Hello again, everybody! Welcome to the first chapter of this story's take on the Meta Liberation Army Arc! As much as I love writing this whole thing all around, it's especially fun really working with the Villains as the focus, and seeing what I can do to mix things up and add a little more of that League of Villains-patented carnage and chaos.

It's especially exciting, considering that after this arc, I'll finally be jumping into covering the events of the second MHA movie, Heroes: Rising. speaking of which, in order to maintain this timeline, I've made a considerable addition to Chapter 96; primarily in the scene where Principal Nezu announces the postponing of Hero internships, by now having him also include the announcement for that movie's Hero Work Recommendation Project. Feel free to backtrack and check it out for yourselves, just so you know I didn't completely drop the ball on mentioning such a huge event for our Heroic students for the first time at the last possible second XD.

I appreciate one of the readers taking the time to review and give their opinion on the personal question I asked in the previous chapter's foreword, but it still stands here. You've all been with this story from the beginning, and I'd still like to know your personal opinions on the matter; no matter how unimportant you may think it is. I work very hard still to make the romantic aspect of this story the best it can be, and as people who've most likely read the manga all the way through thus far, I'd genuinely like to know your personal preferences between reading that and this, which romance you genuinely, honestly like better.

With that being said, I'm still eternally grateful for all your continued patronage and readership; just as I'm always grateful to my beta readers, consultants and friends: Mizu, Johnny and Carlos. And I am, of course, forever grateful to the current roster of contributing fan artists on DA who've helped bring Kolya, Tunguska, Vukodlak and their story to life: 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 OC's and the original events surrounding them.

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

Chapter 120

Unity

(Единство)

Yuuei Academy, Sunday, December 7th

Today was starting out with Nikolay feeling in exceptionally high spirits, for three vastly different but very important reasons. Firstly, he and Mina had put their heads together and managed to draw up a surprisingly decent idea for a winter variation for his Hero costume; and they had even managed to get it submitted to the Support Department yesterday. Now it was just a matter of time before it would finally arrive, and he could finally feel like he wasn't one step behind the rest of his classmates in seasonal preparedness.

Second, he had woken up to a flurry of white outside his window. And no sooner than he had woken up to see how drastically the weather had changed overnight; had the by-now overly reliable excited knocking sound at his door.

"OH EM GEE, KOLYA-KUN, IT'S SNOWING! IT'S ACTUALLY SNOWING! WINTER FINALLY CAME!" Mina's energetic display came the moment Nikolay opened the door; his girlfriend hopping in ecstatically, already geared up in a lavender winter jacket, leopard print scarf, and even a cozy-looking purple wool cap with two little holes cut in it for her horns to slip through. And upon looking to see him dressed in a thick dark green turtleneck and thick blue snow pants, her eager grin turned into a knowing smile. "Well, well; look who's all ready and prepared? I'll bet you were just waiting to break this look in all year, huh? Be honest, does the snow got you feeling all nostalgic?"

While Mina was already cozying up to Nikolay as they both broke out into amused chuckles, he answered: "Estestvenno (Naturally), but I was mainly just wanting to be ready. I just naturally assumed everyone would wanna be outside for the big welcoming and all."

Already practically aglow, Mina happily took his hands, ushering him with her back down the halls for the commons area. "Way ahead of you, honey! Everyone's just getting breakfast and then we're all gonna gather up! Oh, I can't wait to see the look on Maja-chan's face when she sees us!"

Yes, the third reason for today being so exciting: with no classes to get in the way, today was going to be Maja Kieslowska's official induction into her room in the dorms as a half-time Class 1-A student; having already had the last two days since the Joint Training exercise to get accommodated and used to her peers within Class B.

Upon reaching the commons area, even Nikolay was surprised to see just how abuzz with activity the floor was, with Tenya and Momo once again trying to direct everyone in an orderly fashion on their way to gathering up out front; the only exception being Tsuyu, who was huddled up under a massive blanket on the nearby couch in response to the cold, with Ochako and Tooru dutifully tending to make sure she was going to be okay. Hardly surprising, considering her Frog Quirk, and how poorly frogs tended to do in cold environments.

As Yuga masterfully tossed a pair of Rikido's fresh-made muffins from the kitchen area for the two new arrivals to partake in before it was too late; Eijirou likewise came rushing down in a red sweater and blue overall snow pants of his own; nearly skidding to a halt when he saw Nikolay's getup, which immediately brought a big smile to his face. "Oh, dude! Kolya-san, how perfect do we look, huh? Got a total Mario Bros thing going on! I'll bet Maja-san's gonna get a big laugh from us, huh?"

"Do we have any idea when she's supposed to actually show up? There was something important I was actually hoping to talk to you all about if we've got time." Nikolay awkwardly noted, just as Tenya was now likewise motioning for all the students on his side of the room to make their way out. "It's well enough into the morning for Kieslowska-san to arrive, and as our friend and peer, we should all be there to welcome her with open arms in a manner befitting Class 1-A and Yuuei!"

With Mina excitedly guiding him along out into the crisp morning air, Nikolay could only watch as nearly all of his classmates were taking up their apparently agreed-upon positions together in front of their dorms, complete with Tsuyu remaining closest to the doors in the back, still completely wrapped up, but no less willing to welcome a new classmate and friend of her friends.

Even with his heart hanging but slightly heavy; Nikolay couldn't deny that the anticipation among his friends here was contagious in the best possible way.

Things had been no less energetic among Class B once Maja had woken up in her own room; having to fight her nerves all over again like she had when first stepping into this classes' homeroom and dorms. Naturally, everyone here, alongside Vlad King and all the other teachers she had gotten over the last two days, had done their utmost to make her feel welcome. Now it was just a matter of seeing how her friends and theirs in Class A would make her feel for the rest of her time here.

Along the trip between dorm buildings, she was being dutifully joined by all of her Class B peers and friends; along with Vlad King, Aizawa ("Some of my students can be…overbearing, for a start. Last thing any of us need is them scaring you off; hence why I had to get up so early on a free day for this"), Midnight, and Principal Nezu. Having all these authority figures around, strangely enough, did manage to make her feel a little less nervous.

And that was a visible change in her early morning demeanor that had been far from lost on her classmates, as she had soon found herself getting showered with all kinds of confident assurances that she would do just as well with Class A as with them. "You got nothing to worry about, Maja-chan." "Yeah, a lot of those Class A lot really like you; there's no way you'll fit in any less with them than you do with us." "You're practically a natural pal with them already! You'll probably have a hard time feeling like you're in one class from another after a while. You got this."

Of course, while students like Setsuna, Yosetsu and Tetsutetsu were all heart and encouragement with how well their new Polish classmate would fare jumping back and forth between classes from now on; Neito naturally couldn't help but sound as psychotically devious as always with his ramblings. "You need not fret, Kieslowska-san! You are blessed with glorious purpose! With you serving as our mole within the detestable Class A ranks; you can provide us with all the juicy intel we could ever ask for, in time for our inevitable next and final showdown!"

It was a sentiment thankfully shut down by another timely Itsuka Kendo chop to Neito's neck before they would risk any of Class A overhearing him, as they knew they were just around the final corner to their dorms.

"SURPRISE! WELCOME TO CLASS A, MAJA-CHAN/KIESLOWSKA-SAN!"

With an unexpected power were she and the teachers and Class B students met with an all-around welcoming declaration from the gathered Class A students. And no sooner than they had stopped, had they all come rushing to greet all of their visitors alongside their wide-eyed and brightly smiling newcomer; already finding herself nearly getting swarmed by Mina, Tooru, Nikolay, Eijirou and Ochako.

"Oh, c'mon, everybody, it's not like it's my birthday or anything, you didn't have to do all this! So many of you barely even know me!" Maja finally was able to get a word in among all of the enthusiasm of her new classmates and friends; almost solely landing on deaf ears for her efforts.

"You think we're not gonna give a deserving welcome for a friend; especially after everything you've done for us already?" Nikolay asked rhetorically, while Mina was hopping once again while hugging Maja close. "NOT A CHANCE! BESTIES DON'T TAKE HALF-MEASURES WHEN HELPING BESTIES FEEL WELCOME AND HAVE FUN! YOU BEST GET USED TO THAT NOW, MAJA-CHAN!"

Once Momo managed to get Mina and Tooru especially to give Maja some space, she humbly asked: "I understand your room here has already been selected, on the same floor as mine. Do you have enough furnishings to help it feel more like home? Are your things actually going to be moved from your dorm in Class B to here and back regularly?"

But as Tooru and Mina both instinctively began to chide Momo ("What kinda needlessly complicated arrangement is that, Yaomomo?"), Maja was already waving her hand in a good-humored dismissive manner. "Oh, no, not at all. All my original stuff from home is in the Class B dorm; but once the teachers here let my parents know that I'd been accepted; they and everyone up in Gagaringrad all chipped in to make sure I had enough furniture for both my rooms so that both classes can feel just as much like home. I think my stuff for here should be arriving before too long."

However, any mundane discussion about living arrangements was quickly forgotten, as Izuku couldn't help but respond: "That's right, you're pretty much the farthest away from home out of any of us. I can only imagine you must feel a little homesick by now."

Maja pensively clutched onto one of the sleeves of her jacket as she slightly nodded; breathing in deep at the thought. "Well, yeah…but my being here is just as much for my parents and everyone else back home, anyway. There hasn't been any luck from either them, the police or any Pro Heroes in or near Hokkaido in finding any sign of Marius since everything went down, and from what I've been hearing; all the attempts to talk to Pietro's followers in prison haven't panned out, either. So the news spreading about my being accepted into a bona fide Hero school is just the ray of sunshine they've been asking for."

Of course, the painful reminder for Nikolay and his friends who had been in Hokkaido, regarding Maja's still missing Romanian friend, Marius Lazarescu, was an especially heavy-feeling one. There was no telling just how much his parents had to be suffering; seeing everyone else who had been under Pietro Granin's control reunite with their families, except for themselves.

But not wanting to let such a sad reminder spoil the mood of the day so early on, Nikolay stepped forward, offering an inviting hand to Maja to step inside; with soon much more of the class following suit. "Well, you're here now, and that's currently the most important thing to remember. Why don't you come in, warm up, maybe get the grand tour?"

"Yeah, we can give you a look at all our rooms and everything…well, except Mineta's, of course." Tooru eagerly chimed in; while Tsuyu was already retreating back inside, visibly eager to get out of the cold.

"Hey, we've still got all day for that! What do you say we all take advantage of the first snow of winter and play?!" Mina suddenly suggested; drawing many enthusiastic cheers from Class A, and ultimately Nikolay himself; realizing this would make for the first time he'd ever even thought of actually playing with snow, rather than just barely tolerating it.

Thankfully, not only did Maja herself look to be especially into the idea, but so too did a lot of Class B as well; with Tetsutetsu naturally taking charge: "HECK YEAH! A WINTER WITHOUT FUN AND GAMES IN THE FIRST SNOW IS HARDLY A WINTER AT ALL! WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO, CLASS A, WE'RE READY FOR YA!"

As both classes eagerly cheered out their enthusiasm for what had to naturally be a snowball fight; Maja looked over the enthusiastic faces of all her friends and peers, before very quickly noticing something: "Hey, where are those Bakugo and Todoroki guys? I mean, I can picture that hothead not wanting to greet me out of spite, but did the other one really not care enough to make the effort, either?"

To this, Tenya handily answered: "Oh, I'm sure it would be far from it, Kieslowska-san! Actually, Bakugo-san and Todoroki-san left earlier today for their last Remedial Training lessons! I'm sure they will both be just as eager to welcome you into our class as the rest of us are!"

At the mention of this, Eijirou, Nikolay and Mina all went wide-eyed with remembrance. "Oh, wow, it's already at that point for them? Man, where did all that time go?!" "So does that mean that they could actually come back with their Licenses like the rest of us when they come back today?" "Oh, wow, this day just keeps getting more and more exciting! Do you know when they're supposed to be back, Iida-san?!"

As Tenya naturally answered "6:00," Maja herself looked to have a very heavily realization registering in her eyes. "Oh, wow. You all really do go through all the stops for Hero training, huh? I guess I got a ton of catching up to do before I can even hope to have a License too, huh?"

To this, Principal Nezu clapped his paws together, finally speaking up on the rest of the teachers' behalf: "Actually, Kieslowska-san; I wasn't sure whether the issue of Provisional Hero Licenses would come up so soon, but it actually provides an irresistible opportunity to share with you some good news!"

