"It's time to formulate your code names. Your hero names." Aizawa informed the class.
An enthusiastic uproar permeated throughout the whole class, finally, it was here picking their hero names. Mikey's eyes lit up like stars, a dream come true for him. Raph's eye rolled at the prospect. Donnie's shoulders were hunched and kept his eyes on his book. Leo remained composed but was equally excited inside like Mikey.
"Leonardo, do you have an idea for your name?" Mono kindly inquired.
Leo stiffened for a moment as thoughts raced through his mind just as his heart pounded against his chest.
"I…umm hadn't thought of one. My brothers and I never saw the need for names other than our own."
"Really? Well, let's make sure we find you a wonderful one befitting of your family name."
Leo's heart rushed with blood he turned a shade darker and nodded.
Aizawa continued, "This is related to the draft nominations by pros mentioned the other day. The nominations will truly start mattering after you've gained some experience and your adaptable fighting ability-"
Mikey's hand shot up, "Teach, my bros and already gotz our fighting. We good." He said with smooth confidence.
Donnie face palmed, "Shut up. Shut up." He muttered. "For the love of everything good, shut up."
Mikey kept going, "Our dad is Hamato Yoshi and we've been trying all our lives. We iz ninjas, we don't need extra lessons. Well, maybe April and May."
April fixed him a piercing glare, ready to levitate a desk and throw it.
Mikey paid no attention and boastfully sat back in his chair, and kicked his feet up atop the desk.
"Mikey!" Leo strained shaking his head before raising his hand, Aizawa acknowledged him, and Leo stood up with a respectful tone, "Please sensei forgive my airheaded brother. His mouth runs before his mind. Any knowledge given we take with gratitude."
Mikey snickered grinning, "What knowledge Leo? We're pros at ninjutsu, we know this stuff already. Dad taught us."
Leo kept his composure and focus on Aizawa, shifty shot Mikey a thunderous look warning him. It seem to work, Mikey stopped but kept his confidence on display.
"Again, sorry," Leo bowed to Aizawa and quickly sat back down.
"Anyway, as I was saying," Aizawa continued refusing to humor what just happened but his sharp look on Mikey made it abundantly clear his annoyance, "is judged during your sophomore and junior years. In other words the nominations you're getting this are more akin to expressions of "interests" in your future potential."
Everyone, except Raph and partially Donnie, listens intently.
"And it's not that rare interest dries up around graduation."
"So I guess some of the nominations we received are like personal hurdles then." Taro summed it up.
"Yes." Aizawa agreed taking out a small clicker remote and pointing it at the board behind him, "Now the tally of nominations are as followed."
On the board appeared the names of everyone in class, next to each name was the total amount of nominations they received. Some were in the triple digits, others in the doubled or single, and a sprinkle in the four digits.
Aizawa explained the results were normally well-balanced but it was clear this year it wasn't. April was surprised at the results, especially her place. She couldn't help the swelling of pride she felt.
Izuku turned to her, "Wow, you did great!"
She tossed him a humble smirk, "Yeah. Sorry about you though."
"Yeah well," he tried to find the words that didn't show his disappointment.
April saw it and locked eyes with him briefly. Her eyes flashed blue and Izuku heard her comforting words. He nodded grateful. Her words helped a bit, he turned to the board looking at the names his eyes found your name. You did well too! You and April were pretty much neck and neck.
With the type of quick you and her had it wasn't a surprise. Still, he turned around in his seat in the direction of your empty seat, you hadn't arrived to class. Bakugo was here but there was no sign of you, when he and April arrived at class, the first thing they expected was to see you but you were gone.
Mina quickly filled them in that you literally flew right out of class, while Kirishima said the rest, you went to find your hairpin. He tried to stop you but it didn't work. April and Izuku became worried and would have gone after you if Aizawa hadn't walked in.
"I hope she isn't lost again," Izuku muttered to himself and turned back to the front.
He wasn't the only one worried, Kirishima took a glance at your seat.
"Of course, placeholder names are fine, too, but something appropriate," Aiwaza added and stopped when another voice spoke entering the classroom.
"the names you pick now! The names you come to be known by the world as now! In many cases stay that way after becoming pros," said a sultry and confident voice.
All eyes and heads turn to Midnight walking sensually. Many were focused on her they didn't notice someone standing by the door, except one person.
"I'll be having Midnight evaluate your naming sense," Aiwaza said taking out a sleeping bag, and muttered while setting himself up comfortably on the floor, "since I can't."
Midnight took to the front, "Alright, I hope everyone's ready." She began passing out a stack of small wipe boards and markers to those in front when she remember, "oh I almost forgot. Aizawa I found one of your students."
He opened one eye at her. Midnight walked back to the entrance and everyone heard her whispering to someone for a minute and came back in. You followed a few seconds after, Izuku and April both smiled relieved, dressed in a boy's uniform that made you look smaller due to it hanging off you.
"Of course," Aizawa muttered then snapped his question, "Why are you late?"
You flinched a bit from his harsh tone and quickly pulled out a note for him. He didn't want to get up so you walked it over and held it open for him to read. It didn't take him long to finish.
"Why am I not surprised," he grunted adjusting himself comfortably against the wall, "get to your seat."
You nodded and hurried away. His response surprised you, you expected something harsher. Your spirits were left high even when you sat down despite not having your hair clip.
"Oh, you still have detention," Aizawa said, shattering the bit of joy you felt.
