning, as he began pointing in emphasis towards the already healing incision just below the base of his neck. "This is simply a backup plan in case anything considerably unfortunate happens in the foreseeable future. It's going to provide me the means to find the answer I'm looking for, as far as that foreign Hero thorn in the side, Tunguska, and his little boy are concerned. Of course, the process won't be as instantaneous as I would've personally preferred."

The uncharacteristic silence from his doctor got a wry chuckle out of the man, already easily able to tell what the old man was thinking, listening to him explain all of this. "I already told you not to worry, Doctor. It's a backup plan, nothing more. Especially with the way things have been shaping up, thanks to Shigaraki Tomura and his little team, I know that All Might and any other Pro Hero foolish enough to actually stand as his ally in the times to come; won't be able to do a damned thing to stop what's coming for all of them."

And there's your new chapter for the week, the beginning of this particular delving into the Hideout Raid Arc! That final scene, I'm especially proud of, as it's the beginning of a considerably secondary plot I've been cooking up for a while now. I hope that leaves you all more than a little excited to see where it goes!

I hope you all liked what you read here today, and if so, maybe feel free to say so.

I hope you all have a great rest of your week, stay safe, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 10/30!