A/N: Sorry I'm a day late on this, guys. I honestly have no excuse other than I forgot until this morning. I must be getting slow in my old age...

Kurai: You're in your mid-twenties, don't even try to pull that card.

Mataras: Hey! Get out of here! Omake's not until after the chapter is done! Shoo!

Phase 1: Chapter 17

I Am…

Kurai breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh smell of the wind and ocean spray as the warm rays of the late morning sun touched on his face. He was dressed for a full day at the beach, with his blue-and-orange Dragon Ball swim trunks and a black tank top, a Shenron towel in hand, and a bag full of his favorite snacks and drinks on the other arm. In front of him lay Dagobah Municipal Beach, clear of trash, and yet to be sought out by anyone else from the local populace.

"Are you kidding me?"

Kurai turned around to see Mina and Uraraka standing together, both of them looking as though they were trying not to laugh, apparently the first ones to arrive after him. Both of them were dressed in shirts that were way too big for them, presumably to shield their skin from the sun until they were ready to get in the water. Mina wore a big hat on her head, but Uraraka's hair was simply let loose. Between the two of them, lying on the sand, was a large duffel bag and a beach ball.

The young man glanced down at himself, then back at the two girls before he said, "Don't hate." Both of his classmates burst into peals of laughter, much to his chagrin.

Shrugging helplessly, Kurai padded over to the pair in his flip-flops before he set down his things and asked, "Is it really that funny?"

"You and Midoriya, man!" Mina giggled. "Five hundred yen says that he shows up in All Might swimmers!"

"No way, he'd be way too embarrassed," Kurai told her. "You're on, Ashido."

"Whoa now," the pink-skinned girl said as she grinned cheekily at her boyfriend. "You, gambling? Who are you, and what have you done with Kurai?"

"I just won the Sport's Festival," he replied with a slight grin. "Maybe I'm feeling a little more confident in general."

"Oh yeah?" Mina said with a smile that Kurai recognized as dangerous. "If you're feeling so confident, then let's see your guns." Both Kurai and Uraraka went scarlet while their classmate kept her smile fixed in place. "Come on, don't be shy."

"Well, now I am!" he sputtered.

"Pfft, you were gonna have to lose that shirt when you got in the water anyway," she replied casually. "C'mon, you've got nothing to be embarrassed about! Other than Todoroki, you might just be the most ripped guy in our class! I wanna see!"

"W-Well, clearly you haven't seen Midoriya during training," Kurai replied lamely. "Pretty sure he's in better shape than I am."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure Uraraka has dibs on ogling Midoriya once he gets out here," Mina said offhandedly, ignoring her friend's sputtering protests as she turned beet red. "C'mon, the sun's out, so get those guns out!"

"…I am going to die of embarrassment," Kurai said blankly as Mina continued to eye him like a prized jewel while Uraraka found a sudden interest in the sand between her toes. "Seriously, my sense of shame is going to kill me way before a villain does."

Before Mina could berate him again, the trio heard a familiar voice calling to them. "Hey!" Kirishima called as he approached with Kaminari, Tokoyami, and Ojiro in tow. "What's up, guys?!"

Kurai breathed a huge sigh of relief as he turned to face his friends with a wave and the words, "We just got here a few minutes ago! Glad to see you all could make it!" Mina gave him a pouting face at having been thwarted- at least, temporarily- that he chose to ignore.

By now the other boys had gotten close enough that they didn't need to shout to be heard over the sounds of the waves on the beach. "Ready for some serious beach partying?" Kaminari asked with a grin as he gave his classmates a double-thumbs-up.

"I know I need a fun day after all that stress from the Sport's Festival," Ojiro said with a slight grimace. "Plus, it's been a long time since I went to a beach at all. This is gonna be a perfect way to chill out before we get back to school."

"I was under the impression that there would be more of us in attendance," Tokoyami said as he glanced around at the mostly-empty beach. "Or are we simply early?"

"Well, we said it was an all-day kinda thing, so I dunno when everyone else is gonna get here," Mina shrugged. "I'm sure we can start having fun in the meantime, though! Did'ja bring the volleyball, Eijiro?"

"You know it!" Kirishima grinned fiercely as he held up a blue-and-white rubber sphere. "Sucks that we can't use our quirks out in public, but I bet we can still have a pretty epic match!"

"Oh yeah," Kaminari said as he frowned slightly. "I almost forgot about that. Since we get to use our quirks around each other so much, it totally slipped my brain that super powers aren't allowed without a license."

"Be glad Jiro didn't hear that, or she'd have something to say about it," Kurai snickered, causing Kaminari to turn toward him with a pained look.

Still, he did seem to agree, saying, "Probably."

The group quickly laid down a few towels for those that wanted to lie down safely on the rapidly-heating sand while Kirishima and Ojiro set up a net for a volleyball match. While they were doing that, Asui and Hagakure arrived, followed by Aoyama, Shoji, Sero, Sato, and Koda. Last to show were Midoriya and Jiro, who arrived from opposite directions, the green-haired student apologizing for his lateness while Jiro simply laid down a towel next to Hagakure and started talking to her in lowered tones.

