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Description

You know, there a few things I hate in life as someone who likes to walk. Sure, it can be good exercise and you might not know what can happen when you go outside. It could be a good day or a bad one. Hell, maybe even instead of walking you might run a little bit in case you feel like it.
But there was one danger that came with always walking to school. That moment when you see the clouds grey, and you can smell the water in the air, but still hope it holds out long enough for you to get to school.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I really, really hate the rain.
Don't get me wrong, I know it's good for plants and everything and it always helped with having more water on the planet. That it was a part of life that happened. I had my raincoat as well to keep myself dry. Still didn't make me like it. Another reason was my Quirk.
Because I was able to tell where people were on the ground whenever they stepped on it, the fact it was raining today was the worst thing that could happen. To give you a better description, it was like if your phone kept on receiving a message over and over again, and you couldn't turn off the notification sound.
Add in the fact my Quirk's range was a twenty-foot circle around me, and that was a lot of "messages". If anyone wanted to take me by surprise, fighting me in the rain was their best bet. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a step and a raindrop.
Hana hadn't picked me up at all, which I expected. No doubt the time she did give me a ride was just because she needed to talk to me. Which was fine, I couldn't have good luck all the time.
It wasn't bad on the trains though. Some people who recognized me from the Sports Festival talked to me, cheering me on and talking about some of the things I did. It was way different from the how people treated me back in middle school.
Even if they were being nice and sincere, there was a still a part of me that had doubt.
It's just because I did a good job. No way would they say it to me otherwise. I felt my mind say to myself.
After the train ride, I began lightly jog to the school. I looked at my phone for the time, seeing I was just about on schedule. I'd have time to change out of my raincoat and get to class with about two or three minutes to chat with everybody.
That was exactly what was able to happen as I made my way inside and sat down, letting out a deep breath. I turned around to talk to Hana as Aizawa walked in.
"Morning." He said, and to my surprise, I was actually able to see his poorly shaven face and tired eyes instead of the bandages that had been covering it for the past few weeks. Even his arms looked to be in better condition.
"Morning Mr. Aizawa." We all responded.
"Ribbit?" Tsuyu croaked. "Mr. Aizawa you're not wearing bandages anymore, that's good news!"
He took his left finger and scratched his eye, a small scar showing. "The old lady went a little overboard with her treatment." He explained. "Anyway, we have a big class today. On Hero Informatics."
At the drop of the word, and the fact of what today was, a small hope grew in my mind.
If I remember correctly, aren't we supposed to be applying for internships? Then again, could be a pop quiz or something to see if we're still on our toes... I thought to myself.
Either way, I was the type to read or watch something once, and always remember it. A little pop quiz wouldn't hurt me, but no doubt the others in class might freak out a little.
"You need code names. Today you pick your hero identities." Aizawa said. Just as everyone jumped out of their seats in excitement, his air floated in the air, and his red eyes glowed with menace. Everyone sat down just as quickly as they had jumped up. I was excited too. Once we were calmed down his hair dropped back down. "This is related to the Pro-Hero draft picks I mentioned last time we were in class together. Normally students don't have to worry about the draft yet, not until their second or third year actually, but your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to first-years like you, Pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation though." He pointed out.
"So what you're saying is we'll still have to prove ourselves after we've gotten recruited." Hagakure said, looking like her usual invisible self. To this day I still wondered what she looked like.
Aizawa nodded to the invisible girl. "Correct. Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers." Aizawa took out a remote and pressed a button for a screen to pop up, showing our names, followed by how many offers we got.
The most shocking thing to see was it wasn't Bakugo who got the most despite being in first. Well, his attitude wasn't the best, but still. The first name to show was Todoroki, with over four-thousand offers.
"In past years it's been more spread out, but there's a pretty big gap this time," Aizawa stated.
"Gah! That's so unfair..." Denki groaned.
"What about the real star, moi?" Aoyama asked, fuming behind that small grimace of his.
"Todoroki got the most?" Jirou asked.
"Yeah, it's opposite of how they placed in the festival," Kirishima answered.
"They probably weren't excited with having to work with the guy who had to be chained up at the end." Sero pointed out.
Bakugo turned around, gritting his teeth. "If I scare a Pro, they're just weak!" he shouted.
"Mason, we got a few!" Hana pointed out with a smile on her face.
Looking down the line, I could see I did actually have a few offers. A "few" being about twenty or so. It was definitely higher than I expected to get. Hana had even more though, one-hundred twenty offers to be exact.
"You definitely got more offers though between the two of us." I pointed out.
She then looked away. "Yeah..." She admitted miserably. "There's only one I'll be going to, and we know who that is..."
I nodded as I remembered her father in that riot gear, no doubt his hero costume. He was intimidating to the "g". "Yeah, I don't think you'd be able to say no to that guy..." I admitted.
"Despite these results, you'll all be interning with Pros. Got it?" Aizawa asked with a sharp tone. "Even those of you who didn't get any offers."
"Oh, so we're all interning?" Izuku asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes," Aizawa confirmed. "You already got to experience real combat against villains during the attack on the USJ facility, but it'll still be good to see real Pros at work. Up close and personal in the field, first hand."
"And for that, we need Hero Names!" Sato said.
