My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 42: A Ruined Friendship
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
"Congratulations!" Hironaka cheered for Kendo and Ojiro in the wake of their victory. She rushed over to them and hugged them both with a big smile on her face. Both of them had earned the privilege of becoming Open Palm's apprentices; though she had desired it herself, Kana was happy for them as she knew there was so much they could learn from the blind master martial artist.
Kendo merely smiled at her classmate's enthusiasm and joy for her and Ojiro, but Ojiro's face turned red. Kana was so close to them with the biggest smile on her face, appearing like an innocent happy child. It was truly no wonder why the males of Class 1-B fawned over her.
"Er, thanks, Hironaka," Ojiro replied. Open Palm chuckled as he sensed Ojiro's nervousness of being around the belle of Class 1-B.
"All of you," Open Palm addressed. "Whether you won or lost today, you've all done very well. Do not take these losses as wounds, take them as lessons on where you need to improve. Now I must ask that you leave; I wish to speak with Ojiro and Kendo before they go, so Hironaka, please let them go."
"Okay!" she replied happily before releasing them and leaving with the others. Ojiro and Kendo then sat down with Open Palm.
"We're both honored to be chosen as your apprentices, sir," Kendo addressed Open Palm. "And I apologize for Onkyo's behavior earlier."
"No need for formality for now," Open Palm casually responded. "You both did very well today. As for Onkyo, those were his choices, not yours. But enough about him; I have something I wish to discuss with you." He then proceeded to explain them staying with him in place of their internships so he could get a head-start on their training. He made sure to bring up that Eraser Head and Vlad King had agreed to it, but it was ultimately their decision of when they'd want to start.
"Mr. Suzukaze," Kendo answered. "I'm honored to be your apprentice, but I don't want to miss out on an internship. I'd like to be out there with an actual Pro Hero…no offense."
"None taken," Open Palm responded. "I understand: the internships are a good opportunity for you to gain field experience. That's why I made sure to gain permission from your teachers first, but the decision remains yours. Don't feel like you're offending me if you choose to go somewhere else for an internship instead of remaining here." He then turned to Ojiro.
"What do you think?"
"I…I'm not sure," Ojiro responded. "I'd at least like to look over any internship offers I have before agreeing to this. When do I have to give my answer?"
"The same date when your internship choices are due," Open Palm answered. "But as I said, I won't be offended if you choose to do an internship with someone else."
"Aren't we starting training today?" Kendo asked.
"I already have plans, actually," Open Palm answered. "We'll begin training as soon as we can. But just remember, I'll have no hard feelings if you choose to go somewhere else rather than come here for your internships."
Both Ojiro and Kendo were rather conflicted about what to do. Despite Kendo stating earlier that she wished to go to an agency for her internship, she couldn't deny that she was tempted to stay with Open Palm and train with him. Learning from Open Palm was a great privilege, one she had earned, but one could argue that it was a rather inopportune time. As Open Palm said, it was her choice where she went and she had until the internship due date to decide.
As for Ojiro, he felt that being with Open Palm was his best option. Unlike his friend, Raionhato, he hadn't made it to the Tournament nor made enough of an impression to earn internship offers. As far as he knew, he faded into the background in contrast to his other classmates who had made it into the Tournament. Odds are, he'd received no internship offers other than the 50 expected ones.
"You have time to think about it," Open Palm replied. "So I suggest you start thinking. You can go when you wish."
Kendo and Ojiro departed from the dojo, reflecting on their choice. Would they go do an internship at a hero agency or train with Open Palm? Either way would be to their benefit, though Kendo leaned towards doing the internship while Ojiro felt being with Open Palm was his best option.
"Dammit!" Kaze groaned as he walked home. Once again, he had lost to Onkyo; even without the use of their Quirks, Onkyo still outmatched him. If he couldn't defeat Onkyo without his Quirk, then he felt that there was no debate concerning himself: he was still weak. He still lacked the strength to become the Pro Hero he desired to be.
Despite winning 5th Place in the Entrance Exam, he felt he hadn't accomplished much since then. He had lost to Onkyo twice, had failed to win the Sports Festival, and what made it worse for him was that Raionhato exceeded him in the Entrance Exam and making it to the Sports Tournament. He could handle losing to Onkyo, but being exceeded by Raionhato was something that made his blood boil.
However, the anger in his body was subsided by regret when he realized he was walking by a cemetery. It wasn't just any cemetery, it was where Anzu Yamashita was buried after she was killed seven years ago. Memories start to flow back.
A four-year-old Kaze Yonaka sat in the preschool room by himself. Everyone else was playing or making friends, but Kaze wasn't one of them. His shyness and timidity kept him away from everyone else. All he could do was sit in the corner, looking at a wooden dog he had picked up.