Unfortunately for Kurai, Midoriya did show up in a set of All Might swim trunks, so Mina reminded him that he owed her five hundred yen. Making a face at her, he moved to greet his classmate with open arms.

"Glad to see you here," Kurai said as he finished shaking hands with his friend. "Did Iida tell you what's happening with his brother?"

"No, I haven't heard from him at all," Midoriya said worriedly. "Did he call you?"

"Yeah, but the news was pretty mixed," Kurai admitted as he led Izuku a few paces away from the others. Already Kirishima and Sato were organizing a volleyball game with two opposing teams.

Once they were far enough away to speak privately in lowered tones, he said, "He called me yesterday afternoon. Tensei is going to live, but he's retiring as Ingenium due to spinal injuries that rendered his legs useless."

Midoriya's face twisted with despair and shock as he said, "That's awful… How is Iida handling it?"

"I didn't get to talk with him for very long, but I can only imagine what this is doing to him- what it's going to do to him," Kurai admitted grimly. "You know Tenya- he idolizes Tensei, wants to be just like him in every way. For his role model to be shattered like this… I just hope that he can continue to focus on his efforts to become like Ingenium, despite these horrible circumstances."

"They didn't catch the guy that did it, huh?" Midoriya guessed, to which Kurai nodded glumly.

"The Hero-Killer, Stain," he said as he tightened his fist in reflexive anger. "I assume you know what the media says about him?"

"Yeah, but most of it is just rumors, nothing solid," his friend replied. "He's killed over a dozen pros, and maimed more than twice as many, all without getting caught, and protecting his civilian identity."

"Yeah, Dad won't talk to me about it, but I'm sure he's nervous about what'll happen if this guy decides to set his sights on Musutafu," Kurai sighed heavily. "Worries me, too. Then again, this is All Might's stomping grounds, now. I have a hard time believing that even somebody as crazy as Stain would try to tangle with All Might on purpose."

"True, but so much about the Hero Killer is unknown that it's basically impossible to tell where he'll strike next, or which heroes he prefers to target," Izuku muttered. "Although the authorities did notice that whichever city he visits always sports at least four victims before he moves on, and since Ingenium is the second hero to be attacked in Hosu, we'll likely see at least two more reports like this one, unfortunate as it-"

"Midoriya, chill," Kurai interjected, causing his friend to pause and look at him blankly. "It's not like we're in a position to do anything about this, much as it frustrates me. The truth is that we aren't licensed heroes yet, and even if we were, we can't go around in pursuit of revenge, you know? Real heroes don't stop criminals for personal reasons. They only take them down because they have the responsibility to protect those that can't protect themselves."

"Oh, right!" Izuku stammered. "Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say that we should go after the guy! It's just a force of habit, over-analyzing everything that I can about major villains and heroes."

"Hey, it's a habit that took you pretty far in the Sport's Festival," Kurai admitted. "Now, what do you say we try to put aside our troubles for a day and relax like normal kids that don't have to worry about Villain Leagues and all that?"

"Sounds plus-ultra to me," Midoriya said with a slightly forced laugh.

The class soon found itself divided in two teams on different sides of the net. Kirishima was the captain of the first team, which consisted of Aoyama, Uraraka, Asui, Ojiro, Hagakure, and Sero. Sato led the team with Midoriya, Jiro, Mina, Kaminari, Tokoyami, and Kurai. Koda more or less declined to play, so due to the uneven number of people participating, Shoji offered to be the referee for the match. Since he could monitor things more eyes and ears than anyone else, the others agreed to the idea.

Once the teams had been selected, the classmates ditched their extra clothing, knowing that the heat would become unbearable if they got moving in the hot sand. Kurai's face reddened as he heard Mina whistling and laughing while his back was turned, but he went ahead and removed his shirt anyway.

Beneath the tank top, he was well-muscled for a fifteen-year-old, though he knew his physique was nothing when he was compared to people like Iida and Shoji. There was some patchy scarring on his back, a result of being thrown through a sculpture by Nomu earlier that semester, but not so much so that it made him appear unattractive. Looking around, he felt a little less self-conscious when he noticed that all of his classmates were already tossing aside their shirts in preparation of the game.

He full-stopped when he saw Mina, though. Asui and Jiro were wearing one-piece swimsuits, nothing to turn a guy's head. And even though Hagakure and Uraraka were sporting bikinis, they did nothing to hold his attention like his girlfriend. She wore a two-piece sky blue swimsuit with frills that highlighted all of her curves, and the way that she walked in it told him that she well knew it was going to grab his attention.

When his eyes snapped up to meet her caramel ones, she gave him a sly smile and a slow wink. Like what you see? She seemed to be asking him.

There was only one thing he could do at that point.

"Why'd you do that?" Sato asked as he held the ball in preparation to serve it.

"I'm a little sensitive to the heat, so I needed to cool off," Kurai muttered as he flung salt water out of his hair. His body was still dripping with the stuff, but he knew it would evaporate soon enough in the heat of the sun. "I'm good now, though. Let's do this."

