Hello again, everybody. It's amazing just how long two weeks feels without a chapter to upload for you all. But I'm back, and with the next arc all plotted out from here, I'm hoping I can maintain a good rhythm again.
The way I'm hoping to make this work from now on, is that after I finish writing up a whole story arc, I'll take a week to plot out all the chapters of the next, having amassed a backlog of completed chapters to serve as a time cushion between uploads. Assuming real life doesn't get in the way too badly, this should keep me from once again be pressuring myself with deadlines, writing chapters on the week they're supposed to be uploaded, and just hoping I get them done in time by the skin of my teeth.
Anyway, the point is that I'm back, and the storytelling wheels can once again get back to rolling as we approach the New Year! I want to thank every last one of you again for all of your continued patronage and support through all these trying times of ours. It really does mean the world to me. You all make this so worth it, you really do.
I would also like to thank my beta readers and friends, Mizu, Jonny, and recent newcomer and overall out-reacher, Carlos, or Charles, they haven't clarified with me just yet how to address them. I would of course also like to thank all current contributing DA fan-artists who have been helping to bring this story to visual life piece by piece: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, Suki-Chan2509, AliceKuroCross, effasempai, Eliza-Frost, and Yumake. Their work is all incredible, and I strongly recommend you check them out and show them some much deserved love and support.
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.
Chapter 104
Changes
(Изменения)
Yuuei Academy, Sunday, September 21st
One of the countless benefits of the students' one free day out of the week, was that there was no need to wait until school had let out and left them mentally and perhaps physically exhausted, before they would even have the freedom to choose to train or anything of the sort. As such, everyone was still bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and all-around ready to face the entirety of the day, when the majority of Class 1-A had ultimately decided to spend their morning with training in the Gamma Gym; and among them, Nikolay and Izuku were fully suited in preparation for another go at friendly sparring, just as the former had eagerly expressed his desire for the previous night.
As soon as Cementoss had gone and created an elevated ring for the two boys to spar within, they had both hastily climbed up and gone into their usual morning stretches, but partway through, Izuku had taken the chance to take a glimpse at Nikolay, and was quick to notice that, even for as limber as his friend and partner was, there was also an unmistakable sense of hesitation, or perhaps a lack of perfect balance when he'd finally gotten to his own two feet again. "Kolya-san, are you sure you're feeling alright?"
Nikolay quickly picked up on the clear concern in Izuku's voice, and hurriedly shook his head in reassurance. "Yeah, I'm feeling fine. I know I got a good night's sleep and a decent breakfast. I'm sure once we get started, it'll be just like how we did it the last time."
Nikolay certainly sounded confident in that idea, but Izuku couldn't shake his sense of worry so easily. "Please, be honest before we get started: are you nervous, Kolya-san? There's no shame if you are, I swear. You don't have to force yourself."
For a moment, the young Russian boy paused, and from a distance, Izuku could swear he was actually taking his words into consideration. But once he could see Nikolay's gloved hands clench into ready fists, he could just sense where this was about to go. "I won't lie, after what you described yesterday about what your Quirk had grown into…I honestly think 'scared' works more than 'nervous' for me…but that's precisely why I gotta do this with you, Midoriya-san. It's all about us all helping each other to get strong, instead of doing it on our own, remember?"
"Yeah! That's the right attitude to have, man! Tunguska-sensei always says that fear is what gives us the drive to survive, after all!" Eijirou immediately exclaimed his support of Nikolay's motivation from just outside the ring, still in the middle of his series of 150 push-ups, grinning excitedly from ear to ear while watching his two friends face off with each other.
At the same time; Mina, Ochako and Tsuyu had likewise gotten their attention drawn from their respective forms of training, all equal shares nervous and eager to see how the two boys' friendly sparring was going to unfold, with Tsuyu taking the chance to call out: "Please don't get stubborn if it starts getting too intense, Midoriya, Kolya-san-kero. If either of you gets hurt, just call it for the day, okay?"
By the time Tenya had decided to step in to remind the various onlooking classmates to retain focus on their own training; Nikolay and Izuku were both clearly ready to begin, with the green-haired boy's body already beginning to spark and glow as he channeled his Quirk through his whole body. "The limit I was able to willfully push myself to is still a large jump from where we'd left off back at camp, Kolya-san. If it's all the same to you, I think we should pick up from where we left off, at 2%, and see how far we can go now."
"That sounds just fine to me, Midoriya-san. Tak, chto my mozhem nachat' (So, shall we get started)?" Even with the language barrier, just the body language and inflections in Nikolay's voice told Izuku all he needed to know that it was time for them to officially begin.
BWOOOSH!
Kicking off the ground, Izuku and Nikolay both launched right for each other at breakneck speed, with Izuku once more kicking himself off just before impact could be made, launching himself into a flip right over Nikolay's head, rearing a leg back, just as Nikolay himself launched himself up and backwards, using his momentum to spin his body around and drive a high-flying foot of his own straight into the same trajectory that Izuku's current kick was flying.
SLAM!
With a resonating blast, both boys were thrown back, digging their feet in as their attacks and counters met perfectly; the force behind both perfectly matched and suitably refracted as a result. Without hesitation, they once more charged one another, this time both of them launching themselves up into the air head-on with foot and fist reared back respectively as they closed distance. Just before they could strike, however, Nikolay launched himself even higher over Izuku's arc this time, forcing the freckled boy to land back on his feet while Nikolay just as quickly fired off his reared back fist forward, launching himself backwards and down towards Izuku's back, just as his green-clad opponent was already bracing himself to counter or dodge as the sparks around his body intensified.
BKOOM!
Nikolay's ready fist and Izuku's flying leg once more met each other head on with a powerful blast of pure air power, but this time both boys withstood that pressure to keep from putting too much space between them, and Izuku was already ready to capitalize on that, as he already had one arm at the ready, his fingers positioned to send a 2%-powered snapping of his fingers, and the resulting blast of air pressure, straight into Nikolay's center mass.
SNAP!
BWOOM!
Without missing a beat, both boys countered each other once again, with Nikolay firing from his open hand just at the same moment Izuku snapped his fingers; both colliding forces tearing through the air colliding head-on, and sending a shockwave through half the gym, but leaving both Nikolay and Izuku unharmed.
But they were both far too fired up now to call it then, as Izuku took advantage of that one moment after impact, to throw another blinding kick straight for Nikolay's midsection, just as the Russian boy's arms were too far extended to block, thus guaranteeing himself a perfect hit.
BWOOM!
But the moment his foot met Nikolay's midsection, Izuku suddenly felt all of that outward power of impact come blasting out of Nikolay just as quickly as it had gone in, thus sending him flying nearly half a dozen feet back before landing square on his feet, looking at Nikolay with a satisfied smile. "It looks like your Quirk really has gotten stronger as a whole too, Kolya-san; I had a feeling it would be after what you'd told us. You want to keep going to a higher level from here?"
The eager but focused smile on Nikolay's face told Izuku his answer before his words even could. Focusing the output of One For All to a further output of his previous limit of 5%, Izuku's body began to spark and glow that much more than before, before he once more kicked their sparring off with another deafening blast of sheer power from his feet kicking himself up into the air, forcing Nikolay to once more launch up after him; their speed and respective power still managing to perfectly mirror one another, as for every attack one of them could throw at each other, their opponent was able to either perfectly deflect or block it, or even refract its power in Nikolay's case.
The power running through both their bodies and their impacts managed to keep Izuku and Nikolay airborne for a considerable amount of time, as they were both simply more focused on not granting each other an opening to land an attack. With Izuku's Quirk now running at 5%, his movements were much faster and his attacks much stronger; leaving Nikolay just as surprised that focusing his own Quirk this much was actually allowing him to somehow stay on an even playing field. But this revelation of his own improved Quirk control and fighting prowess had both boys feeling especially overjoyed for each other.
Eventually, though, their sparring had to ultimately bring them back to the ground, as a wind current from another of Izuku's missed kicks still managed to send Nikolay plummeting back down. He still managed to catch himself with a well-timed decelerating blast from his feet that sent him into a flip, meeting the ground with his hands in a desperate springing and hard-hitting handstand, that finally got him back onto his feet in his traditional fighting stance, just at the same time as Izuku finally landed several feet in front of him…
BWOOM!
…just in time for a sudden Remote Kinetic Blast to emanate from the ground Izuku was standing on, for once catching him completely off-guard, and sending him straight back up into the air without any preemptive strategy to work off of, thus leaving him completely exposed for the first time Nikolay could possibly remember. He immediately capitalized and took off after Izuku, throwing himself into a forward mid-air roll, before finally meeting his opponent with a momentum-charged downward punch straight into Izuku's solar plexus, WRAAAM; knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing back down to the ring.
Under any other circumstances, to see Izuku get hit so hard would have left all of his present classmates, Nikolay included, sick with worry. And that was at least partially the case when the young Russian came back down and rushed to the prone freckled boy, staring up in surprise at the ceiling. "Midoriya-san, are you okay?!"
With the exception of a very strained-sounding groan as he slowly got back up, Izuku looked at Nikolay with an excited and proud gleam in his eyes. "Yeah…yeah, I think I'm all right. It's a good thing my costume is built like it is for defense, otherwise a hit like that could've actually taken me down for a while. Your reaction times and strategizing has really gotten a lot better, Kolya-san. I didn't think gotten the hang of that whole distanced shockwave blasting move of yours yet. I honestly thought it was just some kind of fluke the first time you used it back at the camp hot spring."
Helping Izuku back to his feet, Nikolay breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I hadn't stopped thinking about it since then, and had a few different chances to test it out back in Hokkaido; the idea of using it just now just felt like the only smart thing to do after all that. You've just been getting a lot stronger and faster, too, Midoriya-san. I don't even know how I was able to keep up with you like that for that long.
"Either way, I'm just glad you're okay. Do you wanna keep going? The fact I'm doing so well, I have to admit I'm really anxious to, myself." As Nikolay admitted this, Izuku once more found himself observing how his foreign sparring partner and friend wasn't exactly standing still, but not out of excitement. If anything, it actually more resembled lightheadedness.
"I don't know, maybe it'd be a good idea for us to take a minute or two, Kolya-san. If I push my power much further from here, you might not be able to keep up or block any of it, and you know I don't want to hurt you." But as Izuku made his stance very clear, so too did Nikolay: "And I don't want to hurt you, either; but I promise I'm feeling fine. Honestly, I think you'd agree that anyone would be feeling a little dizzy, having to try and keep up with speed like yours for this long. But I swear, I'm good."
It was clear, not only to Izuku, but to their small crowd of onlooking classmates, that there was going to be no talking Nikolay down. And so, with a steadying breath from both; the two boys once more charged one another, this time with Izuku pacing his power output to simply going to 6% of One For All's power.
