Bruce sat on the medical cot. He watched as Recovery Girl tended to an unconscious Bakugo while waiting for his turn. The nurse applied some antiseptic to the wounds on the blond's hands then dressed them in bandages.

She can't use her Quirk because Bakugo is so exhausted. He likely has no stamina to spare.

Bruce sighed and flipped down mouthfuls of water from his bottle. There was an extended intermission so the stage could be repaired and so Bruce could be healed up enough for the final round.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

It opened, and Izuku sheepishly peeked in. His eyes fell on Bruce briefly before focusing on Katsuki.

"Recovery Girl! Is Kacchan alright?" he frantically asked while rushing in. The pro hero gave the boy a reassuring smile. "He'll be okay. He just overexerted himself." Deku exhaled in relief. "That's good." He then looked over to Bruce, who was now lying down and staring up at the ceiling.

"You really did a number on him," the green-haired teen said. Bruce looked at him through the corner of his eye. Izuku shuffled a little on his feet and nervously smiled. "It's really impressive. Kacchan is one of the strongest people I know, and you managed to beat him."

Bruce hummed dismissively and sat up with his back facing Deku. "I had to end it there. Not just because I wanted to win, but because he would've severely damaged his hands if he used his Quirk after I cut them." The black-haired teen glared at Izuku over his shoulder. He eyed his bandaged arms. "Both of you are crazy fools." The other teen nervously laughed and glanced to the side.

The taller teenager stood up and stretched a bit. He took a final sip of his water.

"Alright. Thank you Recovery Girl. I'm ready for the final round."

The nurse nodded. "You're welcome. Don't go overboard out there."

"I can't promise anything substantial," Bruce called over his shoulder.

"Hmph!" Recovery Girl tapped the floor with her syringe cane. "Teenagers!"

"Good luck out there," Deku called after him. Bruce just waved back without turning around. The door closed quietly behind him.

The two awake occupants stood in silence. Izuku sighed. "Recovery Girl, I don't think Wayne really likes me." The pro hero looked at him. "I don't think he has many people he really likes. Why are you worrying yourself about that?" The green-haired teen weakly shrugged. "It's not like I want to be best friends with him. Honestly, he kinda scares me. It's just I can tell he isn't the biggest fan of All Might and some of that hostility is directed at me by extension. Well, I don't think he's figured everything out," the teen quickly added, "but he's seen All Might as Yagi-san, so he must suspect a connection."

Recovery Girl nodded in agreement. "Maybe it's best you don't get too close with Wayne. He's observant, and we can't risk anyone finding out about your shared secret.

As Bruce walked down the hall towards the stadium, he tried to calm his beating heart.

Calm down. You can do this. Once you win, you'll be No. 1!

Easier said than done,a cruel whisper piped up in the back of his head, but Bruce ignored it.

The stadium and air practically vibrated with excitement. The crowd cheered and whistled as the two contenders faced each other from across the stage.

"Alright, everybody! This is it! The final round! Class 0-JL's Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent face-off for a bloody showdown!" Present Mic enthusiastically narrated.

"Don't paint the picture of them being arch-rivals," Dr. Mid-Nite lightly scolded the blond.

Izuku watched intently. He had left the nurse's office before Katsuki woke up to avoid causing Recovery Girl more trouble. "Deku," Uraraka glanced toward him, "Who do you think will win?" Her friend's concentration strengthened as his eyes narrowed.

"I… don't know."

All Might sat with great anticipation. Young Wayne… Young Kent… Who will be Young Midoriya's biggest competitor to becoming the No. 1 hero?

Shinso focused on Bruce. He remembered the teen's words.

"... watch when I win and decide for yourself."

"... Show me that you're more than just talk."

In a dark room lit up only by a single screen, a lone gangly figure watched the live footage of the tournament.

"The brat that's strong like All Might… and the brat Master has taken an interest in…"

He scratched deeply at his neck.

The two friends stared into each other's eyes. Bruce's icy blue ones narrowed into a determined glare and Clark's deep rick blue ones pulled into a strong glower.

I've come this far…

… you're strong, and it'll be a challenge…

… but…

… I will…

… be…

No. 1!

