I am too scared to watch the final act of Arcane season 2; that last act really got to me, not because it wasn't good-it was, but because of just how much of a gut punch it was for all the characters involved, who, for the ones who seemingly acted randomly, I'm sure they have reasons that match their personalities, but dammit did things blow up(Again)

But I'll probably get to it over the festive month with family. Also, there'll be more time in the day for it since this would be the last chapter I upload for Path of Waves. Of course, I might find time to upload stuff, but not for any of my mainstream stuff but for the other stuff that has gone untouched for a while. I can't see myself adding more than two chapters a piece if even that.

Chapter 44: Offers and Names

"Caring for people when they need it. So would we be doing all that or something else?" Kendo asked as she could see the reasoning behind such a thing. Plenty of heroes had some pretty big agencies. Endeavor, for example, had a large tower in Tokyo. She wouldn't be surprised if he had space for that…okay, she would. Endeavour didn't seem the type, but he had the space and resources.

"I would assume that you'll be doing a mix, but it depends on the agency," Vlad told them before he pulled out a remote.

"So, with that explained, here are the totals of those who got offers." Vlad pointed the remote towards the board, pressing it to present the offers as they were counted that morning.

Class B No. of Offers

Midoriya: 3,941

Shiozaki: 3,231

Monoma: 1,195

Tetsutetsu: 848

Shishida: 619

Tsunotori: 278

Tokage: 97

Kendo: 58

Honenuki: 19

Seeing the offers and who got how much would have usually excited students. Still, now the class was more confused as they looked toward one name in particular. "Wait, that can't be right. How come Shishida's got so few offers?" Kaibara asked, didn't Shishida place 3rd? Shouldn't he have a similar number of offers as Shiozaki?

"And why did Monoma get so many? He was beaten in the first match." Tsuburaba asked. For someone who hardly lasted a minute, it was crazy that he got over 1,000 offers when someone who defeated three opponents got a little over half that.

"I would typically dispute that because heroes must have seen my worth," Monoma glared at the solid air user. Still, his frown remained as he looked back at the offer count. "But there is an issue with the amount of offers and to whom."

"Yeah, that's right. Shishida was like a beast in the festival; he even got further than me." Tsunotori noted, with Midoriya nodding his head in agreement. He was happy that he got so many offers, overwhelmed really, but it felt wrong to be happy when something had clearly gone wrong. Had the school not received all the offers? Did agencies make mistakes with the process of sending in offers?

"It's weird that I got any offers at all; I didn't exactly stick out during the festival," Honenuki commented, upset that he got so few, but he could admit that it was probably meant for those who made it to the finals, so his name, along with Tokage's and Kendo's, felt off.

"I didn't even know there were that many agencies. Sure, he won, but almost 4000 offers is nuts." Awase stated that many agencies were hard to picture, even when he tried to divide them across the country.

Shishida had felt disappointed, but he had expected that when he realized there would be a choice between him and his classmates. But that disappointment faded as he instead felt a sense of comradery from his classmates, those people who would have benefited and probably did from offers that could have gone to him going to them, being confused, concerned, and angry about such an occurrence on his behalf.

Shishida adjusted his glasses, but he couldn't hide his smile. "It's fine, everyone. I still received a substantial amount of offers, many of which must be from reputable agencies from which I can learn much."

Vlad was proud of his students and their strong moral compasses. Most spoke up while the silent nodded along with the rest. He had seen the results that morning during a faculty meeting, and he had been less than impressed with them as well, like the rest of the staff. However, they couldn't force the results to truly reflect the potential of their students. It seemed they wouldn't need to teach his class much on morality.

To get things back on track, the pro spoke up. "I won't pretend that this year was normal; it wasn't, as offers are generally more evenly spread. That said, just because you don't see your name up here doesn't mean you won't be doing it. For everyone else, you'll be picking off a school-created list of agencies." At his words, those who didn't get offers seemed to relax a little.

"As for you, Shishida, that is a good way of looking at this. Being able to stay optimistic is a beneficial trait for any hero." Vlad acknowledged him, wishing he could say that being a hero would be soothe sailing, but that would be false. He wished he could say that the world was a better place, but they wouldn't be needed now, would they? But he could teach them to always try and make it better, if not for them, then for those that followed.

