Hello again, everyone. I have to say I am immensely surprised and even more grateful for the immense amount of readers last week's chapter received on its uploading day, as well as the amount of feedback I've been getting. Please feel free to keep it up. I can only hope this chapter will entertain you all just as much, especially since there are a few pieces for future story arcs being set in place in here as well, as you will all come to discover.

Also, I am proud to finally announce that I have started uploading chapters to my account, complete with commissioned artwork like chapter covers and such. If you would like to see for yourselves, feel free to go and look under the account 'ubasnaga' (old word me and some friends in high school made up, I know XD) where I have the prologue and two chapters of the Russia Arc uploaded, but I'm going to be uploading more in due time. I'm hoping to eventually have a gallery of fanart related to this story put there as well, so if any of you are inspired or want to make artwork for this story, feel free to reach out to me, I'd be more than happy to showcase it and credit you all for it.

I'd like to give another immensely thankful and congratulatory shout-out to my two beta readers: the recently wedded Mizu Hikikomori, and Jonny. You two will never truly know just how awesome you both are.

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.

UPDATE 06/16/23: I've made some slight dialogue adjustments to the scene of Nikolay meeting Mina's parents, in order to maintain continuity with my recently released adaptation of the first MHA light novel, 'Son of Justice: Parents' Day'.

Chapter 52

Building Bridges

(Наведение Мостов)

Saturday, July 20th

After a grueling first six days of their imposed construction work sentence in exchange for not immediately getting expelled from Yuuei, Nikolay and Bakugo had finally finished laying out the plumbing, heating, refrigeration and cooling pipe systems for all twelve proposed dormitory buildings, and with the help of the hired construction crews, Power Loader and Cementoss, they had also managed to finally get the exterior and interior wall setups for each building officially completed as well, with the wooden structure foundations having already been long since completed.

With one major hurdle of the job now finished, it was now time for the exterior brick-laying, floorboard, window and door installations. As such, from the moment they had started this otherwise ordinary Saturday morning, the two boys had been sent to work on laying out the floorboards on two separate floors, in order to hasten the process so they wouldn't be stuck working on a single building all day.

From the start, Nikolay had been particularly laser-focused on details, making sure the board measurements were right before flushing them to the walls and using the most concentrated firings of his Quirk from his fingertips to drive the nails in good and flat.

To his silent pride and relief, he had been going at it for the last couple of hours this way, and had already been looking at the left wing and two-thirds of the common area of the first floor finished. If Bakugo was having just as much progress up on the second floor, they could have been looking at having the whole first building finished by today. And with the construction crews handling the brick-laying, that was already another major hurdle being taken care of at the same time. For the first time since this whole project had started, Nikolay was actually feeling relatively good about their chances getting these things done before the start of the second semester.

At that moment, having just been wondering about Bakugo's progress, a number of interjecting adult voices caught Nikolay's attention, and he turned back to find his foul-tempered working partner currently in the middle of trying to haul a bundle of floorboards on his shoulder up a nearby stairwell, while several of the construction workers were crowding around him. In the hopes of being able to prevent a potential conflict, Nikolay hurried over to check for himself.

"Kid, there's no reason for you to be making so much extra work for yourself, you got people that are just trying to help. These stairwells are too narrow for you to get the floorboards up there horizontally like that," one construction worker tried to explain, with multiple expressions of agreement echoing from the others.

"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP, OLD MAN! LET ME WORK ON THIS THE WAY I WANT AND GO FOCUS ON SOMETHING ELSE, DAMMIT!" Bakugo spat furiously, just in time for Nikolay to have finally made his way through the small crowd; already able to tell just from a glance the real maneuverability problems his work partner was now dealing with, trying to essentially brute force his way up while holding all the boards horizontally, for which there really was no room for him to turn himself so he could even get up the rest of the way. And from the looks of impatience on the workers' faces, this wasn't the first time the blonde boy had been dealing with this problem and turned their offers of assistance down.

"Bakugo, maybe you should just stop and look at what you're trying to do. Why don't I just head up to the next floor and you shimmy the boards up to me? That's gotta be a lot easier, especially for you." His willingness to try and make this job of theirs really work out was admirable on Nikolay's part, especially since Bakugo had given him no reason to even try and be civil so far.

Today, unfortunately, he was proving to be no different, as he shot a glare of pure murderous hate at the forward Russian boy. "You think I won't tell you to piss off just because Aizawa forced us to work together?! HELL NO! Now go put your prodding nose back to your own grindstone and leave me to mine, you asshole!"

With that, Bakugo was once again trying to force the angle of his floorboards around his shoulders so he could actually round the corner, but despite his hostile answer, Nikolay was still insisting on following up after him, not backing down in the face of his anger this time. "Dammit, Bakugo, your share would be going so much smoother if you'd just take the help when it's given! You just said it yourself: the only reason we're here is because we're supposed to be learning to work together! What you're doing right now is not that!"

Bakugo suddenly threw several of the floorboards up the rest of the steps to his assigned floor with a furious shout before swiftly turning and nearly grinding his forehead into Nikolay's; the two boys once again in another face-off. "Hey, we're already having to do the same crappy job together as it is; that's working together enough as it is, and more than I want to do to begin with. But I'm here anyway, cause I'm not about to let the fact you've got no thick skin get me expelled from here, you got it?!"

As Bakugo continued storming up the rest of the steps to the second floor, Nikolay sucked in another frustrated breath as he continued following up after him. "Well, at least let me see how much you've managed to get done, then you can do the rest of your floor by yourself for all I care."

However, the moment Nikolay stepped past the last of the stairway steps to this floor, he nearly found himself face-planting into the lower-leveled opening the floorboards were supposed to be covering; only managing to save himself by instinctively grabbing the railing. Looking up and down both sides of the hall, Nikolay found his scalp starting to burn with frustration when he saw not a single floorboard had even been laid out, let alone hammered in. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! IT'S BEEN OVER FOUR HOURS SINCE WE STARTED TODAY! HOW HAVE YOU NOT GOTTEN A SINGLE FLOORBOARD SET IN PLACE YET?!"

A gruff clearing of the throat from halfway up the stairs to the third floor drew both boys' attention, just before Bakugo could start preparing a fist of explosions to instinctively send into Nikolay's face. An especially exasperated-looking construction worker was looking back down at them. "The kid's temper keeps him from actually giving his work the care it needs, that's how! From the start, he's either been smashing his thumbs with the hammer whenever he tries to get the nails in, or he's ended up blowing every board he's had from the start in half when it happens! I'd gladly take over the job for him myself, but no way am I letting someone as pissed off as him work on installing the windows!"

A number of grumbling agreements from the other gathered construction workers left Bakugo sneering with inhuman anger. "TO HELL WITH ALL OF YOU! IT'S NOT LIKE I WANNA WASTE TIME I COULD BE SPENDING GETTING STRONGER WITH A SHIT JOB LIKE THIS, EITHER! I'M ONLY HERE CAUSE YOUR COMMIE ASS CAN'T TAKE SOME MUCH NEEDED EMOTIONAL BREAKING DOWN AND TOUGHENING UP!"

Nikolay could feel an impulsive desire to call Bakugo out as a hypocrite, talking about emotional toughness when he saw him get constantly whooped by his own mother. However, his own sense of integrity kept him from doing so, knowing he could never make the same kind of low blow insult like Bakugo had done. Their only way of succeeding through this was to try to become bigger people, and if he had to be the first one to do so, then so be it.

"Don't go acting like I'm the one that started the damn fight in the first place, Bakugo! It started because you're the one who can't control your temper, just because you can't stand the idea of people actually catching up with you in terms of strength and skill, let alone potentially surpassing you! At least I've owned up to my part in the whole thing! You keep talking about how you want to become the next Top Hero? Even surpass All Might? Well you can't do that if you get expelled from Yuuei, can you? And right now, we know the only way you'll even have a chance in hell of doing that, is if you just swallow your goddamn pride, do what Aizawa-sensei told us, and try to learn how to work with people! If you can work with any of these men, then maybe there's a chance we could actually work together and actually still be able to become Heroes! Cause if we carry on like this, we might as well just pack up and go home now!"

Nikolay's attempt to be the level-headed one quickly fell by the wayside, as the grim realization of what his and Bakugo's reality was going to be by the end of this job at the rate they were going, made him figure out just how much time they had ultimately already wasted, and just how little time they actually had to get all twelve of these dorms ready in time for the second semester; especially after having realized how quickly that time could pass when they were keeping themselves so busy.

Unfortunately, his impatient tangent only seemed to leave Bakugo simmering in quiet anger that much more as he just scoffed at Nikolay's words and shoulder-checked him on his way down the stairs. "Just get back to working on the damn floorboards. I'll work on the windows, and I don't wanna hear anybody say shit about it!"

As Bakugo stormed his way outside, and Nikolay begrudgingly stomped his way back down to get back to laying down the floorboards; neither of the two boys ever noticed how Cementoss had been listening in on their most recent argument from the floor above.

Sure, he had expected the two boys to still be butting heads on the first day, maybe even the first two or three. But it had now almost been an entire week, and they were still continuously going at it. By this point, the Yuuei literature teacher was beginning to feel a touch concerned about the potential for Nikolay and Bakugo to really find a synchronicity in which they could work together. He certainly dreaded the idea of two such promising students being forced to leave Yuuei, simply because of their mutually fierce tempers that seemed to just ignite off of each other.

Later that same day, Bakugo had at least managed to get the windows for the first floor installed, just at the same time Nikolay had managed to finish laying the floorboards for the first floor. Ever since their previous confrontation, the construction workers not laying down the brick-works had taken to floor boarding the rest of the 1-A dorm floors in Bakugo's stead.

From there, when it came to working on the same thing for the 1-B dorm, the two boys had been directed by Cementoss to a newly constructed pulley system the construction crew had decided to make for them to try and make getting floorboards to the upper floors that much easier. A single sizable crank was set up at the ground, while others were set up at the aligned windows on each subsequent floor.

Figuring it was easy enough to go from there, especially since enough floorboards for an entire floor in itself were already loaded onto the pallet for the second floor, Nikolay had been quick to take the pulley on the upper level, while Bakugo took the one on the ground. Anyone, just like they did, would have naturally assumed two people manning two pulleys at once would have made getting the payload up easier. Compared to Bakugo's forced attempts at getting them up the stairwell, it was.

Other than that, it was proving just as difficult, as the real accumulated weight put Nikolay and Bakugo's combined physical strength at both pulleys to the test. However, while they had managed to get them up to the second floor so Nikolay could get to work on getting that entire section done; the strain of getting the next load to the third floor was even harder, as the time and the weight was quickly mounting for both of them, no matter how much they kept trying to get their adrenaline, as well as each others', pumping by instinctively shouting at each other to put their backs into it.

"Put your own damn back into it! Hurry up and hook it to the supports, dammit," Bakugo spat after the third time of this aggressive pressuring between themselves. As soon as the pallet with the floorboards was level with the third floor window Nikolay was currently operating the winch at, the Russian boy tried to keep a strong one-handed grip on the handle as he tried to reach out to the steel hook hanging from the edge of the pallet. Once he could get it connected to the scaffolding, it would at least be supported so he could get to work unloading the wood.

As Nikolay tried to reach for it, he suddenly felt his hand on the lever slip and lose its grip, just at the same time as Bakugo was trying to put all his weight into the winch he was operating down below, only for his balance to suddenly give out from under him, and cause him to lose his grip as well.

As a result, the massive pallet of wood went freefalling down to Bakugo below. Acting on a dime, Nikolay lunged himself out the window and quickly fired a powered kick into the side of the pallet, sending the whole thing flying to the side and away from Bakugo. However, at the same time, Bakugo had likewise readied a hand full of explosions at the plummeting pallet and fired with all the destructive power he could muster into a single hand.

Because Nikolay had managed to kick the pallet away, though, this left Bakugo with nothing but empty air to blow to hell and back, with the freefalling Russian boy nearly caught in it, as he was likewise sent rolling in the other direction, with his right arm and right pant leg heavily singed from the intense heat.

The moment he knew he was no longer about to get crushed, Bakugo switched his hateful gaze back to Nikolay, right now struggling to get back to his feet, only to quickly find himself being stormed over to by a face twisted with pure anger. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, COMMIE?! I TOLD YOU TO PUT YOUR BACK INTO SUPPORTING IT! CAN'T YOU EVEN PUSH DOWN ON A WINCH RIGHT, YOU LAZY BASTARD?!"

As Bakugo had by now come to expect at this point, Nikolay was just as quick to whip his head so they were now glaring daggers at each other, nearly driving their foreheads against one another. "Hey, I was doing what you told me, and trying to hook the stupid thing! For all we know, you losing your grip could've just as easily been the cause of it! How about you cut me some friggin' slack?!"

Bakugo looked like he was one synapse away from spitting right in Nikolay's face as he began storming over towards the scattered floorboards over a dozen feet away. "Typical, go around blaming other people for your own weakness. Just to be expected from someone as useless as you."

Catching this spiteful muttering under Bakugo's breath; Nikolay was likewise stomping up behind him, angrily trying to gather up as much wood as he could. "Seriously? After everything that's happened, is that really what you still think? If I'm so goddamn useless, then what the hell was I doing trying to help save you from those Villains with Midoriya-san and the others, huh?!"

Bakugo suddenly threw the bundle of floorboards he'd already tried lifting back to the ground. "I ALREADY TOLD YOU AND THE REST OF THOSE IDIOTS: I NEVER NEEDED ANY HELP! I WAS GOING TO ESCAPE ON MY OWN ANYWAY! AND EVEN IF I EVER DID NEED HELP, WHICH I NEVER WOULD OTHERWISE, I WOULD NEVER NEED IT FROM SOMEONE LIKE YOU!"

As Bakugo once again retried gathering the floorboards and hoisting them over his shoulder to pile them up on the pallet again, Nikolay was not letting up; keeping a neck-and-neck pace with his fuming work partner. "How about you actually answer my question this time?! What was I doing trying to help rescue you when things were getting so dangerous, if I'm so damn useless like you think I am?"

With a spiteful scoff as he dropped the boards from his shoulder, Bakugo looked Nikolay square in the eye. "Because you're a freaking dumbass who didn't have to join that stupid mission, but who constantly picks fights he can't win, and turns tail and runs from all the others, that's why! Even the fights you do actually manage to win are through no effort of your own; you just net yourself a bunch of cheap and meaningless wins by letting all the other dumbasses around you do the heavy lifting for you!"

With Bakugo's specific wording mirroring the similar insults he had made in Nikolay's face back in the training camp, Nikolay could feel the retort he'd been wanting to give even back then, come racing right up his throat automatically as he refused to stand down. "I'm not even going to dignify that kind of willfully blind bullshit with the response I'm sure you're looking for. But I'll tell you this: I'd much rather get my strength from the help and support of others than to go around isolating myself and acting like I have to carry all that weight of responsibility by myself, like you do!

"I've already lived too much of my life thinking like that, and I've had more than my fill of it. Maybe if you were to make the same decision, you wouldn't feel like you're lagging so far behind where you think you should be; which, if I'm being completely fair, you're not. Even a Hero like All Might isn't too proud to share some of the weight off his shoulders with those willing to help him; especially now. That was part of the reason he sought my dad out in the first place. If you aren't willing to do the same as him, then what hope could you possibly have of surpassing him and becoming the next Top Hero?"

Bakugo's animalistic growls of rage as he once again tried hoisting the palette back to the third floor only grew more in intensity with every turn of the lever. Yet, somehow, he was still keeping his burning red eyes solely on Nikolay. "Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that about shit you can't possibly understand? It's not like you've ever had any real sense of pride to try and protect to begin with! All you've ever had is a bunch of weaklings giving you some kind of inflated sense of self-worth, and a whole bunch of royally screwed priorities because of it! Hell, you and Deku both! If either of you had some kind of sense in those empty heads of yours, you both would've known you had no justifiable reason to try and save me… and yet you and the rest of those idiots did it anyway!"

Nikolay found himself genuinely torn between simply putting this pointless argument to an end and wanting to point out the hypocrisy on Bakugo's end for criticizing him for having an inflated sense of self worth. However, while he found himself at this conundrum, Bakugo was still scowling at him furiously. "Well don't just stand there, you dumb shit! Get up there and hook the damn pallet up already!"