Stepping forward, Vlad King added: "You see, we actually reached out and spoke to the folks in the Hero Public Safety Commission in regards to your sudden acceptance into Yuuei, given your unique circumstances. They're the branch of government responsible for managing a great majority of the infrastructure for Hero society, including the Provisional Hero License Exams."

With an enthusiastic smirk, Midnight chimed in: "We shared with them the footage we recorded of your actions in both your battles in the Joint Training exercise, as well as the media footage of your involvement in resolving the Gagaringrad incident; and that's not even considering all the recorded testimonials given to them by the police, civilian witnesses and our own students here as well."

With no outward show of such enthusiasm, Aizawa concluded: "With all of that evidence to consider, the officials for the Provisional Hero License Exams have decided to provide you a much more…confined version of those same exams at an unspecified time, along with however many other late-accepted students for other Hero schools across the country show similar promise. Understand, though, that this kind of exception is astronomically rare, so the difficulty you'll be facing with so few fellow students to work off of, will be just as considerable. If you pass, you'll get a Provisional License of your own, and be able to participate in Pro Hero internships once they open back up."

Principal Nezu briefly cleared his throat, once more regaining control of the discussion: "Of course, on the off-chance that you somehow fail to pass, we'll of course have plenty of alternative options to help you along in your Hero education, regardless."

While some students among both classes couldn't help but start muttering their disbelief at how little their new addition was having to face before getting to the point of license exams (with Denki especially noting: "Man, who would've thought so much time spent using their Quirk as somebody's mind-puppet soldier would actually benefit someone?"); it was naturally Eijirou, Tetsutetsu, Nikolay and Mina who were among the most enthusiastic for Maja.

"Isn't that awesome, Maja-san?! It's like you just pole vaulted straight through all the beginner stuff straight into the big leagues!" "You better remember to pump your brakes once you're out there on the field, though! I can't have you overshooting me and the rest of class just yet!" "Congratulations, Maja-san! I really think you've earned this, honestly!" "Way to go, Maja-chan! You're, like, the star VIP right now! How's it feel?!"

But rather than any similar ecstatic joy…what they were all promptly answered with was the unmistakable sound of Maja trying hard not to start breaking down into overwhelmingly emotional sobs; her pink and blue eyes already like shimmering pools as she struggled to breathe. As soon as she realized everyone was already observing this reaction of hers, she frantically started trying to dry her eyes. "Oh, God, I'm sorry! I…I'm happy, really! I almost wanna pinch myself; make sure this is actually for real! I'm super grateful that you would all actually go to this kind of length for me, I swear I am…even though I know I haven't earned it like you all no doubt have. This is all just happening so fast, it's pretty overwhelming."

As Ochako and Tooru both quickly handed some handy tissues for Maja to dry her eyes with, Aizawa cleared his throat. "Well, since you all clearly couldn't help yourselves but to sit out in the frigid cold for Kieslowska's arrival, I feel it's fair to let you all exercise your skills as proper hosts and classmates for her from here. But don't let yourselves get too tuckered out by tonight, understand? There's an important announcement I have to make to you all, and I want Bakugo and Todoroki to be here for it. So until then…"

At both their teacher's permission; the students of both classes immediately got to work frantically building up their respective snow forts and amassing their stockpiles of snowballs. But amid the hustle and bustle, Nikolay hurried after Aizawa. "Excuse me, Sensei! You wouldn't happen to know where my Dad is right now, would you? I tried calling him earlier, but I think he might've forgotten to charge it last night; and I don't think this is one of his days working with Fatgum."

Aizawa instinctively looked in the direction of Yuuei's front gates. "You're not mistaken about that, but he did still have some related business he said he needed to take care of today. I can't imagine he'll be gone for too long."

Despite this answer, Aizawa didn't sound nearly as cryptic or distant about the matter as usual, which helped Nikolay to breathe easy. It didn't sound like something deathly serious was going on. Today of all days, that was the best he could ask for.

And so, with no further reason to delay, and at the insistence of his friends now set up behind their surprisingly elaborate snow fortifications, Nikolay hurried back to Class A's side of the snowy battlefield. With everyone in place, and at Tetsutetsu and Eijirou's in-unison battle cries, both Hero Course classes erupted into a snowball war to put all others to shame.

With Momo's Creation, Minoru's Pop-Off hairballs and Mezo's Tentacles, Class A was more than capable of meeting Class B's aggressiveness through Itsuka, Setsuna, Pony and Jurota with a practically unlimited barrage of snowballs; while Maja's Wax and Kojiro's Glue both kept both classes' forts from getting broken down.

Mina's Acid managed to keep up the defense against Nirengeki's Double Impact snowballs he was throwing overhead and redirecting onto Class A from above, while Nikolay's Kinetic blasts and the snowballs he accelerated with them, managed to perfectly counter Setsuna's flying hands throwing snowballs behind Class A's defenses. It was thankfully the same for Izuku using his Delaware Smash Air Force attacks against Hiryu's own snowball attacks, which he'd packed his Scales into to provide an added punch. However, it was the troublesome addition of Reiko's Poltergeist-driven snowballs that made it so much harder for the three of them to keep up those defenses, just as Tsubaraba had his Quirk to keep his own team protected from whichever snowballs could reach his share of their walls.

Juzo's Softening on the ground between their forts prevented Tenya, Denki and Rikido from crossing ground Kyouka's Heartbeat Distortions likewise quickly proved a detriment to Class B's fort, thus forcing Yosetsu to start applying his Welding to as much snow as he could pack, in order to keep his classes' walls sturdy. And just to further show how evenly matched they were; Manga would go on to use his own verbal attacks to plow holes through Class A's walls as well.

And with no rules set in place as to if getting hit would disqualify someone, Eijirou and Tetsutetsu both naturally stood out in the open, eagerly pelting each other with snowballs over and over again; neither one refusing to back down or even stop.

Unfortunately, in such bright settings this early in the morning, Fumikage couldn't apply his Dark Shadow, just as Shihai couldn't sink into anything black nearby to try and get around Class A's defenses. Kinoko couldn't use her spray to try and moisten the area to grow mushrooms on the opposing class, essentially because the frigid temperature would freeze the mist as quickly as it would come out; just as how Kouji couldn't try to communicate with any insects or birds nearby, as the cold of winter had forced the bugs away, and most birds had already since migrated.

Unfortunately, what Class A hadn't counted on amid all of the snowy madness was that Neito was already putting things together, as he had taken the liberty of Copying Juzo's Quirk; allowing both boys to sink under the ground and swim their way across the field, only emerging out once they were on both of Class A's flanks. And such a sight was simply too irresistible for Neito to resist: "YOUR RECKONING IS HERE, YOU DELINQUENTS!"

"KINETICHESKIY GATLING!"

The moment Nikolay heard Neito's instinctive gloating coming from their exposed left, even though none of them had seen him poke his head out to try and cross the battlefield; his own defensive instincts kicked in, spurring everyone at his sides to hurriedly duck the moment they heard him call out his new Special Move.

And with not a second left after they'd ducked their heads, Neito and Juzo found both their snowball attacks getting mercilessly blasted out of the air by the multiple rapid fire Kinetic blasts shooting from all over Nikolay's extended hands at his sides; ultimately forcing both boys to retreat back into the ground and behind their defenses.

But with their attention having been diverted for even those few seconds, Yui managed to come in with a major surprise move, having provided a single snowball to each of her classmates, and upon Neito's distraction having worked, they all proceeded to throw them Class A's way all at once, just for her to apply her Quirk and make every single one grow to ten times their size, ultimately blindsiding and burying the whole of Class A in a split-second snowfall, nearly burying the front of their dorm building up to the second floor windows.

But even that victory couldn't last, for just at the same time as Class B had attained their first genuine victory, Ochako had likewise ended up putting her long awaited plan into action. Under the cover of her classmates' respective flurries, she had sent a multitude of Zero Gravity snowballs high up into the air, and upon the shock of realizing she and her class was about to get buried, she'd ended up finally bringing her fingertips together, thus causing the whole barrage to come freefalling down, hammering harmlessly upon all of Class B's heads.

Pretty soon, more and more of the Class A students began to emerge from out of the huge snow banks; but rather than frustration at having been so easily overpowered, they were instead all smiles and laughs, just as much of Class B soon was. "Wow, you guys really have been training hard! That was awesome!" Eijirou immediately congratulated as he and Tetsutetsu eagerly met each other with a clasping of each other's hands in congratulations. "You guys really made us work for it, man! You didn't give up an inch! Good on ya!"

"I can't believe, after all that, we actually didn't think of what Uraraka was capable of behind the scenes. That was likewise really impressive." Itsuka commended as she brushed the snow out of her orange hair, while Ibara nearby simply looked apologetic. "If only the ground weren't frozen, my Vines might have been able to prevent such a calamity. Repentance is surely in order."

But amid all of the celebration and her congratulations on each respective students' advantages in what had been a surprisingly even-matched battle; Mina was excitedly looking around the rolling hills of snow, quickly realizing something. "You're really getting the hang of that new move of yours fast, Kolya-kun! How did it fee-Kolya-kun? Hey, has anybody seen him?"

Indeed, upon looking, nobody could find any sign of Nikolay anywhere…at least until Kyouka's sharp ears picked up something that forced her to shush everyone else. "Oh man, I think he's still buried in there!"

And upon jamming her Earphone Jacks into the snow to try and clear it away, Kyouka immediately reeled back as though she'd just been shocked. "This isn't good, he's completely freaking out in there!"

Immediately realizing just what had to be going on with him that would keep him from just immediately using his Quirk to get out; Mina, Ochako and Izuku quickly rushed over to where Kyouka had been pointing Nikolay's voice had been coming from; and the three quickly began digging. And no sooner than they had finally dug up and uncovered the first of his clothes within the snow; Nikolay practically came exploding out, screaming frantically like someone who had just been forced out of the single worst night terror he possibly could have imagined; screaming at rapid pace: "YA NICHEGO NE VIZHU! YA NE MOGU POSHEVELIT'SYA! YA NE MOGU DYSHAT'! PAPA! KTO-NIBUD'! KTO-NIBUD', POZHALUISTA, POMOGITE MNE! POMOGITE! MAMA NE DVIGAETSYA!(I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T MOVE! I CAN'T BREATHE! DAD! SOMEONE! ANYONE, PLEASE, HELP ME! HELP! MOM'S NOT MOVING!)"

The way he was already throwing his arms around made it clear he couldn't mentally compartmentalize where he was. Hence why the very first thing to happen was Mina and Ochako together pinning Nikolay to the snow so he wouldn't risk hitting anyone…quickly followed by Mina cupping his panicked face in her hands as firmly yet gently as she could manage, forcing him to look her in the eyes as she spoke: "It's okay, Kolya-kun, you're not stuck, you're back here with all of us, with me, remember? It's okay, it's okay, I promise! Hey, hey, c'mon, look at me, okay? I'm right here with you, we all are. Take deep breaths with me."

While Tenya was currently directing the rest of his classmates to give Nikolay some space; Itsuka was likewise directing her own class to stop watching as though this were some kind of spectacle. And all the while, Nikolay was trying anxiously to follow Mina's calm breathing rhythms as she kept a hand flush to his chest to help him along; Ochako soon following right along with them since she was likewise at his side; looking encouragingly at Mina once she realized what her pink best friend was trying to do here.

As soon as it seemed like Nikolay wasn't about to hyperventilate into unconsciousness anymore, Mina looked nervously to Ochako, who gave another encouraging nod to show she was on the right track. And so, with her black-gold eyes reflecting pure heartfelt determination, she went on: "Okay, just keep looking at me, okay? Name…tell me five things you can see right now."

She could only watch with a breath hitched in her throat as Nikolay's green eyes were frantically looking anywhere and everywhere he could, physically struggling to make the words come out. "I…I-I…I see…I s-s-see…S-sky…clouds…t-t-trees…y-y-you…t-the dorms?"

With an eager and approving nod, Mina continued, drawing from memory all the way from the start of the year. "Good, good, Kolya-kun, that's good! Now tell me…uh…tell me four things you can hear, okay?"

Nikolay's hands were instinctively clutching at the snow beneath him in a vice-like grip as his breath was still frantic and shaky. "Uh…I-I hear…I hear me…y-you…a…a-a-an airplane far overhead…and…a-and Uraraka-san whispering?"

