Fey stayed in Hosu with Tenya for the whole night, only returning home the morning after. She had previously called her mother before leaving the festival to inform her that she wasn't going to be home until much later, that she had to go help someone deal with a family emergency. Her mother completely understood and waited patiently for her daughter to return so that they could celebrate her success in the festival as a family. But despite her mother and brothers being so proud of how well she had performed, Fey couldn't help but think of Tenya and his family the whole while…
In the days after the Sports Festival ended, everyone recovered from their injuries and then normal classes started back up again. But some things weren't the same. Fey had been recognized on her way to school by a few passengers on the bus. Since she had such a unique appearance thanks to her quirk, she was very easy to pick out from a crowd. She had received praise from the many who recognized her from the festival. It felt surreal to her that so many people recognized her and cheered for her during the festival. It made her equal parts happy and anxious, because now she had an image to uphold, and she highly doubted that if they ever found out what she did for a living, their tunes would immediately change.
She hadn't spoken to Tenya since they had gone to the hospital together. She didn't want to push him too hard and wanted to give him the space he needed to process his emotions. She also didn't want to bother him while he was spending time with his family. On the morning that school started back up, it was raining and Fey had brought her umbrella to school. As she walked from the bus stop to the school, she could see someone running towards Midoriya from across the street. She watched as Tenya ran past him in a full-body raincoat and boots. She was surprised to see him at all, let alone in this get-up. She watched him run towards the school in a hurry, then followed the two towards the lockers, wringing her wet umbrella next to the racks while keeping an eye on the two boys.
"So Iida umm…" Midoriya started to speak, before being cut off by Tenya.
"If it's about my brother, don't be concerned," Tenya reassured him in a calm voice. "I'm sorry if I made you worry. Everything will be fine." he continued, looking back at Midoriya as he finished removing his rain gear.
He seemed completely normal, almost serene when he looked at Izuku, but Fey could see through his mask. Unlike Midoriya, she had seen what had happened to Tensei, the extent of his injuries. She sighed deeply and put her umbrella away before changing her shoes. Once Tenya had left for class, Midoriya walked up to Fey to come talk to her.
"Hey Fey?" he said as he approached. "Is it true that everything's going to be fine for Ingenium?"
Fey had a feeling that he would come and ask her. Midoriya was, after all, Tenya's friend and it was only natural for him to worry about him. Also, he had probably sensed that Iida was probably hiding information about his brother from him. She exhaled once again, shutting her locker before turning towards Izuku.
"Look, I don't want to pry into Tenya's business," she started to explain. "... but it's not looking good at all for his brother. Tenya's keeping a brave face on right now because he doesn't want to worry anyone, but he's going to need us to support him in the coming days. I somewhat know what he's going through right now and it's… it's going to be really hard for him."
Izuku stared at her in shock. He was disappointed to learn that his assumptions about Iida had been correct, but at the same time, he was relieved to have news from Fey. He nodded in agreement and they both marched to class together.
The class was all abuzz about how they had all been recognized by people on the street. Their class had made quite the impression during the Sports Festival and people were absolutely in love with them. As everyone excitedly told each other their first celebrity story, Fey and Midoriya went to their places. Fey stared out the window, contemplating the rain absentmindedly. She didn't know how she was supposed to act around Tenya anymore. She wanted to help him, be supportive, but at the same time, they were only friends and she didn't want to overstep. She had already overstepped a bit when she had gone to the hospital with him. She could tell that his mother had been confused by her being there when she had arrived. Maybe she was making too much of a fuss over him. He was technically an adult and he probably had the support of his parents. Maybe she didn't need to worry about him that much after all…
A few minutes after she had arrived in class, Mr. Aizawa stepped into the homeroom. The class greeted him and Asui pointed out that he was no longer wearing any bandages anymore. He did however still have a gash healing under his right eye, but he seemed to have mostly recovered from his injuries.
"We have a big class today," he announced. "...on Hero Informatics."
