Hello again, everybody! I honestly don't have a whole lot to say this time around going in, other than that I hope you enjoyed this take on the Endeavor Agency Arc so far, especially the last two chapters. I'm trying my best to keep up with this bi-weekly uploading schedule, but since my next college semester begins this coming Monday, I'm looking at that much less free time outside my day job to write, but I'm done letting all of you down after having had to extend my schedule as much as I have already.
If you like what I've been doing with this story recently, I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave me your thoughts and feelings in reviews.
Thank you all for continuing to come back and read my story every single day like you have after all this time. Thank you to my two beta readers and consultants, Jonny and Carlos, and thank you to the current roster of artists on DA who have helped contribute their own pieces to help bring this take on the MHA story to life: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, effasempai, Eliza-Frost, Venera-Taro, Shallisey-N and Yumake; and I'm especially excited to say that there may be a couple new artists to add to that list before too much longer!
My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them.
A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.
Chapter 135
Family Bond
(Семейные Узы)
'I'm going to face them, and make up for what I've done.'
Being as goal-obsessed as Endeavor always had been; he had always driven himself through every day by silently repeating his primary goal like a mantra: to either become the next Number One Hero, or to create a future Number One powerful enough to surpass the likes of All Might.
But ever since he had finally achieved his new rank, he had been left with the emptiness of having no new goal to put his all towards achieving. However, that lack of direction didn't last long. With the ability to finally stop and reflect on all he had done in order to get to where he was now, he'd finally received the clarity he couldn't believe he'd gone so long without, as to just what damage he had wrought on his family in the process. Hence, he'd finally found his new daily goal-based mantra to drive him forward.
In his lack of understanding, he'd convinced himself that one way he could begin to repair that damage was by helping Shoto to achieve his own goal of becoming his own kind of Number One Hero. But as time passed, and the true reach of the resentment of all his children had become undeniably clear to him, he'd been left with no clue as to exactly how he was going to be able to begin making up for his errors.
Fortunately for him, his only daughter, Fuyumi, had long-since proven herself to be the most willing to give him the chance, as had just been made certain by her recent call to invite him, her little brother and his friends to their family home for dinner tonight; which he had all but forced himself to accept.
Her desperate sincerity in wanting to try and rebuild their family relationship had done much to make him realize he needed to work just as hard for it; but willingness to do so and knowing how were very different things, and he still found himself no closer to finding the perfect way to make things up to his family; even after having had to swallow his pride enough to ask advice from both Tunguska and his son.
Having to ask a Hero he had considered nothing but a cheap All Might wannabe for so long had been hard enough, even if the idea of trying to present himself as the Hero his own kids would want to save them had seemed like something actually feasible; had it not been for just how emotionally distant his two sons had all proven themselves to clearly be.
But the mentor having to ask advice from one of his own students; such a thought normally would have made the Flame Hero sick to his stomach.
But by now, Endeavor was simply too frustrated and desperate for an answer to his dilemma, to let his pride blind him any further. As he sat in the silence of his office to further ruminate on his circumstances after the call with his daughter; his heart weighed heavily within his chest, more than it ever had before.
'For me to have spent so much time and effort to become the Number One Hero, only to have it handed down to me…that was the one thing I kept thinking I had to do…but everything I thought I understood now feels so turned around. Ever since my promotion, I've fallen asleep every night asking myself just what else there is I can possibly do for the sake of my family.
'Nowhere I've looked has given me an answer that I feel I can reach. Shoto and Natsuo are both unwilling to open themselves up to me…nor do I have any real idea how to do the same for them. Being a Hero is all I've ever known how to do…how do I begin to actually be a father? How is it that someone like Tunguska could make the monumental mistake he had made, and allow his son's emotions to fester into the hate he said he had for the man… and yet somehow still be able to forge a true emotional connection and understanding with his child, while I can't even begin to do so, myself? Have I truly doomed my family from never being able to have the bond we should have, and thus never be able to achieve our fullest potential altogether?'
As he asked this of himself, Endeavor's eyes slowly sank in deeply pained resignation. 'Who am I trying to fool with such ignorance? Of course I have. Rei still being in the hospital after all this time will forever be a reminder of just how deeply I've damaged all of them. Trying to open up and play the role of father with them can't undo that at all. Only when she's back home can I even hope to begin making up for my actions…and that's still being overly optimistic on my part.'
In his silent contemplation, Endeavor finally rose from his seat, pacing his office in thought as he began to reflect further. As much as it felt like he had no answer to his family's pain, it didn't feel completely hopeless. The more he thought about it, the more he came to consider that perhaps a sign of a solution was in fact sitting before him that he just hadn't wanted to stop and consider.
While he did indeed ask himself what he could do now for his family before he slept every night; so too did he find himself having the same distinct dream every night: a dream of his wife and children finally reunited, sitting at the family dinner table, for once all smiling and laughing, talking heartily with each other. He could see them all actually being happy.
Except there was one thing that this dream always came to that became harder and more painful to acknowledge with each passing night: in these dreams of his family truly being happy again…he was the only one who was never there.
It was a horrible possibility to consider, but the one thing Endeavor wanted to focus on from this point forward was a way to make it so that his family could actually be happy again, and if his daughter was giving him this chance to take even just that first step towards making that a reality, then he would take it without a moment's hesitation. It gave him a direction, it gave him a goal that was far greater and far more important than himself. In that way, she was ultimately saving him, and he would not let that be for nothing.
Nikolay and his partners, except perhaps Shoto, didn't know exactly what to expect in terms of lodgings after Endeavor had accepted them as his interns. But even for being the Number One Hero in the entire country, none of them had expected the quarters for the sidekicks, and now for them, to be as elegant and visually luxurious as they were. It felt like something taken from an entirely different building, like a first-class hotel that most working-class people wouldn't even be able to dream of experiencing.
Of course, for even that much comfort when it finally came time for bed, their physical demands would have to be met, and the Endeavor Hero Agency didn't skimp on that by a damn sight. Every morning, the four boys had to wake up at literally the crack of dawn to get themselves dressed and nourished for their early morning training in the gym, usually coming out to Burnin's overly enthusiastic borderline teasing encouragement; before it would come time for all-day patrol, evening training, dinner, and ultimately back to bed.
The first day of this new schedule had proven more than a bit jarring, but by the next day, the four interns were mentally psyching themselves up in preparation for it so they wouldn't be caught unawares again. Every day brought with it the same incredible challenge that Endeavor had placed before them: to practice and sharpen their specific skill-related needs until they would become second nature, and to be able to apprehend a criminal before their mentor himself could. This was what drove them every waking moment from morning to nightfall, and no matter how much all their muscles ached at the end of each day, none of them were willing to let themselves think anything other than that their training was inching them closer to accomplishing all their specific goals.
For Nikolay, being able to at least send one text message to Mina and the rest of his classmates at the end of each day brought its own sense of overall relief after another extremely hard day's work; although he couldn't deny that being able to have at least one video chat with his girlfriend, just so he could see her face and hear her voice again, would be especially satisfying.
But alas, he knew he couldn't allow that. If they were to start speaking face-to-face while their respective first week of internships were going on, then who knew what it would ultimately do to their concentration? Obviously, Mina never let that issue get to her, as she always had at least one recorded video of her training to send him each evening, while everyone else had numerous text messages to fill him and his partners in on how their respective training was going, and Tunguska always had at least two separate phone calls, just checking in to make sure he was doing okay under Endeavor, without his father nearby.
Nikolay was happier than words could describe to hear how well everyone was acclimating to learning under Pro Hero mentors both old and new; especially Mina getting to make her dream of interning under Mirko go so well, for Ochako and Tsuyu to maintain their great team dynamic under Selkie just as well as they had under Ryukyu; and especially for Eijirou, Tetsutetsu and Maja to be learning so much from Tunguska and Fatgum. But for them to all be able to go into such detail so freely left him feeling as though he were letting them down by having to be so brief when describing how his days were going, simply because no matter how many incidents they dealt with each day, or how hard they pushed themselves in every go at training, things were generally staying the same around here.
There was no doubt in his mind that, since he was being given the incredible privilege to learn under the Number One Hero, his friends had to have great expectations to hear about just what a day in that world was like, so he just needed to wait and see if something truly incredible could come along that he could be able to wow them all with.
But so far, all he had to show for how much training he was putting himself through over the past week was bruises. That honestly summed things up for all four of them, in fact. As hard as Shoto and Bakugo's training for concentrating the outputs of their Quirks clearly was, and for as demanding as Izuku's attempts at mastering his Blackwhip and Air Force abilities always proved to be; it was hard for Nikolay to not think that his own form of training was proving the most physically punishing.
In trying to keep with Endeavor's instructions, he was focusing all of his training in not only making his Refraction ability come much more instinctively all-around, but also in trying to learn how to redirect that kinetic impact his body would absorb in a direction outside that of the attack he was taking on, in the case of being completely outnumbered. It always sounded like it could be as achievable as the rest of the advancement in his Quirk he'd been practicing so much until now, but the ability to do so was just proving more and more elusive with every painful slam of a high-speed projectile he was taking to his midsection.
And after an entire week of that, not only did he have a continuous soreness in his whole chest area, but his whole torso and his face now sported more than their fair share of fading bruises. That was yet another reason he was especially hesitant to engage in any video calls with his classmates. The last thing he wanted, naturally, was to make them or his father needlessly worry over him.
But just like all the other mornings, Nikolay couldn't allow himself to dwell on that. It was getting to be around that time again. On top of that, it was to be the last day they would spend consecutively at the Endeavor Agency, before they would finally have to return to Yuuei. Knowing that, and knowing that they still hadn't accomplished their tasks, left him increasingly tense, but still determined to keep going.
He tried to ignore the aching in his ribs as he hurriedly got out of bed and slipped into his Hero costume. Looking himself over in the small mirror on the wall, even if nobody else could see the bruises on his torso, the wear and tear that was visible on his costume might as well have been just as good an indicator as to just what he'd been putting himself through with his training.
And that wear and tear would only continue to increase after this morning's training; primarily because he and Izuku had decided this would be a good chance to try practicing their respective training off of each other in a round of sparring.
If there was anything Nikolay could take away from this last morning of training, it was that he and Izuku were really starting to learn how to read each other's movements and specific patterns, even after having primarily been training on their own alongside Shoto and Bakugo. This was especially apparent, as the two boys had ultimately managed to last a solid ten minutes against each other, even with the both of them actively going all out with fully-powered full-speed Kinetic Blasts, Air Force attacks and Blackwhip alike.
Nikolay's better-focused Kinetic Gatling was actually managing to meet Izuku's rapid fire Air Force head-on with surprising frequency, while his Blackwhip either always managed to get him out of the way of Nikolay's Kinetic Blasts, or grab the projectiles he was able to send flying his way, and fling them right back; a perfect opportunity for Nikolay to put the spontaneity of his evasive Kinetic Blasts, his Kinetic Gatling and his Refraction redirection training altogether to the test.
Even with how badly Nikolay's limbs continued to ache through the rest of training afterwards, he could at least still feel a deep sensation of pride in himself for being able to now hold his own for that long against his green-haired friend's new abilities. He could sense just as much pride in him from Izuku himself, as well. The feeling was naturally mutual from Nikolay to the freckled boy. After all, after hearing how unsure he'd been in how to wield his new moves effectively at the start of the week, it was impossible not to feel proud for how much more improved his control of them now was.
After spending the rest of the hour subjecting himself to another merciless barrage from the gym's projectile cannons to try and better improve his Refraction in relation to the timing of his Kinetic Blasts; Nikolay and his fellow interns once more exited from the gym and made their way up to the sidekicks' offices; knowing the time for morning patrols was fast approaching. And just like every day before, their arrival and haggard state was far from unnoticeable, as Burnin' made painfully obvious as she practically cart-wheeled across the office to greet them alongside the rest of the Flaming Sidekickers.
"GOOD MORNING, KIDDOS! LOOKIN' JUST AS BRIGHT-EYED AND BUSHY-TAILED AS ALWAYS, I SEE!"
But her overly energetic demeanor was a sharp contrast to the simmering bitterness from Bakugo ("It is way too early for this shit!"), while Nikolay could only manage a strained-sounding "Dobroe utro (Good morning)" with the aching of his ribs, while Izuku somehow managed to be half as eager as she was, with a hearty "Good morning, Burnin'-sensei" of his own.
"So, how's the whole 'Beat a Villain Faster Than Endeavor' assignment treating you kids, huh?! Ah, sorry, sorry, I know I shouldn't be so insensitive! There's no way you four are having an easy time of it at all, is there?!"
As she began doing fast-paced stretches at her waist, as though she were trying to imitate a fitness instructor, Shoto came striding after his fellow interns, almost looking entirely none the worse for wear than when they had started. "We got pretty close yesterday. Let's just focus on trying to replicate that feeling from then. Today will be the day we surpass Endeavor, I can feel it. Good morning, Burnin', by the way."
But while Izuku was more than equal in Shoto's optimism, and far more energetic about it ("I feel like we're getting closer and closer, too!"), Bakugo was having none of it. "I WAS THE ONE WHO GOT CLOSEST, DUMBASS! YOU THREE ARE ALL STILL SLOW AND LUMBERING AS HELL, SO I'M STILL BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU!"
From Nikolay's point of view, it was only natural. For this to be their last day before returning to school, and still not having managed to meet Endeavor's penultimate goal; there was no way Bakugo would be able to stomach leaving without having proved himself above the rest of them. But that was enough pessimism for all four of them, as Nikolay tried to be as realistically positive as he could: "I want to agree with you, Todoroki-san…but be honest: if you've been watching the rest of us train this past week, how do you think we've been coming along?"
