The Sports Festival had concluded, and as promised, Iwase had a gift for Bulla to celebrate her victory. "Brief, I think it's time that I tell you what my Quirk is." Iwase told the Saiyan. In the backyard of the orphanage, several small dirt craters remained from Bulla and Pan's training prior to the festival.
"Your Quirk...?" She asked. "I guess I didn't realize you had one, Ms. Iwase." Her hand held her chin as she thought about what kind of Quirk her caretaker could have.
"I hope you haven't forgotten that 80% of our world's population has some form of uncanny ability." She reminded as she held her hands behind her back. "I want you to come at me."
Several seconds passed before Iwase's request finally registered in Bulla's mind. "HUUH?! What are you talking about, Ms. Iwase?!"
"Watching you and Son sparring so much makes me miss the days where I'd take to the streets and stop villains." She explained, looking towards the rising moon.
"Wait, you used to be a pro?" Bulla asked her, taking a step back.
With a chuckle, Iwase held out her hand in a welcoming manner. "You make it sound like it's so hard to believe. Why don't you come on over here and find out for yourself?"
"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you, Ma'am." Bulla asked, slightly lowering her posture.
"I'm surprised how sure you are of yourself. That golden medal sounds like it was exactly what you needed to get your confidence back." She mentioned, causing Bulla to blush. "But believe me, I was a spry young fighter in my glory days. I could stand here talking about it, but it's been a while since I've been able to get my blood pumping."
"A-Alright, here I come, then!" With excited eyes watching from behind the safety of the windows, remaining hidden just barely behind the curtains, Bulla held her arms out behind her.
In a blur of blue, Bulla blasts forward, throwing a fist as Iwase steps to the side. "Oh, my! So this is how it feels to face an otherworldly fighter!" She praises at Bulla turns and begins to unleashes a plethora of blows, but to no avail. Iwase blocks each advance and on her opponent's final blow, she grabs her by the wrist and pulls her forward, stepping out of the way and allowing Bulla to stumble forward.
Suddenly, something cold and flat hit the back of Bulla's neck, and gritting her teeth, she whipped around and threw a hand forward, unleashing a Ki blast that split in half as Iwase swung a newfound blade upward. Stunned by her caretaker's strength, Bulla finds herself beaten as Iwase taps her on the head with the flat end of the incredibly sized sword. Standing at roughly 140 centimeters, easily more than 80% of Iwase's height of 170 centimeters, it was about twelve inches across. Single-edged, the massive sword curved straight out towards it's flat end, similar to the opposite end of a fireaxe.
"Woah... Where did...?!" Before Bulla could finish, Iwase moved at an incredible speed, and the flat end of her blade rested at Bulla's neck.
Letting out a sigh, Iwase couldn't help but smile. "It's been such a long time since I've been able to stretch my legs like this." She said in relief.
"Where did that come from, Ms. Iwase?" Bulla asked as her caretaker pulled the blade away. In response, Iwase's sword began to shimmer and glow, and now bathed in a white light, the shape compressed and shrunk into a small circular shape.
Bulla's eyes widened, and a silver palm-sized stopwatch was left behind as the light faded. "My Quirk is called Morph. I can change the shape of any object I touch." She explained, handing her stopwatch to the Saiyan Queen.
As Bulla held out her hand, she felt an incredible sudden weight drag her hands down. "Ms. Iwase! This feels like it weighs a ton!"
"Due to the conservation of mass, the object retains its mass, even in its new form." She explained. "It's weighs about twenty kilos, regardless if its form."
Twenty kilograms!? She just walks around carrying this like it's nothing! "Ms. Iwase," Bulla began, struggling to keep the stopwatch aloft, "I'm not saying I'm not interested, but why are you telling me all of this?"
As Iwase approached, a smile spread across her face. "I told you that I had a gift for you..." She mentioned once again as she tapped the stopwatch, causing it to glow once more. "I think that something like this will suit you nicely."
The light shimmered and intensified until in her hands, Bulla held a sword. Made in the style of a Jian, the length of the blade was roughly twenty-eight inches, and the hilt was another eleven inches, wrapped in black nylon that snaked and crossed over another layer of white nylon rope. A flat, bronze pommel matched the handguard, which was engraved with miscellaneous designs and lacked a proper tsuba. The handguard was short, and only stuck out about an inch over the handle, and was pentagonal in shape. Leaving its point was the actual blade, simple and double-edged. "What is...?"