"Still pretty impressive that you got so many offers, Midoriya." Tetsutetsu turned to Midoriya, who still seemed overwhelmed by the offers, muttering rapidly on which agencies could have sent offers, their recent achievements, personalities, whether they could work well together, and even whether they worked. It was fascinating that he could do all that, even if they couldn't catch a lick of sense from his words.

Koharu licked his cheek to bring his attention back to things as Midoriya gulped. "I…honestly don't know how I'll even begin to pick someone." He had known that Ryukyu would show interest; Hado-sempai said it all the time, but he wasn't expecting more than a hundred or two tops. How the heck was he supposed to handle this?

"Well, you'll have a lot easier time than I will. I didn't even crack 100 offers." Tokage leaned back into her seat.

"Yes, but before I hand out your offers, you're going to work on your hero names," Vlad told them. "Like I stated earlier, you'll be scouted by pros who want to assist in your growth, and while you won't be considered or treated as sidekicks, you'll still have some responsibilities. Because you'll be working with heroes at their agencies, it would only be appropriate if you also had code names."

"So we don't feel or seem like bigger unmatched pieces than we already are?" Kendo guessed.

"Correct, but remember 2 things about hero names. Hero names aren't official titles or anything like that, so you can change them if needed. But," Vlad's gaze got stronger. "Hero names are what the public first think of when they think of you as a pro, so if you pick out a bad one, you might be able to change it, but-"

"Good luck getting people to stop calling you the old name!" He was interrupted when someone slammed the door open; a familiar someone as the Rated-R hero: Midnight, walked in, her hands on her head and her mask raised.

"The names you pick now can easily end up being the ones you'll be using for your entire careers, so let's make sure that we put on our thinking caps and come up with great ones, boys and girls!" She told them as she strutted into the room, and while this wasn't the first time she had done so, Midoriya's face still went red as he looked at her, the same with some others.

And why wouldn't they? Midnight was one of the most stunning heroines in Japan and could be considered one of the sexiest heroines in the world. Her form might have leaned more into supermodel than a trained fighter, but she had long since mastered making that work like a Swiss-made watch. It wasn't just her base appearance but her poise, confidence, and bright blue eyes that could enrapture you with a glance and seemingly read all there was to them.

All of it just made it impossible for most to not turn their heads when she walked up. They had the luck to have such a person as their teacher, and Izuku was always grateful for that, even if she loved to tease him when he said something that could be turned lewd.

"Midnight?" several of his classmates asked, as they loved to see her as a person, a heroine, and a person, but they didn't have a class with her yet.

Vlad explained to them as his colleague strolled up to the front, putting some sway into her hips, which he had long since stopped caring for. "She's the one in charge of aiding first years like you, I would, but my tastes for names tend to be rather bland." That said, he stepped aside for the dark-haired woman to take his spot at the podium.

"Thank you, Vlad, I can handle them from here." Midnight winked at him, which got a grunt from her fellow pro and intense blushes from some of his students, who he knew wished to be in his spot. "But you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Vlad King is basic, yes, but it's fitting, and you at least came up with it yourself." Oh yes, she loved to give Eraser grief about how he just let Present Mic pick his hero name for him as even as a student, his now colleague was too lazy to put in the effort.

Turning to the students, her smile both aroused and scared them as it was playful, seductive even, but her eyes held something else, a steel that made it clear as it did every time they saw her that she took her job seriously, both as a heroine and as their teacher. They had learned the hard way from people goofing off in her classes earlier in the semester that she wasn't one to tolerate stuff, and getting punished by Midnight only sounded fun; it wasn't for those that had to run laps around the track field till she was satisfied they had learned their lesson.

"As entertaining as it would be to see history repeat, I'm here to see that it doesn't, so let's put on our thinking caps, boys and girls." She told them, an eagerness to her. "Though before we can get to the fun part, we must set some rules."

"Take what you think you know about hero names much like you think about pleasing your partner in bed, and toss that into the trash. What you see online is largely performative and unrealistic." The way she licked her lips made it clear what she was referencing when she worded it like that, making most of them red as they felt a little embarrassed for being called out for it.