Izuku naturally agreed with how informative a second opinion on their development would be; and thankfully for both of them, Shoto was just as open to actually answering them: "Well, Midoriya, you definitely seem to have gotten much more used to that Blackwhip of yours; it actually looks like its namesake instead of just a wisp from your hands now. You seem to actually have some considerable control over it, too. And Bezpalov, with your training being what it is, it's honestly hard to tell how you're coming along with more fully controlling that Refraction ability of yours, but you do look like you've gotten much better at using that Kinetic Gatling of yours much more spontaneously, and with much better precision and control, since you and Midoriya were able to deflect that and Air Force pretty regularly.
"I personally think you're both coming along, but it's not my judgment that ultimately matters most here…although, since you both asked, I guess I might as well, too: how do you think our training has been coming along, honestly?"
Naturally, Nikolay and Izuku were dumbfounded that Shoto would actually ask their opinion about anything related to his development; but before they could begin to answer, Bakugo made his disgust very apparent: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ASKING THOSE TWO FOR?! THE KING DOESN'T ASK THE INPUT OF PEASANTS, DAMMIT! LEAVE ME OUT OF YOUR DAMN QUESTIONS!"
But before Nikolay or Izuku could try to find the words to describe what they'd managed to observe from Shoto's training at least, the fiery glow of Endeavor suddenly filled the doorway across the office to the main entrance; his booming voice echoing with all the deathly seriousness they'd finally managed to grow accustomed to: "SHOTO, DEKU, BAKUGO, SOLOVEI, ALL OF YOU WITH ME!"
As the four hurried to catch up with the Flame Hero for today's patrol, all the while, Burnin' and her fellow sidekicks had taken this opportunity to closely look over the distinct bruises and frayed damage to all their costumes; just as prominent and proud to behold as any war wounds or badges of honor.
Smiling approvingly to herself; she spoke quietly in acknowledgment: "You boys don't even need any motivating anymore, do you? I would've thought for sure that that delicate-looking foreigner would've cracked long before now. You're all just full of surprises."
Like all the days before, Endeavor had wasted no time once they were outside the Agency with walking; instead once more taking off into a fiery flight; thus prompting his four interns to quickly follow suit. They were all managing to keep in equal pace with each other as they flew through the twists and turns of the city, but as much as they were pushing themselves to keep up, they'd all come to understand by now that Endeavor was intentionally keeping himself moving slow so as to keep them from falling completely behind.
As they went about their usual patrolling routine, Nikolay was trying to keep his mind on the optimism he'd tried to project for his partners. 'Who am I fooling, thinking I'm the only one here who's stressed about today being our last before getting back to Yuuei? Even for as foul-tempered as he normally is, Bakugo seems way more impatient today. Even Midoriya-san and Todoroki-san are giving off a much more intense air this time around.
'We've been trying to give our all towards outpacing Endeavor-sensei in an incident, but today is like the real last chance, even if he himself didn't actually say so. I gotta put my all towards helping us win today just as much as they definitely will. Even with Blackwhip, Explosion and Fire and Ice alike on our side, my tuning forks in conjunction with my Kinetic Absorption/Release give me a much more distinct advantage in long-range techniques. I need to make better use of it and try to use that to neutralize the next criminal we come across. That's sure to get the job done even a split second before Sensei can do it.'
No sooner than Nikolay had made this resolving thought to himself, that Endeavor's flames suddenly began to intensify, the surefire sign that he'd picked up the first sign of trouble. This got all four of the boys on full alert; all now using their Quirks to push themselves even that much faster; Nikolay already getting ready to reach for the tuning fork bandolier upon his chest.
Propelling himself higher up and further in order to get a visual advantage, Nikolay quickly spotted what had Endeavor's attention: a single criminal running away with what had to be the briefcase of a wealthy-looking man further down the street. Whether the criminal was blind or not had to be up for debate, as he was running right towards the incoming Heroes.
But that didn't matter. Nikolay had a clear shot, and with a helping of his Kinetics already surging down his arm as he reared it back to launch the tuning fork in his hand to knock the culprit out; he could feel an overwhelming surge of confidence that he might actually be able to put his resolve to the test and win their assignment right here and now; Bakugo's jealous ranting to follow, be damned.
"ALL OF YOU, REMEMBER: ALL THE MOVES YOU NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON USING, PRACTICE THEM UNTIL YOU CAN DO THEM IN YOUR SLEEP! BE DONE WITH YOUR ACTIONS BY THE TIME YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO!"
As Endeavor's thunderous instructions rang through the air to his interns, and Nikolay finally threw his propelled tuning fork at the incoming thief; the Flame Hero suddenly took off forward in a blinding and burning blaze, easily overshooting Nikolay's tool by a country mile, as he proceeded to lay the criminal flat to the ground with a flaming arm, knocking him unconscious and easily catching the stolen briefcase like it was second nature.
As he dutifully returned the briefcase to the exceptionally grateful civilian; Nikolay and his fellow interns could only touch back down on the ground, watching in varying degrees of disbelief, frustration and resignation that they were still no closer to passing Endeavor's test; a fact that had Bakugo practically steaming as he exclaimed: "What the hell happened, Russkie? You had an attack ready, and a clear shot! How the hell was he still able to beat you?! Were you just talking out your ass to make him feel better about his so-called progress, Half-N-Half?"
Before Shoto could answer, Nikolay answered: "We all know you're the fastest out of all four of us in the air, Bakugo. Why didn't you just come charging forward and take him down, yourself? What did you wait on me for?"
Bakugo's eye momentarily twitched in response; unable to decide if Nikolay's question was genuine, or if he was dispensing some kind of backhanded mockery. Either way, Izuku could sense the growing tension, and thus stepped in before either of them could say anything else they wouldn't be able to take back: "There's no point blaming anyone for any of this, you guys! Endeavor-sensei had the lead on us the whole time; it was pretty much inevitable he was going to beat us to the punch. That's why we gotta try and match his speed for when the next incident occurs, instead of following in his trail."
"In that case, make a point of using that damn Blackwhip of yours to give yourself a head start, you damn geek." Bakugo muttered bitterly at the idea of being talked down to like a petulant child; regardless of Izuku's actual peacekeeping intentions.
But Bakugo's accusations had left Nikolay with yet more doubts to dwell on, as he looked to his hands. 'Maybe he's right. All my training has been for the sake of using everything I've learned with my Quirk on instinct, without slowing down. Why am I still relying on all the old tactics if they aren't working? Todoroki-san said my Kinetic Gatling has gotten much easier for me to use, and much more concentrated; I gotta actually make use of that. Surely an opportunity can come soon where I can put that to the test."
"LET'S GO!" Endeavor suddenly boomed from down the street, spurring all four of the young Heroes to snap right back to attention and come rushing after him with a whole new motivation ignited in their hearts. One way or another, they were going to see to it they would finally pass the Flame Hero's test, and show themselves and the rest of their classmates just what their time thus far learning from the Number One Hero of Japan had yielded for them.
But alas, even with a day that included a truck hijacking, a jumper from atop Tokyo Tower, an apartment fire and multiple muggings; Endeavor kept coming through before all four of his students at every single turn. Before any of them knew it, the sun had already started to set, and with it, their chances of meeting his lesson goal before having to return to school.
Nikolay had no doubt that this crushing realization was weighing heavily on Izuku, Shoto and Bakugo. The latter had made that abundantly clear with just how much he'd been grinding his teeth and bristling with a frustrated rage he was just waiting for a chance to take out on someone on their way back. But for Nikolay himself, the disappointment was immeasurable. He thought for certain that his training with his Kinetic Gatling's focus was going to be enough to try and secure them their victory, but to be outpaced by the Flame Hero by such a wide margin every single time left him with only that much more doubt in just what his training had actually left him with.
'I've been trying so hard all week! I feel like my handling of my Gatling move has improved, but my Refraction ability feels just the same as it always has, I don't even know if redirecting that energy upon impact is even possible! It's like one step forward and one step back all at the same time! Where am I actually in my training at this point? Where's everybody else? How do I even explain this to everyone at class?'
VRRRM!
The universe had clearly heard his doubts, as Nikolay's phone suddenly began to hum in his pocket. Pulling it out, he was both surprised, and yet not, at the sight of Mina's name in the Caller ID. Looking around his room, he'd already packed away his costume and all his other personal belongings he'd brought along for this week, so it wasn't like he could keep this conversation as short as his texts.
'What's even the point? She and everyone else are going to want wall-to-wall details about how training has been going so far once we're all back at school…I might as well make it easier on myself, starting now.'
BOOP!
With a single button press, Nikolay had answered the video call, and he was immediately met with the sight of his girlfriend's positively glowing pink face and black-gold eyes practically sparkling with delight at the sight of him, bruises and all.
"GOOD EVENING, KOLYA-KUN! OH, I'M SO GLAD YOU ACTUALLY PICKED UP THIS TIME! With you being so super-duper busy with Todoroki-kun, Midori-kun and Bakugo, I guess this must mean your training worked and you're all ready to come back, huh? I can't wait to see you all again! I've missed you so, so, so much, Kolya-kun! I can't wait to hear just what kind of awesome stuff you've been doing out there! I got so many pictures and videos to show you, too! It's been so much fun working with Mirko-sensei so far! Oh, but I'll bet everyone's gonna have some really awesome stories to share tomorrow, wouldn't you think?!"
Just as Nikolay had expected; to hear the sheer bubbly energy of Mina's voice again after this past week was like a godsend, reinvigorating his entire body like magic. "I've really missed you a ton too, Mina. I saw some of the training videos you'd sent me over the last couple of days. You've really made something special with that break-dancing/Slav dancing fusion you told me about after your first day. I can only imagine how cool it looks in-person. Though Mirko jumping in with that last one and turning it into a sparring match…I won't lie, that was way more intense than I expected. Are you sure you're okay after that?"
The memories from that last video, where Mina had decided to showcase her fusion of the two distinctly different dance styles in a new extension of her physical fighting repertoire were still crystal clear in both their minds, especially when the Rabbit Hero had decided to try her hand at it, and turn the whole demonstration into a teacher-student sparring match without any warning.
Much like how Nikolay still sported some bruises on his face from training, so too did Mina still have a few scuff marks adorning her otherwise flawless pink skin, as well as her naturally messy-looking hair looking a hundred times more frazzled than before. Despite that, she could still only smile and giggle optimistically. "Yeah, I'm feeling 110% all the way! I don't even care if I haven't been able to match Mirko-sensei's speed yet; I know I've still got a chance by the time I come out here next, which I really hope is soon! You guys probably don't have to worry about that, though! With Endeavor teaching all of you, I'll bet you've all gotten a hundred times stronger with your Quirks by now. Think you can give me some ideas what we can look forward to tomorrow?"
Collapsing down on his bed for the last time, Nikolay couldn't hide the unmistakable frustration on his face. "I'm still trying to figure that out for myself, Mina. I mean, I definitely feel like I've gotten a better handle on my Kinetic Gatling, but the main assignment for training that Endeavor-sensei gave me was to try and get used to using it and my Refraction abilities by pure kneejerk reflex, and to see if I can redirect that Kinetic energy I absorb from physical strikes to erupt from elsewhere than where I get directly hit. That's the part I feel like I haven't managed to get. I just don't know how much more help all the training in the gym can do me at this point in that regard. And then there's his whole goal of any one of us defeating a Villain faster than he can…and we've all fallen completely flat there. I mean, we've all seen how fast he was on TV before, but seeing it in person is something else entirely; I don't think even Iida-san could outrun him. I suppose I should feel a little better, knowing I'm not the only one having a problem there, huh?"
But where Mina could see her boyfriend's disappointment in himself, she was still smiling brightly with encouragement. "Maybe…but it's not like you guys are the only ones who've got one big assignment you can't reach. Mirko-sensei told me that before my internship's full-on over; she wants me to be able to land a hit on her in sparring just once. I'm sure you can tell just how well that's been going."
That kind of humbling display couldn't help but get Nikolay to start cracking the faintest smirk in grateful recognition of just what she was doing; and that was enough for Mina, as she started giggling sweetly. "Aww, that's the look I love to see! See? You don't have to feel so bad. I mean, Endeavor's the new Number One Hero for a reason, right? Can you really say you or Bakugo wouldn't be a little disappointed if he gave you an assignment that was, like, super easy?"
Nikolay was nodding before she had even finished. Smiling with greater delight, she continued: "Besides, once we show each other what we've learned so far, maybe we can help each other start preparing more for when we go back with training and stuff. I know I can't wait to show you what I've got in store. Check this out. Mirko-sensei's been really pushing me way hard with the training, and I can definitely say I feel stronger. What do you think? Does my arm look any bigger to you?"
With that, Mina redirected the view from her phone so she could flex her left arm with her sleeve rolled up. Nikolay looked all over to see if her already toned muscles had grown any. But after several seconds, she finally brought the phone back to her face, and he could only shake his head. "I have no doubt she's been really making you feel the burn, Mina, but your arm looks just the same as it always has…for what that's worth, since you still have a hell of a punch. Besides, it's not exactly like I'm one to talk. We all know I've gotten way stronger than when this year started, but how much has my body really changed? Eijirou-san, Bakugo and Midoriya-san are all still completely ripped compared to me. I'm more like Todoroki-san or Kaminari-san in physique, if anything."
Mina's golden irises went upward with thought for a second, before she ultimately nodded. "Yeah, I can see your point…not that that's a bad thing, though. You don't need to be some kind of beefcake or anything like that, Kolya-kun. You've got the perfect Hero's body as far as I'm concerned."
