Hello, everybody! Well, we're finally here, the final chapter covering the events of the Shie Hassaikai Arc! i was wondering for a long time how I wanted to progress from here, and it's certainly going to be an interesting experience, putting my plans together after such a pivotal point in the MHA story proper as this. I can only hope you've all enjoyed my take on this particular arc to any degree, and that you're all just as anticipating of the future story arcs here as I am.
I would once again like to personally thank my beta readers and consultants and friends, Mizu and Jonny; alongside my contributing DA fanartists, Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, Yumake, Eliza-Frost and effasempai.
and naturally, I also owe all the thanks in the world to all of you that have been supporting this story for all this time, even now. Whether you leave reviews or not, I know you're all still reading and thereby showing your patronage and encouragement for the work, and that is its own reward, its own reassurance. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for that.
My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them.
A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian. Also, any dialogue written in this format indicates present day narration over flashback events.
Chapter 102
The Path to Tomorrow
(Путь К Завтрашнему Дню)
Saturday, September 13th
"Even though the attack on the police convoy had happened so soon after they had all been taken away from the scene of the mission, we never found out about it until a whole day after. The police had very little evidence to actually work off of from the start, but even if that hadn't been the case, we'd all been so preoccupied with everything else that had been going on at our end, not the least of which being all our injuries. Because our mission had been in a residential area on a weekday morning, we'd fortunately been able to avoid a much larger number of civilians getting potentially caught in the crossfire. There had only been three that had gotten hurt when mine and Chisaki's fight had reached the surface, but thankfully they had only amounted to the slightest scratches. A lot of us had taken the brunt of that potential damage in their place…some of us obviously to a much greater extent than others."
Indeed, everything had gone quite fast after Izuku and all his fellow Heroes that had received injuries had been transported to the nearest local university hospital, with Recovery Girl having already long since been contacted and moved from Yuuei in preparation for the influx.
People like Eijirou, Tunguska, Fatgum and Tamaki had immediately been rushed over to full-blown surgery, while Izuku, Eri, Mirio, Rock Lock and Aizawa had all been separated for their own individual procedures and check-ups; the latter of which ultimately being all that Izuku himself received over the course of the next hour, as with the exception a large scar patch that now lay smack dab upon his right bicep, he didn't have a single new scratch on him, much to the bewilderment of his doctor. "It's just the most miraculous thing. We've run every possible scan on you we have, in light of everything you described your body being put through; and yet there doesn't seem to be anything out of place with you, other than these new scars on your arms. What actually happened to those, by the way?"
However, even as the doctor was busily looking over Izuku's medical records; the green-haired boy was already frantically zipping up his Hero suit, barely able to stand still, let alone hide the worry on his face. "I'm sorry, Doctor; but I'm honestly more concerned about everyone else right now. Are you able to give me any idea how they're all doing?"
And as though that was the universe's cue; the moment Izuku asked, the door to the small office opened to reveal Aizawa himself standing tiredly at the ready, completely ignoring the orders of his visibly worried nurse to not move himself around so much. "I've actually just come back from seeing them myself, Midoriya."
"Sensei! You're actually not hurt?!" Izuku's optimism at seeing his homeroom teacher already back on his feet, still didn't stop him from feeling even the slightest bit foolish for asking such a pointless question; having seen with his own eyes what had happened to Aizawa at Himiko Toga's hands, even before he'd gotten hit with Hari Kurono's Quirk over an hour ago.
"Ten stitches, but that's definitely better than it could've been. Walk with me." At Aizawa's beckoning, Izuku hurriedly gave a grateful bow to his doctor, before hastening after his teacher down the halls of the hospital. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you when it counted most, by the way."
"It's fine, Sensei. How's everyone doing?" The moment Izuku asked, he could feel a chill rush across his body when he saw how Aizawa's gaze darkened.
"Again, given how things could've turned out, they're better…but that's barely any comfort when considering what they do have. Amajiki's face got split open, but the doctors are confident there should be no lasting damage, and Fatgum is likewise in high spirits, even despite multiple fractures and puncture wounds, one of which very nearly ruptured one of his kidneys. And Rock Lock turned out very fortunate, in that Toga's knife missed hitting any of his major organs, so he's expected to make a full recovery. But out of the whole lot of us at the end of it all, Kirishima and Tunguska both easily got the worst of it.
"Kirishima's entire body is covered in bruises and lacerations from the beating he took, as well as a large burn on his back from taking one of Tunguska's Solar Blasts straight to it; but even when the doctors and police have asked, he keeps insisting that he asked him to do it for both their sakes when their fight was at its most desperate. And all of this damage is just on the surface level. Thanks to Vukodlak, he's also sporting a couple broken ribs, one of which very nearly risked puncturing one of his lungs; as well as several serious breaks in both his right arm and right leg. Even after applying her Quirk on him, Recovery Girl is saying he's going to be carrying some considerable scars from those wounds specifically.
"As for Tunguska, his left clavicle is completely broken, as are nearly all of his ribs, nearly two dozen major lacerations; one of which barely avoided severing one of his femoral arteries, and another that's potentially going to leave him with permanent damage to his vision out of his right eye; and a concussion. His condition was only made worse by his refusing to stay back, and going forward after already being hurt, to help you all as he did. The hospital has to go through a large supply of its donated blood in his type in order to get him back to normal any time soon.
"And, of course…we have to move from the physical damages, to the mental and emotional ones as well. With what happened to Ryukyu; Uraraka, Asui and Hadou are going through more than you may be able to realize. Just because they insisted on staying behind to help the police clear the area and assess the damages, doesn't mean they aren't hurting a hell of a lot right now. There's no telling how long it's going to take them to get through their grief, but you and all the rest of your classmates, their friends, are going to need to put the time and effort into being there for them, because grief lingers and affects people very differently, and they need the support and understanding, even if they may say they don't, or that they're already fine. You understand?"
So much of the details of what had ultimately befallen his classmates and friends, their Pro partners and teachers was all heaping onto Izuku's shoulders so fast and so heavy. But the reminder of Ryukyu's sacrifice for him and Eri, still hit like a speeding freight train to his gut; and even now, he could only imagine that the anguish that Ochako, Tsuyu and Nejire were all going through while trying to still conduct their Heroic duties, was a thousand times more painful than his own. Just like how he felt for Sir Nighteye; for them, this wasn't like simply losing a teacher, but more like losing a family member, a friend. And it would only be right for him and everyone else who wanted, to try and extend their hands of understanding to the three girls if at all possible from now on.
Of course, thinking back to Eri made it impossible for Izuku not to comment what had been lingering in his head since the fact: "The way I observed how Eri-chan's Quirk worked, and the way Chisaki described it, it was like it could rewind people, even their injuries. That's the whole reason mine and Mirio-senpai's wounds all disappeared. I haven't been able to stop thinking if it were at all possible to somehow try and use her Quirk back then to try and rewind what happened to Ryukyu and Sir Nighteye alike."