'Does she have to phrase it like that?' They thought to themselves, with only Shiozaki unaffected by the mass embarrassment. Still, they could have expected that from her as she seemed confused about the innuendo.

Midnight, as usual, moved on before they could adapt, leaving them playing catch up. "Your hero names don't need to be cool, bad-ass, sexy, or whatever word you want to describe them. First and foremost, they need to embody your image."

"Our image?" Komori asked, to which she turned a smile to the mushroom-loving girl, her eyes softening just a little.

"The type of hero you want to be, the goals you have, what you want to achieve." Midnight explained, though that just left more confusion.

"Wait, aren't those two last things the same?" Tsunotori asked, wondering if she had just misread or was missing something about the Japanese language here.

"In this line of work, not at all." Midnight laughed, as that was part of why she loved it. "A goal, I suppose, for us, is the final destination; think of it as the final boss of a game, but achievements are things you get along the way. For example, when I decided on the name Midnight, I wished to become a top hero and save as many as I could. Still, I also wanted to freely express myself and help others learn to be more comfortable in their skin and accept that in others."

As she spoke, she posed suggestively for them, attention going to her long, powerful legs up her slim waist and towards her plump top, her dark hair as wild as she was, more a man than anything. Still, despite that, she didn't have an ounce of shame. While some like Shiozaki, Monoma, and Kendo wished she acted with more tact around them, this was just what one could expect from Midnight, who often advocated for minority rights and freedom of expression of one's true self.

Even her vitriolic critics couldn't dismiss that she was a force for good, and she would readily defend her statements and beliefs against such. When a conservative parent rights group called her everything but a slut, she met them for a delivered debate in a bikini of all things and shattered through their arguments about her 'leading their daughters to sin and teenage parenthood.'

Oddly enough, that had been one of the few appearances Midnight made that his mother could watch without getting as uncomfortable with him being there, though that was just proof that her actions and words debunked any ill-moral accusations thrown her way.

Her point made, Midnight continued to explain things by deciding to use an example. "Not just that, but a name needs to tell something about that. Take the names 'All Might' or 'Endeavour'. What do you think of when you hear those two off the top of your head." She used the remote to change the board from their offers to a picture of All Might; taken from the ground, he soared overhead, mid-jump with his iconic smile.

"Safety." Kendo was the first to speak up.

"Power." Kamakiri went next.

"Peace," Tokage added.

"He works hard to ensure that he saved everyone," Midoriya said, and to all of that, got a nod of approval from Midnight as she then switched it to a picture of Endeavour; around him was a bunch of low-level villains, but they outnumbered the number two 15 to 1.

"Perseverance." Honenuki offered up the first statement.

"Effective through competence and diligence." Yanagi went second.

"A bane to villains and evil-doers." Kuroiro went last before Midnight took down both images, with the students realizing what she meant.

"And that, by little cuties, is the power of a hero name. It can say so much in so little." Midnight told them, with the students now thinking about it, that Midoriya was no exception as he had never considered such a thing. Was it because of what they did? No, that wouldn't work. Their names had weight because of their actions, but they chose those names to reflect their actions as well.

One could say Endeavour was not All Might, and you'll be correct, but All Might wasn't Endeavour. One was an enforcer of the law, the other the protector of the innocent; it was just by the nature of their work that they stepped into the other's domain but could never master it. Villains feared All Might, but that was just because he was the strongest. Endeavor was feared because he hunted them like a predator hunted its prey and wasn't gentle about captures or take-downs. Meanwhile, Endeavour, being in the area, didn't instill the same peace of mind that All Might did.

The same could be said for Ryukyu or a hero like Mirko. Ryukyu was kind, compassionate, gentle, and a steadfast protector of people. It was why she saved him and continued to help him on his journey. Her hero name referred to dragons to symbolize that role as a benevolent guardian, even though she looked more like a Western dragon known as a monster.

Conversely, Mirko was a rabbit, but she was nothing like what one would picture. Cute, fluffy, harmless, weak- words that didn't describe Mirko. She was a brawler, a fighter who could disk out some of the hardest hits in the business, take punishment just as well, and never lose that battle-crazed smile. She wasn't abrasive with fans like Endeavour was. Still, if she had to pick between a charity event and fighting 30 thugs with one arm tied behind her back, well, the hospital would need to prep 30 beds. Then, she'd show up for the charity event to give self-defense tips.