Just as Mina giggled at the sight of her boyfriend's face turning bright red, Mirko's voice suddenly called out from off-screen: "Up and at 'em, Pinky, we've still got enough time for one more go-around of training before you gotta get to the train station! Hustle, girl!'
Mina was already back on her feet, hurriedly giving her goodbyes: "Oh snap, I gotta go, Kolya-kun! I can't wait to see you again, among other things! Keep your head up for me, okay? I know you'll make it and then some! I love you so much!"
With that, Mina suddenly went the extra mile at the last second, bringing her phone in so she could kiss the screen while Nikolay's face was on it; the best substitute for the real kisses she wanted to give him that she could manage. Although once she brought the device back so she could see his reaction, she quickly realized the kiss mark her lip gloss had left on it just as she'd hit the button to end the call. "Aww, damn!"
Nikolay could barely get out a returning "I love you too, Mina" in the middle of all that before the call had ended. His disappointment in himself was still there, but just to be able to share all this with her for but a couple minutes had already lifted his heart considerably. Just because they would be going back to Yuuei tonight didn't mean that this was the overall end of their internships. Endeavor would have said there was a distinct deadline to do so from the start, surely.
Grabbing his suitcase, Nikolay finally opened the door to his room, where Izuku, Shoto and Bakugo were already gathered with their bags as well; the freckled and red-white-haired boys both visibly glad to see him up and ready again, while Bakugo simply looked too pissed off to be bothered to speak with anyone.
"So, do we just meet with Endeavor-sensei in the front entrance again for our goodbyes, or how does this work?" As soon as Nikolay asked; the blazing glow of the Flame Hero's fire suddenly emerged from the intersection of the hall just next to them, snapping all four boys to attention as he looked upon them with those same intense blue eyes.
"Who said anything about goodbyes? We aren't finished just yet. All of you leave your bags. My chauffeur will pick them up when he comes to meet us later. We're going away elsewhere right now."
As soon as they unhanded their bags, Shoto asked with only the faintest sign of curiosity: "Away? You haven't taken us on anything later than evening patrols so far, and we still have to be back at Yuuei tomorrow. What's going on?"
Crossing his massive arms, Endeavor answered with a shocking bluntness: "We're not going on patrol, Shoto, hence why you all aren't taking your bags with. You and your friends; we're all going home for dinner tonight. Fuyumi asked for you all to come with me for the occasion. Now come with me, we don't want to keep her waiting any longer than she has to."
"BUT WHY!" Bakugo instantly snapped, while Nikolay and Izuku both gave each other intensely surprised flinching glances, having never expected a circumstance like this, while Shoto hurriedly looked through his phone, now finally seeing the subsequent text from his older sister; having neglected to check earlier this morning, due to being so laser-focused on their training. With that concrete proof that this wasn't some backhanded trick of his father, he accepted this change wholeheartedly; following after Endeavor alongside his partners and friends to the streets.
As they walked at a brisk pace through the city streets into one of the large urban sections of inner Tokyo, Bakugo could not stop fuming, as Nikolay couldn't hide his own nervousness, and while Izuku was at least making a passable attempt to hide his own in preparation for when they would finally arrive.
"BUT WHY!" Bakugo once again asked in a near bloodcurdling scream of anger, to which Shoto answered as calmly as ever: "It's like he said, my sister wanted us all to come tonight. It's been a while since I've seen her and my brother, so it wouldn't be right to not take the chance, even if just for tonight."
"BUT WHY!" Bakugo once more asked, his rage refusing to subside, but still failing to break Shoto's calm: "Because she wanted to meet my friends personally while there was a chance to."
"YOU TELL HER THE MOMENT YOU SEE HER FACE THAT WE'VE NEVER BEEN FRIENDS, HALF-N-HALF!" Bakugo finally shouted in something other than his questions; earning a very nervous response out of Izuku: "Kacchan, please, we don't want to make a bad first impression, being Todoroki-san's guests."
But while Izuku was once more trying to calm his old friend down before they'd reach the Todoroki household, Nikolay finally swallowed the lump in his throat as he spoke up nervously; keeping his voice down as low as he could so Endeavor wouldn't risk overhearing him: "Do you really think this is a good idea, Todoroki-san? I mean…you've made it clear how…tense things are with your family. I-I feel like we'd be intruding on something we have no place in, if it's all the same to you."
Thankfully, Shoto didn't look to be offended. If anything, he actually looked understanding as he answered: "To be honest, if things between you and Tunguska-sensei hadn't been reconciled, and we'd all been invited to your home in those circumstances, I'd actually feel the same way, Bezpalov. But my sister wouldn't have invited Natsuo and you all over if she wasn't sure we'd be able to have a gathering like this and keep the peace. I've told her a lot about the three of you and the rest of our class over the course of the last year ever since the Sports Festival. And since you all never really got a chance to properly meet her on Parents' Day earlier, I would actually say this has been long overdue."
Nikolay didn't know how to respond to that. Exactly what kind of expectations would someone like Shoto's older sister have of him from nothing but his word of mouth, that would make her want to meet him this much alongside Izuku and Bakugo? How exactly was he supposed to present himself for introductions? Surely being overly formal would only serve to embarrass either of them, if not both; but being too casual, especially in front of Endeavor, would undoubtedly leave him in far worse graces with him more than anyone else.
Unfortunately for him, he didn't have as much time to plan around this as he'd hoped. After about a fifteen minute walk, Endeavor had finally turned off the sidewalk, and the group now found themselves standing in the front gateway to a large estate-sized Japanese-styled home, with an extensive Zen garden serving as its front yard. It wasn't as palatial as Nikolay had envisioned for a Hero with his reputation and success, but it was still far bigger and more elegant than he could have braced himself for.
And with Endeavor and Shoto still making the same fast-paced walk to the front doors left Nikolay, Izuku and Bakugo with no time to really take in this whole new setting, let alone brace themselves for introductions. As soon as they stepped through the front doors and hurriedly removed their shoes, Endeavor's voice broke the tense silence with the same authority, but without the volume: "Fuyumi, we're here!"
Shoto barely stepped around the corner into the hall before his older sister came bounding down, just in time to finally see Nikolay, Izuku and Bakugo stepping out from behind him. Nikolay found all his pre-prepared greetings go silent once more at meeting a whole new face, as he was met by a brightly smiling young adult woman with semi-long white hair with a few bangs ending in red; wearing glasses over her blue eyes, and a dark turtleneck underneath an apron. The utter energy she exuded was almost a complete polar opposite from that of her little brother and father. "Welcome home, Father, Shoto! I'm so glad to see you both here together again. It's been far too long since we've been able to do something like this, don't you think?"
Shoto could only manage a single nod as he motioned a hand back to his three classmates. "I'm glad to see you too, Fuyumi. I'd like you to finally meet my friends."
At the sight of the three new boys before her, Fuyumi's smile brightened that much more as she gave a joyful bow in greeting. "Welcome to our home. I'm Shoto's big sister, Todoroki Fuyumi. Thank you all for taking care of my little brother all this time. I'm so happy that he has such wonderful friends like you. I only regret we didn't have a chance to meet like this back during Parents' Day. Hopefully tonight can more than make up for that."
"G-good evening, Todoroki-san! I'm Nikolay Olegovich Bezpalov! It's nice to meet you, finally!" Nikolay thought his greeting bow was too much from the onset, but that was only because he didn't see the near whiplash-inducing bow Izuku immediately gave out of his awkwardness. "I'm Midoriya Izuku! Thank you for inviting us to your home, Todoroki-san!"
Bakugo was still too pissed off to even proffer a greeting beyond just "Bakugo Katsuki. Let's get this over with."
While Endeavor's flames bristled at his student's continued abrasive behavior towards yet another of his children, and Shoto gave an assuring nod to Nikolay and Izuku ("If you're going to insist on calling us both 'Todoroki-san', this is just going to get more and more confusing"), Fuyumi gave a good natured chuckle before bowing politely in return. "I agree; any friend of Shoto's is a friend of mine, so you can just call me Fuyumi if you like. I apologize for inviting you all on such short notice. I'm grateful you all took the time out of your busy internship schedules to accommodate my request like this."
At Fuyumi's beckoning, Shoto and his friends and father proceeded to make their way further into the Todoroki household; Nikolay and Izuku both still unable to hide their awkwardness, even as the freckled boy answered: "It's a pleasure, we were happy to accept. It's not very often I get to visit a friend's house these days."
"Yeah, and for me, I think this makes the…second time I've ever been to a friend's house in my entire life, not including all the study sessions for our Final Exams." Nikolay chimed in.
As Fuyumi kept pace with all her guests and relatives, she shot a sideways glance Nikolay's way, smiling warmly as she answered in a way nobody ever expected: [[Yes, I understand you aren't very experienced with social gatherings. I hope this isn't too much for you all at once, Bezpalov-san. With how much Shoto has told me about you, your father, and the influence your whole class has had on him, I wanted so much to meet you all and express my gratitude.]]
Fuyumi's sudden use of Russian was absolutely flawless, and the surprise on Nikolay's face was almost perfectly mirrored by everyone else, even Shoto, as he asked: "When did you start studying Russian, Fuyumi?"
"Y-yeah, that was perfect! But please tell me you didn't learn that just for the sake of this visit." Nikolay chimed in; unable to keep his face from turning red that this young woman he'd never met before just a minute ago had gone this insane extra mile to accommodate him.
Giggling in good humor, Fuyumi answered: "Oh, no. It's just that I work as a schoolteacher here in Tokyo, and I like to be able to reach out and communicate with all the students on a personal level. It just so happens that the kindergarten class at the school I work at got its very first foreign student a few months ago; a little Russian boy whose family had moved from a town full of them up in Hokkaido, named Valera-kun. Knowing you were coming, I just couldn't resist the chance. If I remember correctly, you actually were involved in resolving an incident up in Hokkaido around the time he moved here; right, Bezpalov-san?"
Nikolay, Izuku and Bakugo all three dug their heels in, almost coming to a literal screeching halt, as Nikolay couldn't help but exclaim: "VALERA?! HE'S YOUR STUDENT?! That whole incident was me and my partners trying to save him and the whole town! It's been a while since I last saw him; is he doing okay?"
"Yeah, that little ankle biter was one of the big tests I had to work through to get my damn license, so he'd better be! Dammit, even when he isn't here, it's like he won't leave me alone!" Bakugo exclaimed in a frustrated disbelief, not helped when Izuku looked back, unconvinced by the abrasive air he was giving off: "What're you talking about, Kacchan? You only saw him at Remedial Training and the School Festival, and that's all. I didn't think Valera-kun would linger with you like that."
While Bakugo was once more screaming for Izuku to keep his mouth shut, and Nikolay and Shoto were still trying to ride out the last of their surprise at Fuyumi's unexpected connection to the little Russian boy from Gagaringrad; Fuyumi herself was just smiling with that much more delight. "Oh, for as big as the world is, it really does feel small sometimes, doesn't it? You all don't need to worry, he's doing just fine at school. Valera-kun may only be in one of my classes out of the day, but he really is such a nice student. All the other kids really like him already. He's always drawing pictures, either of Hero costumes he wants to wear, or Heroes he says he looks up to. I think I may have even seen some that look like you two, Bezpalov-san, Bakugo-san."
As Nikolay and Bakugo once more had varying degrees of embarrassment visible on their faces; Shoto mercifully decided to redirect the conversation: "Is Natsu here, too? I saw his shoes at the doorway."
Clapping her hands together in delighted remembrance, Fuyumi began hurriedly leading the rest of the way, further addressing the three new boys. "Yes, he is, I invited him, too! I thought it would only be right that we all get to know you three better. We're Shoto's family, after all, we should be willing and able to accept his friends as such."
At that point, they had finally reached the dining room. "Natsu; Father, Shoto and his friends are finally here!"
Stepping inside behind Endeavor and Shoto to make their greetings, Nikolay, Izuku and Bakugo found a young man just a couple years older than them, perhaps even more than their seniors in age. He was a rather stoic-looking sort, with short, slightly spiky purely white hair and disinterested-looking blue eyes. The most he could manage in terms of a greeting was the slightest of nods, and a clearly disinterested-sounding :"Good evening, Shoto…Father."
Nikolay and Izuku were both clearly put off by this much colder reception, but unlike Bakugo, neither of them wanted to make any distaste known; for what little there actually was; as everyone took their spots around the low dinner table. Nikolay was far from used to this very traditional Japanese way of eating together, just sitting on his knees, but his attempts to try and hide his discomfort and be as sociable as possible was admirable at best.
Thankfully, this discomfort was quick to fade as his knees gradually got used to it; and the increasingly uncomfortable silence that hung over all of them didn't last long, as Fuyumi soon returned with that same sunny smile, as she laid out a veritable smorgasbord of varying Japanese foods across the table for her family and guests. "Don't force yourselves to eat anything you don't want to, alright? There's more than enough for everyone."
Despite everyone proceeding to take their picks from the abundance of options, there was still a very tense and uncomfortable air hanging over much of the table; not helped by the absence of emotion on Endeavor, Shoto and Natsuo's faces. Fuyumi trying to maintain the same welcoming and lighthearted smile in contrast only served to make the entire scene that much more awkward.
Nikolay couldn't bear to let it linger like this anymore, so with his heart pounding in growing anxiety, he finally spoke up: "This nikujaga (Japanese-styled meat and potatoes) is sublime, Fuyumi-san."
Following his lead with an optimistic smile, Izuku similarly chimed in: "Yes, everything here has been delicious so far! The Tatsuta-fried chicken was cooked to perfection; giving it that distinct and perfect crunch that—"STOP ANALYZING THE DAMN FOOD AND JUST EAT IT, DEKU! I CAN'T ENJOY MY MAPO TOFU WITH ALL YOUR DAMN RAMBLING!"