"Hey!" a young girl's voice addressed Kaze. The Shadow Flash user looked up to see two of his classmates. One was a young girl with red hair, blue eyes and a big smile on her face; the other was a young boy with dark brown hair and amber eyes.
"What're you doing here all by yourself?" she asked Kaze. "What's your name?"
"K-Kaze…Yonaka," he answered timidly.
"Kaze Yonaka," Anzu repeated before smiling again. "Nice to meet you! I'm Anzu Yamashita, daughter of the Pro Hero, Rebound! And this is my friend, Takeo Raionhato, son of Lioness and Paladin!"
"Hey," Takeo greeted, awkwardly extending his hand to Kaze.
Anzu Yamashita, the girl who reached her hand out to him and offered him friendship. He could never forget the bright smile she had, the immense enthusiasm she gave off, and the kindness and bravery she displayed, just like her father. He could never forget her.
"My Quirk manifested!" Anzu cheered excitedly. One of the preschoolers had just thrown a wooden toy across the room, which almost hit Takeo. However, Anzu quickly stepped in front of him to grab it; instead, her eyes lit up and the toy went flying across the room. Takeo and Kaze could just stare in amazement at how Anzu's Quirk worked.
"Awesome!" Takeo cheered.
Weeks later, Takeo and Kaze's Quirks manifested. Kaze hoped for something as amazing as Anzu's, but his Shadow Flash felt like nothing compared to Anzu's Reflection.
"All I can do is store stuff away," Takeo spoke with some disappointment after his Quirk manifested. He had hoped to gain a lion-like Quirk from his mother, but he had instead inherited his father's.
As for Kaze, his Quirk had manifested as well, allowing him to teleport in black puffs of smoke. Similar to Takeo, he harbored disappointment over the Quirk he received, hoping for something flashy and combat-oriented.
Whack. Whack.
"Ow!" the two boys groaned after Anzu smacked them in the back of their heads.
"Stop whining," she scolded them. "Your Quirks could do amazing things. Takeo, look at your dad. That's his Quirk you have and yet he's the #18 Hero. You've seen how strong and brave he is, even in the face of great danger. You said it yourself, he's your hero." She then turned to Kaze.
"And you? How many lives has your father saved with that Quirk? How many innocent people are alive because of your father's Quirk? Heroes aren't made by the Quirks they have, they're made by how they choose to use them."
Ever since then, Takeo and Kaze held onto Anzu's words to push them to train with their Quirks. Takeo took up weapons like Paladin and Kaze started training similar to his own father, Shadowfox. They remembered Anzu's words every day when they trained: Quirks don't make heroes.
Later, they met Satoshi Gijutsu, and the four of them became very close friends. They played together, laughed together, aspired together; Anzu even dreamed of one day starting a Hero Agency with the four of them. She was always the optimist…always the person who brought the group together. He couldn't help but admire her…until that horrible day.
"Leave him alone!" Anzu told the bully who was picking on Kaze, both of them now in elementary school. Kaze was on the floor, having been pushed by the bully for refusing to give him lunch money.
"You stay out of this!" the bully growled, but Anzu didn't back down and glared at the bully. She stared him down for several moments before he finally backed down, so she turned to help her friend up to his feet.
"Thanks, Anzu," Kaze thanked.
"Any time, Kaze," Anzu replied. "What are friends for?"
It all happened so fast. Kaze saw the bully rushing to Anzu while her back was turned, his fist raised to punch her. Kaze's mouth wouldn't move as the fist came closer and closer, hoping that Anzu would catch on and reflect the attack right back at him.
But she didn't catch it.
That horrible day…the day she died because of him. Had he said something, had he warned her, had he moved her, she'd still be alive. But instead, all he did was watch as the bully punched her into the wall and killing her.
What right did Kaze have to call himself her friend? What right did he have to attend her funeral or even go to her grave? It was his fault that Anzu was dead, the girl who had taken him in as a friend…no, more than a friend, family. The four of them, they weren't just friends, they were family. But now, a family was that broken, shattered and wounded.
Kaze looked up when he heard footsteps. He turned…and saw Takeo Raionhato, carrying groceries. As soon as their eyes met, silent anger and hatred filled the air around them. Neither of them spoke; words were not needed to express the hate and disdain the two felt for each other for the past several years. Just as Takeo was about to walk away, Kaze finally spoke.
"You don't deserve to be at U.A.," Kaze hissed. "Not after what you did to Yoruge."