To both theirs and their crowd's impression, whether it was racing across the ring or ascending into the air and slamming back down to the ground; Nikolay's ability to adapt and push his own power to match Izuku's was growing steadily more impressive, as his Impact Refraction ability, speed, reflexes and Remote Kinetic Blast moves in combination, where ultimately helping him to continue holding his own against Izuku's precise strategizing, feinting and relentless maneuvering.
Within several minutes, Izuku actually found himself feeling confident enough in Nikolay's respective abilities in offense and defense, to actually push himself into the double digits, finally implementing his power at 10%.
What had seemed an insurmountable speed and power to Nikolay before, now seemed downright elementary once he found himself having to fight against Izuku at this current level of his Quirk's power. It was almost as though the curly-haired boy was genuinely warping from one place to the next, having long since abandoned the straightforward approach in order to try and get a clear hit at any of the foreign boy's blind spots; but with Nikolay Refraction ability constantly helping to both keep Izuku distant and on alert, and keep Nikolay in the fight.
However, despite still somehow managing to stay standing; Izuku was now able to see that the previous moments of wobbliness he had seen from Nikolay were steadily getting worse, to the point he was starting to lose his balance and straight flying trajectories once their fights took them back up into the air. His lingering concerns became unavoidable when more than once had his diving kicks actually managed to graze Nikolay's arms and legs when he should've easily been able to deflect or dodge them; leaving Nikolay spinning listlessly in mid-air until he was ultimately able to blast himself back into a steady position with his hands and feet.
Either way, even if Nikolay was somehow sticking with it; his increasing sloppiness was no more lost on his observing classmates down below than it had been with Izuku; as Eijirou, Tsuyu and Ochako all felt their hearts seize with concern with each time they saw Izuku's blinding kicks actually manage to barely connect with Nikolay.
And even between them, Mina was no less worried, but nowhere near willing to let her faith in her boyfriend's strength and capability falter, even against someone as madly skilled and powerful as Izuku. This faith of hers was so strong, in fact, that at the moment the sparring match reached what was clearly its epoch in sheer intensity and closeness; with Izuku having now pushed himself to exerting 12% of his power while fighting the horrible strain it was putting his body through in the process; Mina had completely forgotten herself and the setting they were in, as she eagerly called up in the hopes Nikolay would hear her and be encouraged and empowered: "THAT'S MY BABY! YOU CAN DO IT, KOLYA-KUN!"
Mina was so enraptured in seeing how this match was ultimately going to end, that she'd completely ignored or failed to notice the acknowledging glances from Eijirou, Ochako and Tsuyu in response to what she'd just said. At the same time, Izuku quickly ricocheted like the human bullet he was off the floor and wall, flying straight for Nikolay as he was once more hanging for a second in mid-air after having dodged out of the way of a previous attack. With Nikolay's field of vision and body positioned where it was in relation to Izuku's approach, there was very little chance he was going to be able to dodge out of the way of this next attack fully.
But the sound of Izuku tearing through the air to his side did indeed reach Nikolay's ears, as he tried to focus his Quirk into his left hand and foot at once, in the hopes of being able to swerve out of the way and land a lucky hit to Izuku's back instead. However, even despite his adrenaline pushing him all this way forward, there was no avoiding the fact that, over the last couple of minutes, Nikolay's dizziness and lightheadedness was only getting worse and worse, even leaving his hearing considerably muddled. Hence, when he heard Izuku's approach, his brain had understood it as the freckled boy being much farther than he was, thus thinking he had that much more time to act.
This was, sadly, not the case, as long past the moment Izuku had expected Nikolay to try and dodge; the sound of his Kinetic Blasts sounding finally came, but not in time to avoid the full brunt of his swinging and sparking foot.
SMAAASH!
With his full foot connecting with Nikolay's midsection, the Slavic student was sent freefalling listlessly at breakneck speed for the ground, nearly about to slam straight into it, had Ochako not come flying in from a lasso throw from Tsuyu's tongue, and planted her hand to his back, taking away his gravity at the perfect moment, and restoring it just in time for Eijirou to catch him.
As Izuku came touching back down to the ground and racing to the scene, he could already see the immensely worried looks on all their faces as they saw Nikolay lying unconscious in Eijirou's arms. As soon as their gazes all met, they knew they were all of the exact same mind as what to do next for him, hoping his injuries from such a hit weren't going to be as bad as Izuku and Mina both most feared.
As Nikolay now lay in his dorm room bed under Recovery Girl's express orders, he could only just count his blessings as to how lucky he'd ultimately been. Not only had his injuries ultimately only amounted to a multitude of bruises thanks to his constant refractions and absorptions of Izuku's hits; as well as a number of micro-fractures along his arms, legs and ribs because of the continuous channeling of his Quirk through his body at such high amounts of vibration power; but even the cause for his persistent lightheadedness and dizziness had finally been uncovered.
Of all the things for him to have been going through today when he'd been so looking forward to genuinely sparring; today, Nikolay had found himself the unfortunate victim of an out-of-nowhere case of fever, but surprisingly enough, not one brought on by any kind of cold or virus, as Recovery Girl had been quick to discover and explain to his friends that had brought him to her office.
Even now, he was still trying to wrap his head around the explanation the school nurse had given after treating his physical injuries and giving him an overall examination. By her words, Nikolay's body had been so thoroughly acclimated to being in especially cold temperatures all year round as a result of all his years spent living in Russia; that after having come to Japan and basking in the notably warm summer temperatures all season-long; his body's internal temperature was now struggling to re-acclimate to the newly arrived colder autumn temperatures again. That inner temperate imbalance was what had ultimately led to this current fever he was now reeling from the affects of, although Recovery Girl was fairly confident that a whole day's bed rest would be enough for Nikolay to be back to normal.
While it was definitely disappointing to know he would now have to surrender the rest of his free day to having to stay in bed and cut his training with Izuku short; Nikolay and the others were at least all relieved there wasn't some kind of actual disease going around he'd been unlucky enough to catch. With the natural comfort of his bed, a fully stocked mini-fridge and the multitude of books and movies filling his few shelves, it wasn't exactly like he was going to be lacking for things to occupy his time and ultimately help him get to sleep.
Knock-knock-knock
Of course, even if he was initially surprised by the sudden knocking at his door; considering just what he was going through and who among his classmates knew; Nikolay could hardly be surprised as to just who was knocking, as once he'd explained the door was left unlocked and gave permission for them to come in, he was immediately met by the easing sight of Mina hastily making her way inside, unexpectedly bearing a large pot in her hands, alongside a little paper nurse's cap with a pink medical cross drawn in the center, adorning her head of frizzy pink hair.
"How're you feeling right now, Kolya-kun? You're not pushing yourself too hard already, are you? You know if you need anything at all, you can just text me and I'll get it to you in a blink, or would it be better if I just stay here with you today? Don't even think of feeling guilty if you say yes to that, though; I'm the one offering, I have no problem with that at all!" As Mina was already devolving into a dedicated and heartfelt tangent once she set the clearly hefty pot on the counter, she quickly saw how Nikolay was looking distinctly at her homemade nurse's cap, smiling proudly to herself.
"You didn't think I'd just throw Nurse Mina away now that I'm your girlfriend, did you, Kolya-kun? Not a chance; I'm here to make all that achy pain and dizziness go away with my magic touch, no matter what." While she kept smiling brightly while straightening her little paper headwear; Nikolay couldn't hide his persistent sense of concern.
"That's really…well, what the heck, that's just like you to offer that for me, Mina, but I don't want you to risk getting sick by sticking around me. Recovery Girl-sensei said as long as I focus on getting some rest, I'll be fine, so you don't have to dote over me." But Nikolay couldn't even get a chance to let those words hang, before Mina was eagerly making her way to his bedside, determinedly tucking his sheets and blankets under him, and almost fluffing his pillow under his head to an excessive degree.
"Yeah, but she also said that it's not like you're suffering from anything infectious, so I don't see the problem. I love you, Kolya-kun, and you're not feeling good right now. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't want to at least make sure you're feeling just amazing while you're trying to get all better, y'know? Now, are you feeling thirsty or hungry or anything? Would you want water or tea, or maybe juice? Just name whatever you want, I'll get you anything, okay?"
Nikolay was definitely grateful for Mina's dedication to the role of nurse and caregiver, even if her natural energy could have easily made her come across as overbearing. Thankfully, though, his stomach decided to answer her questions before she could go much further, as with a single distinct grumbling, it was clear just what he needed at this moment.
And thus, Mina was on the move, hurrying down to the commons area's dining section and back in record time; bowl and silverware in hand. The moment she removed the lid from the mysterious pot she'd come in with, though; Nikolay's nostrils were filled with an unmistakably strong and delectable scent that had all of his nostalgia running at full speed within his head, only confirmed when his loving pink companion returned to his side with a bowl full of reddish stew filled with a multitude of vegetables, meat, and even a modest dollop of sour cream atop it all.
"Mina…oh, you didn't…you actually made…solyanka?" "Yep, yep, yep I did! This is that same soup you made for us when we had the party at your old house way back when, remember, Kolya-kun? It was so good that last time, I just needed to figure out how to make it. Good thing all the food sites I checked said there's really no wrong way of making it. Then when Sensei told us what was wrong with you earlier, I remembered reading that it's a popular food for treating colds, fevers and the flu back in Russia, so it just felt right that I'd try making it. I really hope it turned out okay; I mean you're the bigger expert on it than me."
Not willing to leave the possibilities up in the air for a moment longer, Nikolay was exceptionally agree to put Mina's culinary skills at his own native cuisine to the test. And the moment he'd finally taken the first guided spoonful into his mouth (at Mina's insistence of doing it this way, of course), the way his green eyes widened had her hair nearly stand on end and her heart leap into her throat.
Finally, as she intently watched his throat move as he swallowed that first bite, Mina sucked in an anticipating breath as Nikolay nearly looked like he was about to start shedding nostalgic tears. "That…that was simply…delicious, Mina. Vkusniy (Delicious). I can't believe you figured out how to make it so right after just having it the one time. Are you sure you don't have a secret cooking hobby like me that you've just been really good at hiding?"
Mina was equal parts overjoyed that her attempt at some of Nikolay's home country food had turned out so good, and embarrassed that he was giving her so much distinct praise; but she was thankfully able to resist the urge to drive the rest of that bowl into his face in her wildly blushing fluster, sweetly giggling all the while. "Oh, stop it, Kolya-kun! I've still got a long way to go before I can make as much stuff as you can! This was just surprisingly easy to make, that's all. Besides, I thought maybe having something that would remind you of home sweet home would maybe help you to feel better sooner. That…that makes some kind of sense, right?"