As Bakugo swiftly shut Izuku up from going on an entirely different nerdy rant than normal, Fuyumi giggled sweetly in response to the three boys' mutual approval of the food…while Natsuo suddenly answered with a bluntness that nearly killed the energy altogether: "Of course it's good. Ever since our maid threw her back out and had to retire, Fuyumi's been taking care of all the cooking around here."
Sensing the tension returning, Fuyumi intervened: "Oh, come on, Natsu, give yourself some credit! We take turns, don't we?"
Shoto visibly flinched, the only one among the four young boys, as he muttered in surprise: "Does that mean I've actually had some of your cooking, Natsu?"
However, despite his sister's support and his younger brother's innocent surprise, the older Todoroki son didn't look the least bit appeased. In fact, as Nikolay and Izuku couldn't help but watch this awkward exchange, they could see that he wasn't even looking at his siblings at all, but solely Endeavor at the head of the table. "Yes, well, I wonder about that. I may have been forced to stop that altogether…after my cooking failed to reach someone's standards."
And there it was. Just like that, the already uncomfortable atmosphere had become all but physically suffocating, as Nikolay and Izuku instinctively turned their gazes to Endeavor, to try and gauge if he had any reaction at all to his eldest son's thinly veiled jab at him. The three interns couldn't help but start eating that much faster and more intensely, simply because none of them could think of a thing to say to try and break the tension in a scenario they frankly had no place or right to speak in; at least as far as Nikolay and Izuku were concerned.
The fact that Fuyumi was still smiling; albeit far more awkwardly; was a testament to her patience as she once more tried to break the tension; all while harshly pinching Natsuo's leg under the table as a childish reprimand of his passive aggressive behavior. "S-so, what exactly do you eat at school, Shoto?"
"The cafeteria has plenty of variety, so it's not an easy question to answer." Shoto answered with yet further awkward bluntness; leaving his sister chuckling with pretend fascination, while Endeavor finally uttered a quiet response to Natsuo's previous statement: "I didn't even notice, Natsuo. Perhaps next time, you can show us what you've learned."
But to the surprise of no one, Endeavor's attempt at a fatherly invitation was doing nothing for the sour atmosphere around his son, as Natsuo's eyes fell; his face tightening with an unspoken distaste that Fuyumi and Shoto could both recognize by instinct.
Nikolay couldn't take letting this unease build any further than it already had, as with no pre-plan on exactly what to say in mind, he just let the words fly right out: "Do Fuyumi-san's comments mean you had a part in preparing all this food for us, Todoroki-san? Because if so, I think you did a great job. Everything here has had all of its sauces and spices mixed to perfectly balance even the most sharply contrasting of flavors, and all without sacrificing the texture and natural flavor of the meats and vegetables as well. It's a part of cooking I unfortunately don't have very much experience in, myself, especially with Asian recipes in general. Perhaps you'd like to give us some pointers?"
Any confidence Nikolay had that this would be a suitable diversion was lost when Natsuo didn't even give him the courtesy of eye contact, leaving him and Izuku with visibly uncomfortable half-smiles, as their ability to maintain a peaceful casual façade was fading fast. But that was, thankfully, where Fuyumi had the good graces to take the lead, as she had a pleasantly surprised look on her face in response: "You sound like you have a pretty good idea what you're talking about. Do you do a lot of cooking for yourself, Bezpalov-san?"
Nikolay and Izuku both let out a mental sigh of relief as he answered with a far more genuine smile: "It's more like I did all the cooking for me and my Dad both for as long as I can remember. Without my Mom around, it had to fall to one of us, and he just could never get it, himself; at least until very recently. If I hadn't picked up a bit of the terminology and know-how of the kitchen by now, I wouldn't be much of a student of anything, right?"
Nikolay tried to force a good-natured self-deprecating laugh to ease the tension, with Izuku quickly joining in, before Fuyumi answered: "Yes, Shoto had told me a lot about what you and your father lost and went through before coming to Japan. I can't imagine it means very much coming from me when we've only just met, but…my condolences for your loss."
Nikolay honestly shouldn't have been surprised that bringing up his mother in front of new faces would have brought the topic to this, nor that Shoto would have told her all he knew about his foreign friend; given how close they seemed to be; but he was able to swallow the reflexive swelling of emotions as he bowed. "How long I know somebody doesn't make a difference. Thank you regardless, Fuyumi-san. It still hurts to think about, but far less than it used to, fortunately. I have my friends and partners here, and pretty much all of Yuuei to thank for that."
Bringing her hands together in another single clap to echo her reignited smile, Fuyumi answered: "I must really thank your whole class, as well. But since it's just us here, I'd like to once more thank you all for helping Shoto as much as you have on the paths of your friendship with him. I understand you and your father had a tumultuous history of your own as a result of what happened back in your country all those years ago, Bezpalov-san. Forgive me, I know I have no right to speak on the matter, but I want to thank you for finding the strength to forgive and repair your relationship with him like you have since coming to Yuuei. Thanks to yours and Midoriya-san's examples, Shoto's grown so much in the use of his Quirk, and his willingness to work with our father."
Natsuo continued to remain absolutely silent, while Nikolay and Izuku both shyly nodded in acknowledgment of Fuyumi's gratitude, while Shoto and Endeavor kept their eyes cast low. All the while, Bakugo began eating his food much more aggressively, silently fuming at the crossroads he found himself at; torn between maintaining his stance that he and Shoto weren't friends, and demanding recognition of his being in Remedial Training with the guy.
Suddenly, Natsuo got back up to his feet; an unmistakable impatience in his stride out the dining room door. "Well, I came liked you asked, Fuyumi. Thank you for the food. Can I go now? I get why you wanted all of us here, but…I'm sorry; I just can't do this."
Of course, he wasn't asking her permission, as he was already gone while his sister urgently called for him to come back; while Shoto, Endeavor and his three interns could only sit in a deeply uneasy silence, for various reasons. While Fuyumi could only look on in deep sadness at her brother's departure, Endeavor suddenly rose from his seat; grabbing several of the now empty dishes before making his way for the kitchen before momentarily stopping to address his daughter: "I'll take care of the dishes from here. I trust you've already had another serving prepared, Fuyumi? I'll be taking it elsewhere afterward…and thank you, for all of this."
Coming from him, it was impossible for anyone but his children to know if his gratitude was genuine or not; but with the atmosphere having now been as thoroughly ruined as it was, none of the three non-related boys could bring themselves to express any such criticism of his dismissing of this quick dissolution of his family that had just played out.
But seeing just how much Natsuo's abrupt departure was clearly upsetting Fuyumi; Nikolay and Izuku quickly got up as well, moving like a well-oiled machine to try and clear the table. This thankfully managed to at least partially snap her out of her funk, as she began to reach out to intervene: "Oh, please, you both don't have to do that, you're our guests!"
"That's precisely why we're doing it, though." Izuku suddenly clarified with an assuring smile, leaving her momentarily surprised while Nikolay nodded in agreement: "Yeah, after you went to all this trouble, it just isn't right that we don't do something in return for your hospitality. Besides, if we didn't pull our weight under Endeavor-sensei's own roof, he'd probably make us pay for it out the nose later."
That kind of justification was what finally got Bakugo practically jumping onto his feet, angrily grabbing as many dishes as he could fit in his arms. "I'm not about to let you damn geeks make me look like a bad house guest! Get out of my way!"
The next several minutes with which the three boys proceeded to carry all the empty platters from the dining room to the kitchen were very tense, to say the least. With Endeavor's hulking frame looming over the sink, not even speaking to his three students to hand him their loads of dishes to clean, and only gesturing with his hands; not one of them dared to speak about what they'd just witnessed. Nikolay and Izuku both knew far too well just what kind of family history they were witnessing and now playing an unwitting part of, but as far as they both knew, Bakugo was completely in the dark. So to see him have only the same simmering scowl on his face, and have no sense of surprise as to just what this family was really like, was nothing short of surprising.
So much so that, when they'd finally finished clearing the dishes from the table and had a chance to just talk between the three of them while making their way back to the dining room, Nikolay finally couldn't help but ask: "Your ability to just let something that tense and out of nowhere just roll off your shoulders without any reaction is real impressive, Bakugo. How do you do it?"
But before Bakugo could answer, Izuku chimed in: "Because it wasn't out of nowhere for you at all, was it, Kacchan? You knew what we would be walking into when Sensei told us of this invitation…didn't you?"
Bakugo's spiteful scowl made it crystal clear just how right Izuku really was, to Nikolay's surprise, until the hotheaded young Hero answered: "Of course I knew. You three idiots were the ones talking about it out loud right in front of me back at the Festival, after all."
"Wait, you were there when he told us? I never even saw a trace of you back then! Why didn't you ever just say anything since then?" Nikolay asked in shock; just for Bakugo to shoot an impatient glare at him from over his shoulder.
"Because whatever's going on with Half-N-Half ain't anybody's business but his own; so why would anyone else bring it up? Hell, I still don't know why he felt so inclined to tell either of you about it all out of nowhere like that. Still, it's no wonder he's as screwed up and behind in growing as he is."
While Bakugo continued muttering his disapproval at Shoto just running off his family history to his two fellow interns as freely as he had all the way back then; Izuku was still simply riding out the surprise that he'd known all this time…while Nikolay by now had a much more distant, but no less troubled look in his eye; instinctively looking to the incoming door to the dining room.
While it was true that he and Shoto were kindred spirits in the worst possible way, due to their feelings towards their respective fathers; passed or otherwise; the Todoroki family's pain was still an entirely different beast; and seeing Fuyumi's attempt to try and repair her family, and Natsuo's apparent inability to reciprocate, simply did not sit well with him, whether or not it was his business.
Meanwhile, in the dining room; since his three friends had insisted on helping take care of the dishes; Shoto had likewise taken it upon himself to help his sister with cleaning up the dining room proper in the wake of their once-pristine but now all-but ruined family meal. As they went about their duties, Fuyumi finally spoke up in an attempt to clear away some of the unease: "I'm sorry for making your friends help us out, Shoto."
"You didn't make them do anything, Fuyumi. Bakugo may do many of the things he does out of some competitive edge; but Midoriya and Bezpalov insisted on helping. Our refusing would've just left them feeling worse…that's just the kinds of people they both are."
Fuyumi didn't answer at first, which prompted Shoto to continue; his voice low but noticeably heavy: "I'm sorry Natsu ruined tonight. I can only imagine the real extent of hard work you put into all of this."
"It's not like I don't understand Natsu's feelings, you know." Fuyumi suddenly answered with the closest thing to her little brother's bluntness as she could manage, earning a look of faint surprise from Shoto. "It's just that…ever since what happened between you, Midoriya-san and Bezpalov-san at that Sports Festival, you've changed so much. Actively using Father's side of your Quirk and visiting Mother at the hospital was incredible enough as it was…but when I heard you'd actually approached Father to intern under him, when before you couldn't stand being in the same room as him…for the first time, I felt like w-we could finally have a real chance to make things better…to become a real family again."
Shoto didn't know what to say to that. It wasn't surprising to him that his sister could be such an optimist in spite of even her own personal feelings deep down inside. But surely she had to have had the sense to know that just one family gathering like this wouldn't have been enough to heal some of their family's most serious wounds.
"Shoto…what do you think about our father?" Fuyumi suddenly asked so quietly, and yet there was such a fragility to her voice, as though this was something she absolutely needed to know, in order for her hope to be maintained enough for all of them.
Shoto froze for a moment. Fuyumi could just barely see his left hand start to twitch, as though he were instinctively about to reach for the burn scar around his left eye. In his own head, as he tried to think of the best answer for his sister, he could briefly feel that initial burning pain upon his face again; hear the sounds of his own and his mother's simultaneous tortured wails blending together.
"For the longest time, even though it was Mother that gave me this scar…I always thought that I truly received it from him. For as much as he abused us in his blindness; Mother just stood there and endured him year after year, until it all ultimately just boiled over. She was eaten away from the inside out because of him, and I can't ever truly forgive him for that more than anything else. But…that being said, I know that Mother is working hard to get over the past; even after all that he'd done to our family."
As Shoto finally lifted his head to meet his sister's gaze once more; Fuyumi could see a genuine contemplation, or perhaps even an honest consideration, evident in his eyes. "To be honest, Fuyumi…I'm not entirely sure what I think of him anymore. I still…can't see anything between us yet, and that's the most frustrating part. In the grand scheme of things, what Tunguska-sensei did all those years ago, and what it had cost Bezpalov, was worlds worse…and yet, even after holding onto his own feelings of hatred towards his father for his whole life because of it, he was still able to find it in himself to forgive him and actually become a family again, so that he could be better able to become the Hero he wants to be. If he could possess that kind of strength inside and make that monumental change…then why can't I?"
Shoto was asking this solely of himself by this point, but that didn't stop Fuyumi from smiling with a new sense of understanding before responding: "Maybe…that's why you asked Father to take Bezpalov-san in as an intern with Midoriya-san and Bakugo-san: to see if you could perhaps find out the answer to that question; see just what it was that made him forgive his father, so you could perhaps try applying it for yourself."
That same glimmer of genuine consideration flashed across Shoto's eyes for a moment. "I don't know if that would really be enough, though. For the longest time, I couldn't even stand to look or think of him as anything other than the monster that had put Mother in the hospital and destroyed our family. I couldn't see him as a Hero, or our father, or anything else. But…ever since I saw him and Tunguska-sensei speaking to each other back during my Remedial Training, I noticed that his usual deathly and authoritative demeanor from all those years back had started to wane, even if just a little bit. I guess I had hoped that maybe having Bezpalov around would be able to help him further that change. Maybe then I'd be able to actually start seeing him as a father, even just a little bit…and maybe that would be enough to make me finally start forgiving him, for all our sakes."