"Do you honestly believe I intentionally got your brother killed?" Takeo questioned with a growl. "I saw him mugging a man. I called the police because it was the right thing-"
"And then that monster, Fukushu, killed him," Kaze interrupted. "Instead of telling me, you hid the truth from me for two years. And Satoshi…he knew, all along, and said nothing,"
Takeo breathed heavily several times as he remembered the feeling of what happened. Calling the police on Yoruge after witnessing him mug a man, ran home and watched the news report about Yoruge's arrest. But the next day…Yoruge was killed by Fukushu in a very violent manner.
Two years had passed since Yoruge's death and Takeo had decided he needed to do it; he needed to tell Kaze the truth of his brother's demise. He had walked to Kaze's house, standing at the front door, but he was reluctant to knock on it. Fear had a grip on his heart and it was trying to persuade him to just walk away. But how much longer would he wait? A month? Another year? He had already kept the truth from his friend for two years.
His breath shook as he forced his hand to make contact with the door. He knocked twice…which was quickly answered by Kaze.
"Takeo?" he asked. "I didn't know you were coming."
"H-hey, Kaze," Takeo nervously responded. "I…I came to see you."
"Come on in," Kaze invited. Takeo slowly walked into the house and followed Kaze to the kitchen, where the Shadow Flash user started preparing tea for his friend.
"Kaze…I need to talk to you…" Takeo's mouth clamped shut after that. Fear once again gripped at him and saying it was about Yoruge's death wouldn't come out. The words tried to get out, breaking against his sealed lips like a battering ram, but his mouth wouldn't open.
"What about?" Kaze asked, as he added leaves to the tea.
"It's….it's about…Yoruge…" he forced out of his mouth. Kaze looked at Takeo with confusion when he brought up his dead brother. He already knew what happened to Yoruge: the police caught him and Fukushu butchered him. Why did Takeo need to talk about him?
"Kaze…" Takeo felt the words stay stuck in his throat, unable to come out. He had to tell Kaze the truth, that he was the one who called the police on Yoruge, which led to Fukushu finding him and ending his life. It had already been two years; he couldn't afford to wait any longer.
"Why do you need to talk about Yoruge?" Kaze questioned. Takeo's breath shook greatly before he slapped himself and forced the words out of his mouth.
"I'm the one who called the police on him," Takeo confessed.
After that, dead silence. Kaze just stood there, a mix of shock and confusion on his face. Unsure of what Kaze was feeling, Takeo continued, explaining that he saw Yoruge violently mug a man for money and ran away before calling the police.
"I was going to tell you…but then Yoruge…" Takeo's eyes watered with immense regret over what he had done and how he had handled the situation in the aftermath of Yoruge's death.
"I didn't mean for him to-"
Takeo felt a pain against his face, as if something had impacted and shattered on him. He fell to the ground, feeling something wet running down from his forehead. He reached up to check what it was: it was blood. This prompted him to look around, seeing pieces of a broken plate surrounding him…and Kaze's expression changed to grave anger.
"You…liar…" he growled. "You got my brother killed."
"It was an accident!" Takeo pleaded. "You have to believe me!"
"Even though you lied for two years!?" Kaze roared, reaching over to grab more plates and started throwing them at Takeo, prompting him to run out of the kitchen and to the door.
"My brother is dead because of you! You murdered him! YOU LIED TO ME!" Takeo ran out of the house and kept running as the blood flowed down from the cuts he had received. The red blood was soon mixed with the heavy tears swelling in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks.
"I didn't know what to do," Takeo spoke, trying to keep himself from crying. "I didn't…I didn't…"
"Anzu never should've been your friend," Kaze spoke. Takeo dropped the groceries on the ground and glared at the Shadow Flash user with rage.
"At least I'M not the one responsible for her death! You could've saved her, but instead, you did NOTHING! Anzu reached out her hand to you when no one else would and you repaid her by getting her killed! She should've left you to rot like the trash you are! If ANYONE doesn't deserve to be at U.A., it's you! A failure who got MY friend killed!"
Three months had passed since Takeo confessed the truth about his part in Yoruge's death to Kaze. The Shadow Flash user sat in the park, full of anger, hate and hurt over learning the truth from his former friend, about how his actions got Yoruge killed.
Why should Kaze believe that Takeo was innocent of Yoruge's demise? He had hidden the truth from him, lied to him for two years; for all he knew, Takeo could've intentionally gotten his brother butchered by the monstrous Blade of Terror. How could he ever forgive such a trespass?
"Kaze…"
The voice of Takeo was heard and the son of Shadowfox turned to glare at him. His eyes, his purple eyes that Takeo hadn't seen in three months, were filled with hatred, disdain and disgust. If he had his sai knives with him, he'd be tempted to drive one into Takeo's throat.
"What do you want, murderer?"