"Start!"

Bruce was now staring directly into Clark's eyes. Before he could flinch back, his friend's fist drove into his stomach, causing Bruce to pitch forward and concentrate on not regurgitating whatever was leftover from lunch. Seeing his friend's frazzled state, Clark attempted to pull away only to be met with surprising resistance. He looked down to see Bruce had a firm grip on his arm.

Bruce's coughing diminished and slowly turned into a humorless chuckle. His head rose to meet Clark's gaze, and the teen flinched a bit. His friend's eyes were still wide from taking the punch and a trail of saliva dripped from the corner of his lopsided smile. Honestly, Bruce looked a bit demented.

"If you think I'm going to let this end in one punch… then you really haven't been observing well."

As soon as he was done speaking, Bruce pulled Clark in close and slammed his forehead into his nose. Clark cursed and stumbled back. Just because it didn't hurt didn't mean he couldn't feel the force behind the headbutt, especially when he wasn't expecting it.

With a distance between them, Bruce quickly brought air into his lungs. Something warm trailed down his forehead, and when he brushed his thumb across the bridge of his nose it came back red.

Bruce sighed. "Well, definitely not doing that again."

He quickly reached to his utility belt and threw out several pellets. The moment they struck the ground, smoke burst into the air. Soon Clark was surrounded by a black blanket of gas. The teen kept his guard up. He knew his friend would give him little pause between attacks.

Two spinning bats tore through the smokescreen, and Clark was quick to bring up his forearm. Both of them harmlessly bounced off his skin, however one blew up right there. Clark shut his eyes to protect them from the blast. When he reopened them, the smoke from the explosion cleared enough to reveal Bruce right in front of him. His leg was already in full swing.

The kick slammed into Clark's stomach, sending him back. Bruce pivoted while firing a grapple that wrapped around Clark's arm, pulling the teen back towards his opponent. As soon as he was in range, Bruce smashed his fist into Clark's face, throwing his head to the side. He immediately backhanded him with his fist before delivering another punch. Then Bruce gripped the wire of the grapple and with a determined yell, Bruce threw Clark over his shoulder and into the air. His back slammed into the unforgiving concrete, and he let out a gasp. The smokescreen had cleared up a while ago, and the crowd was watching intently. The grappled loosened and was reeled back in.

Clark got back to his feet and faced his opponent. "You really don't hold back." His gaze trailed down. "Though, that might not be a good thing for you."

Bruce's scowl deepened. He didn't have to look to see what his friend meant. His fist protested as he clenched it, bruising spreading across his knuckles.

Feels like I'm punching a bag of lead.

"I've let you whale on me long enough. My turn."

Bruce could do nothing as his friend zoomed into him and headbutted him right in the abdomen. He harshly coughed, then he felt himself being lifted into the air. Bruce watched as the concrete stage shrunk below him. He knew if he fell from this height, the fight was good as over.

"Sorry, but this will end it!" Clark exclaimed as he threw Bruce off his shoulder and down. There was an audible gasp throughout the entire stadium.

Clark felt his body jolt down as his friend fell. He looked over to see a grapple wrapped firmly around his forearm.

"You're not beating me that easily!"

The cable went taut before quickly folding in on itself. The motion slingshotted Bruce right back at Clark. He kneed the other teen sharply in the chest and maneuvered his way onto his back. Bruce tugged the grappled with him, forcing Clark's arm to bend around his throat. The flying teen gagged and struggled to get free, but Bruce held on tight. With a few sharp tugs, they were sent into a nosedive. Bruce jumped off just as Clark crashed into and skidded a bit across the concrete.

Bruce watched as Clark steadied himself on a knee and coughed a bit. Clark then turned to glare at his opponent. However, Bruce ignored the burning blue eyes, He zoomed in on the bleeding cut on Clark's cheek.

It's working. Just a little more.

Clark stood up and spat to the side. He was about to take off when a sharp tug drew his attention to the cable still wrapped around his arm.

"Don't go running away into the sky."