Ochako couldn't even be embarrassed that her whispered instructions to Mina were still able to be overheard, while Mina was once again nodding with an emotional smile. "Good, you're doing amazing right now, y'know? Now how about you tell me three things you can smell?"

By now, Nikolay's breathing was much calmer, and his trembling was finally dying down. "Okay…uh…cinnamon…mint…and strawberries."

Sucking in an emotional gasp of relief that the biggest hurdles here had already come and gone, Mina embraced Nikolay wholeheartedly; spurring Setsuna, Tetsutetsu and even Kinoko to start ushering their classmates to look the other way; Momo doing the same. "Now two things you can feel."

Feeling her warmth against him, Nikolay's whole body was overcome with an immense calm. "Snow…and warmth."

Lifting her head up so he could look in her eyes, Mina's smile was irresistible. "Now one thing you can taste."

Nikolay's automatic response was to name the cinnamon that Rikido had made his muffins with earlier…but the moment Mina leaned in and met him with a brief but warming kiss as soon as she knew everyone else was giving them the courtesy of looking away (Mezo having to forcefully blindfold Minoru, naturally), his answer magically turned around: "Klubnika (Strawberries)."

After Nikolay's claustrophobia incident had been resolved, and after everyone else had already gone through the frigid experience of getting buried or pelted with snowballs; it had ultimately been decided that they could spend the rest of the day indoors; Momo and Itsuka thankfully being on the ball enough to provide everyone with blankets and warm water sacks with which to heat themselves up with in the 1-A commons area.

While Denki was busily flipping through the TV channels to see what the weather was going to hold for the rest of the week; Mina wasn't about to leave Nikolay's side; providing him with easily made warm soup, courtesy of Tsuyu, alongside Ochako and Tooru to the rest of their class, with Kinoko once again sneakily adding in her own mushrooms from across the way.

But even for as comfortable as it was to be nice and warm again indoors; hardly anyone from Class B was willing to just act like what they'd just seen happen to Nikolay wasn't worth talking about; especially Setsuna and Tetsutetsu. "Any of you guys mind telling us what the heck that was all about?" "Yeah, even with how intense things got in Hokkaido, I've never seen Bezpalov-san lose his cool like that before."

No matter how uncomfortable much of Class A looked at being asked this question, that didn't deter the two's desire for an explanation, nor the rest of their classes' for that matter. So, taking charge, Tenya spoke up: "I can only naturally assume you're aware of his and Tunguska-sensei's past circumstances before they had come to Japan?"

While nobody looked nearly so confident in the minute details of their story; they were all nodding positively regardless. As such, he continued with a heavy sigh: "Well…I shouldn't be the one saying all of this, but I can't ask Bezpalov-san to have to revisit this after what you all just saw already, and without Tunguska-sensei here to explain it all, himself…"

*Ahem*

Suddenly, Itsuka gave a pronounced clearing of her throat, to get Tenya and the rest of her classes' attention. "It's okay, Iida-san, you don't have to tell us any more than that. We all know things got…well, they got really bad for Bezpalov-san and Tunguska-sensei back home way back…and considering we've never even heard a word or seen any sign of a mom around…there's only so many conclusions we can come to, right?"

Setsuna and Tetsutetsu both looked notably ashamed for having been nearly as pushy as they had been already, with Ibara even instinctively praying in silence at the notion of the dearly departed. Many of the Class A students couldn't help but smile in gratitude for their peers knowing when something shouldn't have been brought back out into the open, Nikolay especially, even for as sad as his eyes still looked. Even for as far along as he thought he'd come in growing stronger and braver with everyone; today just proved there was one place he hadn't improved at all.

Seeing the troubled look in her boyfriend's eyes; Mina fortunately knew just what to say: "Hey, Kolya-kun, didn't you say there was something real important you wanted to talk to us about earlier? I mean, we're not in hurry to get anywhere now."

Even with his heart still feeling as heavy as it was; Mina's ability to know just how to help lighten the mood brought a naturally appreciative smile to Nikolay's face as he finally met everyone's gazes. "Yeah, actually. I wanted to ask if you all would wanna help me see about putting together a party for Dad today. See, by tomorrow, his birthday will have been a week ago. I know I should've brought this up before, but everything has been happening so quickly the past week, I hadn't gotten the chance."

And it was like a complete transformation in the overall mood when Nikolay finally explained this, as soon all of Classes A and B were eagerly throwing one idea after another to each other for what all would make for a truly unforgettable and much-deserved belated birthday party for his father and their teacher and mentor.

Several hours later…

Even after a day like they'd just experienced; the last thing Bakugo, Shoto and Toshinori had expected to ultimately return to Yuuei to find, was the commons area of their dorms being festooned with all kinds of different party decorations, with all of their classmates and even their Class B peers all still moving about frantically as though they'd been expecting the recipient of it all to come stepping through the front doors at any moment.

Such a sight was so surprising, that it didn't even both Shoto nearly as much as it did Bakugo, when they were nearly bowled over by a wall of ecstatic cheers from their classmates and friends; all rushing to them en masse with all kinds of different simultaneous greetings and questions: "WELCOME BACK, TODOROKI, BAKUGO! YOU GUYS ARE JUST IN TIME TO HELP US GET THE REST OF THE PARTY TOGETHER! HOW'D IT GO?! YOU FINALLY GET YOUR LICENSES OR WHAT?! YEAH, TELL ME I STILL GET TO LORD MY GETTING ONE BEFORE YOU TWO FOR JUST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER! DON'T BE SO PETTY, KAMINARI!"

But regardless whether they'd been getting hammered with these questions and everything else or not; Shoto and Bakugo were quick to dispel any and all assumptions, as with respective proud humility and overwhelmingly boastful pride; they presented their peers with two matching Provisional Hero Licenses just like their own; names and photos and everything; just as the two answered: "All this time spent going over all these lessons has finally paid off, I'm sure you'll be happy to know." "READ IT AND WEEP! YOU DON'T GET TO LORD JACK OVER ME NOW, Y'HEAR?!"

The volume of cheers and all other kinds of reactions from both Hero Course classes would've otherwise been enough to bring the roof down on their heads, there was so much excitement and congratulations to be felt and heard; with Nikolay, Tenya, Momo, Mina and Ochako all being especially happy for Shoto; while Eijirou, Denki, Hanta and Kyouka were just as excited for Bakugo, and Izuku was clearly ecstatic for both of them.

"We're all really happy for you guys! You've both seriously earned this!" Nikolay finally personally congratulated the two alongside the rest of their mutual friends, while Mina was already eagerly trying to gather everyone she could reach into dancing in celebration for Class A's two no-longer remedial students.

Shoto couldn't help but keep smiling in that subdued way he always did as he looked upon the license in his hand: "Now I won't feel like I have such a long ways to go in order to catch up with the rest of you, I suppose. It feels about as pleasant as I'd expected."

By comparison, Bakugo looked like it was taking all of his senses of restraint to not start throwing fists at everyone who he'd ever felt had been mocking him before for his failure in the original License Exams; especially Neito; all the while furiously shouting: "YOU ALL WENT AROUND ACTING LIKE YOU WERE FURTHER UP THE FOOD CHAIN THAN ME, BUT THE REAL DEAL IS BACK IN FULL SWING, DAMMIT! I'LL BET NONE OF YOU EVEN GOT TO GET A RUNNING HEADSTART TOWARDS BECOMING NUMBER ONE ON THE WAY BACK FROM THE DAMN TEST, DID YOU?!"

Of course, such a bold statement got nearly everyone's attention, with many looking especially eager to hear just what had happened to their two newly ascended classmates on their way back here. Thankfully, Toshinori was quick to step in before the especially emboldened Bakugo could risk going any further and potentially saying something he'd regret. "It wasn't nearly as cataclysmic as Bakugo-shonen's making it sound, don't worry. It was honestly one of the kind of instances you're all bound to run into a number of times as Heroes on patrol."

Not too long ago…

It had only been a half hour since Shoto and Bakugo had finally received their Provisional Hero Licenses, and by the time they'd gotten redressed into their jackets, headed out with Toshinori and gotten into a taxi to take them back to Yuuei, Shoto's observant gaze had picked up the distant sight of what was clearly more than just a simple commotion within a nearby shopping district they had just managed to drive by. "Hey, look."

"Huh? We got trouble?! HEY, STOP THE CAB, YOU!" Bakugo immediately perked up, almost kicking the back of the driver's seat, and swiftly stepping out with Shoto the moment the taxi stopped; prompting Toshinori to hurriedly step out after them.

Looking down the way. It was difficult to tell exactly what was going on, but once they could hear the distant screams of fleeing civilians coming their way, there was no need for further questions, as they could soon see more civilians stepping out into view chased by large mounds of what almost looked like soda water, soon followed by a small handful of particularly geared up-looking hoodlum Villains.

While Bakugo was already trembling with anticipation, Shoto was still carefully looking around them. "Any other Heroes around? This just started, right? Not even thirty seconds ago, or we would've heard this screaming much sooner."

Grinning from ear to ear, Bakugo started rolling his shoulders in preparation. "I'll take care of this, then!"

Toshinori visibly fidgeted at just how fast his two students were already being, especially the more he observed just how many Villains with unknown Quirks they were going up against. "Wait, let's further assess the situation, you two!"

But in a show of pure defiance, Bakugo whipped out his new License for the former Symbol of Peace to see. "I've seen enough. You focus on getting the civilians to safety, All Might! It's not like you can fight anymore, BUT WE SURE CAN!"

Before Toshinori could even finish his follow-up argument ("YES, BUT YOU'VE ONLY HAD THOSE LICENSES FOR A HALF HOUR!"), Bakugo and Shoto were already taking off like shots; the hotheaded young Hero confidently and eagerly shouting back: "YEAH, SO?! HOW MANY HOURS DO WE HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE WE'RE HEROES?!"

With that, quickly taking in the sight of this small masked gang clearly sliding for an escape upon this carbonated wave their apparent leader was creating with his Quirk, they could quickly identify it was a mere pick-pocketing, purse-swiping spree that was to be their first call to action. But a call to action it was, nonetheless, as Bakugo swiftly leaped high up into the air, and with perfect timing once he grabbed onto a nearby street pole, he released a powerful AP Shot at the same moment Shoto unleashed a large trail of Ice spikes straight at the criminals, throwing off their formation and stopping them dead in their tracks.

With things having already officially kicked off, Toshinori had no choice but to rush in and usher the fleeing civilians in the safest directions to go away from the battlefield, while Shoto quickly and precisely swung his right arm across the path, creating two towering glacier walls on all intersecting streets, cutting off all possible exit routes for the gang; all while firmly declaring the two Heroes' intent: "Those purses and wallets don't belong to you."

"Y'THINK A LITTLE ICE IS GONNA MAKE ME THROW IN THE TOWEL?!" The leader of the gang; a young adult with semi-long light-colored hair dressed in a winter jacket with black gauntlets around his wrists and a heavy-duty face mask over his mouth; impatiently shot back, carving away Shoto's initial trail of Ice with a large deluge of carbonation emanating from his hands; staring the two young Heroes down with his comrades. "We did our homework on the patrol patterns around here, all to prep for today! Especially now, during the end of the year! We spent a whole month on this plan! It was all done for this moment in this part of town where there'd be plenty of suckers and not a single Hero!"

"GET A JOB, YOU LOSERS!" Bakugo instantly spat back, while Shoto likewise stood his ground. "Sadly, your plans will come to nothing."

Looking to the wrist gear on his arms, the gang leader answered just as confidently: "'Sadly?!' High school brats these days sure are naïve. Not to mention dumb as rocks! Listen up: I control carbonation! Getting all shook up really makes me feel alive and well! I'M WAY MORE DETERMINED THAN A COUPLE KIDS ON THEIR WAY HOME FROM SCHOOL!

"DETERMINED TO RUN AWAY!" At his command, all of his fellow gang members quickly made an about-face turn and sprinted for all they were worth.

BK-BK-BK-BKOOM!

But like a human fighter jet, Bakugo came flying in from above, throwing a multitude of his smaller but no-less devastating Explosions right in the paths of the fleeing hoodlums, knocking several of them out cold in the blink of an eye and already leaving their numbers cut by more than half. As the leader looked visibly shaken, Bakugo shot back: "Really?! Out cold already?! I was trying to tone it down enough just to trip you lot up, but I guess you're not so determined after all! UNLESS YOU'RE DETERMINED TO FEEL PAIN!"

With another deafening Explosion, Bakugo launched himself straight for the leader like a slingshot, only for the Villain to quickly aim his hands his way. "NOT A CHANCE!"

