Hello, everybody! I hope you've all had a pleasant week and are preparing for Valentine's Day. Even though I wrote this chapter long before, I suppose you could say the first part of this chapter is the closest I can get to honoring the occasion, before we get the ball rolling with what I think we all know is coming here.

I often find myself teetering between not wanting to recap events from the manga, but considering that so far nothing in there feels like filler and ultimately serves a greater thematic purpose; for me to just gloss it over would be disrespectful to the work that's gone into those awesome characters, so the best I can do is simply try to tie in what effects my OC's have had in order to still be as thematically impactful as I can on this trek towards where I'm able to really start installing my plans for this take on the story.

I know that there are readers out there who to this day may either find my OC's insufferable or forced, or as carbon copies of canon characters; which I have to admit I do not understand where that reasoning comes from; considering the backstories of my OC's and how they ultimately affect their personalities and decision-making in contrast. But nevertheless, I swear that all patience shown this far in, on all fronts, will ultimately pay off.

I would like to once more extend my sincere thanks to every single one of my readers who continue to stick with this story and show their support by reading every day, and I'm just as grateful to the few that take the time out of their day to share their thoughts and feelings on this story with me, whether it's positive or negative. Do do so shows that you still care enough to say something, and that means more to me than you could ever truly know.

I would also like to once again thank my beta readers, consultants and friends, Mizu, Jonny and Carlos; as well as the current roster of contributing fan-artists on DA: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, effasempai, Eliza-Frost, Vanera-Taro and Yumake.

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 113

Number One Hero

(Герой Номер Один)

Sunday, November 30th

From the very beginning, today was proving to be a perfect day once Nikolay and Mina had woken up. Not only had Rikido and Yuga together managed to whip up a smorgasbord of pancakes, waffles and all other manner of breakfast pastries for the whole of their class; but when it had finally come time for Nikolay to ask Principal Nezu's permission for their going out to town for the day; he'd actually given them the go-ahead with no need for convincing.

Of course, with Aizawa and many of the other teachers busy with grading past homework assignments, and with Tunguska currently out for his Pro Hero work with Fatgum again, the role of chaperone ultimately fell to one person: that person being none other than Midnight, who was left looking especially enthusiastic when realizing just who she was going to be looking after and what for.

With not a moment to lose, the two young lovers were soon happily making their way for the bus stop to take them to the heart of Musutafu City; the 18+ Hero never once letting them out of her sight and always keeping her arms crossed and an expectant smirk permanently plastered to her face. Right from the very start, she could just feel the electricity in the air between Nikolay and Mina as they talked excitedly between themselves of just what the young Slavic boy had in mind for their very first official date as a confirmed couple; especially since this had been his spontaneous idea, and he'd been the one to actually work up the courage to ask permission from the start.

Nothing could escape Midnight's all-but omnipresent gaze as she saw how closely Nikolay and Mina always remained to each other; the affectionate glimmers always in their eyes as they practically became lost in each others'; the way their faces glowed bright red the more it seemed like they were about to start kissing already. For the duration of that bus ride, they never quite got there, but every other detail in their body language said so much more, and that fact left Midnight grinning with her own sense of approval, all the while thinking to herself: 'Well, well, well; aren't you the little daredevil of romance, Ashido-chan? I gave you my book to help you two expand and practice your shows of affection, but I didn't think you'd actually take my advice for that birthday page right out of the gate. Why else would you two suddenly start getting so flustered when you were able to be all touchy-feely with each other no problem before? The only question now is: are you two gonna keep getting cold feet…or are you gonna start getting a little more daring before this day's through?'

From the moment they finally got off the bus, with Midnight hovering behind them like a hawk, Nikolay's overall lack of planning ahead became immediately clear, as he'd actually started taking to simply guiding his finger around and picking any place around at random as they walked, to serve as something to do. Of course, luck just happened to be on his side, as the first place he managed to land on ended up being a karaoke club, which was already enough to have Mina excitedly rushing in with him being led along by the hand.

That certainly proved to be a good start, as Mina managed to practically blow the roof off the place with every song she picked, even if her singing itself was far less practiced than Kyouka's. By comparison, Nikolay's picks were simplistic, thanks to his still persistent lack of knowledge on just what Japanese songs were the most popular, and his actual command of lyrics was spotty at best, as his struggles with how to read kanji forced him to practically play catch-up with the words every single time. But, in exchange, his ability to actually sing in tune was far better.

After they'd played out their allotted time and stepped back out, from there it was onto taking a walk through one of the nearby parks, simply marveling at how pretty everything looked when covered in the early morning frost that hadn't yet been melted by the sun; likewise enjoying the sights of so many families enjoying themselves all around them.

Once they'd come out the other side, Mina was quick to realize they'd made it to the part of Musutafu City that had all the best shops. From there, it was practically no time at all before they were passing a high-end clothing store, with a sparkly white furry coat on display that had her eyes similarly sparkling with want. And once they had finally gone inside, she was practically in a whole other world of her own, marveling and fawning over one adorable or stylish outfit after another; even despite the fact her violet-colored parka with patterns of glittery flower and star shapes all over it, made her look insanely cute already.

It wasn't long before Mina now found herself with a whole stack of these brand new clothes being carried in Nikolay's arms on the way to the girls' changing rooms. With a spring in her step and the sweetest giggle on her lips, she soon had them all in the first booth with her before she was about to close the door. "I promise this won't take long, Kolya-kun, Midnight-sensei! Don't go off without me!"

With that, Mina was finally behind the changing room door, leaving Nikolay and the until-now silent art teacher alone. And that was when Midnight had finally decided to speak up: "For your first official couples date, you're really leaving a lot to be desired, Bezpalov-kun."

Nikolay did an immediate double take at the sound of her clear disapproval; Midnight nonchalantly leaning back against a nearby wall with her arms crossed; her light blue eyes staring down at him through her pointed red eye mask. "Despite what all the sappy rom-coms might tell you, being one-hundred-percent spontaneous on one of the few real opportunities you two could have for a real date, doesn't actually fly. Don't get me wrong, it's really nice to see you two having gotten so close and attached to each other like this, but you need to put more preparation into these kinds of things. You're frankly lucky Ashido-chan is clearly so easy to please."

Rather than argue, Nikolay's eyes looked fairly considerate of what she was telling him, before he just let his body go limp where he stood with an exasperated sigh. "I know, you're right, Sensei. I had all night to think about all this…and I didn't. All I knew was that I wanted us to have this day together more than anything."

Observing Nikolay's body language, Midnight asked: "Speaking of which, what did make you suddenly decide to go and do something like this so suddenly? Let's face it, you're definitely not spontaneous by nature; you're too adorably withdrawn for it. Something clearly clicked with you to make you want to ask her out full-on like this. I'm not just here as your chaperone, you can actually talk to me about things if you want. Just do us both a favor and don't lie to me. You'll find my punishments are far more…lasting, if you do."

Nikolay could just feel a shudder going up his back, as he was too intimidated to meet Midnight's observant gaze in that moment. He could already remember Minoru talking about how terrifying she was in their match during the Final Exams, and he knew he didn't need to be on the receiving end of that.

So, crossing his arms and clutching tight onto his own sleeves, Nikolay answered: "It just came to me halfway through the Hero Billboard Chart announcement last night. Mina had been talking about how much she wants to try and intern under that rabbit-themed Hero, Mirko, after we saw her on TV…and it just hit me in a way I hadn't expected, and that's what made me just start thinking about us doing something like this together as soon as possible."

"Is that true, Kolya-kun?" The sudden sound of Mina's curious voice from around the corner had Nikolay nearly jump, as she soon stepped out in the same sparkly furry white jacket that had gotten her attention outside in the first place. But with the concerned look in her eyes, he couldn't stop to take in how beautiful she looked in it.

However, with no idea of just how this conversation could potentially go, Midnight was quick to intervene. "How about we just get your new getup paid for and head somewhere this won't risk making a scene, you two?"

With Mina's new jacket quickly bought and paid for; the trio soon found themselves back in the same park they had just come from. The moment they were sat down on the first empty bench they could find, she once again asked: "Why would me wanting to intern with Mirko make you wanna do this, Kolya-kun?"

Clasping his hands together in order to try and both fight off the cold and keep his thoughts in order; Nikolay looked his girlfriend in the eyes, while Midnight silently observed them both. "I wish I knew fully. The first thing that comes to mind is…well, I was also really banking on the idea of us both going back to Hokkaido and continuing to train with the Kapenta Agency Heroes when internships would finally be reinstated; like you. But when I saw just how much Mirko's whole demeanor and confidence had moved you last night…it just made me remember how; if we really want to become the best Heroes we possibly can, like we've always talked about, then we're going to have to pursue a chance to learn from all the most capable Pros that we can; and that we won't always be together for it. I didn't want to think about it after all the time we've been around each other…but deep down, I guess I always knew it. I just didn't think it would come up so soon. I just…I just thought that us being able to go out on dates like this, as a real boyfriend and girlfriend, until then would maybe make that eventual split in our paths a little less painful to deal with."

As Nikolay sucked in a deep and shaky breath through his teeth, having finally given voice to his lingering thoughts for the past night; Mina could only watch her boyfriend lean forward in preparation for whatever her answer could be; a deep and thoughtful look on her pink face as the silence hung over their heads; Midnight likewise watching them both intently, curious to see just how this was going to pan out.

Finally, Mina began inching herself closer, resting her warm soft hand over Nikolay's, bringing him to sit back up straight and meet her emotional eyes again. "Kolya-kun…yeah…yeah, I admit, I've been thinking about all that as well…for a while, actually. But, I mean, c'mon; just because there might come a day when we have to go to different Heroes for our internships, doesn't mean that's it for us together, not by a long shot! We'd still have all our time together at school to more than make up for it! You mean so much to me, you know that! I love you so much, way too much for separate internships to do any damage!"

She didn't even wait to see if her words were finally helping to clear Nikolay's mind before she proceeded to pull him into another warm, loving embrace; once again nuzzling her face affectionately against his. "And it's just like you said: this kind of thing is for the sake of us becoming the totally amazing awesome Hero team we've always talked about becoming together once we graduate. If we can manage to do that and still be together like this in the end…then that sounds like a super win-win to me, even if we'd have to go to different internships for it."

Mina didn't have to look at Nikolay's face, in order to feel how his cheeks were starting to form a reassured smile of his own, which left her smiling as well once he brought his arms around her in return.