By now, they had finally managed to make a pleasant rhythm where Mina would feed Nikolay another spoonful of fresh and hot solyanka, and he would gladly take each one; all the while he ultimately answered: "Yeah, it does make sense…even though, if I'm being totally honest with you, Mina…this place, simply being with all of you…does feel like home sweet home to me."
The deeply touched blush that glowed upon Mina's pink cheeks never relented once as she continued to spoon feed Nikolay, before then making tea once he'd eaten the whole bowl's worth. Once that had all been finished up, what came to her mind next was the last thing even he could have ever expected from her: "Well, I hope that was all enough for you, Kolya-kun. You know, whenever I got sick when I was little, I always managed to get better fast when I'd sleep after eating whatever my mom and dad made for me. She would always sing for me to help me doze off, so…I guess what I'm getting at is…well, would you maybe…maybe like for me to sing you to sleep right now? We already know you don't have anything like a cold or flu, so I don't mind cuddling with you while doing it, too."
It was only natural for Nikolay to momentarily think he was hearing things, but when he saw that unmistakable look of pure sincerity in her black-gold eyes as she made her offer; he was simply dumbstruck. "Wow, I never would've thought you'd be the kind of person who can sing as well as dance, Mina."
The pink-skinned beauty couldn't hope to prevent the amused chuckle that followed as she helped ease Nikolay back down into bed, before comfortably lying beside him on the outside of the blankets, never once taking her eyes off his peaceful and adorable fair face. "Aw, c'mon, it's not like I'm a pro or anything, but it's a fun thing to do every once in a while, right? Besides, anyone who tells you they've never sung in the shower at least once is a liar. Now c'mon, Kolya-kun; just lay back and relax, close your eyes, and let me take care of the rest, okay?"
Since Mina had already gone so far over the extra mile to take care of him in so little time, Nikolay couldn't possibly try to dissuade her from doing this much more. With an admittedly tired yawn, he relented and closed his eyes, instinctively bracing himself for whatever his beloved girlfriend had in mind to try and help lull him into a deep and truly peaceful sleep.
Then, finally, her otherwise bright and cheerful voice came out soft, smooth and loving, as Mina began to sing a tune that, for but a moment, felt unfamiliar…until she actually started to softly sing out the words in a language he immediately knew wasn't Japanese, but was no less familiar to him alone: Russian. Admittedly, grammatically incorrect and clearly phonetically spoken Russian, but Russian nonetheless.
"Supi, muradenetsu moy purekurasunyy
Bayushki-bayu
Tikuho sumoturit mesuyatsu yasunyy
V koruiberu tsuvoyu…"*
"Mina…how do you know that song?" Nikolay's question came suddenly, but spoken with such a shaken softness, it couldn't have possibly not gotten through to Mina, and thus brought her to stop.
"Ever since I got to hear you sing that song for my birthday, I've been really curious about any other nice sounding songs in your language I could maybe try, and I came across this pretty lullaby. Being in the shape you're in right now, it just felt right…even if your language sounds so complicated, even put in katakana." As Mina explained this, she began gently running her fingers delicately through Nikolay's hair to help ease him even further into sleep.
However, when she saw the emotional shimmering in his eyes, she came to a sudden surprised stop, allowing him to answer: "The effort is very appreciated, I want you to know that, Mina. It's just that…this is a thing distinct to Russians as a whole: our music may sound very nice, but rarely are the lyrics as nice in return. That lullaby…it's about a mother singing to her child about how her husband has gone off to fight in war, and her telling the baby to sleep so that it can one day grow big and strong and fight in war, too. It's ultimately a pretty sad song."
Nikolay hated having to be the person to reveal all of this, when Mina was simply trying to help ease him into sleep so he would get all better. The fact that she was currently frozen with surprise at this realization certainly did not help. But, just like the resilient and kindhearted person she always was, Mina's contemplation lit up into further realization, as she once more assumed her position beside Nikolay, cuddling ever closer with him, once more patting his head so softly, and whispering into his ear just as much so: "Okay, I got one I know will be good for you, Kolya-kun. My mom used to sing this for me all the time. Just close your eyes and relax."
Just like the last time, Nikolay quickly relented, settling himself down under the blankets and closing his eyes, listening with full intent for the soon-to-come sweet and soft sound of Mina's voice as she once again began to sing, this time in Japanese, and softly humming between each verse:
[Elizabeth Falconer – Oyasumi]
"Nighttime has come
Gone is the sun
Dreams sky has spun
Stars, one by one
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Hush, hush, hush
Oyasumi, close your eyes
Oyasumi, close your eyes
Oyasumi, close your eyes
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Oyasumi, dream of me
Oyasumi, dream of me
Oyasumi, dream of me
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Hush, hush, hush
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Oyasumi, hush, my love
Hush, hush, hush
Hush, hush, hush
Hush…hush…hush…"
Much like Nikolay before, it was taking a lot for Mina to not start letting nostalgic tears of her own start flowing, as she couldn't help but think back to her mother singing her this lullaby in some of her earliest memories. But, much to her silent yet sincere delight, this song did seem to do the trick, as there was no longer a trace of even the slightest stress or tension visible on Nikolay's face, and he even looked to be just on the verge of falling asleep.
With her heart burning hot with so much love and affection for her boyfriend beside her, Mina couldn't resist, and proceeded to gently lean in and start placing one soft and loving kiss after another on whatever part of Nikolay's face she could reach from here, each one sending a pleasant jolt through both their bodies, and prefacing every single one with the soft whispers into his ear of "I love you, Kolya-kun…I love you so, so much."
And even in the last vestiges of consciousness, Nikolay was still able to respond accordingly, as he reached one hand out to take Mina's free hand in it. "I love you too, Mina; more than you could ever know,"; the sound of him saying so still making her cheeks flare up like nothing else ever could.
SLAM!
"YAAY, I KNEW IT! IKNEWITIKNEWITIKNEWIT!" "MAN, IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU TWO FINALLY SAID IT!"
The suddenness with which Nikolay's door flew open nearly send him and Mina jumping straight into the ceiling; but the instantaneous and ecstatic proclamations of happiness and congratulations from none other than Tooru and Eijirou were the only thing to keep them both grounded on Nikolay's bed; both newcomers' faces aglow with their respective smiles (as far as Eijirou himself was concerned, at least).
Nikolay and Mina both were still too shocked to actually ask just how long their sudden visitors had either been watching or listening in on their personal exchange; but the expressions and tones of joy on their faces and in their voices all but stated that they'd been there long enough. After all, Tooru was practically filling Mina's typical role, as she was excitedly going a mile a minute while eagerly embracing Mina herself. "Oh, Mina-chan, I'm so happy for you! I just knew it, I knew I'd felt something brewing between you and Kolya-kun! Did I make it in time for the confession, or did you two already do it before? I thought I'd heard you call him 'my baby' back in training, but I just couldn't know for sure, and Ochako-chan and Tsu-chan didn't wanna tell me one way or the other! Oh, please, Mina-chan, please tell me! Where did you confess? When was it?"
At the same time, while Eijirou was similarly grinning from ear to ear for Nikolay and Mina finally admitting their obvious feelings for each other, he at least had the common sense not to swing Nikolay around in the condition he was in. "Sorry for the eavesdropping, you guys. I originally wanted to check in and make sure you were doing okay, Kolya-san; but I saw Hagakure-san kneeling in front of your door, and the next thing I know, I'm right there watching and listening with her. Still, damn, it feels good to finally know for sure where you two are standing after all this time."
Of course, Eijirou's more humble tone automatically paled next to Tooru's excitement as she finally thought to release her hold on Mina, but couldn't stay still for the life of her: "Ooh, you just gotta tell me how it all happened, you two! When did you finally confess? Please, I'm starving for details here!"
Nikolay was still too taken with the initial surprise, but Mina herself was thankfully able to get her racing heart to slow down again, as she braced herself. "Okay. Well…you both remember when we were telling you all about what happened in Hokkaido, how there was that one point where I'd forgotten my ear buds, and that Pietro guy got me to fight for him with his Quirk?"
All at once, a sharp gasp emanated from Tooru; her sleeves of her shirt pointing up to indicate she was holding her hands over her mouth in wide-eyed realization. "Oh. My. God! You said that it was something Kolya-kun told you that managed to break through that Villain's control, I remember! Oh, is that how he confessed, Mina-chan?! Oh, that's SO ROMANTIC! GAAH, I WISH I COULD'VE BEEN THERE TO SEE THAT!"
With Mina having taken the lead on telling Tooru and Eijirou all they wanted to know, Nikolay was likewise finally able to calm himself enough to follow up: "That wasn't how I'd been hoping to confess, though…but I did get the chance after it was all over to finally tell her the way I wanted to. To tell you the truth, Hagakure-san; Eijirou-san had actually been really helpful for a while now, with giving me even a little confidence to eventually tell Mina my feelings…even if up until that moment, I had no idea where, when or how to actually say it. But if it weren't for him, I probably never would've been able to find the courage…and I don't even want to think about where we'd be right now if that were the case."
With Eijirou's apparent involvement now being brought into light, Mina and Tooru both had discerning eyes upon the semi-embarrassed young man, keeping his eyes turned to the floor while scratching the back of his head with an awkward smirk. But even despite this demeanor of his, that didn't stop Mina from stepping in and suddenly poking him hard repeatedly over the face and shoulders. "Why do you still look so down, nervous and awkward, Kiri?! This is a huge step forward for you! I have no doubt Kolya-kun would've found the courage to tell me how he feels eventually, but you helped him find it that much faster; that's amazing! You really are an awesome friend, and an even more awesome wingman! I can't even imagine how embarrassing it must've been for you, talking a whole bunch about unmanly stuff like feelings and all!"
Once he'd finally managed to wave her poking fingers away from his face, Eijirou was quick to being all smiles again. "Ah, not really. A real manly person sticks by his friends and helps them with all their problems, no matter what they are, after all…but especially when his friends are clearly in love with each other. Good thing you two didn't exactly make it hard to pick up on for a while, especially if Hagakure-san's reaction is anything to go by. Besides, Kolya-san clearly didn't need my help that much, since he found the courage inside to tell you himself both times."
The modest grin on Eijirou's face drew a natural giggle of amusement out of both Mina and Tooru, while Nikolay tried to sit himself up within his bed, meeting his red eyes head-on. "Don't sell yourself short, Eijirou-san. Even if I did work up the courage on my own in the end, you were the one to still get those wheels in motion to begin with by voicing your support for all this time, and I can't thank you enough for that."
Seeing how genuinely touched Eijirou was at Nikolay's gratitude, Mina teasingly elbowed him in the arm. "Maybe now you can try working that wingman magic on Bakugo from now on. If you were able to get through that thick skin of his and get along with him that much already, you might just be able to actually make him genuinely appealing to girls, too. Maybe that'd help cool that nonexistent fuse of his, right? Or at least get him to smile more."