FSSSSSSH!

Suddenly, a multitude of high-power jet streams shot out from the gear on his wrists, stopping Bakugo in mid-air, but also throwing the wielder himself further and further back, even to his own visible surprise. "WHOA! THIS THING'S WAY TOO STRONG!"

Strong enough to even throw him off balance and send his jet streams flying along with him, to the point one ended up cutting straight through the neck of another nearby street pole, which a single civilian happened to be standing right under whilst in the middle of trying to record the whole event in complete unawareness.

Which was why it was lucky for her that Toshinori was nearby enough to realize the danger she was in; and thus quickly rushed in and tackled her out of the way before the street pole itself could finish falling and risk injuring her on the way down, while Bakugo swiftly destroyed the street pole itself with another Explosion before it was even halfway down.

"YOU WANNA DIE?! GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!" He furiously shouted at the careless civilians while he continued rushing back into the fight, all while Shoto was continuing to stand his ground, even amid the clearly dangerous fast-lying jet streams flying all over the place from the gang leader's equipment; his own surprise by now having turned into an ecstatic cackling. "CHECK IT OUT! THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING!"

Realizing the destructive possibilities of letting this fight continue, Shoto began to charge forward, rolling up his sleeves as his eyes burned into his target with focus. 'I'm gonna have to get rough here. There's no choice.'

"FLASHFREEZE HEATWAVE!" With that single battle cry, Shoto unleashed a combined devastating wave of both Fire and Ice side-by-side, rather than head-on into each other to create the cloud of steam he and Nikolay had often utilized together. This resulted in a two-temperature devastating strike that left the Villain leader slammed hard into the ice, completely unconscious. "Heat eliminates carbonation."

"THAT'S THE SAME CRAP YOU USED AGAINST FREAKIN' DEKU AND THE RUSSKIE AT THE SPORTS FESTIVAL!" Bakugo exploded angrily as he came stomping onto the scene, dragging two more of the hoodlums' unconscious bodies behind him.

"They've all been taken out, right? Is anyone hurt? What about that woman?" Shoto asked as he let his Fire and Ice both die down, all while completely ignoring his classmate's temper.

"NO, YOU IDIOT! SHE'S FINE! ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!" Bakugo continued to shout; his anger only burning more and more as he saw Shoto clearly wasn't affected by it at all, as though he were simply ignoring him.

"ARE YOU TWO OKAY?!" Toshinori's clearly panicked voice suddenly came calling from behind their backs; and as they turned around to confirm to their teacher; they saw he was now being accompanied by a Pro Hero who hadn't been here a mere minute ago: a large strong looking man with a large square chin, dressed in a purple body suit with a green cape, green gloves, black boots and a black mask over the top half of his head; who actually looked to be sliding along the ground on his feet, as though the ground itself were made of butter.

Anyone familiar with the Pro Heroes in this general area would recognize this man as the Sliding Hero, Slidin' Go; whoby the time he had come to a stop, was focused primarily on Bakugo, before taking a look over the scene itself. "Ah, you're Yuuei's infamous bad boy, aren't you? Did you two handle this all by yourselves?"

Ignoring Bakugo's instinctive outburst of just asking what this upbeat Hero's deal was; Shoto looked back to the small pile of unconscious criminals. "These criminals were stealing purses and stuff from civilians. We apprehended all of them, I believe."

"And what about the stolen goods?" Slidin' Go asked; just for Bakugo to hold up a handful of wallets, cell-phones and purses within his one vambrace-adorned hand. "I pick-pocketed 'em back while I was attacking so they wouldn't get blown to bits, at the time."

The moment Shoto was finished likewise thanking Toshinori for his help with the civilians; he and Bakugo both found themselves almost getting crushed in the sudden hug Slidin' Go threw around them; completely ignorant to their mutual discomfort and the latter's rage. "PERFECTLY DONE! IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE YOU KIDS ARE STILL STUDENTS! THANK YOU! YOU'RE SURE TO BE TOP HEROES ONE OF THESE DAYS! YOU CAN LEAVE THE REST TO ME, SLIDIN' GO!"

TK-TK-BOOM!

From out of nowhere, the gauntlets on the gang leader's arms suddenly erupted in tiny explosions, leaving only smoldering scraps upon his signed hands; while the two boys, their teacher and the accompanying Pro could only watch in mild surprise, as Bakugo clearly showed: "His gauntlets just blew up?"

"SURE DID! NOTHING GOOD CAN COME FROM USING THESE INFERIOR BLACK MARKET GOODS!" Slidin' Go answered as casually as could be, sliding over to finish up with the apprehending of these crooks, while Toshinori returned to his students' sides.

"You two did great. Now what do you say we all go home? I'm sure you both must be hungry," he humbly congratulated the two; Shoto giving the most blunt but sincere "Thanks, but I need to clear away my Ice first," in return, while Bakugo just grumbled in frustration at being treated like a kid still: "Yeah? Well I ain't helping!"

"WOW, NOT EVEN AN HOUR, AND YOU ALREADY GET YOUR FIRST VILLAIN ARRESTS AND RECOGNITION FROM A PRO TO BOOT! YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUSLY ON A ROLL!" "LIKE WE DIDN'T HAVE REASON ENOUGH TO PARTY TONIGHT, YOU GUYS DESERVE IT JUST AS MUCH! IS THIS A SITUATION THAT CALLS FOR THREE CHEERS?!"

With Toshinori's recap of the evening's events given; Shoto and Bakugo once more found themselves the subjects of boundless congratulations from their friends and schoolmates; as well as a few scattershot insults from Neito for good measure. But while Eijirou and Hanta were both by far the most enthusiastic in congratulating Bakugo, Denki couldn't help but chime in: "Well, you guys are definitely off to a great start, but I still got to get a lot more field experience in the meantime, so you both still got a lot of catching up to do!"

Considering how garbage the blonde boy's grades and performance in regular school still were to this day, even Shoto couldn't necessarily blame Denki for wanting to hang on to the one advantage he currently had for as long as he could. Of course, Bakugo wasn't nearly as understanding, as Eijirou had to hurriedly get a grip on him to keep him from blowing their classmate to smithereens, all the while screaming for him to die as always.

But amid all the ruckus, Maja was grinning eagerly as she too looked to be off in her own head. "Wow, now I just gotta work on getting my license, then I'll be right up there with all you guys! Oh, man, I can't wait!"

Before Eijirou, Nikolay or Mina could echo their enthusiasm and encouragement for their part-time classmate, though; Bakugo spat back in pure spite: "IF YOU THINK A CRIMINAL LIKE YOU DESERVES ANY SHOT AT A LICENSE LIKE MINE, YOU'RE OFF YOUR GODDAMN ROCKER! It's bad enough we actually have to share a roof with someone like you as it is!"

Thankfully, Nikolay, Mina and Tooru were quick to get some distance between Bakugo and Maja before either of them could risk saying something unable to be taken back, while Eijirou was looking at their Polish classmate concernedly, to make sure she wasn't hurting too much from such mean-spirited words.

All the while, once it seemed a confrontation had been averted, Shoto asked: "'Reason enough to celebrate?' What exactly did Ashido mean by that?"

Grateful for any kind of diversion from the tension, Nikolay answered much more energetically: "I'm sorry for not bringing this up when you both were around much sooner, Todoroki-san. See, last week tomorrow will have been my Dad's 52nd birthday, and I just thought it would be nice for us to throw a meaningful party for him after everything he's done for us here, kind of like what you all did for me before."

To his delight, Shoto actually looked to be as enthusiastic to lend a hand as someone like him could, while Bakugo was simply rolling his eyes at something he deemed so needless. Regardless, Nikolay now had his attention on Toshinori; who was currently in the middle of taking in how much the students had prepared the commons area already.

"Excuse me, All Might-sensei. You wouldn't happen to have seen or heard if Dad had gotten back here from his Pro work today, would you? Like, maybe he just retired to the faculty dorms first thing, or anything like that? We've been working very hard today to make this really special."

As soon as Nikolay made his point while gesturing to all the decorations and the eager looks on many of the students' faces; Toshinori was likewise smiling and nodding in acceptance. "I'd be happy to check in and make sure, Bezpalov-shonen. If I find him, why don't I simply call to make sure you're all ready for us?"

Even a man like Toshinori wasn't above feeling embarrassment when he'd spent the next two minutes at the faculty dorms knocking at the door to Oleg's room, only to be met with silence. There was no sound of heavy snoring, so with no other options on what to do; he began to speed-dial his fellow teacher's number, only for the man's voice to sound out behind his back the moment his thumb was over the call button: "Did I keep you waiting long, Toshinori-san?"

Hurriedly shoving his phone back in his pocket, Toshinori quickly turned to greet Oleg, only to quickly see a deeply morose look in his blue eyes. "Oh goodness, Oleg-san, you look…well, awful. What happened out there?"

With the heaviest sigh, Oleg proceeded to unlock his door. "Nothing, and that's precisely the problem. Neither Gran Torino-san nor Naomasa-san could pull up anything concrete on anyone Nana Shimura had regular contact with at the time she would've received One For All. Honestly, how can so many people who once wielded such a Quirk possibly be so good at keeping such a low profile that I can't even pull up a name; Hero or otherwise?"

Toshinori could easily sense the long-built frustration in Oleg's voice, and thus was quick to grab onto his arm. "Well, you've been working hard as we'd promised we would, and it's only one day; we're hardly out of it yet. Why don't you come back to the 1-A dorms with me to visit the students?"

Instead, Oleg gave a slight shake of his head, remaining rooted to where he stood. "With my mood right now, I know that's not a good idea. I'll tell you; right now I could really use a drink. Join me, my friend."

Inside his room; Oleg and Toshinori both sat in uncomfortable pensive silence with a small glass of vodka in both men's hands. As Toshinori looked at just how forlorn Oleg looked from head to toe; he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself: "For our first official day of investigating the line of One For All from my master, I didn't think turning up dry would leave you this discouraged, Oleg-san. You know this is hardly anything new in the Hero's line of work."

Oleg swiftly down his first drink, letting out a sharp exhale through his teeth as his body momentarily trembled. "Yes, but when it involves your own flesh and blood soon so directly, it's impossible for it not to weigh so heavily on me, Toshinori-san. I'm surprised you're not feeling the same way, considering this ultimately involves malenkii Midoriya as well."

Toshinori bowed his head, looking pensively at his own glass, before finally taking a drink as well. "Who says that I'm not? They may not be my actual sons by blood like Bezpalov-shonen is for you, but I'm no less worried for Midoriya-shonen and him than you, Oleg-san; you should know that by now. Is this really all that's troubling you right now?"

Pouring himself another glass and then just as quickly pounding it back; Oleg's shoulders began to tremble; his face visibly straining to keep his emotions inside…before he finally began to shed tears down his aged face. "No…it isn't."

Toshinori's brow furrowed with concern as he listened to Oleg's breath shake as he bowed his head; his shoulders shaking with his sobs. "When it feels like things might get easier, they just get that much harder, Toshinori-san. For so much of Kolya's life, I dedicated my all to keeping us out of enemy eyes; keeping us alive. In Lyudmila's absence, I convinced myself that that would be enough for our boy for a start…and in the process, I denied him any chance to grieve, and lost him in all but the literal sense for so long without letting myself realize and accept it. The fact he ended up coming back with the help of his friends at all, so that I could have another chance to be the actual father he deserves, is nothing short of a miracle, one that I've thanked God for every single day.

"But then, as I finally start to step into the role of someone who can actually help teach him properly how to use his Quirk, it turns out to be everyone else who's able to help him step into his own far better than I could, so I was ultimately able to accept that, if nothing else, I could still at least be a regular teacher and an actual father for him like I always should've been, and things would ultimately fall into a place we could call normal, wherein we could be able to live like a real family. But then, ever since we both got our licenses, my work has continuously forced us apart, and I haven't been able to fulfill my duty as a halfway decent father, spending any notable amount of time to truly be there for and get to truly know him. Even now *gasp* with every passing second, I feel like more and more of my only child is slipping away through my fingers, and I don't know how to stop it.

"As if that weren't enough, I'm watching Kolya, my only child, grow not only into a capable Hero; facing Villains and odds that I know he never would have been able to more than a year ago; but I'm also seeing him grow into a young man before my very eyes; finding love so much stronger than that which anyone else his age would be able to, on top of all the notice he's unknowingly getting from girls here and elsewhere. For God's sakes, that Shiketsu High girl gave me her number to pass along to him, just because she laid eyes on him once from afar! The only reason Kolya never knew from the start, was because when I came to his door to pass it on to him that day, I overheard him and malenkie Ashido, Hagakure and Kirishima talking about how he and Ashido had become an official couple since Hokkaido!"