Watching as the two loving teens brought each other back around through even this simple of an interaction; Midnight couldn't help but smile and give a brief little bit of applause, catching both their attention again. "Well, aren't you two full of surprises? For a pair of first-time lovers at such a young age, you've both shown an emotional maturity I was certain was impossible to have. Good on you both for not losing sight of what you're ultimately shooting for by being Yuuei students at the same time as all this…but, listening to how this has been weighing on you both, I might as well just give you both a heads-up: I've actually had a couple professional run-ins with Mirko, actually."

Both her students jolted intensely with surprise as they both all-but simultaneously asked: "ARE YOU FOR REAL, MIDNIGHT-SENSEI?!"

But rather than a proud smirk, Midnight bluntly answered: "Yeah, I have an Agency of my own, y'know; Tunguska-san isn't the only teacher of yours who does Pro Hero work at the same time. Honestly, I'd thought you'd both have enough common sense to put that together. Anyway, yes, Mirko and I have been…well, acquaintances in the field, at best, over the last couple of years…and not once have I ever heard of her taking on even a single intern, no matter how good a word any applicants might've had going for them. So, until the present proves otherwise, I think it's safe to say you both may be worrying yourselves over nothing."

Naturally, there was an initial look of pure disappointment on both their faces; Mina for the possibility of her next internship goal being dead in the water, and Nikolay in empathy for her. And this was a sight that Midnight simply couldn't abide, as she was already back on her feet, snapping them both to attention with a single crack of her trusty riding crop. "For crying out loud, what kind of first date is this where you're so quick to let yourselves get disappointed!? If there was ever a time for you two to just try and put your worries aside and simply live in the moment, it's right now!"

With her mix of stern scolding and genuine encouragement; it thankfully didn't take any more than that for Nikolay and Mina to get their drive back, and soon, hand-in-hand, they were off with lighter hearts than even before.

It wasn't long after that they ended up happening upon a modest-sized music shop. When Nikolay looked upon it, he felt a huge hit of nostalgia in his chest. "Wow, this is actually the place I first ever actually met Kyouka-san over a year ago. Still feels like it was only yesterday."

Before he could go any further, Mina was happily heading inside with him still in tow. "C'mon, maybe they could have some great dance mixes for us to party to together when we have a day off! Looks like they even sell instruments, too! I mean, you were just talking about having Kyouka-chan teach you bass yesterday! Why not jump on it?"

He couldn't possibly have argued with that, and after a lengthy perusal through their record selections and ordering himself a decent looking bass and amp to be delivered to his dorm room; they were soon once again making their way happily down the sidewalks; with Midnight once more looking upon their mutual reverie and all-around happiness at simply getting to be together, this time with nothing but approval, rather than judgment.

And it was with an especially heavy air of reminiscence between them both, that within minutes, they had come to a stop once more at an otherwise non-descript street corner. While Midnight could only initially look around in an attempt to see what could possibly have gotten their attention here; Nikolay and Mina could both feel their hearts race, their faces warm up, and their eyes begin to sting with the beginnings of emotional tears. "Kolya-kun…can you believe it's already been over a year?"

"Yeah…I can, and I can't at the same time." Nikolay admitted with a faint nod. "It sometimes feels like it was way longer than that…and then sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. To think about everything we've done since then, it's just overwhelming after a while."

With not even a thought paid to any of the other people around going about their business around them, Mina finally reached and pulled Nikolay around by his shoulder with her free hand, stopping him so they could look in each other's eyes again; her lips curled into another wanting smile. "Maybe…but it was all worth it."

Midnight had to really fight her teacher's instinct of telling the two to be mindful of others as she watched Nikolay and Mina finally do away with the nervousness that had persisted over them all morning, and meet each other in a passionate and love-filled kiss, never releasing their embraces around one another as their lips parted only to meet again and again.

After a good minute of letting them carry on like this, Midnight actually felt a twinge of disappointment when, just as their hands both began to wander, the young couple finally broke their latest kiss and released each other; their faces once again glowing red while their hearts raced, and they proceeded to continue on their way wherever the sidewalk would take them in a considerable rush.

After having the good timing to actually step into a movie at a nearby theater, and then afterwards going back to the same arcade from back before the Final Exams; wherein Nikolay and Mina proceeded to once more play off against each other at the same dancing game as before, albeit with much closer scores this time around; a good several more hours had ultimately passed. By now it was well into the afternoon, and getting close to the time they had all agreed they would have to go back to Yuuei. All in all, their date was so far proving to be a major improvement over how their very first one had gone, primarily thanks to no surprise weather. Regardless, there was still that sense of disappointment that today would ultimately have to end, no matter how much fun they were having.

As they'd begun to make their way to the nearest bus stop to take them back to school grounds, Nikolay spied a small café; coming to a momentary stop. "Would anyone object to maybe a little coffee this late into the day?"

"Are you kidding? I worked up such a sweat on that dance floor; I don't wanna pass out in bed and wake up before dawn! Thank you, Kolya-kun!" That answer from his girlfriend was all he needed to hear before making his way inside. Thankfully, the rush of people on their way home from work had already come and gone, so there wasn't that big of a line. And while Nikolay personally didn't have much of a taste for coffee himself, he at least knew by now what Mina liked on the few occasions she'd ever needed it alongside anyone else in class early in the morning or late into the evening.

But as he stood patiently in what little line there was, he could soon feel that familiar presence of Midnight looming over his back; momentarily looking back over his shoulder to confirm, before checking to then see Mina was well within sight, sitting at a small table at the window, busily texting away on her phone with a satisfied smile on her face.

"You two looked like you were getting pretty into it back at that street corner, Bezpalov-kun. I was even starting to think I would've needed to step in, myself, before you'd both start getting a little too frisky. Shame, such an expression of youthful romanticism is just so precious to see." Midnight suddenly said, keeping her voice just low enough that nobody else around would overhear them.

While Nikolay could feel the skin on the back of his neck start to tingle, his teacher continued: "I know you two have been holding a candle for each other for quite some time now, and I also know you both finally took the big leap after Hokkaido. But today you've both been so hesitant to get even a little affectionate to any satisfying degree…why is that?"

Nikolay had to continue moving forward, so as not to draw any ire from anyone gathering up behind Midnight; but still he answered, knowing he couldn't get anything past someone as observant as her. "To be honest, Sensei; Mina told me how you'd given her some romantic guide you'd written, back when it was my birthday. Apparently there was some page all about birthdays for boyfriends and girlfriends, and…I-I don't wanna talk about it here, but she actually went for it, and it was…I don't even know a word for it."

Poor Nikolay's face was as red as a tomato by this point; a sight that left Midnight's smile as satisfied as could be while he continued: "But I haven't been able to stop thinking about how it left me feeling afterward…like, physically, I mean. Even just thinking about it now makes me feel like I'm sweating…and I…I-I think maybe Mina might feel the same way. We've both been really hesitant to do anything quite like that again since. I-I think…that maybe she'd want to as much as I do…but I don't like thinking about it. We're both still way too young to think about things like that, and way too busy with Hero studies and all. That's way more important right now."

With still a few people left ahead of them, Midnight took that chance to inch in so she was right at Nikolay's side, giving him no choice but to look her way as she answered: "I won't lie and say that that kind of restraint between you kids isn't commendable; especially compared to someone like your classmate Mineta-kun. And you're right; Hero studies do need to take precedence for you both overall. But I'll tell you this right now: the last thing you two need, when it's clear as day just how dear you are to each other, is to bottle up all that need to show your affections for each other all the time. I'm not saying to just go all the way for the finish line, not even halfway; I'd be a crap teacher and an even crappier person for that. I'm just saying that, if a chance arrives to at least let yourselves indulge in sharing your feelings for each other every now and again, then show some initiative of your own, just dip your toes in it, so to speak. You'll both find yourselves feeling that much better in general for it."

Before Nikolay could even begin to ask Midnight for any kind of specifics, he was already at the head of the line. After getting coffee for himself, Mina and Midnight at last, they were finally back outside, letting the hot beverages warm them all down to the bone against the crisp winter air.

Taking in a deep and satisfied breath, Mina suddenly spoke up: "Hey, what do you say to us walking back to school? I mean, it's not super-duper far…plus, I'd actually kinda like to just let this date last just a little bit longer."

Knowing her pink student wasn't exactly wrong as to Yuuei not being that far, Midnight gave a resigned approving nod. With that, they were once more happily making their way back, enjoying the warmth inside and the coolness outside, while also admiring the beautiful colors of the sky slowly changing as afternoon was starting to give way to evening.

However, once Nikolay began to recognize the now-nostalgic old neighborhood where he and his father used to live at the foot of the hill Yuuei rested upon; Mina suddenly came to a stop; her once confident and upbeat smiling face now reflecting an air of uncertainty and hesitation.

Something that Midnight once again simply couldn't ignore. "What's on your mind, Ashido-chan?"

Looking around, Mina was quick to spot Nikolay and Tunguska's old house ahead, with Nikolay himself following her gaze and seeing it for himself, and feeling a twisting sense of nostalgia in his gut as well. And when she saw this reflected in her boyfriend's face, Mina finally answered: "There…I actually had another reason why I wanted us to walk back. I'm sorry for not saying it sooner, Kolya-kun, Midnight-sensei. I just…there was something else; one last thing I wanted us to be able to do together today, and I didn't want us to have a whole crowd watching us for it like we would at the dorms."

Considering what they had just been talking about, it was far too easy for Nikolay and Midnight to both immediately assume Mina's mind was going somewhere far too inappropriate for people as young as her and her boyfriend, hence why their cheeks both started to flush a deep red. Thankfully, Mina was too focused on what was going through her own head right now, or else she would've doubtlessly asked what they were thinking about, and then the whole rest of the day would've gone to hell.

Instead, she finally asked: "Midnight-sensei, would it be okay for Kolya-kun and I to spend a little time in his old house? Not without you still looking after us, of course. I mean, it's not being used or lived in by anyone since we all moved, is it?"

Midnight, miraculously, managed to keep herself from speaking her mind, as she resolutely cleared her throat and tried to regain her serious upright professional demeanor. "Well, the house was built under contract with Yuuei, and it technically belongs to Yuuei now as a backup home when needed. Plus, if something were to actually arise that would put you in danger, we'd be close enough for backup to arrive in the blink of an eye. Also, assuming Bezpalov-kun somehow hasn't thrown away his key since then; Nezu-san hasn't changed the locks. Of course, you'll need to tell me exactly what it is you're planning first."