SLAM!
"KEEP THAT HEAVY PERSONAL SHIT OF YOURS TO YOURSELVES WHEN YOU GOT GUESTS OVER! YOU'RE SPOILING THE WHOLE DAMN EVENING! NOW THAT MAPO TOFU TASTE IS RUINED!"
Bakugo's rage exploded with the opening of the doors like a bomb; catching Shoto and Fuyumi by surprise, while Izuku was visibly embarrassed, trying to once more talk his old friend's temper down, and Nikolay soon after stepped into the doorway; a look of surprised realization on his face as he looked to his two hosts.
The sudden return of her brother's three friends, and especially the enlightened look in Nikolay's eyes, made Fuyumi experience a near whiplash-inducing sense of shock and shame. "AAH! I-I'm so sorry! We didn't mean to-! "O-oh, no, you didn't do anything! We'd already heard all about your situation a while ago from Todoroki-san!"
As Izuku tried to reassure Fuyumi, and Bakugo grumbled through his grinding teeth once again of having only overheard the story; Nikolay focused on Shoto. "Was everything you just said true, Todoroki-san; about why you asked Endeavor-sensei to take me as an intern to begin with?"
It was hard for Shoto to tell if Nikolay was offended or not, but the way his eyes lowered with an unspoken shame, said plenty. To this, Nikolay took a deep breath and sighed. "I wish you would've just come upfront to me about your reasons, but don't think that means I don't appreciate being here either way. I'm just sorry I don't have any real answers for you to work with when it comes to you and your dad.
"I thought I'd explained it clearly back at the Sports Festival, though: the biggest reason I was able to put me and my Dad's past behind me and forgive him, was because I saw how much what he'd done had truly hurt him deep down, and how much he wanted to try and atone for it; not simply for his image as a Hero, but because he really wanted to. When I saw that, I realized I didn't want to hold onto all that anger and hate anymore; I just wanted us to be a real family again. It was an equal effort for both of us.
"I wish I could just help you and Endeavor-sensei come to the same conclusion, I really do, but from what I've heard and seen up until now, I honestly have to say that this whole thing is bigger than just you two. I personally think this is something your entire family needs to be able to sit down and openly talk about with each other, instead of trying to sneak your way through it without discussing it straightforwardly. Fuyumi-san, you calling your brothers and father together for this dinner was a step in the right direction; and Todoroki-san, we already know that you choosing to intern under Endeavor-sensei shows the same kind of desire as her, even if you would deny it like you did at the start of this week. Frankly, right now it's your brother whose attitude would have me the most worried."
Only now did Nikolay realize just how far on a tangent he'd allowed himself to go after simply asking Shoto to have been honest with him; which now left him red in the face with embarrassment, while Shoto and Fuyumi both looked at him with their own expressions of surprise and contemplation as to what he'd just suggested. At the same time, Bakugo just muttered while rolling his eyes: "God, I thought you were never gonna shut up."
With Nikolay having given his opinion and subsequent advice, Izuku quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply. But as he did so; his once embarrassed expression turned firm with a resolution in heart all his own. "We're sorry again for having listened in, all the same…but if I may ask earnestly, Todoroki-kun; you're actually already preparing yourself to forgive your father, aren't you?"
Shoto's eyes widened the most they had the entire night at just what Izuku was suggesting, with Nikolay and Fuyumi likewise looking to the curly-haired boy with similar surprise and confusion, while Bakugo stubbornly took his leave from the scene. But Izuku continued; sounding more and more sure with every word: "I think that, if you really did hate Endeavor-sensei like you say you do, then it would be okay not to forgive him…but we all know you're not like that. You're a good, kind person; that's why it looks more like you're waiting for the right time to forgive your dad, rather than feeling like you never can or don't know how to address it. In fact, I'm thinking you may have been like this; taking this long process to forgiveness, rather than testing to see if it's even possible; ever since Kolya-san and I fought against you at the Sports Festival, huh?"
At that moment, Bakugo suddenly came stepping backwards into the dining room; catching everyone's attention again, only to see Natsuo now standing in the doorway. His eyes were only fixed on his siblings, but everyone could see there was a palpable look of pure anguish underneath the tightness of his face, as though he were actively struggling to keep whatever those emotions were under the surface, restrained. "Listen, Fuyumi, I'm heading out. Thanks for dinner, again."
And just like that, before Fuyumi could call for him to stay, Natsuo was out of sight and out the door; leaving everyone in the dining room in that same suffocating air of deep discomfort.
But what none of them in that dining room realized, was that standing in lumbering silence on the other side of the other sliding door was none other than Endeavor himself; standing as still and silent as the grave as he'd overheard his children and interns speaking of Shoto's forgiveness issues, and Natsuo's abrupt declaration to leave. But there was only so much of that which he could listen to, until he couldn't bear to hear anymore and continued making his way further into the house; a second plate of Fuyumi's cooking in hand.
Certain that nobody else was around to see him, he made his way into a smaller, isolated room, wherein there stood a single shrine at the other end: a memorial shrine, with only a single framed photograph sitting within it, framed with funerary black ribbons, depicting a young teenage boy with the same purely white spiky hair as Natsuo.
Once Endeavor sat down upon his knees, he set the plate of food at the foot of the shrine like an offering, and then proceeded to light several sticks of incense lining the shrine with but a spark of his Quirk from his fingertips. Once that was done, the hulking Flame Hero proceeded to bow his head, close his eyes, bring the palms of his hands together, and silently pray before the shrine.
But even as he recited the Buddhist mantras for the deceased pictured before him, his mind and heart were still as restless as they had ever been. 'Even despite his words of outright defiance, I know now just what it is Shoto truly wants…and we're both just as devoid of answers as to how to truly achieve it. I know how smart he is; he must realize his foreign friend's words are true just as much as I do…and yet neither of us even knows where to begin to repair the damage I've wrought upon us. Being a Hero is all I've ever known how to do…and it's my own family that I can be neither a Hero nor a Father to, no matter how much I wish it to be otherwise. So then what else is there that I can possibly do for them anymore?'
With the prayers having now long since died within his mouth, Endeavor finally stopped reciting and opened his tired, stoically pained eyes to the picture before him; a pang of pure torture momentarily striking at his heart as he did so. His deep and powerful voice couldn't convey the true emotion he was feeling in the pit of his chest as he spoke, but there was no denying that the man was in the deepest pain he could ever recall in this moment. "Touya…if you only knew how much I wish you were here now."
From the moment Endeavor had departed from outside the dining room without their knowledge, Nikolay had finally asked the one question he'd been most hesitant to speak of since Natsuo's abrupt exit: "I'm sorry for asking like this, Todoroki-san, but…Natsuo-san; he clearly seems the most resistant to reconciling with Endeavor-sensei out of all three of you. Is that solely because of how he'd raised you, or is it…something else...like your other brother, maybe?"
"You have a second brother, Todoroki-kun?!" Izuku immediately asked in shock that Nikolay apparently knew something about Shoto's past that he didn't; a similar notion that had Bakugo once more scowling in anger at this supposed disadvantage in knowing that he hadn't ever suspected they'd been in.
On the other hand, Shoto bowed his head in regretful confirmation; a move that had Fuyumi looking between him and Nikolay in shock: "Shoto…you actually told him about that?"
"I did. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Midoriya. It's not exactly a conversation starter; but Bezpalov had simply been there in the dorms commons room when I'd come back from training; the same day that Father had been released from the hospital. He asked how we were all holding up, and it just ended up coming out. But you both deserve to know just as much, if you want to."
Izuku and Bakugo quickly took their seats at the table in response, with Nikolay reluctantly following suit. This was all the answer Shoto could have asked for, as he and Fuyumi sat across from them, and he proceeded to fill his other two friends in just as he had for Nikolay long before: "The truth is that none of us were Endeavor's first children. We had an oldest brother before; Todoroki Touya."
From there, Fuyumi continued: "Touya and Natsu were undoubtedly the closest together between the four of us; always playing together. It was pretty much the only true relationship there was between us children of Endeavor, while he was so focused on training Shoto every waking moment, keeping him isolated from the rest of us. However…something happened to him…something that drove the biggest wedge between Shoto, Natsu and Father.
"It happened shortly after our Mom had been sent to the hospital. Her condition had somehow gotten even worse, to the point that none of us could even visit her anymore. Nowadays, she's finally been managing to truly recover and overcome what had driven her there in the first place. Shoto has been visiting her more often, and it feels like our family is slowly but surely starting to look more towards the future…except that Natsu can't begin to let it go like we both have. He… he believes that our Father…that he killed Touya."
"That definitely explains that look he had just now." Bakugo muttered for once with not a trace of anger or annoyance; while Nikolay and Izuku both couldn't help but nod in agreement. That certainly explained Natsuo's adherence to his distaste for being near Endeavor, if it didn't just outright justify it.
But before anyone else could say anything, the doorway was once more darkened by Endeavor's large frame. The apathetic look on his face left them all with a relief that he hadn't overheard what they'd been talking about, while the man himself simply addressed his daughter: "I'm sorry, Fuyumi, but I need to take the boys back to school.
With the realization that now was finally the time for them return to Yuuei at last, Shoto, Nikolay, Izuku and Bakugo quickly got back into their jackets and shoes; Fuyumi hurriedly donning her own as well as she followed her relatives and guests out to the car that was currently waiting for them just outside the house's front gates.
Before they were just outside the gate, the four boys quickly turned back to formally give their goodbyes to their thankfully smiling host once more; starting as Izuku gave another over-the-top bow. "Thank you again for the meal!"
"Give me that Mapo tofu recipe." Bakugo bluntly stated, rather than asked; all but ignoring Shoto as he answered he would simply have his sister text it to him instead.
By contrast, Nikolay gave a bow of his own; smiling invitingly as he did so. "Thank you for all your hospitality, Fuyumi-san. Everything was delicious, like I said…but if you'd ever want to try your hand at any non-Japanese recipes sometime, I'd be happy to give you some of my favorites to try out."
Nikolay naturally couldn't help but worry he'd started to overstep some unspoken boundary, but Fuyumi's resulting lighthearted giggle quickly did away with such things: "You're far too kind, Bezpalov-san; but I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I'm just sorry we all let this evening get derailed; I'd really meant to ask you all about your school lives."
As Nikolay and Izuku both couldn't help but chuckle in empathetic embarrassment with her; Endeavor suddenly came to a stop just before he'd begun to get into the front passenger seat of the car; before finally looking back to his daughter. "Fuyumi…"
The bespectacled young woman immediately looked to her father, and for but a silent moment, she could see a deep well of emotion in his eyes; something that communicated the sincerity of his feelings far more than his instinctively blunt and powerful voice. "…thank you again for all this."
With that, he proceeded to finally get into the car and out of plain sight, but just before his face was obscured, Fuyumi could almost swear she'd seen the corner of her father's mouth begin to form the faintest beginning of a grateful smile. That on its own filled her heart with an overwhelming gratitude of her own. It was honestly a miracle her eyes hadn't begun to well with tears.
But she couldn't let her own feelings be kept solely to herself. She knew that it was only because of hers and Shoto's respective efforts to try and repair their family in even the slightest; that had driven their father to open up even this minuscule amount. That was its own tremendous reward in its own right.
And she knew exactly who was ultimately responsible for all of this even being a reality, as she suddenly approached Nikolay and Izuku before they began to follow Shoto and Bakugo the rest of the way, taking a hand from each of them into her own so they could see the deeply heartfelt smile on her face as she looked the two boys in the eye.
"Midoriya-san, Bezpalov-san…thank you so much for being Shoto's friends."
Both boys couldn't help but begin to slightly blush, before Izuku quickly regained his smile, nodding in full understanding. "Yes, well, I mean…the pleasure's all mine, Todoroki-san!"
With his freckled friend having managed to break the tension, Nikolay was able to smile with that same confidence and nod to Fuyumi as well. "Mine, too, he's a real good friend to us...and, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but the next time you see Valera-kun at your school, would you please let him know that me and Bakugo are cheering him on? He'll know what you mean, I'm sure."
Fuyumi immediately smiled warmly at Nikolay's request, while thankfully having the restraint to not start giggling when Bakugo suddenly sneezed and instinctively shouted back: "WHAT'RE YOU TWO GEEKS TALKING ABOUT?! YOU BETTER NOT BE SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT ME, DAMMIT!"
With that, Fuyumi briefly tightened her hold on both boys' hands before giving a reassuring nod. "I'd be happy to. Hopefully you'll all be able to see him in-person again sometime soon; I know that'd make him really happy."
With that, Nikolay and Izuku bid Fuyumi one last farewell, and finally proceeded to join Shoto and Bakugo in the back of the car. With that, the sleek black vehicle finally began to go down the street for the train station, leaving Fuyumi Todoroki to wave goodbye until they were no longer in sight.
While this night may not have had the results she had initially hoped for; having gotten to finally meet and really get to know her little brother's first real friends had left her chest filled with a greater hope than she had initially started with. Truly, as long as Shoto had friends like them at his side, then he would surely be able to find the will to fully forgive their father and truly begin their family's recovery at long last.
As the car continued to make its way for the train station down a road underneath an elevated highway, the accommodations had left the four boys in the backseat fairly cramped. Izuku and Shoto thankfully had plenty of room, but Bakugo's aversion to being any closer to them than he wanted had ultimately forced him to stick his head out the window in an act of desperation. And all the while, Nikolay had resigned himself to sitting on the floor below.