'But what name do I want?' Midoriya asked himself, stopping just long enough to receive the whiteboards Bondo handed him over his shoulder and passing them back bare one. Looking at the blank canvas, he wondered if that represented him; representing all of them as their hero name would be the first thing people thought about when it came to them through their careers, even after they retired.

Thinking back, he had come up with plenty of hero names when he was younger and still ran around their apartment in his All Might onesie when he wasn't out playing. But while Midnight implied that they would have picked edgy or 'bad-ass' names for the sake of sounding cool, his previous suggestions had been anything but, all being in some way related to his idol, All Might. But now things had changed.

He wasn't the same kid he used to be, and All Might wasn't his only idol now. He saw Ryukyu in a good, or better light, as the number one hero. All Might had always been the picture of a true hero to him, Kach…Bakugo was the example of strength that he knew. Still, Bakugo had turned into something so far from good it hurt to think about it, and All Might rejected him just like so many before him when he saw his authentic self.

Ryukyu didn't; she was a hero from afar and a true hero when he meant her. She was a blazing symbol of kindness and hope that made him feel…normal for the first time in years, and that helped him make progress toward achieving his dreams. He owed it all to her, to her inherent kindness and compassion. He wanted to give thanks for that kindness, but then he just ran into the same problem he had as a kid; all the names that came to mind were just versions of Ryukyu.

"I've never been the most creative at the best of times; how am I supposed to handle picking something this important?" He whispered, only Koharu hearing him as she nuzzled up to him, licking his cheek. She reminded him they came up with names for his techniques just fine, even if that took longer than he would ever tell others. A glance around saw that others seemed eager to write something down if only a few later wiped the board clean to write something new.

So, he turned to his whiteboard and tried to figure out a name before Midnight clapped her hands. "All right, that was enough time for some first drafts, " she stated. Midoriya's eyes shot to the clock, and seeing that 10 minutes had passed, how did he not notice? Crud, what was he supposed to do? He hadn't gotten any closer than when they started.

"Wait, we have to present them?" Fukidashi asked.

"To the entire class." Kendo finished the worrying thought as yes, they knew that they would need to be open about it, but these were names that could need to be worked on and adjusted, and the last thing anyone wanted was to show an idea that could come back to bite them in the ass. Midnight raised an eyebrow when no one rose to the challenge, as she always found it odd, if not fascinating, how teens worked. These kids could fight one another on a global stage and face off against villains but couldn't beat the idea of being made fun of by their peers.

Truly, one's teenage years were odd, but right as she was about to call someone at random, someone worked up the courage. The person happened to be Kodai, who walked up to the podium, holding her whiteboard to her chest before she calmly presented it to the class.

Size Hero: Ultra-Girl

"Ultra-Girl? Why'd yer pick that?" Kamakiri asked.

"I like Ultra-man." Her deadpan answer seemingly broke through whatever tensions and nerves they were, as the students couldn't help but laugh at how odd Kodai could be in the best of ways. She was reserved at the best of times, rarely spoke, and emoted even less, but if there was one fact they all knew about her by now, it was her love for all things Ultra-man. It was one of the few things that could get her to smile, though one would need to squint to see it.

However, as amusing as that was, Midnight had to shut things down. "Well, it's not a bad name, but I hate to break it to you, but you can't use that. A few pros already have names with 'Ultra' in it, and seeing what your costume looks like, you could face legal issues for using the likeness." Pros had a lot of leeway, but companies didn't care if you were a sidekick or a top hero when it came to IP protections.

"Boo." Kodai erased the Ultra-Girl part of her name and returned to her seat to workshop another.

"Excuse me, but could I present my choice?" Shishida asked.

"Of course, Shishida, the floor is yours." She stated as the fur-covered teen walked up to the front.

"It might be a little crude, but it seems like the name that fits me," Shishida stated before he presented his choice.