He cast an exasperated glance at Mina, who affected to look innocent in that moment.

"You're goin' down, Deku!" Uraraka grinned as she took a ready stance in the sand. "You too, Hikari!"

"In your dreams!" Kaminari shot back with a smile of his own. "We've got this year's champ on our team!"

"Remember, no quirks," Shoji told them. "That means you too, Ojiro, Asui."

"I told you guys to call me Su!"

"Sorry about that," Mina said as she sat next to Kurai on the towel that he had brought along. "You know, earlier."

The class had just finished playing a third volleyball match and most of the players had felt that a break was in order by this time. Kurai was drinking a small orange soda from his bag, and as Mina came to join him, he pulled out another one to offer to her.

"It's all right," he replied with a sheepish smile. "I honestly should have expected it. And…" His face reddened as he admitted in a lowered tone, "I can't say it wasn't a nice surprise."

She grinned brightly at him as she accepted the drink, leaning sideways just enough to nudge his shoulder with her own before straightening up and saying, "I'm glad you're enjoying the beach, then. Maybe when summer vacation starts up, we can come back here, just the two of us?"

"Sure," he answered after a moment of consideration. "That sounds like a good time. But before all that, I did wanna let you know that I have a surprise for when it's time to go home this evening."

"You, planning a surprise for me?" she asked with exaggerated surprise. "Someone help, I think my boyfriend has heat stroke! He's acting super weird!"

"Ouch," he said as he stood up before finishing off his mini-soda. "Here I was getting ready to 'drown' so you'd have to perform CPR, but oh well."

"Haha- Wait, what?!" she yelped, just before he took off running, his laughter following him into the water. She watched him with wide eyes as he crashed into the waves alongside Kirishima and Midoriya, who had broken out the beach ball with Uraraka and Hagakure. "He's learning how to play this game a lot faster than I thought he would," she said with a cheery grin.

The group wound up spending the full day at the beach, alternating between splashing about in the water, trying to crush each other at volleyball, and working a barbeque. Kurai could honestly not recall the last time that he spent so long smiling and playing, like a normal kid. His only regret was that Iida was not there to spend it with them.

As it turned out, Sato was great at making food, something he claimed was necessary since his quirk allowed him to power up whenever he ate sugar. However, it also seemed that he was very talented when it came to handling a grill, so the group ate well for lunch.

At around four o' clock, the party was joined by a somewhat unexpected guest. "Hello, Hikari," Todoroki said as he approached his opponent from the final round of the tournament, a backpack slung over his shoulder. "I suppose I'm a bit late, aren't I?"

"Not at all," Kurai said with a friendly smile as he shook hands with his classmate. "We're gonna be here for another few hours- some of the others wanted to make s'mores after it gets dark."

"I see," the heterochromic boy said. "I can help with the fire when it comes time, then."

The remark surprised Kurai, so while Todoroki set his things down, he asked, "That won't bother you?"

"No," the other boy answered simply.

"Well… good for you, then," Kurai said awkwardly.

Glancing up at his classmate, Todoroki straightened himself and asked, "How is Iida? I saw what happened to his brother on the news."

Kurai winced and replied, "He's taking it pretty hard, from what I can tell. We didn't talk for long when he did call me."

"I see," Todoroki said again, a faraway look in his eyes. "Ingenium was a good hero. He deserved better than to be brought down by scum like the Hero Killer."

"Yeah," Kurai said glumly, his smile completely gone now.

Seeing it, Todoroki shook himself and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring down the mood. What is everyone else doing right now?"

Glad that the subject was changing, Kurai pointed at Kirishima and Kaminari, who were digging in the sand at a rapid pace. "Those two think that they can dig deep enough under the sand to make a bridge that won't collapse when one of them walks on it. Everyone else is either still splashing around, or waiting for them to fail."

Todoroki smiled slightly and said, "I think I'll go for a swim, then."

"…Hey, Todoroki?" Kurai asked as they began to walk towards the water together.

"Yes?"

"Would you care to join Midoriya and me for some of our workouts from time to time?" he offered. "We both find it easier to be motivated whenever you have someone pushing you on, instead of just going at it alone."

Todoroki seemed to ponder this for a moment, but then he replied, "I'll let you know if I can make it later this week."

"Awesome," Kurai said with a large grin.

The moon was well into the sky by the time the fire was put out, and everyone started going their separate ways. Kurai noticed that Todoroki was still silent most of the time, but he didn't leave early, which he took as a sign that he was genuinely trying to become more familiar with his classmates. Midoriya, of course, tried to make him feel more welcome, but only partially succeeded.

It was while everyone was walking off the beach that Kurai walked over to Mina, put his hand in hers', and said, "C'mon. I'll take you home."

"You're gonna ride the bus all the way to the other side of town, and then back to your place?" she laughed as Uraraka and Jiro waved goodbye to the couple. "That's very sweet of you, but you don't have to do that."

"Who said anything about taking the bus?" he asked with a grin as he led her over to the parking lot, where there was solitary vehicle, waiting for use.