"Kaze…I'm sorry," Takeo apologized sincerely. "I know I shouldn't have lied to you. I shouldn't have, but-"
"But what?" Kaze interrupted. "You think you can lie to me for two years about my brother's death and I'll just forgive you after everything that happened? For all I know, you could've wanted him dead."
Takeo's sincerity faded away. He couldn't believe that Kaze actually believed that he intentionally got his brother killed the day when he called the police. He shouldn't have lied…but Yoruge's death was an accident. Anger emerged onto Takeo's face as his hands clenched into fists.
"You think I WANTED Yoruge dead? I didn't mean for him to die. Fukushu ambushed the police convoy!"
"And that wipes Yoruge's blood off your hands?" Kaze hissed. "You're a murderer, Takeo Raionhato. You're just like your father."
Just like his father. Those words hurt Takeo like being run through with a spear. He couldn't bear hearing that…and his desire to reconcile turned into a desire to hurt.
"Who are you calling a murderer when Anzu died because of you!?" he roared. "When Anzu was killed by that…by that bully, you stood by and DID NOTHING! Anzu made you her friend, OUR friend, and you repaid her by letting her be killed! I couldn't do anything to stop Yoruge from being killed, but you could've saved Anzu and you didn't, you filthy coward!"
After his verbal onslaught, Takeo's eyes widened in horror, realizing what he had done. In a moment of anger, after being compared to his father, he let his wrath take over and he sought to inflict hurt onto Kaze. Ever since Anzu's death, Takeo had done his best to assure Kaze that her death wasn't his fault, but in that moment, he had done the complete opposite.
"K-Kaze-" Kaze glared at Takeo with rage.
"Just. Like. Your. Father."
Those words burned like a hot blade for Kaze. As much as he hated Takeo for saying it, he felt that the son of Lioness was right; Anzu's death was on Kaze's hands just as much as it was the bully's. Had Kaze been brave enough to do something as Anzu had always done for him, she would've been at U.A. with them and not in a grave, talent forever lost.
But Kaze wasn't about to let Takeo have the last say.
"At least I'm not a murderer like you!" Kaze barked. "You may have the rest of your class fooled, but not me. Yoruge's blood is on your hands. For all I know, you could've intentionally gotten him killed."
Takeo's hands curled into fists and he was sorely tempted to punch Kaze for saying that. He knew he messed up, but he never meant for Yoruge to die, only to be arrested. Anger swelled in him every time Kaze claimed that he intentionally got Yoruge killed at Fukushu's hands. Had Kaze known of the torment Takeo felt for those two years, the guilt he had suffered, the impossible choice he was forced into…
"Are you going to fight me like a wild animal like you did against Bakugo?" Kaze taunted. That was just about to be the final straw, the push Takeo needed to punch Kaze's lights out.
"H-hey, Raionhato!" Tsukiba called out from down the sidewalk. "You dropped your groceries!" He rushed over to the bags and started packing them the food back in before it could be soiled by insects. Takeo and Kaze glared at each other for a short moment before the Inventory user unclenched his fists and walked over to Okami.
"Thanks," he responded, picking up the bags that Okami had refilled. Hints of anger remained on Takeo's scowl as he walked home while Kaze sneered at his former friend before teleporting home as well, leaving the wolf alone.
"I suspected things were bad between them…but that's worse than I thought," Tsukiba thought to himself as his wolf-like hearing overheard their heated exchange.
It wasn't long before classes were set to resume and everyone was to return to U.A. All of the Hero Course students wondered how many internship offers they received based on their performances, but considering the top three were Todoroki, Bakugo and Raionhato (excluding Furaya since he was General Studies), it could be argued that they'd get the most amount of internship offers.
However, mistakes they made in their fights potentially damaged their number of internships. Raionhato had thrown away his prowess and skills in his fight against Bakugo, costing him the match; his refusal to a rematch out of anger and hatred would only further paint him in a negative light. Todoroki lost against Furaya because his hesitance to use his flames, despite putting up a good fight with his ice, cost him the match. As for Bakugo, not only was his temperamental outburst in response to his first loss damaging, but he had lost to a Quirkless. Even if Furaya and Bakugo didn't consider the first match a true fight, the world still saw Bakugo lose to a Quirkless twice, all but rendering his promise to win empty.
"So, Raionhato, how many internships do you think you won?" Sato asked as the five friends were on the bus to U.A. High School. "You were technically 4th Place."
"I'd like to think maybe a few hundred at least," Takeo replied. "I mean…yeah, I know I messed up with Bakugo, but I still beat Ashido and Tokoyami. That's got to be worth something."
"You might be rather disssssappointed," Kiyama brought up. "You ssssay you know you messssed up, but that doessssn't change factsssss. I mean…you looked like an idiot-"
"I know," Takeo sharply interrupted. "I've been scolded enough about it already."