"Things are certainly getting more fun!" Uraraka cheered.
"Hero names are likely to be temporary, so take them seriously or-"
"You'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight said, opening the door and cutting off Aizawa's sentence. Some of the guys in the room blushed a little as she sashayed her way into the room. "What you pick today could be your code name for life. You better be careful or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent." She stood by Aizawa and put her hand on her waist as he spoke.
"Yeah, she's got a good point. Midnight will give approval of your names." He grabbed his trademark yellow sleeping bag from under his desk. "It's not my forte. The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of Hero you wanna be in the future. A code name tells people exactly what you represent. Take All Might for example."
Midnight walked around and handed each person in the front row boards and markers to pass back. On it, we'd write our title and Hero name. To explain it, the title showed what kind of hero we would be, and the name would be what we'd like to be called.
For example, Uncle Aizawa was "Eraserhead, the Erasure Hero". "Erasure" referred to his Quirk that could nullify another's own, and "Eraserhead" was his name. Though it barely made any headlines...
I had already had my name picked out. With the black marker, I began to write my title and name, proud of my choice. After it seemed everyone was done, Midnight spoke up.
"Now students, who among you is ready to share?" She asked.
We have to say it out loud!? I mentally shouted, no doubt making a telepath clutch their hand in pain. The real question was, who would be the first to get the wheel going?
It was at that moment Aoyama casually got up and walked to the front of the class with his board. "Hold your breath," He said, before lifting it up to show us. "The Shining Hero... My name is 'I Can Not Stop Twinkling'!" He declared with confidence. "Mon Amie, you cannot deny my sparkle."
I was in disbelief of his hero name being a whole sentence until Midnight took the board and began to fix it. "Take out the 'I' and change the 'Can Not' to 'Can't'." She suggested.
"Simply dazzling mademoiselle." the blonde-haired boy said.
"She likes it?" Some of us said confused.
"Also you're not really french are you that just an act," Sato said.
"Okie Dokie let me go next!" Ashido said as she ran over presenting her board for us to see. "My code name, Alien Queen!" She said menacingly.
"Hold on! Like that horrible monster with the acidic blood?!" Midnight asked, a little bit terrified. "I don't think so."
"Dang it..." She said as she glumly walked back to her desk behind me.
"Ribbit. I feel like I got one. Is it okay if I go now?" Tsuyu asked with her hand raised.
"Come on up!"
She walked over and flipped it to show us. "I've had this in mind since I was in grade school. Rainy Season Hero, Froppy!"
"That's delightful!" Midnight said happily. "It makes you sound approachable! What a great example of a name everyone will love!"
So we've found the middle ground. Thank you Tsuyu. I said silently with a smile on my face as the other chanted the name, probably sharing my feelings about it.
"We've got mine too! The Sturdy Hero, my name is Red Riot!" Kirishima announced as he slammed the board down.
"'Red Riot'? Interesting." Midnight remarked. "You're paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero Crimson Riot, yes?"
"That's right," Kirishima said with his hand behind his head. "He may be kind of old school, but I wanna be just like he was! Crimson is my idol!"
"Hm. If you're bearing the name of someone you admire, you have that much more to live up to."
He raised his fist to his chest with a smile. "I accept the challenge."
After a few seconds of people getting some ideas, Jirou walked up to the desk. "The Hearing Hero, I'm Earphone Jack."
"Oooh, that's a good one!" Midnight pointed out.
Feeling restless, I got up as well to show my name. I took a deep breath. "Terra Firma Hero, Stone Fox!" I said facing everyone.
"Oh, that's another good one! Sounds familiar though..." She said, trying to think hard about it, her face in a scowl.
I smiled. "It's the name of a book, and a character in the book. Stone Fox was a Native American sled dog racer. He used the money he won from races to buy back land taken from his people. Crime might be down, but there are still areas that are steeping in it. I want to be a hero who can give the people the peace that belongs to them." Everyone was silent until Midnight spoke again.
"It isn't often I get to hear a reason like that for a Hero name. I believe if you all were to be stuck with your current Hero names, Mason would be the most contempt. Next up, please!"
As I went to sit down, Shoji stood up and made his way over. One of his tentacles changed into a mouth to speak. "The Tentacle Hero, Tentacole."
"Oh, I like what you're doing with that! A nice port man-toe."
"Aegis Hero, Athena!" Hana said, which made Midnight smile.
"If I remember correctly the Aegis was a shield Athena used in battle, yes? I can see the inspiration for how you use your Quirk and your sword. Good choice Kennagasa!" Midnight commented.
"The Taping Hero, Cellophane," Sero said proudly.
"Now that's the on the nose!" Midnight said, giving him a thumbs up. "Good work."
"Martial Arts Hero, Tailman," Ojiro said as he flexed his tail for emphasis.
"No surprise with that one I guess!"
Sota got up and stuck his thumb at himself. "I'm the Sweets Hero, Sugarman!"
"Perfect!" Midnight beamed.
"Pinky!" Ashido shouted with her fist in the air.
"That's right, make those looks work for you girl!"
"Stun Gun Hero, Chargebolt!" Denki presented. "Electric don't ya think?"
"It makes me all tingly!" Midnight squealed. She was really getting into the names for most of us.