Apocalypse Beast

Midnight hummed when she saw it, and others also thought that it wasn't a bad choice in itself, but there was something…off about it. "It's not a bad name, but it doesn't feel like it would fit you and your personality." She noted that Shishida was one of the most level-headed and polite people in his class, so the idea that he could be associated with something as extreme as the apocalypse felt more like an insult.

"Well, I do tend to be a little...wilder when I use my quirk," Shishida explained. He wasn't as bad as when he was younger, but he did tend to have far fewer inhibitions when fully transformed, which could make him reckless and much more aggressive.

"True, but perhaps you need to find a name that captures both sides of you, the primal nature beast and the refined nature of a man." Midnight told him as he nodded and returned to his seat. Next up was Kamakiri.

"Well, he can have the simple names, but I'll take something with some weight to it." The mohawk-wearing teen presented his choice

Jack Mantis

"Oh, that does pack some weight. Mysterious but also dangerous." Midnight complimented, to which he smiled and let out a pleased grunt.

'Oh man, that name sounds so damn bad-ass, how the heck am we gonna match it?' People thought Monoma was the next to take to the podium, as confident as ever.

"Well, considering the choice that came before me, I feel it's right that I, too, throw my hat into things." Monoma presented his choice.

Phantom Thief

"Oh, a play on your quirk, your showmanship and scheming nature?" Midnight guessed as Monoma took a bow.

"You're correct on all fronts, Midnight-sensei." He replied, to which she chuckled at his response. Monoma wasn't the most popular, but he was one of the few who could work with that and perfect the heel role.

"Well, don't get too big a head; otherwise, you'll give yourself neck pains." She warned him as Monoma smiled before he returned to his seat. Tetsutetsu was the next to take to the podium, marching up with a sense of purpose.

Once he got there, he placed his whiteboard down.

Real Steel

"Oh, that's tough, rugged and reliable. Those qualities fit you to a tee, Tetsutetsu, but is that a call back to the American hero, Steel Forged Hero: Kypton?" Midnight asked, which got a shark-toothed grin from Tetsutetsu, as he rarely met people who even remembered the guy.

"Yeah, he's an old one, but I used to watch his fights all the time while growing up," Tetsutetsu confirmed, as the man was a pro from the days when All Might was still a young and-comer and retired before he was even born, but his dad had saved clips of his glory days, which he watched religiously growing up. Seeing someone act as a shield for those who stood behind him, unbreaking even when villains brought literal rockets, only made him manlier.

"It's great that you're inspired by him, but that means you need to work even harder as it's not just your name on the line now." Midnight warned him, to which Tetsutetsu was more than up to the challenge. Taking the podium next was Tsunotori, who happily presented what she had come up with.

Rocketti

"Oh, what an adorable name!" Tsunotori blushed at her teacher's praise but smiled all the same. She gave a v-for-victory and returned to her desk, Tokage replacing her at the podium.

Lizardy

"Simple and cute." Tokage was quite smug with it as she walked back to her seat.

Midoriya watched others go up, each with names that fit so well, while he was still trying to figure it out. As the number of people left decreased, that worry only worsened as he couldn't figure out a name; how was he supposed to? if he could talk to his friends, maybe they could give him ideas, though knowing Tokage, she would probably say something along the…

'That's it!' Midoriya smiled as he quickly went to work writing what he had on his mind in record time; once Awase was done, Midoriya quickly stood before anyone else could and skipped to the front.

"You seem eager." Midnight laughed as Midoriya seemed more eager than anyone else thus far.

"I am because I have the perfect name, " he replied as he flashed a bright smile, his cheeks still red. His embarrassment was buried by excitement as it showed off what he had selected, which caused some confusion from the class, a raised eyebrow from Monoma, and a stunned blush from Tokage.

Midnight was also interested in the name but didn't let that show. "Care to explain the rhyme?"

Midoriya rocked back and forth on his heels. "I have been called a lot of stuff since my quirk in, plenty of terrible and mean things, and they hurt…they hurt a lot." He admitted his joy dampened when she recalled those days, but that sadness was replaced with deep gratitude and cheer. "But then someone, well two someones, helped me see that I wasn't the problem. I loved that I could be myself and be proud of that fact. I love them for that act of kindness because it's why I'm still here and not living at a temple or prison."