Seeing it, Mina stopped in place and let a huge grin split her face as she said, "No friggin' way."

"Yes way," Kurai said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a heavy leather jacket and helmet with a visor. "You'll need these."

"Awesome!" Mina laughed as she took the gear and walked over to an orange motorcycle with blue highlights. "Best boyfriend ever!"

The bike was a Kawasaki Ninja model, and it was clear from the paint job and overall condition of the thing that Kurai had put a lot of work and care into it. There was a small rear seat and detachable compartments on either side of the main seat, which Kurai put his and Mina's belongings in, after taking out his own helmet and jacket.

Slipping the protective gear onto his head, he asked, "Ready for one last bit of fun before you have to go home?"

"Heck yeah!" the girl said excitedly as she started to get her own helmet in place, surprised to find that there were already holes for her horns to go through. "Man, you didn't miss a trick," she giggled after she tightened the strap under her chin and started putting on the jacket. "Did you modify this helmet yourself?"

"Nah," he replied as he sat down in the main seat. "I was originally gonna lend you Akarui's since your head is a little smaller than mine, but I realized I couldn't modify it without compromising the integrity of the helmet. So I just went and bought you one."

Mina paused, surprised. "Wait, aren't these things supposed to be super expensive if you buy one with a quirk mod?" she asked.

He shrugged nonchalantly and answered, "Well, I figured that this wouldn't be the only time you'd wanna take my bike out for a spin, so I decided it was a worthwhile investment."

Heat flooded her cheeks as she realized what he was saying- that he was willing to plan things out for the long haul. Man, he's cute, she thought as she settled into the passenger seat, wrapping her arms around him, and suddenly getting a reminder of how ripped he actually was, even through the heavy jacket. Damn, he's hot.

"You're gonna have to hold on tight, cos there's not a lot of room back there," he warned her as he put the keys in the ignition.

"No complaints there," she laughed, right before he turned the ignition, and the engine roared to life.

"Great!" Mina was surprised to hear Kurai's voice coming into her ears clearly, despite the noise from the engine. He must have registered her interest, because he then added, "Akarui made a couple of modifications, himself. These helmets are equipped with radios that let us talk to each other, even with all the ruckus."

"Sweetness," she grinned. "You'll have to tell him I said 'thanks."

"Will do," he laughed. "Now, let's move it!" He kicked up the break stand, revved up the engine, and much faster than Mina would have ever expected him to, gunned out of the parking lot onto the road.

"Whoa!" she yelped, squeezing him tighter around the chest.

That was okay, though. Kurai didn't object one bit to her closeness as he raced around the perimeter of the night city, his normally reclusive nature forgotten in the thrill of the uncrowded road. He had decided earlier to take the roundabout path to her home, as to enjoy the evening sights for just a little longer.

As he sped across the outskirts of his home city, he thought, I love my school, I've made some great friends, and to top it off, I've got a really awesome girlfriend. I don't see how my life could get any better than this.

Wow, I was wrong.

He felt like his head was going to explode as Mina's lips disconnected from his, and she stepped back a pace on her front porch, her cheeks colored lilac. "Thanks for everything today," she said meekly, which was very out of character for her, especially given that she had started it. "I had a really good time."

"M-Me too," he said a little unsteadily, his own face flushing. "I… There was something I was gonna ask you, but now I'm having a really hard time remembering."

The kiss hadn't been very soft or magical like the movies made it seem it would be- in fact, he'd felt pretty awkward during the few seconds that it lasted. Even so, it wasn't something he was going to forget in a hurry, and he had definitely enjoyed himself after the initial shock.

"Well, if the first one scrambled your brain, maybe another one'll get it started up again," she said as she leaned toward him.

Of course, as bad luck would have it, that's when he remembered the matter he had been trying to recall. "Wait a sec, I've got it!" he as he reached into his jacket pocket. He noticed that Mina was now looking annoyed with him, so he held out the ticket that he'd been saving. "Here you go."

"What is this?" she asked as she took it from him, the frown on her face changing from irritated to curious. "A plane ticket?"

"To I-island," he confirmed. "They're having an expo for all the newest hero support inventions right after school gets out for summer break. My family got offered tickets to the pre-show, but my Mom and Dad can't make it. Since it's all-expenses paid, Akarui and I were going to go, and I asked them for permission to take you with us- they said yes."

He didn't have to explain what the I-island was to her. Everyone knew that just as U.A. turned out the top heroes, I-island produced the greatest scientists in the world for creating support items and studying quirks in general. It was incredibly difficult to even visit the place, so the fact that the Hogo-sha's had been invited was a very big deal.

"For real?!" Ashido squealed excitedly, her irritation completely forgotten.

"Yeah," he chuckled, glad that his idea had worked. "I take it that means you want to come with?"

"I think I'd have to be crazy not to take you up on that!" she laughed as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," he replied as he returned the hug. "I actually heard some of the others talking about Yaoyorozu getting extra tickets for the pre-show, so we'll be able to meet up once we're all there."

"Sweet!" Mina exclaimed. "Group trip! This is gonna be so awesome!"