This time, it was Eijirou along with Tooru who couldn't help but laugh at the idea, with the red-haired young man not even trying to play himself up more than what he knew he currently was. "C'mon, Ashido; I'm a manly Hero, not a miracle worker. Even a guy like me has his limits."
There was no denying that the atmosphere in Nikolay's dorm room had lifted far more than any of them had expected. But even despite this, Nikolay was eventually able to chime in with noted seriousness: "It really feels good that you both know the truth about us now, it really does. But…if it's all the same to you two, could you please not go telling the rest of the class about this just yet?"
"EH?! Aww, c'mon, Kolya-kun, why not?! I've been dying to just tell the rest of the girls about this once it came true!" Tooru immediately protested in clear disappointment, while Eijirou himself was nowhere as vocal, but likewise looked a tiny bit disappointed.
However, it was Mina who was next to explain: "We actually talked about this the night we…well, when we confessed. Neither of us want to keep it a secret, but we just wanna be able to let everyone know when the time is right, y'know? Plus, I'm personally a little nervous of Yaomomo, Iida-san or even Aizawa-sensei wanting to separate us if they found out."
Thankfully, this reasoning seemed to resonate perfectly with their two friends, as Eijirou's brow furrowed in thought. "Yeeeah, you got a point. Iida-san especially seems like the kinda guy that would tell Sensei the moment he found out. Conflict of interest and all. But hey, after seeing how perfectly you two synch up in every way up until now, I just know you'll both know when the time is right to tell everyone. So…okay, I promise we won't tell anyone for you guys. That's a man's promise right there, unbreakable!"
With that, Eijirou stood up tall and planted a clenched fist over his heart, smiling confidently, before shooting an awkward sideways glance at a clearly contemplative Tooru. "C'mooon, Hagakure-san, it's a promise."
Finally, with an especially strained groan coming from her throat before she finally stamped an affirming foot on the floor, Tooru took up the same overly intense pose. "Aww, okay, okay, I promise too, Mina-chan, I won't tell anybody either! But please don't make me wait too much longer! This is just too sweet to keep a secret forever!"
With that, and the timely reminder of Nikolay needing to get some rest for the day so he could get better, the four friends ultimately bid each other goodbye, and Eijirou and Tooru took their leave, and as the door clicked shut behind them, the red-haired student just as suddenly heard a crinkling of paper underneath his shoe. Upon looking down, he found what looked like a tiny torn piece of notebook paper with what looked like a phone number he didn't nearly begin to recognize written on it.
Paying it no further mind, he and Tooru began to head back for the gym to at least continue their own training, at least until Eijirou immediately noticed that Bakugo's dorm room door was open, and the titular short-tempered classmate was already inside, staring impatiently up at his ceiling as though he'd only just returned from today's Remedial Training. Of course, the unexpectedly early return of one of his friends made it impossible for Eijirou to resist the urge to ask what his training today was like, regardless if Bakugo would even be willing to tell him or not.
But inside Nikolay's room next door, both he and Mina let out a heavy sigh of boundless relief. "I feel really good about that, Kolya-kun. I mean, Tooru-chan and Kiri have been cheering us on all this time, like you said, they really deserved to know before anyone else."
Laying back down against his own pillow, Nikolay was likewise smiling. "Yeah, they did. I actually have to say I agree with Hagakure-san; I hope it won't be long before we both feel comfortable telling everyone." With that admission off his shoulders, Nikolay looked so much more physically relaxed, spurring Mina to once again climb onto his bed beside him and cuddle up against him through the covers, once more lovingly patting his head and running her fingers through his dark brown hair.
As she once again began to softly and affectionately sing another lullaby of her mother's into her boyfriend's ear; Nikolay himself let his eyes slowly close; all the while unable to help but wonder if having Mina cuddling with him in bed was potentially going to become a regular thing between them. Not only would his travelling into the girl's wing and doing so with her in her room look infinitely more suspicious to anyone else, but already they had ended up doing this very thing in his room multiple times before. It certainly didn't feel like an impossibility, nor did he find himself remotely objecting to the idea…no more than Mina herself did, instinctively smiling when the thought came to her mind as well.
Wednesday, October 1st
Indeed, it had become a pretty regular thing between them, even though Mina at least had developed the good sense to retreat back to her dorm room after she'd know Nikolay was fast asleep as a result of their near nightly cuddling sessions. There was no point in pushing their luck of not being found out or called out by the rest of their classmates, at least any more than they already had. On the occasions when Nikolay wasn't up super early like many of them were; if it wasn't Mina personally waking him up in the morning, then either Eijirou, Izuku or Tenya were the ones doing so, though those instances were, naturally, not even close to being as personally intimate.
Over the course of the last week-and-a-half, not only had Nikolay's fever long since come and gone, but so too had the knowledge of his and Mina's relationship remained between them, Eijirou and Tooru; and lastly, after one further chance to spar against Izuku, it had ultimately been concluded that the limit of Nikolay's own Quirk and strength was able to hold its own against 17% of Izuku's, before his strength and speed would prove completely overwhelming for the young Slav.
But that was then, and this was the start of a new day, as evidenced with Nikolay having once again been woken up by way of a surprise pouncing onto his bed by Mina all the way from his door, barely even having a chance to get his bearings back, before she was eagerly urging him into his closet to get changed, all while having already stuffed a muffin she had swiped from the commons area kitchen (courtesy of Rikido Sato) into his mouth along the way.
Just as he finally emerged from his closet in his uniform, though; a pronounced buzzing from the phone in his pocket brought him and Mina's urgency to a stop as he instinctively pulled it out, and she saw how his eyes went wider than ever at whatever he was looking at on his screen.
Then, finally the reveal came in a breathless mutter: "Oh my God…it…it's an announcement out of Moscow…from several hours ago. The man we saved, Konstantin Khodamchuk; he's announced a national address for every news outlet around the world to see. That has to mean all the rescue efforts have finally ended! If this announcement is this old, there might already be a video of it up! Do we have enough time?"
Mina barely even chanced a glance at her phone's clock, before she and Nikolay were already seated on the edge of his bed, turning on the very first link to the titular announcement they could find on Nikolay's phone, and bringing the volume as high as it could go. Within seconds, they were already watching the Japanese news coverage of the event, looking out over a massive crowd of visibly shaken and forlorn people filling the streets before the half-ruined Red Square. Situated in front of the half-destroyed Kremlin, the unmistakable, graying blonde-haired, grizzled and aged form of Konstantin Khodamchuk stood upon a podium, looking over every single one of his people he could possibly see from here, looking no less exhausted and emotionally drained as the rest of them, as though he hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep since he had returned from Hokkaido.
And yet, despite this, he still managed to exude an air of true authority, just as his recently forced position of president required of him. And as the news feed displayed Japanese subtitles for his speech, there was no loss in the raw sincerity carried in his tone as he finally began his speech.
[[I…I wish I had a better speech to give you all, after everything we've just had to go through in the wake of these…calamitous events. We've had to grit our teeth, dig in, and work ourselves to the bone and beyond without so much as a single official word from up above as to just what was waiting for us on the other side. With so much destruction still to be repaired, and with so many people hurt…and so many more forever lost, such a thing would have been nothing short of a blessing…but as a people, and as your appointed leader in Dmitri Zaitsev's continued absence, I could not allow myself a moment's rest until we could all know for certain that no one was left out there in need of rescue.
[[But now…now that all our rescue resources across the whole western part of the country have confirmed with us that they have rescued and treated all those in the affected areas leading up to the disaster that befell us here in our nation's capital…now I can finally speak to you all, and help us to finally start truly picking up the pieces that can still be rebuilt…although, such a task, while doable on a purely physical level, will be Herculian in difficulty when it comes to our minds, hearts and spirits. We, as a people, have always taken the bloodshed of our kin and countrymen far more personally, when inflicted by the hands of outside threats…and as more recent events proved, even domestic threats as well. We don't take the harm inflicted upon us lightly. We never have, and we never will.]]
Even through the speaker on Nikolay's phone, he and Mina could already hear a low and growing murmuring among the crowd, and Mina could already see how Nikolay's hands were just starting to tremble; the intense look in his green eyes already showing he was not liking where this speech was going already.
With a simple calming gesture of his hands, Konstantin managed to bring the crowd back to silence, before firmly gripping his podium, hanging his head in silent contemplation…before finally lifting his head back up, the multiple lights showing a far more emotional glimmer in his tired blue eyes. [[However…that all having been said…we all know how hard our country had hit financial rock bottom, the last time we insisted on rebuilding from the damages of the last major catastrophe that hit our land, solely on our own. I…we cannot allow ourselves to go through that again, not when we've only just recently been able to truly say we had repaired ourselves from the destruction wrought by the Siberian Flash.
[[There are major things about how we have handled ourselves and our problems, that absolutely need to be changed if we are to be able to truly sustain ourselves, to rebuild ourselves back to something far better than what we had. And it's because of that necessity for change, that as your currently appointed president…I have come to the conclusion that…that we have no choice, but to ask for and accept the aid being offered by our neighboring nations from all around us, to rebuild the damage that has been done to us on every level. And that…that is going to require us to have to accept the help, and overall presence, of those very same nations Heroes, as well.]]
Just as quickly as Nikolay and Mina had been stricken with surprise at what Konstantin had just stated with no hesitation; so too did nearly the entire audience off-camera immediately start erupting into a deafening wall of furious protests; the general consensus Nikolay could make out among them being: "It was people with Quirks that did this to us in the first place, and now you want to start letting more of them in?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!"
Miraculously, though, just as it was starting to seem like Konstantin would have no hope of regaining control over this whole national address, he ultimately brute forced his way back in; his voice carrying enough power to it that he was eventually able to regain that much-needed control. [[Everyone, everyone, please, calm down and just hear me out! I understand your apprehensions, believe me, I do! After the recent attacks on government and military facilities by Quirk-wielding terrorists in Kamchatka and the Urals, and then this complete disaster; I would be no more welcoming of Quirks into our country than you are right now, were I in your position. Now, I'm very well aware of the rumors that have been spreading online like wildfire these last few months, rumors stating that a handful of our own local and recently escaped Villains were actually working hand-in-hand with Japan's own League of Villains; that those two forces are the ones directly responsible for this recent chain of disasters.
[[I am also well aware of the consensus that our own police and military forces were the ones responsible for bringing all this destruction to a close. It was only a couple days after this all happened, that I'd finally returned here from a confidential mission regarding those aforementioned terrorist attacks; a mission that had taken me outside this country to Hokkaido, Japan. After having been absent for all of this, and learning of our previous president's disappearance upon my return, alongside the chain of command ultimately putting me in the role of current-acting president, I naturally needed to confirm the results of our counter-actions, myself.