The class seemed to tense up. They had been so preoccupied these past few days with the festival that they hadn't studied anything in a while. Fey held her breath as she waited for Mr. Aizawa's verdict.
"... You're going to need hero names," he finally answered in a flat tone.
The whole class erupted as everyone enthused about what names they would pick out for themselves. Fey smiled at seeing everyone so pumped up. Aizawa growled and as his hair started to levitate. He glared and the class and everyone calmed down immediately.
"This is related to the pro-hero draft picks that I had mentioned the last time we were in class together," he continued. "Normally first year students don't have to worry about the draft, not until their second or third year, but your class is different… In fact, by extending offers to first years like you, pros are essentially investing in your potentiel. Offers can be rescinded though if their interest in you dies down before graduation…"
"So what you're saying is that we'll still need to prove ourselves once we're recruited?" Hagakure asked.
"Correct… now here are the totals for those of you who got offers."
He pressed a button on his remote control and a screen appeared over the blackboard, showing the names of the students that had received offers and the number of offers they each received. Fey was surprised to find that not only was her name up there, but she had also received a total of 16 offers from different agencies. It was miles away from what Todoroki and Bakugou had gotten, but it was still a lot more than what she had initially anticipated.
"In past years, it's been more spread out," Aizawa clarified. "But there's a pretty big gap this time."
Everyone seemed surprised at the fact that Todoroki had received more offers than Bakugou, even though he was the winner of the festival. It made Fey sick to her stomach to know that he had won the festival in the end, but she couldn't dwell on it. She had more important things to worry about now.
Midoriya hadn't received any offers, which surprised Fey even more. She had thought that for sure he would have gotten at least one, even though he couldn't fully control his quirk yet. He had shown incredible dedication and resilience during the festival and Fey could only admire him for it. She heard Mineta comment on the fact that he hadn't received any offers and turned towards Midoriya to try and cheer him up.
"Don't worry Deku," she said, smiling. "I'm sure more will come in soon."
She gave a thumbs up and Midoriya forced himself to smile. Meanwhile, Uraraka was holding Tenya by the shoulders, rocking him back and forth vigorously while looking at the screen.
"People want us!" she exclaimed excitedly. Tenya was trying not to get whip-lashed by Ochaco's rocking.
Fey laughed at them from afar, almost forgetting about the fact that Tenya was still grieving for his brother.
"Despite these results," Aizawa continued. "You'll all be interning with pros, got it?"
"Oh so we'll all be interning?" Midoriya asked in a surprised tone.
"Yes… Most of you have already experienced combat with villains during the U.S.J. Incident, but it'll still be helpful to see pros at work, up close and personal, in the field, first-hand…"
"And for that we need hero names!" Rikido declared enthusiastically.
"Things are suddenly starting to get a lot more fun!" Ochaco added energetically.
"These hero names will likely be temporary," Aizawa proceeded. "But take them seriously or-"
"You'll have hell to pay later!"
Suddenly, the door slid open and Midnight entered the classroom. Most of the boys seemed to swoon as she entered the space, waving her tassel around as she stood next to Aizawa.
"What you pick today could be your code name for life," she explained. "You'd best be careful or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent."
"Yeah, she's got a good point," Aizawa admitted. "Midnight's going to have final approval of your names… It's not my forte." he added as he grabbed his sleeping bag. "The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of hero you want to be in the future. A code name tells people exactly what you represent."
And with that said, he left Midnight in charge of his class and snuggled up into his sleeping bag to rest. Midnight passed some dry-erase markers and some boards to the students. Fey looked at the empty whiteboard she had been handed and tried to think about what kind of name she wanted to give herself. She knew that one day, she would have to choose a hero name, but she hadn't anticipated needing one so early in her career. She looked around to try and glance at what her fellow classmates were coming up with. Finally, Midnight called for her first volunteer and Fey froze up. She hadn't even started coming up with names yet.