"I want you to have it, Bulla Brief. My time as a hero is over, but hopefully you can share some more victories with this old blade. I understand that you won't be able to use it at school, but I'd still like for you to train with it." She explained, slightly pinching Bulla's cheek.
Gripping the handle, Bulla held the blade downward and pulled the pommel into her chest. With a bow, her hair fell over her eyes and face. "Thank you, Ma'am. I'll cherish it always." She told her caretaker gratefully.
"Unfortunately, there wasn't enough wood to reshape into a scabbard, but don't you worry. I'll make you one from scratch." She explained. "Now run along inside, I'm sure you've had a long day." Waving her inside, Iwase called out one last thing before Bulla left her behind. "And make sure none of the younger children play with that!" She called out as Bulla waved goodbye.
"I'll keep it safe!" Bulla called back before walking inside.
As Bulla secured the ceiling panel in place, Pan tapped her shoulder. "Nice sword you got there!" She said with a smile. "Can I see it?"
"Sorry, Pan, I just put it away. I had to wrap it in a blanket and secure on the wood up here so that it won't tear through the roof." She explained. "It weighs twenty kilos, and I don't want the floor to break."
"Twenty kilos?!" Pan yelled, holding her hands against her cheeks. "There's no way!"
"Way!" Sandayo suddenly said. Turning around, the girls could see him struggling to pull something from a rift next to him. "This thing is definitely too hefty to wield with one hand!"
"Sandayo, get out of the ceiling." Bulla told him as she looked down, pressing her balled fists against her hips.
"Yes, Ma'am..." In compliance, his struggling ceased and he pulled his hand from the rift, allowing it to close completely.
"Go on, Sandayo, Taka and Hana are going to finish their bath soon. You don't want to be known as a peeking pervert, do you?" Pan told him, raising her eyebrows with a coy smile.
"N-No! You two have a good night!" He said with a bow before darting out of the room, accompanied by Pan's laughter.
"Alright, that'll be enough, Pan. You know the girls are on a camping trip with their school." Bulla told her as she sat down, leaning against the wall and securing her head in the space between the ceiling and wall.
"Congrats on your win, again, by the way." Pan told her, floating closer to sit by her friend.
"Thanks." She said as she glanced at the medal on her nightstand.
"I'm really proud of you. You know that, right?" Pan sat up and turned her head to look into her friend's eyes.
"Yeah."
"Really! Not just because of the win! This is a really big step for us, for you." Pan rest her hand on Bulla's shoulder as she turned away, resting her tired eyes on the corner nearby.
"I know... They're going to keep me for an hour after school every day. That way I can talk to a therapist in my free time without giving up my weekends."
"And that's fine! We won't be able to walk home together anymore, but I'll always be waiting here for you!" She said, wrapping her arms around her friend. "Things will only get better, Bulla. I promise."
"Thank you...Pan..." Bulla lifted her arm and placed a hand gently on Pan's forearm wrapped around her, accepting her best friend's embrace.
The next morning, Bulla took her pills and ate breakfast. By the time she was out the door, despite the gloomy weather, she felt like she was on top of the world.
"How are you feeling?" Pan asked her as the two girls walked down the sidewalk.
"I feel great! My chest actually feels a lot lighter than normal, actually!" She said as Pan smirked. "Don't you dare! No jokes right now!"
"Excuse me, young lady." An older man's voice said as a finger tapped the strap of Bulla's backpack. As she turned around, the balding old man smiled with delight. "It really is you!"
"I-I'm sorry...?" Bulla responded in confusion as the man turned around, waving his arm to gesture his companion over.
"Honey! It really is her!" He said as an old woman approached, a delighted smile also on her face.
"I don't mean to be a bother to you two, but my husband and I saw the Sports Festival! I was cheering for young Son here, while my husband was cheering for you, little Bulla." She explained.
"The two of you were amazing out there! We just wanted to tell you that you can become incredible heroes!"
"Oh, thank you so much." Bulla told them with a careful bow, making sure not to tip her umbrella too far behind her.