At this point, Oleg genuinely started chuckling, though Toshinori had no doubt the vodka was having a role in that. And just as quickly as it had started, Oleg's chuckling turned into further bemoaned tears. "And now…*sniffle* *gasp*…now we come to learn that somewhere further up one side of his family bloodline, my Kolya, my son may have even the faintest link to a Quirk; an inherent destiny that's been passed on to all those that have inherited and wielded it; that could very well put him up against the single most devastatingly dangerous bunch of Villains in modern history, and I and no one else can even tell him the whole truth about it, because my failures have made him so emotionally and mentally fragile as it is, that to do so may risk incapacitating him beyond any hope of saving, and there's nothing that I can do about it! Me; his own father who's meant to be there to teach, raise and protect him; and I can't even do anything for him!"

Oleg took the next minute to sob sorrowfully to himself, while Toshinori responsibly dragged the bottle away, lest the man take another swig and risk making himself feel even worse. It was clear, even to him, that this was far from just the frustration at day with no leads bringing this all out. This was just the catalyst for him to let out the last fourteen years worth of regrets, sadness and frustration at himself.

Finally, once he'd run through the brunt of his emotional distress and tears, Oleg could finally lift his head again, his blue eyes now visibly bloodshot as he tried to wipe the tears from his grizzled face, while Toshinori watched him with all the patience of a saint. "It's not even everything that's going on with Kolya in his life that's been eating away at me like this, though. We've both seen full well just how much more dangerous things out there are getting, and they only seem to be getting progressively worse with each passing day. I know that's precisely why we're giving our all to training and teaching those kids what we know so they'll be able to handle themselves…but that doesn't stop me from constantly worrying that before too long, I'm going to watch Kolya go out there on his own, and be unable to stop feeling like I haven't prepared him enough like a father should…and the consequences that ensure from that will be all because of me…again…and I'll have lost the only family I have left."

No sooner than Oleg clenched his hands into trembling white-knuckled fists of immense personal anguish, that Toshinori rose from his seat, crossed the table, and placed a friendly and compassionate hand on his shoulder, finally spurring him to meet his sunken blue gaze.

There was a smile of genuine friendship on his near skeletal-thin face as he answered everything Oleg had just unloaded onto him: "I don't think that's necessarily true, Oleg-san. You speak as though you've been unable to do anything for Bezpalov-shonen than to simply try and keep him alive throughout the earlier years, but think about just how many times he's come to you for emotional support, for any kind of advice at all, or how many times he's proven willing to accept your advice even when he hasn't asked you for it, over the course of this year. That must prove just how often and how highly these days he truly thinks of you. You'd already long since shed your role of simply being his protector, and you'd already stepped forward and proven yourself as a teacher with genuine wisdom, experience and compassion to give, both as a father and as a teacher. I think that says a lot about just how much your boy already truly values the relationship you've both been trying to rebuild with one another, personally.

"Not only that, but it's because of you and your influence on him and his friends in their development as Heroes, that he's been able to come this far as well as he has. You have just as much credit to your name in that role as I or anyone else in this school, and that's not going to change any time soon. Not just because of all the help you've given me in helping Midoriya-shonen to prepare, but in just how high in esteem Kirishima-shonen and Uraraka-shoujo regard you and the lessons you've parted unto them, among many of the other students. I dare say in those two's particular case, and especially in your son's; you might as well be like a second father to them, just as much as you're a genuine father to Bezpalov-shonen. I'm surprised you haven't allowed yourself to really all of take that into consideration. He's becoming that much more capable of facing those dangers out there, because of you in all the roles you have to fill, Oleg-san, and I know that deep down, you know this to be true just as much as I do."

Toshinori stopped himself there, allowing Oleg a chance to really think back on all the examples he'd just been given, in order to regain the perspective he so badly needed, in order to get himself back to normal and clear his mind.

It was a slow and patient process, letting Oleg get his head through all the motions it needed to go through, so he could truly be able to breathe and rest easy, knowing he wasn't nearly the failure he'd been convincing himself he was as a parent. Finally, after who-knew-how-many minutes, his shoulders were no longer shaking, his breath was no longer uneven or stressed, and even his eyes looked like they weren't at risk of shedding tears anymore. Looking up to his watchful old friend, he finally nodded: "Thank you, Toshinori-san…no matter how simple it ultimately was…I needed that reminder."

With that same kindhearted smile on his narrow face, Toshinori once more offered a helping open hand. "Of course; not even as fellow Heroes, but as friends; I can't simply sit by and let you torture yourself like that after everything else you and your son have already gone through. Speaking of which, you think you're willing or ready to come back to the 1-A dorms with me? Bakugo-shonen and Todoroki-shonen have some good news I'm sure you'll want to hear…among other things."

This time, Oleg was clearly happy to accept the invitation; as soon the two men were making their way back to the 1-A dorm building. With no sound to be heard from within; Toshinori could only silently hope that meant the students had finished getting everything set up, and were officially in place once they were at the front door; his hand wasting no time before turning the handle and pushing.

POPOPOPOPOP!

"S DNEM ROZHDENIYA, PAPA (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD)/HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY, TUNGUSKA-SENSEI!"

In a barrage of party poppers and cheers, Oleg and Toshinori now found themselves being greeted by all the students of Classes A and B together with happy smiles on (most of) their faces; the commons area festooned with colorful decorations, with every table in the dining area adorned with all kinds of different Russian foods, and a large banner spanning across the whole room from the roof with the same 'Happy Birthday, Tunguska-sensei/Dad' written across it.

And the moment it all finally clicked together; just what he was looking at, Oleg let out an embarrassed laugh, momentarily smacking himself on the forehead. "Oh my God, I really am getting senile in my age! It's been almost a week and I never even stopped to realize!"

"We didn't even know until Kolya-kun told us this morning! Then you just know we had to do something for your special day, Sensei, no matter how far away it is!" Mina happily explained, with everyone but Bakugo gladly expressing the same, with Eijirou and Ochako both naturally being some of the most vocal among them: "Yeah, with everything you've taught us and been there to help us through, the only truly manly thing to do would be to show our gratitude in full!" "I just wish we would've found out the day of; then it wouldn't feel like we were trying to make up for it so hurriedly. Like Kolya-san, you deserve to really be able to enjoy your birthday like everyone else."

Izuku and Tooru were the next to speak up; the invisible girl putting aside all formalities and happily hugging Oleg; which he was still too deep in residual shock to even notice, while Tenya and Momo were both anxiously trying to get their classmate to stop being so improper. "We've never really been sure just what exactly you would like, so we just put our heads together, and I think we might have really nailed it, Tunguska-sensei." "Happy birthday, Sensei! Thank you for being such an awesome teacher for us, no matter what our Quirks are!"

Ochako and Mina were both quick to join in as well, while everyone else merely stuck to bowing and expressing the same gratitude; which quickly spurred Momo to gesture to the utter feast on display. "Uraraka-san, Ashido-san, Tetsutetsu-san, Tokage-san and myself wanted to make a smorgasbord of what might be some of your favorite foods from back home, and thankfully Bezpalov-san, Sato-san and Aoyama-san all were quite helpful in making sure it was all done as close to authentically as possible with the time we had. We sincerely hope it's to your liking as much as everyone else's, Sensei."

From there, Tenya suddenly began motioning for everyone to clear a path to a large object in the middle of the common area covered under a drape, which upon his suggestion, was quickly removed to reveal an astonishingly vivid and lifelike portrait of Tunguska surrounded by all the students in their Hero costumes; the light behind his head giving an especially warm air to the whole thing. And all across all empty space within the picture was every single one of the students' signatures.

As Oleg looked upon such a piece of masterful artwork with amazement in his eyes, Itsuka explained: "None of us in either class are as artistically gifted as Fukidashi-san, but we wanted you to see how much we all truly appreciate everything you've taught us with all our other teachers over this past year, so that was how we all thought it would best show that."

Finally, Oleg found the wherewithal to at least try to speak, which was hard enough when trying to not let himself emotionally crumble apart in front of all of them like this; this time out of gratitude than out of sadness.

But before the words could come, he found himself finally being approached by Nikolay alone, who presented him with something that made it genuinely difficult for his father to stay on his own two feet when he really took it in: a small but intricately detailed and fully colored wax sculpture, depicting Oleg in his young adulthood, looking as though he were flying upwards with a determined fist ahead of himself…joined at his side by the blue-and-white-clad, brown-haired, winged angelic figure that was his wife and Nikolay's mother, Lyudmila Bezpalova; Gamayun.

The sound of Oleg genuinely choking on his words the longer he looked upon it, rendered all the other students silent, while Nikolay remained before his father, feeling a similar emotional stinging in his eyes as he let Oleg get it all out while still trying to explain the reasoning for such a gift as this. "Maja-san provided the wax, and Kamakiri-san did the carving to make it as lifelike as we could get it. I know we've agreed to focus on the present instead of what came before, Dad…but I just thought it would be nice for you to have something with Mom that represented when things were good before…so we could both be able to look to her if we were lost from now on."

When Oleg lowered to his knees and pulled his son into a deeply emotional and freeing embrace; Nikolay finally let those long withheld tears run as well as he embraced his father in return; many of the other students visibly struggling to try and keep their own moved tears to themselves as Oleg whispered between his rasping gasps: "Thank you…thank you so much for this, Kolya…thank you all. None of you needed to go anywhere near this far for me…but I know that to show such graciousness, such kindness, is simply in your nature, not as Heroes, but as people. That is why I thank you all from the bottom of my heart…for being the best son…the best students…the best kids all around that a man like me or any of the teachers here could ask for."

As he and Oleg finally released their hugs on each other, Nikolay sucked in a deep breath and wiped his eyes. "Of course, Dad…and we all have you to thank for helping to make that as possible as it is now…I have you to thank, especially. So…would you and All Might-sensei maybe like to enjoy the party with us?"

The smile upon Oleg's face at his son's invitation only grew that much bigger when the other students likewise began to express their desire for him to partake; and especially when Toshinori suddenly chimed in: "As a matter of fact, I've just finished sending a message to Aizawa-san, Nezu-san and the other teachers, to see if they would perhaps like to join in; provided of course you all don't mind."

With not a single voice of protest being given, the long-awaited and delayed party to celebrate Oleg's 52nd birthday, and both classes' general gratitude for his being their teacher and some of their icon, could finally properly begin. And with every one of the other teachers soon arriving and quickly getting sucked into the festivities (for the part of most of them), the mood only seemed to rise higher and higher; added further by Kyouka and Denki gladly playing some of the more lively Russian folk tunes she had been practicing for Oleg, Midnight and eventually many of the other teachers and students to at least try dancing to.

After a good hour of dancing, delicious food and merriment to go all around, as Nikolay was now feeling especially tired from a spirited bit of dancing alongside many of his classmates; he soon found himself being tapped upon the shoulder by Oleg himself, who was motioning for his son to follow him further down the hall to the boys' wing, while everyone else was still completely enraptured in the party's atmosphere.

As soon as they were a good ways away to where they could actually hear each other, Nikolay looked at just how breathless and tuckered out Oleg was. [[You feeling okay, Dad? I get that you can't really dance long these days, but I didn't think you'd be so wiped out so soon.]]

With a hearty chuckle, Oleg motioned for his son to sit beside him on the nearby stairwell steps as he sat his large frame down. [[Oh, hush, it's going to happen to you one day when you're my age, too. Anyway, that's not what I called you here for, Kolya.]]

As soon as his son sat beside him, watching him attentively; Oleg took a deep breath and let out a truly tired sigh. [[No…I called you here because I…I wanted to apologize. Not for anything recent, but simply for…for not being the father you deserved all those years back, with everything we'd gone through. We both suffered immensely back then, but that didn't give me the right to forfeit my responsibilities to you as a real father, in place of simply serving as a protector. You needed more than that, and I just…I wasn't strong enough to accept and provide that for you when you needed it most. No matter how much we've grown together past those days, I can never take back my failings to you from back then, and I can only hope one day you'll be able to forgive me for those years as well as you've forgiven me for causing it all in the first place.]]