As soon as Nikolay produced his humble key ring from his pocket, smiling in relief at the sight of his old house key still there ("Never even crossed my mind to get rid of it, I admit"); Mina took a deep, steady breath and stood tall and ready. "I just…I know you said we could be worrying about nothing regarding internships earlier, Sensei; but just in case, I just keep thinking about the times we'll get to spend together. Kolya-kun, you might as well be, like, a total wizard in the kitchen, and as your girlfriend, I wanna be able to do that kind of thing for you, too. Yeah, I managed to copycat that soup you made before, but I wanna be able to do more than that; for you and anyone else if the need comes up…and I'd like you to maybe teach me, just like I could probably teach you how to make some Japanese dishes if you ever wanted to take a crack at it, y'know?"

Nikolay's expression was both surprised, but also deeply moved that she was as respectful of his apparent culinary skills as she was to ask something like this of him. As for Midnight; after a few tense moments of contemplation, she ultimately gave Mina one of her needed answers, as she suddenly produced her phone, hit auto-dial, and soon spoke into it: "Good evening, Oleg-san. I just wanted to give you a heads up when you get back to Yuuei. I'm chaperoning Bezpalov-kun and Ashido-chan, and we're going to spend a little bit of time in your old house at the foot of the hill."

For the assurance of both her young charges, Midnight put Tunguska on speaker phone so they could hear his answer for themselves: "Thank you, Nemuri-san. I'm actually on my way back right now. Fatgum-san and I had early shifts today, so it ended just as early. I'll come by the house, myself. I should only be about ten or twenty minutes by now."

With that, Midnight summarily hung up, and with no further reason to hesitate, Nikolay led the way, breathing a sigh of relief when finding his key still worked, and then simply looking in surprise, when he saw the interior of his old house still looked as pristinely cleaned and looked after, as it had been when he and his father had first moved into the dorms.

Of course, they couldn't dwell on this for long once he'd ventured into the kitchen and found the shelves all practically empty. But a quick look into one of the other shelves uncovered one of his old shopping lists from back near the start of the year.

After a brief backtrack to the nearby convenience store on the corner, Nikolay and Mina finally had everything they could have possibly needed for him to give her a crash course on any of his native foods she could've possibly wanted to try practicing with; his girlfriend smiling in anticipation all the while once she finally set aside her new sparkly white fur jacket and the violet parka she'd originally worn at the start of the day underneath it. Now she was left in her strawberry-colored sneakers, dark stockings, denim shorts, and a black shoulder-less t-shirt with the word 'PINKY' written across the chest in pink, cut off just above her stomach, thus giving an already blushing Nikolay a full view of her smooth, toned pink stomach.

But while they were both hurriedly getting all their supplies set up across the counters, Mina chanced a look out the kitchen door again. "This place is finally starting to feel like home again, isn't it, Kolya-kun?"

While Nikolay was mentally counting to make sure they hadn't neglected anything, he likewise answered: "Yeah, it really is. I'm still surprised the place was so clean after all this time since Dad and I moved."

"YOU HAVE ME TO THANK FOR THAT; I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW, KOLYA!" Tunguska's voice suddenly came booming in his natural heartiness all the way from the front door; causing both teens to jump in surprise before doubling back to see Nikolay's father eagerly stepping inside and removing the eye mask of his Hero costume. "Every once in a while, if I've been working especially late with Fatgum-san, I end up crashing in here for the night. Had you or any of your friends gotten internships anywhere near here and had work on Saturdays, I'd have happily given them permission to do the same…provided things were all around safer, of course. But enough about that; what have you all been doing today to keep you so busy, that would ultimately land you back here?"

As Tunguska reached into the tiny shopping bag he'd brought back with him; offering a clearly grateful Midnight a decent-sized bottle of sake before she went to collect two proper cups; Nikolay and Mina proceeded to give him an eager rundown of everything they'd gotten to do today, all the way to her once more sharing her desire for her boyfriend to teach her how to make more traditional Russian foods like he could.

Naturally, both teachers were smiling warmly with approval by the end, as Tunguska answered: "That's very assuring to hear, malenkaya Ashido, this desire of yours to learn what you can; and for you to be the one to teach her all you can, Kolya. Not only is the ability to cook essential for any healthy couple, but even more so for you to just be able to survive out on your own as adults. Frankly, I'm still embarrassed I never picked it up nearly as well as you did, son."

"You managed the food stand with Sato-san well enough to keep it from burning down at the festival, Dad; give yourself a little more credit than that," Nikolay gladly reassured his father; earning an appreciative chuckle from the larger man before he proceeded to lead Mina with him back into the kitchen, thus leaving Tunguska and Midnight to both happily lay back upon the couch and partake in their bottle of sake together.

Inside the kitchen, Nikolay spread his arms over their entire array of ingredients, as though just practically welcoming Mina to get started. "Alright, Mina; we've got plenty of different meats, vegetables, broths, mixes, and options of what we could make with any of them. What would you want to try to make?"

Mina's excitement was utterly palpable from the eager smile on her face, but she was likewise hesitant to step forward. "I don't wanna put any of this food to waste, though…you're the expert here, Kolya-sensei; what would be a good starting dish for a rookie?"

Nikolay had to double back in response to the surprise switch on his usual nickname, but he was quick to get himself back together as he thought. "Well, pozharsky cutlets are a nice and simple beginner's test. We've got breading, potatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, and we can make the cutlets out of any of the meats here. Pick whichever one you want to go with, start up the fire and I can lead you step by step."

Naturally, Mina was hesitant in the beginning, but no matter what she accidentally burnt or fumbled as she tried to follow his instructions, he never once came close to losing his patience, and she never once came close to quitting. By the time all the other sides, like the potatoes and mushroom sauce, had been completed and her choice of fish cutlets had been breaded and left to cook; she could only breathe a sigh of true pride and relief.

As the two of them stood together while watching and counting the seconds, Nikolay suddenly said: "I honestly feel a lot better about all this now."

As he and Mina looked to each other and he could see the momentary confusion in her golden irises, he smiled to show her how sincere he was being. "I mean about the possibility of us interning with different Heroes. I not only needed today to really just have a great time together with you, but turns out I really needed Midnight-sensei to give me some perspective, too. You were both right: wherever either of us would have to go for our training when the time comes, it'd all be worth it, because we'd be getting the best training we could to become the best Heroes we can, just like we promised each other we would by graduation time. I'm embarrassed that I let myself forget about that even for a little bit."

As soon as he felt the warmth of her fingers as she took his hand into her own, Nikolay could truly feel his heart lift; knowing he'd been truly worrying over nothing, while Mina answered with a loving smile: "I don't think either of us would've been able to help it if you'd said anything about interning with a new Hero first, either, Kolya-kun. I love spending all the time in the world with you. I'd have started worrying and feeling sad, too. I'm glad Midnight-sensei talked some sense into us."

Resting her head comfortably on Nikolay's shoulder, Mina's eyes reflected the warmth of the stovetop fire. "Besides, no matter where either of us ends up, we can just call and text each other whenever we want…like, when we aren't actively working, obviously. So, in that way, it'll be like we don't even separate at all. I don't know, that makes me feel a little better, too, y'know?"

Nikolay chuckled warmly as he and Mina released their grips on each others' hands, and instead brought those same arms around each others' sides, holding each other closer; with Nikolay having to fight the tingle going up his spine when feeling the smoothness and warmth of the skin of her waist directly against his hand. "Yeah…yeah, it does. It makes me feel a lot better, too."

As Nikolay didn't want to risk taking his eyes off the still-cooking food, he couldn't see how much Mina was similarly blushing at the touch of his hand against her skin; her heartwarming smile now starting to turn much more on the affectionate side. "I'm glad. I love you, Kolya-kun; so, so much."

Nikolay finally looked to her as she lifted her head from his shoulder; feeling his cheeks flare up when seeing the glistening in her eyes alongside her radiantly blushing cheeks. And despite the hammering in his chest, he still had the wherewithal to answer: "I love you too, Mina; more than anything…and I don't care how cheesy this sounds: no distance put between us could ever hope to weaken that, period."

DING!

With the timely sound of the timer he had set up to make sure the cutlets were just right, Nikolay hurriedly turned off the fire and distributed the fresh breaded pozharsky-style fish cutlets on the nearest plate.

And the moment she knew he was done, Mina immediately acted, quickly turning him around to face her before she masterfully brought her toned yet gentle arms around his sides, pulled herself in closer and planted a warm, wet and love-filled kiss against Nikolay's burning hot cheek…only to immediately give an adorable giggle the moment she pulled her lips from his face, leaving Nikolay momentarily dumbfounded. "What's so funny?"

With another cheeky grin, Mina answered between her giggles: "I-I'm sorry, Kolya-kun. Your cheeks are just fuzzy enough to make kissing them tickle. When was the last time you shaved?"

At that, Nikolay immediately reached up and felt but the slightest fuzzy sensation against the side of his face. "I only just shaved yesterday! Seriously, it's growing that much that fast now?"

Instead of stalling with any further words, Mina decided to do away with whatever embarrassment Nikolay could have been feeling by leaning in and passionately bringing her lips against his once again, savoring the warmth and the taste as she began to reach up to run her fingers through his hair.

But as Nikolay tried to keep himself from completely drowning in the sensation of warmth and strawberry-scented and tasting sweetness of his girlfriend's embraces and kisses; his mind momentarily flashed back to Midnight's advice earlier, to seize the opportunity to at least slightly act on their mutual affection and passion felt for each other.

And with the fact that Mina had inadvertently admitted to even being remotely ticklish from kissing his now-unshaved cheek, he had been stricken with what might as well have been a brilliant idea.

An idea in the form of his trying to suddenly and rapidly tap and run his fingertips against what he could think of that would get her to start laughing uncontrollably, whether it were under her arms or against her sides. And while this initially did get a number of spontaneous jolts out of Mina as she started laughing uncontrollably, she was also very quick on the uptake as she likewise lunged her arms for the exact same spots; masterfully weaving her way around or through Nikolay's arms so he couldn't stop her from tickling him back.

"That's very gutsy, Kolya-kun, but two can play at that game!" With that declaration of play-fighting intent made, Mina didn't give Nikolay a chance to even breathe, mercilessly tickling at his ribs with a speed and precision he never saw coming. He couldn't even breathe enough to beg her to stop, only able to let out one wheezing laugh after another, until their constant moving finally caused him to lose his footing and go tumbling down onto his back on the floor; the positioning of his hands causing him to pull Mina right down with him.