To this, Aizawa's stride momentarily paused, and the already tense atmosphere around him only became even more so, before he finally continued onward, speaking as bluntly as ever: "Unfortunately, given the circumstances then, you and Togata stopping Chisaki had to take the top priority for everyone's sakes. What's more, investigation of the scene has sadly confirmed that there was nothing left of Ryukyu that would've been able to be rewound even if you'd had the chance. And even if that hadn't been the case, there's no telling what could've become of her and Nighteye if you'd exposed them to Eri-chan's Quirk, so there's no point in ruminating on things that can't be done anymore.
"Speaking of Eri-chan; she still hasn't regained consciousness, nor has her fever gone down. The doctors are isolating her for now." At the mention of this, Izuku couldn't help but pause; his face wrought with worry and disappointment all at once. "'Isolated'? So…so I can't go and check up on her?"
But Aizawa refused to stop or even look back to his freckled student. "They're keeping her in isolation precisely because of the information you gave us about her Quirk, Midoriya. Think about it: a Quirk that rewinds; better yet, a Quirk that she can't control. If by some chance some kind of stimulus were to trigger the activation of her Quirk again, I'd be the only person who could feasibly stop her, but there's no telling what kind of harm she would inadvertently cause before I could.
"The only reason you and Togata were able to stay in close proximity to her while her Quirk was active, was because of his own injuries, alongside the fact that you were consistently destroying your own body through the consistent use of your Quirk at its fullest power, right?" Only the slightest sideways glance to see Izuku's head bowed in acknowledgment, told Aizawa everything he needed to know.
"There aren't many people out there who could handle being exposed to a power like that, and even if they could, what would happen if her ability were to somehow get ramped up to the point where you couldn't offset the damage?" This question forced Izuku to think back to those final moments after he'd finally defeated Chisaki, back to that all-consuming and incomprehensible agony that had engulfed his entire body.
In all honesty, he could still feel that sheer sensation all across his skin as he answered: "That's true. Her power was getting way more intense at the very end. If you hadn't erased it when you did, Sensei…"
However, such a horrific scenario as not something Aizawa was about to let himself or his student dwell on, as he forcefully interrupted: "All these unknowns aside, there's also her mental state to consider. Rationally speaking, this is the best course of action we can take, primarily for her sake. Considering what we learned from Chisaki's recovered recordings in the basement labs, that her Quirk only works on people, and not inanimate objects…allowing her to train while regulating her power is not going to be easy…which ultimately means…that we can't rely on her Quirk; possibly for a very long time…if not ever."
Aizawa had to fight the urge to meet Izuku's pained gaze in the light of this unfortunate result: "W-what are you saying, Sensei? Does…does this mean the only thing we can do is just stand back and just…just accept everything that's happened to us, to her, and let that be the end of it?"
"Look who just showed up."
The sudden sound of Mirio's voice as Izuku and Aizawa rounded yet another corner, brought teacher and student both to a complete stop; Izuku looking utterly shocked at just who all had been waiting for them from the looks of it: "What?! All Might? Recovery Girl?!"
Indeed, alongside an otherwise healthy-looking but somber Mirio Togata, there was the contemplative, borderline mournful Toshinori Yagi, with a similarly remorseful-looking Recovery Girl standing patiently at his side. And beside the three of them, were Sir Nighteye's two other loyal sidekicks and fellow Pros from his Agency: the turquoise-skinned and dark blue-haired Bubble Girl, and the centipede-headed suit-adorned aptly-named Centipeder; both of whom looked just as emotionally restrained as their peers.
However, even as Mirio visibly tried and struggled to put on a smile upon noticing Izuku's arrival; Izuku didn't even think of trying to reciprocate the disarming gesture, as he was still far too taken aback by All Might of all people having arrived out of nowhere. "All Might, I-I don't understand. Why're you-?
"I called him here. Because…" Bubble Girl was the one to swiftly chime in before Izuku could stumble over his surprised words any further; and already she was quickly proving herself no more capable of maintaining her emotional composure the further along she went; Centipeder loyally stepping in to hold her consolingly as her words ultimately crumbled: "Because…Sir, he…to him, All Might was always…a shining example. And now he…he…*sob*"
As she proceeded to start crying, Izuku could just feel his stomach twist and turn, especially when one of the doctors stepped in, and he could see how Mirio's own fragile exterior was quickly starting to fade as he spoke: "We've run every possible procedure we could think of on Sir Nighteye, all while treating his physical injuries…but medical science simply isn't advanced enough to handle a condition like what he has deep down, it's down to a genetic level. In all other cases, he's already making a full recovery, but I'm afraid that, as far as helping him to somehow regain or reactivate his Quirk Factor…there's nothing that can be done. He's been rendered well and truly Quirkless."
As that awful news hit with a silencing finality among everyone present, Recovery Girl herself likewise bowed her head in regret. "I'm afraid even my Healing can't do anything for him, either. This isn't like any other kind of wound known to man. I struggle to even refer to it as a wound, because that would at least imply some damage left over. But this…it's like something we know was there, was simply erased like it had never existed to begin with."
Even despite their mentor's words of reassurance before, it still did nothing to heal the anguish Izuku and Mirio were both reeling from, knowing that such an established and admirable Hero in his own right, and such a once-close friend of All Might, had lost his Quirk on such a permanent basis, as well as what this would ultimately mean for him going forward, no matter how confident he himself had tried to sound about it.
As Centipeder continued to console the now uncontrollably weeping Bubble Girl; he solemnly returned his gaze to everyone else in attendance. "Sir Nighteye still wanted to see you all as soon as the chance was there. He's just through this door here."
As Izuku, All Might and Mirio all looked to the door in question, Recovery Girl herself let out another heavy sigh as she began to take her leave. "I'm sorry. I hate to leave you all like this in such a hard time, but I'm afraid things aren't slowing down for me anywhere else. From what Nezu-san has been telling me; some more of your schoolmates conducted a mission of their own up in Hokkaido after all those attacks yesterday, and I need to be ready to head up there the moment we hear the rail tunnel is back up and running."
The diminutive old nurse could just feel how the air of worry around Izuku, All Might and Aizawa intensified at the sound of more of their friends and students potentially having gotten hurt after everything they'd heard about and worried over on the news yesterday. As such, she finally took that chance, and put her foot down: "Now don't you all start fretting and worrying yourselves sick more than you already have been. We don't know anything about any of their conditions yet, and right now we should try to take that as a good sign, just like you all should be reminding yourselves of, regarding what's going on here. Nighteye may have lost his Quirk, but he isn't dying when he very easily could have. We should all take that as a reminder to be grateful for the people we still have, and take what silver linings we can find."