Hagakure walked up and put up her board. "Stealth Hero, Invisible Girl!"
"That really suits you!" Midnight then raised her hand to the ceiling, her face wide with a smile. "Now come on, who's next?"
Yaoyorozu walked up. She gave her title a name a look over before standing straight. "I hope I can live up to this name. The Everything Hero, Creati."
"More like Creati-ve!"
I face-palmed in response to the pun.
That's not how you make a pun...
Todoroki walked up, his board only showing his name. "Shoto."
"Just your name?" Midnight asked. "Is that it?"
He nodded.
Next up was Tokoyami. "Jet-Black Hero, Tsukuyomi."
"Ah, the God of the Night!"
"I'm the Fresh-Picked Hero, Grape Juice!" Mineta shouted, only his arms showing due to the height of the desk.
"Very catchy." Koda shyly walked up, not saying a word. His board said "Petting Hero, Anima. Midnight gave her thumbs up on the name. "Yup, I'm all for it!"
"King Explosion Murder." Bakugo calmly said, however his eyes were bloodshot.
"I'm gonna say that one's a little too violent."
"Huh?! What do you mean too violent!?" Bakugo shouted, dropping the board.
Of course, he thinks of that one... I thought to myself as I facepalmed once again.
"Why don't you be 'Explosion Boy'?" Kirishima suggested.
"Why don't you shut up weird hair!" Bakugo retorted.
After Bakugo was calmed down and sat back down to think up a new name, Uraraka walked up, seeming a bit nervous. "This is the name I thought of. Uravity."
"I just love that!" Midnight said, clapping her hands together and resting her hand on them. Uraraka seemed to let out a breath of relief. "To be honest, choosing names has gone faster than I thought it would. All we have left is young Bakugo who needs to rethink his, and... Iida." She then snapped her fingers. "Oh yes, and Midoriya too." Iida walked up to the desk after a minute or so, placing his down and looking to the side. "You're using your real name too?" The dark-haired teacher asked.
She got no response from him, but I knew something was up. The way he walked, it reminded me of how I used to be in middle school for some reason. The gait was more forced than his usual orderly one.
Had something happened?
"Well Midoriya, are you ready?" Midnight asked the green-haired boy.
"O-oh, yes!" He said as he got up from his desk. He gave the board one last determined look before turning it around for us to see. The choice he had picked shocked me. Why would he pick that name of all things!?
"Really Midoriya?"
"You sure about that?" Denki asked concerned.
"Yeah man, that can be your name forever." Kirishima pointed out.
Izuku looked down. "Right. I used to hate it, but then something changed. I guess... Someone taught me it could have a different meaning, and that had a huge impact on how I felt." His face changed into a smile. "So now I really like it. Deku, that has to be my codename!"
"Lord Explosion Murder!" Bakugo said, trying out another name.
"That's basically the same thing Bakugo..." Some of us remarked.
We took a small break to stretch before getting back to class in order to finish up. From all the papers Aizawa had in his hands, my guess next was filling out our internships.
"Now that everyone's decided on their Hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships," Aizawa stated. "They last for one week. As for who you'll be working with, those who are on the board will choose from among your offers. Everyone else will have a different list. You will have a lot to think about. There are around forty agencies around the country who have agreed to take one interns from your class. Each agency has a specialty their Heroes focus on, keep that in mind."
"Imagine that you were Thirteen. You'd want to choose a place that focuses on rescuing people and not fighting villains." Midnight explained. "Understand?"
"Think carefully before you decide," Aizawa asked.
"Yes, sir!" We all responded before taking our papers and looking at where we would want to work. With the number of offers I had gotten, it was small, but still rather daunting. Was this how it was for college students when selecting their majors?
The lunch bell sounded, Aizawa taking his leave from the room with a final remark. "Make sure to turn in your choices after the weekend."
"Wait, we only got two days?!" Kirishima asked concerned.
"Yeah, so you should decide quickly. You're dismissed."
I leaned back and sighed.
"So guys have you figured out what agency you guys wanna go for?" Ashido asked us, sounding tired. I didn't blame her, she hadn't gotten any recommendations.
"Nope," I said as I slouched in my chair, looking at the list I had been given.
"Mount Lady is my top choice." Mineta declared proudly.
Tsuyu walked by us. "Mineta, are you thinking of something perverted?"
"Maybe!" He admitted with a scared look on his face.
"You got pretty far in the tournament. It's weird you didn't get any offers." Ojiro pointed out as he held his tail on his shoulder.
Ashido jumped from her chair. "I know!"
Uraraka turned to Izuku. "Hey Deku, who's on your list?" She asked the green-haired boy.
As I turned around to see who he had an idea of I was barraged by his trademark muttering. He rambled on about each one's specialty, area, and overall notoriety, grouping them up.
Yup, there he goes again... I thought to myself.
"Oh! Sorry! What did you guys say?" He asked as he realized he had zoned out again.
"You're really thinking hard about this, aren't you Midoriya?" Tsuyu asked him, the rest of us walking over to the two.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll work out. I've already got my pick!" Uraraka said with a smile.
"Really? What agency?" Ojiro asked her.
"The one the Battle Hero Gunhead runs."