"Come on, ease off," Ojiro insisted to Kiyama. "Raionhato made a poor choice. What matters now is that he learns from it."
Raionhato would prove that. When the chance arose, he would fight Bakugo in a rematch and correct his mistake by taking him seriously. Next time, he wouldn't let his anger get the better of him just because Bakugo badmouthed someone he cared for.
For the past two days, Takeo had reflected on what Kiyama and his mother had told him. Kiyama told him after she had found him during the Sports Festival that he shouldn't make the match about Bakugo's ego, but rather about his own improvement. After all, if he continued the mistake he made against Bakugo, then how could he improve as a fighter?
As for Lioness, she understood Takeo's hate for Bakugo as she herself despised the Flame Hero, Endeavor. However, when he was fighting villains or rescuing innocents, he had to put his hate for Bakugo aside; after that was done, he could hate him all he wanted. His hate for Bakugo couldn't be allowed to outweigh his responsibilities as a future Pro Hero.
"Do you think Furaya will get any internship offers?" Sato asked. "I mean, he did win the Sports Festival."
"Unfortunately, no," Ojiro solemnly informed. "Only Hero Course students can get internship offers. Furaya's only in General Studies."
"But he'll be in the Hero Course soon enough," Raionhato brought up. "The U.A. Board cannot possibly deny him entry after a victory like that."
"Which issssss going to be bad for one of usssss," Kiyama reminded. "The Hero Courssssse classssssesssss only allow up to twenty-four people, meaning that ssssssomeone will have to be dropped if Furaya joinsssss."
Indeed, Furaya joining would mean someone from either Class 1-A or 1-B would be dropped from the Hero Course. Everyone knew that if they performed too poorly or if the teachers felt they weren't fit to be in the class, they could be dropped to General Studies. Odds are, it'd be the student with the lowest performance at the end of the semester. At this point, it'd potentially be Kaminari, Aoyama, Shiruku or even Midoriya.
The bus arrived at U.A. and the group put on their rain jackets to protect themselves from the downpour. They rushed to the locker room, then took off their drenched jackets and placed their belongings in their lockers.
"There he is!" one of the students called out, pointing to someone in the rain. Everyone looked to see Furaya walking up to the locker rooms with Mei Hatsume beside him while holding Falcon's Talon in his left hand. Some of the students gazed in amazement at the victor of the Sports Festival while others sneered at him, believing that he was undeserving of being in the Hero Course.
Midoriya, being one of the students to have already arrived alongside Iida, had mixed feelings about Furaya's victory in the Sports Festival. On the one hand, he was deeply proud of him succeeding against all odds, in spite of his Quirklessness. In spite of going up against Bakugo and Todoroki, two of Class 1-A's strongest fighters, he still won against them and secured both 1st Place and a spot in the Hero Course. It was sad, though, that Furaya wouldn't receive any internship offers due to currently being in General Studies.
On the other hand, Furaya's presence and victory continued to fill Midoriya with shame and regret. He wanted to tell Furaya the truth about his Quirk, about One For All, but All Might had made it clear that after the incident with Kacchan, he wasn't to tell anyone else. Furaya had trained and become a powerful warrior without the miracle of a Quirk while Midoriya felt he only got into U.A. because of One For All; if he hadn't inherited the Quirk, he wouldn't be here.
"Midoriya, are you alright?" Iida asked his friend.
"Hm?" Midoriya asked, broken out of his thoughts. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just…thinking on Furaya, that's all."
"I have to admit," Iida confessed. "I wouldn't have believed Furaya capable of winning the Sports Festival, but he clearly proved me wrong. If we have him in our class, it'll be an honor to have him by our side."
"Thank you, Iida," Furaya responded, bowing his head before directing his gaze at Satoshi. "It's good to know SOME people are open-minded."
"Well, I heard you won't be receiving any internship offers," Iida spoke. "I'm sorry you won't be able to do so." Furaya waved it off.
"I will, soon enough."
"Morning, everyone," Eraser Head greeted the class in his usual monotone voice, but luckily, he was no longer covered in bandages. Recovery Girl and Sunhealer had gone overboard in healing the Homeroom Teacher of Class 1-A, though a rather nasty horizontal scar was left underneath his right eye.
"Before we begin, as I told you, internships will be beginning next week," Eraser Head continued. "This is an important part of your future as Pro Heroes. You will be working alongside Pros, seeing firsthand how they work, their duties, their responsibilities, how they fight villains, handle life-threatening scenarios. It's your chance to gain firsthand knowledge of how things work in the field rather than in the classroom."