[[I was taken to where the bodies of the guilty party were being kept, I even performed the official autopsy, myself. From the outside looking in, it would only be natural for one to assume that our militarized forces had brought this apparent League, this Villainous collaboration, to a swift and righteous end.]] For a few very uncomfortable lingering moments, Konstantin continued to look over the veritable sea of his people…before his expression steadily sank.
[[However…it is my greatest regret as of now, to inform you all that…this was not in fact the case. If you'll all please turn your attention to the projector screens on all sides of this stage…I shall show you all the truth.]] With the press of a button upon a small remote in his gloved hand, Konstantin had all the spotlights around the area dim, just as the projector screens lit up, soon showing several projections of the same recorded autopsy video, wherein Nikolay and Mina could easily spot the forms of all the League of Villains members they could immediately recall, as well as what looked like a much younger, non-blind Vukodlak…only for the Konstantin on screen to soon reach in and ultimately pull away the face of the lifeless Tomura Shigaraki, revealing the equally lifeless face of a Russian man that Mina could never recognize, but whom Nikolay, and by the sounds of it, the entire crowd; easily could.
[[That's right. Everything you're seeing here is the sad and…infuriating truth. I wish I could tell you all otherwise after all of this, and I wish I could've told you all the truth far sooner…but now that our rescue efforts are done, and we have the chance to finally start licking our wounds, it's time for you all to know the honest truth. I don't know how, but the League of Villains somehow have acquired the means to disguise themselves…and as we learned from this autopsy, they used that method to apprehend our own former president, Dmitri Zaitsev, several members of his cabinet, and even our three formerly escaped local Villains, and force them to don disguises of the League themselves, being left to die at the hands of our own law enforcement and military as a scapegoat, while the real fiends themselves got away with committing this heinous attack on our country, our capital, virtually scot-free. They left us and our nation looking like complete and utter fools.]]
Once again, it sounded as though the entire audience was about to break out into a murderous riot as their outcries of rage, their demands for justice, began overpowering the microphones of both the podium and the news crews surrounding the perimeter; Nikolay once more having to act as their translator, piecing together pieces of their speeches to form one general consensus: "Why the hell are you all just standing around and doing nothing?! Get on the line, and demand the Japanese government hand those murderers over here! They all deserve to face the swiftest justice at our own hands! The blood of our families demand it!"
This time, Konstantin was forced to slam a determined fist upon his podium, resulting in a high pitched whine from the microphones and speakers that managed to at least halfway silence the crowd. [[Everyone, please, take a moment, breathe and collect yourselves! If we allow ourselves to turn into animals blinded by our pain and anger, then those very same monsters really will have won! Just stop, and think! Think about just how much we've suffered and lost over these last several years! You think that because we in the government aren't on the street level, experiencing these events right alongside you, that we disregard just how much is actually being lost? Such may have been the case with many of our leaders and institutions before, but not with me! I know exactly how much we as a people have lost as a result of the actions of Quirks, on both sides of the paradigm between good and evil. 1,473,835 people, that's how many we ultimately lost as a result of the immediate destruction and aftereffects of the Siberian Flash, and all the countless natural cataclysms that followed it over the years.
[[924,086 people; that's how many we've lost as of this moment as a result of the numerous attacks launched on us by the League of Villains over that devastating stretch of time they had lurked into our nation…and I'm not foolish enough to think that, with the amount of injured we still have to tend to, and the limited resources we have to do so…that that number won't grow exponentially over the foreseeable future.]]
To just hear such astronomical numbers of casualties left in his home country as a result of a very familiar threat, made Nikolay's stomach twist and turn with anguish, just as Mina could hear it did with the people in the audience, as where there had once been pure rage, there was now an overwhelming sadness to be heard. Even Konstantin looked like he was barely managing to keep himself emotionally composed when he finally continued.
[[Yes, it's true, we have suffered far more than our fair share of tragedy and mortal loss at the hands of those with Quirks, intentional or accidental or otherwise…and that is precisely why we once again find ourselves on our knees, financially and structurally, as a society. That is why we can't let ourselves be foolishly blinded by pride into thinking we can pick ourselves up from this without the help of others. That is why we need to allow the rescue and aid forces of our neighbors…and their Heroes, into our borders, in order to help us truly rebuild and recover from this.]]
Just like clockwork, everyone was once again screaming their protests, despite their new president's attempt to try and level with them, with the fact that people with Quirks being the ones responsible for the death and destruction to begin with, once again being the most common point raised.
And this time, with a far more tried and tested air of intensity growing about him, Konstantin similarly exclaimed back: [[I'm just as much aware of the inherent risks as all of you are, make no mistake about that! For God's sake, these changes to our entire system as a society over the last thirteen years since the Siberian Flash, were put in place precisely because we had let ourselves be convinced to live in constant fear of what other cataclysm Quirks would bring to our soil! We had convinced ourselves that we had made our nation airtight against any future threats brought about by Quirks…AND LOOK AT WHAT THAT HAS LEFT US! The League of Villains, those Quirked terrorists I was sent after; they were able to get in here and do all of this to us, anyway! I surely can't be the only one that has asked his or herself since the fact, of if this all could have been prevented if we had let ourselves think with reason alongside emotion, instead of simply with the latter, and kept our Hero infrastructure intact as it was!]]
For the first time since this address had started, Konstantin's words didn't elicit an explosive reaction from the audience, but there was still a lot of surprised murmuring to be heard. Nevertheless, he continued, losing not an ounce of sincere impassioned feeling in his tone: [[Believe me, I never expected to be sharing all of this with you, either. For the last thirteen years, I believed in President Zaitsev's cause just as strongly as you all did after the Siberian Flash, if not even more so. For the last several years, I was even in charge of the very bureau that was dedicated to arming and training our forces to fight against any Quirked foe whatsoever.
[[That anger, it burned just as strong within me the day I was sent out with a team of my closest comrades to apprehend or terminate those very same terrorists that had attacked my bureau's lab in Kamchatka, that had attacked our naval port in the Urals and took a nuclear-capable submarine for their own use against us. When we had gotten to where those terrorists were hanging their hats in Hokkaido, we likewise found an entire town full of our own Quirked expats, having fled and congregated there over the course of these last thirteen years. As far as I was concerned then, they were likely to be just as much a part of those terrorists' scheme as anyone.
[[Unfortunately, at the moment when I felt we were going to finally accomplish our mission and eliminate this threat…we'd ended up getting captured…and by the time this whole incident was over, two of my comrades had been killed. But…the reason I'm able to actually stand here before you all, living and breathing as I am, is not because of anything like our skills, equipment or training. No…the only reason you're all hearing these words from my lips right now…is because of the actions of none other than a group of professional and student Heroes; one of whom being none other than the very son of our once-beloved Number One Hero, The Sun of Justice, Tunguska, himself; all acting of their own accord to save all of us.]]
Now the air was positively ringing with shocked and confused gasps from the whole crowd, but by now Konstantin was past the point of giving any protesting voices a chance to change the emotional tide. [[Yes, you all heard me right; my remaining comrades and I were saved and able to set foot on our Motherland's soil again, because of the actions of the son of the very Hero whose blood we all bayed for the most, whom we had ultimately driven away from our lands. Out of anyone else on this planet, that boy would have the most reason not to lift a finger to help any one of us after how we had all turned on his father and all those like him…and yet it was out of no one's accord but his own, that he and his own schoolmates ultimately came to the rescue; not just of me and my comrades, but even of every one of those Quirked people living in that town; victims all of the very same patriot-turned-Villain that had then been holding us captive: our very own former military commander…and once a dear friend of my very own, Pietro Dobrynich Granin; once believed dead…by my own hand, when I'd discovered he too possessed a Quirk back in those early days following the Siberian Flash.
[[My betrayal of our years as brothers in arms, alongside our country's betrayal of its own people, our comrades, had turned a once honest and honorable man into a shell of his former self; a madman who sought to bring an invasion by the hands of all those people blinded under his own Quirk to our shores…if not an outright rain of nuclear fire upon our heads. After all we had done to people with Quirks within our borders; that boy, Nikolay Olegovich Bezpalov, would've had every possible right to not lift a finger to help any of us…but he did anyway, with no need of convincing from anyone. I know this, because when all had been said and done, he'd looked me in the eye, and said as much with no hesitation…and when you've been in my line of work for half as long as I have been, you know how to sniff out a lie…and I found no such thing in anything that boy said or did.
[[That young Hero acted to save us all, because he understood, even as young as he is, just what it is that Heroes are supposed to embody before all else; the one thing I've since come to realize we had all willfully given up in the throes of our collective grief and anger: hope. He looked me in the eye, and he told me that he acted, because he wanted to give us, give our country as a whole, a reason to feel hope again; a hope that might finally allow us to truly start healing from the pain of our losses over the last thirteen years, instead of just telling ourselves we had healed, while stewing in so much sorrow, anger and resentment. A hope that could help us to finally start rebuilding our beloved Mother Russia into the truly better place it can still become, even now, for everyone.
[[I had allowed myself to forget what it felt like to have hope for the future, and it took a bunch of young student Heroes giving their all for a country that had grown to despise people like them and what they stood for, to make me finally realize that I didn't like the man I had allowed myself to become in my grief and anger…to make me finally feel like now, there can still be hope for our country, for us as a people, again.]]
Nikolay and Mina both could feel an automatic gasp for air fill their chests, just as they could feel the air among the expansive crowd go still and silent. Konstantin's whole body was currently rigid, but the further he continued to speak, the more he was visibly beginning to shake as his emotions built. [[I know how difficult it is for us as a people to accept the idea of receiving help from others besides ourselves. For the entire history of our motherland, we have relied solely on ourselves; our every hardship helping us to become stronger with every foe we've stood against to protect our home and what was ours.
[[Whether it was Alexander Nevsky leading us against the invading Teutonic Knights, or our generations spent fighting back the Huns to the east, or against Napoleon and his armies, or against the invading Fascists during the Great Patriotic War…or even our misguided attempts to defend ourselves against the threat we believed our own Quirked countrymen posed to us; we went through it all and against it all entirely on our own, and that instilled in us an unshakeable sense of pride as a nation and as a people.
[[But the world we live in now is not one we can hope to survive in, let alone thrive in, without accepting the help of others anymore, including those with Quirks that dedicate themselves to helping those in need: Heroes. The time has finally come for us to accept our responsibility as citizens of the world, swallow that blinding pride, and accept the hands of our neighbors and those beyond in friendship, if we want any hope of turning our beloved Russia into the peaceful paradise we always strived to make it into. We all know it deep down inside: we deserve a far better future than that which all our previous leaders falsely promised us…and right now, the best chance we have of that, is by finally accepting our losses, letting go of that pain and anger that has been slowly suffocating us for all these years, and accepting the aid and existence of Heroes in our lives again. Only then can we finally start making this a far more just world than it has been for so many of us and our kin and countrymen.]]