"Yeah, as long as I don't kill Akarui by the end of it," Kurai laughed again as they pulled apart.

"Why would you do that?"

"You and me are gonna be going on a trip. Together," he pointed out wryly. "He's my younger brother- it's in his job description to make fun of me at every opportunity he has in situations like this."

"Oh," Mina giggled as she put her arms around his neck and moved her face closer to his. "Well, I think I know what'll make you feel better."

Kurai was still smiling when he walked up to the entrance of his school the next day. Even the incessant rain and reporters gathered outside his house when he left hadn't managed to irritate him- and the fact that he had been able to shut them all down with an E.M.P. burst didn't hurt things, either. Man, I'm glad Yaoyorozu never asked for this thing back, he had thought as he pocketed the device from his first day of combat training.

They had all been trying to get an interview with the boy that had won the Sport's Festival- in a controversial manner, no less- but he had refused to go on the record thus far. He didn't feel like dragging Todoroki's name through the mud, and he definitely didn't care to have the media picking apart and micro analyzing everything that he said.

He met up with Midoriya at Tatooin Station and rode the train with him toward their school. Of course, people recognized them from the Sport's Festival, and so there was some crowding and well-wishes from their fellow passengers, which made both of the boys uncomfortable, though they tried not to show it.

When that was finally done, they put up their umbrellas and walked the rest of the way to school. "Kinda weird being recognized by people that you don't know," Midoriya said as they passed through the gates.

"I'm just glad that they aren't trying to get a quote off of me to use against my dad," Kurai replied. "Not often that my family receives positive attention from the public."

His friend looked like he was going to reply, but then they both heard a familiar voice coming up behind them. "Midoriya, Hikari!" The two of them turned around to see Iida running at full tilt toward them in a poncho. "Why are you walking so slow?! You'll be late!" Without even slowing down, he shot past them, leaving small splashes in his wake.

"The bell isn't for another five minutes!" Izuku protested while Kurai remained silent.

"U.A. students should always be ten minutes early!" Iida called back over his shoulder. "Hurry up!"

"Well, at least it seems like he's doing okay, right?" Midoriya said to Kurai, who was still being quiet. "Hikari?"

The other boy looked at his friend gravely and said, "He's not okay, Midoriya."

"W-What do you mean?"

"If he was fine, he would have stopped to lecture us about our slow pacing, not just run by and leave a passing remark," Kurai answered. "And he never calls me by my last name, not since we were younger."

"Well… maybe he's just in a hurry to get back to class," Midoriya chuckled nervously. "Other than Yaoyorozu, I don't know of anybody in our class that takes studying as seriously as he does."

"Trust me," Kurai said firmly, drawing a concerned look from his friend. "I've known the guy for years. He's not okay."

"It's so weird that people recognized us from TV," Mina said as she took her seat in the classroom, having just finished greeting Kurai with an energetic hug. "People kept wanting to talk to me on the way here!" The first bell had already rang, so the students were all just waiting on their teacher to arrive.

As Kurai made his way to his seat, he made sure to greet Uraraka and Todoroki, along with the other classmates that he had become friends with.

"Yeah, me too!" Kirishima said excitedly in response to Mina's declaration.

"People on the street were staring at me!" Hagakure said from her desk. "It was actually kind of embarrassing…"

"Isn't that the norm for you?" Ojiro inquired.

"You're not gonna believe what a bunch of elementary school brats yelled at me," Sero groaned as he sat down.

"Nice try?" Asui guessed, which set Sero to burying his face in his hands with a pitiful whimper.

"All it took was one festival, and we're basically celebrities," Kaminari said happily as he bumped fists with Mina. "This school rocks!"

Just then, the door slid open to reveal Aizawa, free of his bandages, though it appeared that he had been left with a crooked scar underneath his right eye, a result of Nomu's attempt to kill him. But he is alive, Kurai thought as he shut his eyes against those painful memories. And it looks like he should still be able to use his quirk.

His physical appearance saw to Asui saying, "Mister Aizawa! You look better now that your bandages are gone."

"The old lady went overboard in her treatment," the tired-looking man said as he walked in and shut the door behind him. As he took his place at the podium, he added, "That's not relevant. What matters is that today we'll be having an important session concerning Hero Informatics."

Kurai sighed heavily. I hate Informatics, he thought as he reached for his notebook and pencil. He wasn't bad at the subject- to the contrary, having been raised by a police officer, he was pretty familiar with laws concerning quirks. However, that didn't mean that he was inclined to like it.

He froze in place when he heard Aizawa say, "You all need code names- time to pick your hero identities."

The class' reaction was immediate and nearly unanimous. "This is gonna be awesome!" the majority of them cried.

A growl from Aizawa, as well his eyes glowing red, saw to them all being silenced immediately. Once they were quiet, he released his quirk and said, "This is related to the pro hero draft pick that I mentioned the last time we were in class. Normally, first-years like you wouldn't have to worry about the draft just yet, not until your second or even third year. But your class is different." He paused, as if wondering whether to tell them something, then continued, "The fact is that by extending offers to freshman like you, these pros are willing to invest in your potential. However, they can still rescind their offers at any point before graduation if they lose interest in you."