The students wondered who would receive internships from Pros and who'd be limited to the 50 default Agencies. Those who made it to the Tournament, such as Todoroki, Bakugo, Raionhato and several others would undoubtedly have a wider array of choices for them; those who failed either in the Cavalry Battle or Obstacle Course wouldn't have such luck.
"Some of you received internship offers from Pros following the Sports Festival," Aizawa continued. "For those of you who didn't, there are 50 Pro Hero agencies who have agreed to take you on, regardless of your standing. We have the results right here." Eraser Head pointed at the whiteboard and clicked a remote, showing the results of the Sports Festival.
Shoto Todoroki – 4,214 Internships
Katsuki Bakugo – 1,432 Internships
Takeo Raionhato – 948 Internships
Fumikage Tokoyami – 360 Internships
Tenya Iida – 301 Internships
Denki Kaminari – 272 Internships
Momo Yaoyorozu – 110 Internships
Eijiro Kirishima – 108 Internships
Shin Zankoku – 90 Internships
Ochaco Uraraka – 60 Internships
Hanta Sero – 16 Internships
"Whoa, Bakugo didn't even get half as much as Todoroki," Jiro exclaimed in shock.
"Maybe if Bakugo hadn't run his mouth off at the start and then lost to Furaya twice, he would've had more," Sero suggested, much to Bakugo's ire.
"Shut your mouth, Soy Sauce Face!" Bakugo barked. "At least I didn't get defeated in one hit!"
Momo quietly sighed at her current standing. She was very low in terms of internship offers compared to the others. She was surprised she received any at all after such a humiliating defeat at Tokoyami's hands, but some were better than none.
"You okay, Yaomomo?" Kiyama asked her classmate.
"O-oh, I'm fine," Momo replied, quickly smiling to assure her snake classmate. However, Kiyama wasn't convinced, but chose not to push it for now and instead simply turned her attention back to the front.
Takeo didn't get as many internship offers as he's hoped, but he still had the 3rd most offers out of the class, just behind Bakugo and Todoroki. He expected as much since quite a few people reminded him of his mishandling of his fight against Bakugo, which he had grown tired of. He made a poor choice and he was now suffering the consequences for it, a poor choice he strove not to repeat again.
"How come Todoroki got the most offers?" Shiruku questioned. "He didn't even make it to the final match."
"Because he's the son of Endeavor," Zankoku answered, looking at the Half-Cold Half-Hot user with some hints of disdain. "A lot of heroes would ADORE the publicity of having the child of a major Pro Hero at their agencies."
The scorpion wasn't surprised to see so many Pros sucking up to Prince Shoto, despite having only scored 3rd Place because of his refusal to use his fire against Furaya. It made Zankoku sick that Shoto had only gotten 3rd Place, almost lost the Cavalry Battle because he wouldn't use his flames, and constantly underestimated his foes, yet Pro Heroes still extended him internship offers. All of this was simply because he was the son of the #2 Hero. Shoto glared at the Poison user, who simply smirked at him before looking up front.
"Alright, knock it off," Eraser Head demanded. "You'll need to submit your internship choices by Wednesday. But today, you'll have another important assignment." The class tensed in fear, thinking that Eraser Head may pull a surprise test, a grueling exercise regiment or put them through something else. They waited with some anxiety as they awaited Eraser Head to explain what they'd be doing.
"Today…you'll be choosing Hero Names." The class relaxed in relief.
"Don't get too relaxed," Eraser Head groaned. "Hero Names are more than what you call yourselves out on the field. You need to consider what you choose, because if you choose poorly-"
"You'll have hell to pay later!" the voice of Midnight finished as the door to the classroom opened, who was standing with Open Palm. Kaminari, Sero, Sato and Shiruku all immediately turned to look at Miss Midnight with huge blushes and smiles on their faces.
"You'll need to be careful about what you choose, otherwise you'll be left with something indecent," Midnight explained as Eraser Head pulled out his sleeping bag.
"Helping with Hero Names isn't one of my strengths," Eraser Head explained. "Midnight and Open Palm will be helping you with your Hero Names. Now…if you'll excuse me…" He slid down the wall, snuggled into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.
"You know, you could try staying awake for your students," Midnight responded, but Eraser Head was already asleep. Open Palm chuckled before turning to face the students.
"As the man in the sleeping bag said, we'll be helping you with your Hero Names," he spoke, teasing a bit at Aizawa. "But before we start, we need to explain the importance of the names you choose."
"Hero Names aren't just what you call yourselves when you're on the job," Midnight followed up. "They also serve as an embodiment of what you want to be, the message you want to send to the people, the ideal you set to embrace…the list is endless. Hope, justice, peace, honor, victory; your Hero Names could embody any of these virtues."