Bruce pressed the grapple's button and reeled himself towards his opponent. Clark tried to send a right hook at him, but Bruce flipped over the punch, launched off the other teen outstretched with his hand, and delivered a hard kick to the back of Clark's head, causing him to stumble. He then jerked the grapple, forcing his friend to turn towards him. Bruce delivered a high kick that caught Clark in the jaw and sent him back. Blood dripped from the side of his mouth.

As Bruce prepared to reel himself in again, Clark knew he had to stop his opponent from thrashing him around. He drew in a deep breath and blew on the cable. Ice quickly formed on and encased the small section. With a single tug, the metal wire snapped. Clark unraveled the segment left on his forearm while Bruce reeled in the severed grapple.

Bruce discarded the now-useless gadget to the side. Now untethered, Clark flew back into the air. He then flew straight at Bruce. His feet touched the ground and he skidded to a halt in front of his opponent. Before Bruce could fully back away, Clark's fist smashed into his abdomen. He once again pitched forward and gagged.

There was silence, then Bruce's hands shot up to grab Clark's arm. He raised his head, his icy eyes ever so sharp, and his smirk confident despite the spit dripping from his mouth.

"Even though I still had to keep myself from vomiting, I can feel it. You've gotten weaker."

Clark's eyes widened. Before he could respond, Bruce pulled him in close and smashed his fist into his face. Clark's head was thrown to the side. Bruce then brought his leg up and slammed a kick into his friend's stomach. Clark coughed and was sent skidding back. The two teens breathed heavily and stared at each other.

"Your Quirk, Solar Energy, allows you to draw power from the Sun," Bruce began. "Though the process is quick, if you use up more energy than what can be produced, you'll run yourself low. And once that happens-"

Bruce threw a bat at Clark who brought up his arms to block. It exploded on contact. When the smoke cleared, it revealed small, slightly-bleeding scrapes on his skin.

"Your body will have to allocate the available energy at a cost."

Clark glared over his arms, and Bruce smirked.

"You showed off a bit in your previous fights, especially against Todoroki. I just had to make sure to wear you down a bit more."

Clark lowered his arms. "All my energy will be focused into my strength. You think you can handle that?"

Bruce's smirk fell, and he glowered at his friend. "I'm giving this fight my all. I'd be insulted if you didn't."

Clark nodded as he closed his eyes and gave a rueful smile. "Sorry, I just had to ask."

A battlecry erupted from his lungs, and the barrage began.

Clark rushed forward and unleashed vicious punch after punch. Though Bruce did his best to defend, some managed to meet their mark, and his arms were getting bruised up from blocking. However, Bruce was able to get in a few hits of his own, and they were actually doing some damage.

The audience watched in anticipation as the fighting came down to simple hand-to-hand. There were winces here and there when a particularly hard strike echoed throughout the stadium.

"Well, looks like the final match will be decided by good old-fashion fisticuffs," commented Present Mic. The loud blond flinched when a punch from Bruce managed to spray droplets of blood onto the concrete.

"Man, those two are really going at it," Kirishima said. "It's like they've let go of all restraint," Kaminari added.

Hal grimaced. "Damn. With how they're pummelling each other, you wouldn't think those two were good friends." "They're doing this because they are such good friends," said Diana. Hal and Shayera turned towards her. She was deeply concentrated on the fight. "They want to help push each other forward. They can't do that by holding back."

Bruce blocked a punch while sending a kick into Clark's side. Both boys backed away to catch their breathes. They were both panting harshly, had marks and blood on their faces, and knew this fight was coming to an end. They briefly tensed and then rushed at each other.

This is it!

This will be the final strike…

… to end it!

All it depends on…

… is who is faster!

Bruce and Clark drew their fists back, and the stadium collectively held its breath as their punches crossed.

.

.

.

Bruce's fist smashed into Clark's cheek while the latter's punch only nicked his opponent in the brow due to his last-second dodging. Bruce poured all he had left into the single attack, knocking Clark off his feet and sending him skidding on his side.

Bruce pitched forward but remained standing. He slowly inhaled and exhaled. Clark remained on the ground, his breathing also ragged. He was still conscious but clearly wasn't going to be getting up soon.

The shocked silence was deafening.

"K-Kent can no longer fight," announced Midnight.

"Wayne is the winner!"

