The next day, unlike the previous clear skies and warm weather, now the sky was dark and gloomy as it lashed out of the heavens. Ciana and Izuku stuck close under the same umbrella, strolling down the main path toward the school. Izuku glanced up slightly, sighing. "Guess we got lucky yesterday..."
"Good Morning, Midoriya, Finley!" From behind them, moving with a brisk walk in a green raincoat was none other than Iida.
"Woah, Iida! You really went all out with the rain gear," Izuku noted as their Rep flew past them.
Ciana's smile perked up seeing their class rep friend, disappointed that he wasn't around the other day and is glad to see him now. "Iida it's so good to see you again! How have you and your family been?" The girl now asks with her expression looking concerned, remembering he took off because of his family being attacked.
"Why are you two walking so slowly! We'll be late!" He yelled, not hearing Ciana over his running and the rainfall.
"'Late'? But... there's still five minutes before the first bell," Izuku called back, his hand and Ciana's locked to the umbrella as they jogged closely behind their studious friend.
"But UA students should always arrive ten minutes early, don't you think!?" And like a bullet, he was speeding off ahead.
They eventually made it underneath where the lockers were kept, Izuku flicking off the rain from his umbrella while Iida set his welly boots and raincoat inside of his locker. The young couple silently prodded one another for answers, both nodding slowly as Izuku went to ask again for Ciana. "So, Iida, um-"
"If it's about my brother, don't be concerned," He turned to look at them, offering a friendly smile. "Everything will be fine,"
With that said, he packed away his coat and made his way inside the school while Izuku wrapped up his umbrella. Looking to Ciana, he could assume by her knitted brow that what Iida said wasn't close to the truth. "Well?"
"He's lying through his teeth…" Ciana replied as she stared in the direction where he went with more concern in her eyes. "Been there… not hard to see past that, but I admit he's doing well keeping it together…" Iida is a very serious kind of guy so it makes sense he wouldn't let his personal feelings get the best of him.
"That's what worries me," Izuku admitted, his face warped by concern. "We shouldn't press him on it... not yet, it's still too early to ask him, much as I want to."
"Yeah you're right…" they had to be prepared for the internship so it probably for the best to hold off for the time being. "With the internship coming for us, it is probably best not to lose focus on that… ah man, being reminded of that is making me nervous again…" Ciana had no idea what will go on for her, she probably will never get used to the life of a superhero.
Her disgruntled expression made Izuku smile again, leaning over to kiss her cheek quickly. "You'll do fine, you've got a powerful quirk and a level head too, so I know you can handle it, promise."
She blushed but smiled by his comfort, once again appreciating his encouragement. "That's reassuring at least, it will still be nerve wrecking though…" she responds with an anxious run to the back of her head. "I know you will do great yourself, excited to work with another pro soon?"
"Implying I get any requests, but if so, then definitely," He was giddy about the idea of working with Pros outside of UA, as were the whole class. "Let's go, before we're late,"
The pair took off, not wanting the wrath of Aizawa upon them.
[Transition]
Everyone was buzzing with energy, talking about how some were crowded at their day at the beach by viewers of the Sports Festival, while some spoke about said beach and the events that took place. That one day had rejuvenated the class as the door slid open, and they were silent and in their seats. Aizawa rubbed under his eye, no longer bound in bandages.
"Morning, class," He muttered, severely drained as he shuffled up to the front of the class.
"Good Morning, Mr Aizawa!" They all chimed.
"Ribbit, Mr Aizawa you don't have bandages anymore, that's good news," Tsu remarked while their teacher rubbed his eye again.
"The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment," He blinked slowly, clearly drained to the point he'd fall asleep any moment now.
Now back in her class to prepare for another intense day, Ciana is glad to see their teacher looks much more recovered now. But he looked tired as usual which wasn't too much of a surprise as she smiled sheepishly knowing how strange this teacher can be. "If that's the case, if you like I can replenish your stamina again if you need it Mr Aizawa."
Once again Ciana kindly offered, she figured she ask if he needs it first before rushing up to help him like last time.
Staring back at his student, Aizawa rubbed his eyes again before letting out a sigh. "You've learned to ask first, good, but don't go overboard, I'd much rather sleep to recover,"
"He just wants to nap between classes again..." Almost everyone thought with equally deadpanned expressions.
Ciana quickly got up to approach the front, placing her hand on her teacher's arm before a golden aura shifted from her body to his. Instantly, Aizawa felt himself stand upright and his eyes no longer felt heavy. "Her control over her quirk had grown," He noticed in thought, something she seemed to be grasping during the Festival too.
Ciana was a little taken back to see her teacher shot right up after replenishing him, but then noticed his expression looked to be in thought for some reason. Her head tilted in wonder what's on his mind. "Sorry sir… was that too much energy boost?" Ciana asked, recalling that he requested not to go overboard. She still couldn't believe her teacher was allowed to take naps during his teachings.
"I wonder what he would be like if he actually was wide awake during classes?" Ciana ended up wondering herself of the eraser guy.
He raised his hand slightly, "You're fine, thank you, you can return to your seat," He'd rather avoid being given too much energy and no longer be allowed to sleep through what came next. Ciana smiled, nodding before quickly returning to her seat as Aizawa addressed the class again. "With that out of the way, we have a big class today; Hero Informatics," Aizawa cut right to the chase, and terrified them all at what could be in store. A pop-quiz? Laws? Any of them would be awful. Following the horrid silence, he replied. "...You need codenames, time to pick your hero identities,"
"THIS IS GONNA BE TOTALLY AWESOME!" They thundered - or until two piercing red eyes and wavy black hair put them all back in their seats with a chill down their spines.
"This is related to the pro hero draft picks that I mentioned the last time we were in class together. Normally, students don't have to worry about the drafts yet, not until their second or third year actually," He continued to elaborate. "Your class is different, however, by extending offers to first-years like you Pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offer can be rescinded if their interest dies down before graduation though,"
"Hero names?" Ciana perked up in surprise by this new news, holding her face up with her hand when she sat back at her desk. "That's right… all superheroes have hero names, I forgot that we do the same one day…" Ciana didn't think they would do that soon, she thought maybe they pick when they graduate as official hero's.