"R-really?" Izuku said, sounding shocked. "He's a brawler type though! Are you sure that's where you wanna intern Uraraka?"
"Yup!" She put out her fist in a mock punching pose. "He sent me an offer!"
"Wow, really? I thought you were trying to be a hero like Thirteen, more rescuing than fighting."
"Ultimately that's the plan, but ever since the Festival- well, since I faced off against Bakugo, the stronger I am the more possibilities I'll have!" She explained with another mock punch. "Plus learning from a battle-hero will give me more perspective, right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Izuku responded, visibly shaking a small bit.
"Also there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Why are you trembling?"
So I hadn't been the only one noticing.
"Oh, this? It's exercise." He gestured to the fact he had been sitting just above his seat.
My jaw dropped. "What?!" I said shocked.
"Exercise!? Were you doing that during the whole class?" Uraraka asked.
"No way!" Ashido said, just as surprised as I was.
"That's such an old-fashioned way to train." Mineta pointed out.
"But an effective one." Ojiro countered. "The isometric muscle contraction that's needed to hold your body in above your desk makes it an easy way to work out without moving."
I began to stroke my chin. "Maybe I should try that..."
"You're barely even awake to do it anyways!" Ashido said as she gently poked me in the side.
"Hey! I don't sleep all the time. Just when nothing exciting is going on..." I explained. "Speaking of, I already picked my choice as well. The Chilled Hero Iceberg."
"Yeah, I've heard of him. If not for some of the other Pros, he'd definitely be up there in the ranking." Izuku said, looking through his book. "He was one of the first Heroes I wrote notes about, just because of his Quirk. He does mostly hostage-rescue situations, right?"
I nodded as Ashido audibly sighed. "Come on! But his agency is so far away! I was hoping to see at least some of you guys, but most of you will be all over the country!"
Placing my hand on her shoulder I tried to comfort her. "Hey don't worry! I'll still call. You just better not slack off while I'm gone." I said with a cocky grin.
"You're one to talk you sandworm!" She shouted as she put me in a headlock, a devious smile on her face.
"Just because my uncle is a caterpillar doesn't mean you can use that nickname! Can't believe I told you about that!" I retorted as I tried to get out of it, with success being miles away. Damn, she was strong.
Yet I knew she wasn't being serious. This was just one of those moments where the teasing had gotten so bad she needed a way out of it before becoming embarrassed to where everybody could see it. It still hurt though.
After school we had walked to the station, Hana having been picked up as usual by her driver. We all dropped off our choices for internships, so the weekend was basically free now.
It was as we waited for our respective trains that Ashido finally spoke up. The whole walk had been quiet, but that good kind of quiet. That made me more anxious when she spoke up.
"Hey, Mason... Did you mean it?" She asked.
"The calling thing? Hell yeah, I did!" I answered, making a smile at the pink-skinned girl.
"Really?" She asked again, her eyes wide.
"Well, yeah." I scratched my sandy-blonde hair. "We usually hang out like twice a week, but since we're gonna be a good distance away from each other, I thought the next best thing would be just phone calls about how our internships are going. Kinda corny, huh?" I admitted nervously.
"No, not at all!" Ashido said, putting her hands up in defense. "It's just..." She let her hands down. "You're a good friend for even thinking of that. Hana said she wouldn't be able to text while at her father's, and everyone else is probably gonna be too busy to text messages like we do at night." She pointed out. With a smile she walked off to her train, the conductor calling for anyone getting on. "Can't wait to hear about it after the first night!"
The doors closed, leaving me waiting for my train. Making sure no one saw me, I covered my face.
Fuck! Why did I say that?! I know she looked happy, and she said she was glad I'd be texting her about my internship, so why am I so damn embarrassed right now?! Didn't I say I'd just play it cool as being a friend? So why did that feel like the exact opposite!? I loudly thought to myself as my emotions became a maelstrom. Damn Chikara! Ever since he said that about Ashido, it's just been hell for me! At least she didn't seem bothered by it though, that's a plus, right?.
Despite what Mason Ishi thought, Mina Ashido was actually just as panicked as he was. Even though she was in public, her face was so red it was visible on her pink cheeks.
Thank god the train arrived! Any longer and I might've lost it! Why does he have to be so nice? For trying to be just his friend, he's making it harder for me than it has to be. She thought to herself.
Her plan had been to stick to being simply his friend, but the fact she now knew him and Hana hadn't been dating changed everything. She didn't have to wait. If she wanted to, she could've asked him right then and there.
At the same time, however, she didn't want to.
It felt like that Mason had some sort of shell around him. Not like the technique, he had used against Chikara, but an emotional one. She knew he had apparently not been one to socialize with people, yet that seemed like a lie the more time she spent with him.
It reminded her a bit of something Kirishima had gone through during their last year of middle school. The way they both smiled, yet still stayed back from overly talking to people. It was too familiar to be a coincidence.
Why was it that she felt so close to him, but at the same time know barely anything about him?
I shouldn't worry about it. Sure, it kinda stinks I can't talk with Kirishima and Hana, but I'll enjoy the fact I'll have Mason to talk to, though. Maybe I can get him to open up a bit more than usual! She thought t herself, feeling a small smile making its way onto her face.