As the two teens laughed and tried to get air back in their lungs, it took a good several seconds for Nikolay to get the laughter-induced tears out of his eyes and finally take in just where they both now were: himself lying flat on his back, and Mina on her hands and knees on top of him, looking him right in the eye as they were both still panting, having broken a sweat in no time.

And with their blood both still running hot from their previous period of continuous kissing while taking in this frankly awkward and embarrassing position…neither Nikolay nor Mina wasted any time before she finally decided to lower her body the rest of the way down, resting her whole body weight against him as she brought her hands up and cupped his face in them lovingly, and he embraced her around her sides in return; both of them passionately meshing their lips against each other's in a hot-blooded display of uncontrollable heart-racing love that dulled all their other senses.

As Nikolay became overwhelmed by the aroma and warm taste of the sweetest strawberries in Mina's hair and kisses respectively; he could feel her heart pounding hard against his chest, just as she could feel his heart racing against the softness of her own. With no wayward eyes to spy on them (as Tunguska and Midnight had by now taken to watching television in the living room), the two young lovers no longer let their persisting embarrassment or fluster take hold of them anymore, as Mina happily pushed her tongue back into Nikolay's mouth, and he gladly did the same in return.

And as the two continued to ecstatically and lovingly explore each other's mouths in this blinding haze of love and passion, Nikolay's hands soon took to truly feeling and exploring just how warm, smooth, soft and yet firmly toned Mina's midriff and stomach were, with his fingers soon just barely gently tracing along her exposed pink stomach; his skin tingling and Mina softly moaning while they kissed, as he could just barely feel her developing abdominal muscles that still hid beneath. Mina's figure was just as deceptively strong as it was undeniably shapely and lovely; that was one fact that nobody who ever laid eyes on her could possibly deny.

At the same time, Mina's own wandering hands had started to reflect her own sense of daring and adventure; for as she continued reveling and getting lost in feeling Nikolay's tongue against her own, her fingers had started to slowly but surely run down his slightly broadened shoulders and across his arms, feeling carefully at the muscles he too had developed over this time.

From there, as a pleasant and loving moan escaped her throat as they continued to kiss, Mina couldn't take not knowing for sure anymore, and soon proceeded to start slowly working her hands underneath the hem of Nikolay's shirt; her fingertips gently grazing along and across his stomach, feeling how smooth, warm and firm it was. There was no question that Nikolay simply didn't have what it took to build up a largely muscle-bound body the likes of Eijirou, Bakugo or even Izuku.

But as far as Mina could possibly have been concerned; for as precious, cute and utterly irresistible as she found Nikolay to be for so long, this ultimately toned figure he'd managed to make for himself through all their experiences was nothing short of perfection, if simply just for the sake of it being him who had it. He was slender, but still definitely had the muscle to back it up.

Over those several irreplaceable seconds, the two had let themselves become so completely lost in one another…but it still wasn't enough to leave them completely deaf to what came next: "KOLYA, MINA, GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Where any other teenager would have taken the boom of Oleg's voice to mean he was angry with them; Nikolay and Mina could immediately sense the sheer shock and horror evident in his voice, and that was what managed to break through everything else and have them both come racing right out of the kitchen and into the living room. "DAD, WHAT IS IT?!" "WHAT'S WRONG, SENSEI?!"

But just as they both came nearly slamming into the back of the couch, they were met with a single horrifying image on the TV screen while Oleg and Midnight both sat on the edges of their seats, fists clenched, teeth grinding and sweat frigid cold.

For on the screen was the live broadcast of a half-collapsed building somewhere in Kyushu, with none other than the fiery visage of Endeavor and the crimson-winged Hawks, in the middle of battle with a large dark and winged creature with inhuman glowing eyes under a hood that looked terrifyingly similar to the multi-Quirked monstrosities they all recognized as Nomus.

Kyushu, shortly before…

Endeavor had needed to exercise a great deal of patience after his meeting with Hawks at the end of the Hero Billboard Chart ceremony. For the new Number Two Hero to throw in a serious detail like potential Nomu sightings in his own town, and then have the nonchalance to actually tell him to meet up tomorrow; a good part of him wanted to simply write it off as Hawks just fooling around.

But on the off chance he was being genuine, then he knew he couldn't afford to turn his back on the invite. And that was why, for a good portion of today, he'd subjected himself to simply following, observing and listening to Hawks over the course of a typical day of his work, using his Wings Quirk; particularly his precise aim and near telepathic control of his detachable feathers; to do things like knocking out a Quirked flasher, saving a puppy from getting hit by a truck, even helping an old lady carry her groceries up a flight of stairs, among countless other things.

And over the course of it all, Endeavor had to watch as the public gravitated towards the cocky young Pro Hero as though he were the Number One instead. Naturally, with his size and his ignited flames, it was impossible for Endeavor not to get noticed, either; as at one point he'd even come across a few young schoolboys bickering amongst each other, one of whom he could hear was clearly a big fan of his.

And after he'd already spent so much time milling over All Might and Tunguska's respective words of advice on how to become a worthwhile Number One Hero, he'd actually decided to risk taking a step out of his typical wheelhouse, and offer his autograph to said boy…only to watch him run away crying, decrying this outlandish new attitude as being completely wrong. As if that hadn't been embarrassing and infuriating enough, the constant smirk on Hawks' face all throughout only made it all that much worse.

So it was a good thing that the Wing Hero had the good sense to have them stop off for lunch in a high-rise building afterward. If Endeavor had gone through another disastrous encounter like that while he was still trying to reestablish himself, there was no telling what the further loss of his temper could have resulted in.

So why Hawks was still taking the opportunity to laugh about it, when the Flame Hero before him was clearly not in the mood for that or anything else, even Endeavor couldn't reasonably fathom; only able to keep silently glaring angrily at his winged colleague as he ate across from him.

"I have to admit, I was just as surprised as that kid, seeing you go out of your way like that. After seeing how you've carried yourself all this time until then; being all tough and intimidating and standoffish; that kind of attitude is what's brought you so many fans in the first place, because that's clearly what they like about you. So I can promise you they won't be the last ones to tell you just how wrong it looks and feels; suddenly trying to present yourself as being approachable and friendly. It's just not in your character."

Endeavor continued to frown angrily, keeping his fiery arms crossed and furrowing his already pensive brow as he answered: "Ever since All Might stepped down, I've been trying to understand just what kind of Number One Hero I wish to be. Nothing like him, naturally…but after having spent so much time convinced I would never be able to reach this point myself, I've now suddenly been blindsided, and I've been trying to overcome it ever since. I even went to the man and that foreign tag-along of his, Tunguska, for some kind of advice on how to settle in fully. Part of that has been trying to imagine the kind of Hero my own children would personally want saving them…and no matter how much I try to do that, I only end up drawing the same infuriating blank. They would never tell me if I even asked…and I know it would be anything but the very kind of Hero I've built myself up as already."

Hawks watched observantly as the Flame Hero's eyes stared downward, clearly thinking hard as he stared at something only he could really see. "When Tunguska told me of how his son had come to stop hating him, so they could both start truly growing into the Heroes they wanted to be; that it was simply because he owned up to all his past mistakes, I'd actually felt good, as though I was already on the right track. Over the years since I'd given up on becoming Number One myself, I know I'd made more than my fair share of mistakes…and rather than trying to turn and run from them like he had before; I've been facing them down head-on for years...even if most of my children may refuse to see that for themselves."

"Hey, are you going to finish that?" This was the immediate answer Hawks had to hearing Endeavor vent his frustrations, even if it was primarily to himself. That still didn't stop the Flame Hero from glaring his way in offense, watching as the Wing Hero gladly took his plate and helped himself. "You glutton."

But even being stared down by a Hero who could have easily reduced him to ashes if he'd wanted, meant nothing from where Hawks was sitting, just nonchalantly continuing to eat. "That's just how I am; when I want something, I go for it. Like after the Sports Festival, when I tried scouting your boy and Tunguska's. After seeing those two go at it; taking in the son of a former Number One Hero, or the son of the then-Number Two, it would've been a good look for me either way. But now, I'm glad it was Tsukuyomi who ended up coming to me. Especially since little Shoto-kun went and tarnished his reputation, fumbling the Provisional License Exam."

As Hawks laughed, the fire engulfing Endeavor's body immediately intensified; the Flame Hero having to suck in a breath through his teeth in an attempt to temper his anger. "For someone who isn't a Yuuei graduate, you certainly keep yourself well-informed, don't you?"

"I keep my ears and eyes open, like a hawk!" The way Hawks extended his arms out to imitate his own wings only served to sour Endeavor's impatient mood that much further. "Cut the crap already! Why did you really bring me down here to Kyushu if not to just waste my time?! Get to the point!"

Ignoring the spreading heat of his colleague's flames, Hawks grinned in response to the return of Endeavor's real personality at last. "The rumors…right?"

Staring intently back, Endeavor let the anger in his voice die down. "Those Nomu…the League of Villains' freaky little puppets. When we captured All For One, we also found a few dozen that were stashed away in that warehouse in Kamino Ward. The League has made considerable trouble since then, especially overseas…but there haven't been any further Nomu sightings. Now you implied they may have surfaced again. Explain."

Thinking back, Hawks sat back casually in his seat, his confident smirk still refusing to even flinch. "So you either rounded all of them up, or there are some stragglers that have been well hidden, and only All For One knows where they are. Those are the two lines of thought."

"You're the one who suggested these rumors. You surely must have some proof if you're thinking of us teaming up." Endeavor suggested, watching for any telltale sign that Hawks was being genuine or lying.

"Nope, no proof; just rumors." The moment those words came out of Hawks' mouth, the intensity with which Endeavor's flames ignited was almost blinding, even with his visor, before the Flame Hero shot up from his chair. "THAT'S IT! I KNEW THIS WAS A COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME! I'M OUT OF HERE!"

But even in the face of such literal burning hot anger, just as Endeavor prepared to take his leave, Hawks spoke up once more: "Hold on, now! Just listen to me! The Nomu sightings I was talking about aren't just happening here…or have you not actually heard? These stories are springing up all over the country recently. Well, not enough to make it into the papers…but…enough that housewives and school children are gossiping about it."