"That will be hard to decide…" her hand goes on her chin now to think. "Wonder what I should even call myself? Wonder what Izuku will call himself…" now glancing at her own hero in wonder of his name, Ciana opens her notebook to turn to a page she wrote her thoughts on Izuku, she even drew him in his hero wear but without the mask. Ciana secretly thought Izuku looked much cooler without his mask when wearing his hero suit.
Toru sat forward. "So what you're saying is we still have to prove ourselves even after we've gotten recruited?" Aizawa then nodded to her.
"Correct, now, here is the total for those that got offers," He pressed down on a remote he had hidden away, and the board soon displayed the rankings based on the number everyone received. "Usually the number is more spread out but this year is different." Even Aizawa was surprised by the vast shift based solely on those that made it to the battles themselves.
In the top five were Shoto with 4123, Katsuki with 3556, Tokoyami with 360, Ciana with 315, and Izuku with 285. The numbers only reached down to Sero's with a whopping 14, the, pretty much only those that entered the final battles were on the board. Leaving a significant gap in who had clearly been seen at the top.
"What?!" Ciana's eyes widened a little viewing the top five, Ciana didn't think she would be one of the top rank. "I-I'm one of the top five?" Ciana could hardly believe it, she thought the others did much better than her. Well sure Shoto, Katsuki and Tokoyami are the top best above her, but Ciana couldn't help being stunned by how well she actually did during the festival…
"H-h-how did I make it to the top five?" Izuku had to rub his eyes frantically to be certain he read that right, he was in fifth place under Ciana, then again, she didn't botch her fights like he did. "Guess nearly walking out of bounds in the start and being used like a human bullet wasn't a good selling point..."
"Gah! That's no fair...!" Kaminari cried in dismay, his head swung back at being so low on the board, probably due to his lack of actual fighting. Even Ashido was fuming since she put up a good fight against Ciana too.
"Todoroki got higher than Bakugo?" Jiro was wowed by that result.
"It's the complete opposite of how they placed in the festival," Kirishima wondered too.
"They probably weren't excited about working with the guy who was chained up at the end," Sero noted quite loudly for said blonde to hear.
"If I scared the pros, they're just weak!" Katsuki wasn't pleased by the shift given he did win the festival.
Yaoyorozu sighed a bit, briefly disappointed in how she placed given how she failed horribly in her match. Though she then smiled to Shoto to her right. "That's amazing, you must be proud."
Shoto didn't look anywhere as happy as one would expect, "These offers are probably because of my father,"
"People want us~!" Uraraka cried with joy, shaking Iida's shoulder back and forth in glee while he remained stoic, though even Iida scored well too.
"I must be dreaming…" her hand went to her hand as she felt a little light headed in disbelief, but smiled at her accomplishments. Feeling that her mother would be proud she's becoming like her… glancing at Shoto, Ciana could see he actually didn't look very happy with the rank… which had her look to him in concern of how he looked.
"His dad probably had a part in this to be that high… it make sense he wouldn't be pleased because of that guy." Her brows narrowed more towards him. "I'll have to check up on him to make sure he's doing alright…" Ciana vowed to be there for Todoroki every step of the way, maybe he want to talk about what's bothering him now.
"Despite these results, you'll all be interning with Pros, got it?" Aizawa didn't deter despite the sharp divide of numbers. "Even those that didn't get any offers."
"Oh, so we're all interning?" Izuku pipped up.
"Yes, you already got to experience combat with real villains on the USJ facility, and Finley here also has an unknown looming over her head, Meru Zena; That's why it'll be important still for you to work beside Pros in the field first-hand to prepare of these situations, and know how to handle yourselves outside of UA."
"These hero names will likely be temporary but take them seriously, you'll-" Aizawa stopped himself as he heard something at the door as it was swung open at the abrupt arrival to his class.
"-You'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight declared with her trademark grin. Her form giving most of the guys a fever dream. "What you pick will be your codename for life, the last thing you want is to be stuck with something... indecent," Midnight said this while walking in a suggestive manner in her suggestive costume.
"Yeah, she's got a good point," Aizawa deadpanned. "Midnight is going to have final approval over your names, it's not my forte," He said while procuring his yellow sleeping bag again. "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, it tells people the values that you represent, take All Might for example,"
It was a big deal considering their futures, it would be so easy to pick a name and run with it as Ciana had seen in media, but in this world, it had weight and an impact on real lives. She had to make it good. As this occurred, the whiteboards and markers were handed around, leaving everyone to mull over what to call themselves.
Ciana was a bit startled by the way Midnight came in, and the way she's dressed as usual… "Sheesh, this school really doesn't care for their flaws or dress codes…" she says to herself with a giggle, UA is still a very strange but cool school. Course Mineta is no doubt pleased about that…
With her hand back on her chin in thought, Ciana tries to think of what would be a cool name for herself. "I never thought to give myself a hero name… what should I even call myself? Can't be anything dumb like flashlight or battery girl…" already Ciana had a hard time thinking of name. "Ah! My mom already had a cool name for herself so why can't-" that's when her eyes lit up.
"Wait a second…" her hand going up to where her hair clip is, Ciana smiled when she thought of something. "Yeah… that's a perfect name…" Now having a name in mind… but still wondered what Izuku will call himself.
After a few minutes, Aizawa fast asleep in the corner, Midnight clapped. "Now students," She declared. "Who among you is ready to share?"
Now the class froze up with anxiety, they had a feeling given the whiteboards they'd have to present these. Everyone was whispering as they tried to gauge who had the guts to try first, to no one's surprise it was Aoyama. He waited for everyone to be silent then held his board high for all to see, sparkles dazzling around the name. "The Shining Hero, my name is, 'I can not stop twinkling'! Mon ami, you cannot deny my sparkle."
Everyone cringed at the name. "OH, COME ON!?"
Midnight took the board off him, rewriting it, "It'll be better if you take the 'I' off, and shorten the 'can not' to 'can't',"
"It's stunning," Aoyama thanked as again, everyone deadpanned.
"SHE LIKES IT!?" "Also, you're not French, that's just an act!" Sato added after everyone else.
"Okie Doki, let me go next!" Ashido did a skip up to the front, slapping the board down to reveal her name. "My codename, Alien Queen."
"Hold on! You mean like that monster with the acidic blood!?" Midnight trembled at the idea, crossing an arm down, eyes like pinpricks. "I don't think so!"
"Dang it..." Mina slumped while the whole class started to share the same wavelength, although surprised 'Alien Queen' was denied. It was obvious by now the first two were too weird and that someone needed a catchy name to level the playing field to a normal standard but no one wanted to go forward as the example, it was a mental battle of wits.