The crowd was audibly getting more and more active once again, but this time it was fairly difficult to tell which of it was a positive response to Konstantin's impassioned plea to his people, and which of it was lingering dissent at the idea of actually accepting people with Quirks again. Either way, Konstantin loosened the tie around his neck, sighing shakily as he continued further: [[I don't expect this request for amnesty of Quirks to sit well with many of you, perhaps not for a very long time. But I ask that you only consider this, if nothing else: it was because of our anger and subsequent hate of Quirks as a whole, that I tried to kill not only my old friend Pietro Dobrynich Granin, but even one of our other most celebrated Heroes from those old times: the River Hero, Volga…and it was because of that, in the very beginning, that they ultimately turned into one of the biggest collective threats that our nation has faced, with none of us ever even having known about it. Fortune smiled on us by having Solovei, a boy that had witnessed our blind prejudice firsthand, and his fellow students and mentors act to stop their actions, bring Volga back to the light of Heroism and ultimately save us…
[[…but I ask you all to please take a moment, and think to yourselves just what kind of Villain could be created that turns their intentions towards us next, if we aren't willing to finally let ourselves heal and move on from our grief. And if not that, then look to your children, your grandchildren, either at your side or sleeping in their beds right now, and ask yourselves just what kind of a world it is you think you're leaving for them to inherit at this very moment. Every one of you, from this side of the country to the next, my comrades, my brothers and sisters born of Mother Russia's soil; I implore you all to look at them and ask yourselves with the utmost honesty: is our world as we know it right now, truly one that is worth their living in, growing up in? I don't have the answer to that question…only you all may help yourselves to find it.]]
The silence that followed was unbearably heavy, until, in a moment that Nikolay at first could swear his mind was only making him hear, a number of emotionally-charged clapping hands could be heard steadily growing in number and volume. But within minutes, where there had once been oppressive silence, there was now only a cacophony of years' worth of passionate applause from a people that had likewise forgotten what it felt like to feel hope for the future, and had now been given a dose of it like they'd never expected to again, for the first time in thirteen years.
With that, the footage of the Russian national address finally came to a stop, but by now, both Nikolay and Mina's eyes had been blinded with so many tears of boundless emotions. The young Russian himself, naturally, felt as though he were living in a waking dream at this very moment, having just seen the one thing he'd wanted to try and inspire by becoming a Hero, unfold before his very eyes.
So lost was he in this moment of pure euphoria and fulfillment, that he couldn't even bring himself to react or respond at first, when Mina tearfully threw her arms around him; pulling her boyfriend in close and tight, peppering his tear-streaked face with countless heartfelt and emotional kisses of support and love. "Oh my God, Kolya-kun, I'm SOOO happy for you! You did it, you really did it! It's just like you said you'd been hoping for, right? You made a big change for your home, just by acting to save that man, all those people! Oh, I'm so, so, so proud of you! You really are the biggest Hero of the day right now, bar none!"
Soon, Nikolay was finally able to come back to the present, and could barely string his own words together as he finally brought his arms around Mina in return, holding her close and meeting her lips in an emotion-filled kiss of his own. "It's not just me that made this possible, Mina. You're just as responsible for this miracle right now; every one of our friends and teachers who fought with us back in Gagaringrad, we all deserve just as much credit, period. Oh man, I wonder if any of them have heard the same news we just did."
"I couldn't believe it when I saw it myself, seriously! As if saving a whole town and preventing a possible war wasn't enough, you actually went and started a whole chain of positive change in your homeland because of it!" From the moment Nikolay and Mina, alongside their fellow Hokkaido partners Kyouka, Tenya and Momo, had taken their seat at the start of lunch period with Izuku, Eijirou, Ochako and Tsuyu; the brightly-smiling redhead had been borderline bouncing with excitement when sharing how they had all likewise gotten the very same groundbreaking news on their phones; ultimately having proven to have been invested enough in the events in Russia, to have actually set themselves up to receive notifications for any updates on it, just like Nikolay and Mina themselves had.
"Hey, Kirishima, maybe you could try not being so loud about it? I mean, it's amazing news, but I don't think Kolya-san would like being the center of this much attention." Ochako had the good grace to chime in quietly, especially after seeing how awkward Nikolay's eyes looked, despite his shaky attempt at a grateful smile to match Mina's totally confident grin.
However, even despite clearly showing an embarrassed realization at how animated he was getting, Eijirou's supportive and proud smile didn't even falter, let alone fade, as he brought an arm over his Russian friend's shoulders, almost pulling him into a headlock by accident in his excitement. "Right, right, sorry; but seriously, dude, that's so damn manly, what you all managed to do now with this, I almost feel like I can't look at you till I do something just as huge, whatever that might be!"
However, even as Mina and Izuku were likewise smiling with the utmost pride and support for what Nikolay and his friends had accomplished; Tsuyu, Tenya and Momo looked fairly more reserved in their own feelings of happiness for him, as the class president dutifully noted: "It is indeed far from any kind of small feat, what Bezpalov-san's actions have managed to inspire, alongside all our own during that mission. However, I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the likelihood for Khodamchuk-san's call for amnesty to meet some considerable resistance from now on."
With a regretful nod, Momo similarly chimed in: "Iida-san's right, I'm afraid. Not only have the Russian people had thirteen years for these Anti-Quirk sentiments to really cement among them, but for such a large country with so many people to consider? To think that every single person there would just take to such a sudden change in national perspective would just be irresponsible on all our part."
Mina and Ochako both couldn't help but look to their two class representatives imploringly, in the fears that such grim reality checks would dampen the mood too much. But as Nikolay finally answered, there was still that glimmer of unbreakable hope evident in his eyes to prove his own sincerity to his friends: "I know, I know you're both right. But even despite that, I just can't shake the feeling that things back in Russia are ultimately going to turn out for the better all around because of this; not because of me. The point is that Mr. Khodamchuk told them all the truth about what happened, and what he now feels towards people with Quirks, and the majority of the people at that announcement didn't boo him off the stage or try to do anything drastic…and right now, that's a god enough sign for me."
And with that, the whole group of friends were able to finally continue on with their meals for the afternoon, all feeling equally assured by Nikolay's general confidence in the better natures of people, no matter what mental and emotional circumstances they had just come from. With that, he could finally start to put his most lingering worries for his home country behind him, and truly be able to start focusing on moving forward with all of his friends here at his sides again.
Thursday, October 2nd
"I GOTTA MAKE MYSELF STRONG ENOUGH TO EVEN TAKE SOMEONE LIKE VUKODLAK'S ATTACKS WITHOUT BREAKING! IF MIDORIYA IS OUT, THEN WHY DON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH BAKUGO AND SATO INSTEAD, KOLYA-SAN?! I'M RIGHT HERE AND I KNOW I CAN TAKE IT! YOU GUYS HIT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, DON'T HOLD BACK! TODAY I'M OKAY BEING YOUR PERSONAL SANDBAG!"
Today was already turning into a very eventful day less than halfway through. The whole of Class 1-A had already been abuzz heading into their current training lesson, with the recent news of Mt. Lady officially teaming up with other Pro Heroes like Edgeshot and Kamui Woods on a permanent basis, thus leading into all kinds of excited talk (especially from Mina) of potential team-ups amid the students and the subsequent Special Moves to follow from each, thus showing there really was no limit to her specific creativity when it came to all their Quirks. As for Nikolay; with the exception of what Special Moves he'd already managed to come up with through working alongside her and Shoto before, he was virtually at a loss.
But on top of that, their actual training was proving to be quite exciting as well, as Cementoss had instructed them all to focus on either establishing or refining their Special Moves. With just that, Eijirou was putting himself all into it, setting himself right into his fabled Unbreakable state, the first time any of his actual classmates had gotten to see him in this way with their own eyes.
But even if he sounded so immensely confident in his ability to take all the punishment any of his willing classmates could give, it still didn't do anything for Nikolay's instinctive concern, being left with just Bakugo and Rikido to work off of him, while everyone else in class was already going their separate ways around the Gamma Gym to train. "Eijirou-san, didn't you say that staying in this state keeps your heart from beating? Are you really sure this is a good idea? It's not like you can actually train your heart to stop for longer and longer without serious effects, it's not like you're a deep sea diver training to hold his breath or improve his lung capacity. Who knows what the lack of blood getting into your brain for so long on a consistent pattern could do to you in the long run?"
"If what this literal blockhead wants to do to get stronger bugs you so much, then go away! As for you, GET READY TO EAT A HOWITZER POINT BLANK!" Naturally, all of Nikolay's reasonable concerns were immediately brushed aside by Bakugo, all too ready to take on Eijirou's offer to be his personal practice dummy, with Eijirou himself showing no hesitation to take it all on right here, even if his crystallized eyes may or may not have been showing a tiny bit of consideration for his foreign friend's points.
Nevertheless, after being given multiple servings of Bakugo's most powerful explosions yet, but still managing to stay on his own two smoking feet, it wasn't long until Eijirou was being given a similar (albeit reluctant) treatment from Rikido's high-flying fists as well, empowered through a healthy serving of his own cupcakes in order for his Quirk to really take effect.
It was indeed impressive from where Nikolay was standing as a spectator, to actually see their big-lipped classmate's Quirk in action; fighting with a speed and power that was just a little short of where he had last experienced Izuku's. And yet, even despite that, once the sugar rush had finally worn off, Eijirou was still managing to stand, even if by now he'd finally needed to shut off his Unbreakable in order to get his heart beating again, let alone some air back into his lungs.
Once he'd clearly managed to regain his breath and seemed to be back to normal, all things considered, Eijirou's emboldened red eyes once again fell on Nikolay himself. "Don't hold back because you're worried about me, man! I'm telling you, I can take it! Give me your full power, right here, right now!"
With that, Nikolay watched as his friend and training partner's body once again took on its most extensively Hardened form once again, forcing himself rigidly back into his traditional fighting position. However, as Nikolay donned his costume's goggles and approached, channeling his own Quirk energy stores through his limbs, a spark of inspiration suddenly hit. "Hey, Eijirou-san; instead of just having me be the one attacking, why don't you also fight back, too? There's something I wanna test out, myself, and who better than you to help me with it?"
Even with the naturally frightening look that Eijirou's Unbreakable form gave him, there was no mistaking that boyish eagerness that reflected in his eyes at the Russian boy's proposal. "Okay, I'm game! You want me to just try matching your strikes with my own, is that it?"