As Nikolay angrily made his way into the dorm building, Bakugo had taken to grumbling to himself: "Stupid goddamn Deku! Going around, throwing himself and others in danger when none of them can even handle themselves against it! And that goddamn Bolshevik bastard, going around like he has any right to talk when he just lets himself get led around by the nose to pretend he actually has a chance at being a Hero! I can't believe I actually have nearly an entire month of this bullshit left!"

For the remainder of that day, both boys were continuously silently fuming in their heads over this god-awful job, and the fact that, at least try as Nikolay might, there just seemed to be no way or place that they could actually form an understanding and actually work together. As far as the young Russian was convinced at this point, this job was now only delaying the inevitable expulsion at the end, especially if Cementoss really was keeping Aizawa and Nezu informed on their complete lack of dynamic progress as classmates.

Monday, July 22nd

The next two days on the job fared no better. With the construction crews having decided to cut the time for the job in half by floor-boarding the other ten dorms, and installing the windows in them as well, the previous Sunday had been spent on Nikolay and Bakugo's part finishing up installing the floorboards for the dorms for Classes A and B.

And now on this day, with the floor boards having officially been installed, it now fell to the two boys to start installing the carpets for the designated dorm rooms themselves. And even a task like that had opened up to non-stop bickering between the two, starting with complete disagreement on the color, before ultimately boiling down to the two having to work on installing the coverage from corner to corner.

As Nikolay kept up his normal routine of using his minute and concentrated blasts from his fingertips to drive the nails into the corners and floor borders once he knew he had the carpets perfectly flushed, Bakugo had simply taken to forcing them up to the edge and slamming his hammer into the nails haphazardly; every strike echoing his constant anger and frustration.

"Dammit, would you hurry the hell up over there?! We haven't even finished three of these shitty rooms yet, you're so friggin' slow! It's just driving nails into the floor and making sure there's no wood exposed, it's not that hard!" As Bakugo once again snapped at Nikolay upon reaching the opposite corner from where he'd started in their second dorm room, while Nikolay was only halfway there; the Russian boy just as quickly snapped his head to attention.

His face reflected similar frustration when he saw the rolling folds in the carpeting left behind in Bakugo's wake. "At least I'm making sure the job is done thoroughly! What kind of half-assed job do you call that?! You're pretty much inviting someone from class to trip over that! You might as well just pry it loose, trim a few inches and try again!"

WHAM! SHRRRK!

The hammer practically bounced off the floor as Bakugo threw it down and tore his side of the carpet straight up from the floorboards in one enraged tug. The veins on his forehead were visibly pulsating as his eyes were clearly trying to make Nikolay's head explode. "WOULD YOU SCREW OFF ALREADY?! HOW ABOUT YOU JUST FOCUS ON SPEEDING UP YOUR OWN WORK AND STOP BITCHING AT ME ABOUT MINE?!"

Nikolay could feel one of the last vestiges of his own patience finally snap, as he likewise practically jumped from the spot where he was kneeling; stomping towards Bakugo as though he were about to flat-out head-butt him. "THAT'S RICH, COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS JUST WHINING ABOUT HOW SLOW HE THINKS I AM! Unlike you, I'm at least trying to get this job done right while trying to find something, anything at all, we could actually have some kind of common ground on! I'm not about to let myself get expelled just because you're insecure enough about your own strength to insult people that catch up to you!"

Bakugo's knuckles were turning white as snow as he clenched his fists tight enough to puncture the skin of his palms. "Please. If you could run away from Yuuei once before; then getting thrown out on your ass will hardly be a big change of pace for you."

Nikolay's vision went white hot as he instinctively slammed the door to the room hard enough that it not only resonated through the entire room, but even came collapsing off its frame. "VOT I VSE! YA BOL'SHE NE MOGU TERPET' TVOE DER'MO, BAKUGO (THAT'S IT! I CAN'T TAKE YOUR SHIT ANYMORE, BAKUGO)! NO MORE INSULTS AND BACKHANDED WORDS! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! WHAT THE HELL DO I HAVE TO DO TO CONVINCE YOU I'M HERE FOR GOOD, HUH?!"

Bakugo's eyes reflected an approving intensity, as though he were just aching for Nikolay to get this angry so they could finally finish the fight they had started before. Recognizing this look of pure bloodlust on the blonde-haired boy's face, Nikolay's fists were likewise trembling as his screaming began to die down. "You know what? It doesn't even matter worth a shit anymore. You know why? Because you were right before: I didn't have to join that mission to try and rescue you from those Villains. I could've easily just gone home and let things play out as they would have… but I didn't. I still decided to go with the others so we could all see you come home safe. What does that tell you, if anything at all?"

However, Bakugo likewise refused to back down, this time merely answering Nikolay with a spiteful rolling of the eyes and another foul-tempered 'tsch'. "Oh, yeah, some real big choice on your part. With that moronic Hair-For-Brains and that damn Raccoon Eyes involved, I'll bet it just took a single look from the latter, especially, to get you to fold into coming along. That pink ditz has got your pansy-ass wrapped so tight around her little finger, it's goddamn pathetic."

Bakugo began to try and remount the fallen door back into its frame; all the while, Nikolay had his eyes staring in silent anger at the hotheaded boy's back. Despite that, however, when he spoke up, his voice had fallen especially quiet: "That's where you're wrong, though."

Bakugo froze just before he could slip the door back into place; slowly turning his head so that he could glare that murderous stare at the young Slav behind him. Feeling that glare fall upon him, Nikolay stood tall and stalwart as he continued: "That's right, you heard me. You're wrong, Bakugo. Neither Mina nor Kirishima-san convinced me to come along. If anything, she was all but begging me not to go when the idea first got thrown out there. She didn't want me to go, but I still chose to, regardless, because I knew I'd never be able to look myself in the mirror and genuinely call myself a Hero if I didn't do something to help, when I knew we actually had a chance to save you."

Bakugo finally finished turning the rest of his body around as he never took his eyes off Nikolay; a look of pure incredulousness written on his face. "Bullshit; who do you think you're fooling, you lying prick?! That frizzy-haired pain-in-the-ass is so impulsive and prone to letting her emotions take control; not to mention she's practically glued to you. Why the hell would she, of all people, actually try to talk you out of trying to help me, besides the fact I whooped your sorry ass before?"

Even though Bakugo was clearly trying to probe at him to get him to further lose his temper, Nikolay instead took another deep, steadying breath; his arms trembling as he did so. "Because I legit nearly died during that Villain attack."

For the first time ever, Nikolay could swear he saw the hateful fire in Bakugo's eyes actually dim; the furious snarl on his face actually fade and become replaced with a genuine air of surprise. He couldn't say he didn't expect it; this being the very first time Bakugo had actually heard of this specific detail.

Of course, that surprise didn't last long, as Bakugo's brow furrowed in record time: "You actually expect me to believe that? You, out of anyone else, actually got yourself in a situation where you nearly bit the big one? Don't go trying to make yourself look all big and tough with me, you ass."

Bakugo sounded so self-assured that he'd caught Nikolay in the act. Hence why, when the Russian boy suddenly pulled the collar of his shirt down without a word, revealing the dime-sized jagged circular scar spot just above his heart; the snide chuckle Bakugo was about to make died in an instant in his throat. He wasn't fool enough to think he was seeing things; that scar was as real as the day was long. His angry red eyes slowly widened with shock at what he was seeing, along with the surprisingly calm and resigned expression on Nikolay's face.

"When the Villain attack started, I hadn't gone into the woods yet. I had the perfect chance to just go back to the training facility without any unnecessary risk. However, I knew that all the other students who were already in the woods would be in danger. I knew I'd be taking a huge risk, disobeying the instructors' orders, but I went into those woods by myself anyway, trying to save whoever I could find. Along the way, I ended up running into Tetsutetsu-san and Kendo-san from Class B, right before we got attacked by the Villain who had been spreading that gas through the forest. He tried to shoot Kendo-san, and I took the bullet for her instead, so she and Tetsutetsu-san could have the chance to beat him.

"After that, they tried to get me back to the facility, and ended up running into Midoriya-san and the others who had been trying to get you there as well before you got kidnapped. Mina and Setsuna-san joined them in getting me to safety while Midoriya-san, Shouji-san and Todoroki-san kept chasing the Villain that had captured you. After we got back, we ended up getting attacked by another Villain, who even had everyone at his mercy. According to Mina and Kirishima-san, though, my body just decided to act at the last second and blew him away; saving everyone at the facility. After that, they said my heart had stopped beating. For everything it was worth, I was genuinely dead… and yet, they, Kaminari-san and Vlad King-sensei all managed to bring me back, even though I didn't wake up until nearly two days later.

"After all of that, once I'd heard that you'd been taken, I… I actually blamed myself; thinking that if I hadn't injured you as much as I had, you would've been able to fight your way out of it no problem. I had no doubt that I'd eventually get expelled because of our stupid fight, so I at least wanted to face it while knowing I'd done something at all to try and put things right."

By the time Nikolay had finally stopped recounting the entire ordeal, Bakugo's expression hadn't softened as far as his anger went, but his eyes did still look to be really considering everything he was being told. That was about as good a result as Nikolay could have expected, as he finally brought his shirt collar back up. "Yeah, that's why I wanted to join the mission to try and rescue you. I won't lie to you; I don't like you any more than you like me, Bakugo. I don't think either of us is foolish enough to think that'll ever really change. However, that doesn't mean I would have ever wanted something bad to happen to you or anyone else, either. We're all still trying to become Heroes; how could any of us call ourselves that if we were actually willing to be petty enough to hold grudges or be selective in who we actually try to save?"

Bakugo didn't dare to let Nikolay see his posture fall, as he was finding himself frankly shocked to hear all of this coming from the Russian boy he had convinced himself so thoroughly was nothing more than a spineless coward. Yet now, here he was, standing before him, with the scar of a life-threatening injury to back up every single word.

Aside from the initial shock, Bakugo could also distinctly feel a surge of disbelief and painful realization starting to scratch at the door of his mind. 'You've gotta be kidding me. This is the coward who ran away when things got tough… people like him aren't supposed to be the kind of guys who actually take a bullet for others! It doesn't add up! He's not brave enough for it, not strong enough for it… but then what the hell else do I call that scar? This asshole… he actually did it. He actually put his life on the line and fought… just like Heroes are supposed to do. It's just like… goddammit, he really is just like that damn Deku and that stupid Hair-for-Brains! He's just like them, after all! Goddammit!'

Nikolay wasn't about to dare guessing just what was going through Bakugo's mind as he kept standing before him in unsettling silence. Besides, the contemplative look in his eyes told him plenty. "You see it for yourself now, don't you, Bakugo? I've always meant it when I said I was here for the long haul now. I'm done running away from my problems. All I want now is to become a Hero, just like I did years ago… and I wanna be a Hero, with all of my classmates there right beside me so we can all be on the same level… and yes, that includes you, too. I mean, hell, let's face it: you really are one of the strongest students in our class. All Might and my Dad even told you as much: you've got all kinds of great potential to become the next Top Hero, right? Maybe, if you just acknowledged that it's not just Midoriya-san; but rather that it's everyone in our class who are all getting stronger in our own individual ways…then maybe that goal would be much closer at hand than you think. If you could just accept that, and from there focus solely on getting stronger yourself, even I think you could be able to make it that far. It doesn't matter if you believe me or not; it's what I honestly believe, myself."

At first, the fact that he was being answered by nothing but silence on Bakugo's part had Nikolay feeling especially nervous. However, to his disbelief, he actually saw the normally so-aggressive boy's fists actually slowly open at his sides, hanging limply with nary a sign of tension to be seen.

Finally, Bakugo let out a sigh of what could only have been a deeper kind of resignation, as he turned back to getting the door set back into place, before then returning to his spot for laying down the carpeting.

Nikolay couldn't begin to imagine what Bakugo was thinking, but the fact that he was thinking about what he had been told at all was as good a sign as anything the young Slavic boy could have hoped for. Now he could only hope this sudden little confrontation would actually be the first step towards the synergy they were supposed to be discovering between each other in the first place.

"Well, are you just gonna stand there with that stupid look on your face, or are you gonna get back to work here? You seem to have some kind of idea how to do this, and I wanna get this shit over with." Bakugo suddenly asking Nikolay over for assistance left the boy in question looking completely dumbfounded, all too certain he was just hearing things. But when he saw the sincerely serious look in Bakugo's red eyes, he knew now that the hotheaded student meant every word: he was actually asking for his help, and not cursing a blue streak at him in the process.

Had he not been so sure Bakugo would have only gotten pissed off and violent again in response to him doing so, Nikolay would've almost wanted to cheer that they had reached some kind of breakthrough. Instead, he decided to do as he was being asked, and quickly knelt down to start making sure the carpeting was really flush to the wall on all corners, with not a roll in the fabric to be seen.

As soon as he gave the go-ahead, he and Bakugo began to rhythmically pound the nails into the corners and floor borders, slowly but steadily making their way across the perimeter of the entire room, while periodically making sure to force out all the trapped air from underneath through what openings were left.

After a good couple of minutes of this, with not a fault in their work to be seen thus far, Nikolay was feeling particularly proud of them both. This was just about as good a development in the intended objective of their job as he could have asked for. He didn't want to risk agitating Bakugo along the way by bringing it up. The fact the blonde-haired boy wasn't continuously cursing to himself and putting far too much aggression into his work was definitely a very good sign.

Once they had finally finished the second dorm room and moved on to the third, Nikolay felt just about ready to take it on without hesitation. All the while, Bakugo still looked as contemplative as he had been since he'd been told the complete story. Even though he said nothing, his mind was awhirl with conflict. He still wanted to hate the Russian boy at his side with every fiber of his being; for his past actions and for his still-perceived weakness in the explosive boy's eyes. He'd managed to at least start putting his dislike of Tunguska behind him after what had happened at that immense battle, but he had still remained unconvinced of Nikolay's strength; he wanted to keep feeling that way, if just for how familiar it now felt for him. And yet, no matter how much he wanted to, he could tell that the twisted core of his distaste for him was simply no longer there. He wasn't nearly close to saying he was actually starting to develop a begrudging respect for him, let alone like him, but that hate was quickly fading from within his chest.

"Well, we might as well get started here, too. We might even be able to get all the rooms in this building done by tonight at this rate." Nikolay stated with subdued eagerness as he began to step inside, already in the process of unfurling the roll of carpeting that had been waiting for them, just like in all the other rooms.

And yet, despite this, he quickly realized Bakugo was still standing out in the hall; eyes glued to the floor in thought. Once he realized Nikolay was observing his odd behavior, though, he was quick to join in, simply anxious to get this over and done with.

Once all the cuts to fit the measurements of the room had been made, and they began their nailing installation process, both boys were once again completely silent with concentration. However, once Nikolay was halfway to his opposite corner of the room, he suddenly heard Bakugo's voice, calmer than he had ever heard before, break the silence: "That was one hell of a last punch back there, I won't lie."

Nikolay froze stiff where he knelt, looking in momentary confusion to Bakugo, who simply rolled his eyes and let out a sharp sigh; having pretty much expected such a reaction. "During that fight, that last hit you got me with when I thought you were down… that… *sigh*… that was a really good hit, honestly."

Nikolay, even for a split second, was certain he was just hearing things, but deep down he knew that wasn't the case. It was an absolute miracle: Katsuki Bakugo was actually giving him the closest thing to a genuine compliment that he had ever received from the likes of him. He could already swear he was feeling the beginnings of deeply moved tears start coming up to his eyes.

However, he wasn't about to embarrass both of them with such a display, and instead, Nikolay decided to answer Bakugo in kind while continuing to focus on his end of the work. "Thank you. That barrage you hit me with beforehand was really impressive, too. I don't even know how it was I got back up for that hit."

With that, and everything being said that needed to be said between them, Nikolay and Bakugo carried on with their assigned workload for the day in a relatively calmer silence. All the while, neither of them realized that, once more, Cementoss was standing vigilant just outside of view in the hallways, having listened in to every word of their most recent argument, and the shockingly pleasant turn it had ended up taking in the end.

The Yuuei literature teacher could actually feel the beginning of a smile starting to tug at the corners of his mouth as he simply listened in on the calm silence between the two boys as they continued to help each other work as efficiently and hastily as possible. He could only imagine Aizawa and Nezu would likewise be pleased to know that, at long last, the boys had finally started to find some common ground.