"In the front of each row are whiteboards and dry erase markers," Open Palm instructed. "Everyone please pass them down, one for each person." The students in the front of the rows handed the whiteboards and marker down, each person in the row taking one whiteboard and one marker.
"When you've written your Hero Name, bring it up here and we'll decide whether it's suitable or not," Midnight instructed. "If you don't decide by today, that's fine. But we need to insist on one thing: once you've chosen an approved name for yourself, don't change it. Constantly changing your Hero Name is frowned upon and whatever name you choose first will be what you're going by during your internships."
The students started thinking of Hero Names to choose for themselves. As Midnight instructed, they had to consider what their names would stand for. In a way, the Hero Name they choose today would later reflect the kind of hero they aspired to be when they graduate.
For Takeo, he sought a name that lined up with the heroes he admired most: his father, Paladin, his mother, Lioness, and his current role model, Guardian. A knightly kind of hero who defended the innocent, upheld the ideals of right and wrong, taught the belief that being a Pro is about responsibility and bravery, not egotism and vanity.
Several names came to mind: Lion Knight, Lion Swordsman, Lion Blade, Steel Lion…he wanted to mix the names of his mother and his role models in a form of showing homage to them. But that was unfortunately leaving him with very few options since not a lot of names were coming to mind.
"Hold your breath," Aoyama spoke, the first being to go up. "May I introduce the Shining Hero." He then held up his whiteboard for the whole class to see.
"I cannot stop twinkling! Mon ami, you can't deny my sparkle!" The whole class groaned in annoyance, finding the name ridiculous and stupid. What kind of Hero Name was that?
"That's way too long, Aoyama," Open Palm stated before Midnight took the whiteboard and marker.
"It'll be a lot better this way," she suggested, writing and erasing on the whiteboard. "Take out the 'I' and shorten the 'cannot' to 'can't'."
"Stunning, mademoiselle," Aoyama replied, much to the shock of the class and Open Palm.
Takeo groaned at the name, Can't Stop Twinkling; it sounded so ridiculous to him. It sounded more like a Super Move rather than a Hero Name. He turned back to his whiteboard to think about his Hero Name…before he started feeling something scratch against the back of his head and a small purr came out.
"H-huh!?" Takeo gasped, realizing that Jiro was using her Earphone Jack to scratch his head. "Stop it, Jiro!" Takeo flailed his arms at her to shoo her Earphone Jack away from the back of his head.
"Awww, you do like head scratches~" Ashido cooed, much to Takeo's annoyance.
"It's a reflex," Takeo groaned. "I do not like head scratches."
"Then why were you purring~?" Jiro teased, earning a death glare from the son of Lioness.
"Alright, alright, leave him alone," Open Palm suggested.
"Yes, focus on your Hero Names now…then scratch his head later," Midnight spoke, clearly fond of Takeo's cute purrs.
"No!" Takeo groaned with annoyance.
"Well, you may've inherited some of your mother's attributes," Todoroko started to explain. "Cats usually purr-"
"Shut up!" Takeo barked, flames burning in his eyes and his teeth shaped like a lion's maw. "I do NOT like head scratches!"
After Open Palm quieted the argument, the class returned to coming up with Hero Names and bringing them up. Ashido was next, proposing the name Alien Queen…but Midnight didn't approve and openly rejected the name, much to Ashido's sadness.
"You rejected it because you regret watching Alien, didn't you?" Open Palm teased Midnight.
"It was horrifying!" Midnight screamed.
Tsuyu went up next, revealing her name in Japanese kanjis. It read 'The Rainy Season Hero: Froppy', a name she claimed to have had ever since grade school. Midnight adored the name while Open Palm believed it was a good name for assurance, comfort and rescue. The class cheered for the name, chanting 'Froppy! Froppy! Froppy!', earning smiles from the two teachers.
One by one, each of the students went up, showing off their Hero Names and earning approval or criticisms from Open Palm and Midnight. Unfortunately, some of them really struggled with coming up with Hero Names, one of them being Ojiro.
"Hey, Ojiro," Takeo spoke. "You doing alright?"
"I'm fine," he assured. "I didn't think choosing a Hero Name would be so tough."
"What about Whiptail?" Takeo suggested. "Or maybe even…Tailstrong?" Ojiro raised an eyebrow at the second suggestion.
"That…sounded so much better in my head," Takeo moaned.
"But I like Whiptail," Ojiro responded and began writing down his Hero Name. He then went up to the front, showing the Hero Name he chose: Martial Arts Hero: Whiptail, earning approval from both Open Palm and Midnight. Zankoku went after him, taking his whiteboard with him.
"The Venomous Hero: Scorpio," Zankoku proclaimed. "It's not easy coming up with a Hero Name when your Quirk is basically poison, but I made it work."