"We hear you loud and clear. Thank you." Pan followed suit. Not wanting to take up so much of the girls' time, the old couple waved them goodbye and went their separate ways. "What a nice couple." She said as the two girls continued their walk to school.
"It's so weird that people recognize us on TV!" Ashido said as Bulla walked the rows with a clipboard, checking on and documenting everyone's physical health after the Sports Festival.
"Iida," She said, stopping by his desk, "how are you-?"
"My physical health is fine, Brief. Thank you for checking." He responded, stopping her short.
"But what about-"
"If you're going to ask about my brother, please refrain. I'm not at liberty to discuss such a topic, right now." He said, cutting her off once again. "Please rest assured knowing that I'm fine, however."
"Right. I'm sorry to bring it up." She said as she moved on to Uraraka.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Aizawa stepped in, now lacking any bandaging. "Morning." He said lazily.
"Good morning." The class said together.
"Brief, you know you're supposed to be in your seat when class starts." He said as Bulla turned to Sato.
"Yes, Sir, but as the Class Representative, I'd like to assess everyone's health and ensure that nobody went overboard during the Sports Festival. Even though I know who went too far, it never hurts to check." Bulla hissed, glaring daggers at her Class Historian, who hid himself in his arms.
With a sigh, Aizawa scratched his cheek. "Carry on, then."
"Speaking of health, it's nice to see you out of bandages, Mr. Aizawa." Bulla told him as she moved on to Koda.
"Yeah, the old lady went a little overboard in her latest treatment. But that's beside the point. Today we're having a big class on Hero Informatics."
Damn, I suck in this area! This world has so many rules and regulations on this stuff! Bulla thought to herself as she drew a happy face next to Kirishima's picture.
"Today you'll be picking your hero names." He said, his bored tone never ceasing to damper what he says. "This is related to the Pro Hero Draft Picks I mentioned the last time we were in class together. Normally, students don't have to worry about the draft until their second or third year, but your class is different. By investing in you First-Years, pros are essentially investing in your potential as a hero. Any offers can be rescinded if their offer in you dies down before graduation.
"So you're saying that we'll still have to prove ourselves after we've been recruited?" Hagakure asked as Bulla left her desk, drawing a happy face next to her picture.
"Correct. Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers." Aizawa continued as he pressed a button on a remote, revealing several bars that were stacked from biggest to smallest. Bulla's name appeared next to a bar that indicated a little more than 4,500 offers, followed by Bakugo with about 3,500, and Todoroki with around 3,200. Under them was Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Tokoyami with roughly 700 offers each. Below them, offers dropped to under 400 with Uraraka, Kaminari, Midoriya, Sero, Kirishima, and others. "It's normally more spread out, but there's a significant gap this time."
"Wow, you're at the top, Class Rep!" Sero said as Bulla turned to the board.
"Despite these results, everyone will intern with a pro." Aizawa clarified as Bulla moved on to Tokoyami. "Even those who didn't get any offers. Regardless of having real experience against villains, it'll help you to actually see pros in the field."
"Glad to see you're in good shape, Midoriya." Bulla said coldly and quietly as she moved away from Mineta. "I'm glad you finally took my words to heart, but I was helping you so that you wouldn't have to break yourself anymore.
"R-Right... Sorry..." He said, scratching the back of his head.
"Just keep practicing that new full-body technique." She said as she walked to the next desk and smirked. "I sure do wonder how you're doing, Bakugo. I did quite a number on you yesterday." As rage filled his eyes, Bulla blocked his next move. "Now now, we wouldn't want to get too loud while Aizawa is speaking, do we?" She taunted, forcing him to bite his tongue. "Glad you're doing better, Ba-ku-go~!" She told him with a wink before finishing her health roster with Hagakaure.
"These hero names will likely be temporary, but take them seriously, or else-" Before Aizawa could finish, the door opened.
"There'll be hell to pay later!" Midnight announced In a scripted fashion. "The code name you pick today could stick with you for life. You'd better be careful not to leave yourself with something indecent."
"Yeah, she has a point. Midnight will have final approval over your names. And when class is in session, you'll address her as Ms. Kayama." He explained. "This kinda stuff isn't my forte. The name you pick is important. It reinforces your image, and displays the kind of hero you are, or in your case, want to be. It tells other what you represent." Kayama passed dry-erase boards and markers to each row.