For as abrasive as her words easily could have been taken as, they all knew deep down, that Recovery Girl was absolutely right. And thus, with fists clenched and a deep and shaky breath taken, it was All Might who ultimately took the lead; hesitating to open the door before finally giving himself one final mental push forward, to see a face he hadn't allowed himself to see in so long.
Standing contemplatively inside his hospital room; his bed surrounded by a number of different medical monitors now rendered useless due to his otherwise clean bill of health; Sir Nighteye was staring out the window towards the expansive city skyline ahead; the early afternoon sun still shining bright against a deep azure sky, as though completely ignorant of how much pain and destruction had both been inflicted, and ultimately averted, underneath it mere hours ago.
And with the sound of his room door finally clicking open; the bespectacled former Pro Hero resolutely turned to face his multiple visitors; feeling his whole body be stricken still when seeing the spindly form of a visibly remorseful All Might standing in the doorway, looking upon his former sidekick with those sunken blue eyes, as though he were gazing upon a face once forgotten and finally regained; his voice shaking with quickly overwhelming emotion: "Nighteye…"
However, even when seeing the thinly veiled pain on his old, old friend's gaunt face…the first thing Sir Nighteye himself could do in response, was give the faintest of smiles. "All Might. You really didn't feel like coming until you were certain we were in the same exact boat, eh? Two old men, having given up their Quirks for the sake of our students."
But even despite the smile on his old sidekick's face, All Might couldn't bring himself to do the same; his jaw quivering as he tried so hard to keep his emotional composure. "I don't know what to say. I can't begin…to…to apologize enough…for my stubbornness back then…for all the ways it's caused me to wrong you."
Just as Izuku and Mirio finally showed themselves, stepping in from around the trembling Symbol of Peace's side; Nighteye actually began chuckling to himself. "Honestly, you sound as though you're speaking at my deathbed. There's no need for you to be so uptight. The truth is that I…*sigh*…I may have been angry at you back then for not heeding my warning…but I never held anything against you.
"The truth is that, after what I'd foreseen happening to you back then, I tried so hard for so long to try and avert it somehow…and yet, no matter what I did, I simply couldn't alter your fate, nor that of anyone else I used my Quirk on at that time. It ultimately ended up extinguishing my entire sense of hope, filling me with nothing but dread and fear for the future…and I couldn't bring myself to face you because of that. It felt like I would've been insulting everything you stood for if I had. After all, hope is the one thing a Hero needs to hold onto and bring to others before anything else. My last use of my Foresight had shown me a vision of Midoriya and Mirio weeping in defeat, and that only cemented that feeling of hopelessness in me that much more so."
Finally, Nighteye shifted his gaze to the clearly listening Izuku and nearly weeping Mirio at All Might's side; a deep look of hope and admiration soon filling the former Pro's yellow eyes. "And yet…they both showed me something extraordinary today. For the longest time, no matter how hard I continued to carry out my Hero duties, the negative energy of all those lingering fears and defeatism was always there.
"But after what I saw today…I believe now that there is a much stronger energy behind our thoughts; an energy born from striving for a certain future…and when one doesn't allow for doubt, a vision that strong, and the energy born from that wishing, becomes something truly tangible, with actual will and influence over fate itself. It wasn't just from Midoriya and Mirio, either. Everyone out there came together, and believed so strongly in that vision of the future they were both fighting for. What I saw today…was perhaps the result of all that collective energy from everyone's shared wishes for the future, all coalescing ultimately in both of them in the very end.
"The truth I see now, is that the future is truly uncertain, never truly set in stone as I believed it was for so long. Midoriya, Mirio…you ultimately changed my way of thinking, and that's enough for me. Now, knowing my situation as it is, I can only hope to be able to make good on that revelation, and perhaps start fighting against the fate set in place for myself now…and start fixing even a little of the damage between us, All Might."
Izuku's whole body was trembling, and anyone listening could have heard how Mirio was struggling to choke down his own sobs while listening to Nighteye speak of them so highly in light of everything. And at the same time, All Might's hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists, shaking at his sides. Despite all of this building emotion, however, Nighteye continued unperturbed, but no less genuine:
"I only ever wished for your happiness, All Might; and nothing more…and if you choosing to fight against your fate I had foreseen, was what would ultimately make you happy in the end…then that's okay in my book. Perhaps, we may be able to help each other continue to fight against fate…not as Hero and sidekick again…but perhaps…as old friends, once more."
The sunlight coming in through the windows helped to further illuminate the twin tracks of tears starting to run down All Might's face as he struggled to try and wipe the tears from his eyes when he finally answered: "I…I would…nothing would make me happier…Nighteye. You've always been propping me up over you and others for as long as I've known you…but you're truly the stronger one between us, if you could accept the loss of your power this quickly, while I stubbornly fought tooth and nail to try and deny my own limited time with it for as long as I did. And yet, even after I caused you so much pain for all that time…you would still want me as your friend again. *sniff* Thank you…for this chance to try and atone for all I've done."
To see two once-inseparable yet broken men finally come together again in the wake of such tragic circumstances; it was impossible for Izuku to keep his own tears from falling any longer; but it was Mirio who was the most verbal between them, as he immediately rushed in to his old mentor's side, with Bubble Girl and Centipeder soon taking his place in the doorway, both as respectively emotional as they could possibly have been when listening in to this whole conversation already.
"Sir, what is this going to mean for you?! Without your Quirk…you can't still go around calling yourself a registered Pro Hero; that's what the law says, isn't it? You gave up your Quirk because of me, it's not right that you should have to step down for that!" As soon as Mirio started spouting off his racing thoughts and worries with no hope of filtering himself; Bubble Girl just as quickly chimed in: "Yeah, from the beginning when we all got our licenses, we've always had you there to guide and train us in every way you could! I don't care how corny this sounds, but you've been like a father for us for so long! If you're going to be gone from that position, then what'll that mean for the Nighteye Agency? I…I don't know if any of us are really prepared to strike it out on our own without you, Sir!"
And yet, despite seeing the tears on the faces of his three sidekicks and young intern, and even as their own understandable emotions tugged at his own heartstrings; Nighteye never let the confident mature smile fade from his face. "You say this about yourselves so easily, you three; but you don't even stop to take in the fact of just what you all helped us to accomplish today, even despite the pain and losses suffered for it. Bubble Girl, Centipeder; you two helped make the rest of the operation go so much more smoothly for us and the police, by keeping any of the Hassaikai foot soldiers from getting at us from behind. I left you both in charge of that stage of the mission, precisely because I knew you'd both grown in strength and capability to handle that kind of responsibility. Mirio, Midoriya; you put a stop to an all-powerful yakuza, and saved Eri-chan's life, on top of the lives of countless others that would've been put in danger if his schemes had gone any further.