In the front passenger seat, Endeavor kept his arms crossed over his chest while intently watching the road ahead, despite not even being the one driving; that being the responsibility of an older man in a chauffeurs' uniform with what looked like a dark toupee and a white mustache and beard. But while he took care of the driving, the Flame Hero beside him finally addressed his four students: "You boys need to get stronger fast. In addition to coming back to the Agency on weekends, you're to report in at least two days out of each week, if you can shift your class schedules around."
"That's pretty much how it was for everyone last time." Shoto noted matter-of-factly. While Nikolay was smiling optimistically at the long-awaited return to his last internships' schedule; at the same time he couldn't help but think to himself: 'Here's hoping Mirko gave Mina the same kind of schedule, and we can figure out which two days we go and which days we stay. Heck, I hope that's the way for everyone. It'll be great finally seeing them all again'
Meanwhile, Izuku looked only the slightest bit nervous. "And that's on top of our first-year finals coming up soon. You think you could help me out with English, Todoroki-kun?"
"Yeah, me too? I could even help anyone out with World History if anyone needs or wants it." Nikolay quickly offered as well, even though he quickly realized he was offering to the wrong classmates, when Bakugo somehow managed to shout even louder than the passing wind of the open window: "SAVE IT FOR THE DUMBASSES WHO ACTUALLY NEED IT!"
Letting his momentary embarrassment thankfully roll off his shoulders, Nikolay mused: "I can't believe we're going to become Class 2-A soon. It still sometimes feels like barely any time has passed at all. It's gonna be so weird not having Aizawa-sensei as a teacher anymore."
But before Izuku or Shoto could echo the same sentiments, Bakugo once more exclaimed angrily: "GOD, IT'S CRAMPED IN HERE! SHOULDN'T THE NUMBER ONE HERO GET A BIGGER CAR?!"
This finally got a reaction out of the driver, as he suddenly snapped:"You're actually complaining about being chauffeured around?! I swear, the nerve of kids these days! Since when do you start giving free rides to a bunch of slacker students, Boss?!"
Nikolay and Izuku could both feel their skin tingle with instinctive indignation at being written off so quickly. They could both only assume Bakugo simply hadn't heard the man, because otherwise they could very well have been looking at walking the rest of the way to the train station after he'd blow the car to smithereens.
But Endeavor remained steadfast as he answered bluntly: "Since I was placed at the top."
But the driver was no more impressed, as he gripped the steering wheel in a near vice grip. "PAAHH! Are you actually suggesting that a new position can actually change a person on a fundamental level? Don't make me laugh!"
But while the three boys in back who could actually hear the driver could only look at each other confusedly as to what the heck that sound he'd made was; Endeavor's inescapable gaze suddenly picked up something unusual in the shadows up ahead, just outside the reach of the headlights:
As they approached inch by inch, he could quickly pick up the image of what seemed to be a single man standing directly in the car's path, with the painted white street lines actually starting to unnaturally waver and wriggle, before ultimately peeling right of the asphalt like a snake.
Soon, the lights of the car could pick all of this up, and Endeavor could now see that all the white lines of the road were being manipulated like this, coalescing around the man in question…but all of this paled in comparison, when he finally picked up the unmistakable sight of Natsuo right next to this stranger, completely entwined in the controlled white lines like the victim of an anaconda.
Finally, the stranger that had been crouching in the middle of the road stood up tall: it was a man dressed in black and white-striped clothes, with some of the manipulated white lines wrapped over half of his face, while the rest of it was likewise painted or was naturally black and white in color. But that didn't hide the near animalistic frenzy he expressed, as he suddenly exclaimed in greeting: "NICE HOUSE YOU'VE GOT BACK THERE, ENDEAVOR!"
The moment the entire picture became clear, the driver and the four students in back could all now see it as clearly as Endeavor himself, as Shoto exclaimed in shock: "HE'S GOT NATSU!"
"BOSS! HOLD ON TIGHT, YOU SLACKERS!" The driver likewise shouted back as he turned the wheel as hard as he could on such short notice, sending the car skidding around the Villain and his hostage; just barely managing to miss them both, before spinning and finally coming to a stop; the intensity almost sending Nikolay and Bakugo both flying inside it.
The very moment the car had stopped skidding out of control; Endeavor erupted from out the door in a fireball, just before more of the once stationary white lines on the road suddenly came unfurling into the air, and swiftly wrapped themselves around the car behind him; completely cocooning it.
But Endeavor could only focus on the sight of his oldest son being held at this Villain's mercy, as his fire burned as hot as his rage: "LET HIM GO!"
But the Villain could only cackle psychotically, as he used his Quirk to make more of the animated lines wrap around Natsuo's head, keeping him from calling out. "HAHAHAHA! Remember me, Endeavor?!"
Endeavor reluctantly stopped his charge, but his flames refused to dissipate as he stood off against this surprise opponent. For but a moment he was silent as he looked this enemy up and down. "From seven years ago! You're that violent offender I took down back then! I remember you gave yourself your own Villain name and everything! You're…!"
Once more, that infuriating laughter echoed through the air as the Villain almost looked like he would start dancing in celebration. "YES! YES, THAT'S RIGHT! OH, I'M UTTERLY TICKLED PINK YOU REMEMBER ME! THAT'S RIGHT, I'M…ENDING!"
But even as the Villain known as Ending continued to ramble, Endeavor could still only ever focus on Natsuo every second. "Ever since I first saw you in action, shining like a solar flare, I haven't been able to stop thinking of you! My only regret is that your splendor caused me to hesitate! That's the only reason you were able to take me alive back then! I've been watching you so closely ever since then, Endeavor!
"I had hoped it wouldn't have to play out exactly like this, but you need to understand! No matter what I did, you had so much that I could never attain for myself! I looked up to you so much…BUT I NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO PROTECT LIKE YOU DO! MY LIFE IS UTTERLY MEANINGLESS, BUT I CAN AT LEAST GIVE IT MEANING WITH HOW I CHOOSE TO END IT! THAT'S THE ONE INDISPUTABLE RIGHT WE ALL HAVE…AND I WANT THE CROWNING MOMENT OF MY MEANINGLESS LIFE TO BE AGAINST YOU!"
Suddenly, yet more of the painted lines began to retract and rise up, all flying towards Ending and Natsuo en mass; specifically, the lines ending with arrows were pointing precariously towards his struggling young hostage, causing Endeavor to momentarily flinch with hesitation.
"I'M GOING TO KILL THIS KID, SO IF YOU WANNA STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING…YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE TO DO THE JOB RIGHT THIS TIME! PLEASE, ENDEAVOR…YOU GOTTA KILL ME!"
The sight of Endeavor still unable to move after having given his ultimatum had Ending cackling in growing mania; certain that if he pushed him far enough, he would finally be able to obtain that death he desired most of all. "EVEN IN THE WORST OF TIMES, HEROES DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO KILL! BUT YOU, YOU KILLED THAT NOMU IN KYUSHU, DIDN'T YOU?! WELL, I'M JUST LIKE THAT MINDLESS PUPPET: NEITHER DEAD NOR LIVING, BUT SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN! SO REST EASY! USE THOSE DAZZLING FLAMES OF YOURS TO-!"
BWOOM!
With the unmistakable resonance of one of Nikolay's Kinetic Blasts; the roof of the entrapped car suddenly exploded straight up into the air, instantly followed by all four of Endeavor's students as they came flying out in a high-speed rush, just as the driver suddenly called out after them: "AREN'T YOU FORGETTING SOMETHING, SLACKERS?!"
BOOM!
With the pull of a lever, the trunk likewise suddenly sprang open, tearing the white lines enclosing the vehicle like weak scotch tape. And like shots from a cannon, all four of their Hero Costume cases came flying through the air, just for Izuku to catch onto his own and rapidly grab and toss the other three with surgical precision to his three allies, who all effortlessly caught and opened them before even one of their feet had managed to touch the ground; Izuku and Bakugo donning their respective gauntlets, Shoto fastening the armored straps over his shoulders, and Nikolay hurriedly swinging his bandolier over his chest; and all of them with their sights focused on Ending and Natsuo without hesitation; Shoto calling out to his brother with as much fiery determination as anyone had ever heard from him: "NATSUO!"
However, by now, the four interns' escape and charge had long since lost its element of surprise on Ending, as he quickly began to double back in response. "Trainees, huh? Make sure you kill me right this time, Endeavor! You're my only hope!"
But Ending's outcry landed on deaf ears, as Endeavor was suddenly stricken with a bolt of opportunity. 'Their arrival has thrown him off-balance! I can still reach him faster than-!'
But just as his body began to follow through with his emboldened train of thought, the Villain before him suddenly yanked Natsuo's trapped body between himself and all the incoming Heroes as a human shield. And as father and son locked eyes, and he could see the genuine fear and worry Natsuo was experiencing in this desperate moment…Endeavor couldn't summon the strength to move one foot in front of the other. Seeing his own flesh and blood helpless and in danger before him; the Number One Hero of Japan, the Flame Hero himself…froze entirely.
But the same could not be said for his four students, as they all rushed right past his fiery frame; all converging on the Villain before them, who by now was actually starting to shed tears. "OH, FLAMES OF HOPE! STILL PLAYING THE GOOD AND DECENT HERO, EVEN WITH YOUR OWN SON'S LIFE ON THE LINE?!"
Several of the white lines Ending had threatened Natsuo with were now whipping back towards Shoto like vipers. As he charged, and the distance between himself and the Villain's attack closed; he could once more hear Endeavor's advice echoing resoundingly within: 'Focus to a Point. Build up, and…'
With those words, Shoto focused on his Fire as he sprinted with everything he had; channeling it into the length of his arm and all coalescing into the palm of his hand; every last ember of it as his eyes focused on the incoming lines, and the Villain that was his target.
'…AND RELEASE!'
With the white hot fury of all his collected Fire ready to erupt from his hand, Shoto swung his arm in a wide sweep, creating an instantaneous white flash of blazing power that disintegrated all of the incoming street lines in the blink of an eye; burning away half of his coat as he came rushing out through the other side of the flames; his brown-blue eyes burning into his target as he called out: "GIVE ME BACK MY BROTHER!"
Seeing his attack be so effortlessly countered, Ending was grinding his teeth in growing desperation. "QUICKLY NOW, ENDEAVOR! KILL ME! BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T…!"
Suddenly, the air began to be filled with the sounds of multiple screeching tires from up above. Glancing upwards, Nikolay, Izuku and Bakugo couldn't believe it.
Through the sheer providence of the Villain having his feet on the ground, he was somehow managing to channel the effect of his Quirk through the ground, up the support pillars of the highway, and thus manipulating the white lines of that road as well as the one down on their level. Ending was effectively using the liens on both roads to whip and toss all the cars nearby, and their drivers and passengers, high up into the air; far too many for any one Hero to be able to catch on their own.
"…MORE PEOPLE WILL DIE!"
With the ensuing chaos causing one of the incoming cars still on the asphalt to go swerving this way and that in a desperate attempt to avoid crashing, Ending proceeded to throw the line holding Natsuo directly in the vehicle's path, with it coming in too close and too fast for the driver to get around him. No matter what, either Natsuo or the civilians would die. Even with Endeavor's students interfering, the Villain was certain he finally had his desired Hero in just the corner he wanted him in, to finally cross the line and kill him.
BKOOOM!
Suddenly, in a display of absolutely perfect timing, Bakugo likewise used all of his training and Endeavor's words from the past week to channel his Quirk into one gigantic propelling Explosion from behind himself; sending himself flying beyond the sound barrier across the ground, using his momentum and the heat of his Explosion to tear the line asunder as he grabbed onto Natsuo. As soon as he knew he had the hostage secured; Bakugo used his own foot to spring them both off the hood of the incoming car, flipping them both up over its roof, and ultimately landing perfectly on his feet, much to Ending's disbelief, as he defiantly spat back: "MORE WILL DIE?! LIKE HELL!"
At that same time; just as a police helicopter was starting to fly over the scene n response to the emergency calls from civilians nearby; Nikolay and Izuku were both acting simultaneously to deal with the cars on both roads that had been launched helplessly up into the air by the Villain's Quirk. Izuku, while still sprinting with the added power of his Full Cowling, suddenly knelt down and brought his hands parallel to the ground below, focusing his power into his hands. "AIR FORCE!"
With a ground-shaking blast, he launched himself backward up into the air until he was even above the highway. Knowing he was now in the right position, he kept thinking to Endeavor's own personal instructions while reeling his hands back over behind his head. 'I can do it! It's the same! The gist is the same, just like he said! Repeat one process enough and it comes to you by reflex, and then repeat the process until you can do two things at once!'
With that picture now clearer in his mind than ever, as the energy of his Quirk sparked from all around his body, Izuku cried out in overwhelming defiance to the Villain below: "NOBODY IS DYING TONIGHT! WE WON'T LET THEM! OTHERWISE ALL OUR HOPES AND DREAMS WON'T COME TRUE!"
WOOOSH!
Swinging his arms back down, a multitude of near luminescent black tendrils suddenly erupted from out the knuckles of Izuku's gauntlets, his Blackwhip emerging in full power with none of the previous difficulty, and all flying out with masterful precision, as they all latched onto every one of the cars suspended in the air, all but ready for him to bring back down safely to the ground.
But despite his shock at the effectiveness of these three young Heroes that had already acted; Ending wasn't about to let it end like this, as he could feel his empowered Quirk burning hot in his veins; his mind now obsessed with one last ditch effort to push Endeavor across the line, as he could hear the sound of the police helicopter overhead. "C'MON, WHAT'RE YOU WAITING FOR, ENDEAVOR?! JUST COME HERE AND KILL ME, GODDAMMIT! THIS'S MY RIGHT!"