"That's it, just throw whatever you want at me as hard as you can, and I'll do the same for you." With the details being so simple, it was only natural that Eijirou would eagerly close the distance, standing his ground with a resounding stomp of his feet as Nikolay channeled all the vibration-born Kinetic energy he could into his right hand and swung it straight into the redhead's solar plexus, only for a rock solid thud to sound out as the intense shockwaves rippled through his entire body, and he didn't flinch even slightly.
Nikolay could immediately see the excitement in Eijirou's eyes when he realized he'd managed to take the same kind of hit that had once knocked him out cold at the start of the year, like an absolute champ. Without even hesitating, Eijirou immediately proceeded to throw his own Unbreakable-level fist straight back into Nikolay's exact same spot. Only this time, where he was expecting the foreign student to go flailing back from the power he was putting into that near point-blank punch; instead he felt his fist fully connect, only for nearly all that power to go channeling right back up his arm and into his body from out of his opponent, sending Eijirou dragging several inches backwards across the ground.
Both boys looked profoundly shocked at this sudden turn-around. Yet, even despite this surprise, neither one was looking ready to call it then, as Nikolay instead decided to pursue Eijirou, this time rolling himself into a low-aiming kick/blast from the ground straight into one of Eijirou's legs, only for the Unbreakable young Hero to still be standing his ground, taking that full hit and otherwise unsettling dose of Kinetic power all the way up his body without flinching or buckling.
As Nikolay sprang back to his feet, Eijirou capitalized on that one moment by swinging one of his legs high, straight for his ribs, managing to lodge his foot at full power firmly against Nikolay's side and under his lifted left arm.
BWOOM!
Only to once again feel nearly all of that power behind his kick once again resonate right back out of the point of impact and straight back into his leg, sending Eijirou spinning one full time around on his one grounded foot; both boys once again looking completely shocked.
But these two consecutive fully countered attacks on each other only had both boys' blood running that much more to match the adrenaline, as Nikolay immediately followed up by springing up into the air with a mildly boosted jump, and channeling all the rest of the energy he needed into his reared back left hand, sending it all blasting out at full power the moment he clasped directly onto Eijirou's face.
BWOOOM!
It was practically the same exact move that had managed to put Eijirou down for the count all the way back in their very first Battle Training session, and for a few spare moments, as he saw that vibration visibly ripple all the way through Eijirou's body where he stood, even to the point of one of his legs starting to shake under that pressure; Nikolay was semi-sure the results here could be the same.
Until Eijirou suddenly brought both his fists up in a pincer-style punch straight into both of Nikolay's sides at once; likewise certain this counter would knock all the air out of his foreign friend and partner, and thus earn him the win, in knowing his Unbreakable was finally living up to its namesake.
BWOOM!
But just as all of the power behind both his Unbreakable fists channeled into Nikolay; like the last two times, he was at least partially prepared for one of those punches' power to get channeled right back into him if nothing else. Hence his belief that two attacks at once would cancel it out.
But instead, it almost felt like his fists were being forcefully thrown aside from their connecting points at Nikolay's sides, once again forcing him two steps back in the face of that sheer Kinetic force being thrown right back at him, as Nikolay landed shakily to his feet.
With his own time limit finally up, Eijirou turned off his Unbreakable form, heaving to catch his breath, while at the same time unable to hide his excitement and surprise between his gasps for air; with Nikolay looking no different in terms of sheer exhaustion and shakiness. "Dude…how…I mean…I know you were practicing that whole…Refraction thing of yours with Midoriya…but I never even telegraphed where I was going to try and hit you…but you still managed to send most of it back anyway! How are you doing that?"
Nikolay's face instantly grimaced, as he could already feel the bruises left behind by Eijirou's strikes starting to form, regardless of the power he'd managed to send back at him. "I wasn't sure I'd be able to…but after seeing how fast Midoriya-san is at the limit of his power I'm able to actually fight back against…*gasp* I realized I can't afford to just do what I had been before, focusing some of my Quirk into whichever part of my body I know for a fact is going to be hit. I need to be prepared to be attacked from any and all directions at any time…so I just tried to focus as much of my Quirk as I can throughout my whole body at once, while still channeling enough into my hands and feet for my attacks…and just hope it would actually be enough to redirect the force behind any of your physical attacks worth a damn. It looked like it worked…but you'd know better than me right now. How did it feel?"
Rolling his shoulders, Eijirou shot Nikolay an affirming thumb up. "Well, while Unbreakable, none of it actually hurt, even if that last hit of yours to my head nearly did the trick like last time. I mean, damn, man, that Kinetic or Vibration energy of yours hits hard! But those refractions? Hell, man, you saw how Sato's strikes couldn't even make me flinch. You actually got me to slide back, even step back, a few times. I think you might've just struck gold with that idea, Kolya-san. You keep at it, and who knows, you might actually be able to refract 100% of the force that hits you, instead of whatever you think you're able to right now."
To hear Eijirou say all of this with that earnest and supportive smile on his face, had Nikolay's chest swelling with relief that he'd actually managed an idea that was worth something in terms of counter-attack or defense. It still took a huge physical toll on him, as he could already feel the pain of that much vibration energy being forcefully channeled through his entire body so consistently, but if Eijirou believed he could strengthen this Full Boy Refraction technique of his into something truly impenetrable, then he had no reason to believe he couldn't.
And all the while, as her two best friends and boyfriend had continued to enthusiastically spar with each other from that point forward, Mina was always keeping a watchful eye on them both, feeling similarly impressed by the display of both their Special Moves…if not even considerably inspired deep down.
Of course, it didn't take too much longer, with just what their respective special moves were doing to their bodies, before Nikolay and Eijirou both had to finally acknowledge they needed a break to recuperate from the pain emanating from all over their bodies. Thankfully, Cementoss was more than accommodating when it came to the needs for his students to replenish themselves. Thus, Nikolay soon found himself sitting tiredly at a corner of the gym, far away from where everyone else was training, so he wouldn't be at risk of getting caught in the crossfire of any of their Special Moves.
In his head, he was counting on at least five minutes of consistent rest being enough to at least dull the pain in his muscles enough to where he could get back into it before class was over. But before those five minutes were even halfway over, Nikolay could soon sense a shadow settling upon him where he sat, blocking the overhead lights.
Instinctively looking up, either expecting his sudden visitor to either be Eijirou, Mina or Izuku checking to see if he was alright, Nikolay instead automatically flinched with surprise when he instead found himself being looked over by the towering, masked, grey-haired and tentacle-armed form of Mezo Shouji, clad in his Hero costume of a simple sleeveless blue and black bodysuit. "S-Shouji-san? Sorry, you want me to scoot over? Can I help you with something?"
Mezo Shouji was always so difficult to read, thanks to only his piercing eyes being visible underneath that black face mask of his. The fact he and Nikolay had never really talked too extensively certainly didn't help with just how surprised and ultimately awkward the fair Russian boy felt, being forced into a one-on-one situation like this with his physically strongest classmate.
But ultimately, Mezo gave only a slight nod and took a spot right beside Nikolay, not giving him the courtesy of eye contact or even a sideways glance, but still extending a tentacle his way that quickly formed a mouth at the end for him to speak through. "Sorry, Bezpalov-san, I didn't mean to startle you. Maybe if I'd just gone and said what I want to say to you yesterday, we wouldn't be in an awkward place like this. I just wanted…well, I just wanted to let you know that I'd heard the news yesterday, about what just happened in Russia, with that big government guy you all saved up in Hokkaido, and what he was telling everyone they should all do in regards to Heroes and Quirks and such. That's no small feat at all, what you did to make that happen, and I just…wanted to tell you, or maybe just thank you, for making such a thing like that possible again over there."
Naturally, Nikolay was wide-eyed with surprise to be receiving this kind of sentiment from Mezo, of all people; unable to take his eyes off his enigmatic classmate as he struggled to answer. "Oh…wow, I…well, thank you for saying so, Shouji-san. I mean, Mina, Eijirou-san, Midoriya-san and so many more of our classmates; even all my internship teachers have congratulated me for it, too. My phone had been blowing up with similar thanks from everyone up in Gagaringrad after the news, and Dad…oh, you all probably could've just heard him when he came to my room yesterday, practically howling with just how proud he was of me. I just…ah, I just never expected you'd be coming to me personally to say the same thing, since we've never really talked like this before. I didn't think you'd have been that invested, to be honest. Thank you."
Mezo was naturally silent for a good several moments, but Nikolay couldn't figure if he was trying to think of something else to say, or if he had simply already said his piece, and was simply taking this chance to catch his own breath from training. But as soon as the Slavic boy rested his head back, the mouth at the end of Mezo's tentacle spoke up once more, sounding especially like he was struggling to say what he was:
"To be completely honest, after Tunguska-sensei had told us all about where you'd both come from back in Russia, what all those people's feelings about Heroes and Quirks had turned into…and what it had done to you to make you try and run away at the start of the year like you had…I didn't know how to say it, or if I even wanted to back then, but since then I have to admit I actually felt a little bit of a kinship with you, Bezpalov-san. And when I saw how the news about the League of Villains attacking Moscow had hit you like it had, it only felt right that I keep my ears open for any kind of update about that whole mess, just like you and maybe the rest of the class all did. I guess it's fair to say that it became a personal interest of mine."
Nikolay's eyes still reflected that inescapable question of 'why' for Mezo admitting all of this, or even doing what he said he had. The masked student didn't even need to glance his way in order to feel that confusion emanating from his classmate. And so it was with an especially heavy sigh, that he continued: "I know that, for the most part, wherever you look, Japan looks to have fully embraced Quirks and everything about them, and in places like Yuuei or big cities like Tokyo, that's the case…but the truth is that it isn't, especially out in the much more rural parts of the country…and even more so when it comes to mutant Quirks like mine."
Nikolay could see how thinking back on this mysterious past experience was already weighing on Mezo, as one of his fists was starting to shake; his whole body only momentarily tensing up. "Believe it or not, I've also seen just what kind of ugliness prejudice can drive otherwise decent people to do to those that are different…so when I saw that newsfeed yesterday, saw just what kind of fruits all your hard work with everyone here had started to bear in a country that had let that prejudice solidify for so long…it actually gave me a real feeling of hope that, one day, we all might be able to spark that same kind of change all throughout this country, too. There used to be a time I wasn't sure that would be possible…so thank you, Bezpalov-san, for giving me a reason to think otherwise."
As far as Mezo was concerned, there was nothing more that needed to be said from there, and so with a decided bluntness, he proceeded to get right back up and head back into the fray of training, leaving a completely dumbfounded and now especially curious Nikolay in his wake, with nothing more than questions to ask of his gargantuan classmate.
"Well, look at that, Kolya-kun; you're really becoming the talk of class, aren't you?" Mina's cheerful voice rang in Nikolay's ear so suddenly and energetically, that he literally jumped a good foot sideways in shock, before seeing his girlfriend giving him a cheeky grin, still leaning in on her feet from where he'd just been sitting. "I didn't think Shouji-san could even be so talkative until now. You really struck a chord under all that stoic silent air of his, huh?"