"In so little time all around, you've all grown tremendously, and I have the utmost confidence that, even if I have to step down from my position as the Agency's leader and have its name legally changed…it, or anywhere else you all may find yourselves, will be in truly some of the most capable hands there are today. As for me, I know there are no shortages of possible ways I can apply my other skills to aid the police and other Heroes just as effectively. I always did fancy the idea of becoming a detective if my Hero career plans hadn't panned out before."
This time, even as All Might's tears still couldn't stop alongside everyone else's; the Symbol of Peace could actually be heard beginning to chuckle to himself. "That…that is almost too appropriate for words; especially for a man like you, Nighteye."
But this was still not enough to quell Mirio's tears, as he had one hand gripping one of the bars lining the hospital bed in a tight grip; his eyes still blinded by his tears. "But Sir…even if you say that, I know I'm not ready to go out into the world on my own! Even if I found another Hero to teach me, they couldn't compare to you! The only reason I ever got stronger was because of everything you taught me! It's all thanks to you that I have the life I do now…and this…THIS is how I ended up repaying you! Please, Sir, don't tell me that it has to end like this! There's still so much for you to teach me, I know there is! There has to be some way I can make this right again!"
As Mirio continued to break down into unintelligible and inconsolable tears before his mentor and everyone; Nighteye himself could feel his heart be further and further weighed down, as every one of the boy's deeply heartfelt words struck him with the weight of the world. 'Forgive me, Mirio. In the beginning…I'd only brought you in with the viewpoint that you were the most appropriate vessel for One For All. But despite that, despite my initial distance, you stuck by me through everything. You believed in me, without question, even when I gave you little reason to. And at some point…you became my pride and joy.'
Silently, and with an emotional gasp hitched in his throat, Nighteye began to approach his weeping young sidekick, snapping Mirio to attention at last when he placed a resolute hand atop his head; giving him a truly fatherly smile once their equally emotional gazes met. "I'm sorry, Mirio. There were many things I still wanted to be able to teach you as well…but you've already turned into a truly fine Hero with the training I've given you, and anyone whom you would eventually choose would see that same growth and potential as I do right now. I don't need my Foresight to see and tell you, from the bottom of my heart…that you're going to be just fine. Both of you will. You and Midoriya together' you'll make truly exceptional Heroes one day, the very kind that can inspire hope and smiles in everyone just as All Might did; and that's one part of the future that must never be changed."
Looking from Mirio and Izuku to All Might, Bubble Girl, Centipeder, and ultimately every other Hero in this hospital, in this city, and virtually across the world; Sir Nighteye's eyes were almost shimmering as his smile only grew that much more with sincerity and passion: "Every one of you, I know it hurts to have to part our ways from one another like this, even for as brief as it may ultimately be…but please, keep smiling." That one simple request brought a number of choking sobs out of every single person in the room, even Nighteye himself. "A world without humor and smiles…has no bright future to look forward to. So please, let us all…*gasp*…let us all dry these tears, and Quirk or no Quirk; let us all continue to work together to help keep those smiles and that laughter alive from this day forward."
In that moment, there would go on to be no dry eyes left within that room, for even though the man known as Sir Nighteye was still alive and well, and more than ready to continue giving everything he had without his Quirk; there was still that inescapable feeling of failure and loss that could be felt among them all, that the Hero known as Sir Nighteye would sadly be no more.
Sunday, September 14th
"The rest of that day had felt like a passing haze after what we'd been forced to accept from Sir Nighteye going forward. Even despite his, All Might and Aizawa-sensei's words, something about the reality still couldn't help but feel just that touch unreal…of course, I realize that had to have been denial on my part now. I just remember that…that the moment I was finally snapped completely out of it, was when we'd finally been given leave from the hospital the next morning, even though Recovery Girl was no longer there to give the second opinion. I'd been on my way to the lobby when I'd finally heard the reports on TV about the attack from the League of Villains on the police convoy, as well as the police having found a large number of their own officers dead in the Hassaikai compound basement."
"The number of officers on the scene never fluctuated once from everything I'd seen, all the way until we'd gotten wheeled away here. Those League of Villains members…they completely tricked us, and we never even suspected it." Tunguska's bitter muttering of this as he likewise listened to the news alongside Aizawa, Nighteye and Izuku in the hallway, could be physically felt by everyone around him as he stood there; half his face covered in gauze, with a god 75-percent of his body similarly casted and wrapped in bandages and medical patches.
"So Chisaki…he actually got attacked…and his men were all taken…by Tomura…?" In comparison, Izuku's dreaded summation of these facts all but screamed just what was going through his head; hence why Aizawa was quick and firm in his response: "You have no business feeling responsible for this, Midoriya. None of us could've foreseen that they would pull a bold maneuver like this with so many police around. Try not to let stuff like this get to you so deeply, you hear?"
Of course, what was easy for the 1-A homeroom teacher, was anything but for Izuku, as he and his fellow adults could clearly see on the freckled boy's deeply troubled face. With a heavy sigh, Aizawa continued: "Look, there's still a lot of details that need to be clarified about everything that's happened. So in the meantime, since everyone has essentially recovered enough to be granted leave; you and your classmates will all be going back to Yuuei today, with the exception of Togata. With Nighteye no longer being legally able to hold his license as a registered Pro Hero, and with Togata still being classified as a student, he's in a bizarre position of needing another registered Pro to intern under until he officially graduates and becomes a fully registered Pro himself. We need to go over all of this with him and see to it he's placed in good hands that he can continue to work under…and unfortunately, there's no telling how long that process may ultimately take for him."
Izuku's guilt was equal with his sense of personal frustration at not being able to do anything to help his senior with this dilemma, simply because they were both in the very same position, so he was just as tossed to the wind as well. However, even if he couldn't do anything about his and Mirio's situation right now, there was at least one little thing he could still cling onto that could give him some kind of hope of being able to make even the tiniest difference: "forgive me, Sensei's…but is it at all possible for me to stick around until Eri wakes up? I just want to make sure she's really going to be okay."
But just as Aizawa's stern eyes were about to set on Izuku; Nighteye thankfully stepped in, straightening his glasses enough so that his former intern could see the similarly contemplative look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Midoriya, but I'm afraid your being here would change nothing about her condition. We did everything we could for her, and now we need to place our faith in the doctors taking care of her. Besides, Mirio actually made the same request when he was told of his needing to take temporary leave from Yuuei until his situation could be rectified. That outlandish bit of circumstance would ultimately grant him a better chance of being able to come here even temporarily each day to look over her. Have faith in his dedication to protect her for all of us, Midoriya; just as we all do."