"Ribbit, I think I got one, can I go next?" Tsui put her hand up with Midnight asking her up happily. She set the board down, observing the text out of everyone's sight. "I've had this name in mind since grade school, Rainy Season Hero, Froppy."
"That's delightful!" Midnight smiled giddily. "It's approachable and friendly, good work!" A thumb of approval and the bar had been reset to a standard all could take pleasure in, chanting her name out loud.
Ciana had her arm up with a bright smile, confident about the name she thought of. "I like to go up next if that's alright!" The bright shining girl now asks, looking eager to make it official.
"Come right ahead!" Midnight pointed as those in Ciana's close circle looked up from their boards curiously as the rest of the class followed.
Ciana got up now to make her way to the board, her smile still intact as she wrote her hero name she had in mind… which is her mothers nickname The Radiant Hero: Chrysalis. Proud to use her name for a good cause.
Her board read in bold letters, 'The Radiant Hero: Chrysalis'. The first part to them made sense, it was the name itself that threw them off. Though, the moment Izuku laid eyes on it, his expression was surprised at first, then it softened into an honest smile. Kirishima raised his hand a bit. "What's 'Chrysalis' mean?"
Ciana has a feeling some might not know what it meant, her eyes on Kirishima now as she explains. "It means a hard shell that covers the caterpillar before it turns into a butterfly, which stands for being tough and beautiful inside." The girl reveals with a wide smile, remembering that she told Bakugo about that name back at the festival.
"Hm, not the name you'd expect to hear..." Midnight pursed her lips a moment, then grinned. "I love it! Having something truly unique for your name is how a hero stands out, I approve!"
Her smile looked more brighter toward the pro therapist, nodding in thanks towards her. "Thank you Ms Midnight! I'm glad you think so." Ciana felt proud to keep her mothers memory alive, giving a quick bow to her before returning to her seat, Ciana wished she could tell her mom what she's accomplished…
The ball kept rolling, up next with a high five to Ciana in passing was Kirishima.
"I got mine too!" Kirishima was next. "The Sturdy Hero, my name is Red Riot."
"'Red Riot', interesting," Midnight put her finger up. "You're paying homage to the chivalrous hero, Crimson Riot, correct?" At the name, Kirishima became somewhat bashful.
"Yeah, that's right, he may be kinda old school but someday I want to be just like he was, Crimson is my idol."
"Cool manly name Kirishima!" Ciana complimented him cheerfully, thinking it was a awesome reference to his hero. "I'm sure the guy you admired would be honored!" This had Ciana wonder if Izuku will come up with a similar name to All Might, knowing he's his big inspiration and wanted to honor him.
"Haha, thanks!" Kirishima grinned sheepishly.
The class moved on as Ciana overhead Jiro in front of her row
"Hey, I got one," Jiro interrupted the Kaminari's muttering. "How does Jamming Jay sound to you?" He failed to see the humour behind her gaze.
"Oh, it's like Hemming-Way who wrote 'A Farewell To Arms' right? You're clever, I like it!" His thumb of approval just tipped the musician over the edge.
Jiro erupted into laughter, covering her mouth as she giggled, her jacks curled in an attempt to stifle her laughter. "No, it's because even though you're powerful you always... jam your brain!" Then he caught on as both imagined his shorted-out brain.
"Oh come on, Jiro, quit messin' with me!" He blurted out in a rage while she took off to present her name with a confident smile.
"The Hearing Hero, I'm Earphone Jack."
"Now that's a good one!" Midnight grinned like a cat.
That name sounded so her, knowing what Jiro does with her quirk, cool and catch which she thought totally rocked. "Totally punk rock name." She says with a smile and giggle, so far everyone's coming up with some pretty creative names, Ciana was starting to wonder if Bakugo will call himself Explody Fists…
Next was Shoji. "The Tentacle Hero, Tentacole." His appendage spoke. Midnight liked the wordplay.
Sero came up next. "The Taping Hero, Cellophane." A solid pass, even if on the nose.
Up was Ojiro. "The Martial Arts Hero, Tailman." Approved.
Sato stood proudly with his. "I'm the Sweets Hero, Sugarman." Midnight practically gushed over the idea.
Mina was back with righteous fury. "PINKIE!" Midnight threw her fist up too.
Now Kaminari went up not with Jiro's suggestion. "I'm the Stun-Gun Hero, Chargebolt! Electric, doncha think?" Midnight swayed side to side happily.
Toru swung up next. "The Stealth Hero, Invisible Girl!" A classic indeed and approved.
"Um, I hope I can live up to this name," She looked uncertain but held true to her codename. "I'm the Everything Hero, Creati." Another praised by Midnight
"Shoto," Shoto expressed only his actual name, much to Midnight's confusion, but she didn't disprove it and let it pass.
Tokoyami came up next with an edgy but fitting name for his personality. "Jet-Black Hero, Tsukuyomi." God of Night and approved by Midnight.
The meek Koda was next with his name, the Petting Hero, Anima. Midnight cooed at the name.
"I'm the 'Fresh Picked Hero: Grape Juice'!" Mineta yelled as only the top of his head was visible. Midnight again liked it, catchy.
Next was... a treat for the class. "King Explosion Murder."
"I'm gonna say that one's a little too violent." Midnight hummed.
"Huh!? Whadda mean!?" Katsuki yelled back at her.
"Why don't you be 'Explosion Boy'?" Kirishima chuckled as rage was thrown his way.
"I actually always thought of you as Explody Fists, Bakugo…" she chuckled at her nickname towards the rebel hero, she couldn't help but want to tease him a little. But also thought King Explosion Murder sounded like a villain name.
Ciana perked up when she thought of another name just for fun. "Oh! Firecracker would also be a fitting name for you too!" Ciana knew he never go for those names but she wasn't afraid to get on his nerves playfully.
"Both of you, Shut Up! Those are weak ass names too!" Katsuki argued, daring them to come up to see why 'Murder' was in his name but Midnight quickly sent him back to think over his name some more.
Uraraka then took the stage. "This is the name I thought of, Uravity." Immediate approval from the teacher, giving the bubbly girl a sigh of relief at the applause that followed.
The next gave Ciana some pause, a board was propped up, the name 'Tenya' was all that was written. "Really, you're using your name too?" Midnight again didn't question it. But Iida didn't look at the class, his dark blue aura... it was brewing with grief, anger... hatred.