The applause and cheering filled the stadium and the atmosphere above.

"Such a brutal finish to the event! The winner of this year's first-year U.A. Sports Festival is… Class 0-JL's Bruce Wayne!" exclaimed Present Mic.

Aizawa released his breath. "Of course, he would win. He's far too stubborn to lose." Dr. Mid-Nite glanced at him. "It's okay to worry."

Shinso's eyes widened. "He won…"

All Might stared. Young Wayne…

Deku's pencil was frozen against his notebook. "Wayne won against Kent… amazing."

Meanwhile, in the nurse's office, a certain blond heard the end result through the loudspeaker.

"...Dammit."

Class 0-JL cheered for their classmate's victory while Classes A and B were silent.

Alfred collapsed back into the couch after being on the edge of his seat for so long. His tea had been cold for some time.

Clark weakly smiled from his position. "You're really something… aren't you, Wayne?"

Bruce didn't hear him. In fact, he didn't really hear anything; everything was muffled as he focused on his thoughts.

I… did it. I'm No. 1 here. I've succeeded in my first step to becoming a hero… eh? Strange… why is my vision tilted? Why does everyone sound upset? I won fairly. I… I'm tired.

Bruce's vision darkened, and he thought he could faintly hear someone calling his name.

Diana, Shayera, and Hal rushed down the hall. They had left their seats as soon as they saw Bruce collapsed. Diana ran ahead of her friends.

Please, please be okay!

She was so focused on her pleading thoughts she didn't see someone come out of a conjoining hall. The girl ran right into him and they were sent tumbling to the floor.

"Ah! Sorry, I- J'onzz?"

The green-skinned teen winced as he rubbed his elbow.

"Hey, you guys alright?" Hal asked as he and Shayera caught up. They helped their fallen friends off the ground.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You guys are heading to check on Wayne and Kent, right?" When they nodded in confirmation, J'onn replied, "Then let's go."

The four teens burst through the nurse room door.

"Wayne! Kent!"

"Pipe down, all of you!" ordered Recovery Girl. "Your friends need peace and quiet if they are to get proper rest."

Clark and Bruce laid on side-by-side med-beds. The former help an ice pack to his face and the latter had his hands bandaged up. They both blearily glanced towards their friends; Clark gave a weak smile while Bruce gave a small nod.

"You guys, how are you? You didn't hurt each other too bad right?" asked Diana as she hurried over to them. Clark laughed a bit. "Wayne can really hit hard. My ribs are pretty bruised up." Bruce leaned back. "My hands aren't broken. I can handle the soreness for a while." He lifted up his bandaged forearms and let them flop down on the bed. Shayera quirked an eyebrow. "Why haven't you guys been healed up yet?"

"My Quirk speeds up the natural healing process at the cost of the patient's stamina. Right now these two barely have any stamina. Even combining their current amounts wouldn't be enough got one of them," Recovery Girl explained.

All the teenagers sighed; Clark and Bruce because they would have to rest for a bit, and Diana, J'onn, Shayera, and Hal because of the conditions their friends put themselves in. Bruce glanced up and finally noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, where is West?" he asked. Everyone else jolted when they realized the speedster hadn't been with J'onn. They all turned to the green-skinned boy. "J'onzz, where'd West go?" Hal asked.

J'onn's eyes darted to the side, and his lips thinned. He sighed and looked back to his friends. "I don't know the details, but… something happened to his uncle. I think… maybe a villain got him." The other teens gasped. "West left for the hospital as soon as he got the call," J'onn continued, "I don't know when he'll be back."

"Poor West," lamented Diana. "Mmhm," Hal somberly agreed, "I hope his uncle is okay, for both their sakes."

Though the remaining friend group was somber after learning the emergency Wally had to attend, they didn't have a lot of time to sulk. Soon Bruce and Clark were healed up and were sent off to get ready for the award ceremony. Diana, Hal, Shayera, and J'onn went to join their class and the rest of the first-years to watch. However, they were nervous about one thing.

"How do you think they'll be able to get Bakugo to stand next to Wayne and Kent?" Diana asked. "Not sure. Maybe they'll be kept at a distance?" suggested Hal. "I think you're expecting too much from Bakugo if that's all you think will have to be done," Shayera bluntly said.