At this, those who knew him wondered about what his life was really like. They had known that his time before U.A. was rough and that he didn't have friends close to his age for a while, but why would he have been thrown into prison? He was the nicest guy they'd ever met; he could hardly swear. Was it the fire thing? He explained that all the time and that he never meant harm, even when he was enraged at the USJ; Shiozaki and Tsuburaba recalled that his giant fuck-up off attack would have left lasting injuries.

Midnight and Vlad were the only ones there who had more context, as did the rest of the staff who got his complete file and written statements from Ryukyu about her ward. And safe to say, she was grateful to the humble dragon for stepping in, her and that bubbly Hado who couldn't stop asking questions. Vlad was also relieved but also angry that it took a literal hero stumbling onto the kid to get him the help and care he needed. Did people need pros to do everything for them these days? Where was that human compassion?

Midoriya, ignorant of these thoughts in others, continued, his smile stretching wider as even Koharu seemed pleased with how well things turned out for them. "Because of that, I met someone that gave a nickname that didn't hurt, that came from a place of affection and compassion, and I…well, it feels right to use it, to take that kindness, all the kindness that was shown to be and pay it forward." Midoriya looked up, his eyes bright in hope, cheer, and will. "I want to be the kind of person to others that they were to be."

"That's why I picked this name." He tapped the board.

Infernal Hero: Hebimi.

Midnight couldn't help herself. She let out an aww as she hugged the boy, leaving him stumbling, his face red as a tomato. "Oh, that is so sweet! I didn't know you were in love with Tokage."

"W-what?!" He blurted out; he didn't say anything about love!

"Well, that is one weird way to give a love confession," Monoma noted, which got him a look of shock from Midoriya and betrayal as he was supposed to help him clear the air, not muddy it!

"I-it wasn't a l-love confession." Midoriya yelped, but Midnight wasn't letting him go, and her…chest was rubbing too close, making him redder as he struggled to remain awake as he had already started to let out steam like a kettle

"So, you don't love me? I thought we were friends." Tokage shed a crocodile tear as others seemed to take far too much amusement out of this for his liking!

"W-we are, b-but…I want to change my name!" Midoriya cried, looking towards their teacher, who had fought for them and even suffered injuries to protect them at the USJ.

Only to see Vlad barely succeeding in keeping his laughter in check. Koharu found that the funniest reaction out of them all. "You're not helping, Koharu!" Midoriya told her.

"Nope, that's perfect, so return your seat." Midnight finally released him as he turned to her, hopeful that she would change her mind. But she had that look in her eye, the one that said she was having far too much fun. So dejected, he slumped back to his desk, where he collapsed into it like water, his head smacking his desk as he let out a despondent groan.

"Don't worry, I love you too, Hebimi." Tokage's head came to rest on his head, Midoriya vaguely aware that she would have to detach it to make the distance from her seat.

'Maybe this was a mistake.' He thought to himself.

Eventually, despite how much fun everyone had at his expense, they got through hero names as everyone created one their art teacher approved of. "Now that we're done with that, you should take some time to look through your internship options. They'll last a week, and the agencies will handle your accommodation. However, I would suggest you don't pick ones you'll be uncomfortable with." Vlad explained as Midnight stretched her arms, pleased they finished this faster than normal.

"Remember to take into account what the heroes and their agencies handle. Thirteen, for example, is a rescue specialist, Wash is a wizard when it comes to children-related stuff, and Edgeshot is a ninja, so you can expect to be handling stuff away from the camera with him." Midnight explained, which seemed to make sense; not all heroes were made the same after all.

"Like I said, just because you didn't receive offers doesn't mean you'll be stuck here or at home; the school has a list of 40 agencies that have been vetted and who have agreed to take on anyone who wants to sign up. They're located all over Japan and focus on various aspects of hero work, so you have a broad selection." Vald helps up one of those standard lists.

"Okay, but what about that? It got less than 40," Honenuki asked since his number of offers was small.

"You can speak with one of the staff later on if you'd like to see the school-created lists." Vlad started as the lists were passed to the students; those who didn't get any got the school one, while those who did got their personalized ones, with those who got in the hundreds getting folders instead of a couple sheets of paper. Tetsutetsu was given a folder with 21 pages, and those above him had even thicker ones.