Tuesday, July 23rd

At the same time as Nikolay and Bakugo had started their heavy workload of a construction job over a week ago; so too had Oleg started following through on his words by putting his nose to the textbook grindstone, all for the sake of finally being ready to take his Pro Hero License exam. Yes, he couldn't afford to go rushing into it yet, at least not until he'd finally gotten his new prosthetic arm from the Yaoyorozu family. But every waking moment of every day for the last nine days, he had been continuously reminding himself that it was time for him to finally get himself back into the field of active Hero duty, and start honoring his self-made promise to start carrying his share of the weight that once rested entirely on All Might alone. Until Izuku was well and truly ready to step into his place as the new Symbol of Peace, then there had to be some kind of cohesion between all the other Heroes to fill that void.

However, even for as focused as Oleg was on his own goal, he was far from blind about what was going on with his son, either. Every day, Nikolay came home completely exhausted, battered and bruised from each new day of work; hardly able to even tell him a single sentence of how anything was going; whether it was progress on the dorms, or progress between himself and Bakugo.

The fact that Oleg hadn't received any outstanding texts from Cementoss as to the progress of things was a noteworthy source of concern as well. Oleg wanted to believe that it was simply because nothing of notable concern had happened since last Monday, and the reason for Nikolay's persistent silence on the matter was because he was simply too tired to discuss it. But in the end, Oleg's mind couldn't help but start veering towards the worst case scenario each night: that things between his son and Bakugo were simply beyond salvaging, and Nikolay simply didn't want to burden his father with excessive worry about their impending expulsion once the next semester started, thanks to their simply being incapable of truly working together. Oleg didn't want to dwell on it, but when his own child's future was on the line, that was simply impossible.

BRRNG! BRRNG!

The sound of Oleg's cellphone suddenly going off at his spot at the dining room table stirred the large Russian from his reverie, only to be overcome with a swelling of worry once he saw it was from Cementoss. Past experience had him already bracing himself for another video or photo of Nikolay and Bakugo fighting; thus solidifying and justifying his worries. It would make sense, then, why Nikolay's body language had become so comparatively lax: merely an attempt to try and hide the truth.

Unwilling to keep himself from the facts any longer, Oleg finally grabbed the phone and opened the message… only to suddenly be met with a series of photos: one of Nikolay and Bakugo standing side by side on the roof of one of the dorm buildings, pulling on one winch together to lift a pallet full of roofing tiles.

After that was a photo of the same two boys actually working together in painting the walls, and then another of the two busily tiling the bathrooms and bathing areas. And the one thing these three photos all had in common, was that neither Nikolay nor Bakugo's faces were wrought with the anger and aggression he had come to expect when they were together. They were far from getting chatty from the looks of it, but they actually looked to be mentally in sync with each other, if just from the focus their eyes all reflected.

Scrolling further down, Oleg now found himself presented with a lengthy text from Cementoss himself: 'Good evening, Tunguska-san. I wasn't sure if Bezpalov-kun had already informed you of this recent development, but I still felt you deserved to know just as much as Aizawa-san and Nezu-san. It's been taking quite a while, but I dare say that your son and Bakugo-kun may have finally found some kind of synergy with each other. It's far from the kind of friendship I know he has with a good number of his classmates, but it seems to be an undeniable understanding of each other, in terms of strength and goals. People can find the means to really work together in all situations from all kinds of sources; you and I both know this. I personally find it very heartening to know they may have both finally started to take that major step forward together.'

Oleg hurriedly typed up a grateful response before sending it out; all the while feeling a deep warmth start to grow within the pit of his chest. Just when he had started to becoming wrought with worry for his son's chances at continuing his education, a miracle had decided to plop itself right in his lap.

As he once again found that drive to get right back to his own studies, he instinctively looked back over his shoulder towards the hall where Nikolay's bedroom sat, where his son was already fast asleep after another exhausting day. With a warm and satisfied smile on his bearded face, Oleg simply gave his son a silent mental wishing well: 'I knew you could find a way somehow, Kolya. Your friends have helped you in your persistence and bravery a hundredfold and more. I just know you and malenkii Bakugo can somehow continue to grow together through the rest of this challenge of yours. You're both well and truly on your way.'

Thursday, July 25th

The following two days had made the last week and a half of labor Nikolay and Bakugo had gone through look like a walk in the park by comparison. With the painting and tiling, floor boards and carpet-laying, roofing and door/window installations all complete in all twelve dorm buildings, it had now fallen to the two conscripted boys to start hauling sacks of cement mix for the reinforcement for the walls and the walkways between the dorms, on top of also helping run the wiring systems for the electricity through each and every one, with the help of the on-site electricians of course.

After that, their task had ultimately fallen to finally painting the respective class numbers right on the face of each building, nice and large, with the words 'Alliance' painted on the arches above the front entrance of all twelve.

Yes, these last two days had been the definition of grueling, and Nikolay and Bakugo both looked like the physical representations of that word; both of them visibly hunched over and trying to catch their breath, both battered and sweaty from the nonstop workload of the last nearly two weeks finally catching up with them.

And yet, even for all the physical anguish their bodies were going through right now…there actually wasn't a hint of animosity in the air between them, believe it or not. They weren't anywhere close to calling each other friends, or even pleasant acquaintances. However, after the intense heart-to-heart they'd ended up going through on Monday, the two boys simply weren't able to keep a bitterness going between them. It was as though all the hostility had given way to a very quiet but undeniable sense of respect, an understanding of where they both stood from one another. It had certainly taken long enough, as far as the teachers and the construction workers were concerned.

Standing here now, looking upon the completed exterior of the 1-A dorm room, Nikolay Bezpalov and Katsuki Bakugo could actually feel a genuine sense of accomplishment, seeing the product of their continuous labors with their own eyes. That sense of accomplishment made the idea of their finally returning home after another agonizing day feel that much sweeter.

"Well… it's about damn time the outside finally got finished. I was just about ready to call quits on what these stupid places were gonna look like." Bakugo muttered with an exhausted groan, popping the joints in his stiff right shoulder, while Nikolay was likewise trying to stretch his lower back out.

"Me, too. Good thing we took care of the floors and the painting when we did. With the electrical systems all run through and working, I think we actually might get these places done in time for the next semester after all. Was looking really touch and go for a while." Nikolay admitted with an almost nostalgic-sounding chuckle, just thinking back on not even five days ago. Bakugo wasn't anywhere close to laughing with him, but he was able to lift one corner of his mouth in a similarly bemused smirk.

"Well, just because the exterior's done, doesn't mean your ass gets to sleep in from now on. You'd better be here on time bright and early tomorrow, or I'll kick your ass up and down these grounds, you hear?" Despite the clearly threatening tone in his words, his body language didn't reflect nearly as much hostility. If anything, Bakugo was actually more resembling the outwardly domineering older brother between them, and Nikolay was able to recognize as such, as he just tiredly waved his partner's words off, and they both took that as their cue to finally head home.

When Nikolay had finally returned to his house, ready to just eat his fill and retire to bed like he had every night for the last nearly two weeks, he wasn't remotely surprised to find Oleg still with his nose deep in his textbooks for getting his license. If nothing else, the young Russian boy actually found it very uplifting to see his father so dedicated to getting back into action like he was.

Of course, the moment he had heard their front door open, Oleg was quick to put his books aside so he could at least give his son the proper greeting after another no-doubt trying day. [[Welcome back, Kolya. I trust your construction work has been going as well as to be expected after your little breakthrough?]]

Nikolay couldn't help but give a brief dry chuckle as he was already rummaging through the fridge. [[The work isn't any easier, if that's what you're asking. But the fact that Bakugo and I can now actually talk to each other, without me feeling like he's about to blast me to smithereens on a whim, definitely helps. I can't say if he and I could ever call each other friends, but I'm more than okay with at least calling us working partners for now. How about you, though, Dad? You've been studying nonstop for as long as I've been working. I didn't think even a Pro Hero License exam could have so much material for you to cover for so long.]]

Looking over the assortment of different books lying around him, even Oleg couldn't help but laugh at what a complete bookworm he had to be looking like right now, especially in the reading glasses he'd had to relegate himself to wearing at night. [[Well, the societal differences in the portrayal and organization of Heroes between Japan and the Soviet Union aside, it has still been a very long time since I've had to go over such supplemental Hero study material. It was quite overwhelming at first, but the more I look over everything each day, the more confident I feel, so don't you worry about that, Kolya.

[[That being said, though, I'm still not going to go for it until that new prosthetic arm finally gets here, and even then, not until I've gotten enough practice to where I can at least say I won't be in danger of destroying the house with it. Thankfully, Nezu-san has already said he's more than willing to accommodate me for proper training once it's ready, before school opens back up.]]

Despite the confident smile on his face, Nikolay could easily see how Oleg's blue eyes drifted to the still heavily bandaged stump of his left arm. However, by this point, this was hardly anything new for him, and he'd long since known exactly how to lift his father's spirits, even as simple as it may have been. [[I know you can do it, Dad, with or without both your arms. You've already pulled us all through so much more than most people have, regular and Quirked alike. You've got this.]]

With that, Nikolay could see the warmth in his father's smile, his go-to expression of appreciation for his son's encouragement. With that and a decent meal, the young Slav bid Oleg good night and promptly collapsed into bed, ready to just go out like a light and get through whatever load of work would be awaiting him and Bakugo in the morning.

BRRNG! BRRNG!

Unfortunately, the moment his face had made contact with his pillow, Nikolay could feel the vibration of his phone from inside his pocket. For now too tired to simply guess who it could possibly be reaching out to him at this hour of the night, he hurriedly fished his phone out and looked at the screen; squinting through the blinding light, only to find with surprise that it was actually Eijirou this time around. By this point, he'd long since gotten used to having been texted once at the very least by this time of night by Mina, always checking to make sure he was okay, getting enough sleep and eating enough.

With his momentary surprise having run its course, Nikolay curiously looked over Eijirou's message: 'Hey, dude! Hope you're managing your way through that construction job with Bakugo. I'm not gonna lie, given how things have been between you two, I can imagine it's pretty rough. I'm sorry to text you this late, but I just wanted to check and see if you were maybe going to be able to make it to Ashido's birthday party next Tuesday. Here's her address if you can make it. She's already reached out to pretty much the entire class, and almost all of them have confirmed they would be coming. No pressure on you, though. We all know you're trying to work off your punishment and everything. Hope we'll hear back from you soon, man! Say hi to Tunguska-sensei for me!'

As lighthearted and sociable as Eijirou's text was, it left Nikolay feeling anything but. In fact, he now felt completely and utterly blindsided with shock and regret. The truth was that, with the construction work having become so involved, time consuming and physically punishing, he'd completely let the approach of Mina's birthday fall by the wayside, even though she'd gone and mentioned it to him in her letter the very first day this punishment had even started.

'Dammit, I can't believe I let that get away from me! Of course I want to go! I want to go more than anything! After everything she's done for me, it's the very least I could do…but if nearly the entire class is going to be there, then who knows what kind of gifts they'll have brought for her? And in that case, what the hell would I even be able to get that they probably wouldn't? Wait, I'm jumping the gun already! I don't even know if Cementoss-sensei will let me go early for something like a party regardless! God, how did I let this happen?!'

As his mind was a maelstrom of this continuous regret and fluster while he lay silently on his bed, Nikolay was continuously scrambling for an idea, any idea at all, for what he could possibly do for Mina's birthday. There was no way in hell he couldn't do something; she was his first and best friend in the entire world, he would've gladly given or made her anything she wanted for everything she'd done to help bring him back into the world in so many different ways.

In the end, though, realizing he was ultimately only tormenting himself with continuous gift ideas, Nikolay ultimately settled on, if nothing else, putting his culinary skills to the test, starting tomorrow, and making Mina an authentic Russian honey cake for her party. He'd never tried his hand at such a deliberately lengthy and demanding baking process, but by God, the chance to be able to treat that wonderful girl and all his friends with something like that, made from scratch by his own two hands, and seeing the potential delight on all their faces, especially hers, would be more than worth the effort.

Tuesday, July 30th

The last five days had been spent either painting all the doors, doorframes and window frames; completely varnishing the hardwood floors so that nobody would be at risk of getting splinters, or finally installing all the light fixtures. Regardless, it had been another set of very time-consuming and physically trying days for Nikolay and Bakugo, nobody was about to argue that.

And yet, it still struck many as unusual, just how visibly exhausted and slow Nikolay had been moving today compared to how he had been before. In fact, from what Cementoss and Bakugo had been able to glean, it seemed like Nikolay's sense of speed had started gradually lagging about five days ago.

And it was only because he had been holding it in for those last five days, that Bakugo eventually stopped with applying his share of the varnish to one of the dorm room doors and began staring down Nikolay with exceptional intensity: "Dammit, what the hell is going on with you?! You may not have ever been a speedster at crap like this, but you're practically a slug now!"

Momentarily flinching at the fact he was being directly yelled at again for the first time in a good couple of days, Nikolay was quick to try and play it cool: "Nothing's wrong, I just need a moment to get my head back in the game. Sorry."

However, even this attempt at a casual air did nothing to lessen Bakugo's intensity, as he quickly stepped in between Nikolay and his own bucket of varnish, forcing the Russian boy to look him in his red eyes. "Don't feed me a line of cheap bullshit like that! You've been managing a halfway decent pace up until the last few days, so what the hell changed?! And don't insult me by saying it's nothing!"

Nikolay couldn't say this was anything surprising. By this point, he'd come to understand that this kind of abrasive questioning was par for the course for Bakugo when it came to expressing anything resembling concern for others.

As such, he didn't bother trying to downplay his exhaustion anymore. "Okay, fine. I got reminded five days ago that Mina's birthday was coming, and now it's here, today. Since then, I've been trying my hand at making a traditional Russian honey cake for her and everyone else who's going to be at the party. The problem is that it's such a time consuming and precise recipe, and I've already screwed it up multiple times over the last few days. I've even been having video calls with Sato-san to give me pointers, and even then I kept fumbling it. I only just managed to finally make one as close to perfect as I possibly can this morning."

Nikolay's explanation was as blunt and straightforward as could be, and thus, so was Bakugo's response as he took it all in: "Oh; it figures Raccoon Eyes would've invited you to that. She even invited me, but like hell I'm gonna waste any more potential training time than I have been by doing this job already."

However, he suddenly froze with realization, and his semi-calm demeanor suddenly flared up with indignation: "Wait, you only just got some stupid cake made this morning? And if you've been working on it for five days already… does that mean you've been up all night last night working on that shit?! Goddammit, what the hell is wrong with you, doing something that careless when you know we've still got a shit-ton of work to do here?!"

Frankly, Nikolay couldn't exactly disagree with Bakugo's criticisms this time around. When he could see this in the humble nod Nikolay gave him, Bakugo just let out another aggravated grunt. "Dammit, I shouldn't be letting you and your dumbass decisions get to me like this. I mean, of course you'd do something like this for that airhead. You're pretty much at her beck and call, I swear. You should've just saved yourself the effort and gave her money to do with whatever the hell she wanted if you ask me."

As Bakugo got back to work, Nikolay couldn't hide the likewise annoyed grimace on his face. "First off, I am not at Mina's beck and call. Second, yeah, you're right, that would be a lot easier. But she's the very first and best friend I've ever had. Doing something special for her birthday is the very least I can do for her after everything else. But… again, you are right about something else: I didn't think this through. I mean, with work here being what it is, and her living all the way in Chiba Prefecture, for all I know, I never would've been able to make it to the party in the first place. Dammit, whether it'd be on time or not was why I didn't even bother with a delivery service to get it to her either."

The overall stressed and defeated tone in Nikolay's voice was unmistakable to Bakugo. Of course, his expression reflected no such sympathy. At least his foreign classmate was finally learning to think realistically.

*Ahem*

A sudden pronounced clearing of the throat from nearby drew both boys' attention, only to find an especially observant-looking Cementoss watching them from outside the nearest window. At first, Nikolay was afraid he was about to scold them for not both working, but just before he could get back down to continue varnishing the floor, the teacher's tiny eyes suddenly took on a much more casual and approachable light.