With a burst of confetti and smoke, the podium rose from the ground. They gawked when they saw Katsuki on the third-place platform.

"Aw, geez…" Nathaniel said as he took in the wildly thrashing blond restrained to a concrete pillar with chains. His hands were completely covered to prevent the use of his Quirk. He was also muzzled which really only muffled his yelling.

"Isn't that a little overboard?" asked Don. "No, I think this is necessary if he's going to be near Wayne for this," Hank replied.

"So scary…" whimpered Zatanna. "He behaves like an absolute madman," said Jason.

Clark cautiously watched Bakugo from where he was while Bruce just stoically stared ahead. This irritated Bakugo even more as evident by his incoherent screaming growing louder.

"Now, we will award our winners!" announced Midnight. "Presenting the medals of course will be the man himself-"

A familiar boisterous laugh filled the air and the crowds went wild.

"It's All Might!"

Goddamnit, seethed Bruce as the No. 1 hero leaped down to the field.

Midnight handed him the medals to him, and he started at third place. Which meant Bakugo.

"Young Bakugo! You've done a great job. Here you are standing a winner!" All Might said as he reached to remove the muzzle. Everyone held their breathes as it came off.

"All Might…" Bakugo croaked. "Third place… is just a step above being a loser! It barely qualifies as winning! It is nothing but utter trash!" he yelled.

God, he is beyond pissed, thought Clark. The contorted expression of pure rage made him sweatdrop. How has he not burst several blood vessels?

"Young Bakugo, don't be so harsh on yourself! Think of this as your first step of growth! Now you know what the competition is like, and you'll be able to improve!"

"No! There was no competition! That fucking Rich Boy won simply because of a damn fluke! A piece of Quirkless trash like him doesn't deserve to be No. 1!"

The stadium was quiet. Even though Katsuki had shouted that particular insult a few times during their match, a majority of the audience had been too swept up by the action to really notice. Now everyone, whether in-person or through live TV, heard it.

"Quirkless?" "The Wayne guy is Quirkless?" "What's a Quirkless kid doing here?"

The whispers collectively grew, and All Might nervously looked over to Bruce. He was absolutely stone-faced, but the pro hero could see his eyes darken. He quickly brought out the bronze medal.

"Here, please accept your award. Think of it as a reminder to push yourself forward!"

"I don't want that fucking thing!"

"Here, here."

"No! Keep that away from me!"

Despite his resistance, All Might managed to get the medal on Bakugo, albeit in his mouth. He gave the snarling blond a pat on the head then moved onto the other side of the podium.

"Young Kent. Congratulations! You've shown yourself to be strong!"

Clark smiled and gladly accepted the silver medal.

"Thank you, All Might. I'll remember this moment forever!"

The hero's smile broadened and he hugged the teen, much to his surprise.

"Your enthusiasm is infectious; a good quality for a hero. But remember, this moment is just one of many in your hero's journey. Cherish them all," he advised as he patted Clark's back. A smile bloomed on the teen's face and gladly returned the hug.

Finally, it was time for first place. Bruce lowered his head so All Might could place the gold medal around his neck.

"Well done, Young Wayne. Here you are standing as No. 1. You must be proud."

Bruce stared at the hero, his expression neutral. "Yes," he said as he looked down at the medal. "I am indeed happy with this accomplishment, but now I've gotten a taste of what the path ahead will be like." He lifted his previously-bandaged hands and clenched them. "The path to becoming a hero is already difficult, and with my inadequate Quirk, it will be even harder for me." He looked back at the No. 1 hero, his icy eyes burning. "However, I will not be dissuaded. I will keep striving to be the best. Because I deserve to be here in U.A.."

"Yes, Young Wayne. You do indeed belong here." All Might held out his hand, and Bruce accepted it in a firm handshake.

"Damn you! Fucking Rich Boy!" Bakugo yelled around his medal. Hearing Bruce's voice reignited his rage.

The black-haired teen glanced at him before pointedly looking away.

"Fuck you! Don't you dare look down on me!" the blond screamed while thrashing against the chains.