But with surprising immediacy, Nikolay answered with an air of indignation that Oleg hadn't braced himself for: [[Are you serious right now? After everything we've been through, all the ups and downs to this point, you're apologizing?! It's not like the blame for the way things were for us falls solely on you anymore, Dad! What about me?!]]

[[Kolya?]] Oleg couldn't help but ask, looking to his son with genuine confusion, while the young man looked especially distraught, hearing his father talk like this. [[It's not like I did anything to make our lives any easier back home, either; remember? Even when I was old enough to at least try processing all my feelings from back then after we'd settled in Vladivostok, I didn't; all I did was just hang onto all those feelings and let them fester into all that quiet anger and resentment for you and everything else having to do with Quirks; never once giving you the benefit of actually letting you know how I felt, and that just made us more and more distant! You needed to know you had a son that felt anything real towards you so you could at least know your efforts weren't wasted, and I didn't give that to you! For that, I'm the one that should be apologizing!]]

Trying to catch his breath after getting so surprisingly heated, Nikolay bowed his head in shame and continued: [[The fact is that back home, we were the one person the other needed most, and neither of us provided it, so we both share equal parts of the blame for that.]]

As Oleg began to likewise bow his head in acceptance of this; Nikolay suddenly lifted his head back up; a poignant light of actual acceptance in his eyes. [[But even with all of that being said; I wouldn't take back a moment of those times…because those are the times that we have, the times that I came to know you even a little bit through. No matter where you feel you failed, that doesn't change the fact that, all the ugly bits and all, you're the father I had then, the father I have now…and the only father I could ever ask for at this point. You might not have been perfect, just as much as I know I wasn't and still am not; but you're still the only Dad I know regardless, and I could never ask for or want any more than that from you. I love you.]]

The father and son resolutely brought their arms tight around each other as they embraced in the silence of that lonely stairwell; the echoes of the party reaching them as they simply let all their years of emotions come out through this one simple but all-telling gesture of family.

Nikolay could just feel all of the weight his father was still carrying as the man finally spoke up low and quiet: [[Thank you for at least letting an old man get his real feelings out there, Kolya. I've just been trying to process through a lot over this past year as I've watched you grow out there. You've grown into such a truly fine Hero, and just a good, kindhearted young man. Just that last thought alone couldn't help but get me feeling especially emotional recently, you should know.

[[Not only have you achieved such an incredible milestone of life; finding a wonderful young woman like malenkaya Ashido; who clearly loves you with everything she is, and for whom I know you feel the same; but I've also seen all those admiring smiles malenkaya Komori has been shooting your way throughout the party tonight alone; not to mention all the times I've overheard both malenkie Hagakure and Tokage describe you as cute over this past year. Even the real version of that Utsushimi Camie girl from Shiketsu High has even said as much to my face over those Remedial courses malenkie Bakugo and Todoroki had been going to, before forcing her number in my hand to give you. Of course, once I'd heard what had developed between you and malenkaya Ashido, there was no point in me doing so, naturally.]]

Even with his face feeling so hot with fluster, Nikolay couldn't help but just chuckle wholeheartedly to himself at the sight of his father being put in such an awkward position; all while also feeling relieved such a thing hadn't come to pass. But as soon as he was able to get that good-natured laughter back under control and open his eyes again, he was rendered speechless with what he was seeing:

Oleg was holding out a single large, visibly aged golden ring; something that his son instantly recognized, thus leaving him breathless. [[Dad…is that your…?]]

[[Yes, Kolya; it's the wedding band I've worn ever since your mother and I were married. After what happened to her, I swore I would never remove it, nor would I remove hers, simply for the strength of the bond we shared; the love we felt for each other. But now…seeing the kind of man you're clearly becoming, and the love that you and malenkaya Ashido feel for each other, I know what the right thing for me to do is. I want you to have this, Kolya, just as I know your mother would if she were in my position right now. Always keep it close to you…and when the day eventually comes that you two are truly ready to take that final leap…then go ahead and melt it down into two…and give one to her. Just as even one of our rings signified the unbreakable love that Lyudmila and I had, so too let it signify the unbreakable love that you and her have…my son.]]

Oleg silently let the ring fall from his large hand into Nikolay's waiting palms; the weight of it surprisingly heavier than he expected, as he looked upon this family heirloom with wide eyes and his heart caught in his throat. Even for as little as he truly knew of who his mother was as a day-to-day person, even he could just feel it in every fiber of his being, that his father was right: she would have wanted him to have one of these as well, and use them for when he knew the time would be right.

Nikolay didn't even feel the stinging in his eyes as the tears began once more to flow down his cheeks; his hand tightening closed around the ring in an all powerful grip, as he finally met his father's imploring gaze; his heart filled with resolution and sincerity. [[I will, Dad…I promise I will…I promise both of you, just as much as I promise Mina.]]

With a compassionate and grateful hand upon his son's shoulder, Oleg nodded with a genuinely touched smile. [[I know you will, Kolya. I'm more proud of you than I could ever be able to fully explain. Never let yourself doubt that for a second.]]

[[I know you are, Dad…thank you so much.]]

Sucking in another deep breath to try and re-calm his nerves, Nikolay rose back to his feet the moment Oleg did; the older man motioning back up the hall to the commons area. [[I'm sure by now everyone's wondering where the birthday man and the organizer have disappeared to. Best not keep them all guessing.]]

Upon their return to the party, it was almost as though everyone who had even noticed their absence had just as soon forgotten it, as the festivities organically picked back up; everyone by now truly being able to enjoy themselves their own ways.

Not very long after, with the time being what it now was, while not quite time for curfew; Nikolay eventually called for everyone's attention with an idea that virtually everyone could quickly get on board with as a great way to wrap up tonight: "Given that it's not only Dad's belated birthday, but also the winter season, I was thinking we could end things the way many of our people back home have done for many years at this time of year: an all-around classic movie of ours that's practically become a tradition, that I think even you all may be able to genuinely enjoy, and that I know is a definite favorite of his: 'Ironiya sud'by (The Irony of Fate)*."

Even without having to be told just what they would be getting into, Nikolay was immensely pleased at how open many of his schoolmates were to at least the idea of a free movie night by way of this, while he could also see Oleg look immensely excited at the prospect of seeing one of his lifelong favorites.

"Before we get into that, though, we need all your attention!" Principal Nezu suddenly interjected, not shouting but still speaking loud enough to quiet the whole room. As soon as he knew he had all his students' attention, he motioned for Aizawa to take the floor, and the homeroom teacher announced as blunt and straightforward as ever: "Now that Bakugo and Todoroki have caught up with all of you in receiving their Provisional Hero Licenses, there's no reason for further delay. You all recall what Nezu-san said when your internships were first postponed, about the Hero Work Recommendation Project; the opportunity for you all to continue your outside Hero work as groups when circumstances allowed? Well, consider yourselves fortunate, Class A, because that circumstance has come much sooner than you might've expected."

All at once, the memory of that one hopeful caveat to what had then been an outright depressing change in their routines, ignited a fire of excitement among all the students of Class A, while some of the Class B students needed to physically silence Neito from running his mouth in response to this.

Motioning for his students to quiet back down, Aizawa continued: "We've been contacted by the Hero Public Safety Commission about a potential situation that can give you all the chance to participate in this program. Starting this coming Saturday, you're all going to be sent together to a place called Nabu Island. Their local Pro Hero has recently announced his retirement, so until another can be found to officially take his place, you're all going to be sent there to act as your own Yuuei Hero Agency to assist the locals with any and all incidents to occur. Fortunately, Nabu Island has a comparatively low crime rate from the rest of Japan, so this will be a good chance for you all to showcase not only what skills you've learned for when you're out in the field, but also your professional skills in running an Agency and organizing efforts as situations arise."

Of course, while everyone could still hear what their teacher was explaining to them; everyone in Class A was simply too overwhelmed with the excitement of this upcoming field trip/work assignment they would all get to participate in together; the idea of the whole of Class 1-A getting to live out the seemingly impossible dream of working together as one big Hero Agency of their own making Mina, Tooru and Ochako all look and cry out in an absolutely ecstatic rush. This was by far the single best thing that could happen to them all just behind their internships being fully reinstated.

With their spirits all soaring sky high with anticipation, the rest of this celebratory night was absolutely abuzz for when the day of their departure would come; all while Vlad King wholeheartedly assured his equally anxious students that their chance to participate in such a project would come in due time just as well.

At least, save for the momentary hiccup in the beginning when, while Nikolay headed up to his room to get the copy he'd recently found of their movie of choice; they ended up flipping on the actual cable for the TV, which was currently playing a commercial depicting a multitude of people with very prominent mutant Quirks walking a pleasant suburban street, before ultimately gathering around as though for a group photo.

And no sooner had the commercial started, than Denki quickly pointed out: "Man, they're still playing this commercial after what happened to their boss last week? I mean, their whole business shifting is old news by now, right?"

However, Momo sounded utterly respectful by comparison: "I feel it's precisely because of that, that they're continuing to air it, likely as a show of resilience against hardship. That kind of dedication is admirable, to say the least."

"Wow, you're so understanding to a company basically moving in to compete against your folks' business, aren't you, Yaoyorozu-san?" Hanta opined with an amused grin, making Momo blush in embarrassment at potentially making an unnecessary spectacle of herself, all while this apparent old commercial from this company now presenting its logo on screen as Detnerat, aired its last seconds.

Detnerat Company Headquarters, Tokyo, two weeks ago, November 20th

"A classy lady who happens to have four arms. A gentleman with a handsome coat of fur. A squishy boy with skin like gelatin. Individuals like these fine people used to belong to the minority. But the appearance of the extraordinary continued to accelerate, bringing us into their era. While mass production and consumer culture had been expanding ever since the Industrial Revolution, this phenomenon suddenly pumped the brakes. By the time everyone realized, it was too late!

"Those with newer types of bodies spent their days just trying to find products to fit their daily needs. 'Everyone is so different!' they cried! Many found themselves struggling in this new era for that reason alone! We've made a point of never forgetting that history, while creating products to suit each and every valued customer. We offer customized designs, guaranteed on your doorstep in three days or less! It's the technology and the proprietary system behind this personal touch that have made us number one in the lifestyle products industry!

"And now the world of Heroes, too, can expect big things from the Detnerat Company!"

With those closing words, the recording of the newest television commercial for Detnerat; one of the biggest lifestyle companies in Japan, whom had recently announced their official branching out into the Support Item industry mere days ago; came to an end, drawing an amused chuckle from the single man watching it: a skinny middle-aged man dressed in a sharp black pinstripe suit with a dark green undershirt beneath it; his head adorned with thinning orange hair, and his face pronounced by an especially large pointed nose.

This man was none other than Rikiya Yotsubashi, the long-time-serving CEO of all of Detnerat, through whom every single decision passed through with no exception. And right now, having just been shown his companies' newest commercial, of which he was the presenting and upfront star, he was joined only by his closest assistant; a young man with a circular mousey head, in a no less sharp, but less empowering-looking light business suit, named Miyashita. "As our bold CEO, you requested that this new version of the commercial come with no logos, text, bells or whistles, at least until the very, very end, sir. I hope this met your expectations."

Leaning back calmly in his chair, Rikiya continued to chuckle, forlornly rubbing at his exposed forehead, thanks to his slightly receded hairline. "Well, it certainly did, Miyashita-kun…I just wish we could do something to hide this large forehead of mine, is all."

"Honestly, sir, I would say that's actually a selling point." Miyashita answered straightforwardly, though his casual mouse smile very thoroughly hid how nervous he always was in his bosses' presence, never knowing if he would risk saying the wrong thing that could end up costing him his job.

But alas, Rikiya's own smile never conveyed any such offense being taken, still simply chuckling in amusement. "You're always so honest, aren't you, Miyashita-kun?"

While his assistant let out a sigh of apparent relief, Rikiya leaned forward, his furrowed brow conveying a more serious air about him. "As for our expansion…reactions are just about as bad as I'd expected."

Looking over the paperwork in his arms, Miyashita replied: "Of course, sir. We are talking about consumer and business needs versus Hero Support. It's like night and day, really, considering that unlike established Support companies like the one owned by the Yaoyorozu conglomerate, we don't have a history in the field of battle-oriented tools and gear. It's almost like the entire sector is a party, and we're suddenly gate-crashing—"That's enough, Miyashita-kun! All joking aside, we need to get serious here."

The split second rise in Rikiya's voice had once again left Miyashita silent and fearing for the future of his career, until he saw his boss once again smiling pleasantly, leaving him breathing another sigh of relief. 'He's always in such a forgiving mood.'