The Villain's Quirk proceeded to go into a complete overdrive, as before the eyes of everyone, all of the once airborne fragments of his destroyed white lines suddenly stopped in mid-air like a freeze frame…before the ones that were still connected to the road suddenly whipped straight up, scooping up all of the disparate pieces, and flinging them all skyward at full power like an anti-air barrage.
Before Shoto, Bakugo or Izuku could fully gauge what was now happening and thus react, these sudden powerful projectiles came flying up, shooting through the engine blocks of all the suspended cars in the way with the utmost ease; carrying enough power behind them to send those high-speed countless pieces of metal shrapnel all flying straight for the helicopter above; far too fast for the pilot to have a chance of swerving out of the way in time. They were going to get blown right out of the sky.
Then, with his Quirk boosting him to his highest speed, Nikolay launched himself to the side of one of the highway's pillars, allowing his momentum to send him sliding along it in a vertical glide by his outstretched hand, before springing himself off it through one blast from his feet, sending him higher up into the air and above the highway, rolling himself forward through the air before ricocheting himself back toward it with another blast from his hands and feet. The moment he came flying back, his eyes focused on all the incoming shrapnel about to collide with the helicopter.
Never taking his eyes off the numerous targets, he fought against the air resistance blowing against him as he flew through the air, bringing both his hands straight forward ahead of him, palms open as he let the friction of the air build up the growing Kinetic power surging through his muscles down to the holes lining his hands. Even from here, Nikolay knew he wouldn't be able to take all of those pieces out at once. He was going to have to be taking the mass down from multiple angles as fast as he'd ever gone before.
'Don't let yourself focus so much on every individual action that you lose sight of what's unfolding in front of you. Let your instinctive actions with your Quirk drive your body. Practice the techniques you wish to master as often as you can, until you can perform them all simultaneously or sequentially, but all without even thinking about it.'
With Endeavor's instructions ringing crystal clear in his head, Nikolay finally took action, boosting himself forward even faster through his feet against the air behind him, and at the same time finally releasing the built up stores of pure Kinetic energy from out one hole in his hand after another in rapid but precisely focused succession. Each concentrated blast that rang out was like a bullet in shockwave form as they tore through the air and smashed into one piece of shrapnel after another, knocking them out of the air and stopping their momentum instantly, or shattering them into practical dust.
But Nikolay didn't stop there. With his Kinetic Gatling continuing to fire from out his hands in carefully timed and well-aimed succession, he proceeded to change the angle of his legs and feet in order to fire another re-directing Kinetic Blast from out his soles, sending him into a sideways roll before ultimately rolling his entire body forward and doing the same thing from out his feet again, now sending him even further upward so he could be facing down to the street below, once again redirecting his hands and continuing to fire his Kinetic Gatling again and again, knocking away or destroying the shrapnel he wouldn't have been able to stop from his original position.
Then lastly, glimpsing the last concentrated bunch of incoming shrapnel from an angle just at the corner of his eye, Nikolay quickly twisted his body in mid-air to change the direction he was facing; this time grabbing all of the small tuning forks in his bandolier. Clutching them between his fingers so he could channel another powerful burst of his Kinetics into them, he finally accelerated his body's mid-air roll with another propelling blast from out his feet facing just the right direction; using that momentum and his Quirk to fling all those tuning forks at the incoming projectiles with all the power he could put behind them; thus destroying those last several pieces of lethal debris in practically the blink of an eye.
With this instantaneous and simultaneous display of his maneuverability and precision attacking finally coming to fruition, Nikolay managed to destroy all the shrapnel that would have otherwise destroyed the police helicopter and killed everyone inside; much to the wide-eyed relief of Izuku, the begrudging stare of Bakugo, and the slack-jawed shock of Ending. Nikolay could practically feel the Villain's eyes on him as he'd effectively destroyed his last ditch effort, as he defiantly called back down with all the internal fire he could muster: "EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE HOW THEIR LIVES END, BUT NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE OTHERS WITH THEM AGAINST THEIR WILL! WE WON'T LET YOU DO SOMETHING SO SELFISH!"
But all of the young Heroes' declarations of defiance were ultimately wasted. Ending couldn't even hear them. All he could feel was a morbid sense of utter defeat at seeing the plan he had so painstakingly put together be taken apart so effortlessly by nothing but a bunch of children.
That would be the one thought he would be stuck to linger in, as in his shellshock, he didn't even have time to try and counter Shoto's incoming flaming fist, as he'd finally closed the last of the distance in just those few precious but eventful seconds, and slammed it straight into his midsection with devastating force; knocking the wind right out of the Villain's lungs, and sending him sprawling half-conscious to the ground, effectively defeated…and all without Endeavor having been able to step in to even lift a finger.
As Izuku touched back down to the ground, bringing the now disabled cars safely back down with him, Nikolay likewise came landing near him shortly after; all the while, the Flame Hero looked on at what had just unfolded.
He couldn't hide the impression visible on his face…nor could he begin to deny the swelling of utmost pride building in his chest upon seeing what his four interns had just done, as his body finally acted, in the form of him sprinting down the street and pulling Bakugo and a still-shocked Natsuo into his arms in an instinctive embrace; his eyes wide for the first time. 'In just one week…you four boys… you all actually did it!'
Finally snapping back to the reality of the moment, he at last asked with an edge of genuine worry: "Is anyone hurt?"
"…hot." Natsuo struggled to say while in the tight and heated grip of his father's arms, while Bakugo furiously spat: "I'M FINE, NOW LET ME GO!"
But Endeavor could only do the exact opposite, as hearing the sound of his son's voice alive and well drove him to pull the two boys in closer; his body actually beginning to tremble as he let the gravity of what could have happened well and truly sink in.
"DAMMIT, ARE YOU DEAF?! I SAID LET GO!" Bakugo nearly shrieked as he violently wriggled his way out of Endeavor's hold to freedom, before just as quickly whipping his head in Shoto's direction. "What about that white line chump?"
"Captured." Shoto answered, having just finished applying a large helping of his Ice to immobilize Ending, whose head was already furiously lashing about in resistance. "NO! NO, THIS IS WRONG! NOT SUPPOSED TO BE YOU! ONLY ENDEAVOR!"
"Nobody's hurt, right?" Izuku called out to the civilians now shakily stepping out of their cars. Of course he couldn't help but worry what their reactions were going to be, either because of the scare of suddenly finding themselves airborne, or the realization that their cars had been all but destroyed in the process of the incident. But despite their trembling knees and looks of motion sickness, several of the people answered: "You're the one that saved us, right? Oh my god, I thought I was a goner! Thank you so much! We're alive, that's the only thing that matters!"
"What about the nameless nobodies, stupid Deku?!" Bakugo suddenly called out, snapping Izuku back to attention. "I don't know who you're talking about, but the fine citizens in the car are all safe!"
"Alright, and what about those gawking dumbasses in the chopper, Russkie! Tell me you were at least able to handle that much!" No sooner than he had spat back at Nikolay for clarification; immediately after, a spotlight suddenly shone down on the four young Heroes and their instructor, spurring them all to look up to see the police helicopter overhead, just as the officer piloting it spoke out on the connected loudspeaker to Nikolay: "That was one heck of a great save you pulled back there, kid! We owe you our lives! We have backup coming to recover the Villain as we speak!"
With that final proclamation confirming everything, Nikolay let out a deep sigh of satisfaction that he'd managed to save them, that they had all managed to save everyone. This same wonderful feeling settled within Izuku and Shoto as well; before a light of realization suddenly filled Izuku's eyes. "Everyone…THIS IS A TOTAL WIN FOR US!"
"GREAT, NOW SHADDUP!" Bakugo bellowed at his curly-haired classmate before once more whipping his head in Endeavor's direction: "HOW'D IT GO AGAIN, NUMBER ONE?! OUR BIG ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS WINTER?! SOMETHING ABOUT BEATING A VILLAIN FASTER THAN YOU, JUST ONCE?!"
All at once did the reality finally hit Nikolay's heart, and from the initial moment of complete shellshock, came that same illuminating smile of overjoyed realization. Izuku and Bakugo were both right, as he instinctively exclaimed to nobody in particular: "MY POBEDILIIII (WE WOOOON)!"
"Yeah! Great work, there, all of you!" Endeavor suddenly echoed his two students' exclamations of triumph; leaving Nikolay and Izuku watching with near stars in their eyes, while leaving Bakugo motionless with a confused sneer. "When I stumbled, you all stepped in quick to pick up my slack. In so little time, you took what I'd instructed of you…and utilized it perfectly! You've all saved so many lives here tonight…while I could do nothing! Well done!"
As Endeavor continued to praise his students for their effort and success, Nikolay could almost feel his heart becoming light as air with that sensation of accomplishment, while Izuku was once more trying so hard not to start crying with joy. By complete contrast, though, Bakugo actually looked disappointed: "Just heaping on the praise, huh? Dammit, you're the Number One, man; you're supposed to be pissed right now!"
"GET OFF!" Natsuo suddenly exclaimed, likewise forcing his way out of his father's embrace; now kneeling across from Endeavor as they stared each other down; a look of genuine vulnerability on the Flame Hero's face for the first time in either of their lives, as the flames upon his face and body finally began to dim and extinguish.
Suddenly, the Number One Hero proceeded to bow his head low before his son in a show of utter shame. "Natsuo…I'm sorry! In that moment, I couldn't help but think about how, if I saved you…then, going forward, you might feel like you couldn't stand up to me."
Just as suddenly as his outburst had come, Natsuo's anger turned to total confusion; not even able to summon up a response. He'd never seen his father in a state like this, it honestly never occurred to him the man could ever look or feel this way towards anyone, let alone one of his own children.
But Endeavor didn't let Natsuo's silence stop him, as he continued to speak from the deepest, once foreign depths of his own heart; all while Shoto and his three other interns could only watch and listen closely. "Natsuo…believe it or not, I was never trying to neglect any of you. I'd spent so much time away from all of you in the sense that matters the most, when I should've been there for you, not as a Hero, but as the father I should've been from the start, the father you all truly deserved. That's all I could ever hope to become anymore; I have no right to call myself a Hero for any of you. I should've realized that a long time ago…but…all I could do was blame others and dodge responsibility. It was the same way with Touya, too. I might as well have killed him, myself!"
That admission left a shaking sensation through Natsuo and Shoto alike; Nikolay and Izuku to a lesser degree. Had Endeavor actually been listening in on them back home when Fuyumi had used those same words to explain Natsuo's resentment? There was no way for them to know, nor did they feel they had any right to ask. This was a vital moment for the Todoroki family they were bearing witness to, and they needed to let it play out as intended.
Natsuo's complete shock began to twitch, before his mouth began to form a half-hearted smile; his eyes slowly but surely starting to well with tears as he finally found the wherewithal to answer his father's heartfelt confessions of guilt: "D-didn't neglect us? So what? Touya had always told me everything about you. It…it'll be a c-cold day in Hell…before I ever forgive you…b-because I-I'm not as caring as Shoto or Fuyumi!"
An already teary-eyed Nikolay, Izuku and Shoto could all feel their hearts begin to drop in the face of Natsuo's refusal of his father's honest confessions. There wasn't even a question of just how hard this was for Endeavor to bring himself to say out loud, so there was no telling what a reaction like this would do to him in the long run.
But that was when the man answered with not a tinge of anger to be gleaned, much to Natsuo's surprise, as though he'd been hoping for that very volatile reaction: "Even so…even so, you keep showing up for Fuyumi, right? And for your mother's sake? Your sister loves the idea of being a big, happy family because…because that's exactly what I destroyed. She wants that back…she's so eager to fix everything. And that's why you're trying. Because you care about how she feels, don't you? Because you are caring, Natsuo."
Nikolay; having spent so much time getting to know Shoto and the family he came from, and now finally seeing nearly all of that family in action, and now seeing with his own eyes just how thoroughly broken up they were while still trying to somehow come back together, simply couldn't let the feelings burgeoning within his chest go unsaid; if not for anyone else's sake but that of Natsuo himself. The memories of all his own painful past emotions were tingling intensely in the back of his mind as, without warning, he suddenly stepped forward and spoke imploringly to the eldest Todoroki son, much to his, Endeavor and his classmates' collective surprise:
"He's right. I know I have no right to speak about any of this, Natsuo-san, but please at least hear me out on this: I know you and your brother Touya were very close, but no matter what he had said to you about your dad before, and no matter what happened to him, do you really believe he would want you to spend the rest of your life holding onto all this hatred you've been carrying towards him? Would you honestly be able to forgive yourself if you held onto it until the day he inevitably died, without ever trying to reconcile and let it go?"
With Nikolay having made the ultimately foolhardy decision to speak his peace out of empathy for Natsuo's feelings; the elder Todoroki son looked at him in equal shares of shock and confusion. "How can you, of all people, stand there and be able to say something like that? Don't think that I don't know who you really are, just where and what it was you and your old man came from. How is it that he could do what he did, destroy exactly what he did for you personally, and you can actually talk about something like forgiveness so earnestly?"
But before Nikolay could either answer or further feel his regret for having spoken out of place; a sentiment that Bakugo was just about to vehemently express to him in answer; Endeavor suddenly spoke up: "It's alright, Solovei, you don't have to answer that…because you don't have to forgive me, Natsuo."
There was no hesitation in Endeavor's statement, which left all around him utterly speechless, while he himself was filled not with resignation…but actually a newfound sense of enlightenment and acceptance. "I'm not looking for forgiveness…just atonement."
But as he saw the astonishment in Natsuo's face, and could practically feel the same coming from Shoto and his students, Endeavor's mind was filled with a clarity he never had expected at the start of this whole day.