"You don't really sound that happy," Clark fretted as he focused on his friend. "I am happy," Bruce replied, ignoring the "Hey!" from behind him, "I just don't show it a lot." Clark frowned in disapproval before an idea sprung into his mind and he smiled mischievously.

"Well then, let me express all your happiness for you!"

"Wha-" was all Bruce got out before Clark leaped onto his platform and lifted him up onto his shoulder.

"Ah! Kent! What are you doing!? Let me down!"

"Come on guys! Help me out with this!" Clark called out to his friends and he jumped down to his classmates.

Despite Bruce's protests, Diana, Hal, Shayera, and J'onn gladly joined in the celebration and helped parade Bruce around. The teen flailed in objection though he made sure not to actually hit his friends.

Nearly everyone laughed at the joyful display with All Might's easily standing out from them all.

And with that, the first-year sports festival came to a close.

Wally rushed into Hosu General Hospital and headed straight for the front desk.

"Excuse me! I'm here to see my uncle, Barry Allen."

"Wait, West?"

The redhead paused and turned his head to see Tenya Iida. The other teen looked just as upset as he was.

"Iida, you're here, too? Then that means…" Horror grew on Wally's face when he remembered the phone call he had with his uncle.

"Oh, speaking of Ingenium, I'm gonna be going on patrol with him soon."

"Oh God… your brother…"

Tenya's face fell even further, and he ran to the desk as well. "I'm Tenya Iida! Please where is my brother?"

The receptionist quickly searched on her computer and directed them up to the second floor. Both boys ran up the stairs, and once there split down different halls. Wally soon saw his mother, father, and aunt sitting by a door. His parents were comforting his aunt, but all three stood up when they saw him running down towards them.

"Mom, Dad, Aunt Iris! How is Uncle Barry?" he asked as soon as he reached them. His aunt's already-reddened eyes welled up. "Oh, Wally…" The teen looked past her to see his parents' devastated expressions. Unable to stand not knowing anymore, Wally ran past them and slid open the door.

"Wait, Wally-!" his mom called out but it was too late.

Wally stared at his uncle's prone form on the bed. He was hooked up to so many machines and IV packs. An oxygen mask fogged up from breathing far too slow. His head was bandaged as was the majority of his torso. There were dark circles around his closed eyes.

Iris and Mary collapsed at the sight of their family member, and Rudy tried comforting them. That meant no one could stop Wally from stumbling to his uncle's side.

"Uncle… Uncle Barry! It's me, Wally! Please say something!"

"I'm sorry." The redhead looked up at the doctor in the room. "The surgery managed to save him, but he's fallen into a coma. We… do not know if he will wake up."

Wally stared at the man in disbelief. He wanted to scream at him, demand to know why they didn't know when his uncle would wake up, why they couldn't prevent him from falling into a coma. But he couldn't. This was all too much. All he could do was look to his uncle with tears streaming down his face.

"Uncle…!"

Bruce sat in the garden enjoying the sunlight while looking at his phone. The students were given a few days off to allow their injuries to recover. He read the text Hal returned in the group messaging and sighed.

"Still nothing about West."

"Master Bruce-sama! Lunch is ready."

"Coming. Thank you Alfred-san," he said as he followed his butler inside. As they drew closer to the dining room, Bruce's nose picked up a distinct smell. It was distinct because Alfred only prepared the dish once a year.

"Alfred-san, really?" His butler smiled over his shoulder. "But of course Master Bruce-sama."

Bruce sat down and a bowl of soup was immediately placed in front of him. In it floated grilled square mochi, chicken slices, komatsuna, carrot flakes, and mitsuba.

"Ozoni? But we are nowhere near the New Year Alfred-san," Bruce said. His butler nodded. "You are right, Master Bruce-sama. But I believe this is still a time of celebration, and I wanted you to enjoy something special for this meal. Now go on before it gets cold."

The teen looked back to the soup and smiled. He quickly picked up his chopsticks and fished out the mochi. Before he dug in, Bruce said, "You didn't have to do this Alfred-san. Anything you made would've been special. After all, your cooking is my favorite food." He bit into the corner and hummed as the mochi stretched while Alfred smiled by his side.