The bell started to ring as the students just started to look through what they had. "And there's the bell; think carefully about this, as this isn't something you can mess around with. You'll have until Wednesday's homeroom to make your choice, but if you decide earlier than that, you can hand it to me or your class reps, who will deliver it to me or admit it."

"We just got 2 days?" Awase asked as that seemed like too little time, especially for those who had literal pages to sort through.

"That should be plenty of time; think of it as part of your training, as heroes need to be patient and thoughtful enough to gather evidence but decisive to not waste time," Vlad told them as he stepped through the door.

"Good luck, I know you'll do great!" Midnight gave one last word of encouragement before she closed the door behind them. Midoriya was looking through the list as he left them, which he realized was organized according to the agency leader's rankings. Because of that, while he saw that Ryukyu was on the first page, the name at the top of the list stood out to him.

Endeavour Hero Agency.

'He sent me an offer?' Midoriya asked himself, as his interaction with the man hadn't been bad…just off. Was this about his son? He did as he said he would and what he wanted from him; he fought Todoroki with all he had; it wasn't his fault that he didn't use his flames. But thinking about that match just made him feel complicated as he also saw that Todoroki was unhappy, but he hadn't been able to figure it out since, even messaging Tsu about it gave little as Todoroki wasn't close to anyone, and she could only guess that he had a chip on his shoulder involving his father.

'This would need some thought.' He thought as he looked at the name before dreading considering the rest of the 98 pages.

By the time lunch came, some had made progress in their selections as Tetsutetsu was looking for someone who could help teach him about urban combat; Tokage was eager to improve her scouting skills and kept an eye out for agencies that could aid with that, Monoma and Kendo were out for agencies that were all-rounders as their quirks didn't have inherent strengths or weaknesses. But such were outliers as the rest were still trying to figure it out.

"I don't know what I want," Tsunotori complained as they sat at their table, having already grabbed their food or their packed lunch. The group was still discussing their possible choices, and Pony was undecided on whether she wanted rescue or combat.

"Well, we have time to decide, so you can head home and sleep on it," Kendo replied as she took a bite of her food.

"I, as well, am undecided about whether I should seek an agency that can train me on gentle methods of fighting or rescue and recovery, " Shiozaki said, placing her peanut and jelly sandwich down; the girl always packed the humblest of lunches.

Midoriya passed her some of his Saba Shioyaki and Katsudon, the vine-haired girl who wanted to refuse, but Midoriya kept pushing it closer. "Hero training burns calories." He told her before he went back to consuming from the second bowl of both he had, Koharu snacking on some prime meat Lunch Rush had lying around.

The rest of the table hardly bat an eye at Izuku's odd dietary choices. "Well, I decided on the hero I wanted to go with." Uraraka started as she continued to eat her bowl of white rice.

"And who is that? It's probably someone rescue-focused, right?" Tetsutetsu asked, his bowl of beef stew and spinach half-finished.

"I thought so, too, but I decided to focus more on learning how to fight and be more well-rounded. So I picked Gunhead." Uraraka stated, which was a real surprise as Gunhead was all about combat. The table, the same group from the Sports festival, continued to chat about who they wanted and what they could do if they hadn't already chosen an agency. Still, there was a bit of a cloud hanging over them.

Iida.

He was seated with them, and when directly addressed, he did answer. He even seemed to be in a better mood. But not a single one of them bought it. Even someone as dense as Tetsutetsu could tell that he wasn't okay, but they didn't know how to address it. They had told him more than once he could be straight with them, but Iida had just smiled and told them he appreciated their words before continuing to bottle up his emotions.

Midoriya looked at Asui, recalling their earlier talk. She nodded at him, and Midoriya turned to Iida. "Iida, can we speak for a moment?"

"Oh?" Iida paused in his meal, looking up and seeing just how serious Midoriya was right now, an oddity as he was typically much more jovial and relaxed when it was time to eat. Looking around, he saw that the others weren't speaking up, and to avoid the tensions at the table getting worse, he decided to just go along with it. "Of course."

"Follow me." Midoriya got up, his half-finished meal forgotten as he led Iida away, out of the cafeteria and into the lonely halls of the school. Iida would have thought they would talk outside, but Midoriya led them further away, even taking the stairs to the next floor before stopping in the middle of the hallway, his back to the glass wall that gave a view of the courtyard.