Ciana was very surprised to sense Iidas emotions, which really took her back with wide eyes as she stared at him. "His feelings… t-there almost like how Shoto felt, did… something bad actually happened to his family…?" There was no other explanation to how Iida was feeling right now… knowing this meant something bad did happen.
Cianas expression now became worried and a bit frightened, dreading what could have happened when he was with them…
Unfortunately, Ciana hadn't any time to dig further into his heart as the class went on. After that pause, Midnight spoke up. "Well, Midoriya, are you ready?"
"Oh? Yes," He grabbed his board, moving to the front as he studied it in his arm a moment longer. "This is it, it has to be..." He thought. Despite its meaning, now... he knew what it meant for him, and that confidence turned the board for all to see and murmur about, even Ciana looked surprised by the result.
"Really, Midoriya?" Mineta blurted out.
"You sure about that?" Kaminari asked.
"Yeah man, remember that can be your name forever," Kirishima warned him worryingly.
"Right, I used to hate it, but... that changed, someone who saw me more than what this meant for so many years had changed how I viewed it, the more I thought of the word, the less it felt insulting," He smiled proudly, assured in this new name. "'The Jade Hero: Deku', that's my codename," For a time, his eyes lingered on Ciana in the back, smiling a little more.
Ciana was pretty surprised and speechless. Izuku wanted to call himself the insult Bakugo always called him, it confused her at first… especially remembering what Izuku told her what that name meant. But The Jade Hero had a nice ring to the nickname… noticing Izuku was looking towards her had her cheeks turn pink, realizing Izuku was talking about her who brought him hope from that name…
"Izuku…" she murmured out in happiness, Ciana smiled back warmly towards her hero. Very touched that she meant that much to Izuku like she always felt towards him too… Although Ciana was still concerned about the nickname, especially how Bakugo might take that… she guessed it might confuse him, hopefully it doesn't cause a brawl between them again…
Eventually, Aizawa woke up at the end of the names, though Katsuki was still a blank for his. "Now that everyone's decided on their hero names, we can go back to talking about your internships; they'll last for one week, as for who you'll be working with, those who were on the board will choose from their offers, the rest of you will have a different list-" He held up on as an example. "-you have a lot to think about, there are 40 agencies around the country that have agreed to take on interns from your class, each agency has their own speciality to focus on, keep that in mind,"
"Imagine you were Thirteen, she would want to focus on an agency around rescuing people not fighting villains, understand?" Midnight summed up nicely.
"Think carefully before you decide," Aizawa replied.
"Yes, sir!" The class announced as the homeroom bell rang. "Turn in your choices before the weekend,"
"We've only got two days!?" Sero gawked as the pair of teachers left for the door, Midnight waving happily.
"Yeah, so you should start now, you're dismissed," And the door was shut, buying them time before their next teacher arrived.
"Well… this will be more of a tough choice for me…" she smiled sheepishly to herself, maybe she can ask Izuku for some idea who she should go for. After all, he knows more about the hero's than she does so he would make a good recommendation, since they can talk freely now… Ciana got up from her seat as she approached Shoto, Ciana figured she should talk to Iida when lunch rolls around as it would probably be a better time to talk to him then.
Ciana now approaches the class prince, she first greets him with a little smile and wave. "Hey Todoroki… is everything okay?" She now asks him with curious eyes, she guessed his dad was bothering him again.
The half and half teen looked up from his sheet to Ciana, "If this is about my comment earlier to Yaoyorozu, it's nothing; with my father's position as the number two hero it makes sense hundreds of pros want me to intern with them, it's a matter of popularity because 'I'm the son of Endeavor',"
She nodded in response, frowning a little at that. "I get it… honestly I don't get why that guys so popular…" Ciana rolled her eyes at the mention of his jerk of a father, taking a seat from across his desk for a moment. "Sure your son of that guy and I can understand a position like that might bother you. When we met, I always admired you for how you stand up for people like me and so smart when it comes to… well… everything."
She praises him so far with a smile. "What I mean is I admire you as your own hero, I'm sure some of those pros see that too after the festival, I know All Might does after all."
He stared for a moment, looking back to his sheet, his orange aura shifting with gratitude, "I can see why Midoriya is so close to you - you both influence each other and those around you positively,"
She smiled more at his comment, mostly happy to see he perked up a little after what she said. "I owe Izuku a lot for what he's done for me, but also you too." Ciana rubs her neck a little awkwardly as she thought of something that might help him. "This might be a really awkward thing for me to say… but it's just an opinion."
"Though first off, have you thought of who you wanted to work with Todoroki? I mean do you have any other hero's you admire?" The girl asks with her curious gaze again.
"It was All Might, he was the one I always watched on TV when my mom still lived with us, as for who I'd want to intern with... I'm not sure, I'm still looking through my lists," He tapped his table where several pages of names lay. "What about you?"
The list in front of Ciana was staggering to say the least. Dozens of agencies she had never even heard of, heroes included, some she did point out from Izuku's hero notebooks, one in particular stood out the most. Edgeshot.
Ciana had a feeling All Might inspired Shoto too, noticing how he reacted with his presence during the award giving ceremony. Ciana could tell he had admiration for him. "I actually had a feeling he is your favorite hero." She first said with a brighter smile, then looked to be in thought again as she stared up at the ceiling.
"I'm not entirely sure so far… I barely know any of the hero's of this world so I don't know who would be perfect to help me improve." Ciana crossed her arms and tilted her head in more thought. "I know I need to improve more on my self defense, mobility and ways to use my quirk… I thought maybe Izuku could help me decide since he knows all the heroes."
Though Ciana could tell Shoto is smart too, thinking maybe he can give her an idea too. "I know you're pretty intelligent yourself when it comes to hero's and what they do, do you maybe have any ideas who I could work with?" She now asks the class prince.
He glanced at her sheet, then the door to their classroom opened, Present Mic coming into view. "...very well, once lunch arrives, then I can see what options you have," In a way, it may help him chop down his own listings a little.
Knowing Shoto, Ciana had faith he know someone who would be a good fit for her. "Thanks Shoto, then I'll talk to you again by then." She smiled very thankfully toward him before standing up. "Oh! This might be a weird idea… but I understand completely if you don't want to do it… but maybe you should work with your dad."