Description

You know, there a few things I hate in life as someone who likes to walk. Sure, it can be good exercise and you might not know what can happen when you go outside. It could be a good day or a bad one. Hell, maybe even instead of walking you might run a little bit in case you feel like it.
But there was one danger that came with always walking to school. That moment when you see the clouds grey, and you can smell the water in the air, but still hope it holds out long enough for you to get to school.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I really, really hate the rain.
Don't get me wrong, I know it's good for plants and everything and it always helped with having more water on the planet. That it was a part of life that happened. I had my raincoat as well to keep myself dry. Still didn't make me like it. Another reason was my Quirk.
Because I was able to tell where people were on the ground whenever they stepped on it, the fact it was raining today was the worst thing that could happen. To give you a better description, it was like if your phone kept on receiving a message over and over again, and you couldn't turn off the notification sound.
Add in the fact my Quirk's range was a twenty-foot circle around me, and that was a lot of "messages". If anyone wanted to take me by surprise, fighting me in the rain was their best bet. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a step and a raindrop.
Hana hadn't picked me up at all, which I expected. No doubt the time she did give me a ride was just because she needed to talk to me. Which was fine, I couldn't have good luck all the time.
It wasn't bad on the trains though. Some people who recognized me from the Sports Festival talked to me, cheering me on and talking about some of the things I did. It was way different from the how people treated me back in middle school.
Even if they were being nice and sincere, there was a still a part of me that had doubt.
It's just because I did a good job. No way would they say it to me otherwise. I felt my mind say to myself.
After the train ride, I began lightly jog to the school. I looked at my phone for the time, seeing I was just about on schedule. I'd have time to change out of my raincoat and get to class with about two or three minutes to chat with everybody.
That was exactly what was able to happen as I made my way inside and sat down, letting out a deep breath. I turned around to talk to Hana as Aizawa walked in.
"Morning." He said, and to my surprise, I was actually able to see his poorly shaven face and tired eyes instead of the bandages that had been covering it for the past few weeks. Even his arms looked to be in better condition.
"Morning Mr. Aizawa." We all responded.
"Ribbit?" Tsuyu croaked. "Mr. Aizawa you're not wearing bandages anymore, that's good news!"
He took his left finger and scratched his eye, a small scar showing. "The old lady went a little overboard with her treatment." He explained. "Anyway, we have a big class today. On Hero Informatics."
At the drop of the word, and the fact of what today was, a small hope grew in my mind.
If I remember correctly, aren't we supposed to be applying for internships? Then again, could be a pop quiz or something to see if we're still on our toes... I thought to myself.
Either way, I was the type to read or watch something once, and always remember it. A little pop quiz wouldn't hurt me, but no doubt the others in class might freak out a little.
"You need code names. Today you pick your hero identities." Aizawa said. Just as everyone jumped out of their seats in excitement, his air floated in the air, and his red eyes glowed with menace. Everyone sat down just as quickly as they had jumped up. I was excited too. Once we were calmed down his hair dropped back down. "This is related to the Pro-Hero draft picks I mentioned last time we were in class together. Normally students don't have to worry about the draft yet, not until their second or third year actually, but your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to first-years like you, Pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation though." He pointed out.
"So what you're saying is we'll still have to prove ourselves after we've gotten recruited." Hagakure said, looking like her usual invisible self. To this day I still wondered what she looked like.
Aizawa nodded to the invisible girl. "Correct. Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers." Aizawa took out a remote and pressed a button for a screen to pop up, showing our names, followed by how many offers we got.
The most shocking thing to see was it wasn't Bakugo who got the most despite being in first. Well, his attitude wasn't the best, but still. The first name to show was Todoroki, with over four-thousand offers.
"In past years it's been more spread out, but there's a pretty big gap this time," Aizawa stated.
"Gah! That's so unfair..." Denki groaned.
"What about the real star, moi?" Aoyama asked, fuming behind that small grimace of his.
"Todoroki got the most?" Jirou asked.
"Yeah, it's opposite of how they placed in the festival," Kirishima answered.
"They probably weren't excited with having to work with the guy who had to be chained up at the end." Sero pointed out.
Bakugo turned around, gritting his teeth. "If I scare a Pro, they're just weak!" he shouted.
"Mason, we got a few!" Hana pointed out with a smile on her face.
Looking down the line, I could see I did actually have a few offers. A "few" being about twenty or so. It was definitely higher than I expected to get. Hana had even more though, one-hundred twenty offers to be exact.
"You definitely got more offers though between the two of us." I pointed out.
She then looked away. "Yeah..." She admitted miserably. "There's only one I'll be going to, and we know who that is..."
I nodded as I remembered her father in that riot gear, no doubt his hero costume. He was intimidating to the "g". "Yeah, I don't think you'd be able to say no to that guy..." I admitted.
"Despite these results, you'll all be interning with Pros. Got it?" Aizawa asked with a sharp tone. "Even those of you who didn't get any offers."
"Oh, so we're all interning?" Izuku asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes," Aizawa confirmed. "You already got to experience real combat against villains during the attack on the USJ facility, but it'll still be good to see real Pros at work. Up close and personal in the field, first hand."
"And for that, we need Hero Names!" Sato said.