Nighteye and Aizawa could both see that, even though Izuku clearly still wanted to try and stand his ground on this issue; he was likewise just as understanding of Nighteye's sentiments. And it was because of this clear internal conflict, that Tunguska ultimately stepped forward: "There's nothing I can say about this situation around malenkaya Eri that wouldn't just be repeating Aizawa-san and Nighteye-san…but think about the rest of your friends still waiting for you back at school, malenkii Midoriya."
This sudden shift in focus left Izuku immediately wide-eyed with realization and subsequent guilt, as his large foreign teacher continued: "By now, they've all no doubt heard the news about what you and your friends, their friends, went through yesterday. I have no doubt they're all worried sick about you all, and will want to know you're all okay as soon as possible. Can you really stand to make them all worry for a minute longer than they have to? If you were back at Yuuei right now, having heard of everything Kolya and your schoolmates with him in Hokkaido had gone through in Hokkaido with all those attacks on Friday, wouldn't you want to know for yourself that they're okay as soon as possible, too? Because we both know they would want to know you're all okay just as soon. Friends don't let each other worry needlessly, wouldn't you agree?"
While on one hand, neither Aizawa nor Nighteye could outright say they approved of Tunguska having to resort to using Izuku and the other students' friends back at school as a means to rein the stubborn boy back in; there was similarly no denying that it was an effective move, ultimately for the best.
Izuku couldn't possibly disagree with what the man was saying, because he was absolutely right: had the roles been switched, and Izuku had found out about something of this kind of scale happening to his friends somewhere far where he couldn't help them himself, he too would want to know they were all right as soon as possible. He couldn't rightfully put the others through that, just because of his own shortsightedness.
With a relenting sigh, Izuku's gaze momentarily shifted to the direction he knew by now to be where Mirio's hospital room was. "Can I at least check on Mirio-senpai one last time before we go?"
"Oh, right now he's-"Of course. I've no doubt the rest of your schoolmates will want to do the same." At this assurance of Tunguska's, cutting off Aizawa's instinctive response; Izuku hurried down the hall, leaving his three instructors to watch their mutual promising protégé head off.
Just as Tunguska had suggested, Izuku had been surprised to find Ochako, Tsuyu, Eijirou, Tamaki and Nejire all convening at the door to Mirio's room; all of them that had been physically injured thankfully already looking much improved, save for the heavy bandages around Eijirou's entire right arm. And as for the three girls, from the onset they all actually looked to be in the closest thing Izuku could have considered to be normal spirits…but considering this was essentially their having to for now say goodbye to Mirio, in light of everything else, he wasn't about to bring up such assumptions to them. And thankfully, they all too looked to be understanding enough of Izuku's disposition to not bring up things about Nighteye right off the bat.
And so, it was with the to-be-expected wishes of good mornings and relief for each other being back on their feet and ready to head back home, that Izuku finally led the way through the door…only to stop dead in his tracks alongside them all, when the first thing they were greeted with, was the sight of Mirio currently lying atop his bed, cycling his legs up in the air in an obvious show of vigorous exercise; a bright and sunny smile upon his face the moment he realized he had surprise visitors. "YO! Morning, you guys!"
However, when he wasn't being greeted with the utter wall of similarly cheerful greetings he'd been expecting, Mirio once again turned to see the dumbfounded looks on all their faces. "What's with that look? Have you guys not been hearing the news? See for yourselves!"
Naturally, Izuku's first thought would have been that Mirio was somehow referring to the attack on the police convoy, but a timely exclamation of "Holy crap!" from Eijirou just as he began to open his mouth, spurred him and everyone else to look over and see that the ceiling-mounted TV in Mirio's room was currently showing footage of what looked to be a flooded town in Hokkaido, with the reporters on-screen thoroughly and excitedly reporting on a very recent mission carried out by nearly a dozen Heroes, both Pros and students, to save this entire town of people brainwashed by a Villain who had apparently stolen a nuclear submarine and had been aiming to launch an overseas invasion.
And it was as soon as he and his fellow 1-A classmates heard the all-too familiar name of the town being Gagaringrad; that the news feed then ran a reel of photos of the Heroes in question; with the students all being Nikolay, Mina, Kyouka, Tenya and Momo; alongside the Class 1-B students Monoma, Tetsutetsu, Pony, Yui and Reiko.
For once, Izuku and his classmates were all-but speechless as they continued listening to this report go on, while Mirio was once again getting back to his vigorous in-bed workout. "Amazing, isn't it? I knew your guys' whole class had tons of potential for some real hardcore Heroics, not the least of which being all of you! Hopefully I'll be able to get back to Yuuei not too far behind you all; I'm just bursting with energy right now! Also, I'd like to give that bunch of friends of yours some congratulations of my own before too long for such a job well done! I'll bet they're probably just waiting to give you the same the moment you show your faces again! You know that kind of far-reaching comradery and trust is just the sign of some truly unstoppable Hero teams going forward, right?"
SLAM!
Before Izuku or any of his classmates could say anything, a sudden slamming of the door by none other than an especially concerned-looking Tamaki, brought everything to a stop. "Mirio, how can you be so…so…YOU, right now? You're acting as though everything that had happened yesterday just didn't! It's not natural."
Indeed, his long-time friend's words did bring Mirio's constant working out to a stop…if only for a second, before he continued on; his blue dot eyes reflecting pure focus alongside his ever-present and encouraging smile. "I know, Tamaki, everyone…I know. Sir Nighteye lost his Quirk and his status as a Pro Hero and Agency head, which effectively leaves me without someone to intern under for the rest of my third year for now. The more I think about it, the more it becomes clear that I can't stick around with him, Bubble Girl and Centipeder any longer, no matter how much I want to.
"And it's not even just the things that have happened to me. Nejire, Uraraka-san, Asui-san; you and Ryukyu all paid an even greater price in order for us to successfully save Eri-chan, but I know our success can't possibly get rid of the pain you all must be feeling right now. All things considered, I'm in no more a state of mind to be smiling than all of you."
Izuku and Eijirou could all see how the three girls all simultaneously began bowing their heads in silent mourning once again, leaving the room in dead silence of regret. "But that's exactly why I have to smile."
Mirio's sudden declaration drew all confused and curious eyes back to their determined fellow Hero as he continued on. "Because Nighteye, he…Midoriya, I know he was stern around you. But I've been with him long enough to say that, given enough time as his student, your guys' dynamic alone would've been just as strong as ours. He could be intimidating and seem uptight to people who didn't know him well enough, but Nighteye is the kind of guy who is always smiling when you're just talking one-on-one, away from the seriousness of the job. He could even still smile, even when knowing his future as a Pro Hero had been taken away."