She fiddled with her bag in hand a bit anxiously of her opinion. "I mean… sure the guys a jerk and he's definitely the last person I ever want to work with… but in a way, it might give you a good chance to get him to see your views of what being a real hero is all about." Ciana knew he hated the idea but she thought it might help to give him her opinion.
That ranked the lowest on his list of ideas she'd suggest. "...I'll see," Maybe not on 'his views' as his father only ever viewed being the best as his goal. However, Endeavor didn't get to the top on sheer popularity alone, there was backing to that, he was a hero, even if a horrible father.
He had a lot left to think about.
[Transition]
After several classes, lunchtime was here, and the whole class was left to mull over their internships, some breaking into groups to discuss it. Jiro, Kirishima, and Hagakure stood around Ciana's table. The former sat on the desk in front of Ciana's as they all scanned their papers. "I'm still amazed you got that many offers, I'm so jealous," Jiro whistled to the ravenette.
"I got a number of them myself, gah, but there's so many to choose that three spaces isn't enough!" Kirishima scratched his head furiously.
"Question; not to sound mean, but, why's Todoroki here?" Hagakure raised her hand, and all eyes fell to the boy staring down at his own sheet in his hands as he brought his chair closer to discuss things.
"I asked him to join us." Ciana answered for her, though hoping that comment didn't make him feel insulted. "I asked Todoroki if he would help me figure out which pro hero would be a good match to help me improve, plus I thought it would also help him think of who he could work with." Ciana had her notebook laid out and her pencil in hand, her lunch bag sitting beside her.
"Knowing him, I have faith he know the perfect choice for me when it comes to my skills, but mostly I wanted him to be included with us." Ciana once again smiled toward the class prince, she still thought of Shoto as a good friend and wanted to make him feel part of the group.
"Hey, no complaints here, welcome to our group!" Kirishima waved slightly. "Still, I got a bunch myself, but I'll probably go for guys that'll have a lot of combat experience, gotta improve my Hardening somehow,"
"I'm thinkin' more on the lines of stealth work, so rescue's my pick, even with the small list of names I've got there's a few good ones," Jiro murmured, twirling her jack around her finger.
"Same..." Hagakure slumped a bit.
While they brood over their choices, Shoto tapped a name on Ciana's page. "You've gotten scouted by the number five hero,"
"WHAT!?" The trio exclaimed, so much so, Yaoyorozu had moved in behind Jiro to stare wide-eyed at the name while Ciana jumped back from the combined yell.
"That's... fantastic, Finley!" Yaoyorozu was speechless by the result, much like those that lost their jaws over it.
"Eh?" Ciana blinked her eyes a few times in confusion and was startled by everyone's reaction, looking at each of her friends in wonder what they got so taken back by. "Cool… uh… what's the number five hero again…?" She asked sheepishly, rubbing her neck awkwardly just asking. Though judging by the way her friends reacted, this pro must be a really cool hero.
Their faces fell at this. Yaoyorozu cleared her throat. "Ahem, he's the fifth highest rated hero in the country, the Ninja Hero Edgeshot. His agency is located in Tokyo, he only sends offers to students at UA on a rare occasion, primarily those with a lot of potential, what that is I do not know,"
"Could always ask Greenie, he's the hero fanboy," Jiro pointed her jack to where Izuku was busy chatting with a handful of the class, trembling in his seat... or hovering above it that is.
"What a score, Finley! Knew you had some serious skill!" Kirishima patted her back. "You should totally go to his agency!"
"I agree, imagine what you could do there - oh-oh, you could become a ninja too!" Hagakure gushed, rubbing her hands together as her sleeves ran back and forth.
"His combat skills, as well as rescue abilities are not something to dismiss, although, you have a lot of other agencies that fit the description you're after, it's ultimately up to you," Shoto replied evenly, even he didn't have Edgeshot's name listed, meaning he saw something about Ciana no one else had.
Ciana eyes widen in surprise at this, by the sound of it… this Edgeshot guy sounds like he be the perfect pro to help her improve all her skills, he might be tough but she doesn't expect that he wouldn't be… still, Ciana was very stunned to hear this guy wanted to work with her.
Having her hand on her chin to think, if everyone including Shoto thinks he's a good choice… she shouldn't pass up a great offer like this. "If that's the case… I might as well see what he's all about, if he's as cool and skilled as you guys described him. Then I might as well choose him." Ciana will have to ask Izuku about what Edgeshot is all about, glancing to see he looked distracted… tilting her head as she wondered if he's having a hard time deciding himself.
While she thought of this, Shoto stared at his choices, one in particular standing out as he looked to his sheet meant for three choices. He had given it some thought until now, and ultimately wrote down only one choice. If he wanted to understand what his left side means to him, he'd need more experience, both personal and from the side-lines. What better way than through the very man himself.
Glancing at Shoto now to see he was still deciding, Ciana leaned a bit close to the guy as she eyed the list he was looking at. "Have you decided on who you wanted to work with?" The girl asked with curious eyes down to his list, Ciana guessed by his expression he had someone in mind.
"Yes," He wrote down Endeavor's Agency as his one and only choice. "I have no experience with my left side, there's only one choice I can make."
"Talk about a tall order given how much of an ass he is," Jiro scoffed, just from how things went down in the festival she had a good idea there was bad blood between Shoto and his father.
"The experience will totally be worth it... probably?" Hagakure shrugged nervously, unsure how to phrase it.
Despite how terrible she knew this hero was, Ciana thought it was still a wise choice as she smiled. "I think you made a wise choice." She smiled brighter at her praise toward him. "The hotheads a jerk, but if you're going to use your fire side then he would know how to help you use it."
Ciana could guess it was a difficult choice but even if she hated him herself, Shoto had to understand his own power. "Plus, this will be a good way for you both to understand each other better."
However, Shoto didn't share her optimism, nodding regardless, "Endeavor is an amazing hero, in terms of his experience and how many lives he's saved; but that's all I'll be there to see and learn, the man behind that mask isn't a concern," And he'd not see it any other way.
The girl nodded, very much understanding his feelings toward this cruel man. "Either way it's still smart to know more about your own power, I haven't forgiven him either after all he's done… but, I believe one day you'll get him to understand the true meaning of being a hero. That's what I believe you were truly born for."
Ciana always believed him to be the better hero, he's so much more wise and kind. A true hero she looks up to as well as her friend.