Leaving you quietly sulking for this part of class. You had to find your hero name, but all you could do was stare at the small whiteboard laying down before you while everyone else got to work during the fifteen minutes Midnight gave. You tried to focus on what she said about how to pick a name, but nothing came. Mikey, you quietly noticed was going all in. Constantly writing and erasing. Leo, slipping your eyes behind you sat thoughtfully pondering. Raph, he huffed and wrote something. Donnie, you noticed seemed hesitant. April, she just wrote and you wondered what she wrote. Izuku, he was uncertain seemingly fumbling over the right name. All of them at least had an idea, you just couldn't think of one. So your mind drifted off to wondering where the clip might be and if it was lost for good.
You became buried in those thoughts, you didn't hear someone whisper trying to get your attention. It wasn't until you felt something poke your shoulder that you turned in their direction.
It was Kirishima, "Have you figured out a name?" he asked obviously noticing your blank board.
You shook your head despondently, "Have you?"
He smiled with pride and resolve, "Yeah," his smile turned slightly bashful. "Do you want to see?"
"Yes," you didn't want to be rude.
"I'm not sure if you know who Crimson Riot is," he held up his name that read 'Red Riot', "He's someone I admire. I think it fits, given my hair and all."
He pointed chuckling, you realized the jest and lightly smiled. "Though I have no knowledge of Crimson Riot, it is good you hold great admiration for him. You and your hair shall care it well."
Kirishima covered his mouth and laughed in it, "That's a good one. So what about you and your hero's name? Any ideas?"
Your mind was blank at the thought, you hadn't any heroes you knew or admired. There was Master Splinter, though you wouldn't categorize him as a hero. You did admire April, maybe you could use her name...you scrapped that thought. You did wonder what April's hero name was going to be, there was no doubt in your mind it would be wonderful. You wished for your hairclip right now as you reached up a hand and touched the empty spot. What would your hero's name be?
Your bottom lip began to tremble, "I...I am not sure. Forgive me."
"Well, what do you like?" Kirishima asked encouragingly, "What about certain things about yourself? Like your personality or something. What makes you proud? Happy?"
"My sister. My friends. My father. Izuku-chan," you answer with a bit of joy in your voice.
"Okay. Okay, a good start. What else?"
"I enjoy sandwiches."
"Really? What kind?"
"I do not have a preference. There has not been one I have come across that is not delicious. Sandwiches are interesting because there is something different inside between the layers of bread. Something wonderful!"
Kirishima kept going, "Alright. What else?"
It then clicked, "Sandwiches! I shall choose the hero names Sandwiches then?"
"Creative, but not something that's...you. You know what I mean?"
Your eyes lingered on him, a gentle furrow formed between your brows, and fixating into a small, yet grasping understanding turn your gaze around the room and smile. Kirishima smiled heartfeltly to himself watching you. After another sweep at the class, you return back to looking at your whiteboard and pick up the marker. Just as you did Midnight announced time was up, and you froze.
You weren't done!
Nevertheless, she began. The first one to go up was...the French blonde hair boy, with a laser beam belly, you weren't quite sure what his name was nor did you actually catch it. Anyway, he went up and proudly presented his hero's name:
The name of the Sparkling Hero: I Cannot Stop Sparkling!
"That is a rather long name," you muttered noticeably, tilting your head, "perhaps he should shorten it."
At that moment Midnight stepped in with her own corrections, "If you take out the 'I' and abbreviate it to just a 'Can't' it'll be easier to say."
"Too right, Mademoiselle," he agreed and Midnight took his board, and added her corrections. She called up the next student.
It was Mina.
"Right, hey! I'm next!" She presented her name,"Call me 'Alien Queen'!"
Her board read: Heorine of Ridley: Alien Queen.
Midnight didn't approve, "2! You're aiming for the image of that super-acidic blood thing?! Quit while you're ahead!"
You felt the mood change in the class after the first two and noticed a few students go back to their boards and erase what they had to write something else. Looking back down at your whiteboard, it remained blank mirroring your mind. Your shoulders dropped a bit. You weren't the only one, away from your own dilemma Donnie was struggling too.
What should your name be? What should it be? Your mind clouded with the singular thought, you felt yourself drowning in the whiteboard and what to do. The only name you've ever known was...May. Nothing else. Shutting your eyes tightly, block out the class...and find...you and only you. The others weren't there...not like before back in the States...your name was just May. That's it. That's all it ever was. That's all anyone called you by and...and...outside tremors quietly shook throughout your whole body and gripped your pants. From his seat, and finished picking a name while waiting for his turn, noticed your quiet trembling. His eyes also noticed the blank whiteboard before you, not even your marker was uncapped. With a hand in his pocket, he fidgets with something.
"Red Riot!" Kirishima proudly presented.
You snap out of it and lift your eyes to the front of the class where he stands at the podium, holding his name. With the boundless and boldness he exerted, a gentle flutter in your chest rose, and your gaze remained fixated on him as he explained to Midnight(who proudly understood), the flutter grew. Feeling eyes on him Kirishima paused for a moment and looked. His eyes locked with yours for a moment and he almost lost his words from what washed over him.
He quickly finished and went to his seat. He slid in quietly, his eyes stayed on his hero's name before tentatively taking a glance at you. You were once again looking at your whiteboard, this time you had the marker in your hand with the cap off. Feeling eyes on you, you look in his direction and find him staring directly at his name with an interesting look on his face. He seemed to be concentrating or perhaps basking in his well-chosen name the way his gaze was lowered and composed, your flutter went away and you turned back to your blank whiteboard withdrawing the question you wanted to ask.