As Bulla stared at her blank board, a thought crossed her mind. What kind of hero do I want to be...?
"I'd say you've had enough time." Kayama announced. "Who's ready to share their name?" As she gestured for someone to take the podium, several students froze.
Among the murmers, Aoyama took the podium first. "Hold your breath. The Shining Hero: My name is 'I Cannot Stop Twinkling'! Mon ami, you can't deny my sparkle!"
"What an idiot..." Bulla said to herself, resting her face in her palm as she shook her head. With Kayama editing his selection slightly, the sheer stupidity gave Bulla hope for whatever name she thought of.
"Okey dokey! Me next!" Ashido said as she ran up to the podium, staging her board in full view. "I'm gonna be: Alien Queen!"
"You mean that horrible monster with the acidic blood!?" Kayama asked in shock.
"Uh huh! That's right!" With a thumbs up proudly erect, Kayama pushed Ashido's board downward, covering it up.
"Maybe come up with something more...approachable..."
"Aw maan..." Ashido said in defeat, returning to her seat as everyone else began to fill with worry.
"Ribbit. I think I've got one." Asui said, raising her hand as Kayama gestured her to the podium. "I've had this name in mind since grade school... Rainy Season Hero: Froppy."
"I just love that. It's what I was talking about when I said approachable." Kayama said with a smile as she clapped her hands together. Suddenly, a pressure seemed to be lifted off the class as everyone cheered the name 'Froppy'."
"I've got mine, too!" Kirishima said as he took Asui's place. "I'm the Sturdy Hero: Red Riot!"
"Oh come on, Jiro! Stop messing with me!" Kaminari suddenly yelled as Jiro took the podium.
"The Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack."
"The Tentacle Hero: Tentacole."
"The Taping Hero: Cellophane."
"I'm the Sweets Hero: Sugarman!"
"Pinky!" Ashido said on her return.
"Stun Gun Hero: I am Chargebolt."
"The Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl."
"I hope I can live up to this name. I'm the Everything Hero: Creati."
"Shoto." Todoroki said in a depressing tone.
"Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi!"
"I'm the Fresh-Picked Hero: Grape Juice!"
'Petting Hero: Anima.' Koda's board read.
"King Explosion Murder." Bakugo suddenly said, disrupting the flow that the class had.
"I'm gonna say that's too violent." Kayama denied, causing Bakugo to grit his teeth.
"What are you talking about?!" He yelled.
"What about Ground Zero?" Bulla suggested, causing Bakugo to look over. "The center of an explosion. Encompasses you pretty perfectly."
With a violent smile, Bakugo rewrote the text on his board. "Yeah, I like that. I'm Ground Zero!"
"Much better!" Kayama dictated as Bakugo went back to his seat.
"This is the name I thought of... Uravity." Uraraka presented, continuing the class's flow.
"To be honest, this is flying by much faster than I thought it would. The only name we're waiting on is Iida. Oh, and Midoriya and Brief." With defeat washing over him, Iida presented his board, revealing the word 'Iida' on the front. "Your name, too?" She said before sending him to his seat. "Midoriya, have you thought of something yet?"
"Oh, yes." He said as he got up, approaching the podium and presenting his name.
"Are you sure?" Kaminari asked. "Don't forget, that could be your name forever."
"Right... I used to hate it, but then something changed. I guess...someone taught me that it could have a different meaning, and that had a huge impact on how I felt. So now I really like it. Deku. That has to be my hero name."
"Alright, Bulla, are you ready?"
The kind of hero I want to be... Suddenly, Bulla thought back to her father's final words. With a few penstrokes, she got up and made her way to the front. "Yes, Ma'am." That's right... How could it have slipped my mind?
"That name's quite unexpected, given your Quirk." Kayama told her.
"No, it's perfect. It's what my father wanted to name me, and I'm here because of his sacrifice. So I'll carry the name."
"Well, no matter what, I love it." Kayama praised..
"Yeah, that's who I'll be. The Space Hero: Eschalot." Bulla's smile conflicted with the single tear that rushed down her cheek.