"Meaning?" As soon as Endeavor asked that one simple question, Hawks smiled in satisfaction to himself, knowing he'd finally started the chain of getting what he wanted, as always.

"I first heard about it from the locals when I was away on business. So I teamed up with the police, though we kept the investigation under wraps in order to avoid a panic. Nothing turned up. Still, though, I was curious. So I've been flying around the country, making some inquiries of my own. There were some slight discrepancies between the rumors from person to person, but similar stories are popping up in completely unrelated areas; still totally unsubstantiated at this point.

"Now, I'm talking pure hypotheticals right now, but after Yuuei, Hosu City and Kamino Ward, those remodeled Villains are just about the creepiest things on everyone's mind, right? That's not even taking into account the League's own actions in Erubi City, and even all the way out west in Russia of all places. But regarding Nomus, I say some idiot got it in their head to tell a few tall tales just to rile people up. And now those same tales are popping up all over the country like a wildfire.

"Consider that streaker I took out earlier today, the guy who was screaming all about 'Meta-Human liberation' and all that. This is kind of the same thing. They recently re-published the autobiography or memoir of some old-school Villain called Destro, and it's been flying off the shelves. I'm personally thinking that it's been influencing people, like a manifesto. After all, that kind of stuff tends to sell best when society's feeling unstable, right?"

WHAM!

A single resounding heavy stomp of Endeavor's boot finally brought Hawks to silence; the Flame Hero flaring back up in his visible anger. "Well, aren't you the little know-it-all?! Stop with all this waxing theoretic and get to the damn point!"

Internally smiling just as much as he actually was, knowing he'd retained his colleague's attention, Hawks shot him a supportive thumb up. "Like I said yesterday: I want our new Number One Hero to be a leader we can all rely on! YOU should be the one to look into all these ominous Nomu rumors and tell everyone that there's nothing to fear! Puff out your chest and give them the message, while I sit back and take it easy! With All Might out of the spotlight, this is now officially your stage to direct."

"And just what kind of stance is that?" Endeavor asked as bluntly as ever; once more observing the Wing Hero's lackadaisical body language with abject disapproval and judgment while Hawks answered:

"I just wanna enjoy myself. Seriously. Do some leisurely patrolling, make a few public appearances here and there, say 'Aw, shucks, it's no trouble at all' and get a good night's sleep at the end of it all. That's my ideal Hero's life, just as it honestly should be anybody's. I wanna help make a world where Heroes like us can actually have time to kill."

When Endeavor didn't immediately answer, Hawks was still grinning, while likewise bracing himself for yet more of the Flame Hero's angry shouting. But when it didn't come, he opened one eye, just to see now that the large red-haired Hero's calculating eyes were solely focused on the wall of windows right behind him.

Turning around to see for himself, Hawks' gaze immediately honed in on a tiny dark shape in the air…a shape that was very, very quickly coming closer and headed straight for them. "Um…Endeavor."

As soon as his eyes could make out the rapidly approaching shape to be some kind of twisted winged creature with glowing eyes; his ears picked up the ill-timed sound of the door to their dining room opening up from behind his back; undoubtedly the arrival of his and Endeavor's waitress at the worst possible moment.

"GET BACK, MISS!" For the first time all day, Hawks' laid back tone had skyrocketed into deathly serious shouting as he sprang for the lone civilian, just as the winged intruder came smashing through the window behind him, while Endeavor stood tall and resolute between it and Hawks.

And as this horrific creature kept itself supported against the exterior of the building, it's glowing eyes watching from underneath its thick hood scanned across the room, before suddenly speaking out through its likewise glowing mouth in an inhuman tone: "WHO…IS THE STRONGEST…HERO HERE?"

Endeavor ignored the instinctive scream of surprise and horror from the waitress at the door, instead focusing on igniting the flames through his armor on his arms and legs. "HAWKS, GET THE CIVILIANS TO SAFETY!"

The Wing Hero was already on the move, urgently rushing the terrified waitress from the scene before he would have to get moving and doing the same for everyone else in the building. "Roger that, but what about you?!"

Of course, if he'd seen how much more brightly Endeavor was burning now, he wouldn't have even needed to ask, as the Flame Hero, for the first time all day, was finally starting to smile as he gazed upon his new attacker like a predator to its prey. "So some rumors are true after all, huh? It's your lucky day, pal, so here we go!"

The moment he caught sight of the creature lunging one of its arms at him with inhuman speed, Endeavor finally threw all the building energy in his reared back left arm forward, sending a blazing fist straight for it. "CAUSE I CAME LOOKING FOR A FIGHT! FLASHFIRE FIST: JETBURN!"

A colossal pillar of concentrated fire drove straight through the monster's center mass, sending it flying off the face of the building, with Endeavor taking off in immediate pursuit on a twin-set trail of fire emanating from his feet to keep him airborne. "YOU WANTED THE NUMBER ONE HERO?! WELL HERE I AM! NOW C'MON!"

By now, Hawks had likewise made it outside in his efforts to evacuate all the civilians from the building, already getting himself airborne as he motioned for everyone to leave the area and head for safety; all the while chancing a glance and watching with wide eyes as his unwitting ally was suddenly airborne as well. "Hey, I never knew you could fly!"

But Endeavor was still laser-focused, watching as the creature before him actually began to rapidly repair and seal the gaping hole left in its chest cavity. "It's not flying so much as simply not falling. Stay alert! This guy's just getting started!"

Indeed, within a matter of seconds, a devastating fully cauterized series of wounds and an amputated arm all had finished healing themselves to the point that practically nothing had been done; all while its inhuman voice jeered: "YOU…YOU REALLY THOUGHT…FIRE COULD…KILL…ME?!"

Endeavor knew he couldn't risk another headlong charging attack like he just had. With that display of regenerative skill alone, he was already getting a vast idea of just what he was truly up against. 'Regeneration and flight, huh? Just as I expected, this one has a number of powerful Quirks on hand. They said that the Nomu who helped attack Yuuei was a lot like this, and then there was the other one I fought back in Hosu City. They were both black in color…but the white one that was also there was very different…meaning the black ones are in a league of their own…and even among those, this one's really special. Plus, the fact that it can still talk means it retains some form of intelligence, which makes it even more dangerous…and essential!'

"ARE YOU STRONG?!" With this inhuman howl, the Nomu lunged for Endeavor again, completely ignoring the inferno of a fist he was already swinging its way again as he defiantly declared: "I'LL TAKE YOU ALIVE AND MAKE YOU COUGH UP ALL YOU KNOW! FLASHFIRE FIST: HELL SPIDER!"

FWOOOOSH!

In the blink of an eye, five separate beams of fire shot from Endeavor's fingertips; the Nomu on the receiving end quickly contorting its body like rubber to avoid them, only for two of the five to hit their mark with a satisfying sound of impact.

But despite that and the sheer heat and force with which Endeavor was attacking, nothing could stop the monster's momentum, as it lunged its rapidly expanding muscular arm straight for the Flame Hero, grasping his entire torso, and slamming him at full force right back into the face of the building like an asteroid.

As multiple of the civilians still inside screamed in horror and shock, Endeavor was summarily smashed through one wall after another; ultimately exploding out the complete other side of the building. But the moment he no longer felt himself getting slammed through anything, his very first instinctive action was to focus all his power into igniting all the fire around his body like a miniature solar flare, producing a blinding heat intense enough to reduce its hand upon him to ashes.

But just as quickly as the Nomu retracted what was left of its attacking arm as it emerged from the gapng hole in the building, its bones, muscle fibers and tissues immediately began to regenerate and lunge for Endeavor all at once; practically entangling him in it before he could dodge. The moment its limb finished healing, the Nomu proceeded to use its monstrous strength to swing its arm with Endeavor in tow with all the momentum possible, swinging the Number One Hero face first back into the building, slamming him all the way across it as though he were a human wrecking ball; only finally releasing its hold on him once he came bursting out the other side again, flailing through the air before quickly regaining his balance with the fires from his hands and feet keeping him in the air.

Looking upon his opponent, Endeavor couldn't even feel the pain over most of his body after a devastating counter like that. His adrenaline and mind were both simply racing far too powerfully for it to even register. With every passing moment, this battle was proving more and more desperate. 'Even Reverse Thrust didn't work on it?! Is this thing…actually stronger and faster than me?!'

By this point, he could already hear the approaching rumbles of multiple news helicopters arriving on the scene. Now things had just become that much more crucial. If he couldn't find a way to neutralize this Nomu fast, then there was no doubt it would turn its attention to those choppers, just to put him at a severe disadvantage, having to focus on the civilians rather than fighting.

RRRRRRMMMMMBBBLLL

And even this was something Endeavor couldn't focus on for long, as after having been driven through the entire width of the building in an arc, the Nomu had effectively several the whole top half of it, and gravity was finally starting to take effect; the top half now slowly starting to slid along the incision in preparation to come collapsing down onto the ground and civilians below. By now, many of the other local Pro Heroes on the street were rushing in to help, but even from where he was floating as he observed this unfolding scene, Endeavor already knew they wouldn't be able to do much to stop the impending disaster.

What was more; as the building section was beginning to fall and tilt downward more and more, Endeavor could already see multiple civilians come falling helplessly out the long destroyed windows, now in complete freefall to the unforgiving ground far below.

THW-THW-THW-THWIP!

'Screams, breathing, rustling clothes, all the little vibrations people make. Sense it all, Feathers! I can't manage this whole building, there are too many people for that, so I just gotta focus on the ones trapped in the damaged section!'

Before a multitude of crimson feathers came flying and serving through the air at impossible angles, all precisely catching the falling civilians by their clothes, stopping their freefalls entirely before ultimately helping lower them all safely to the ground again.

All thanks to the precise and concentrated efforts of Hawks and his Fierce Wings Quirk, who despite his wings having now shrunken considerably, was still flying with all the focus and determination as he ever had, using his telepathic connection to his feathers to once more level the playing field; now closing in on the Nomu from its blind side like the wind.

"ALL 76 CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN SAFELY REMOVED FROM THE DAMAGED PART OF THE BUILDING, ENDEAVOR!" As Hawks hurriedly informed his ally of this, he wasted no time grabbing and flinging three of his feathers like throwing knives straight at the Nomu, driving them into its torso and neck without mercy.

FWOOOSH!