Shoto stared at her, bewildered how on earth he'd accomplish that, the others seemed to share her agreement, seeing how frequently Ciana saw the best outcome possible, even for someone like Katsuki. Their support did feel... nice, in Shoto's perspective. "...I'll guess we'll see,"
[Transition]
Classes were over, so Ciana moved to the front of Izuku's desk as he packed up as well, smiling when he met her emerald gaze. "Ready to go?" He asked.
She nodded cheerfully with her backpack swing on her back, hopefully the rain stopped by now. "Yep! Ready to fly away whenever." Ciana once again made a hero pun, Ciana wanted to spend as much time with Izuku as well as with some of her friends before they had to take off in two days.
"Hey Midoriya, Finley, want to walk together?" Uraraka bounced up to them.
"Sure, you coming too, Jiro?" Izuku craned his head back, seeing the musician shrug then nod to them, swinging her bag over her shoulder to join them.
"Hey, Iida, come wit - huh?" Uraraka noticed his table was absent.
"He left first, probably to hand over his internship paper," Jiro answered for them. "Though, I'll admit, his heart rate was elevated, more than what's normal for people," Even the purplette was catching on.
"I saw it too…" Ciana replied in sorrow toward their class rep friend. "During the hero naming thing, I saw his aura was a mixture of sadness, anger and grief…" The girl revealed, rubbing her arm anxiously.
"I think something bad must have happened when he was away checking up on his family…" Ciana was afraid to hear what upset him, wondering if he lost one of his relatives…
The trio around her all shared the same concerning look, prompting Izuku to reply. "Since his brother was seriously injured by a villain, and we all know how much he looks up to Ingenium, it's probably eating away at him, hence why we should give Iida time to process things,"
"Don't want to poke the hornet's nest, right?" Jiro asked as Izuku nodded, opening the door.
"I just hope he'll be understanding enough to want to talk to us," He sighed, given how vicious the Hero Killer is, Izuku couldn't imagine the state they left Iida's brother in.
Ciana ended being a little quiet about this as her gaze went down, she was concerned at the possibility if this was her fault… maybe not as this hero killer could be working with the other villains, but the possible theory of Meru Zena being responsible for her friend's brother's condition… Ciana wondered if that's a message sent as a warning.
As they walked, Ciana began to wonder more about what happened. "Zena did warn me that if I didn't go with him then he would harm my friends… did he mean the same way towards my friends' relatives…?" The idea frightened her, knowing it would be very much her fault…
Out of nowhere, All Might slid into view bowed with his head facing the group, "Hahaha! I Am Here in a bizarre position!" He declared at the startled teens.
"Um, yeah, what's that about? And why are you in such a hurry?" Izuku asked.
"Hi, come with me a sec," He waved, slightly anxious before pointing to Ciana. "If you don't mind coming along too, Young Finley,"
Ciana was of course once again stunned by the pro hero's sudden appearance as well as his request to speak with them, looking towards her friend then back to the hero. Ciana chuckled a little by their reactions and the request. "Oh, uh… alright." She replied, this will probably leave a lot of questions towards her friends at this point why All Might wants to talk with them often.
Once they were far enough away from anyone else, All Might led them to a small corridor with his back turned to them. "I'll cut straight to the point, one of the heroes willing to take you on, I have no doubt you've noticed they are an unknown to you,"
"Yeah, someone called 'Gran Torino'? I've never heard of them before," Izuku replied. "Is that important?"
"Well, yes, he once taught at this school but only for one year-" All Might glanced over to them, his face sweaty. "-in fact, he was my homeroom teacher... and that he knows of One For All as well," This only sought to excite Izuku further, his expression bursting with excitement. "Actually, I suspect that's the reason he asked for you."
"This guy sounds totally awesome!" Then he snapped back to reality. "Wait, he knows how your quirk works too, but how?"
"Gran Torino was the sworn friend to my predecessor, the same woman you described the voice of within One For All during you first match in the festival, in fact,"
"He retired a long time ago so I tend to forget to count him among the people that know," All Might admitted. Only now, he was starting to shake. "Tch, grr... this is because of that letter a sent to him about you... forgetting he'd be watching the festival and seeing my teaching was inadequate!" Now the Symbol of Peace's whole world started to warp, his fear crawling from every inch of his body. "And then he went as far to using his old hero name when extending the offer, ugh! Scary! Too scary!" Then he slapped his thigh. "Dammit leg, stop shaking!"
"Oh wow, All Might is totally freaking out right now!" Izuku paled a bit, a little on edge himself.
Ciana thinks anything could scare this guy… It's funny how even top hero's get frightened at times, giggling at this display as well as Izukus reaction. "Well if he's a pro hero then there's not much to be anxious about especially if he will help you with your quirk Izuku." Her eyes on her hero with a smile.
"He sounds really cool too if he worked with All Might, I'm sure you'll do great with him." Izuku always surprises everyone with what he can do, knowing he will do the same towards Grab Torino.
Only deep shades of blue mixed with red overtook All Might's aura, bleeding fear and terror all at once, "So, anyway! It is my duty to train you! But, since he's extending the offer it's up to you if you want to work him if that's what your heart says! H-h-here's t-t-the a-a-address!" He crookedly held back a slip of paper, his world crumbling.
"Just how scary is this guy!?" The young couple fearfully thought, wondering what monster was All Might's teacher to put him on ice?
Taking a deep breath to relax himself, he finally addressed the two fully. "Right, putting that aside..." He leaned his head down a bit. "It's time we talked, as promised since the Sports Festival is over," This put the hairs on the back of their necks on edge, a single, glowing eye watching them closely. "About One For All, and... where it came from."
Ciana perked up with this, forgetting about what Zena had mentioned due to all the focus she's been doing for the festival. "Oh right! The thing Zena mentioned in my dream…" The name still left a lot of questions and still wondered what it meant.
"So… what is All for One anyways? Is it another power like One For All?" She asks with a tilt of her head, it's funny hearing how those two words are separated when it's supposed to go together as an encouraging phrase.
"Right... follow me, this is best to be spoken of in private," All Might ushered them along back down the halls as orange light filtered across them. Izuku stared at the note in his hand, then pocketed it as he and Ciana instinctively joined hands and followed their mentor.
The time had come at last.