Harsh, but fair, Kurai thought. It was a big risk for pro agencies to invite students like them who were still just barely getting a handle on using their quirks for hero work. That didn't stop him from feeling excited at the prospect of getting to work with a pro hero.

"So we still have to prove ourselves, even after we've been recruited?" Hagakure asked.

"Correct," Aizawa said as he aimed a remote the board behind him. "Now, here are the totals for those of you that received offers." As he did, white kanji and numbers appeared on the board, each number corresponding with a student's name, which read:

Hikari: 3952

Todoroki: 3556

Midoriya: 840

Bakugo: 419

Iida: 360

Asui: 252

Yaoyorozu: 108

Kirishima: 78

Kaminari: 77

Uraraka: 20

Sero: 14

Needless to say, Kurai was stunned speechless. I knew there were a lot of hero agencies in Japan, but that many want me to sign on with them?! he thought with no small amount of wonder.

"Normally the draft is spread more evenly," Aizawa was saying. "But there's a pretty big gap this time."

"Gah!" Kaminari groaned as he leaned back over his chair. "That's not fair!"

"What about the real star, moi?" Aoyama complained, but nobody paid attention to him.

"Man, Todoroki and Hikari really have their pick of the bunch," Kirishima said with a trace of envy.

"Weird that even though Bakugo was one of the semi-finalists, he got only half as many offers as Midoriya," Jiro noted.

"They probably weren't too excited to work with the guy that had to be chained up at the end," Sero snickered.

Bakugo did not like that. "Those numbers gotta be wrong!" he seethed as he stood up in his chair. "Deku doesn't even compare to me!"

"There's no mistake, Bakugo," Aizawa said sternly. "Sit down." Grinding his teeth furiously while Midoriya fidgeted nervously in place, Katsuki sat.

Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki were speaking in lowered tones, with the former looking disappointed in herself for not having attracted more agencies. On the other side of the classroom, Uraraka was shaking Iida excitedly at the prospect of having been noticed by any agencies at all.

"Despite these results, you'll all be interning with pros, got it?" Aizawa told them. "Even those of you who didn't get any offers. You've all had experience in fighting villains during the USJ incident, but it will still be beneficial for you to see pros in action, up close and personal."

"And if we're gonna be out in the field, we need hero names!" Sato declared excitedly.

"Things just got way more exciting!" Uraraka said in agreement.

"These hero names will likely be temporary," Aizawa warned them. "But take them seriously, or else-"

"You'll have hell to pay later!" a new voice declared as the door was thrown open.

Dammit, why? Kurai groaned inwardly as Midnight stepped through the door, dressed in her hero costume.

"The name you pick today could well be your hero identity for life," the woman said as she waltzed into the room. "So think carefully, or else you may get stuck with something utterly indecent."

Must she? Kurai thought as he introduced his palm to his face.

"She makes a good point," Aizawa said as he reached for his sleeping bag. "Midnight will have the final approval for your hero names. It's not really my thing, so I'm going take a nap."

With a name like Eraserhead, that's not surprising, Kurai thought as the man moved to the side to slip into his bag.

However, it seemed that the man did have one last piece of advice. "Your hero name will reinforce your image and shows what kind of hero you want to be in the future," he told them. "A codename tells people exactly what you represent- take 'All Might' for example."

Midnight handed small whiteboards to the front row so that they could pass them back, along with dry erase markers. They were to write down their chosen name and hero identity before giving them to the teacher, apparently.

Good thing I already know who I'm gonna be, Kurai thought with a grin as he quickly penned his desired hero identity and the title that would go with it. He remembered how Uraraka had asked him if he'd ever thought of his superhero name before things got crazy at the USJ. Now he was ready to embrace his new identity.

After a few minutes had passed, and Aizawa was fast asleep, Midnight stirred from the spot she had taken and asked, "All right, class, who among you is ready to share?"

Wait, we're gonna be presenting this? Kurai thought, startled. Looking around, he noticed that most of his classmates looked just as nervous as he did.

Most, not all.

Aoyama went first, stepping up to the podium and declaring that he was the 'Shining Hero, I cannot stop twinkling.' Even after Midnight shortened it for him, Kurai was in disbelief. Does he not understand how much of a tool that makes him sound? He wondered.

Next to go was Mina, which Kurai was interested to hear. "I'm gonna be the Ridley Hero: Alien Queen," she declared, much to Midnight's horror.

"You mean like that horrible monster with the acid blood?!" she gaped. "I don't think so! Not unless you want to scare people!"

"Dang it…" Mina grumbled as she walked back to her seat.

Bummer, Kurai thought with a frown as his girlfriend sat down, looking dejected.

Next to go was Asui, who named herself as the Rainy Season Hero, 'Froppy.' It was well-received, not only by Midnight, but the rest of her class, who cheered for her new hero identity.