"Things are certainly getting more fun!" Uraraka cheered.
"Hero names are likely to be temporary, so take them seriously or-"
"You'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight said, opening the door and cutting off Aizawa's sentence. Some of the guys in the room blushed a little as she sashayed her way into the room. "What you pick today could be your code name for life. You better be careful or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent." She stood by Aizawa and put her hand on her waist as he spoke.
"Yeah, she's got a good point. Midnight will give approval of your names." He grabbed his trademark yellow sleeping bag from under his desk. "It's not my forte. The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of Hero you wanna be in the future. A code name tells people exactly what you represent. Take All Might for example."
Midnight walked around and handed each person in the front row boards and markers to pass back. On it, we'd write our title and Hero name. To explain it, the title showed what kind of hero we would be, and the name would be what we'd like to be called.
For example, Uncle Aizawa was "Eraserhead, the Erasure Hero". "Erasure" referred to his Quirk that could nullify another's own, and "Eraserhead" was his name. Though it barely made any headlines...
I had already had my name picked out. With the black marker, I began to write my title and name, proud of my choice. After it seemed everyone was done, Midnight spoke up.
"Now students, who among you is ready to share?" She asked.
We have to say it out loud!? I mentally shouted, no doubt making a telepath clutch their hand in pain. The real question was, who would be the first to get the wheel going?
It was at that moment Aoyama casually got up and walked to the front of the class with his board. "Hold your breath," He said, before lifting it up to show us. "The Shining Hero... My name is 'I Can Not Stop Twinkling'!" He declared with confidence. "Mon Amie, you cannot deny my sparkle."
I was in disbelief of his hero name being a whole sentence until Midnight took the board and began to fix it. "Take out the 'I' and change the 'Can Not' to 'Can't'." She suggested.
"Simply dazzling mademoiselle." the blonde-haired boy said.
"She likes it?" Some of us said confused.
"Also you're not really french are you that just an act," Sato said.
"Okie Dokie let me go next!" Ashido said as she ran over presenting her board for us to see. "My code name, Alien Queen!" She said menacingly.
"Hold on! Like that horrible monster with the acidic blood?!" Midnight asked, a little bit terrified. "I don't think so."
"Dang it..." She said as she glumly walked back to her desk behind me.
"Ribbit. I feel like I got one. Is it okay if I go now?" Tsuyu asked with her hand raised.
"Come on up!"
She walked over and flipped it to show us. "I've had this in mind since I was in grade school. Rainy Season Hero, Froppy!"
"That's delightful!" Midnight said happily. "It makes you sound approachable! What a great example of a name everyone will love!"
So we've found the middle ground. Thank you Tsuyu. I said silently with a smile on my face as the other chanted the name, probably sharing my feelings about it.
"We've got mine too! The Sturdy Hero, my name is Red Riot!" Kirishima announced as he slammed the board down.
"'Red Riot'? Interesting." Midnight remarked. "You're paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero Crimson Riot, yes?"
"That's right," Kirishima said with his hand behind his head. "He may be kind of old school, but I wanna be just like he was! Crimson is my idol!"
"Hm. If you're bearing the name of someone you admire, you have that much more to live up to."
He raised his fist to his chest with a smile. "I accept the challenge."
After a few seconds of people getting some ideas, Jirou walked up to the desk. "The Hearing Hero, I'm Earphone Jack."
"Oooh, that's a good one!" Midnight pointed out.
Feeling restless, I got up as well to show my name. I took a deep breath. "Terra Firma Hero, Stone Fox!" I said facing everyone.
"Oh, that's another good one! Sounds familiar though..." She said, trying to think hard about it, her face in a scowl.
I smiled. "It's the name of a book, and a character in the book. Stone Fox was a Native American sled dog racer. He used the money he won from races to buy back land taken from his people. Crime might be down, but there are still areas that are steeping in it. I want to be a hero who can give the people the peace that belongs to them." Everyone was silent until Midnight spoke again.
"It isn't often I get to hear a reason like that for a Hero name. I believe if you all were to be stuck with your current Hero names, Mason would be the most contempt. Next up, please!"
As I went to sit down, Shoji stood up and made his way over. One of his tentacles changed into a mouth to speak. "The Tentacle Hero, Tentacole."
"Oh, I like what you're doing with that! A nice port man-toe."
"Aegis Hero, Athena!" Hana said, which made Midnight smile.
"If I remember correctly the Aegis was a shield Athena used in battle, yes? I can see the inspiration for how you use your Quirk and your sword. Good choice Kennagasa!" Midnight commented.
"The Taping Hero, Cellophane," Sero said proudly.
"Now that's the on the nose!" Midnight said, giving him a thumbs up. "Good work."
"Martial Arts Hero, Tailman," Ojiro said as he flexed his tail for emphasis.
"No surprise with that one I guess!"
Sota got up and stuck his thumb at himself. "I'm the Sweets Hero, Sugarman!"
"Perfect!" Midnight beamed.
"Pinky!" Ashido shouted with her fist in the air.
"That's right, make those looks work for you girl!"
"Stun Gun Hero, Chargebolt!" Denki presented. "Electric don't ya think?"
"It makes me all tingly!" Midnight squealed. She was really getting into the names for most of us.