"Forgive me, boys, I couldn't help but overhear your little discussion. I can understand both your points, to be honest. Bezpalov-kun, you should learn how to manage the time you have between your duties and your desires much more efficiently, if for nobody else's sake but your own. That's just the way it is for anyone growing up, not just a future Hero. At the same time, however; your desire to try and integrate into more social norms, as well as expressing your own gratitude for your classmate's constant friendship, is a very admirable one. I'm not sure if either of you were aware of this, but I've actually been keeping a close eye on your respective progress, work and attitude-wise; and keeping Nezu-san and Aizawa-san up-to-date on both. I can't say whether either of them would agree with me at this point in time, but I believe you boys have been gradually working very hard and very admirably with one another. It's been a long and difficult road to get there, but the point is that, for all intents and purposes, you've managed to make it there at all.

"Therefore, since there're only a few minor touches to be made in completing the exteriors, which the construction crew and I can easily finish on our own, why don't you boys take the rest of the day off? I personally think you've both earned it. Just make sure you're both back here bright and early tomorrow as always."

Nikolay momentarily looked as though the literature teacher were just messing with him. But when he saw the slit-like mouth on Cementoss's slab of a face start turning upwards into the slightest smile he could form, the Russian boy's face likewise lit up with unparalleled delight. "O-oh my God… t-thank you, Cementoss-sensei! Thank you! Do you think you want to come along, Bakugo?" Nikolay honestly couldn't believe he was actually asking such a thing of Katsuki Bakugo, of all people. However, his spirits were now so high, he didn't even care.

At the same time, taking the teacher's permission for what it was worth, Bakugo got back to his feet and just started making his way for the door with his hands tucked into his pockets; an aggressively determined look on his face again. "You can go ahead and waste your time at some pointless party if you want. It's about damn time I could finally get some more training in."

As soon as Bakugo was out of sight, Nikolay was practically taking off like a shot just as quickly, racing out the door while still waving back to the similarly waving Cementoss, who simply watched the two boys leave with that same pleased smile on his face. "THANK YOU SO MUCH, SENSEI!"

As Nikolay raced down the road from Yuuei to his house, he hurriedly fished for his cell phone, navigating his way through it like a boy possessed until he managed to pull up Eijirou as a contact and began furiously typing away a single message: 'I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! CEMENTOSS-SENSEI LET US GO EARLY! GRABBING SOMETHING I MADE FOR THE PARTY FROM HOME, THEN I'M ON MY WAY! DON'T TELL MINA, PLEASE! I WANT IT TO BE A SURPRISE!'

Nikolay nearly plowed through his front door when he finally got back home, nearly making Oleg jump from his chair in surprise. [[Kolya, what on earth are you back so early for?!]]

[[Cementoss-sensei let me and Bakugo go home early! I gotta wash up and get going! I might still be able to make it to Mina's party today!]] Nikolay answered as he raced down the hall, grabbing the first clothes he could find before racing into the bathroom.

Within minutes, he was right back out and racing into the kitchen, grabbing the wrapped box he'd stored his cake inside from out of the fridge, and running back for the door. [[Kolya, wait!]

Nikolay dug his heels and came to a screeching halt, looking back to his father with an urgent energy, before he was met with the sight of Oleg holding out a tiny wrapped box of his own towards his son; an expectant smile once again adorning his face. [[You wouldn't want to come all the way to malenkaya Ashido's party without a gift to show for it, would you?]]

He was already expecting the surprised look on Nikolay's face as he took the box and tucked it into his pocket, while the older Russian gave a lighthearted chuckle. [[Oh, come now, Kolya; as a teacher, I have just as much access to my students' information as Aizawa-san does. I knew today was a big day for her, and as such, for you as well. Considering this is the first time you've ever gone to celebrate a friend's birthday, it was only natural you'd overlook something, so I just decided to help out. Just tell her it was from you, though. I can only imagine how happy that'll make her.]]

Nikolay's surprise just as quickly reignited into unbridled happiness as he quickly hugged his father and went racing right back out the door, feeling lighter than a feather, even with the hefty cake box tucked under his arm. [[THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAD!]]

As Oleg watched his son go sprinting down the street, he could just feel his heart race with happiness for his boy, just to be able to see him so excited, and finally going off to something every child deserved to experience.

Nikolay hadn't even broken a sweat by the time he'd reached the nearest train station and got himself a ticket for the first train going to Chiba City. By the time the train had finally started going, however, his adrenaline had started to go down, and with it came the numerous different uncertainties now racing through his head as he started counting down the minutes until he could finally get there.

'Oh, man… I should've tried to be subtle and just ask some questions to make sure I had everything right. I don't even really know her taste in sweets, and it's not exactly like these cakes are meant to be purely sweet. If this cake doesn't take off after I got all those burns from dealing with all that burnt honey, that would be more embarrassing than anything!'

Like the flipping of a switch, Nikolay's silent worrisome focus soon went from the cake on his lap to the mystery gift in his pocket. He found himself really wanting to make sure that his father hadn't ended up picking up something that Mina wouldn't remotely like, and then end up making his son look even worse in front of everyone. But the fact the box had already been thoroughly gift-wrapped left it so he couldn't risk checking without making it obvious to everyone else once he got there.

Either way, it was already too late for him to turn back in order to avoid the potential embarrassment, and even if it weren't, he didn't want to just turn his back on this occasion, either. He'd silently been looking forward to this event for over a week now, he couldn't just make that all be for nothing. So, simply patting at his pocket to make sure the box was still there, Nikolay started breathing deep over and over in an attempt to ease his nerves until he would finally get to Chiba City.

After a brief roll over at the station in Tokyo so he could get to the next train heading into Chiba Ward, and another two hours rounding the bay, Nikolay finally found himself at his overall destination, Chiba City. However, once he had exited the station and saw one of the nearby ward signs, reading 'Chuo Ward,' he felt his excitement plummet.

He had been in such a rush to get to Chiba, he hadn't even bothered to really look at where exactly the line from Tokyo he was taking would drop him off. He was in the right city, but he was in the wrong ward. From the address Eijirou had texted to him, Mina lived somewhere in the next ward north, Inage Ward.

Nikolay immediately reached for his pocket to text Eijirou that he was going to be later than expected, but when he felt nothing but air instead, his whole body went stone still. Again, because he had been in such a rush after leaving the construction yard, after getting out of the shower, he'd completely forgotten to grab his phone before leaving. Now he was completely cut off; he couldn't even call his father to let him know what had happened.

However, there was thankfully a ward directory sitting just a foot down the sidewalk from where the wayward Russian boy found himself. Looking over the map, he began carefully looking over every street that stood between him and Inage Ward from where he was, silently repeating every turn he had to make like a list in his head. And so, with the directions playing on constant repeat in his head, Nikolay took off like a shot, clinging tight onto the cake box under his arm like his life depended on it.

Once he had finally managed to get to Inage Ward and find another directory to narrow down the street address he'd been given, it had already nearly been an entire hour since he'd gotten off the train. The sun was already well into setting by the time Nikolay had at long last found the street that Mina's house was on, and finally managed to find the gate with the name 'Ashido' on the accompanying plaque.

'Okay… took way too long… but by God, I made it. I just hope the party didn't already end.' With this final bit of wishful thinking resonating through every fiber of his being, Nikolay straightened his collar, got himself standing up straight again, and with a clearing of his throat, he finally hit the doorbell button. His heart was positively racing and his scalp was burning up with nervousness as he stood there outside that gate in wait.

After nearly a minute of waiting, he could hear the front door unlocking, and he instinctively sucked in a breath of anticipation, just waiting to be bowled over by the sound of Mina's voice crying out with joy at his having actually shown up by surprise. Or, even more anxiety-inducing, the idea of one of her parents opening up and seeing the now-familiar foreign boy outside their gate, and potentially making an overdramatic scene about it.

Instead, when that door opened, not only was Nikolay met with the echoing sounds of laughter and music emanating from inside the house, but he was also met with the singular smiling form of Eijirou standing in the doorway; his face the picture of pleasant surprise to find the Russian boy before him. The red-haired boy already came rushing down from the door to unlock the gate. "Oh, man, am I glad you're here, Kolya-san! I didn't tell Ashido you were coming, but I didn't think it'd be this late once you got here."

By the sound of that, Nikolay couldn't help but worry. "I'm not interrupting anything or just showing up when the party's ending, am I?"

Eijirou chuckled as he shut the gate behind them, ushering Nikolay to come in with him. "No, no, nothing like that. I was just worried you'd gotten lost or something. I tried texting you, but you never answered. The party's still going strong, but a good number of the others already had to leave. Their parents don't want them staying out too late after everything that's happened, and all."

Nikolay could definitely understand that sentiment as well. As they entered through the front door, Eijirou couldn't help but eye the pink box tucked under his Russian friend's arm. "Whoa, that's a pretty hefty-looking package, dude. You must've splurged something fierce for a big gift, huh?"

Nikolay now was the one who couldn't help but chuckle as he nudged the door closed behind him. "Oh, this isn't a gift. Ever since you texted me last Thursday, I've been trying my hand at making a—"

"KOLYA-KUN!"

Nikolay almost jumped at the volume of Mina's voice echoing down the entrance hall as the birthday girl stood at the end; her black gold eyes as wide as saucers and illuminated with excitement as bright as the sun to see her two closest friends suddenly together, with a blinding smile to match.

Nikolay couldn't even take the time to look at the colorful getup Mina was dressed in for her party (an orange long-sleeved t-shirt with a dark pink short-sleeved t-shirt over it with the words 'Dancing Queen' written on the front, ornate-looking star-shaped earrings just barely hanging from under the fringes of her pink hair framing her face, and a delicate-looking necklace with an equally glittery pendant shaped like two red dancing shoes hanging from the middle, all complete with glittery rose-patterned stockings and sparkly purple and green scrunchies wrapped around her horns, with a pair of glowing blue cat ear-shaped headphones resting on top of her head behind them) before she nearly came sprinting down the hall to leap onto Nikolay in the most eager hug ever. "WHOA, WHOA, SLOW DOWN! MY HANDS ARE FULL!" Nikolay bellowed once he saw what she was about to do.

Thankfully this managed to get through to her in time, as Mina quickly dug her heels in and came to a near screeching halt, ending up leaning over from the official first step from the doorway, with her face barely a couple inches from his, so he could see just how happy her eyes looked. "I didn't know if you would be able to come! I knew Kiri had been keeping in touch with you for the last few days, but he wouldn't say if you'd make it or not! Oh, you guys, trying to keep it a secret to surprise me, that's so cute! I'm so, so happy you're here, Kolya-kun! Please, please, come right in! Everyone's gonna be so glad to see you!"

Mina was practically running a mile a minute as far as her energy went, while Nikolay was likewise eagerly trying to get his shoes off while keeping his grip on the cake under his arm. "I'm really glad I could make it, Mina. I'd gotten so sidetracked with all the work, but Sensei actually let us—

BUMP!

Just as he'd managed to get his shoes off and take his first step on the elevated floor, Nikolay misjudged his step by just enough that not only did he bump his foot into the border, but he'd already put enough of his momentum forward that the sudden stop caused his whole body to fall forward, completely tripping himself up, with neither Mina nor Eijirou quick enough to catch him.

SPLAT!

With what was ordinarily an un-noteworthy squishing sound (but for Nikolay was downright deafening) the Russian boy had inadvertently fallen straight onto the cake box under his arm, sending a mess of splattered chocolate and cake all over himself and the floor, while his two friends could only rush to him to make sure he was alright, and look in shock at what had just happened. All the while, as it slowly but surely registered to Nikolay what he had just done, he was now looking despondent at the very least.

A few minutes had passed since the unfortunate spill in the entrance hall, and Nikolay was still currently in the middle of washing himself off in the nearest bathroom. Looking himself over in the mirror, he could only feel a sense of disdain for himself for having been so clumsy. After all the hard work he had put in to making that confectionery breakthrough, it had all been for nothing, and now nobody would get the chance to let him know if he'd actually done it any kind of justice.

Knock, knock

"Kolya-kun, are you decent in there?" Nikolay could just hear the humor in Mina's voice; rolling his eyes as he opened the door a crack so she wouldn't see him without his shirt, just to be met with her handing over a black t-shirt with a bunch of wavy white lines on the center. "I put your other shirt in the wash, but in the meantime you can borrow this old one of my dad's. He never wears it anymore, anyway."

Nikolay gratefully put it on before finally stepping out, with Mina smiling pleasantly at how good it looked on him. At the same time, he was nervously looking back in the direction of the entrance hall. "I think you probably should've waited until I'd taken care of that mess to hand me this, though."

To his surprise, though, Mina simply urged him away, leading him further into her home. "Please, don't worry yourself about that, Kolya-kun. Kiri already volunteered to get it taken care of while I took care of your clothes. No harm, no foul."

Despite her saying this, Nikolay still looked completely downtrodden, knowing he'd put two of his closest friends at such an inconvenience. "I'm sorry I had to force all that on you, Mina. I'd been working so hard for the last five days to make you that cake. I know I probably should've just bought one, but after everything you've already done for me, it just wouldn't have felt right. I wanted to give you all something I'd made with my own two hands for your big day, as thanks."

Just as they reached the top of the stairs, Mina suddenly came to a stop and looked Nikolay in the eyes; her boundless excitement having now changed to boundless warmth reflected in her golden irises. "That… oh, wow… t-that's so sweet of you to say, Kolya-kun; but you don't have to beat yourself up about that. Every year, all I ever want for my birthday is just for all my friends to be there with me. I mean, what's the point of doing fun things if you have to do it alone, right? And today, I got my wish, because almost everyone I invited from class came from all over, except for Bakugo, of course. And now that you've actually made it; just when I was starting to think you wouldn't; today couldn't be more perfect. We're all finally together again, and I couldn't be happier."

Nikolay's face was like a strawberry, to have Mina speaking to him so softly and sincerely. The sight of that simply had her smiling that much more sweetly as she began to continue on her way to the living room. "That all being said, though, what does it say that I wasn't even surprised Bakugo didn't bother answering my invite? But hey, the fact he didn't give me a rainbow-colored version of 'no' has to be a good sign of progress, right?"

The instant Mina opened the door to the living room, she and Nikolay were almost blown away by the volume of happy cheers from almost everyone in the living room who had heard their young host's excited exclamation from downstairs. Before Nikolay was even able to take in who all was still here, he found himself suddenly getting swept up off his feet in a crushing bear hug from an older in-shape man with skin a slightly lighter pink than Mina's, who was laughing almost as heartily as Oleg could as he swung the Russian boy around. "I had a feeling in my gut I'd finally get to see all of Mina's friends' faces again today! Welcome to our home, little Kolya-kun!"

Nikolay finally felt his body stop getting swung around and let back down on his feet. His eyes were still spinning for a good few seconds before he could finally make out the mutually beaming faces of an unfamiliar middle-aged man grinning ear to ear, and a clearly similar aged but very youthful-looking woman with frizzy hair like Mina's, but a shade of pink so light that it almost looked white instead, and with similar yellow horns, only much longer in length, and the same black gold eyes as the birthday girl herself. All at once did remembrance hit him that he was officially being looked over by Mina's parents, of all people.

"It's such a pleasure to finally see you again after Parents' Day, Kolya-kun! You and all these wonderful kids all coming here for our little girl's big day, from all over; she really has been making some of the best of friends!" Mina's mother was practically doting on him as she looked the nervous-looking Russian boy over, while her father couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at how well one of his old threads fit the young boy.

"For how strong she kept saying you've been getting, though, I'm surprised, Kolya-kun. After seeing what a veritable pile of bricks your father is, and what a hard-hitter that Quirk of yours already made you back then; I was expecting you to at least look half his build by now. You still almost look like a semi-strong breeze could knock you over." As he teasingly grabbed onto Nikolay's upper arm and emphasized how easily he could wrap his grip around it, Mina's mother couldn't help but laugh teasingly as well.

"Oh, please, Youshi, it's not like you were any bigger than that when we first met. Now give the dear some space, can't you see how uncomfortable he is?" At this, Youshi gave a mock surrender gesture and took a step back, while Mina's mother suddenly took a good look at Nikolay's nervous face specifically. "I have to say, Mina certainly wasn't wrong about your looks, though, Kolya-kun. Your face still looks so delicate, it's frankly adorable. No wonder she's started sounding so—!