And the moment he saw Hawks gain its attention, Endeavor immediately fired a two-handed Flashfire Fist Hell Spider attack, closing all ten resulting fire beams across every part of the Nomu's body he could reach, slicing and dicing it up where it floated in that very moment; a vicious display of raw power that once more left Hawks visibly impressed. "Is that your show-stopper, Number One?"

"Not even close!" And this was not even Endeavor boasting, as his voice still dripped with pure determination; for he could only watch as the Nomu was already piecing itself back together, laughing demonically as though it had received nothing more than a pinch. "FUN…FUN…!"

As the news feed on the living room TV switched from ground level to that of one of the helicopters on the scene; Nikolay, Mina, Oleg and Midnight could all only watch in stunned silence at what was unfolding; for the moment they had seen the Nomu in the air start to regenerate itself, no later did Endeavor and Hawks both suddenly turn their attention back to the collapsing half of the building mere feet away, using a combination of the former's Hell Spider attack and the latter's feathers to chop and burn away the falling rubble and building portion itself in order to minimize the potential damage it would cause.

"Man, if that's how powerful Todoroki-kun's dad is, can you even imagine how strong he could become, himself, when he gets that old?" Mina instinctively asked once the two Heroes had been forced onto another nearby roof in their efforts, turning their attention back in the direction of the Nomu, which by now had finally become one whole piece again, and was now directing its elongated neck towards Hawks specifically.

But just when it seemed like it was about to attack again, an array of disembodied high-flying fists came rushing in from the ground below out of nowhere, slamming into the Nomu and forcing the helicopter camera operator to hurriedly turn and spot one of the local Pro Heroes on the street, firing those fists from out of a pair of funnels he had for arms.

Where Oleg and Midnight were sitting, such an effective distraction should have bought the Number One and Two Heroes all the chance they needed to put this thing down for good, especially as Endeavor was already firing another Flashfire Fist Jetburn directly at it.

But before theirs and the teens' eyes, the Nomu suddenly began to distort and expand from within, before its black mass proceeded to spew out a multitude of what looked like more white-colored Nomus at full speed, raining them down on the nearby rooftops and streets, where they all proceeded to start rushing for the nearest Heroes and civilians they could reach.

Like a shot, Hawks was diving back down in a high-speed glide for the first two of these newly spawned Nomus just as they were about to attack some fleeing civilians; cutting both creatures down in a flash with two large crimson feathers in his hands, as though he were dual-wielding swords.

However, there were still more Nomus where those had come from, and even with all the other Heroes serving as backup to try and divert the beasts away from the civilians, it was clearly an increasingly desperate battle, to the point Mina was sounding utterly frantic: "What's Endeavor doing?! Can't he just use more of that super fire of his and burn those monsters away like before?!"

She was desperately looking from Oleg to Midnight and Nikolay for some kind of assurance that she wasn't the only one thinking this. But when she spied the look of fearful realization in Nikolay's eyes specifically, she could feel her blood momentarily go cold. "Oh no…Kolya-kun, what is it?"

Nikolay couldn't take his eyes of the TV screen if he'd tried, but when he answered, he was more honestly speaking to himself, speaking his own mind. "I'm not sure…but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. Back at the Sports Festival, Todoroki-san mentioned how he can't continuously use his Ice nonstop without ultimately risking getting frostbite. What if overusing his Fire were to similarly overheat his body in exchange? What if Endeavor might have the same problem, and that's what we're looking at right now?"

For the first time ever, Mina found herself desperately hoping her boyfriend's logic was absolutely wrong, immediately reaching out to hold his hand for some much-needed comfort, as they all continued to watch with their hearts racing.

After the surprise creation of reinforcements the Nomu had just pulled, Hawks had been forced to step out of the immediate battle to lend aid, thus leaving Endeavor on his own to begrudgingly observe everything he'd now come to understand his opponent was truly capable of. 'It can fly via Shoulder-Mounted Jets, its Transforming Arms can not only aid it in flight, but can also stretch and split apart, those stretched out arms are aided by Muscle Augmentation, it has enough Power to smash through reinforced concrete, and it can Regenerate its wounds! That's five whole Quirks in total…and with this attack, that makes six: Fission! Although, those new Nomus are a different color, so perhaps this thing was simply storing the others for such an occasion!

'Still, with all the things this monster has been saying: asking who's the strongest, calling the fight fun, and even telling the other Heroes not to interfere…it's looking at this fight like a child would a simple game, looking for someone strong to defeat! That's typical of Villains…but dammit, I'm already starting to overheat…and this thing is sending out the other Nomus to divert any potential backup in order to prolong the fight! That means…it's truly THINKING how best to beat me!'

"NOT…SHOOTING ANYMORE…H-HEAT…AND…FIRE L-LINES? OR…CAN'T…SHOOT ANY…MORE?"

As though it were reading his mind that very moment, the Nomu spoke once more, leaving Endeavor smoldering in the fire of his Quirk and his frustration all in one. 'Dammit, it has good intuition, too! My Flashfire Fist condenses my flames into white hot points. It's supposed to be my one-hit finisher. But rampant use of it raises my body heat tremendously, which severely slows down my entire system. I'm already at a disadvantage in terms of speed and power. I don't even know how many Quirks in total this thing actually has, either! Holding back at this point could be deadly for me and everyone else here. My body just keeps overheating.'

And like a proverbial twisting of the knife in Endeavor's already pounding heart, he could already see so many of the faces of his past; his wife and children, the people he had hurt most in his single-minded journey to get to this very point…the people he was supposed to be there for more than anything else. 'That's why…with all of you…I worked so hard, and did what I thought needed to be done to you…so you wouldn't suffer the same drawbacks as me.'

"MY…N-NEW POWER…MY NEW…STRENGTH! LET…L-LET ME TRY IT ON YOU!"

Through the miasma of Endeavor's remembrance, the Nomu's beastly battle cry rang out, and as it sent its multiple extending arms right for him; from the burning heat of his flames and years of frustration, Endeavor proceeded to unleash another blinding hot flash of fiery devastation, engulfing himself and the Nomu entirely within it, while the civilians, Heroes and reporters down below could only shield their eyes and marvel at the display of god-like power blazing in the sky.

"A purgatory even you can't escape or regenerate from! Now, BURN AWAY TO NOTHING! PROMINENCE BURN!" Endeavor's own war cry could have shaken the very foundations of the earth with his fury, watching with intent as the Nomu's body broke away and burned into ashes, and then nothing within the merciless inferno emanating from his body. 'All of you…just watch me! I can't let you see me being so pathetic here!'

After several more seconds of this, Endeavor finally let his Prominence Burn die down, and as his flames shrank around him, he looked ahead, feeling an immense satisfaction at the fact there wasn't even a speck of ash left of the Nomu anymore…until a flicker just out the corner of his eye drew his attention, and he spotted what looked like the head and a single arm of the monstrosity flying high overhead, already visibly starting to regenerate as its eyes kept looking right down back at him mockingly.

'The head! It actually tore it off and tossed it?!' As this thought of pure disbelief crossed Endeavor's mind; the beast itself was already throwing its regenerated and splitting left arm straight down at him like a pair of lightning-fast javelins. "TOO BAD!"

"ENDEAVOR!" The moment Hawks' echoing cry of warning reached Endeavor's ears, it was already too late, as both pitch black clawed tendrils met their mark; one plowing straight through the Flame Hero's chest, while the other carved deep across the left side of his face and left eye, immediately putting him into pain-induced shock as his entire field of vision went black, and the Nomu proceeded to use its arm through his torso to slam him mercilessly face down into the ground like a rock.

"BOR-BORING…NO STRONGER HE-HEROES AROUND?" Like a switch had been flipped, all the excitement that could be gleaned from the Nomu's monstrous voice had immediately turned back into a monotone indifference as it pulled its arm free from the motionless Endeavor's body, leaving him bloody and limp upon a slab of rubble, while looking for its next victim.

Nikolay's ears were ringing mercilessly, not because of the horrified scream Mina had let out as they watched Endeavor get impaled and thrown to the ground, but simply because his mind was trying to process and find a way to accept or deny just what he had likewise watched happen to Japan's new Number One Hero so unexpectedly.

As far as the two teens could comprehend, they had just witnessed the live death of what was supposed to be their new greatest Hero. As Mina refused to let go of Nikolay's hand, her one source of even the slightest comfort in this nightmarish moment, she was hyperventilating, keeping one hand clasped over her mouth as tears rained endlessly down her face. At the same time, Nikolay felt as though he was going to vomit from the sheer ice cold pit that had formed in his stomach, clutching onto the couch with his free hand for dear life to keep from collapsing to the floor as his face was deathly cold with frigid sweat.

And all the while, neither of them could even focus enough to feel how both their phones were buzzing relentlessly from within their pockets; both blowing up with message after message, call after call from their friends back in both the 1-A and 1-B dorms, all asking if they were watching the news as well, and with more than a few asking if this was all just some terrible nightmare they were experiencing.

Without hesitation, Oleg and Midnight both immediately shot up to their feet; the female art teacher's blue eyes reflecting a deathly sharp intensity as she turned to her two students. "BOTH OF YOU ON YOUR FEET! WE'RE GOING BACK TO YUUEI NOW!"

Oleg, meanwhile, didn't even hear Nikolay and Mina desperately ask what they were doing as he and Midnight urgently rushed them out the door, pulling them along as they raced up the hill back to school; anxiously answering them: "For God's sakes, malenkii Todoroki needs his friends, now more than ever!"

All at once did another deathly frigid realization of horror hit the two as they exchanged the same deeply worried gazes; Nikolay muttering: "Oh, God, they're right! There's no way Todoroki-san isn't seeing this right now!"

And as he and Mina finally found the collectiveness to start running with their teachers back to the Yuuei school grounds; finally pulling out their phones and tuning them into one of the many different news channels covering the battle live; inside the 1-A dorm commons area, Shoto was indeed watching the unfolding events alongside nearly all the rest of his classmates.

All their worried gazes staring up at him were virtually nonexistent for him, though; as Shoto couldn't take his eyes off his father's bloody body in the distance on the news feed, trying likewise to ignore how much his heart was pounding at that very moment, as he could only think of whether or not his mother and siblings had felt the same gut-wrenching sensation he had felt mere moments ago as well.

The only other thing he could bring himself to think back on now, was one of Endeavor's many bold promises he'd made to him earlier on outside of Remedial Training, feeling it dig away at him more and more as he thought to himself in some desperate attempt to answer the man lying in his own blood on screen; his once mighty flames having now gone out, leaving nothing more than a mortal man lying there instead: 'You…you gotta be kidding me…! What are you doing?! I thought you said…that you were going to become a Hero I could actually be proud of; a man worthy of the title of Number One Hero! How are you going to do that if you just keep laying there?! Get up, dammit! Get up!'