Finally, Mirio rolled himself forward so that he was sitting upright in his bed again, looking hopefully out the window at the morning light, before meeting the awe-stricken eyes of his schoolmates and friends; his smile never faltering even slightly. "I can't allow myself to get all weepy any more than I already have for him. Not when I'm supposed to become a 'truly fine Hero,' like he said I would. He didn't use his Quirk to see that, but his heart. If I allow myself to get all gloomy, I'd just be insulting his feelings, his last instructions to me as my Sensei…plus, it'd just end up hurting Eri-chan once she woke up, too…and she's already been hurt far too much. I'm not going to add onto that."
"You're right, Mirio-kun!"
This sudden exclamation from Nejire snapped Izuku, Eijirou and Tamaki to attention with great surprise, only to find that she, Ochako and Tsuyu all now had a very similar internal fire reflecting in their eyes, as the rosy-cheeked first-year similarly echoed: "I don't…I don't want to presume and speak for Hadou-senpai, but Ryukyu-sensei, for what time we got to have learning under her, struck me personally as a similar kind of Hero who wouldn't let herself get discouraged so easily! I don't want to dishonor her example by being sad all the time, even after everything that's happened!"
Smiling with encouragement at her junior's words, Nejire echoed with surprising personal restraint of her usually bubbly nature: "Uraraka-chan's actually got it right on the money, dead center! Ryukyu always talked about how Heroes should be able to, maybe not discard our feelings, but at least make room for them and let them teach us to push ourselves more and more, because there'll always be people in need of our help. I know she would hate seeing us all depressed right now…and no matter who any of us might have to learn under from now on, we aren't about to let those lessons be for nothing; right, girls?"
Izuku stood particularly rigid with shock at Nejire and Ochako's examples of personal resolve, just as Eijirou's expressions visibly lit up alongside his sharp-toothed smile. "Hey, Uraraka-san; why don't you see about interning with me and Tunguska-sensei?! I bet he'd be more than happy to take you on, too! I heard you really showed some real manly spirit of your own back there yesterday; we could probably make a real cool team, right?!"
Ochako and Tsuyu both looked just as surprised at the red-haired boy's offer as Izuku did, while Nejire similarly lit right up as her bright eyes fell on a dread-filled Tamaki. "Yeah, why couldn't we intern our last student year away together, Tamaki-kun? I've got so many questions for you and Fatgum anyway! Our Quirks together could probably be able to do all kinds of amazing things, wouldn't you think?"
But before Nejire could really get the ball rolling, Tamaki lifted a swift and steady hand before her face to signal her to stay silent, even as his once steadfast demeanor quickly crumbled. "I'm sorry, Nejire…but that's not a good idea. One of the first things Fat taught me is that…is that…that as Heroes, w-we all…all n-need to seek our own p-p-personal learning experiences from d-different Heroes of our ch-ch-choosing. If we just kept l-learning around the s-same people all the time…we…we would just end up h-h-hampering ourselves."
Even despite his worsening nervous stuttering from speaking up in front of such a crowd; Tamaki's words thankfully seemed to at least somewhat get through to Nejire, as she took a step back with a pouting yet thoughtful look on her face, allowing him to let out a shaky sigh of relief, before just as quickly turning his back to everyone and planting his forehead on the wall, silently muttering his desire to go home repeatedly to himself.
Of course, the other reason for his denial that he couldn't possibly begin to admit was the all-too certain fact that, if he and Nejire were to intern under Fatgum together, he wouldn't be able to learn a thing amid all her nonstop questions.
But while he was once again brooding in embarrassment and awkwardness to himself, and Nejire was once again in thought as to her options alongside Ochako; Tsuyu quietly stepped in, tapping her fellow first-year on the shoulder. "Hey, Ochako, didn't you say you got a pretty good vibe from those Pro Heroes that Kolya and Mina interned under the first time-kero?"
This reminder had Ochako's eyes light right up as she turned on a swivel to Nejire. "Hey, yeah, those Kamuron Agency Heroes in Erubi City! Hadou-senpai, a couple of our good friends in class learned under them near the start of this year, and several of my other classmates and I worked with them too! They all were really capable from what I saw back then, maybe they would be willing to help teach you if you wanted! I…I know they aren't as big time as…as Ryukyu-sensei…but…I just thought that…"
But Ochako couldn't even finish before Nejire was already grasping her shoulders, smiling wide and almost literally bouncing with anticipation at the suggestion. "Kamuron, you said? You know how to reach them? Do your friends? Could I maybe ask them? You remember what any of their Quirks were? What were their names? What was their town like? Is it far or close?"
The fact Nejire was already going a mile a minute was just about as good a sign as anyone could've asked for, that she was already well on the road to emotional recovery alongside her two juniors.
And seeing this kind of emotional unity between the three, Mirio couldn't hide the admiration and approval in his voice: "You three really have a great cycle of influence and empowerment with each other, you know? Especially for first-years, your ability to recover from your loss, even this much, is just incredible."
However, even when receiving such praise from one of the top marked students in all of Yuuei; Ochako was displaying remarkable emotional resilience, as she turned back to look Mirio head-on, and eventually face Izuku as well with a self-affirming smile on her face. "Well, I just know that I wanna be able to one day be the kind of Hero that can stand on equal footing with Deku-kun…and if I wanna be able to do that, I can't allow myself to get down on myself and stay there anymore. He's someone who's able to take all the pain of his wounds and become stronger from them, and I wanna be able to do that too; and help the rest of my friends to do the same if I can."
However, Ochako's inspired smile was not being reflected by Izuku; in fact, his expression barely even matched her description of him being someone who could take his wounds and grow with them.
Right now, Izuku Midoriya was looking to be in greater pain than any of them, which easily got the attention of everyone, before he finally found it in himself to speak: "I'm sorry, everyone…but do you…do you think you could give Mirio-senpai and me a minute alone, please?"
It was hardly a surprise that none of his classmates looked to want to grant that request when seeing him looking so internally torn. But thankfully, Nejire and Tamaki both looked to at least be that much more understanding, ushering their reluctant juniors out. And with the single click of that door, Izuku and Mirio were finally alone, and the upbeat third-year's gaze fell upon his freckled partner. "What's up, Midoriya? I'd have thought you'd be smiling even brighter than me, what with Nighteye and All Might both being there for his speech yesterday."
The fact that he should've been right about this, alongside just the reminder of Nighteye and his parting words to him on the day they very first met; of Mirio being the original intended inheritor of One For All; only made Izuku's own mental torment that much worse as he finally muttered: "Senpai…you've been blaming yourself for getting so injured that Nighteye had to lose his Quirk in order to save you…but the fact is that even with my own Quirk, I wasn't able to act fast enough to keep you from getting that badly hurt in the first place. The truth is that, when you get down to it…I'm the one that let both of you down, and ultimately caused this to happen. Eri-chan's Quirk might've been able to heal your injuries…but Nighteye's state is ultimately my fault, not yours."