"I think 'Venomous' isn't a good word choice," Midnight replied. "Why not try 'Stinger Hero'?"
"Sure," Zankoku responded before walking away, but stopped at Ashido's desk. It looked like she was struggling with coming up with a new Hero Name since the one she wanted, Alien Queen, was rejected.
"Having trouble, Pink Rose?" he asked the pink beauty.
"Trouble?" Ashido asked with surprise. "No, I'm just…trying to be very creative and…okay, yeah, I'm having trouble. I really wanted Alien Queen."
"I think the answer's looking you in the face," Zankoku replied. "Try Acido."
"Acido…?" Mina asked, pondering for a moment before it hit her. "Oh! It's my name, but with 'Acid' in it! I love it!"
Shin smiled at Mina before hearing 'Shoto' from the Ice Prince. He turned around and saw Todoroki standing at the front with his Hero Name…just being his first name. The scorpion shook his head in annoyance: did Todoroki take anything seriously or did he just plan to coast on by because he's Endeavor's son, all the while brooding?
"I've seen more originality and effort from a junkyard dog," Shin whispered to himself before returning to his seat.
"Just your name?" Midnight asked with confusion.
"Todoroki, no offense, but did you actually think of a Hero Name?" Open Palm asked. "Please go back and change it." Zankoku smirked at Open Palm dismissing Todoroki's 'Hero Name'. He felt good knowing that he wasn't the only one who saw the lack of effort or creativity from the son of Endeavor.
After thinking it over for a while, Takeo went up to the front and showed his name. He placed his whiteboard on the podium for everyone to see, written in Japanese kanjis and English.
"My Hero Name is the Weaponry Hero: Lion Knight," Takeo informed. His friends, Momo, Mashirao, Rikido, and Nagami all smiled at him, believing the name to work well for him.
"Lion Knight…a simple yet strong name," Open Palm replied.
"Lions…are you paying homage to your mother, the Razor Claw Hero: Lioness?" Midnight asked, some sense of dread emitting from her.
"Her and my role model, Guardian," Takeo answered. "I didn't know you knew my mom. How did you-?"
"Moving on, moving on," Midnight interrupted, pushing Takeo away from the podium…though not without trying to scratch the back of his head.
"Stop it!" Takeo barked, turning away from Midnight and returning to his seat.
The students continued going up one by one to share their Hero Names. Momo went with the Everything Hero: Creati, which Midnight applauded as a 'creative' Hero Name. After her went Kumo Shiruku, sharing his choice, the Webbing Hero: Tsuchigumo.
"Tsuchigumo?" Open Palm repeated. "A Japanese yokai that took the form of a spider. So you're going with a spider motif?"
"He can certainly be crushed like one," Bakugo mocked.
A few people quietly scolded him for his insensitive comment, but sadly for Shiruku, the Explosion user wasn't wrong. Compared to the rest of the class, Shiruku's combat skills were rather non-existent; he had only won one sparring match so far and was one of the students not to receive any additional internship offers. If Furaya was to take a spot in Class 1-A, Shiruku was one of the likely candidates to be removed unless he improved.
"Since you're feeling so talkative, Bakugo, perhaps you'd like to show us your Hero Name," Open Palm suggested. Bakugo took the martial arts teacher up on his offer and walked up front, placing his whiteboard on the podium for everyone to see.
"King Explosion Murder."
The whole class went silent at Bakugo's Hero Name. That sounded more like a villain name than anything; there was nothing heroic about having the word 'murder' in a Hero Name.
"No," Midnight flatly turned down. "That's way too violent."
"Huh!?" Bakugo barked. "What do you mean!?"
"Exactly what she says, Bakugo," Open Palm responded. "Having the word 'murder' in your Hero Name doesn't exactly sound heroic."
"Oh, come on!" Bakugo protested. "King Explosion Murder is an awesome name! Just think of how villains will react when they hear it! They'll run because they know I'll murder them!" Open Palm sighed.
"First, I trust you don't mean that literally. Second, it'll sound just as frightening to innocent people as it will to villains. An ideal Hero Name should serve twofold: to reassure the public and scare villains. King Explosion Murder only does one of those, so no."
Open Palm sensed Bakugo's frustration at his Hero Name being rejected. The martial arts instructor quietly sighed; it was clear to him that Bakugo still didn't understand the importance of being a hero who reassured the public. He was too focused on the idea that defeating villains and being victorious in combat was all that mattered to being a Pro Hero, giving no regard to the idea that rescuing innocent people was just as important.
"Why don't you be Explosion Boy?" Kirishima teased.
"Shut up, Crap Hair!" Bakugo snapped at the redhead.