"That's right, folks! This single Villain appeared out of nowhere and has started destroying the city! And while this is unconfirmed, we're hearing about a horde of engineered Nomu as well! Heroes on the scene are either engaged in combat, or are concentrating on aiding evacuation efforts! But Endeavor was the first to act, and now he's…he seems to have been defeated! The scene here on the streets is sadly reminiscent of the nightmare in Kamino Ward mere months ago."

As the reporter in one of the watching helicopters relayed all of this to the terrified audiences across Japan watching this nightmare unfold, cameras from all over could only watch on as helplessly as their viewers, as the numerous Heroes on the scene were either finding themselves being ganged upon by the numerous Nomu offspring, or were trying desperately to keep the fleeing mobs of civilians in order as they all tried to flee for their lives, nearly to the point of starting to steal each others' cars, or outright trampling one another in their blind cattle-like rush.

But as all hell continued to break loose all around, and the Nomu responsible continued anxiously searching around for another target, nobody knew how resolutely Endeavor's heart was still beating within his punctured bloody chest. It wasn't even his own fighting spirit that was urging him to get back up and carry on.

No, it was the sensation of as though he were being directly spoken to from elsewhere he couldn't see, being desperately urged on to get on his feet and keep fighting, every word echoing in his head with rising intensity and emotional weight, as though it was taking all these voices calling to him, everything they had to keep it together for him.

And it was as those voices, so distant yet so familiar at the same time, finally rang into a deafening and spirited cacophony, that Endeavor's flames finally ignited once more in blinding ferocity; propelling his body back up from the ground and launching another pillar of fire from his swinging fist all at once, only for the visibly surprised Nomu to quickly duck down under it.

Before Endeavor could aim and attack again, he found himself getting clutched tight in the creature's muscular tendril of an arm again, and proceeded to get viciously swung through multiple building all around where the Nomu stood all over again; the booming sounds of impact and destruction echoing for blocks around, and only spurring the terrified civilians to start running and ultimately fighting against one another that much more viciously; altogether ignoring the desperate orders and efforts of the Heroes still trying to get them to safety, while the Nomu itself suddenly leapt up onto the roof of another building, looking directly down upon the fleeing crowds like a flock of defenseless sheep ripe for the slaughter.

And amid all that ensuing chaos, one unfortunate reporter caught in the tide, could no longer hide her own hopelessness in her voice as she spoke into the camera, spoke to the people of Japan altogether: "Without a symbol…ladies and gentlemen…this chaos, this destruction, this fear…this is what society looks like without a Symbol of Peace!"

"STOP SAYING THAT CRAP ALREADY!" Just as the screams had become nothing else than deafening, the sound of a single young man's desperate cry to all those around him, managed to break through like the sounding of the horns of Heaven itself, rendering many terrified and hopeless people silent, even if only but a few seconds, as they saw a boy who couldn't have possibly been older than the average college student, standing tall and resolute among them as he kept his arms held out as though to stop them.

"OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AROUND YOU BEFORE SPOUTING OFF ON TV! ESPECIALLY AT A TIME LIKE THIS! LOOK BEHIND YOU ALL!" At his imploring outcry, everyone looked back the way they had come, including the numerous camera operators on ground level; thus providing a perfect view of the half-destroyed building in the direction of the battlefield, where numerous large plumes of righteous fire were seen emanating from behind them.

"THOSE FLAMES ARE STILL RISING UP! YOU SEE 'EM TOO, RIGHT?! ENDEAVOR'S STILL ALIVE AND FIGHTING BACK! SO DON'T YOU ALL GIVE UP JUST BECAUSE THE OTHER GUY'S GONE! THERE'S STILL A GREAT HERO OUT THERE RISKING IT ALL FOR US! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?!"

To all those still watching this sudden interruption in the panic play out, they could all start to feel that same conviction in that one brave young man's heart as well, with more than a great deal of them across the country beginning to likewise call out in support for Endeavor to continue fighting, regardless if he could hear them or not. In a moment as desperate as this, hope was the only thing many of these people still had, and if they could somehow share it with their Number One Hero, then they would do whatever it took.

But despite this, as far as the immediate crowd went, many of them still couldn't work up the courage to stand their ground once they saw the distant image of the Nomu, having long since honed in on them, now flying in a beeline for them, sending many running for their lives once again.

But for those that didn't want to give up on their Number One Hero just yet, they were rewarded with the miraculous sight of a single furious fireball madly leaping from one rooftop to another in mad pursuit of the gliding Nomu.

And as it continued to fly, even the beast itself couldn't help but look back when realizing how much of the crowd was no longer screaming and fleeing in terror; at last looking back only to be stricken with incomprehensible surprise at the fiery figure of Endeavor rapidly closing in on it despite his numerous injuries. "YOU CAN-CAN ALSO…RE-REGENERATE, TOO?"

But as Endeavor further and further closed distance like a human shooting star, his body was wracked with unbelievable pain already, with the continuous blood loss from all his wounds already leaving his sight cut in half and blurred; having to use nearly all his remaining energy just to keep his line of sight and movement straight, just enough to suddenly redirect himself and dodge out of the way of his target's immediate attack, exercise a speed unlike any he had showcased in this battle so far.

'I'm…nothing like you, you freak! My body gave up on me a while ago! I'm just pushing my body forward with my own firepower! It's thanks to the pain that I'm even conscious right now. But you're damn wrong if you think I'm beat just yet! My eye may be giving out, but I STILL see victory just ahead! I just need more…more firepower! I need to go further! GO BEYOND!'

As Endeavor continued to push himself further and further with every word screamed within his head, he quickly found himself high above the Nomu's position; Hero and Villain both locking eyes as he burned like a human sun.

'You monster…you don't want that head of yours getting hurt…which shows me your weak spot! And it's…already too dangerous to keep you alive! I just have to be faster…faster than he can possibly react! Fast enough to finally burn that ugly mug to ashes! And until that happens…I'M NOT GOING DOWN!'

SHWIIING!

In that moment the Nomu was solely focused on Endeavor, Hawks; as though he too could just read his fellow Hero's mind; came rushing up from out of nowhere with his visor already half shattered with a small laceration above his nose down to below his right eye; landing a clean hit with one of his cutting feathers right across the creature's face, tearing away its heavy hood at last; buying his ally even a couple more seconds of time by swiftly following up with three more feathers thrown straight into its face. "THERE YOU GO, ENDEAVOR! My feathers are already flying your way!"

With the Nomu temporarily stunned, the Wing Hero watched and focused as he saw Endeavor tearing through the air in flames and glory for their enemy; smiling approvingly all the while as the last of his feathers he could spare all came rushing in from behind him, piling upon his back as he continued to fly.

'Endeavor, my feathers may not pack too much of a punch, but they definitely make up for it with speed. I've been watching you all this time, and I get it. There was nobody else out there who was truly trying to surpass him. There was only you. You were the only one of us who was truly working to surpass him one day. You may not ever be able to reach that place all on your own…not a chance. Not an awkward guy like you…but with my feathers, my speed, added onto your raw firepower?'

In a matter of seconds, Endeavor's already impressive midair speed was boosted over tenfold; the numerous feathers compacted onto his back having by now ignited as a result of his powerful flames, leaving him a visual marvel to the eyes of the countless civilians and fellow Heroes still watching from below, to all those people, those speechless young students watching on their televisions, computers and phones from all corners of Japan.

In everyone's eyes, including even that same targeted Nomu, the Flame Hero Endeavor, the new Number One Hero, looked no different than the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes; a pair of glorious burning wings of fire extending from his broad back; a sight truly fitting in the eyes of Hawks as he proceeded to finally drive his blazing fist straight into the Villainous monstrosity's face; a pair of bulging eyes and elongated teeth upon a head-encompassing brain. 'I'll help push you forward to that spot, Number One.'

BOOM!

After having run all the way up the hill back to Yuuei and the 1-A dorms like their lives had all depended on it; the quartet of Nikolay, Mina, Oleg and Midnight had finally returned, nearly bowling the front doors open in their rush, just in time to find Aizawa, Shoto and the rest of their class all gathered in front of the TV, nearly all of them still too hooked on what was happening to be able to properly greet their returning friends and teachers.

And once they themselves finally looked to see for themselves, even they couldn't find the words, positive or otherwise, to respond to what was now happening after what had felt like a true loss of all hope.

WRAAAAAM!

At the very moment the Nomu had opened its hideous gaping maw and tried to bite down on Endeavor's approaching fireball of a fist; the Flame Hero grit his teeth and bore the pressure, driving all of that fury and raw physical power through its damned teeth and down its throat, capitalizing on the grip its biting power had given it upon his forearm, by sending the full force of his raging fire out of his hand and straight into the Nomu's gullet.

With his fire from his legs still propelling him and his now helpless target forward through the air while it tried to futilely flap its wings in order to stop; Endeavor continued to viciously incinerate it from the inside out while Hawks struggled to keep up with his ever shortening wings.

But no matter how much pressure and heat he tried to drive out through his fist in order to destroy his opponent, Endeavor could clearly see that the creature was still remaining in one piece. 'Dammit! It's finally starting to lose its composure, behave more animalistic in its panic…but even as I utterly incinerate its inside, its Regeneration still manages to keep up!'

As the Nomus fought through the fires enough to grab onto Endeavor, the two went crashing blindly into another rooftop, leaving Hawks to come touching down nearby, watching their point of impact in pensive worry. 'Seriously, that still wasn't enough firepower? I don't know how much more I can do for you, Endeavor! I've just about shot all the feathers I can spare, and all the ones I gave you have burned up by now!'

"HAWKS!"

The explosive and heartfelt drive that echoed from the defiant sound of Endeavor's voice could be felt all over at once, from those people down on the streets, to those watching in silent fear from the relative safety of their homes. As all cameras, eyes and ears fell upon the point of impact, watching as the Flame Hero continued to grapple and struggle in godlike defiance of his enemy; everyone could feel their hearts extending his way.

And in the tense silence of the 1-A commons area, Shoto remained frozen stiff to where he stood, unable to walk…but as he looked upon his father on that screen, fighting tooth and nail with everything he had…those cryptic opening words he had spoken upon the stage of the Hero Billboard Chart announcement all finally seemed to click together in the very core of his being. At last, he understood, just as he could only imagine his own siblings did.