Hagakure walked up and put up her board. "Stealth Hero, Invisible Girl!"
"That really suits you!" Midnight then raised her hand to the ceiling, her face wide with a smile. "Now come on, who's next?"
Yaoyorozu walked up. She gave her title a name a look over before standing straight. "I hope I can live up to this name. The Everything Hero, Creati."
"More like Creati-ve!"
I face-palmed in response to the pun.
That's not how you make a pun...
Todoroki walked up, his board only showing his name. "Shoto."
"Just your name?" Midnight asked. "Is that it?"
He nodded.
Next up was Tokoyami. "Jet-Black Hero, Tsukuyomi."
"Ah, the God of the Night!"
"I'm the Fresh-Picked Hero, Grape Juice!" Mineta shouted, only his arms showing due to the height of the desk.
"Very catchy." Koda shyly walked up, not saying a word. His board said "Petting Hero, Anima. Midnight gave her thumbs up on the name. "Yup, I'm all for it!"
"King Explosion Murder." Bakugo calmly said, however his eyes were bloodshot.
"I'm gonna say that one's a little too violent."
"Huh?! What do you mean too violent!?" Bakugo shouted, dropping the board.
Of course, he thinks of that one... I thought to myself as I facepalmed once again.
"Why don't you be 'Explosion Boy'?" Kirishima suggested.
"Why don't you shut up weird hair!" Bakugo retorted.
After Bakugo was calmed down and sat back down to think up a new name, Uraraka walked up, seeming a bit nervous. "This is the name I thought of. Uravity."
"I just love that!" Midnight said, clapping her hands together and resting her hand on them. Uraraka seemed to let out a breath of relief. "To be honest, choosing names has gone faster than I thought it would. All we have left is young Bakugo who needs to rethink his, and... Iida." She then snapped her fingers. "Oh yes, and Midoriya too." Iida walked up to the desk after a minute or so, placing his down and looking to the side. "You're using your real name too?" The dark-haired teacher asked.
She got no response from him, but I knew something was up. The way he walked, it reminded me of how I used to be in middle school for some reason. The gait was more forced than his usual orderly one.
Had something happened?
"Well Midoriya, are you ready?" Midnight asked the green-haired boy.
"O-oh, yes!" He said as he got up from his desk. He gave the board one last determined look before turning it around for us to see. The choice he had picked shocked me. Why would he pick that name of all things!?
"Really Midoriya?"
"You sure about that?" Denki asked concerned.
"Yeah man, that can be your name forever." Kirishima pointed out.
Izuku looked down. "Right. I used to hate it, but then something changed. I guess... Someone taught me it could have a different meaning, and that had a huge impact on how I felt." His face changed into a smile. "So now I really like it. Deku, that has to be my codename!"
"Lord Explosion Murder!" Bakugo said, trying out another name.
"That's basically the same thing Bakugo..." Some of us remarked.
We took a small break to stretch before getting back to class in order to finish up. From all the papers Aizawa had in his hands, my guess next was filling out our internships.
"Now that everyone's decided on their Hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships," Aizawa stated. "They last for one week. As for who you'll be working with, those who are on the board will choose from among your offers. Everyone else will have a different list. You will have a lot to think about. There are around forty agencies around the country who have agreed to take one interns from your class. Each agency has a specialty their Heroes focus on, keep that in mind."
"Imagine that you were Thirteen. You'd want to choose a place that focuses on rescuing people and not fighting villains." Midnight explained. "Understand?"
"Think carefully before you decide," Aizawa asked.
"Yes, sir!" We all responded before taking our papers and looking at where we would want to work. With the number of offers I had gotten, it was small, but still rather daunting. Was this how it was for college students when selecting their majors?
The lunch bell sounded, Aizawa taking his leave from the room with a final remark. "Make sure to turn in your choices after the weekend."
"Wait, we only got two days?!" Kirishima asked concerned.
"Yeah, so you should decide quickly. You're dismissed."
I leaned back and sighed.
"So guys have you figured out what agency you guys wanna go for?" Ashido asked us, sounding tired. I didn't blame her, she hadn't gotten any recommendations.
"Nope," I said as I slouched in my chair, looking at the list I had been given.
"Mount Lady is my top choice." Mineta declared proudly.
Tsuyu walked by us. "Mineta, are you thinking of something perverted?"
"Maybe!" He admitted with a scared look on his face.
"You got pretty far in the tournament. It's weird you didn't get any offers." Ojiro pointed out as he held his tail on his shoulder.
Ashido jumped from her chair. "I know!"
Uraraka turned to Izuku. "Hey Deku, who's on your list?" She asked the green-haired boy.
As I turned around to see who he had an idea of I was barraged by his trademark muttering. He rambled on about each one's specialty, area, and overall notoriety, grouping them up.
Yup, there he goes again... I thought to myself.
"Oh! Sorry! What did you guys say?" He asked as he realized he had zoned out again.
"You're really thinking hard about this, aren't you Midoriya?" Tsuyu asked him, the rest of us walking over to the two.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll work out. I've already got my pick!" Uraraka said with a smile.
"Really? What agency?" Ojiro asked her.
"The one the Battle Hero Gunhead runs."