Looking back to see Mezo's ever-retreating back, Nikolay's curiosity was already turning into a more restrained sense of acceptance. If he had wanted to give Nikolay the details of his own experiences, clearly he would have, and it wasn't the young Slav's place to pry. "Yeah…I guess I did…for the better, from the sounds of it."
As Mina eagerly guided Nikolay by the hand back into the ehart of the training ground so he could get back to it with the rest of class, Nikolay was experiencing an all-around sense of contentment with the way things here and back in Russia were starting to look. Of course, to think things would stay this pleasant from now on was downright stupid, but for the moment, he was feeling good about the future, and for the moment, that was all he and his friends possibly needed.
Somewhere north of Shizuoka Prefecture
[Camouflage – The Great Commandment]
As a wall of ancient European synth-wave music blasted from the speakers lining the walls of his subterranean workspace; the scrawny, teal and wire-haired underworld hacker known only to a select few in that world as Shin Akamatsu, was busily working away at his multitude of computers, just as he did every single day.
Even after the news all across Japan had gone mad with all the talk of the Hokkaido refugee settlement of Gagaringrad being subject of a recent extensive Hero mission against the very same people that had once hired him a while back, he wasn't remotely worried. If Hero society were anywhere as technologically adapt on the web as they needed to be, they would have tracked down the likes of him ages ago. And yet, here he was, still sitting pretty and unseen by their eyes, just the way he liked it.
BKOOM! KR-KRAK! WHAM! SMASH! KRRRSH!
But just at the moment when the beat of the music was starting to slow down, Shin's reasonably sharp ears picked up the muffled racket of what sounded like an out-and-out invasion through the ceiling, with a multitude of gruff voices crying out in what sounded like shock and pain.
The fact that none of his security measures in the streets surrounding the building he was headquartered under had given him any indication of a force of Heroes in the area, or even the beginnings of a police raid, had Shin's natural alertness spiking, as he hurriedly went for a nearby voice-box on the wall, slamming the button for the receiver, needing to know if he was going to have to make an emergency escape on such short notice or not. "Hey, what the hell's going on up there?"
Just as quickly as the racket had started, it had soon died down, and after a few very tense seconds, Shin could hear the familiar sound of his bartender bodyguard's voice on the other end, sounding especially strained, as though he were dealing with injuries of his own as he answered: "It…it doesn't make sense, it's not Heroes or even the cops! It's…it's some foreigner, practically a kid…and he's asking for you specifically, boss!"
Shin could feel his blood go cold in an instant, his eyes already darting for his desk, specifically the little drawer that contained a two-shot pistol inside. He always made a point of not having his bodyguards carry guns, simply for the fact that the noise would easily draw outside attention in a situation. However, if his hideout was getting attacked by one person specifically looking for him, having somehow managed to pin down his location despite his security measures, then this was no longer the time for him to take chances.
With his gun carefully hidden away but no far out of his reach, Shin sucked in a tense breath as he made his way up to the basement-level heavy metal club that served as his front; slowly but surely stepping out through the door behind the bar, and taking in the scope of the damage while the stereos in each corner continued to blare out.
[Blitzkrieg – Blitzkrieg]
The whole place certainly looked like it had just seen quite the extensive bar brawl, with nearly every table trashed, including the bar itself. But strangely enough, there were never more than just one person laid out amid the wreckage; more specifically his own goons, all looking as though they'd been one-two punched by a top-tier prizefighter.
And standing tall amid all of this damage and barely moving underworld thugs, was a single young man who looked to be just outside his twenties, definitely foreign from the look of him with his slightly tanned skin and intense, dark brown eyes; dressed in a black overcoat, with a head of short militarily-cut black hair and a matching thick and neat beard; his glove-clad hands clutching a modestly-sized steel suitcase. The fact that he didn't look to have a single scratch on him amid all of this debris, made him look as though he'd just been dropped into this scene long after the fact. But the way everyone but Shin was looking at him made it clear he was the cause for it instead.
"You're Akamatsu Shin, yes? It's taken me quite a while to finally track you down." The accent with which this young foreign stranger spoke his Japanese was impossible for Shin to pin down, but that was the least of his worries once their eyes finally met, urging the hacker to start inching his hand to his gun in preparation.
"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name? I don't exactly make a point of giving that out to just anyone who asks, and especially not where I hang my hat. Start talking, how did you find me?"
SLAM!
Without warning, the young foreigner planted his suitcase upon what was still standing of the bar itself, never once taking his eyes off Shin; especially since he knew he'd made enough of an example to keep his thugs from trying anything clever. "You recently did some work for my…recently departed father, Pietro Dobrynich Granin. That being said, I suppose it goes without saying that you're now talking to his son, Marius Petrovich Granin.
"My father worked himself to the bone through untold spillage of his own blood, sweat and tears, trying to mount a force strong enough and capable of freeing our Motherland from the Anti-Quirk tyrants that even now hold it in an iron-fisted grip…but it's because of traitors, cowards and the so-called Heroes of this country and all those that aspire to be like them, that his efforts were rendered meaningless, and he paid the ultimate price for it…but I've managed to recover the fruits of his labors; all within this case here, and I've been searching all the time since then, all the way from Hokkaido to here, to find people of a similar mind, that can help me obtain revenge against this joke of a society that kept him from enacting our people's justice on those that deserved it before.
"My father taught me everything I know of strategy and combat, but I know I can't see his vision through on my own. Before he fell to those damned Heroes, he made mention of you, said you were the kind of person who could get me in touch with the kind of people I'm looking for; people who likewise want to see this damn Hero society get its comeuppance, who would be interested in seeing just what kind of hardware I have to provide them here. I had to go through a lot of seedy underworld scumbags to get your location, so please don't make me have wasted all my time by not indulging me. I don't think this…let's be generous and call it an establishment, of yours will be able to take much more punishment, otherwise."
Surprisingly, there was no lingering air of intense silence this time around, as Shin couldn't help but immediately laugh at how convincing this Marius character's demeanor was. "Man…you must have some kind of death wish to come in here, trash up my place, and then start dishing out threats to my face, especially when my guys here are all still alive and capable of putting you in the ground. Why the hell should I help you; past work with your old man or not?"
*Ahem!*
An urgent sounding clearing of the throat from his bartender finally pried Shin's twitchy eyes off of Marius and to the man himself, seeing an ummistakably genuine expression of intimidation on the tattooed bruiser's face. "Boss, for real, hear this guy out, alright? We all jumped him, and I know our attacks connected, but it's like he channeled every single one right back at us in the same places we hit, like he transplanted the attacks onto us instead. You can't touch him!"
Shin knew his bartender was particularly difficult to intimidate, and from the looks of the injuries on his goons, it certainly seemed to match up with what the man was describing. The fact that Marius was still managing to stand and radiate such genuine confidence, had the gap-toothed hacker's hands shaking. Even if he were to draw on him, Marius was definitely close enough to knock his gun out of his hand, then he'd truly be shit out of luck. He hadn't managed to survive this long in this scene by making stupid decisions, even if it meant having to cowtow to others in the past…and today was ultimately going to prove no different.
But even as he was about to finally speak up and give his foreign intruder his answer, Shin suddenly found himself being flashed a single rolled up wad of cold hard cash in Marius' free hand, having pulled it out from one of the pockets of his overcoat. "I understand you're a businessman at heart, so I grabbed some money off some unassociated hoodlums who would've just wasted it. You put me through with able people that are worth my time; then this is all yours."
That was the final bit of incentive Shin needed, as he pulled his hand away from the pocket containing his gun, and all-too eagerly motioned for Marius to follow him downstairs, while just as impatiently motioning for his men to get themselves patched up and clean up the mess left behind. Naturally, having seen the cash their boss was being presented, and knowing that he knew how to compensate those that worked for him; not a single one of them raised even a peep of fuss.
As they descended the steps to his personal office, Shin was reasonably eager to just get this guy what he wanted so he could leave that much sooner. "You do realize that the kinds of people you're looking for, especially for the kind of goal you're talking about, they don't exactly like being contacted out of the blue by people they don't fully know, right? They can't exactly organize themselves to be anything worthwhile if they don't make themselves really hard to find and all."
"I understand that, but if you just put me in touch with whoever they have in charge of recruitment, then I'll take care of the rest and be out of you and your men's hair. Unfortunately, I don't know of any specific groups in these parts, so I guess I'll just have to trust that you aren't going to try anything clever and lure me into some kind of trap, and give me some promising candidates." Marius, even despite admitting his lack of familiarity with the certain elements of the Japanese underworld, still managed to come across as purely professional, prepared, and especially intimidating, making it no secret that it would not go well for Shin if he tried exactly what he'd been preparing for in the back of his mind, thus forcing him to do away with that approach entirely.
"Well, considering you're not exactly a full-fledged native to this country, perhaps putting you in touch with a more international entity would do you better. I have just the group in mind, but I feel it warrants letting you know that they aren't solely Anti-Hero, but rather Anti-Quirk as a whole, as far as their aims go. Considering what your old man was aiming to do about a government with that mindset, I figure that's probably off the table for you, huh?"
By now, Shin was already planted firmly back in his chair before all of his computers, cracking his knuckles in preparation to get to work, while Marius remained standing ominously over him, watching the screens intently. "It wouldn't have been my first option, but I'll handle that conflict of interest when the time is right, and the Heroes of this country have gotten their fair share of my payback. Now who exactly do you have in mind that you're putting me through to?"
With a cold sweat and a very nervous twitching grin on his stubble-marked face, Shin got to work putting in all the information he needed through the multiple encrypted lines he had running through his homemade system into the deepest depths of the web; about halfway through the process, removing the button-covered wool cap he had on his head, before grabbing a handful of the USB-ended cables running through his teal-colored hair from his scalp, and plugging them all into the first available ports he could find.
"Okay, they keep themselves very well hidden, very hush-hush, but with this arrangement, I can put you through to the best means I know of to speak to their recruiters without tripping any alarms for the cops or the Heroes all around. Let me just put in the organization to search, and I'll leave you to it, since you clearly know so well, just what you're doing. Here we go: HUMARISE."
And there it is, everyone; the last chapter covering in the time period of the Remedial Training Course Arc, and a little laying of the foundation for the eventual coverage of the third MHA movie further down the line! I hope you're all as excited for the future of this story as I am!
I also hope this chapter proves to be worth the extended wait, and if so, a couple words worth of review would be greatly appreciated.
I hope you all have a great rest of your week, in preparation for the holiday season, and I will see you all with the next chapter, the beginning of the School Festival Arc, next week on 12/17!