This time, Mirio's shimmering gaze began to dim, as he was listening intently to exactly what his barely composed junior was trying to say; Izuku's fists trembling with emotion at his sides. "Even before it was all over, before Eri-chan got you back to normal…even with those wounds you had, you still kept fighting to protect her…both of you did. And then there's me. I tried to do everything I could to protect her too…and she ended up having to help me. Even Aizawa-sensei had to step in at the last second to save me, even after the fighting was all done. You're all already far better Heroes than me."
By now, Izuku's curly hair was covering his distraught eyes from Mirio as his whole body was now shaking. "Mirio-senpai…if…if you'd been the successor, then…then Nighteye wouldn't have…have had to…"
Finally, Izuku threw himself back to standing upright, and Mirio was almost physically taken aback at the sheer desperation visible in Izuku's once emboldened and motivated green eyes. "Senpai…what if I…what if I told you…that I could pass on my Quirk, to either of you? If I were to pass my Quirk to you…would you take it? Would he?"
"I don't want it, and I can already tell you that Sir wouldn't, either."
Mirio's answer was so sudden and straightforward, it nearly blew Izuku away where he stood; especially when hearing how confidently he said it. Despite this, Mirio didn't stop: "Quirks give us an inherent responsibility to use them properly when we decide to become Heroes; yours and mine alike, same with Nighteye's. If you were to have asked him something like this, that'd just make him upset, because it'd be like you were trying to shirk your specific responsibility, even if it was for his benefit. And besides, even if such a thing were at all possible; if you were to offer me your Quirk, that'd just mean you would be the one suffering instead. Heroes aren't supposed to inflict suffering on anyone."
Izuku still looked completely shaken by the sincerity in Mirio's explanation; and that expression only got a slight chuckle out of the still-smiling third-year. "Honestly, I don't know what's got you in such a funk, Midoriya. Nighteye said we gotta remember to keep smiling when things are bad; why don't we both just start from this point on? Besides, I thought you were fantastic out there yesterday. Deku the Hero!"
Izuku couldn't bear to keep looking Mirio in the eye by now, just as he himself once more took to looking hopefully out the window again. "I don't know exactly what's gonna happen, for me or Nighteye. He's bound to do amazing, wherever he decides to go; and whether I manage to keep working at the Agency under a different name with Bubble Girl or Centipeder, or if I end up hanging my cape at a new Agency for the rest of this year…I'm gonna make sure I keep doing my very best just as much. It's the very least I can do for Nighteye, going forward. I wanna be able to put an even bigger smile on his face when he sees me out there in the future."
A heavy moment of silence hung between the two boys, as Mirio waited to see if this confidence of his could finally latch onto Izuku as well. The fact the freckled boy was finally trying to wipe away the beginnings of tears in his eyes seemed a good enough sign.
"And besides…yesterday, Eraser told me all about what's going on with Eri-chan. If she figures out how to control her Quirk at some point, I can try asking her to Rewind Nighteye back to the point when he had his Quirk…assuming he would even want that by then. If that doesn't work, then I'll at least still have his final, most heartfelt prediction to back me up to becoming the Hero he saw me as, and he can see it in the present with his own eyes."
With that new goal cemented in his very essence; Mirio suddenly tapped Izuku with an encouraging fist bump to the arm, seemingly managing to snap the surprised boy out of his constant funk. "Like he told us both: keep smiling, Midoriya! If seeing me out there doing my best will make him smile brighter, just imagine what seeing us both ascend as Heroes would do for him, okay?"
Finally, finally, Mirio was met with the sight of Izuku at least forcing a smile back onto his face, which only made him chuckle in satisfaction that much more. "There, see, just like that, that's a good start, isn't it?!"
With both boys at last managing to laugh amongst each other again, Izuku could feel a swelling of motivation build up in his chest once again, as his once shaky smile now became that much more confident, meeting Mirio's gaze with a look of intense drive, just beginning to sting with much more uplifted tears. "Okay…however long it may end up taking until you're able to finally come back to Yuuei…I'll be waiting for you…Mirio-senpai."
Yuuei Academy, 1-A Dorms, Saturday, September 20th, Present Day
"WAAAAAH! THAT'S SO BEAUTIFUL, MIDORI-KUN!"
Mina's immediate tearful exclamation the moment Izuku had confirmed they'd finally reached the end of their story; resulted in a near cacophony of equal parts admiration, congratulations, sympathy and any other positive emotion that could be felt under the sun, as his and Nikolay's groups simultaneously let it all out to each other.
"That is all so amazing, Midoriya-san! I never could've even begun to guess things had turned out like this! It's so damn inspiring!" Nikolay exclaimed as he planted a congratulatory hand on Izuku's shoulder, trying to blink away his own emotional tears after hearing those closing words between the freckled boy and Mirio.
And Tenya wasn't much further off from that same sentiment as he all but officially declared: "Indeed; Togata-senpai, if not everyone in this room, has showcased a downright admirable example of what it is to truly grow into a fine Hero! I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will gladly await his return right alongside you, Midoriya…and we will all give everything we have to strengthen and improve ourselves, so that when he does return, he'll see with his own eyes that his instinctive faith in us and our class was not misplaced!"
A multitude of cheers from Nikolay, Mina, Ochako and Eijirou was what immediately answered him, before Momo similarly echoed: "And not just for Senpai's sake, either. That poor girl you all ended up rescuing; it's unspeakable that she had to have suffered as you described for any amount of time, let alone as long as she did, Midoriya-san. We all need to push ourselves as far as we can from now on, so that we can all help to make this world that much better, so that when she does eventually recover and step back out into the world, it will be a world much safer, where she won't ever have to fear for her own safety or that of anyone else around her ever again…a world where she can well and truly finally be happy."
Once more, another round of enthusiastic and agreeing cheers was what ensued, before Tunguska finally rose back up to his feet, giving a pronounced snap of his fingers on his one good hand, in order to render all the present students silent. "We don't want to risk waking everyone else up, yes? Anyway, I think we can all safely say how good it feels to have finally gotten all of this out in the open with each other. So do you all think you're ready to finally start moving forward with the rest of your class again?"
Motivated smiles stretching from ear to ear were the first thing the foreign Hero could see, as Nikolay, Izuku, and soon everyone else were clenching their hands into ready fists, their eyes almost literally aglow as Nikolay answered: "Absolutely! I know I don't have a right to say this, but it almost feels like a big old weight has been lifted off my shoulders, if not all of ours. I'm actually feeling really pumped right now, just like Togata-senpai had said! The only thing I wanna do right now is go back up to Hokkaido with everyone again, see how the Gagaringrad folk are holding up personally, then I feel like I can finally go all out again."