After her went Kirishima, who declared himself as the Sturdy Hero, 'Red Riot'. Midnight noted that he was paying homage to a second-generation hero, Crimson Riot, warning him that if he was going to do so, he would have that much more to live up to. However, Kirishima eagerly accepted the burden, as it were, saying that he would live up to the great name of his idol.

Jiro was going to be the 'Hearing Hero, Earphone Jack.'

Shoji would become the 'Tentacle Hero, Tentacole.'

Sero was the 'Taping Hero, Cellophane', which everyone had to admit was pretty spot-on.

The 'Martial Arts Hero, Tailman', was Ojiro's new name, while Sato became the 'Sweets Hero, Sugarman.'

Kaminari, despite Jiro's suggestions otherwise, decided that his hero identity would be 'Chargebolt,' the Stun Gun Hero.

The 'Invisible Girl' was claimed by Hagakure, who called herself the Stealth Hero, and Yaoyorozu became the 'Everything Hero, Creati.'

When it came time for Todoroki to present his hero name, he announced that he would simply go by his birth name, Shoto.

'Tsukoyumi', the Jet-Black Hero was Tokoyami. As it translated roughly to 'god of the night', his classmates all thought it fitting.

Koda was the Petting Hero, 'Anima.'

Bakugo's first pick, 'King Explosion Murder', was shut down pretty quickly by Midnight, on the grounds that it was too violent.

When it came time for Uraraka to present, it was with no small amount of nervousness that called herself 'Uravity', which Kurai thought was very catchy, much like Asui's chosen identity.

Kurai was a little surprised when Mina came over to his desk and said, "So… I got nothing, other than 'Pinky'. Think you could help me pick a new name?"

"Er, well…" he said in a low voice, not entirely sure of what he should say now. Since it was going to be her hero name, would it be right for him to have a say in such an important decision? On the other hand, the earnest look on her face made it difficult for him to refuse her.

With that in mind, he chanced upon a name that he hoped she would find favor with. "What do you think of 'Ashid'?" he asked apprehensively.

"Ashid?" she repeated, looking a little confused at first. "Wait, like my name, but take off the last letter to make it sound more like my quirk?"

"I mean, if you don't like it-"

"No, that's not it at all," she said with an impish grin. "It's kinda like how Ochaco's is a play on her name and quirk. Cute."

"Really?" he asked, hoping that she wasn't just pulling his leg.

"Really," she giggled. "Thanks, Kurai. Now I just need a title to go with it. That part, I can handle myself, though." With that, she retreated to her desk, leaving her boyfriend curious as to what she would pick for herself.

Bakugo now tried again, saying that he would be 'Lord Explosion Murder'. Once again, Midnight rejected the name, saying that it was too similar to his original title, and thus carrying the same violent overtones.

While the blond boy seethed in his chair, Mina stepped up to the podium once again, her confidence back in her bouncy gait. Setting her whiteboard on the wood with gusto, she announced, "Thanks to a suggestion from my best friend, I'm gonna call myself the Melting Heroine, 'Ashid Queen'."

"Now that's a name I can get behind," Midnight said approvingly. "With your looks and confidence, I think you're right to call yourself the queen, girl."

"Yes!" Mina said with an enthusiastic fist pump that preceded her return to her desk. Grinning at Kurai she jerked her head toward the podium.

Encouraged by her gesture and enthusiasm, it was at this point that Kurai stepped up to show his new name. Midnight quirked her brow at him as she said, "So, our number one first-year student. What did you decide on? Remember, people already have high expectations for you, given your knack for success."

"I'm well aware," Kurai nodded as he turned to face his classmates from the podium with his whiteboard in hand. As he lifted it up, he declared, "I am the Guardian Hero, Kai. In all times of life, good and bad, I will stand up for the people that need me."

"Very well done," Midnight said approvingly, much to his relief. "It's simple and easy to remember, plus it sounds close to your own name, which makes it easier to associate with you. I see that several of you have chosen this style, and I think it'll serve you well in your future careers."

"So, ready for our internships, Deku?" Kurai grinned at his friend as their class began to disperse across the train station, each of them headed for a different destination across Japan. It was a week after they had all chosen their hero names, and Aizawa had just given them leave to head out for their internships.

Midoriya grinned at the sound of his new hero name before he replied, "Yeah, I'm excited to meet this pro hero, Gran Torino."

"I don't think I've ever heard of him," Uraraka commented as she and Mina stood side-by-side. "Was he famous for anything?"

"Well, not really," Midoriya admitted. "I had actually never heard of him until All Might told me about him. Apparently he was All Might's teacher at U.A.!"

"Whoa, seriously?!" Mina exclaimed. "Man, Midoriya, you really hit the jackpot!"

"Under normal circumstances, I'd ask if I could switch with you, but there's no way I'm missing out on an opportunity to train under Gang Orca," Kurai said with a delighted smile of his own.

"Oh yeah, he's your favorite hero, right?" Uraraka asked.

"Has been since I was little," he confirmed. "I was really stoked to see that he had offered me an internship. He does a lot of coastline city patrols, so I'm sure I'll get a chance to learn about using my powers in suburban areas. You know, in a way that doesn't cause buildings to fall over."