'I finally understand it now, how it is that Solovei and Tunguska had been able to reconcile, even after what he'd done, and his son's lifetime of growing hatred that had resulted from it. It should've been so clear to me from the beginning. It was never about trying to appeal to his son as a better Hero. It was solely out of his desire to atone to himself for what he'd done…and his son recognized it for himself and thus found the willingness to forgive. I never should've been trying to change how my children view me any faster than they can change it on their own. If I can't ever work to forgive myself for what I've done, how can I possibly expect them to? This is the only way there is, for the sake of us all.'
"Geez…when did you get quite the way with words, all of a sudden?" Natsuo suddenly asked; his voice unmistakably trembling. When Endeavor lifted his head to meet his son's gaze, he was stricken by the sight of the young man clearly trying to hold his emotions together, and completely failing, as his tears were now freely streaming down his face, in the wake of hearing the crushing sincerity in his father's words for the first time ever.
As Natsuo's face trembled and wrenched with his emotional struggle, he went on: "I know how happy it makes Fuyumi-neesan, having us all together! But…whenever I see your face…those awful memories just keep rushing back! Why…why do I gotta be the one to come around?! Atonement?! How're you gonna make that happen after everything that's happened?!"
Even now, Endeavor could feel with the utmost certainty that Natsuo wasn't speaking out of belittlement of his resolve, but out of a genuine need to know how and if such a thing were possible. And it was that recognition of his feelings that made it so easy for him to answer: "I have an idea, actually."
"NOOO! STOP THAT, ENDEAVOR!" Ending suddenly exclaimed like a rabid animal trying to gnaw its way out of a trap, much to the surprise of the four young Heroes around him. But nothing else existed in the Villain's eyes than the kneeling Flame Hero before him; his once glorious flames adorning his body now completely extinguished, leaving nothing but the mortal man beneath the façade. "Y'CAN'T GO ALL SOFT ON ME NOW! WHERE'S THE FEROCIOUS, ARROGANT FIRE?! THE DAZZLING LIGHT?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY HOPE! SO CUT IT OUT! I'M BEGGING YOU! HE'S GONE! HE'S REALLY GONE! IT'S NOT RIGHT!"
Thanikfully, it was at that moment that the numerous ringing sirens of police cars finally grew, and soon the Heroes were joined by the police, as they chipped away enough of Shoto's Ice to be able to carry the borderline-comatose Ending to the back of the heavy prison van that came with.
As the officers did so, one of them took the time to approach Endeavor upon complete investigation of the surrounding scene. "So, this guy's Quirk allows him to control white road paint. We found an empty syringe of the Quirk-enhancing drug, Trigger, just outside your household, Endeavor-san. It looks like he really was watching you as close to home as it gets. Those drugs are mostly off the streets nowadays, but we still got some small samples of it floating around out there."
While Endeavor nodded in acknowledgment of the police's results; the thankfully unharmed chauffeur took that chance to speak in with a razor's edge: "You be more careful, okay, Boss? This is the second time someone's come after you in just a few days! There's still plenty of darkness out there!"
Endeavor naturally couldn't help but think back to the confrontation he'd had with the Villain Starservant a week ago, how he had rambled on about how darkness would consume the world, and that the Flame Hero himself would be the harbinger of it. But unlike then, he was now looking intently at his two sons and three students talking actively with each other, and he could feel an overwhelming sensation of hope filling his chest this time around. "Yes…but the light of justice isn't going anywhere, either."
At the same time; now that the Villain had been safely secured away, and they now knew for certain that Natsuo and all the bystanders were unharmed; Nikolay and his allies could finally breathe easy and really be able to extend their respective congratulations to one another; some more than others; before Natsuo could finally interject and speak wholeheartedly: "I'm sure it doesn't mean nearly as much as it does coming from a Pro Hero teacher or something, but you guys all did really good out here."
While Nikolay and Izuku both bashfully bowed in thanks, Shoto's response was more of a much more familiar nod of understanding. "I'm just glad you're okay, Natsu-niisan."
In mention of that, Shoto's brother turned his attention to Bakugo, who already had his hands deep in his pockets, stubbornly looking away to avoid any direct eye contact. "Thanks for jumping in to save me…er…I'd heard Shoto and the others' Hero names already, but what's yours, exactly?"
Bakugo's momentary flinch of confusion towards Natsuo's question likewise got Izuku and Nikolay looking plenty curious, as the freckled boy quickly asked: "Isn't it just 'Bakugo'?" "Yeah, that in itself just has a natural toughness when you think about it."
But even when two of his fellow students were all but complimenting him, Bakugo refused to look their way. "Shut up, both of you! I'm not about to start taking a page outta Half-N-Half's book and just go with my own name as a Hero, that's just lazy as hell!"
But his explanation only left the two boy's even wider-eyed with expectation, as Izuku excitedly answered: "So does that mean you did pick one, Kacchan?! Tell me, tell me!"
Bakugo once again turned to address his old friend with enough force to nearly sprain his neck as he furiously shouted: "THE THREE OF YOU ARE THE LAST PEOPLE I'D EVER TELL, SO YOU CAN ALL JUST BUZZ OFF AND DIE! Besides, there's someone else I need to tell it to first! So stop asking!"
Nikolay and Izuku both let out a near simultaneous sigh of resignation; knowing by now just how adamant Bakugo could be when his mind was set. But before either of them could proceed to complement each other on their respective displays of new skill control during their coordinated rescue effort; Natsuo suddenly took a step further, catching their attention, to see he was looking at Nikolay specifically.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but…I just have to know: it just doesn't seem possible to me that anyone who went through what you did could be able to forgive your old man for what he caused for you and everyone else in your country. Yet you talk about forgiveness so easily. Be honest with me: just how hard was it really, for you to do that with him after holding all that resentment and hate for so long?"
Obviously, such a question took Nikolay, Izuku and Shoto aback. But much like Endeavor before; Nikolay could quickly see the real emotions that were driving Natsuo to ask such a heavy question. The one thing he could see clearly was that it wasn't spoken out of a stubborn desire to hold onto his own hate towards his father. That was what made it so much easier for Nikolay to finally answer:
"Honestly, even when considering all the stuff I've gotten to do and had to force myself through since I started going to Yuuei…that was the single hardest thing I'd ever done, without a doubt in my mind. At least one every couple of days, I can't help but think of the mother I never really got to know, or the Heroes that I never got to meet or learn under, and some of that bitterness tries to come back with the sadness and the pain. At this point, I'm convinced those feelings will never truly go away and stay gone; I'm sorry to say."
The moment Nikolay and his friends saw the crestfallen expression fall upon Natsuo's already struggling expression; he continued with a much more notable optimism that visibly caught the young man by surprise: "But even with all that being said, I don't regret forgiving my Dad for an instant. Forgiving someone for something they've done doesn't mean just magically forgetting that thing ever happened. I think it's all about just making room for it, the good and the bad. If Todoroki-san can find it in himself to come as close as he has by now towards one day forgiving your dad, then I have no doubt you can, too. In fact, I think you may be able to recognize for yourself when the time is just right to finally take that step forward, and be able to say you can finally forgive him, even if you might not think that's possible right now."
It was hard for Nikolay to tell just what effect his words of honest advice were having on Natsuo at first. But when he saw him start to just barely nod his head in a very difficult but honest acknowledgment, that left him, Izuku and Shoto all feeling an incredible swelling of pride deep within.
All the while, Endeavor closely watched and listened to his students and sons speak so honestly with one another in the wake of such a tremendous event, and the pride he likewise felt within his chest burned hotter than even his fiercest fire. 'Hawks-san…you've got a good pair of eyes on you, after all.'
With all having been said and done, and with the distance that had already been covered, it was ultimately decided that Endeavor, his sons and students would walk the rest of the way to the train station. Doing so would allow him to finally explain his previously alluded-to idea to Shoto and Natsuo alone, without Nikolay, Izuku or Bakugo listening in.
In less than twenty minutes, they had finally made it, and with one final go-around of grateful bows from the four students to their teacher, and Natsuo thanking them for saving him and everyone else once more, Endeavor himself likewise gave his students one last bow before they would depart on their train back to Yuuei Academy. "You all did exceptionally well today, boys; better than I had expected in just one week…but don't believe that means you've nothing more to learn. That was just your first stepping stone. Keep up your training, and contact me when you've figured out the new schedules you wish to keep between classes and interning, because the truly difficult work begins here."
Naturally, Bakugo was especially volatile and bold in his answer ("BRING IT ON, OLD MAN! WHATEVER YOU COME UP WITH, I'LL CRUSH IT MYSELF!"), while the others were far more humble and understanding. From there, they finally boarded their train and began the long-awaited journey back home, while Endeavor and Natsuo did the same, at his father's request, of course. "Let's go home, Natsuo. Your sister deserves to know what we've all discussed here tonight."
Over the course of the train ride, Nikolay and Izuku could no longer contain themselves; letting all of their impression, excitement and pride in each other's accomplishments out in full; the two of them almost incessantly talking over each other ("That Blackwhip of yours is so cool-looking, Midoriya-san! From a wisp to that…well, THAT in just one week; that was incredible! Did you actually have to mentally direct each of them to grab all the cars, or did it just do that on its own?") ("Well, what about you, Kolya-san? You've gotten so much better at aiming that Kinetic Gatling of yours, it was almost more like a rapid-fire sniper shot than anything, you didn't miss one piece of shrapnel! And the way you were moving in order to get all the best aims on the whole thing, that was really impressive, too!")
Naturally, Bakugo and Shoto were both far quieter, but that didn't keep them from falling under the notice of their partners, either; as Izuku enthusiastically chimed in: "You were both amazing back there too, Kacchan, Todoroki-kun! I didn't think it was possible for you to be able to make yourself even faster with your Explosions than you already were. I think you might just have become the fastest student in the whole class." "And that white hot flashing move you pulled with your Fire was really intense too. You think that's anything like that Flashfire Fist move Endeavor-sensei was talking about last week? What do you think the equivalent of that with your Ice would be like? To be honest, I'm actually really eager for some kind of sparring training to see what all our Quirks together could do, being as strong as they are now."
That idea had Izuku practically lighting up with similar excitement, before Bakugo just uttered in annoyance: "Don't go getting yourselves all pumped up this late, dammit. You gotta be able to hit the sack and get some sleep for tomorrow, otherwise you're gonna be even more useless."
Such a roundabout insult didn't even begin to bother the two boys, as the reminder of their long-awaited homecoming left them both smiling as they looked out the window to the passing nighttime scenery; Nikolay feeling particularly wistful as he thought to himself: 'God, it's going to be so good seeing Dad, Mina and everyone else again! I've been missing them like crazy! It's only been a week, but it feels like so much more than that. I can't wait to see what they've all learned while we've been apart. I just gotta hope we can all come around to the same class-work schedules. It'd suck if we were unable to see at least one of our classmates' faces ever again cause of a differing schedule or something like that for the rest of the year…or even the rest of our time at Yuuei, period.'
At the same time as the four young Heroes were making their way back to their school; Endeavor and Natsuo had finally returned to the Todoroki household. Clearly, the news of the recent incident hadn't reached Fuyumi yet, for when she saw her father and brother together, she froze with surprise. "Natsu? You're back? Is something the matter?"
"A Villain attacked us on the way to the train station, but Shoto and his friends were able to take care of it." Endeavor explained as straightforwardly as possible; but the rest didn't even register to Fuyumi, as her hair nearly stood on end with the initial shock. "WHAT? ATTACKED?! IS EVERYONE OKAY?!"
Natsuo couldn't take his eyes off the floor in his lingering sense of shame as he answered in reassurance: "Uh-huh. Shoto and the boys saved me."
This time it finally sank in, as Fuyumi looked like she was about to collapse as she sighed in a shaky sense of relief. With that momentary hurdle overcome, Endeavor went on: "Fuyumi, there's something very important I need to discuss with you. I've already talked about this with Shoto and Natsuo. You've been doing your best to create a safe and sound household for your mother to come back to. In my blindness, I've allowed you to shoulder all of that responsibility on your own, and stood by while you worked hard. But it's all going to be okay now…because I want to help this family in the one way I know how.
"I'm going to have a second house built for all of you, one that makes sense for all of your commutes…and one where you can give your mother the warm welcome back she deserves."
Fuyumi looked just as shocked by this idea as Natsuo and Shoto initially had; but there was no sign of duplicity or uncertainty anywhere on her father's face. He was being as sincere as the day was long. She had never seen or heard him like this before, so she wasn't sure entirely how to feel about what he was suggesting, primarily because in his whole explanation, he never once included himself in there. "But…but what about you, Dad?"
The look in Endeavor's eyes was unmistakable: this was a man whose heart, once filled with bitterness, selfishness and regret, was now filled only with acceptance and resignation as to what he now knew to be his best course of action. "I shall remain here. The only way I can truly atone for the damage I've caused our family, is to allow all of you to be able to regain the happiness you should've had, together…without my being there to ruin it again."
Fuyumi was still in complete shellshock from just what her father envisioned their family's future as; how his absence was the one best thing for it, while Natsuo had a similar look of resignation; having recognized that, like with everything else, Endeavor couldn't be talked out of something once he'd made up his mind.
Endeavor didn't know when their mother would finally be let out of the hospital, or how long it would take before the smiles his children should've always had would return in full, but he at least knew for certain now that this was the best first step that could be taken to make that one recurring dream he had every night finally come to life. That was what his family deserved…what he deserved, more than anything else in the world.
And there it is for this week. I hope you all enjoyed it. I have a lot of fun tweaking around these canon battles to see what I can have Kolya do that would be visually cool to see, and also realistic in his current progression with his Quirk.
Well, I'll see you all again with the last chapter of the Endeavor Agency Arc on 09/02!