Indeed, in contrast to just how much Miyashita's summation made it sound like they were well in over their heads, Rikiya's serious grin was full of nothing but confidence. "Remember, Miyashita-kun: our company has long catered to a wide range of Meta Abilities. Our track record there is solid, so I'm confident this move is a good one."

"Meta Abilities, sir?" Miyashita's question was as innocent as could be, but still managed to get a surprised minor jolt out of Rikiya, who hurriedly began rummaging through one of the drawers of his desk, before pulling out a single book adorned with what looked like two ink blots on the cover, which possessed only a single title: 'Meta Liberation War.'

"Ah, yes, I mean Quirks! Apologies, I just really have this book on the brain, I guess! It's the reprint, you know? I suppose somebody must've just felt the time was right for it. It really is a shame that so much of the terminology in here has changed so drastically in the years since."

Miyashita's beady eyes only barely widened upon recognition of the book in his bosses' hand. "Oh, the book by the Meta Liberation Army's commander? I actually just recently gave it a read, too, but I just couldn't get into it. I mean, all those acts of terrorism, getting all those people caught up in who knows what; yet he tries to dress it all up with fancy writing, talking about "Liberation" this, "Liberation" that. The whole time, I couldn't help but picture the guy as just a ranting criminal."

As he stated all of this with so much casual ease, Miyashita began to take his leave from his bosses' office, never once aware of the sudden change in his once jovial and approachable mood; barely even hearing the sound of the man's chair being pushed back for him to stand up.

With a swiftness that the mousey employee didn't expect, he suddenly found his bossy right at his side, a single arm laid over his shoulders as though they were old friends having a heart-to-heart. "I'm sorry, Miyashita-kun. You've got no family, right?"

Now, his young assistant was looking truly uncomfortable, but still wasn't daring to come across as rude. "N-no, sir. My mother passed last year."

"I see. A significant other, perhaps?"

"No, sir, I'm single. But what exactly is this all about?"

SHHF!

With incredible swiftness and precision, Rikiya suddenly brought his laying arm around Miyashita's neck, meeting his right hand with his left as he began to pull his arm tighter and tighter; their position almost making it look as though he were whispering secrets into his now frightened, ensnared assistant's ear, when in actuality, they could both hear the increasing sound of popping joints as the pressure increased. "You've done truly great work here, Miyashita-kun. Better than anyone else in this company, in fact. So…why, Miyashita-kun?! What a shame it is…I was actually considering introducing you to all the other members. Even if you'd refused, we might've found another way to go about this!"

Miyashita was now far too scared to even listen to what Rikiya was telling him, as he was far more focused on futilely trying to wrestle his way out of his bosses' chokehold, as he could feel his neck starting to give way from this unbelievable strength coming from such a skinny-built man of his age.

And it was because his senses were so dulled by his fear and desperation, that Miyashita never saw how, as Rikiya's face intensified, a multitude of black marks began to form from his temples and across his brow. "Alas, we…DON'T SEE EYE TO EYE."

"S-Sir…y-y-you're…h-hurting m"—KRRRRUNCH!

With the sound of bones snapping like twigs, all resistance in the young worker's body vanished, and Rikiya finally released his grip, letting Miyashita's now lifeless body crumple to the floor at his feet; the poor unfortunate young man never getting the chance to see the tears of genuine remorse running down his bosses' face as he breathed deeply and shakily. "Really…a shame. I'll never…forget you, Miyashita-kun."

Later that same day, as soon as he had left work for the day, Rikiya was being driven across the city to a place he made a point of going every single week. It was hardly nondescript; a well known hotel to many…but what that many didn't know, was just what was going on behind its more secretive closed doors with every meeting he attended.

And every time he made this journey, looking out at the vast multitudes of people walking the streets, filling the screens with their countless unique Meta Abilities on full display; it always got him to reflect so far back in his head, far beyond what any normal man in his position in life would…for it was those long distant historical memories immortalized on paper that defined and drove his very purpose every waking moment of every day, with every step he took from his limo, up those steps, and all the way to his secret meeting room on the upper floors.

'After the great period of chaos brought about by the advent of the extraordinary, people wanted peace. They started planning ways to coexist with Metas. But among Metas themselves, there was a pervasive, natural-born desire, an animalistic instinct for which they all strived to achieve: Liberation over Suppression. Wielding one's abilities freely through their own free will seemed like it should be a natural-born basic human right.

'Such was the unspoken desire in Metas for several generations since the advent…but it was one man further down the line; Yotsubashi Chikara; who finally stepped forward and unified those same liberationists and their descendants, to form the Meta Liberation Army. He gave himself the name 'Destro'; for the one who would destroy the established status quo.

'While the government went ahead, trudging forward with pushing legislation; Destro opposed the powers that be and vied for supremacy, prompting a struggle that ended several years later with his arrest and defeat. His army was dissolved, and many of his followers were likewise caught. While in prison, the man himself did some writing before ultimately taking his own life.

'But unbeknownst even to himself, he had a child out there roaming freely in the world…a child that will take up his mantle, his cause, and give his all to seeing his vision for the future brought to life!'

With that silent vow resonating in his head the same as it did every single day; Rikiya strode confidently into the dimly lit meeting room he always came here for; where gathered around the single long table were five individuals:

Koku Hanabata, the head of the Hearts & Minds political party; a middle-aged man with short black hair and a light mustache, dressed in a sharp black suit with a dark grey scarf over his shoulders, and blue-tinted sunglasses.

Chitose Kizuki, the publishing executive director of Shoowaysha, one of Japans biggest and most celebrate publishing houses; a young adult woman with long smooth purple hair, light blue skin, and green eyes with black sclera, dressed in large gold earrings, and a black shoulder-less dress under a red, black-trimmed jacket.

Another young man with his face completely obscured, as he was dressed in a thick Eskimo-style jacket.

Tomoyasu Chikazoku, one of the board members of the massive communications company, Feel Good Inc; a much taller middle-aged man with very long straight black hair over a skinny and tense, pale and long face, dressed in a similarly sharp all-black suit.

And finally the widely celebrated, enigmatic modern artist, Tsuguharu Fukuzawa; a fourth young man with tired-looking purple eyes with heavy bags underneath, with short bowl-cut black hair whose bangs ended in white; dressed in a silver track-suit under a heavy black hooded overcoat.

With all five of his most trusted associates here before him, Rikiya removed the wide-brimmed hat he often traveled with, revealing the black splotches that had started to form on his brow before, now completely encapsulated the area around and between his eyes, almost resembling a robber's mask smeared on with motor oil. "Any progress?"

The sharp-dressed man in sunglasses immediately answered: "We found and picked up someone with a potential connection to the League. If we're going to make contact with them, it should be through him, and it should definitely be sooner than later."

With a confident grin, Rikiya brought his right arm up, putting his thumb to his forehead with his index finger pointing resolutely to the sky. "Move on that. They are enemies to the Liberation Army, and since the state itself seems to be having trouble dealing with them, then it's up to us. I, Re-Destro, swear on Destro's good name that we will put an end to the League of Villains!"

With no further ado, while the sunglasses-wearing man was silent speaking into his phone at Rikiya's order; the sole woman among the group spoke up with no sense of awe at the sincerity in their leader's vow: "On that note; what's all this about your company branching out into the Hero Support industry?"

With his smile never wavering, Rikiya, or Re-Destro, answered so matter-of-factly: "Right…if it's a track record you're worried about, we have it. This country is full of those who lie in wait, hoping for Liberation."

"And you don't worry that if those individuals were to get captured by Heroes, that they might link their equipment to your company, and thereby to the rest of us?" The young black-white-haired man suddenly asked; the sincerity of his question unable to be masked by the nervous and awkward tone with which he said it.

Taking his own seat at the head of the table as the black marks around his eyes vanished, Rikiya was completely unperturbed by his associates' doubts. "Not at all. The products I'm leaking into the black market are constantly monitored. If things are looking risky, I make them self-destruct, leaving no trace. All the while, we're gathering a ton of valuable battle data."

"A businessman to the end…all to further the Liberation agenda," the long-haired lanky man muttered to himself in summation, just before his phone began to hum, prompting him to look. "Your guest is here."

Any sign of surprise Re-Destro could have shown was well-hidden. "Already? Did you already have him in hold by the time I got here? That was so fast."

The grin on the long-haired man's face couldn't have looked more proud. "You told us you wanted to get in contact with the League by any means necessary, and your word is just as infallible as Destro's. Although, he hasn't told us much of anything so far."

"Do you still really think that us crossing swords with the League is as foolproof a plan as you said?" The nervous-sounding young man among them suddenly asked, catching curious looks from Re-Destro and the others. "I mean, after the havoc they wreaked all around and in Moscow all on their own, you can't blame me for expressing concerns we might be overestimating our abilities against them."

But to this, Re-Destro let out a good-natured chuckle. "There's no need to fear. You must remember that those people made the grave mistake of getting rid of any Metas they had left to protect them years ago. Anyone with Abilities could've been able to leave that kind of damage in their wake with the proper motivation. The Liberation Army is a far different beast than the likes of them or the Shie Hassaikai. The League themselves will discover that soon enough."

Ding!

With the ring of the elevator doors, the group now found themselves being joined by two especially tough-looking men in matching suits, dragging between them a badly beaten and bruised middle-aged man with short grey hair, broken tinted glasses, a purple suit and pink scarf, with a ratty small mustache and a missing tooth; with half his face already swollen from the bruises.

As the two heavies forced their unwilling guest into a chair so the whole group could look at him; the sharp-dressed man who had originally called for him to be brought up carried on: "The search for his client list apparently turned up nothing. He claims he destroyed any such list."

"What a scrupulous fellow!" Re-Destro exclaimed with a bemused smirk as he and his associates rose from their eats to get a closer look; the prisoner not even lifting his head to look any of them in the eye, while the Eskimo-suited man chimed in: "This guy helps the League of Villains to recruit, and even provides them with Support Items."

"Yes, there's no doubt that the infamous Giran the Broker has plenty of juicy info on the League for us," the blue-skinned woman finally declared with the utmost confidence, which surprisingly managed to get Giran himself to start chuckling, even despite the pain all over his body as Re-Destro towered over him.

"Of all the…never thought anyone would trace it back to me. It would have to be someone with plenty of time on their hands. And look what we have here. If it ain't the President Forehead of the Detnerat Company, himself. Y'know…I gotta say, I resent all of this. I've been making bank off all this info and black market stuff since I started. But now it's looking like your big, legit company is trying to step in on my racket?"

But despite the pitiful-looking broker's taunts, Re-Destro looked not the least bit shaken; his friendly businessman's smile still ever present on his face. "Name your price."

"Hehehehehehe…"

A quiet, ragged and painful-sounding chuckling began to emanate from Giran's chest before he finally lifted his face to look his captors in the eyes mockingly. "Business dealings…are something y'do face-to-face. And I only make deals with people I respect. Not guys who decide to kick the crap outta me first. Sure, I might know a lot about the League. Might not. Either way, you ain't getting' a thing outta me. CAUSE WHAT KINDA MERCHANT SELLS OUT HIS CUSTOMERS?! THANKS, BUT COME AGAIN WHEN YOU GOT THE GUTS TO DO THIS RIGHT!"

However, where anybody else would have easily lost their temper to the point of blind rage in the face of such stubborn defiance and mockery; Re-Destro instead had a much more subtly intent-filled grin on his narrow, pointed face. "You and I…are going to be spending plenty of time together, it seems."

One week later, December 2nd

"No…hmm…mm…n-no…no…n…*gasp*!"

With a genuine gasp of surprise, Vukodlak stirred awake from the deep slumber he'd somehow managed to lull himself into; his inhumanly sharp eyes quickly making out the details of the dark bedroom he'd taken for his own. And it was hardly a second after he'd woken himself up from the dreams racing through his head, that he realized he wasn't alone in here. He could easily make out the eagerly grinning form of Himiko kneeling watchfully at his side upon his bed; her piercing yellow eyes reflecting her typical childlike excitement, like a little girl waiting for her parent to wake up on Christmas morning. "Good morning, Sensei! Did you know that you mumble a lot in your sleep? You've been doing it nonstop since you got back and crashed here two whole days ago!"