Of course, Aoyama was the first to present his hero name. Fey thought he had really missed the mark by not going by the name "Navel Knight" but oh well… Then it was Mina's turn. Fey really liked her first idea, as it referenced one of her favorite horror movies but apparently, Midnight wasn't a fan and had her change it. Then it was Asui's turn, who chose the name "Froppy" for her hero name. Everyone seemed to like the name, including Midnight and Fey, and the class cheered her name in agreement.
As everyone handed in their hero names, Fey could feel the pressure mounting. She had to come up with something clever, something that embodied her identity. She tried combining words together to form new ones, but wasn't getting any satisfying results. As she looked around, desperately trying to find inspiration, she noticed Tenya staring at his empty whiteboard as well. He seemed to have as much trouble as she did coming up with his hero name. She could have sworn she saw him start to write something, but he immediately erased it after two seconds. Ultimately, he ended up writing his own name just as Todoroki did, but she wondered what he had initially written.
Mina was ultimately the one who would inspire her with her new hero name. Fey had realized that she had been complicating things for herself and wrote her code name on her board. She then took a deep breath and got up from her chair. She walked up to the front of the class, slightly shaking. Her classmates looked at her with interest, wondering what she had come up with. Once she turned her board towards her classmates, they were all unsurprised by what she had picked.
"My hero name: Hummingbird," she declared proudly.
"Making those looks work for you as well I see," Midnight mused. "Excellent choice!"
She returned the board and the marker to Midnight before returning to her seat. She thought that her code name had a nice ring to it and it perfectly represented her capabilities as a hero. Mina high-fived her as she returned to her seat, congratulating her on picking her name.
Once everyone had picked out a name, Aizawa woke up from his short nap and returned to the front of the class. He took out a stack of paper from behind his podium, placing it in front of him.
"We can go back to talking about your internships," he declared. "They'll last for one week. As for who you'll be working with, those of you who were on the board will choose from among your offers. Everyone else will have a different list. You have a lot to think about… Think carefully before you decide."
He handed in their application forms right as the bell for lunch was ringing. Once everyone had their form, he dismissed the class and left with Midnight carrying his sleeping bag. Fey consulted her list of offers and searched them on her phone. Since she wasn't familiar with most of the heroes in Japan, she needed to research their agencies first before deciding on who she was going to pick.
"Hey Deku?" Fey called for him. "You're very knowledgeable when it comes to heroes and agencies… Would you mind telling me about the ones that are on my list?"
"Oh sure Fey! Let's see who you've got!" he answered cheerfully.
They both went over her list together. Izuku was surprised at how many good agencies she had been solicited by. Fey couldn't tell from just looking at the names, which is why she had asked Midoriya for his help and expertise on the subject.
"Wait, you got offered an internship from the hero Hawks?!" he exclaimed in a shocked tone. "This is amazing, Fey! His agency could be really great for you!"
"God, I feel so bad for not knowing who all these people are…" Fey replied shamefully. "Remind me who exactly this guy is?"
"Hawks is the No. 3 pro hero on the pro hero chart in Japan! Surely you've seen him on TV."
"Is he the guy with the red wings and the goggles?"
"Yes, that's him! I think he'd be a really good match for you, Fey! Seeing as your quirk also revolves around flying."
"You might be right…"
Fey thought about it as she searched for him on her phone. Never would she have guessed that the No. 3 pro hero would have shown any kind of interest in her, but after hearing all that Midoriya had about him, it made more sense to her now. She ended up writing her application for Hawks' agency, choosing to go with Deku's recommendation. Plus, working under such an accomplished hero could only be beneficial for her future prospects.
"Hey Fey!" greeted Ochaco as she walked towards her desk. "Have you decided on your internship yet?"
"Yep!" Fey answered enthusiastically. "After looking things over with Deku, I decided on applying for an internship at Hawks' agency."
"No way! I think Fumikage's also applying for there!"
Fey looked over towards Tokoyami's desk. He had overheard their conversation and had turned his attention towards the two girls. He bowed his head towards Fey.
"It would seem like we will be conducting our internships together," he said solemnly.