"OH MY GOD, MOM, STOP! Can't you guys please stop crowding him?" Like a shot, Mina thankfully interjected before her mother could say anything they were both going to regret, and managed to pull the overall overwhelmed Nikolay away so he could be rejoined with the rest of their present classmates and friends.

From all around the room, all echoing their now much more subdued welcomes and expressions of happiness that Nikolay was here, he could spot Izuku, Ochako, Tenya, Denki, Momo, Shoto, Kyouka and Tooru. The mutually happy (and at the very least mildly pleased in Shoto's case) looks on their faces thankfully managed to bring Nikolay's awkwardness to a calming low, with Mina and the newly returned Eijirou's bright smiles bringing his own excitement right back with it. "Isn't this awesome, you guys?! Now the party is finally as perfect as ever, even if a lot of the others had to leave already! Feel free to make yourself comfortable and enjoy yourself, Kolya-kun, everyone! This party is far from over!"

[Electric Light Orchestra – All Over the World]

With Mina's declaration, she eagerly began to blare some especially energetic funky music from a nearby stereo, and while she, her parents and gradually Denki, Tooru and Ochako began to dance, Nikolay simply found himself getting swept up into the overall festive atmosphere, while of course taking the chance to get some of the admittedly delicious-looking food set up around the dining area, unable to deny how hungry another hard day of work had left him.

A few minutes in, though, he soon found himself being approached by a fortunately pleased-looking Kyouka and Tooru; both girls dressed just as casually, but nowhere as colorfully as Mina was, at least in Kyouka's case, albeit with matching party hats like Ochako, Izuku, Tenya and Denki did.

"It's good to see you're back on your feet okay, Kolya-san. When I'd heard about what happened to you during that Villain attack, I couldn't help but really worry, you know?" Kyouka tried to lead in, figuring that simply ignoring the elephant in the room of what had happened during her unconsciousness would've just been insulting both their intelligence.

"I know, right?! When we'd heard from Mina-chan that you actually almost died, I swear there wasn't a dry eye in the house! But, oh man, just to hear how she, Kirishima-kun and Kaminari-kun all worked together to bring you back, it sounded so epic, like something straight out of a shonen manga! I'm so glad you're okay, Kolya-kun!" Tooru likewise chimed in, in that deafeningly bubbly voice that only she could convey, instinctively hugging the likewise relieved Russian boy by the end.

"I'm glad you're both finally okay, too. How long were you two out for?" Nikolay answered once the invisible girl had finally let him go, leaving her and Kyouka both in thought.

"I wanna say maybe two or three days. The way Yaomomo explained it after the fact, Tooru-chan and I were right around the epicenter of where that gas had started emanating from for the longer part of the attack, so we got stuck in the thick of it the longest out of everybody." Kyouka explained, still sounding quite shaken by the fact that even the amount of time they had been exposed without masks had left them both unconscious for so long.

"Yeah, and by the time Kyouka-chan and I woke up, we were suddenly hearing everybody talking about how All Might had lost his big, muscular form and retired from fighting this super scary tough Villain, and Tunguska-sensei lost his arm helping him." Of course, the moment that Tooru had brought up their Quirk History teacher's injury, they could just feel the air between them grow colder, while Nikolay had his head slightly bowed.

"Tunguska-sensei seemed to be in relatively good spirits during his visits with All Might and Aizawa-sensei, even with that injury, Kolya-san, but you're the only one of us with him in private. Has he… has he been doing okay with it?" Kyouka hesitated to ask, only to feel relieved when Nikolay was able to take a breath and regain his calm composure without tears.

"He was having a hard time adjusting at first, but now you'd think he never had a use for his left hand to begin with, really. Once Yaoyorozu-san's family gives him that new arm, it might as well be like putting on a new pair of gloves. Heck, with the fact he could use those prosthetic fingers like bullets before, I'm actually curious to see what new kind of tricks he could be able to do with a whole new arm." Nikolay admitted before trying to throw in the closest thing to a good-humored twist to try and brighten their spirits even a little bit.

Thankfully, this seemed to visibly cheer Kyouka and Tooru right up. "It's good to see neither of you are letting everything that's been happening get you down, Kolya-san. You've really come a long way." Kyouka admitted with an especially friendly, pleased tone to go along with the smile on her otherwise neutral face.

Of course, getting such a compliment from her after what Mina had told him back at the hospital about her, had Nikolay blushing especially hard, to the purple-haired girl's confusion and Tooru's giggling amusement.

Over the next several minutes, Nikolay was able to finally catch up with everyone else in the party, from making sure they really were all going to be coming back to Yuuei in the next couple of weeks, to then expressing curiosity or eagerness to see what the dorms themselves were going to be looking like. Of course, Izuku, Shoto, Tenya and Momo didn't want to discuss anything related to their rescue mission any more than Nikolay did with uninformed ears around, but it was clear to see they were all still thinking back on it and everything that had resulted from it for better and for worse. Discussing things surrounding All Might with Izuku proved to be especially emotionally trying.

However, even despite the obvious uncomfortable weight in the air between them all, it was also clear that they were all, in the end, simply glad to be able to put the dangers of that time behind them and come back to looking towards the future, no matter how much things had changed. To be able to share in that anticipation and all-around sentiment with all of them was something Nikolay found himself surprisingly grateful for.

After having finally managed to unwind and catch up with everyone, Nikolay found himself looking upon the positively glowing Mina amid all the others, still dancing as fervently and excitedly as she had to begin with, like she was running on infinite energy. In fact, her parents looked to be reflecting the very same. Seeing the three of them move so flexibly in the middle of their living room among her guests and friends, Nikolay felt as certain as could be that she couldn't possibly have had any two other people for parents but these.

"Why don't you go in there and join her, Kolya-san? I'm sure seeing you let loose would really make Mina-chan even happier." Ochako suddenly interjected once the Russian boy had returned to grabbing a little more food.

"I don't think that's a really good idea, Uraraka-san. She's so in her own element right now, I feel like I'd just get in the way and ruin her groove." Nikolay admitted with a semi-joking debasing tone before looking at the energetic ball of pink sunshine metaphorically cut the rug like there was no tomorrow, while Denki, Eijirou, Tooru and Kyouka were cheering her on. He honestly had half a mind to at least join in on that part to add to the overall energy.

"She really dressed up for the occasion, though, more so than I was expecting, even from her," he admitted after a couple seconds of observant silence, bringing a smile to Ochako's face.

"Yeah, we all kind of contributed to that. She's wearing pretty much all our gifts right now." She could just feel the look of surprise on Nikolay's face as he looked at her for confirmation, earning an embarrassed giggle. "I mean, the gifts that were stuff she could actually wear, of course. Like, Iida-san, Todoroki-san, Kirishima-san and Deku-kun all gave her CD's, books, manga and DVD's. I didn't have a lot of spending money, so all I could get her were those scrunchies for her horns. Kyouka-chan got her that Dancing Queen shirt, Tooru-chan got her those rosy stockings, Tsu got her that necklace, Momo-chan got her those earrings, and Kaminari-san got her those headphones. Mina-chan didn't have to wear it all for us, but she did anyway."

There was a definite sense of admiration in Ochako's voice for just how supportive and selfless Mina was in proudly displaying her gratitude for all her friends' generosity. Nikolay could definitely feel the same warmth in his chest, simply thinking back on every single moment of Mina's boundless and undying friendship towards him, and how he wouldn't have wanted to trade a single moment of it for anything.

Right now, even if he wasn't consciously aware of it, just thinking about Mina Ashido at all right now was actually beginning to make his heart rate rise.

However, listening to Ochako talk about all their gifts to their friendly pink host made Nikolay visibly perk up as he suddenly remembered the tiny box still in his pocket.

The moment he instinctively pulled it out, the entire room seemed to nearly come to a halt as Mina spotted what her Russian friend was doing with the eyes of a hawk, and practically came rushing across the living room just as fast. "Oh, Kolya-kun, you didn't have to go so far and get me something! I know you've been so busy lately! You just being here is gift enough, just like it was for everyone!"

Despite her insistent tone in saying this, Nikolay couldn't possibly just take that and run with it; instead just handing the box to her with an imploring smile on his face, while still remembering his father's parting words. "I'm not going to spoil the mood of the first genuine birthday party I've ever been to by not getting the birthday person a gift. Like I said before: after everything you've done for me, it's the very least you deserve."

Mina's parents both looked absolutely stricken with emotion at even this briefest exchange, while Mina likewise looked like she was about to start shedding tears of joy as she gratefully took the box from Nikolay's hand and began carefully unwrapping it. "Kolya-kun, that's so sweet of you to say. You're gonna make me start thinking real hard about what to get you when your birthday rolls around."

Nikolay was about to tell her not to trouble herself, when Mina's jovial air suddenly came to a pause, nearly rendering the whole living room silent once she'd opened the mystery gift. Reaching inside, she slowly pulled out a tiny chain, ending in a little figure of a tinier hybrid between a monkey and a bear with big eyes and the tiniest smile.

Nikolay immediately recognized the all-too familiar figure of Cheburashka, but even his own expression of surprise paled next to the outright squeal of giddy excitement Mina let out as she started nearly jogging in place the longer she looked at it. Her eyes were practically sparkling, and her cheeks were almost as red as half of Shoto's hair as her smile was already trembling with pure emotion. "OOOOH, KOLYA-KUN, IT'S ADORABLE! OH MY GOD, I LOVE IT! IT'S JUST LIKE THAT STUFFED ANIMAL YOU GOT ME BACK AT THE ARCADE!"

While Eijirou and Denki both lit up with remembrance to that fun-filled day, and all the other guests simply smiled with shared delight at Mina's childlike excitement, her parents both looked utterly shocked, not at the mentioning of the object itself, but Nikolay's connection to it, as now their eyes were excitedly shifting between the two teens.

"Hold on, Kolya-kun is the one that got you that little bear thing, Mina? Well, that definitely explains a lot now!" Youshi exclaimed with a fatherly slap to his knee and a deeply amused laugh, while her mother was now looking at the whole scene adoringly, especially the curious look in Nikolay's eyes.

"Oh, it's just the most precious thing, Kolya-kun! Ever since Mina came back home, I've seen her hugging that very same stuffed animal and this cute little pink sheep plushie tight in bed every single morning! If I didn't know any better, I'll bet she was doing the same even before—"

"OH MY GOD, MOM, WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP?!"

By this point, her mother had finally realized that Mina's whole face had now started turning a fluorescent red with embarrassment once she'd realized what the Ashido matriarch was about to say. However, even with her mother's apologetic bowing, this didn't stop Kyouka, Denki and Tooru from audibly giggling to each other in amusement at what they'd just learned, with Ochako visibly looking like she was struggling not to do the same. Meanwhile Nikolay, Eijirou, Tenya, Izuku and Momo both looked relatively embarrassed for her, and Shoto was as indifferent as ever.

"You didn't actually get Ashido that gift yourself, did you?" Shoto suddenly asked, snapping all eyes in the room to him while he nonchalantly drank from his cup. "What? He looked just as surprised as she did; that makes it pretty obvious, I would think."

Now all eyes were back on Nikolay, and the Russian boy just let out a heavy sigh, not even trying to play it off or act like Shoto had gotten any of it wrong. "Todoroki-san's right. Between trying to make that cake and the work on the dorms, I'd completely forgotten to look for a gift, so my dad found something himself. I don't know where or how he got a Cheburashka chain like that to begin with, but I was in such a hurry to catch a train here, so he just handed it to me and told me to say that it was from myself only. I still have a lot of learning to do when it comes to parties, obviously."

Nikolay once again started to bow his head in shame at his own unpreparedness, before the slightest movement drew his eyes up to see Mina happily attaching the gift chain to the tiniest loop on the bottom of her phone; that joyous smile never once leaving her glowing pink face as she looked him in the eye. "There. Now I'll always have it with me."

Without another moment wasted, she proceeded to come in and wrap Nikolay up into a warm and grateful embrace. "I love it, Kolya-kun. It doesn't matter who it came from or anything like that; the thought's all that matters. It's still really super sweet of you and Tunguska-sensei to think of giving me anything at all."

Nikolay couldn't say a word to that; his face was too busy turning a deeply flustered and equally vibrant shade of red to be in this position in front of so many people. The smiles on both her parents' faces, as well as those of Kyouka, possibly Tooru, Eijirou, Denki, and Ochako didn't help. At least Izuku, Shoto, Momo and Tenya didn't look to want to pile onto the awkwardness of the moment, instead just giving them both silently supportive glances through their eyes.

The moment Mina finally let go of her embrace on Nikolay, she had the most confident smile now adorning her blushing face. "Besides, if you're still feeling embarrassed about not having picked out a gift yourself, I have the perfect idea of what you could do instead."

Nikolay felt an understandable twisting of nervousness in his gut at the sound of this, not sure if she was gearing up for some kind of elaborate prank or not. To his relief, he wasn't the only one, as even Eijirou was starting to look a touch nervous.

The moment he began to open his mouth to ask what she had in mind, Mina instantly spoke up: "I want you to sing a song for me, Kolya-kun."

Now he was absolutely convinced this was a prank, and thus began to laugh as casually as he could manage, in the hopes it would lead her to finally break her own cover and reveal it for what it was. However, after a good couple of seconds, she didn't look any less determined, and that made Nikolay finally stop and speak with blunt realization: "Oh my God, you're serious."

"Of course I am. I've wanted to hear you sing ever since Kyouka-chan said you used to do it as a hobby way back when." Mina answered just as bluntly, but with all the usual pep she normally talked with. All the while, Nikolay's green eyes shot right over to the now-guilty-looking Kyouka in the corner, staring at her like she'd just publicly stabbed him in the back.

To this, the purple-haired girl could only give a half-hearted attempt at a smile and an awkward shrug of her shoulders. "Sorry, Kolya-san. It just kinda came out one day. Accidentally, I swear."

With the social pressure mounting, Nikolay hurriedly got up from his seat, hesitant to look anyone in the eye. "I really don't think that's a good idea, Mina. I mean, I haven't done it seriously in so long, I don't want to embarrass anyone."

However, Mina was quick on the intervening, as she eagerly got in front of Nikolay before he could make his way for the door back to the stairwell; a genuinely imploring glimmer in her eyes. "Aww, c'mon, Kolya-kun, I promise nobody will laugh. Besides, so much stuff has been keeping us from playing truth-or-dare like I wanted back at camp; this is the only way left I could at least get to use the one I'd been looking forward to the most on you. Please? Just this once?"

Nikolay had to fight the urge to physically call Mina honest to a fault to hear her admit this was going to have been one of her dares, had things gone much more peacefully before. And now, he found himself in a very precarious situation. Did he actually give Mina what she wanted and risk embarrassing himself, or did he still insist and potentially put a damper on her special day?

Looking nervously across the faces of all the others, he could feel his anxiety slowly fade when he saw the calm yet supportive looks on all their faces, adding credence to Mina's promise that nobody would laugh at him if he decided to go through with it. In the end, it was with the most reluctant of sighs that the young Russian boy finally gave Mina a single unmistakable nod to her request, earning another joyous squeal of pure energy out of the pink girl as she once again began bouncing and clapping her hands rapidly with happiness.

"I accidentally forgot my phone back at home in the rush over here. Kyouka-san, would you mind letting me borrow yours so I can pull something up?" Nikolay asked, trying so hard not to let the nervousness he was still feeling crack his voice. He began busily typing away at the search on Kyouka's phone, and within a minute had a visibly prepared look on his face, which only served to pump Mina up even further as she gladly took a seat so Nikolay could have a circular audience around the room, the unwitting center of attention.

"Don't record this, Kaminari-san, Hagakure-san! This is supposed to be a genuine moment, not something for cheap entertainment!" Tenya suddenly exclaimed, making half the room flinch in surprise before realizing Denki and Tooru had already been halfway to lifting up their phones to record this, only to sheepishly tuck them away, much to everyone else's relief.

With that potential disaster averted, Nikolay had to take a good few deep breaths to calm his racing heart, before finally, with the anticipating silence in the living room as dense as could be, he hit the play button on Kyouka's phone, and the quaint and bouncy rhythm of an accordion, wind instruments, a guitar-like instrument and strings began to emanate from it, and his body began just slightly swaying with it.