Vukodlak didn't reflect any surprise at either her words or her presence. With all the hard work he'd been putting in for the last several days that the League's ranks had been scattered; bouncing back and forth between looking after Twice, helping Dabi, and now finally coming back to keeping an eye on Himiko; it was only natural for even someone like him to finally give in to his physical needs and get some much-needed sleep. After all, he'd instructed her to stay at this new hiding spot of theirs a few days ago so he could assist Dabi in his recent business against Endeavor, as well as conducting their initial meetings with Hawks.

The fact he'd come back after all that time and found she hadn't done anything to expose herself to the outside, let alone burn the house down by accident or otherwise, had given him reason enough to trust her on her own while he slept. But now, he knew he wasn't going to get anymore anytime soon.

As Vukodlak let out a tired sigh as he sat at the edge of his bed, Himiko began rocking back and forth on her knees with curious excitement. "I've heard you mumble like that all the others times I've watched you sleep before, too, Sensei! What do you dream about every night? Is it something gross? Something romantic? C'mon, tell me, tell me, please!"

"The past." Vukodlak answered as bluntly as a hammer to a nail; leaving Himiko smiling with even more eagerness. "Oooh! Like what? Do you dream about your folks and your old village? Is it about those three traitors we had to leave to die back in Russia? Oh! Is it about that time you used to be a Hero with Kolya-kun's old man, Tunguska? Huh?!"

By now, Himiko was childishly rocking herself while holding onto Vukodlak's shoulders as she kept urging him to give her an answer. Thankfully for her, by now he'd become far more used to this much more annoyingly persistent side of her, as he didn't even growl in response before finally saying anything: "The first and last one."

With that, he could just feel his student's sharp eyes watching his every facial tic as she laid her arms on his right shoulder, and proceeded to rest her head on her arms while watching him. "Aww, do you miss those days sometimes, Sensei?"

That was the part that finally got Vukodlak growling lowly; which instead of inspiring fear, only drove Himiko to start giggling sweetly in amusement. "Oh, relax, Sensei, I'm just teasing!"

But with that, she proceeded to plop flat on her back on the bed, looking as though she were daydreaming while staring up at the ceiling in the darkness. "Y'know, I sometimes think about that kinda stuff, too. Like, what would I be like right now if things before went a little different, and stuff. I mean, my parents often told me all about what's right and wrong. What do you think, Sensei? If things back in my hometown were a little different then, do you think I might've become a Hero instead, like you were?"

As Vukodlak begrudgingly laid back down opposite her, he answered in a low tone dripping with his typical cynicism: "You certainly could've tried…but the one thing that humans can never truly conquer, it's their own nature. It varies from person to person, but people like you and me; we have our own distinct nature, Toga-san. Hell, all our allies out there do. You could've tried to become a Hero, but I know your nature far too well by now. You one day would've ended up giving in to it, and you'd be right where you are at this very moment, regardless. I made that foolish decision before, so I know what I'm talking about. Us, we're following the paths that our natures have carved for us to walk on our own, side-by-side.

"The society that Heroes have created in this world, has already decided that it will never have a rightful place for those with natures like us. That's why, if either of us want to be able to live free and make a world where people like us and those with even less power don't have to live under the boots of others; we need to dedicate ourselves to being a better class of Villain than the rest: a class with the conviction to see our respective visions to the end."

At some point in that little speech, Vukodlak had consciously stopped talking solely to Himiko, and was now referring that conviction to himself. But that didn't even register to the young female Villain herself, as she was just rolling around on the bed, kicking her legs and giggling incessantly. "Oh, you sounded so super cool just now, Sensei! So dramatic, so serious! Tomura, All For One and that guy in the needle he's been talking to have really been rubbing off on you for a while now, huh?"

Ding-dong!

Suddenly, the sound of a doorbell came echoing up from the ground floor below. Like a shot, Vukodlak was off the bed and back on his feet; slipping on the latest full-body Disguising sheet he'd created and left here the first day he and Himiko had settled.

Donning the form of a tall but kindly-looking old man with glasses, short white hair and a neatly trimmed goatee, the foreign Villain quickly swept his finger across his throat to adjust his vocal chords to where he knew he needed them to be, just in time to reach the front door and open it; revealing a single friendly young postal deliveryman who looked visibly surprised to see the old man before him, while carrying a couple small boxes in one arm, and a clipboard in the other.

"Oh, Derashite-san, how good to see you again! Your granddaughter had said you'd been away on business a few days ago the last time I'd come by!" Under the disguise, Vukodlak breathed a sigh of relief that, on the one instance Himiko had needed to open the door for this guy in his absence, she'd remembered to wear the disguise he'd left for her.

"Yes, it was more of a visit with some old colleagues, is all. It's just nice to be home again," he answered with his voice completely disguised, while continuing the usual procedure of signing for the packages and gratefully accepting them.

"I hope you don't mind my saying so, Derashite-san; but you've really been going all out with ordering these particular parcels lately."

Vukodlak's whole body momentarily paused; his usual instinct telling him that this man was getting too close to asking dangerous questions to be allowed to live. But, just for the sake of hopefully saving his cover, he maintained a pleasant smile. "I can understand, but when you get old enough to retire, you'll also come to find how fulfilling it is to turn what was your profession into a simple hobby."

With a kindhearted chuckle, the delivery man finally proceeded to take his leave. "Maybe not my line of work, but I can definitely see what you're saying! Sorry for prying! You have a nice rest of your day!"

With a similarly pleasant parting wave, Vukodlak finally shut the door, and proceeded to slip out of his disguise again, before placing the new packages in a corner of the living room, where over two dozen other similar small boxes were piled up.

The house that Vukodlak and Himiko were currently holing up in, was actually the home of a highly regarded and thankfully long-retired former geologist and geology professor named Terakatsu Derashite; the perfect person for the two Villains to remove and take the place of, with the specific instruction Tomura had given them the last time they'd met face-to-face. This collection of small parcels was the result of their following those instructions down to the letter: for Vukodlak to use the small pinch of the League's financial haul from Russia to convert into yen in small doses, and subsequently use under Derashite's name and guise, to order soil samples from as many foreign nations as possible in their time spent in hiding.

Naturally, even Vukodlak had initially been skeptical when given these instructions, but all Tomura had told him he needed to know then, was that it was suggested to him by none other than the spirit in the needle; that of the once-believed-mythological Koschei the Deathless; in preparation for the day when the young Villain would be ready to take in his powers alongside All For One's.

With that task for the day officially done, and no new instructions to speak of, Vukodlak returned to his bedroom upstairs. Himiko was mindlessly flipping through the channels on the TV while he hung up the Disguising Slip in the closet and returned his vocal chords to normal.

However, the moment he was face down on the bed again, Himiko began to let out an obnoxious groan, like a child on the verge of throwing a tantrum. "How much longer do we have to stay here doing nothing like this, Sensei? This is so booooooring! Why haven't Tomura or the others called us with anything new lately?"

"Why don't you call them up and ask? I'm sure they'll be more than happy to hear this from you right now." Vukodlak muttered; his voice muffled by the pillow, while Himiko ultimately stopped on a channel displaying some kind of random variety show; just before it cut to a commercial, which she immediately started roasting. "Just look at this baldy guy, Sensei. With a nose that big, he should call himself Pinocchio, right?"

VRRRRRM!

As though the universe had heard Himiko's bored cries of frustration; hers and Vukodlak's phones both began to vibrate; spurring them both to action and answering in near perfect unison. "Tomura?!" "Shigaraki-san?"

With not even a simple greeting to confirm; Tomura's voice emanated from the other end of both: "You two and Dabi have been waiting out there for long enough. It's time for you to come back to the quarry. No questions."

Vukodlak and Himiko could both pick up the distinct air of tiredness lining Tomura's words, but before either of them could ask, the call had already been ended. His instructions had been clear: it was time for the two of them to finally leave.

But this didn't inspire the excitement in Himiko that a call like this should have done. These were very familiar instructions as before; which for her and her mentor, meant that back in their official stomping grounds, nothing had truly changed, which brought a frustration all its own.

But Vukodlak wasn't about to start voicing that frustration like Himiko would, as he was once more back on his feet. "Alright, I'll get things set up for after we leave. Toga-san, get your disguise on and put the parcels in the car, alright?"

But as he began to head out the door to cross the walkway to the other bedroom on the other side of the house; his inescapable sense of smell picked up something very potent just behind his back from out of nowhere; driving him to look back and stare in shock, as Himiko was smiling happily at him, while having used the tip of one of her knives to cut the end of her right index finger, her blood already running down her hand from it. "You wanna come and have a taste, Sensei?"

But Vukodlak was far from being in any mood to humor her doing something this reckless. "What the hell do you think you're doing, now of all times, Toga-san?!"

But even the fierceness of her teacher and ally's yelling didn't discourage Himiko one bit as she decided to approach him instead. "I mean it when I say that one day, I wanna kill you so I can take your place, Sensei…but that's only because I love you; not just as my sensei, but as my best friend…and even like my papa; the papa I always wished I'd had, who could accept me for who and what I really am, like you do. A papa is supposed to protect his own…so if you taste y blood now, then no matter what happens to either of us, you'll always be able to find me, y'know? Doesn't that just sound amazing and magical?"

To her awe; it actually looked like Himiko opening up about such personal feelings for her beloved teacher, had left Vukodlak visibly at a loss for words. Her overly open affectionate personality was as far from anything new for him as could be…but ever since his self-reflection back in the fires of Moscow, as to just how connected he'd come to truly feel not just to her but to the League as a whole; to now hear her say such things had stricken a new chord within him.

And that was why he ultimately decided to grant Himiko's request and proceeded to wipe up the blood from her hand and ingest it from there; the sensation of her sole personal scent embedding itself in his brain, causing his whole body to shudder, before quickly reaching and applying his Super Regeneration Quirk to her finger, instantly healing the small cut. And the entire time, she had the most joyful fanged smile on her face; squealing with excitement the whole time.

"Thank you, Toga-san. Now come on, we're burning daylight." That was all Vukodlak could bring himself to say, which was more than enough to bring Himiko to quickly don her disguise and make her way downstairs, hurriedly transferring the pile of small parcels of international dirt into the back of the one car in the garage.

All the while, Vukodlak, back in his disguise, was busy dragging the dead body of the actual Terakatsu Derashite from the other bedroom; his neck visibly broken, but fortunately with no other visible sign of fatal injury. That was precisely what Vukodlak needed when he and Himiko had first come here, just for this very occasion.

With no hesitation, he proceeded to toss the dead geology professor's body down the stairs just at the right enough angle to where it would have been impossible for him not to break his neck at the angle it already was. It would be the perfect setup for the next step in covering their tracks.

Lighting a single candle on the kitchen counter, Vukodlak proceeded to turn on the gas for the nearby stove, keeping the pressure just low enough to where it would take a while for it to meet the flame and trigger the fire to follow. By the time the authorities would arrive here, not only would the entire house have burnt to the ground, and Derashite's body would be burnt to a crisp, but it would look like he had smelled the smoke from the fire down below, and in his instinctive panic, had missed his footing and gone tumbling fatally down the stairs. The perfect cover-up, at least for the time he and Himiko would need to get away scot free.

With that taken care of, and Himiko having by now moved the last of the boxes into the car; the two Villains quickly got in and casually drove out. If any neighbors would have paid any attention to their leaving, they would have simply figured it for a nice family outing.

As they proceeded to drive through the pleasant neighborhood streets on their way out of this city; the disguised Himiko lay back in her seat with an eager grin on her face. "Oh, I can't wait to see Jin, Tomura and the others again! These last few weeks have been so dull! I'm so jealous you actually got to fight some Heroes with Dabi so recently, Sensei. Do you think we'll get to have that kind of fun again soon?"

But the disguised Vukodlak refused to take his eyes off the road or drive even remotely carelessly, so as to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. "We'll just have to see what happens once we get back home, Toga-san. We've still got a bit of a drive ahead of us, so maybe just try and get a little rest, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Papa-sensei!" Himiko answered with an especially pleased grin on her face, completely ignoring Vukodlak's instinctive response for her not to call him that, while she got comfortable and closed her eyes, eager to see if things were finally going to change at all for the better for the League of Villains, after the insane near-two months they'd been having since taking their revenge on the Hassaikai.

And there it is, everyone. I obviously had to get creative with rearranging certain parts of the sequence of events for this arc, in order to keep the rest of this year in the timeline from being absolutely and ridiculously jam-packed.

I hope you enjoyed what you read here. Please be sure to let me know through either PM's or reviews; either one is just fine for me.

I hope you all have a great rest of your week, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 04/08!