The news reporter tapped her foot impatiently. She wasn't the only one annoyed. Several other journalists were reaching the end of their ropes. They had all been returning to camp outside the front gate of Wayne Manor for days, but the teenage billionaire hadn't made a single appearance.

"We've been at this for five days," her cameraman bemoaned, "How can you be sure he'll show up today?" She smirked at him. "Because school is starting again, meaning he'll have to come out. And the moment he does, I'll be the first to interview him! Oh-hohohoho!" she laughed as she held her microphone to the sky.

None of the journalists noticed a dark shape traveling through the tops of the trees paralleling the iron fence wall. Once he was around the corner, Bruce dropped out of a tree. He sighed and then took off running to the train station.

Bruce sat at his desk. His classmates were chatting about how so many people recognized them while on their way to school. They certainly were enjoying the spotlights.

Just wait. Soon they'll realize that being the targets of the dogs of the media is anything but glamorous.

He glanced over to where Wally sat quietly. None of his other friends had approached the redhead. They all knew what had happened to his uncle. It was all over the news. The Flash and Ingenium had been the victims of a serial killer who already had 40 victims: 17 murdered and 23 injured beyond recovery. A killer who solely targeted heroes. The Hero Killer: Stain. What were they supposed to say to Wally? They didn't know, so they opted to say nothing. (They all would greatly regret that decision.)

Soon Dr. Mid-Nite entered and everyone immediately settled down. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Sensei."

Nathaniel blinked. "Sensei, your arm is no longer in a cast. That's good." His teacher nodded. "My hand is completely functional. But that isn't important. What is, is that today's hero informatic period will be special."

The teens grew tense. Special how? A pop quiz?

"Today you will be creating codenames."

The teens sighed in relief. Now that sounded fun!

"This relates to the draft nominations from pros I mentioned yesterday. Though they will only really start mattering after you've gained experience and your fighting capability is judged in your second and third years, you all received offers. That means many pros are interested in your future potentials."

"But, the tally is a bit… unbalanced."

Wayne: 6,234

Kent: 6,189

Prince: 5,021

Adams: 4,013

Blood: 3,897

Jordan: 560

West: 505

Queen: 426

Drake: 401

Zatara: 372

J'onzz: 124

Hol: 86

Curry: 72

McCabe: 48

H. Hall: 30

D. Hall: 21

Sir: 14

Bertinelli: 10

Saunders: 6

Sage: 5

"Awesome, Wayne! Look at how many nominations you got!" Clark exclaimed. The teen rolled his eyes. "It's likely most are just because of my name and not my accomplishment."

"I caint believe it. I got some pros' attention!" Greg excitedly said. "As did I," Justin added in.

Don was a bit disappointed. "I showed off with Hank as well, but I got fewer nominations. Did I do something wrong?" Hank turned to his brother. "Don't think too much into it bro. Some people are just too quick to judge on appearances."

"Actually, you and your brother had much more nominations, but a majority was thrown out," Dr. Mid-Nite cut in.

"What? Why?" demanded Hank.

Their teacher cleared the board of the ranking list and showed a single count.

"Because most heroes wanted you as a pair."

Hall Brothers: 306

Don and Hank were shocked. That was way more than what they received separately.

"How come you threw all those out, Sensei? Hank and I are fine with working as a duo," Don said. Dr. Mid-Nite sighed. "There isn't anything wrong with you two working together but already many pros see you as a package deal. That isn't good this early in your hero careers. You two have to establish yourselves as your own independent heroes if you want to make it out there. And there will be times you won't be together when doing work. You have to be prepared for that."

The siblings glanced at each other, clearly upset. Their classmates also grew quiet; sorry for their debacle.

"Still regardless of how many nominations you received, you all will be participating in internships with pro heroes," Dr. Mid-Nite said, drawing all his students' attention. "You all have experienced combat against real villains at the W.A.T.C.H. Tower but working with pros firsthand will still be meaningful training."

"So that's why we're making hero names today," Oliver realized. Dr. Mid-Nite nodded. "Of course these are just placeholders, but you should still take them seriously."