"Pust' begut neukluzhe

Peshehodii po luzham

A voda po asvalitu rekoiy

I nye-yasno prohozhim

V ehtot deni nepogozhiy

Potchemu ya vesyoliy takoi.

A ya igrayu na garmoshke

U prohozhiih na vidu

K sozheleniyu, deni rozhdeniya

Toliko raz v gadu.

Priletit vdrug volshebnik

V golubom vertolyote

I besplatno pokazhit kino

S dnyom rozhdeniyem pozdravit

I, naverno, ostavit

Mnye v podarok pyatsot ehskimo.

A ya igrayu na garmoshke

U prohozhiih na vidu

K sozheleniyu, deni rozhdeniya

Toliko raz v gadu."

The moment the music stopped playing, Nikolay practically threw the phone back to Kyouka, more than eager to finally put this moment to rest and not have to make it last any longer than it already had.

That was when the slightest bit of applause began to sound out from Mina, then Kyouka, then one after another, nearly everyone was giving just the right amount of politely subdued applause, but the smiles on their faces were as genuine as could be. Nikolay himself looked like he couldn't decide whether to smile in gratitude, or faint with embarrassment.

"Oh, thank you so much, Kolya-kun, you were awesome! What was that song?" Mina asked as soon as the applause had died down. At this, he actually began to smile without a trace of embarrassment again, to her inner delight.

"Well, it's called 'Pesnya Krokodila Geny,' which basically means 'Crocodile Geny's Song', and it originally came from a bunch of really old stop-motion movies from the Cold War era about Cheburashka, that little bear-like animal you've now got that phone accessory of. But in the years since then, it's pretty much become a staple birthday song in the Russian-speaking world to this day."

For a moment there was only silence, and Nikolay once again couldn't help but worry that he'd started going off on another geeky little tangent. But before he could proceed to apologize, Mina suddenly got up from her seat and happily stepped forward and pulled him into another strong and emotionally driven hug, leaving Nikolay speechless as he basked in her natural warmth. "Thank you so much for everything, Kolya-kun. You just made an insanely awesome day even more amazing. I'm gonna find a way to top this when your birthday comes around, just you wait."

With that being said, and with the intended emotion of this moment becoming all too clear to everyone else, Eijirou, Momo, Kyouka, Ochako, Tooru, Denki and Izuku hesitantly began to step in to join in on a quickly growing group hug as well, while Mina's parents practically herded Tenya and Shoto into it as well before rounding it off by joining in, themselves.

All the while, Nikolay for once didn't feel the tears start coming to his eyes, but instead he only felt that overwhelming sensation of unbridled joy that usually came with them in moments remotely like this. All at once could he truly feel just how immensely fortunate he was to have so many friends like this in his life now, and that he could actually be able to experience and share indescribable moments like this with people like them.

In a way, he hoped this group embrace would never end, and he could just be able to experience this sensation of all-around acceptance and loving friendship forever. But the fact that it simply couldn't be, in its own way, simply made this microcosm of a moment that much more precious. He understood this now, as he didn't let any regret come to mind when they all finally had to separate.

"Well, I know it's gonna get late soon, and you guys all still need to get home, but… what would you all say to just one last little dance party, all of us together, before we call it a night?" Mina suggested as she looked all of her present friends in the eye; the emotion in her golden irises expressing all the gratitude in the world for their all being here.

To her visibly growing ecstatic joy, nobody showed a sign of hesitation or denial to this request. In fact, Nikolay, Eijirou, Denki and Tooru looked downright eager to finally get in on it together, and so Mina was instantaneous in eagerly turning her attention to Kyouka. "Kyouka-chan, hit the first song you've got that always makes you wanna move!"

[The Raspberries – Go All the Way]

Thankfully, the purple-haired girl grew a smile of eagerness of her own as she hurriedly began typing away before hitting play, and soon filling the air with an old-timey yet groovy guitar riff that, true to her taste, began making her and Mina sway to the rhythm, with Nikolay, Denki, Tooru and Eijirou soon following suit, with everyone else ultimately deciding to loosen up at least a little bit and participating as well.

As he found himself moving freely and energetically with all of his gathered friends, and seeing the downright ecstatic light of Mina's smile as she danced to her heart's content and beyond, Nikolay could feel his heart overflow with anticipation for finally seeing them all together in school again. For the first time since the beginning of his latest trial, Nikolay felt like he could well and truly take any challenge the remainder of his work with Bakugo would throw at him; for growing closer to becoming a Hero alongside all his friends would make any obstacle, no matter the difficulty, more than worth it.

July 17th, Kamchatka Peninsula

The head of the Anti-Quirk Mobilization and Armament Bureau, Konstantin Khodamchuk, had left like a man on a mission for his chopper the moment he had been given leave from the Kremlin. In fact, that's exactly what he was, as over the course of the next two days his journey took to reach his R&D facility all the way east in the Kamchatka Peninsula, he had been feeling himself become consumed by the strongest sense of anticipation he had felt in years.

The reason for this was because, while in the beginning he had been made aware that some incredible breakthroughs had been made in the weaponry and armor they were supposed to be developing for law enforcement and the military, the specifics of some of those very developments had his curiosity piqued, as well as his desire to see them properly tested out in the field.

In fact, the day after he had left Moscow, he had received a call from one of his head researchers, who had gone on to give him a brief yet thorough rundown of exactly what he could expect to find at the lab once he got there, and each one sounded more promising than the last:

Specially reinforced mechanical suits and mechanized vehicles with adaptability mechanics to resist the physical brunt of multiple different Quirks as need be.

Binding weaponry made of pure energy capable of neutralizing or constricting against intense physical expansive pressure.

But what was by far the most intriguing, and as a result the most exciting for Khodamchuk and his scientists together, was an especially unexpected bit of news: that of the intervention of an unknown yet self-proclaimed interested third party from outside the territory of the former Bloc, who had been gracious enough to supply them with a single crate full of what looked like some special type of bullet they described as being capable of instantly erasing the Quirk of anyone who were to be shot by one.

Khodamchuk knew they always kept at least one prisoner with a reasonable Quirk on standby as a test subject from the earlier days of the anti-Quirk purges, so the sooner he could see if these bullets were the real deal, the better. Just the idea of being able to completely take away the enemies' combat efficiency with but a single shot sounded too good to be true. But the potential was something he couldn't afford to disregard.

He could recognize the mountainous terrain they were flying over right now, as well. It wouldn't be too much longer at all before they'd crest over the top of the last mountain, and there would be his lab sitting right below, just waiting to show him what they had.

[[Oh my God!]] The sudden sound of the pilot's voice, tinged with panicked surprise, stirred Khodamchuk back to full attention, as he began making his way for the cockpit of the helicopter. [[What is it? What's going on?!]]

The answer came to Khodamchuk in record time, as the moment he reached the cockpit, looking down the slope of the mountain to the lab below, he was instead met with the sight of that very lab, having been reduced to a blazing inferno, with what looked like over a dozen scattered survivors standing outside the perimeter of the flames.

Khodamchuk's anger was silent, yet palpable, as the moment the helicopter managed to find a clear spot to land, he was quick to start charging his way toward the survivors, a ragtag bunch of ash-covered, dazed and confused-looking security guards and scientists. Among them, he was quick to spot the very same one whom had told him of the developments he was to expect just yesterday.

The moment that same scientist recognized the decorated official coming towards him with intent, his expression quickly changed to one of immense fear, only worsened when Khodamchuk frantically grabbed him by the collar of his lab coat. [[What the hell happened here?! What did you idiots do?! You said you had everything under control, didn't you?! What am I supposed to tell the President about this?!]]

Of course, he didn't expect a scientist nowhere near his payroll to have any answers. He was simply expressing his own shock and confusion the only way he could right now, while his men were busy attending to all the other survivors. Thankfully for both of them, the scientist didn't waste any time with the babbling nonsense one would have normally expected from the survivor of such a sudden disaster. In fact, the man was quite lucid.

[[Sir… it all happened so fast, I've been trying to make sense of it myself. After I had informed you of our success yesterday, we prepared the first full shipment of all our new equipment to get sent down to the local military depot down the coastline to the south. But right after that convoy left, the lab suddenly came under attack. We never even saw who the assailants were, they just rained hellfire down on the entire place; didn't leave a single wall or sample of our material standing!]]

Khodamchuk grimaced and finally let go of the scientist's collar as he looked upon the sheer scale of the destruction that had once been his department's most prized asset of a facility. [[Have you had any ballistics experts take a look and see how they might have been able to destroy the place this thoroughly? It's like someone rained an entire artillery barrage down on it!]]

[[We already have, sir. That's the problem. They weren't able to find any traces of plastic explosives or ordinance shrapnel. This… this wasn't just an ordinary terrorist attack.]] The moment he said this, Khodamchuk could feel his blood go cold. With that, there was only one other logical option…the kind of option his entire department was founded to be able to prevent: whoever had done this, had done so with an especially powerful Quirk on hand.

[[Whoever did this, didn't just do it for the hell of it. This place would have come under attack many times before if anyone was ever that stupid. No, this was done with a real purpose in mind. How long ago did that convoy of our new equipment get sent out?]] Khodamchuk began looking down the only major road leading away from the remains of the lab; weaving through the rest of the nearby mountain down to the barely visible coastline down below.

The lead scientist likewise followed his superior's gaze; a notable apprehension in his step and in his eyes. [[We sent them out only a couple hours ago… and the lab was attack barely ten minutes after they had made the final turn down below so that they were no longer in our line of sight.]]

Khodamchuk could feel an immense nervous lump begin forming in his throat at the train of thought he was naturally starting to go down. He could only hope and pray that this miracle convoy would somehow reach that depot untouched. Otherwise, he was going to have to come up with a damn good explanation for the president if he was going to have any chance in hell of keeping his job, and his freedom.

At that same time, over seventy kilometers south down the coastline

The soldiers manning the four massive trucks that formed the R&D department's delivery convoy were never once made aware of just what had happened at the lab shortly after their departure. All they had to focus on was navigating their way down the considerably treacherous winding road that traced the mountainous coastline. This was especially vital, as for the last ten minutes, they had found themselves stricken with especially stormy seaside weather. This region of Russia was always known for having very choppy waters, vicious winds and unpredictable rain, but today had been predicted to be one of the rare days when the weather would actually be somewhat pleasant.

[[Man, why couldn't they have just let us stay at the lab for another day if they knew the weather down here was gonna be this bad? I don't wanna have to stay the night in that dank-ass depot in this.]] The soldier riding the passenger seat in the third truck in the line bemoaned to himself, just listening to the especially hard pitter-patter of the rain against the windshield, while the other soldier manning the wheel just let out an exasperated sigh with a plume of cigarette smoke. [[Well, if you don't mind the idea of hitchhiking back to the lab from here, then be my guest. You shouldn't be surprised when coastal weather decides to slap you in the face like this. How do you think it is sailors manage to get so hardened so young, anyway?]]

The passenger wasn't about to get into an argument about soldiers vs. sailors, but just as he was about to try and come up with some kind of witty retort, his ears suddenly realized something that he couldn't help but point out: [[Hey, does the rain sound like it's hitting even harder to you?]]

From the confused look on the driver's face, he had already gotten his answer. In fact, by this point, the water was pounding down on their truck so hard, it was borderline deafening. [[What the hell, the rain never comes down this hard, even out here! It almost sounds more like hale than rain!]]

As the driver noted this, he and the passenger were also quick to notice that the spatter of the rain against their windshield no longer resembled what it normally did when one drove through the rain. No, by now, it more resembled as though they were driving directly into the path of the rain itself, like it was flying parallel to the ground directly into them.

CRACK! KRRK! CRACK!

Before either of the two soldiers could say anything, the windshield actually began to crack and give to the unrelenting rain hammering down against it. [[WHAT THE HELL?!]]

Those three words were the only thing either of the two men could think to say, before—

CRAAASH!

Without warning, the windshield finally imploded into the two men, and the raindrops proceeded to fly inside with such speed and power behind them, they more resembled and reacted like high caliber bullets, tearing through the two men like tissue paper before they could even scream.

With a deafening screech, the truck began to swerve over both lanes of the road, back and forth, out of control before ultimately plowing itself up the side of the cliff face lining their intended side of the road, causing the truck to ultimately flip, and come to a dragging halt helplessly on its side.

As the truck tailing it at the back of the convoy desperately swerved out of the way of its sudden fallen lead, the recently flipped truck suddenly exploded into a raging fireball, the kind that couldn't have possibly resulted from the kind of crash it just had. It was almost as though someone had just unloaded a multi-round grenade launcher on it, leaving it an unsalvageable flaming wreck.

[[Holy shit! How the hell did that happen?! Are we under attack?!]] [[It doesn't matter, just hurry up and get a call out, we need backup out here!]] The two soldiers in the swerving truck were in a complete panic as the passenger hurriedly grabbed for the radio. Just as he began to hit the trigger to get their call for help out, however, he glanced upwards to find a figure completely clad in black suddenly standing in the middle of the road. [[LOOK OUT!]]

In the very next moment, his entire field of vision suddenly went completely black, as though he'd just been stricken completely blind.

From the sudden out of control swerving momentum of the truck he could feel from underneath him, it became too clear that the same thing had just happened to the driver as well. [[WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?! I CAN'T SEE!]]

With a deafening crash and the sudden loss of gravity for both men, the truck went plowing right through the opposite guardrail, and went nose-diving straight into the numerous jagged rocks protruding from the sea below, causing the truck to explode into a million flaming pieces on impact.

In the truck that was by now desperately speeding to keep up with its likewise fleeing leading vehicle, the soldiers inside were likewise scrambling to try and connect to the right frequency to call for backup. [[What the hell's going on?! Trucks 3 and 4 are already gone! I don't even see any hostiles anywhere!]]

[[Shut up, I think I got through!]] As the passenger soldier screamed for his driver to stop shouting so he could start relaying their situation to whoever up the chain of command was listening—

SHHHNG!

A piercing sound of something slicing straight through the air echoed in both men's ears, but there wasn't another sound to be heard. Just as they began to assume the panic was simply making them hear things, that's when the two soldiers suddenly realized they were starting to drift apart from each other… along with their respective halves of the truck.

BOOOM!

Before either of them could have made a sound, let alone actually realized that something invisible had just sliced their military-grade, reinforced military convoy truck clean in half down the length like a hot knife through melted butter, the entire thing erupted into another devastating explosion, taking both soldiers with it.

If anyone had been outside to witness it, they would have described it as though the raging winds themselves had formed a guillotine.

The final remaining truck was barely managing to stay on the road, the driver was putting his boot to the gas so hard, while his partner was frantically praying while trying to keep his grip on the radio steady. [[WOULD YOU SHUT THE HELL UP?! GOD ISN'T GOING TO COME DOWN AND SAVE US! CALL FOR SOME GODDAMN BACKUP AND GET YOUR GUN READY!]]

GRRRRRRKKHH!

The entire speeding hulking frame of metal suddenly came jerking to a violent halt, nearly causing both soldiers to plant their faces into the steering wheel and dashboard hard, only barely managing to avoid doing so. The driver had instinctively slammed on the brakes with every ounce of weight he could, only to then start hitting the gas once the truck had fully stopped, but now all he was being met with was no movement, and the gut-churning sound of the engine straining… or rather, something in the truck undercarriage straining.

[[What the hell happened? Did you screw the brakes?!]] The passenger asked in borderline hysterics, only for the driver to slam his fist angrily against the steering wheel, and then quickly draw out his pistol and kick his door open, aiming every single direction he could think of upon stepping out into the open. The one remaining soldier inside quickly drew his gun as well and followed suit; his heart pounding mercilessly against his eardrums.

As he checked the area directly in front of the stalled truck, there didn't look to be anything unusual to be seen. [[VALERA, GET OVER HERE!]]

He immediately sprinted for the back where the driver had gone to investigate, and the moment he rounded his own corner, the aforementioned soldier came to a stop of total surprise and confusion at what he saw.

Spanning a good several feet behind the truck, there was a large concentrated mass of some malformed substance that looked like it was completely attached to the road itself, while at the same time was gripping onto the bottom of the truck. Looking underneath with a flashlight at the ready, the two men instinctively let out a nervous gulp when they saw this weird substance was completely fused to the axle rod, forcing the entire thing to a standstill, and leaving their vehicle dead in the water.