[Transition]
Safe within a staff lounge, All Might debuffed, coughing into a rag before he sat down in front of them. Once things were quiet, he began. "The quirk you now have is unique, and...you should know its origin," His tone was firm, the situation was serious and they could feel it growing. "One For All is derived from another odd quirk, one that is very old,"
"It used to be something different?" Izuku's question had him and Ciana stare at each other, then back to All Might.
"The name of that quirk is... All For One, it allowed its user to take quirks from others, and they could keep those powers or give them to someone else," All Might revealed.
"What? You mean... he could steal powers?" The news was almost too much to properly digest, the idea was... frightening.
"This was back when quirks were just starting to show up, before society learned how to deal with the newly empowered among them, when quirks first appeared, it was impossible to say what it meant to be normal; laws and human rights were hotly debated, civilization's progress stalled, society decayed,"
"'If super powers had never appeared, then people would be taking interstellar holidays by this point', I remember hearing that from someone famous," Izuku recited.
Cianas eyes widened at this news, so it really is another power… now she can understand a little what Zena meant. "All For One will be watching… so that's what he meant…" she replied, crossing her arms as she stared down at her feet in thought. "A quirk that steals another quirk… if that's the case then who has that power?"
Though her eyes widened a little more when she realized something else. "Wait… I-I'm being targeted by another villain?!" This had Ciana stood up in shock, now realizing that someone who wants her power is watching also. Making the girl frightened two people are after her… and probably more by their helpers.
"Sit down, Young Finley, let me finish explaining," All Might eased with his hand as Izuku took hers tightly to coax her to sit.
Ciana blushed a little in embarrassment as she sat back down as he instructed. "S-sorry…" she quickly apologized, though connecting the dots still made her pretty shaken up.
"It's alright, now, during that chaotic period of change, there was one person who managed to rally many people together, he went by the name of his power, All For One. He stole quirks from others, and then, with his overwhelming abilities, he spread his influence across the country, he manipulated people and committed evil acts with little resistance. In the blink of an eye, he became the leader of villains and ruled over Japan," The hero's words, his very tone suggested nothing here was worth taking light of.
"I've seen plenty of rumours of this online, sure, but... isn't that just all made up? It isn't mentioned in our textbooks," Izuku had no idea what to think, if what All Might said is true, then... this man was the heart of all evil, he twisted all crimes made with quirks into the title of villain.
"Because it's the kind of shameful history that people would rather ignore; thing is, when someone has power they love showing it off to others," All Might shook his head slightly.
"But... how does this all tie in with One For All?" That was the last piece Izuku couldn't place, why bring up this boogieman of the past? What was the connection?
"I told you that All For One can give quirks to others, remember? He made people trust him or submit to his will by altering their abilities, but unfortunately, there were many poor souls that couldn't bear the burden of having their quirks taken and altered; they became like mindless living dolls incapable of speaking - just like the Nomu," That nail had finally sunken in. "Fortunately, some quirks evolved when they were passed on, and some even combined with other power sets,"
"This man had a quirkless younger brother, he was weak and sickly, but had a strong sense of justice, they couldn't be more different. It pained the young brother to see All For One's deeds and kept resisting him. And then, All For One transferred a quirk to his sibling, one that would allow him to stockpile power, we don't know if he took pity on his brother or just wanted to force him to submit,"
Then it hit Izuku, his eyes widened, "Don't tell me..."
"Yes, even when everyone thought he was quirkless, turns out he did have a quirk, though even he hadn't realized this to be the case, he had a useless power, that allowed him to pass on quirks!" All Might suddenly swung his arms wide. "And so, the Stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother's power! And that is how One For All came to be!"
"Wow… t-that's terrifying…" Ciana was very taken back by this guys origin and what he does with his power… her hand hovering over her mouth as she became frightened knowing this man wanted to use her as well. "I-I can see why you were shaken up by the name before…" her gaze went to her lap, Ciana is frightened enough knowing Zena wanted her but now another who is aware what she can do… it sounded like she is a time bomb waiting to go off…
"So… what does that apply to me…?" Her gaze went back up to her mentor in a clear frightened expression. "If… he is on the look out for me… would that mean me being here will put a greater risk of this world being doomed…?"
All Might didn't have an answer, not yet as he continued. Despite this culture shock to them both, All Might slumped in his stool. "I always found it ironic, that justice always spawns from evil."
"Wait, hold on! I understand how One For All came about now, but this villain must be long dead by this point... right?" He slowed gazed to Ciana who was frozen stiff. "Unless..."
"One who steals quirks has no limits, anything's possible, there are quirks that stop aging, he probably has something like that. The Symbol of Evil seemed pretty much immortal, with the state of the world at the time and the huge difference in their combat abilities, the younger brother sought to entrust this power to future generations. Even though he couldn't defeat All For One, he hoped that One For All would continue to grow in power until it was strong enough to stop his older brother,"
"And then it was my turn, and I managed to defeat All For One," But All Might wasn't smiling, covering his eyes in shame. "At Least... that's what I thought. I failed, and now he's back and has become the mind behind the League of Villains, even Meru Zena warned us of his return, I just... couldn't believe it myself, but I suppose I always knew it wasn't over, this ache in my chest wouldn't fade,"
All Might stood up to stare out the window, reflecting on everything. "All For One likely does not know of your quirk, what Meru Zena told you was likely a warning to be wary confronting the League of Villains in the future. Given the vast contrast in how yours and Zena's quirks appear, I doubt anyone could tell,"
Eyeing the top hero as Ciana listened to all he had to say, she wasn't sure if All For One was fully aware of her power or not. But if Zena warned her about this then it sounded like she's what he's looking for to succeed in his path. "I see…" Ciana replied, uncertain now what to do…
Ciana ended up slipping her hand in her backpack, taking out the Gatestone as her gaze went down to the item in hand in wonder… her eyes narrowing in concern what the right thing to do is for everyone. "Maybe if I just went home by now then I wouldn't have put this world at risk…" she says as she clutched the item in hand, now wondering if she should go home after all…
"W-what!?" Izuku choked on his own breath, frozen in place as his eyes lingered on the stone.
"I see, so you have a way back to your world?" All Might noted. His successor was clearly distraught, as All Might suspected, these two were much more than friends by his count, and so he understood Izuku's feelings on the matter. However, this was not their choice to make. "I wouldn't blame you, Young Finley, if you feel this is the right choice to make, no one can stop you,"
"All Might..." Izuku looked between the two most important people to him, his hands pulling at his trousers. He hated it, but All Might was right, he had no right to force Ciana to stay, even if he wanted to scream 'no' or find another way, there wasn't a thought that came to mind.