"Just watch me." Those words weren't solely directed to the public, nor even to his fellow Heroes. Never once in Shoto's life had he ever heard of Endeavor giving a damn about the attention of his fellows or the public. There was only ever one goal he had ever aspired to, and once he had achieved it, there was no imagining what else he could have possibly strived for from there.

But in this moment, just as he had been thinking back on his father's promises outside those training grounds before, he finally had it all figured out, and that realization was driving him entirely on its own, as he spoke out to the TV with an emotional fervor that neither he himself, nor anyone else around him, had ever heard Shoto Todoroki speak with before: "Father…I'M WATCHING YOU!"

At the long-desired top of the Hero mountain that Endeavor had struggled for so many years to reach…the only thing he'd had left to strive for, was to simply be the Hero his children truly deserved, and their seeing him achieve that distinction was the one thing he wanted more than all else now.

And if Shoto's impassioned outcry of that understanding could somehow reach him, and help his father achieve victory; then he would say it out loud from the rooftops until he was red in the face if he had to. Despite all that he had done, his son was still going to watch him become a Hero worthy of his title, a Hero he could be proud of…the kind of Hero that Shoto Todoroki would have wanted to be saved by if it ever came down to it.

All Hawks needed was to hear Endeavor calling his name to know he needed the Wing Hero's help. "I can't do much to help you, since my feathers are nearly burnt to a crisp."

But regardless, never taking his eyes off the fire-emblazoned Hero before him, Hawks focused on the burning feathers upon his back, and with the aid of the flames still shooting from his feet, he proceeded to help Endeavor and his trapped Nomu soar straight up into the air like a human firework; his fires burning brighter and hotter with every passing second.

Endeavor never risked even a moment to take his eyes off the Nomu in his grasp, instead simply counting the seconds and feeling the sheer wind pressure of the thinning atmosphere around them as he ascended, before finally thinking in unshakable certainty to himself: 'This is it…somewhere I don't need to worry about civilians and buildings…somewhere I DON'T NEED TO HOLD BACK! NOMU, YOU BIOENGINEERED FREAK OF NATURE, OBSESSED WITH STRENGTH AND NOTHING ELSE! AS MUCH AS I HATE TO ADMIT IT, YOU PRACTICALLY ARE ME; MY PAST…OR A FUTURE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN! NOW BURN AND FADE AWAY AT LAST!'

Finally, as the last of Hawks' burning feathers was finally no more than dust on the wind, Endeavor and the Nomu had reached the very peak of this last-ditch-effort of a flight, and with all of his fires burning beyond a white heat, he proceeded to ignite the moment he'd thrown his body weight forward to where he could look straight down at the ground far below, with the Nomu helplessly caught in between while still burning from within.

"I've always hated that stupid school motto! But…PLUS ULTRA PROMINENCE BUUUUURN!"

With his rage, his focus, his impassioned drive all echoing down from the heavens, Endeavor launched himself and the Nomu at well beyond the speed of sound, as his fires burned the hottest they ever had, consuming the Nomu and himself within as they raced for the ground with the fury of the comet that once annihilated the dinosaurs themselves. A gigantic fireball plummeting to the earth was all the people watching could see…until at last came the moment of final impact.

BKKKKHHHHOOOOOMMMM!

For a good several seconds, the commons area had been left too horrified to speak, as the camera feeds had all gone momentarily dead in the wake of the devastating impact that had just occurred. As the unforgiving, mocking buzz of the white noise on the TV filled the air, neither the students nor the teachers could find it in themselves to speak; their hearts nearly all catching in their throats once the fuzz ended, and they were met with the sight of the Kyushu cityscape having become completely engulfed in choking rubble dust and smoke.

"You…you don't think Endeavor could've…?" "I don't see how anyone could survive a crash like that." Tsuyu and Minoru ultimately broke the silence with great reluctance. Just the very thought of the new Number One Hero having already been forced to sacrifice himself to save everyone in Kyushu City had Nikolay nearly breathless with anxiety, as he and Mina immediately grabbed each other's hands in silent desperation for it not to be so. Even Oleg, Midnight and Aizawa could only exchange deathly silent, concerned glances with one another.

And amid all of them, all the speechless and worried eyes falling upon him as he stared at the screen trembling, Shoto's eyes were wide and shocked, his hands gripping into shaking, white-knuckled fists.

But then, finally, something began to take shape from within the smoke, and as everyone found themselves being drawn further and further in to try and make out what it was, it soon became crystal clear.

A FIST! A single fingerless-gloved fist was standing tall and victorious in the air, with the bloody muscular arm attached to it further and further protruding from the clearing haze. And as everyone watching saw what was truly before them, all of that suffocating fear and despair vanished in a wave of pure euphoric hope and joy.

Standing alone, tall, powerful, victorious, and above all else alive, was Endeavor; his powerful steaming right hand high over his head as it hung limp, as though it were merely the physical stubbornness of his body keeping him standing…while right behind him was the finally motionless, smoking husk of the Nomu, at long, long last defeated.

"IT'S HIM! IT'S ENDEAVOR! HE'S STILL STANDING…AND HE'S DOING THAT POSE! THAT ALL MIGHT SIGNATURE VICTORY POSE! NO…NOT FOR VICTORY! TO SIGNAL HIS START! THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA, EVERYONE! OUR NEW NUMBER ONE HERO HAS FINALLY ARISEN: THE FLAME HERO, ENDEAVOR!"

The ecstatic emotional outcry of the news anchors was easily drowned out by the matching cheers erupting from all over the battlefield as the civilians and Heroes cheered for their savior, looking upon his battered yet all-powerful form as though they were gazing upon All Might himself once more.

And as Endeavor himself continued to stand victorious, none of those cheers even reached him. All he knew was that in the end, he had won, and somehow, deep inside, he could just feel this assurance within his chest that, somewhere out there, his children, his family, had all seen him rise to the occasion and reach this zenith at long last. And that thought gave him more satisfaction than anything else.

Just like nearly everywhere else in Japan, the 1-A commons area had erupted into wall-to-wall deafening cheers of relief, amazement, inspiration and congratulations to Endeavor and Shoto both; the red-white-haired boy himself having since then fallen to his knees, shaking with an unspeakable sense of relief he couldn't put into words as he clutched tight at his chest, as though trying to will his heart to stop pounding as hard as it still was…but not out of fear, but instead out of actual relief, genuine pride.

After all the years living under the simmering rage of his father's shadow in his single-minded drive to somehow surpass All Might himself or through his children…at last, he had well and truly made it, and finally had the victory and respect to show for it. In the end, it all hadn't been a meaningless waste…and in its own way, that was an incredible gift for Shoto to take in as much as anything.

Nikolay and Mina both couldn't even immediately think to join everyone else in congratulating and reassuring Shoto once the cheering had all started; all of that built up fear and emotion suddenly turning into ecstatic relief instead, driving them to immediately embrace and kiss one another deeply in their tearful happiness.

And amid all those ecstatic young Heroes; Oleg, Aizawa and Midnight all felt their chests decompress with the deep, shaken sighs of relief they could finally release…as well as the warm feeling of professional pride felt in their victorious new Number One Hero.

And all the way in the faculty offices; Toshinori, who had likewise been watching this entire unfolding battle in speechless anxiety and worry the entire time, could only gaze upon the image of his colleague striking his same victory pose on TV with a foundation-shaking sense of wide-eyed awe and ultimate altogether pride.

For the first time ever, the former Symbol of Peace could truly feel that, until the day came that Izuku would finally master the entirety of One For All and set out into the world as his completed successor, that the people would have a worthwhile new Symbol to look up to.

As the crowds had continued to cheer while the other Heroes and police on the scene were finally continuing to provide aid and assessments on how to deal with the damages wrought to the city; Hawks had dutifully come in to lead Endeavor off-site; the Flame Hero still keeping his right arm extended in that victorious and defiant fist, much to the Wing Hero's amusement. "You do know that's All Might's pose you're striking, right?"

Endeavor's whole body language was noticeably more limp this time around, almost resembling that of a sleepwalker or someone afflicted with shellshock as he muttered in his pain and exhaustion: "No…different arm. He…uses his…left."

Finally, his bulky mass couldn't stand upright anymore, forcing Hawks to set him down on the nearby sidewalk, hurriedly applying a handy towel to apply to the gaping gash wound running up the left side of Endeavor's face. "Who cares about all that? I'm just grateful you won!"

But even as he tiredly held the emergency towel to his own face, Endeavor's now flameless face reflected pure disappointment. "Zero points, though. A pretty pathetic start for me. If I'm…gonna become the Hero…that even my children can look to…for help…I have a long way to go, still…and I may need more help with that…than I thought."

Hawks couldn't rightfully say he knew exactly what was going through Endeavor's mind right now, but all the same, he couldn't help but smile in vast approval. "Well, agree to disagree. As far as I'm concerned, this victory of yours today is absolutely HUGE. Now, before anything else, let's do something about these wounds of yours."

"Can't…cauterize them…I used too much…energy. I can't move. Send someone for help." As Endeavor muttered this request, much to his own stubborn chagrin, Hawks was just about to do so gladly…until his sharp ears picked up the sound of a single determined and approaching set of footsteps just up the road behind him.

"Just a minute, now. None of this is how I planned it, but that's fine." The sound of a young man's voice called out, catching both men's attention…but not for the sake of it being some other random civilian…for both Heroes could easily physically feel the malice emanating from him.

Looking his way, the Number One and Two Heroes found themselves face-to-face; to the chilling horror of everyone still watching the continuing broadcast on TV and online; with the spiky black-haired, stitch-faced Villain known now to all as Dabi. And as he stood alone against the duo, his chilling blue eyes were burrowing into Endeavor specifically, in a frightening contrast to the eager smile on his disfigured face.

"Well, Endeavor…should I perhaps say…nice to meet you?"

And there you all have it for this week, everyone! I really do enjoy being able to try and novelize these humongous fights like this, while trying to finesse the trace elements of my OC's, their influences, and potential alternate future events where and when I can that still organically fits. It's a great means for me to bridge between the huge diverging plot points I've made so far, and what I have in mind for the future.

I hope you all got some enjoyment out of this chapter, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 02/18! and until then, I hope those of you that choose to celebrate, have a happy Valentine's Day!