"R-really?" Izuku said, sounding shocked. "He's a brawler type though! Are you sure that's where you wanna intern Uraraka?"
"Yup!" She put out her fist in a mock punching pose. "He sent me an offer!"
"Wow, really? I thought you were trying to be a hero like Thirteen, more rescuing than fighting."
"Ultimately that's the plan, but ever since the Festival- well, since I faced off against Bakugo, the stronger I am the more possibilities I'll have!" She explained with another mock punch. "Plus learning from a battle-hero will give me more perspective, right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Izuku responded, visibly shaking a small bit.
"Also there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Why are you trembling?"
So I hadn't been the only one noticing.
"Oh, this? It's exercise." He gestured to the fact he had been sitting just above his seat.
My jaw dropped. "What?!" I said shocked.
"Exercise!? Were you doing that during the whole class?" Uraraka asked.
"No way!" Ashido said, just as surprised as I was.
"That's such an old-fashioned way to train." Mineta pointed out.
"But an effective one." Ojiro countered. "The isometric muscle contraction that's needed to hold your body in above your desk makes it an easy way to work out without moving."
I began to stroke my chin. "Maybe I should try that..."
"You're barely even awake to do it anyways!" Ashido said as she gently poked me in the side.
"Hey! I don't sleep all the time. Just when nothing exciting is going on..." I explained. "Speaking of, I already picked my choice as well. The Chilled Hero Iceberg."
"Yeah, I've heard of him. If not for some of the other Pros, he'd definitely be up there in the ranking." Izuku said, looking through his book. "He was one of the first Heroes I wrote notes about, just because of his Quirk. He does mostly hostage-rescue situations, right?"
I nodded as Ashido audibly sighed. "Come on! But his agency is so far away! I was hoping to see at least some of you guys, but most of you will be all over the country!"
Placing my hand on her shoulder I tried to comfort her. "Hey don't worry! I'll still call. You just better not slack off while I'm gone." I said with a cocky grin.
"You're one to talk you sandworm!" She shouted as she put me in a headlock, a devious smile on her face.
"Just because my uncle is a caterpillar doesn't mean you can use that nickname! Can't believe I told you about that!" I retorted as I tried to get out of it, with success being miles away. Damn, she was strong.
Yet I knew she wasn't being serious. This was just one of those moments where the teasing had gotten so bad she needed a way out of it before becoming embarrassed to where everybody could see it. It still hurt though.
After school we had walked to the station, Hana having been picked up as usual by her driver. We all dropped off our choices for internships, so the weekend was basically free now.
It was as we waited for our respective trains that Ashido finally spoke up. The whole walk had been quiet, but that good kind of quiet. That made me more anxious when she spoke up.
"Hey, Mason... Did you mean it?" She asked.
"The calling thing? Hell yeah, I did!" I answered, making a smile at the pink-skinned girl.
"Really?" She asked again, her eyes wide.
"Well, yeah." I scratched my sandy-blonde hair. "We usually hang out like twice a week, but since we're gonna be a good distance away from each other, I thought the next best thing would be just phone calls about how our internships are going. Kinda corny, huh?" I admitted nervously.
"No, not at all!" Ashido said, putting her hands up in defense. "It's just..." She let her hands down. "You're a good friend for even thinking of that. Hana said she wouldn't be able to text while at her father's, and everyone else is probably gonna be too busy to text messages like we do at night." She pointed out. With a smile she walked off to her train, the conductor calling for anyone getting on. "Can't wait to hear about it after the first night!"
The doors closed, leaving me waiting for my train. Making sure no one saw me, I covered my face.
Fuck! Why did I say that?! I know she looked happy, and she said she was glad I'd be texting her about my internship, so why am I so damn embarrassed right now?! Didn't I say I'd just play it cool as being a friend? So why did that feel like the exact opposite!? I loudly thought to myself as my emotions became a maelstrom. Damn Chikara! Ever since he said that about Ashido, it's just been hell for me! At least she didn't seem bothered by it though, that's a plus, right?.
Despite what Mason Ishi thought, Mina Ashido was actually just as panicked as he was. Even though she was in public, her face was so red it was visible on her pink cheeks.
Thank god the train arrived! Any longer and I might've lost it! Why does he have to be so nice? For trying to be just his friend, he's making it harder for me than it has to be. She thought to herself.
Her plan had been to stick to being simply his friend, but the fact she now knew him and Hana hadn't been dating changed everything. She didn't have to wait. If she wanted to, she could've asked him right then and there.
At the same time, however, she didn't want to.
It felt like that Mason had some sort of shell around him. Not like the technique, he had used against Chikara, but an emotional one. She knew he had apparently not been one to socialize with people, yet that seemed like a lie the more time she spent with him.
It reminded her a bit of something Kirishima had gone through during their last year of middle school. The way they both smiled, yet still stayed back from overly talking to people. It was too familiar to be a coincidence.
Why was it that she felt so close to him, but at the same time know barely anything about him?
I shouldn't worry about it. Sure, it kinda stinks I can't talk with Kirishima and Hana, but I'll enjoy the fact I'll have Mason to talk to, though. Maybe I can get him to open up a bit more than usual! She thought t herself, feeling a small smile making its way onto her face.