[[What the hell is this stuff?]] Valera asked in a voice shaken with pure panic as he never lowered his gun while keeping his eyes on the cliff to their right. At the same time, the driver inquisitively ran his finger along the strange hardened substance; his eyes reflecting only his own confusion. [[It feels just like… wax. But I've never heard of any kind of wax being strong enough to resist the pull of a vehicle this big going that fast. Keep your eyes open, whoever's attacking us has to have one hell of a Quirk handy, and they've gotta still be nearby. I'm calling for some serious backup.]]

Without wasting another second, he ran back for the cab of the truck, nearly ripping the walkie-talkie off the hook in his rush. Once he managed to get the frequency right, a momentary glance nearly made the man jump back to the street in shock, when he found his sole remaining partner standing in the doorway to the passenger side, that frightened look still on his trembling face. [[Good God, man, are you trying to give me a damned heart attack?! I thought I told you to keep your eyes on the road and the cliffs! Whoever's attacking us could still be out there!]]

Just as he once again began to hit the trigger to speak into the radio again, though, he realized his partner wasn't moving, and his expression didn't change. Before he could ask what was wrong with him, the other soldier suddenly began to lift his arm, still carrying his handgun tight, and steadily aiming it at his dumbfounded partner, who was already instinctively reaching back for his own. [[Valera… what do you think you—]]

BLAM!

A single percussive gunshot echoed up and down the road, as just before the driver could draw his gun out, Valera suddenly pulled the trigger, sending the driver toppling back lifeless onto the asphalt like a sack of potatoes. Despite this, however, his face was still wrought pale with terror, as he began to round the front of the truck to look and make sure the driver was really dead.

Once he was certain of it, though, his gun-carrying arm suddenly began to rise, until he had the still smoking hot barrel flush to his lower jaw. His face was still pale as snow, awash with an icy sweat mixed with the still pouring rain, as his body only ever slightly jerked every inch of the way, as though he was actually trying to mentally will himself to stop pointing his gun at his own head. And as much as he tried to force himself to, he couldn't even make a sound.

BLAM!

With one last deafening pop, Valera likewise collapsed right beside his driver, now too nothing more than a lifeless body in the middle of the road. With that, every single soldier manning the convoy had been wiped out, and there was but only a single truck of the original four remaining.

After a moment, a handful of strangers slowly emerged from the tops of the cliffs and the shadows lining the road, all coalescing together to look upon their one remaining transportable target, and the nuisances that had to be removed in order to secure it. They numbered six in total; nearly all dressed in matching military camo rain slickers and hoods, with simple black stocking-like masks pulled over their faces with a single red scope symbol painted on their foreheads. The one exception was one with what looked like a glass dome over their face, likewise rendered completely black.

As soon as they had all reunited, not only had the once torrential rain come to a sudden stop, like the turning off of a shower head, but the waxy obstruction that had latched onto the axle rod of the truck suddenly began to melt back into a large pale liquid puddle, before running back across the asphalt and up the leg of one of the hooded strangers, as though it were being controlled by them.

[[Well, it certainly took long enough for us to catch up with these assholes. Are we sure this is the last of the Anti-Quirk bureau's new equipment they had made?]] Asked the largest of the six strangers, a man with an especially brutish-sounding voice who clearly towered over his comrades, as he looked upon the sole remaining truck.

[[That's what the boss's intel said, Grenadier.]] Answered another one bluntly, an especially suave-sounding man from the sounds of it. The towering brute formed the slightest smirk underneath his mask as he suddenly extended an open hand to the truck, before suddenly flexing his wrist, and his hand began to fall limply from his wrist as though it were about to come off, only to reveal a gaping black funnel inside, almost like an organic cannon.

BOOM!

In a scorching wave of heat, a suddenly glowing ball shot out from Grenadier's arm and immediately reduced the truck to another burning wreck of flying debris, just like what had happened to the first truck they had taken out. As he slipped his hand back into place with his wrist, he rolled his arm to pop one of the joints in his shoulder, letting out a bored grunt. [[Can't believe we already got everything done when we had to spend so long getting back here. Only got to take out two, to boot.]]

[[Quit complaining, Grenadier; at least you got to lay waste to that lab of theirs. We had to keep moving to make sure we didn't lose track of the convoy, remember? With everything we've now done, we've set those bastards and their efforts back by at least another year, if all goes well,]] snapped the stranger whom the strange wax buildup had returned to, a young woman by the sound of her distinctly accented voice, before ultimately taking on a clearly more relieved tone when thinking about their overall goal.

[[That's right. Everything we would've done from here on could've been a potential disaster if we hadn't gotten rid of those Quirk-erasing bullets they were talking about by now, on top of everything else they had,]] the shortest of the strangers stated in grim agreement.

[[Hey, guys, as much as I'd love to likewise stick around and chat, the fact that this convoy never reached its destination, on top of what Grenadier did to their lab, is gonna have a lot of attention come raining down on this area hard and fast. Plus having to keep a subtle control on that last soldier for that long so we could know when the convoy was moving out has got me completely drained. Don't you think it's time we finally went home now?]] A second female member of the group of six suddenly spoke up, clearly sounding as exhausted as could be, while also a considerable touch whiny at the same time. However, none of her partners could deny the point she had. Even if they were out in the middle of nowhere, all things considered, the forces for the Anti-Quirk government and its military were notorious for rapid reaction times.

[[Petto's right. We've done what the boss sent us here to do, anyway. It's time to go home. We've finally hit those Anti-Quirk shitheads where it hurts. The message has been sent. Before too long, we can finally start giving back what we got over all these years.]] The previous female member stated with exceptional conviction, as she and her partners began to cross the road, looking out across the black and frigid sea.

[[Just a second. There's one more thing to take care of.]] The stranger known as Petto suddenly interjected before quickly making her way for the soldier she'd forced to kill his comrade and himself. While the rest of her comrades watched her with curiosity and confusion, she proceeded to kneel down over the last dead soldier and start rummaging through the pockets of his uniform, before finally pulling out a single bullet, looking it over closely in her fingertips. [[Funny, it doesn't look any different from any other bullet if you ask me.]]

[[Whoa, is that what I think it is? What's the meaning of this, Petto?]] The shorter stranger asked impatiently while she quickly sealed the bullet into a tiny bag before zipping it into her slicker pocket.

[[I already told you I'd been controlling this one for a while, so I had him swipe one of the Anti-Quirk bullets from the shipment just before it got loaded up and nobody was looking. The boss said he wanted us to recover one of these guys' new bullets. He thinks the eggheads back home might be able to discern how it works, and see if we can't come up with some kind of countermeasure to it. These guys' bosses said they got them from a third party, so who's to say that third party might not have more they'd be willing to sell to the Anti-Quirk fascists over here?]]

[[Look, we can discuss all that once we're safe at home, but right now the clock's ticking.]] Grenadier snapped angrily; thankfully spurring the rest of his comrades to remember just where they were, and that right now they needed to move with haste.

[[What do you say, old man? Ready to get the rambunctious children back home and off to bed?]] The suave-sounding member asked with biting sarcasm to the dome-faced silent member of their group, who only let out a barely audible grunt of annoyance from under their mask.

[[Just stay close to me, don't take your hands off each other or me, or else I won't bother coming back for you.]] This was all the clearly oldest member among them had to say. With his word as law, the other five all proceeded to join hands and grab onto the sleeves of his uniform, before, on the silent count of three, they all proceeded to jump together over the edge of the cliff and down to the crashing white foam waters and rocks down below…

...only for the water itself to suddenly part all around them before impact could even be made, as though an invisible sphere were actually formed all around them. This allowed them to completely disappear without a trace beneath the ocean's surface, having left as quickly as they had arrived, and leaving nothing more behind than a number of flaming wrecked military trucks and a number of bodies to match.

Tartarus, July 30th

Over two weeks. Since the day he had originally been brought to this ultra high-security prison for the worst of the worst Villains, it had already been over two weeks. For All For One, to have been stuck sitting in the middle of this sparse cell of his; still bound to his wheelchair and straitjacket for that long with nary a single word of interaction with the same one guard that kept coming to him every day at the exact same intervals to make sure he didn't starve to death during his imprisonment; for over two weeks already was baffling. He could easily see how so many lesser individuals could be liable to crack mentally from that kind of isolation. After all, the pace at which the time passed somehow managed to be both unbearably slow and surprisingly fast when one didn't think about it for long enough.

But All For One was not like most people, for he didn't believe in the concept of simply idling time away. He was a man who was always thinking on multiple levels with the cards he'd been dealt, and being stuck here with no physical means of reaching out to Tomura was no exception.

In fact, for those past two weeks, his mind had actually been quite busy, slowly but steadily putting together a potential side plan; a means to provide Tomura the assistance he still had a duty to provide as his trusted sensei.

Had it not been for the pitiful physical condition he was still in the process of recovering from, even with the help of his Super Regeneration Quirk, he would have gladly put this new plan of his into motion from the onset. But alas, there was no point dwelling on hypotheticals, he knew this all too well.

And besides, all was not lost; farthest thing from it, in fact. He may have still been in the process of recovering, but with the time that had passed while under the disruptive effects of the countless damn sensors built in all the walls to screw up his Infrared Quirk, All For One had slowly but steadily been saving his mental energy for the one thing he knew he would still be able to do, even within these impenetrable confines of his. Enough time had passed by now; he could simply feel it in his heart. Today was the day to finally get this little alternative ball rolling.

'Time to see if my little request for you is going to truly pay off now, Doctor. I can trust you're ever vigilant and listening as always. I just hope you took care to let them know just what to expect if I ended up here.'

With this little mental vote of confidence, All For One applied the slightest bit of focus, thinking solely of just the base of the back of his neck, where his earlier surgery scar had long since vanished like it had never even been there.

ZZT!

With only the tiniest spark produced by a very slight jolt from the electricity Quirk he had been keeping dormant for a while, All For One could feel the nearly microscopic device implanted in his neck spring to life. Knowing everything he had asked of his good doctor to add onto it for just this occasion, he knew now was the chance for him to finally start applying his touch to all the necessary pieces of this veritable chess board.

And so, with another silent shifting of his mental focus, All For One simply thought of the two faces he wanted to speak to the most, and as soon as he had the faces clear in his head, he proceeded to put the words together into his mind as though he were speaking out loud from within: "Shigaraki Tomura… Kurogiri… can you both hear me?"

For but the briefest moment, he was met with only silence, and it was only for that shortest of time, All For One couldn't help but wonder if this prison actually had the implementations to block out telepathic communication. If they had, then his future plans were going to prove much more difficult to see to fruition after all.

"Ah, Sensei. We were beginning to wonder when and if we would hear from you in the aftermath of this most recent development." The ever-calm voice of Kurogiri suddenly came echoing back loud and clear into All For Ones' head. Two-way communication of the mind, the one standout detail of the specific Telepathy Quirk All For One possessed, as opposed to the one-way communication so many others of that Quirk had.

"Sensei? Is that really you? Where are you calling us from? We haven't heard a single word from the media about where you've been taken! Tell us where you are, and I'll have Kurogiri warp us right there and kill all the bastards holding you! We'll take you right back and lay waste to those—"

"Tomura!"

The sudden interjection of his sensei's telepathic voice actually managed to render the otherwise frantic-sounding Tomura Shigaraki silent. "I apologize for losing my patience, Tomura, but you both need to understand that even though it's not one of my combat effective Quirks, using my Two-Way Telepathy is no less physically draining, and I'm still not nearly at my best yet. I've decided to reach out to you both, because I have been formulating a separate plan I wish to fill you both in on that will require some assistance. I trust you both understand I only wish for you to listen as of right now?"

The very same silence did, in fact, give All For One the answer he wanted, as he proceeded to lay everything out for his inheritor and his most trusted asset. "Very good. Shortly before that battle against All Might and the rest of those Heroes, I had the good doctor implant a tracking device into the back of my neck, not unlike what the Heroes did to track down my little Nomu-farming plant. However, I did not do this solely so that you could all come to my rescue, but rather so you could always have a clear knowledge of exactly where I am so that we can communicate like we are now. To cover all bases, Kurogiri, you may recall I had the doctor make a recent adjustment to the plates around your neck around the same time he told you to expect to hear from me in case I had gotten captured. He implanted a similar device through which he can transmit to you the Morse Code version of the coordinates to my exact location."

At this mention, All For One quickly envisioned his doctor's face in his mind alongside those of Tomura and Kurogiri. "Go ahead and send it to him, Doctor. It's time."

For a good few seconds, there was once more only silence. Then he was once again graced with Kurogiri's calm answer in his head: "Yes, I've received them, Sensei. I know where to focus so I can open a gate for you now."

"This is excellent, Sensei! Now we can get you out without any one of us or yourself having to be put in danger! This'll show those Heroes and their shitty society what happens for being so arrogant and sure of their own success!" Once more, it pained All For One to have to extinguish Tomura's understandable enthusiasm at the thought of getting his sensei back so soon, but if he was to truly reach his fullest potential the way the supreme Villain wanted, then it had to be this way.

"I didn't tell you both this for the sake of getting me out, Shigaraki Tomura. As much as I wish I could be there by your side again to give you all the guidance I have to give, the fact is that I'm nowhere near in good enough shape to handle another fight, and that's exactly what would be waiting for us the instant word got out that I had somehow escaped. I know you won't want to hear this, but the way things currently stand is what's ultimately best for both of us. I need to be able to focus on recuperating my physical strength as much as I can, just as you need to focus on applying and expanding your own core strength so that you can carry on our goal on your own two shoulders. That is the destiny that awaits you, and this is your ultimate trial towards achieving it. Keep that in mind with you every waking moment you're out there…and I'm in here."

Even though he didn't hear an actual mental response from Tomura, it was easy for All For One to imagine his inheritor desperately looking for someone he didn't essentially need that he could disintegrate in order to vent his mounting frustration. Nevertheless, the wheelchair-bound Villain continued on: "However, in regards to helping gain all the strength you can, I am still bound by duty as your sensei to provide you whatever I can to assist you. That was one of the real reasons I've finally reached out to you today. I wish to supply you with a special kind of ally to aid you in preparation for your ultimate confrontation."

All For One could already feel the beginnings of a headache beginning to develop in the back of his mind. He needed to make the rest of his objective today go as smoothly and concisely as possible. "First things first. Kurogiri, now that you have my exact coordinates; I want us to make sure you can actually open a Warp Gate within the walls of this prison. Keep it small and concentrated to a very discreet place on my person. This entire cell is lined with cameras from top to bottom. I could at least make out that much, even with all these damn sensors messing with my vision as a whole. Try to open it inside the sleeve of my straitjacket. Once you do; Tomura, I want you to try and reach your hand through to mine."

Within seconds, to his silent and inner satisfaction, since he didn't dare to smile for the cameras, all For One could feel even the slightest fluctuation in the air within the sleeve of his straitjacket, and just as quickly was he soon able to feel the dry grip of Tomura Shigaraki's hand clasping onto his own, with not even the slightest tingling of decay emanating from his touch.

"Excellent. I know you don't wish to let go already, Tomura, but you must. Kurogiri, hurry and close the gate."

Indeed, Tomura's grip stubbornly continued, despite his sensei's instructions, but soon enough he begrudgingly let go and pulled his hand back, allowing the tiny warp gate to finally close. "This is very good news, indeed. Kurogiri, your Warp Gate is going to be instrumental in helping get a very much-needed pair of new boots on the ground to assist Tomura and the League of Villains from now on."

"But Sensei, we don't need any more new soldiers! The Villains I have under my command now are more than formidable enough, so long as we plan accordingly! The only assistance I need is from you!" Tomura's outburst was unsurprising in these circumstances, but no less unwise, as All For One once again had to keep a mental restraint on himself to keep from losing his patience with his disciple again.

"Your confidence is admirable, but unfounded, Shigaraki Tomura. If you truly wish to have complete mastery and control over all of your enemies, then you need to know exactly who your enemies are. You see, that was my mistake during that last battle. I not only underestimated just how far All Might was willing to go in order to protect the last dying ember of One For All that he still had… but I also underestimated just how persistent and powerful that Russian ally of his, Tunguska, could be when pushed into the final corner. I didn't think he was able to embody even a fraction of the same kind of spirit that All Might could… and I ultimately paid the price for it from both of them.