"It would seem so!" Fey answered cheerfully. "I'm looking forward to us working together, Tokoyami."
He nodded in agreement before standing up and grabbing his things to go eat lunch with his friends.
"Who are you going with, Ochaco?" Fey inquired.
"I've decided on doing my internship at Gunhead's agency!" she announced excitedly.
Midoriya seemed surprised. "But Gunhead's a big brawler though. Are you sure that's where you want to intern, Uraraka?"
"Yep! He sent me an offer!"
"Woah good job Ochaco!" Fey congratulated her.
"Really? But I thought you wanted to be a hero more like Thirteen, more into rescuing than fighting," Midoriya stated.
"Ultimately, that's the plan," explained Uraraka. " But I've been thinking, ever since the festival, well at least since I faced off against Bakugou…" She struck a heroic pose. "The stronger I am, the more possibilities I'll have! Plus, learning from a battle hero will give me a different perspective!... Right?"
"Yeah totally." Midoriya stared at her in awe.
"Alright Ochaco! You get'em girl!" Fey mused cheerfully.
As she started to laugh with Ochaco, Fey noticed Iida sitting at his desk. He had this incredibly serious look on his face while he filled out his form. She decided not to disturb him while he was writing out his form and went to eat lunch with Uraraka and Midoriya.
At the end of the day, once their classes were done, Ochaco hopped over to Midoriya and Fey's desks so that they could walk home together. She was about to ask Iida to join them when she noticed that he had already left the class.
"He's probably already decided on which internship he'll apply for," Midoriya surmised. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was turning in his form right now."
Fey had also previously turned in her forms during lunch time. She thought about Tenya and his brother and her eyes lowered to the ground. The next day, she and her friends learned that he had applied for an internship with the Normal hero Manual in Hosu City. She figured that he must have chosen the agency in Hosu in order to visit his brother at the hospital while he was interning. On the day everyone was going to leave for their internship, they all met at the train station with their hero costumes in hand. Fey would be traveling with Fumikage to Hawks' agency, while Tenya and Ochaco would be interning in their agencies. Fey wasn't sure which agency Midoriya had picked in the end, but she knew he had probably chosen something good for his quirk.
Once they had the "go-ahead" from their teacher, they all started to make their way towards their respective train station. Fey asked Tokoyami to wait for her a bit while she went after Tenya with Midoriya and Ochaco.
"Iida, wait!" Izuku called out to him.
He stopped in his tracks, not looking back at the three of them.
"Hey if you ever want to talk or anything, just let us know okay?" Midoriya said as Ochaco nodded. "We're friends, right?"
There was a long pause before Tenya slowly turned towards them. He had a calm smile on his face and simply replied "Yes" before turning away again. There was something off about his smile that made Fey uncomfortable, but she couldn't explain how or why. She also couldn't just let him leave without saying anything to him, so she ran after him and grabbed him by the hand.
"Tenya wait!"
She pulled him towards her. Now that he was looking at her, it's like all of her words had just disappeared from her brain. She looked away shyly, pulling at the feathers in the back of her neck with her free hand. She needed to say something, do something, anything, before they both left for their internships. After debating with herself for a few more seconds, she eventually caved in and threw herself at his, hovering a few inches from the ground as she kissed him. Midoriya and Ochaco stared at them with surprised expressions on their faces. Iida was also surprised by this impromptu kiss and stared in shock as she pulled away from him, her cheek lightly colored.
"Good luck on your internship," she finally said to him. "I'll see you in a week."
She landed softly on the ground, letting go of his hand as she backed away. Tenya smiled at her serenely, wishing her good luck as well before making his way towards his station. Fey couldn't help but feel like something was off, but she couldn't explain what it was, so she pushed the thought aside, blaming it on her nerves as she turned back towards her friends. She wished them luck on their internships, then returned to Tokoyami who had been waiting for her a few meters from where they were. He had witnessed their exchange, but decided not to ask her about it since she seemed uncomfortable. They both entered the train in silence, gazing out through the window as they left for Hawks' agency together.