"Probably a smart career move," Mina giggled. Glancing up at the departure times, she said, "Well, I should get going. My train boards in five minutes."

"Be safe," Kurai said as he hugged her goodbye.

"You too," she said softly in his ear. Then she let go and waved farewell to Midoriya and Uraraka.

He watched her go while his two friends talked to each other behind him, until he noticed another student leaving to board his own train. "Hey, Tenya," Kurai said before his friend could get too far away. The taller boy turned around to see his best friend approaching, with Midoriya and Uraraka not far behind, so he stopped and waited for them.

"You're going to Hosu?" Kurai asked once he got closer.

"Yes," Iida nodded once.

Kurai frowned at that- he'd heard that piece of information while walking by Aizawa's office last week, when the pro hero was talking to the principal about some of the internship offers that the school had received. He knew that Hosu was the city where Ingenium had been attacked, so he had begun to worry that his old friend was up to something foolish and dangerous. Then again, it was Tenya- he followed the rules to the letter, no matter the circumstances. If anyone can keep his cool in this kind of situation, he can, Kurai thought as he shook hands with his friend.

"Just remember, if you need somebody to talk to, I'm here," he told the taller boy. "I don't care if it's two in the morning, and I've had the crap beaten out of me by a villain- call me."

"Us too," Midoriya said while Uraraka nodded her head rapidly.

Iida's eyes softened a little before he said, "I will. Thanks." Then he turned around and was gone, moving swiftly to find his train car.

"You think he'll be okay?" Uraraka asked the boys.

"I think so?" Midoriya guessed. "Hikari? What do you think?"

Kurai was silent for a few moments before he said, "Check on him every day you can. I can usually tell what he's thinking, but ever since his brother was attacked, I haven't been able to get a good read on him. I'm worried." Silently, he added, And for some reason, it feels like I just said goodbye to my best friend for the last time.

Kai: Okay, hero name is a go! I like it.

Deku: Me too! Where did you pick it from?

Mataras: Since he's a big Dragon Ball nerd, I figured that a reference to the kai/gods was in order for him. His alias, the Guardian Hero, is made up of both that and the Jedi in Star Wars.

Deku: How?

Kai: I get it! The 'guardians' of peace in the old republic, right?

Mataras: Damn straight!

Deku: I think this is the best you two have gotten along in this segment. Maybe we should bring up Star Wars more often...?

Mataras: What that we could. But this is a My Hero fan story, and so we need to focus on it and the things attached to it.

Kai: You got some new artwork for us?

Mataras: Indeed I do. However, since the image I had in mind doesn't format well on this website, I had to put it up on my Instagram, the_red_swordsman

Deku: What is it of?

Mataras: Mina and Kurai.

Kai: Hang on a second... This isn't a swimsuit sketch, is it?

Mataras: No! I've stepped out of my comfort zone enough for this chapter, thank you very much!

Deku: Is it them in their hero outfits?

Mataras: Actually, that one will be the cover art for the next chapter, since there's something in it that I don't want to spoil. For now, go check out my Instagram for my latest piece, as well as others. I also do art commissions now, so if you're interested, message me either here or there.

Kai: This is turning into an advertisement.

Mataras: Okay, fine, we'll move on out. Next time on Your Hero Academia, featuring an original story arc by yours' truly- Beyond Expectations

Deku: Go Beyond!

Kai: Plus Ultra!

Next time on Your Hero Academia...

Gang Orca asked him, "Why did you settle when you could have reached higher, Hikari?"

The boy thought about how to phrase his answer carefully before saying, "If it had just been me, sir, I think I would have taken bigger risks to gain more. However, because I had people depending on me to make it to the next round, I didn't want to risk their standing for personal gain."

"A noble sentiment," the pro hero nodded. "But each of your teammates knew the risks and accepted them, did they not? You should understand that in a hero's line of work, we all know the risks, and what they entail."

"Yes sir," Hikari said again.

"During the battle tournament, you performed very well again, so I know you can handle yourself if it comes to combat with most of the grade of villains that I come across," the huge man said. "During your week here, we will be doing a lot of patrols, both on the water, and in the streets. In the hours that we are not patrolling or taking a meal, you will be training with one of my sidekicks. We will also be coordinating with two other agencies this week, and when we do, you are to be on your best behavior." Pausing for a moment, the whale-man then asked, "Do you have any questions, Hikari?"

"Yes sir," he nodded. "If I do well enough this week, may I have your autograph?"

Gang Orca blinked in surprise a couple of times before he chuckled deep in his throat. "I don't often meet fans," he told his intern. "Most children cry when they see me in person."

"Most people also look up to All Might as their personal favorite," Kurai grinned slightly. "You've always been my number one hero, sir, ever since I was little."

"Then I'll see about that autograph," the pro hero laughed. "I think I know a guy." Getting up and moving to stand directly in front of the boy, he said, "Welcome to my agency, young man."

Kurai reached out and shook his mentor's offered hand as he replied, "I look forward to learning from you, sir."