"We can no longer afford to underestimate either of them, especially the way they can potentially influence and strengthen their students. If All Might can still help empower Midoriya Izuku's growth, then it would be foolish to think he and Tunguska couldn't potentially have the same effect on his son and the rest of the Yuuei students as well. Such a development could make things incalculably more difficult for you down the road, Tomura… and you know it just as well as I do. That's why I'm getting the moving parts in motion on this end so that you can have someone on your side that can help you to learn everything there is to eventually know about even one of your future enemies as they currently stand."

This time, Tomura said nothing. Knowing his disciple as well as he did, All For One could easily imagine he was trying to come up with some kind of argument to his reasoning…but he also knew that Tomura was smart enough to realize there was no argument. In the end, he would see reason himself. Kurogiri could clearly see this silent development in his ally as well, as he was the one to ultimately answer their true leader: "What is it you require of us, Sensei? If it's something you truly believe will ultimately help Shigaraki Tomura, you only need tell me what to do."

All For One only gave the slightest bowing of his head in silent response to his follower's cooperativeness. "Very well, Kurogiri. You have the coordinates to my exact location, and the good doctor is listening in as well, so he will be able to give you the exact coordinates for where I'm about to have you open another gate for me. From my perspective, from my exact location: two floors up; thirty feet ahead, and then a right turn; twenty feet, then a left turn; eighteen feet and another left turn; third-to-last door on my right, at about ten feet between the door of each cell. Keep the coordinates the Doctor gives you with those directions, and wait for me to tell you when to open your gate."

The man only known to the world as Vukodlak had long since ceased counting the days since he had been incarcerated in this prison. He had since resigned himself to simply letting time do as it would until the universe would provide him another path to follow. It was ultimately how he had chosen to live his life up until now, and with solitary confinement defining his foreseeable future, it wasn't exactly as though he had much opportunity to make such drastic decisions for himself anymore.

It wasn't as though he had completely let go of his old animosities. No amount of confinement, peace and quiet would be able to get rid of that. But in the strangest way, simply whiling away his time and being provided books to keep himself mentally stimulated felt like its own rewarding experience. It certainly was more pleasant than the continuous silent psychological sharpening he had taken to subjecting himself to a few hours out of every day. Just because he wasn't out on the field doing what he did best anymore was no excuse for laziness or letting his Quirk-enhanced senses risk dulling.

As he continued silently yet patiently running his index finger down the raised bumps of his recently acquired brail copy of Dostoevsky's 'The Idiot;' for a moment, he could almost swear he heard only the slightest tingling sensation in the back of his mind. Just as he was about ready to continue on with his intellectual reading recreation—

"I mean you no harm so do not physically react. The cameras are doubtless watching you just as they are me; probably listening as well. I'm speaking to you telepathically, and rest assured I can hear your thoughts as well, so formulate your responses that way."

This sudden intrusive older male voice was calm and casual, quite approachable even. At the same time, though, it carried a very distinctive sense of power to it, as though whoever it was that was reaching out to Vukodlak mentally had quite a lot more to them than a simple voice could convey. It would have been a lie to say the blind Russian Villain wasn't the slightest bit intrigued, and his senses and self-awareness was heightened enough to where even being suddenly probed by a telepathic link couldn't conjure a noticeable physical reaction out of him. Had All For One been able to see this iron will and composure with his own eyes, it would've brought quite the smile to his face.

Simply closing his book and setting it aside, Vukodlak let out a wistful sigh and simply sat back against the wall. "Well, I can't say this is any big surprise. I thought I'd started hearing quantum-sized fluctuations in the air coming from two floors up. Can't say I expected somebody with a telepathy Quirk to have any need to talk to me, though. If my Japanese is at all off, do let me know. I only just learned it a few months ago and haven't had much need to practice it further with the guard."

Up in his own cell, All For One could actually feel a sensation of being legitimately impressed, not only at Vukodlak's sense of composure, but apparently even the sheer strength of his hearing. This was actually at a level that may have even exceeded his own Super Hearing Quirk in its own way. "If it's easier for you to simply think to me in Russian, don't let that stop you. I have means to still understand you just fine. I must admit, though, I'm impressed you were able to pick up even the microscopic signal of my telepathy to the outside. I would have thought these accursed sensors of theirs would have meddled with senses as sharpened as I've heard yours are."

Vukodlak gave no visible reaction in his own cell, instinctively moving his blinded eyes around behind his closed eyelids, as though using that alongside his immense hearing ability to scope out the dimensions of his cell and all those around his. "You're not wrong; they're clearly there to screw with those with Quirks that heighten their navigational senses outside of regular hearing and regular sight. But I've spent the entirety of my life sharpening my already heightened senses for places just like this, which includes learning exactly how to psychologically protect myself from anything that would attempt to harm them. In the time since I've been here, it's just been an excuse for me to sharpen my hearing to the point I can block out those damn sensors and simply focus on even the minutest air fluctuations, hence why I could hear you actually reaching out to wherever just a few minutes ago."

To hear this foreign Villain express something with such clear dedication, All For One had to actually fight the urge to laugh in clear approval. "Well, I would say that you and I are kindred spirits in that way, then."

Now, this stranger that had suddenly reached out to him, had started to pique Vukodlak's curiosity. "By that, do you mean you're also someone who believes in constantly learning and bettering yourself for whatever challenges lie ahead?"

Vukodlak was only mildly surprised to hear only the slightest mental chuckle from his mysterious visitor. "In a way. These days, I'm more of the conviction that, if you find yourself in a position where you can no longer help yourself become stronger, that doesn't mean you can't still help others achieve that goal, in whatever form that may take. I like to consider myself a teacher of sorts."

This time, it was the Russian Villains' turn to mentally laugh to himself. "And what, pray tell, would a self-proclaimed 'teacher of Villains' possibly want with an old wolf like me? Don't think I don't know who you really are. I heard your voice when you were talking to the guard the day you were wheeled in here. I recognize your voice even now, and I've heard it all from the guards whenever they run into each other since then. You're that apparent super powerful Villain who forced this country's Top Hero, All Might, to retire."

Once more, All For One couldn't help but be impressed at Vukodlak's clear mental sharpness and deduction ability with his limited senses. All the better for the purposes he had in mind for the man. "That is indeed true, but there's still a great deal I aim to accomplish that I simply can't while I'm being kept here. However, I'm still hoping to provide my apprentice and inheritor on the outside all the vital assistance he can get in order to achieve our ultimate goal, and the reason I'm reaching out to you, O Lone Wolf, is because I believe you can help provide that very assistance he needs. I want you to provide him with your services as need be."

The resultant scoff that Vukodlak mentally expressed momentarily caught All For One by surprise. As for Vukodlak, his face was still as unreadable as stone, but inside, he could just feel the biggest cynical grin on his own face. "There are a few things wrong with your approach, 'Sensei.' First of all, you're making quite a number of assumptions, thinking I would just bite down on the very first bone given to me. I've ultimately been playing by what other people wanted of me all my life. I have no reason to pledge loyalty to anyone anymore, least of all you. I may know who you are, but I don't know you from a hole in the ground.

"Second, you may not have known this little detail about me, but I initially blinded myself because I thought it was my sole weakness, and therefore worked to enhance all of my senses to compensate for it. It was a grueling process that took years and years, and I thought it would make me invincible. In the end, though, I was still ultimately beaten by the offspring of my enemy, and his little friends to boot. After racking my brain for ideas on how I could possibly improve further to negate the power of that boy's Quirk, especially, I've ultimately come up with nothing. I'm not about to go through with deafening myself. Without that and my sight, even I know I'd be left completely helpless as a result.

"Right now, all I want out of life anymore is to just live long enough to see if that naïve little boy can actually keep his oath, to his parents, himself and me. I want to see for myself if he can actually be the first true Hero of his kind and prove me wrong."

When he was initially met with silence, Vukodlak was about ready to declare himself the winner of this impromptu little discussion. But once he heard the sound of All For One's voice chuckling to himself again, he couldn't deny he felt his curiosity grow as to the name of this resilient other Villain who'd gone to such effort to reach out to him.

"That's where I must correct you myself, Vukodlak. That's right, I'm quite aware of who you are, as well. After all, who do you think it was that contacted the very government you worked for with Tunguska's location after he fled Russia? I've done all the research I could into both your respective histories, knowing you would especially want to eschew all rules in order to hunt him down and bury him and his by your own hands.

"And ever since you were arrested and had your name and even most basic of goals spread out by this country's ignorant news media, I want you to know that I completely understand and empathize with your true goal: the eradication of all those false Heroes that get turned on those unable to defend themselves by the individuals truly in power. It's a curse as old as civilization itself, and the onset of Heroes and Villains has ultimately made it worse, and those that simply wish to live a free and simple life are continuously oppressed by this Hero-worshipping society at every turn, every single day, regardless if they themselves have Quirks or not. It's simply not as blatant as it was in your home country, but that doesn't make it any less real here or anywhere else.

"You see, the kind of society where Heroes are no longer there to oppress those same people is exactly what my inheritor and his followers, and even I myself, have always been aiming to achieve. Knowing what I do about you, I had a feeling you might like to hear that, in essence, you're not really alone out in this large and insane world of false Heroes. Wouldn't it make more sense, even to a supposed Lone Wolf like you, to join a pack that he shares a common goal with? Do you really expect me to believe that the Hunter of so-called Heroes is content with simply wasting away in a cell like a caged animal, instead of running free with those just like him towards a much nobler goal for the world?"

At first, All For One found himself answered only with mental silence, but he knew deep down he'd gotten his hooks into him, just as he'd intended more than anything else out of today. When Vukodlak's mental voice finally came back, it sounded no less resolute in his own personal stance: "I have to say, you've got a very impressive way with words, 'Sensei.' No wonder you were able to apparently gain yourself something as fancy-sounding as a disciple and inheritor. Villains don't typically stick together for long-term partnerships like that. But this isn't some fresh-faced street punk trying to make a name for himself that you're talking to…not anymore."

This time, to Vukodlak's surprise, All For One didn't even hesitate with his response; his voice dripping with self-assuredness: "And you clearly have more to learn when it comes to hiding every aspect of your real feelings. Your heart rate has reasonably increased over the last half minute since last I spoke."

This time, Vukodlak had to really strain not to show a physical reaction that the cameras or microscopic microphones could pick up on. Regardless, All For One could simply picture the real reaction going on in the Russian Villain's head. "That's right; you're not the only one here with an enhanced hearing Quirk. Granted it may not have been as sharpened to the minutest fluctuations like yours, but it's hardly anything to scoff at.

"Now let me only say this one last thing, and do us all a favor and just think about it: if what you truly want is to see if Tunguska's son will really be able to live up to his oath to become the first true Hero, then doesn't it only make sense to put his dedication and drive towards that goal to the test, by putting him up against the perfect adversary to test his limit and his moral fortitude? Because, frankly, I can't think of an enemy more fitting than you when considering your history with his family."

This time, not only did Vukodlak answer almost instantly, but now even his mental voice was beginning to carry a tinge of impatience: "What exactly do you mean by all of this? I've already gone and crippled myself beyond repair in my drive to become the perfect opponent for the like of Tunguska and his boy, and I still ended up getting defeated. Besides, if anything, it sounds like you'd be more of a challenging opponent for any Hero out there. I've never heard of a person apparently possessing more than one Quirk at once. I seriously doubt your capacity only covers telepathy and enhanced hearing."

"Vukodlak, what I possess is more than you or anyone else could truly comprehend, and it's made up of things I would be more than happy to oblige and share with you, but only if you can be completely honest with me, and admit that you truly want another chance to go all out with your power and test the real Heroic mettle of Tunguska's little boy and his friends who got you cooped up in here to begin with when the time is right. If you can tell me that with pure honesty, then I can give you a clearer idea of just what I have to offer you in exchange for your assistance to our shared cause."

By this point, Vukodlak could feel the air between him and this stranger completely change, as the outwardly casual and approachable air to this strange new Villain's tone had now become especially more impassioned, almost as though he could have been saying the very same thing in a booming and raucous speech to an entire city of Villains if he really wanted to.

Needless to say, he could no longer deny, to the Villain speaking to him or himself, that his old sense of eagerness was definitely back. "Before I say anything in response to that… just who exactly are you, and what is it you're hoping to get out of my joining your disciple and his people? Nobody makes offers with the kind of words you're using without silently expecting something in return for themselves, specifically. I mean, it's clear you're not exactly aiming for this to kick off right now."

'Got him.'

This was all that All For One could think to himself outside of his telepathic focus as he gave Vukodlak the most necessarily honest answer needed: "I assure you, I'll give you all those details in due time. Right now, all I wanted was two things. One: to simply extend a hand of future acquaintance from one Villain to another, and properly introduce myself. Of course I knew who you were, but as for me… you can simply refer to me as All For One."

Vukodlak, of course, was too smart to simply take All For One's words at face value, but given their mutual circumstances, it wasn't exactly like he was in a position to make demands for the full extent of the truth. And besides, his offer of giving him another chance to well and truly test Nikolay and his friends' mutual worth as potential true Heroes was simply too good a possibility for him to pass up. "Very well then, All For One. And what was the second thing you were aiming for with this little conversation?"

"To leave you with a simple parting gift, so that we may be on the same level of understanding with each other. Don't ask me how I intend to do that. You'll find out very soon. Just make sure, again, to not make a sound, regardless of what happens now and later."

For a few seconds of his patient waiting, Vukodlak heard nothing, neither with his ears, nor within his head. But then, his ears could start to make out a distinct crackling sound emanating from multiple points around his cell.

What the Russian Villain didn't realize, was that All For One had now taken this moment, accompanied with his telepathic focus, to activate an EMP Quirk he had been holding onto; combining it with the link established by his telepathic Quirk to use Vukodlak as an unwitting emitter, causing all the cameras in his cell to start bugging out for what would ultimately only be just a handful of seconds.

"Kurogiri, open the gate; the two points being the inside of my sleeve, and the coordinates of Vukodlak's cell."

As Vukodlak continued to only slightly wonder what the strange crackling noise in his cell was, he suddenly felt the strong sensation of an especially powerful hand gripping him by the back of his head, as though it were emanating from the wall itself. Remembering All For One's words, he didn't make a sound, but that proved an especially great challenge when he suddenly felt two strange pulse-like sensations shoot straight into his body, completely sapping him of every ounce of energy he once had.

Just as quickly as it had happened, the gripping sensation on the back of his head was gone, and so too was the crackling sound, for the cameras had returned to functioning like normal just as they had mere seconds ago. Vukodlak was still managing to keep his outward composure, but inside he was finding himself feeling genuinely shocked and curious just what exactly All For One had just done to him.

"Do not fret, Vukodlak. Just stay calm and be patient. You'll start to notice the effects of my little parting gift in due time. Just be sure to keep the reactions to yourself. We don't want the prying eyes of our hosts here to see anything we don't want them to. Don't worry about trying to somehow reach out to me. Believe me, we'll be staying in touch for a good long while."

With that, All For One finally let the image of Vukodlak's face from his mug-shot fade from his mind, now only keeping his telepathic links with the doctor, Kurogiri and Tomura open for the precious seconds he could still maintain it, having completely wiped himself out for the day by doing all of this.

"You need not worry anymore, Tomura. I've officially taken the first step towards securing you and your League of Villains the much-needed extra muscle and reach for you to completely succeed. For the time being, I need to end this contact in order to replenish my energy… but keep your ears open; for I'll need all of your cooperation in order to make this side plan come to fruition in the coming days. Don't forget; even as you toil, struggle and suffer every single day to become as strong as can be… everything that is happening here today is for you, Shigaraki Tomura."

And with that, All For One finally severed the multiple telepathic links and simply let himself sit slack in his wheelchair, exhausted, but at the same time greatly anticipating just how well this projected plan of his to aid his disciple was ultimately going to turn out.

And there's the new chapter for the week, everyone. I can only hope it met all your expectations after the previous chapter, because pieces on the board are officially moving.

If you liked what you read here today, please be so kind as to leave a review. If you would like to make any kind of fanart for this story in particular, feel free to PM me.

Have a nice rest of your week, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 11/27!