"Yes, I'd like to be able to light the bonfire for Knightfall-sensei's memorial myself alongside my fellow interns as soon as it's viable for us to do so, myself," Tenya echoed in sentimental agreement.
Naturally, the mentioning of lost mentors immediately forced Mina, Momo and Kyouka to turn their attention back to Izuku, Ochako and Tsuyu; the purple-haired rocker girl surprisingly breaking the silence between them as she stepped forward: "I still can't believe how well you all managed to work your way through losing Sir Nighteye and Ryukyu so fast, Midoriya-san, Ochako-chan, Tsuyu-chan. I still can't even begin to imagine what something like that feels like. Hell, the fact Hadou-senpai knew her for as long as she did, and never even gave a hint of her anguish when she talked to us; I don't know whether to find that admirable or concerning."
"Yeah! Urara-chan, Tsu-chan, are you sure you wouldn't want me and Kolya-kun to try and find you some possible other Agencies to intern under once we're allowed to leave school again? I swear we'd both be more than happy to do it!" Mina's and Kolya's (unspoken) offer was instantaneous and infinitely heartfelt; and thankfully, the grateful and emotional smiles on Ochako and Tsuyu's faces made that clear that they understood this.
And yet, despite that, Ochako gave a slight shake of her head. "Thank you for offering, Mina-chan, Kolya-san; honestly…but it's like what Amajiki-senpai had said before; who we learn from has to be our own decision to make in the end. I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound ungrateful or rude; you can go ahead and suggest anyone you can think of…I just can't make any promises, is that okay?"
Of course, while Nikolay and Mina both gladly brought their hands together and gave slight and embarrassed bows for being so forward, Eijirou ended up taking the reins over the room even before Tenya naturally could: "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I'm just about ready to hit the sack after all this reminiscing, aren't you? C'mon, tomorrow's our free day, we shouldn't let that all go to waste by sleeping in cause of an all-nighter!"
Fortunately, this reminder of just how late it now had gotten, left everyone easily feeling the call to sleep at last. As boys and girls already began to bid each other good night in preparation for the freedom of Sunday, Nikolay suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning back to Tunguska about to head for the dormitory doors after they had naturally wished each other good night. "Hey, Dad, can you please wait a second?"
Naturally, the call of his son brought Tunguska to a near screeching halt as he readily turned to face Nikolay again; momentarily taken aback when he saw a look of regret on the Russian boy's face. "I know this is really sudden and out of nowhere…and that those two things are pretty much identical. Look, I just…I just couldn't help but notice that, other than these daily recounting sessions between us all…the two of us, we haven't really had much chance to just kind of…well, you know…spend time together like a family, since all this internship stuff had started. I know you getting your Pro license and getting a job with Fatgum plays a big part in that too, and that isn't changing even if our internships are cancelled, I get that. But I just thought that, if things turn out to be at all peaceful…that maybe we could be able to start spending that kind of time together again…like we should've before…for a while."
Indeed, this sudden expression of desire from his son, of their actually getting to have genuine family time together for the first time truly since coming here, had Tunguska nearly going blind with deeply touched tears of his own; with Mina and Ochako naturally swooning over how wholesome a display this was, certainly not helping make the mood any less awkward for everyone else ultimately watching on, not wanting to interject out of respect.
The breath that Tunguska had to take in, in order to re-compose himself, was shaky at best, and the resulting sigh even more so, as he placed his one hand on his son's shoulder. "Nothing would make me happier than that, Kolya…you know I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I too have…really, really missed us simply being able to talk to each other about anything and nothing at all.
"Unfortunately, even Sunday being a free day affects nothing when it comes to the responsibilities of us teachers…and that includes overlooking malenkie Todoroki and Bakugo's Remedial Training tomorrow…as Aizawa-san and I have been chosen to fill the role."
Tunguska could just feel his heart break when seeing the clear air of disappointment on his son's face. Of course, Nikolay had to have worked up a great deal of confidence to actually bring up something like this without warning; any kid would've responded the same way in his position. But even after acknowledging that; Tunguska's follow-up response came just as naturally, as he knelt down so their eyes were on the same level. "But, assuming things there go smoothly, and we're able to return on time…what would you say to us simply spending time together then…like old times, but better? All of us?"
Nikolay and everyone visibly flinched in surprise at the sudden extended invite, with Nikolay himself looking back to make sure he wasn't mishearing things, before seeing Eijirou, Ochako and Mina all brightly start smiling at the idea, and then turning back to see a similar enthusiasm on his father's bearded face. "Dad…do you really mean that?"
"Of course, Kolya. It's no longer just us, after all. These aren't just your classmates or just your friends, after all. At its core, every group of Heroes, young and old alike…is family."
Even if it had been a far cry from what Nikolay had initially had in mind; to think of it like this did leave him smiling just as happily as everyone else now was, as they all began to similarly voice their enthusiasm for some kind of all-around quality time spent together, almost as a commemoration of having finally gotten their past experiences out, in preparation to focus fully on the future.
And to see his little boy smiling with that realization and acceptance alongside his friends like this; filled Tunguska's chest with indescribable relief and pride.
With this all having been decided, Tunguska finally bid his son and students a good night, while Tenya and Momo once more took to ushering their respective classmates back to their appropriate dormitory wings; even as Eijirou was already enthusiastically trying to talk Nikolay into sparring with him tomorrow; a prospect that the young Slav found more than a little concerning, on the off-chance the red-haired boy's broken limbs still hadn't fully healed even by now.
Besides; had Eijirou seen the focused look on Nikolay and Izuku's faces altogether as they took their leave, he would've easily been able to see that they were both of the clear consideration of sparring one another once more, after having heard so much about how each other's respective Quirks had clearly grown.
And, naturally, even the long-awaited ease that was now washing over the departing students this late into the night, couldn't have possibly been complete without Nikolay and Mina; miraculously proving themselves to be on the same emotional wavelength once more; taking the first chance they could when their respective groups weren't looking, to blow silent but loving kisses to each other from across the commons area before losing sight of one another; leaving them both blushing wildly to themselves with hearts pounding every step of the way back to their respective rooms.
Yes, there was no denying that these two groups of 1-A students all felt well and truly ready to finally start looking fully toward the future, with a good number of them actually feeling a degree of confidence that, after everything they had gone through last week, they had earned the chance for a little leeway, some breathing room, before it would have to be back to business as usual.
And there you all have it, everyone: this week's chapter, and the conclusion of the Eri Arc! I hope I put some really excited smiles on the faces of the Sir Nighteye fans out there who felt we didn't get nearly enough time with him in the original manga. I can't rightly say right now what will happen with him going forward, but I have no intention of having this just be a throwaway change in the canon. That's my promise to all of you. I intend for my changes to the plot and formula to mean something in the end.
I hope you all enjoyed what you read here today, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 11/26!