"Of course!" The classroom door slid open. "The names you pick will become recognized by society, and they will likely stay once you become pros!"

"Miss America-sensei!" the class exclaimed as the female hero confidently sauntered in.

"She's right. Miss America will be evaluating your naming sense since I definitely can't."

IN McNIDER'S CASE

"You still haven't come up with a hero name yet?" Nemuri asked her lowerclassman.

"Yeah. I just know I don't want it to be extravagant," Charles replied.

"Then I've got it!" exclaimed Nemuri. "Midnight Junior. You can be my first sidekick! I wouldn't mind having a little cutie by my side," she said as she squished Charles' cheeks. He blinked.

"I think I'll have to modify that."

"Once you've given yourself a hero name, you'll have a clearer image of what you want to be in the future and can aim for that."

A name for my future. "Names and natures often agree", huh? thought Bruce as whiteboards and markers were passed back.

After a few minutes of brainstorming, in which Dr. Mid-Nite left to assist Recovery Girl, Miss America called out, "Alright, who's ready to present?"

All the teens stiffened. Presenting their names to the class? Who'd want to do that?

Arthur raised his hand. "I'm fine with going first."

Guts! the class collectively thought as the blond walked to the front of the room.

"I've thought about this since I was in middle school. Atlantean Hero: Aquaman."

"Oh, that's perfect! Easy to remember and a nice, approachable feeling. A fine example of a hero name," Miss America praised.

The whole class brightened. "Aquaman! Aquaman!" they began chanting while he just watched nonchalantly, not realizing the weight he had helped lift off.

Soon the names came flying in.

"Bright Light Hero: Green Lantern!"

"Amazing Amazon Hero: Wonder Woman!"

"Atomic Hero: Captain Atom."

Medieval Hero: Shining Knight."

"Magician Hero: Mistress Z."

"Predatory Hero: Huntress."

"Screeching Hero: Black Canary!" Miss America smiled. "You're taking your mother's hero name? You understand you'll have to carry the pressure that comes with it." Dinah smiled and gave a thumbs-up. "I know. And I'm ready for it."

Drake is so amazing, Oliver dreamily thought as he walked up.

"Archery Hero: Green Arrow!"

"Conspirator Hero: The Question."

"Peaceful Hero: Dove."

"Fighting Hero: Hawk!"

"Animalia Hero: Vixen."

"Demonic Hero: Etrigan." "Are you sure you want to use that word "demonic" in your name?" Miss America asked. Jason nodded. "My Quirk has ben vilified fortis appearance with that very word. I want to take that insult and make it my hero name to show that it can be a description of good."

"Sun Powered Hero: Superman!"

"Bird of Prey Hero: Hawkgirl!"

"Extraterrestrial Hero: Martian Manhunter."

"Marksman Hero: Vigilante!" Miss America raised an eyebrow. "A hero named "Vigilante"? That's a bit of an oxymoron, isn't it?" Greg grinned. "I want ta pay homage ta the very first heroes that appeared after Quirks!" And a tribute to the ones who saved and inspired me years ago.

His teacher nodded. "Now that leaves Wayne and West."

The little redhead stared at his blank board. His uncle's prone body flashed in his mind. With a trembling hand, he wrote his future hero name. After staring at it, Wally's frown deepened, and he added something to the beginning. Slowly he got up and walked forward.

"Scarlet Speed Hero: Kid Flash." The class was silent. Miss America's expression saddened then she gently smiled. "That's a wonderful name West." The teen nodded without looking up and went back to his seat.

"Wayne, are you ready?" Bruce nodded.

I've thought long and hard about this. When I become the No. 1 hero, I will become a symbol. However, I won't be like All Might; a mere mascot of easy times. I also have to be a warning to those who carry out injustice. And there's only one sure way to do so.

Fear.

He stood tall at the front of the classroom.

"I am the Dark Knight Hero: Batman."

First chapter of 2021! I was planning to release it at midnight on New Year's, but I wasn't able to.

Sorry, this took so long. With everything happening in the world, school and family life have become more difficult. I hope everyone else is doing okay.

Remember to comment and review! Also if there are any grammatical errors, don't be afraid to point them out. My beta-reader has disappeared.