Moving to kneel before Ciana, he took the gatestone from her hand, inspecting it, "You've had a lot on your mind, more than who you are, Young Finley. You have friends that would defend you, a partner who cares deeply for you, and a teacher that is every bit as proud of you as he is his own successor," He smiled, handing it back to her and closing her hand around it while holding hers. "But you also feel guilt over altering this world with your presence, don't you?"
Her gaze looking back up to her mentor with sadness and guilt in her eyes, she nodded in response. "Yeah… I-I'm afraid the longer I stick around… the more of a mistake I'll become…" Ciana answered honestly, she did not want to leave all she loved behind. But… Ciana loved Izuku enough not to doom him as well, her gaze looked to Izuku with a very sad smile. At least she knew he would be fine without her… he had his own life without her…
"But let me ask you, if you return to your world, All For One will still be out to take One For All, that has remained his goal for years, every successor he has attempted to steal it from, my master and myself included. And while Meru Zena will lose his third piece to his plans, what is to say he won't try again on another? He has been alive since I was young, it is likely his quirk has extended his life beyond the norm as well, he will try again, and again until he succeeds," He squeezed her hand tightly. "I will not force my students to fight alone, if I can spare them of the past's mistakes I will, but there are forces I soon will be unable to fight,"
Ultramarine eyes met with sorrowful emerald, "Ciana Finley, your presence has altered this world's, even if only a bit; you have been met with dangerous villains, and it is likely events have changed. But you have also inspired your peers, the country and beyond with your grit and courage. Despite the threats and the impossible odds against you, I have had the honour of watching you begin your growth not just into an aspiring young hero, but a young woman who would put herself before others. And, I have seen the good you have brought to Young Todoroki, Young Bakugo, and especially Young Midoriya,"
"So hold your head high," She jerked a bit, surprised by his uplifting tone. "Dry your tears and look ahead. Fate is not set in stone, the destiny of this world is not in anyone's hands; if you allow yourself to continuously place blame of everything on yourself, you will only destroy what you've built. I implore you, even if you were to leave this world, nothing was ever your fault, not a single event was your doing," He finally let her go to decide on her own destiny.
Ciana kept her gaze on her mentor as she listened to all he said again, Ciana didn't think she did much but in their eyes she's done so much more for everyone… especially hearing the way her mentor praised her for her actions, the way All Might spoke reminded her of what her mother would probably say… Ciana loved everyone enough not to risk possibly bringing danger to everyone, but she never liked to be the type to run and hide again…
Her tears began to appear but done her best to hold them in as she clutched into the stone in hand, Ciana did not want to lose leaving the people she become so close to, she did not want to leave Izuku… glancing back at Izuku, despite having the urge to cry she still smiled. "I… I-I'll continue to do my best to stay strong… a-as long as I'm not a bomb waiting to go off…" she replied as she wiped away any upcoming tears that were slipping. "T-thank you Mr Yagi… for all that you said…"
Ciana will still keep the stone in case the time ever comes for her to use it to avoid more danger coming, it was hard to even think of the idea of leaving…
He relaxed a smile, resting a hand atop her head. "We are here alone, Young Finley, you can let your walls down if it'll help," He eyed his successor, his own eyes misty before giving him a nod.
"I won't ever force you to stay, Ciana... it would hurt, but... if you ever decide to... I'll support you, no matter what," Now Ciana could see Izuku's smile, the tears that threatened to break were a clear indication he didn't want her to leave, but he would never hold her back.
Ciana could still see this kind of decision is eating him up just like her, this was enough to let her tears fall. Immediately Ciana threw her arms around Izuku as she began to cry, she really didn't want to leave now after everything that's happened. Ciana can't bear the thought of never seeing Izuku again. "Y-your not getting rid of me that easily…" Ciana replied tearfully with a little smile.
"I-I'm not ready to go… not yet…" Ciana still had a lot to think about, but one thing she knew for sure is that she couldn't handle saying goodbye.
Izuku relaxed in her embrace, returning it tightly with his face against her shoulder. "Good... I don't want to be rid of you," He murmured.
While they shared this tender moment, All Might sat back down with a softer smile. "So, when did you two get so close? And to hide it from me for this long too," He teased.
"Hm…?" Ciana forgot for a moment that Mr Yagi was watching… her face becoming pink as she pulled away from Izuku a little with a flustered expression now, some tears still streaming down her cheeks a bit. "W-what do you mean? W-we always became pretty close since the beginning…" She replied bashfully, not like it was strange for friends to hug… right?
"C-Ciana, w-we're both terrible liars..." Izuku scratched his cheek as it slowly turned red.
"Look, I may not have had a committed relationship but I'm no stranger to it either; I think it's a great thing to see you two have grown so close together, having someone to confide in and make important decisions, like what we just discussed, is important," He noted quite maturely despite his teasing manner earlier. "But you have my word I won't say anything, but there is only so much using the excuse, 'just friends' can go, trust me, I've seen it far too many times,"
Ciana knew they weren't really good at hiding it… rubbing the back of her head very bashfully with a very shy smile now. "Y-yeah I know we're not too great at hiding it… p-people even expected we were a couple even back when we were just friends…" Ciana can't count how many asked if her and Izuku were a couple, many at the last school they were in and employees at the cafe… even the UA students saw more between them.
"It's n-not a bad thing, w-we just like to keep it private for as l-long as possible," Izuku stuttered a bit, gulping sharply. "But t-thank you for saying that, A-All Might,"
"It's no problem at all, my boy; but take what I've said to heart, communication is key, and you've both proven to have done as much so far," He stood up to ruffle both their heads. "No matter how the future looks, I only wish you two to be happy, either years to come or until you must part ways," It wasn't what anyone would want, but he wasn't going to lie to them. "Now, head on back to the dorms, you've got a long week ahead, and be sure to hand your forms in before Friday,"
"R-right!" She again nodded, her face very pink knowing the top hero is aware of their relationship. But despite him know she perked her smile back up, Ciana was starting to see why Izuku looked up to this man more… he's also a father figure to her hero.
"I-I'm sure going to miss everyone during the week… but hope this experience will help me become more stronger." The girl is still a little saddened to be separated from her friends for a while, but it's better than a month at least.