"It's about your brother." Midoriya cut straight to the heart of things, which only made Iida all the more frustrated; how many times did he have to do this song and dance?

"Midoriya, I've already said—" Midoriya held up his hand, silencing the speedster and angering him. Still, Midoriya's sincere yet passionate eyes gave him pause.

"Please let me speak, Iida. I don't want to say I'm sorry if it happened or hope he gets well…well, I do, but I already and," Midoriya shook his head before he could get anymore sidetracked. "Never mind that! I wanted to help him get better."

"Get better? Midoriya, his injuries aren't so simple." Iida frowned at him; whatever gesture he had planned was cute and admirable, but it would be fruitless. His brother had been seen by the best doctors their family could get, and not a single one of them gave them hope that his injuries could be healed.

"I know, but I can still help." Midoriya was insistent as Iida broke decorum and openly glared at him.

"How?"

Midoriya hardly flinched under the intense anger; he was used to seeing it and so much more in others. Besides, this was one of the few times that anger wasn't at him but in defense of something that helped make it easier for his stomach to get looked at by a friend. "My fire. It can burn stuff, but it also heals."

"Midoriya, that's impossible," Iida stressed, reaching for his glasses as he had always known that Midoriya was an oddball, a well-meaning oddball but an oddball nonetheless.

His response got Midoriya to double down. "No, it's not. I heal myself every time I use my quirk; how else do you think I make a new body each time I change?" he asked, which gave Iida pause. Like everyone else, he assumed his quirk made him immune to his flames, or at least highly resistant, and that his transformation was much like everyone else's. It was impossible…wasn't it?

Midoriya gestured towards the snake, which happily continued to punch on her pork. "I even used it to heal Koharu a while back, and you saw I healed Uraraka during the entrance exam."

Iida recalled that and was back on her feet in a few minutes, but a sprained ankle was child's play compared to what the monster did to Tensei. "She had only sprained her ankle, and my brother…my brother's suffered spinal damage; he's paralyzed from the waist down." He breathed out, frustration and grief thick on his breath as Midoriya gently grasped his larger hands in his eyes; Iida looked at his face and saw his smile, small but genuine, while his eyes were bright and compassionate.

"So was Koharu; she was attacked by a weasel, and it broke her spine in a few spots, and yet look at her now," He told him, Iida detecting no lies or over-exaggeration in his voice. "If you don't trust that I can do it, we can speak to Recovery Girl after school, and she can confirm it."

"Can… you really help my brother?" Iida asked, not wanting to hope again, only to be disappointed, but his heart couldn't deny it.

Midoriya brought him close and gave him a hug, laying his head on his chest. "I'll do all I can to make sure he's back on his feet." He soothed him, as he wasn't the best with words, but he was well-versed when it came to showing honesty and compassion through actions. Hado, Ryukyu, and his mother did stuff like this all the time when he was overwhelmed.

Such a move seemed to work as Iida started to sniff, tears building in his eyes as he removed his glasses to quickly wipe them away. "Okay…okay, fine. I'll call my mother to explain things and see if we can get permission from her, and we'll speak with Recovery Girl after school." Iida stated that this seemed like a stretch, but his heart wanted to give his friend a chance, to give his brother a chance to recover what Stain had taken from him.

Midoriya stepped back, his smile even more prominent than before. "You won't be disappointed."

And we are done! The last chapter of the year, man, was a long one. I wanted to get that last bit with Iida, and I think I handled it pretty well. I also got to play into how Izuku is unique in how he displays affection. Before any of you ask, no, he has no romantic feelings for Iida; Izuku just is very physical in how he shows affection, and considering the people he looks up to, it would only be more apparent that he would take cues from them, which is not anything wrong.

To balance out some of the more emotional stuff, we have the thing with his hero name, which is similar to what happens in canon, but here, more people would have an idea of why such a name would carry so much weight on him. it also serves as a good chance to have Midnight and Tokage team up to tease him about it, as you can't tell me she wouldn't; this is a woman who loves to use innuendoes and lewd subtext to mess with people.

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