Chapter 56: Hero Names

“Text” – Normal speech

‘Text’ – Thought

“Text” – Quirk Spirit speaking in the human world

“Text” - Attack

“Text” – Radio/Communication lines

“Text” – None Japanese speech

(text) – Subtext/meaning behind a spoken word

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Present Mic pulled out some whiteboards and markers. “So, with that said, it's time to work on your hero names. It'll be me, Midnight, and I, as Eraser here, has no creativity."

"We get to do something exciting!" Eraser hated how his students acted like excited children over this, but Mic and Midnight had already given him enough flak about trying to kill the mood, so he quietly shifted to the corner and left them to handle this.

“Yes, yes-this is a fun part but like much about being a hero, you shouldn’t be hasty about this.” Present Mic tried to calm them down, softly laughing himself as this was the most excited he had seen them in a while.

Midnight nodded, eyeing the students. “Yup, this is more complicated than you think. Like pleasing a partner, there’s no one-size-fits-all — trying to go bigger because it seems better usually backfires." How she fluttered her eye left nothing to the imagination there, which had many pulling on their collars or looking away, redder in the cheeks than they had been moments prior.

‘Why does she need to phrase it like that?’ Iida and Shiozaki asked themselves, as they could never get over how…overt Midnight could be.

‘Does she need to remind people of that?’ Jiro looked down, hiding how her face was much redder than the rest, recalling how she and Midoriya had…well, done it and done it hard. Midoriya was similarly eying the wall, as there was no way Midnight would know that, but that didn't mean his friends didn't, as he could feel Mina and Kamakiri looking at him, no doubt amused by his reaction.

‘Would that mean I’m one of the few uniquely equipped to handle this?’ Aoyama mused, but didn’t speak up to the bait.

Midnight, as usual, moved on before they could question her, maintaining that powerful and confident hero persona as she explained further. “Your hero name doesn't need to be cool, badass, sexy, or whatever you thought they'll be when you played heroes as children, or even applied for U.A. What they need to be is an embodiment of your image."

“Our image?” Kaminari asked, to which Midnight smiled, her dominatrix side fading just a little as she leaned more into being a teacher.

"The image of the type of hero you want to be. What goals have you set up? What do you wish to achieve by being a hero?" She explained, but that only seemed to confuse them more.

"Aren't those…like the same thing?" Kirishima asked Tetsutetsu moments away from asking the same thing, quietly lowering his hand and grumbling that it was just a coincidence.

"Nope!" Present Mic crossed his arms in a big X. "A goal is the final destination, but achievements are what you strive to do along the way. Think of it like video games. You can beat the final boss, but that doesn't mean you completed all the mine events, unlocked all the achievements, and vice versa.”

"For example, my goal as a heroine was to save lives, yes, but to also be a comforting presence for people who might not be comfortable approaching others, who have been brushed over. What I wished to achieve while doing it was to freely express myself and help others learn to be comfortable and proud in their own skin and follow suit.”

Midnight posed suggestively for them as she spoke, drawing attention to her form. A curvaceous, just deceptively soft body with its fine, hard, hard-muscled legs, long soft legs, a plump butt, and ample chest, combined with a wild mane of hair and beautiful, seductive blue eyes. None could deny that she wasn't a sex symbol, one of Japan's most attractive and sought-after heroines.

Yet, she was also one of the most approachable heroines currently serving, a woman who could charm both horny people and handle pets and children with the gentleness of a feather. She was the woman who could pose for an adult magazine wearing next to nothing, attend a press conference for freedom of expression, and work for groups that helped victims of domestic abuse on the same day.

She wasn't someone who backed down from what she championed, as proven when a conservative parent rights group called her everything but a slut, she met them for a debate in a bikini, of all things. She shattered their arguments about her 'leading their daughters to sin and teenage parenthood.'

"Same for my little listeners." Present Mic posed but came off much goofier and carefree. "I, as a hero, have the goal of saving lives, kissing babies and making them giggle, but also so I could speak with the people, to hear what they have to say, to understand them, and to give as many people as possible a voice."

Midoriya nodded as he listened to Mic's comment, which was close to every Friday when it was one. While he did things like play popular music and retro stuff and bring in funny and engaging people for fun and games, he also used it as a means to communicate with people, to bring in experts and help them explain things to people, or have those same experts confront the common man and his issues.

If he wasn’t mistaken, his last big guest was forming a heteromorph rights group who brought attention to how equal didn’t exist in all cities and faded into more suggestions in rural areas and smaller towns which sparked a big debate a few months back, one kept alive by Present Mic’s show for the common man, and the Hearts and Mind Party in politics, though Izuku didn’t pay much attention to the later.

“In contrast, you have Eraser,” Midnight gestured to the man in question, who had snuck to the side and was already tucked into his yellow sleeping bag, fast asleep. “He didn’t even pick his own hero name.”

“Wait, for real?” Tokage asked, to which the two pros nodded. Present Mic laughed about the memory of how it happened.

"Yup! When we were in your shoes, I picked it as a joke cause it sounded cool, and he just went with it. He can get away with it since he always aimed for the underground scene, but don't think we'll let you get away with that!" Present Mic warned them, as his teacher might have let it pass, but he wouldn't be like them. Even if some chose the underground route.

Midnight picked it up from there. "A good hero name needs to tell something about you. It needs to carry an unspoken weight without it. Take All Might, what do you think when you hear his hero name? Right off the top of your head.”

Having posed her question, she pulled out a remote and aimed it at the board, turning it on and showcasing not the heroes in question but their names stylised to fit their motifs. All Might's looks like his autograph signature, only coloured in with white, red, white, and blue.

“That everything will be okay.” Midoriya was the first to speak up.

"He's the strongest," Bakugo said, arms crossed.

"His smile," Uraraka added.

“His laugh, that scares the hell outta villains.” Awase’s comment was the last Midnight took, the woman giving a nod of approval to them before she switched it to Endeavour's hero name, which, in contrast, was solid orange, surrounded by flames.

“Effective crime fighter.” Kendo supplied.

“Badass fighter, wouldn’t want to mess with him.” Kamakiri was next.

"Not friendly, more of a warrior than a hero, " Yanagi said, which Midnight again nodded to.

“And that, by young heroes-to-be, is the power of a hero name. It can say so much in so little words." She told them, which got them to think about it, as the responses were telling about the men in question. But was that wrong? No, it fit them pretty well.

All Might and Endeavour might both be at the top of the hero ranks, having been the first and second best for over twenty years now, with no one coming close to changing that, but they were fundamentally different people. One was a symbol that brought peace of mind to people in crisis- no matter how great—but the other was a symbol of the enforcement arm that brought terror to villains and criminals alike.

Villains feared All Might, but because he was the strongest, fighting him always ended one way. Endeavour was feared because he hunted villains relentlessly and coldly efficiently, like a predator.

But thinking about it, students like Uraraka could see it wasn't just them. Plenty of heroes had their vibes and impressions, which the people had about them. Jeanist was a stylish man in all he did, which meant he was incredibly detail-oriented and observant, making it impossible to get much by him.

Yoroi Musha was an old guard pro, having been around longer than just about everyone else. He embodied that, being a mountain that was to change and yet hard to get through. He didn't lead anything but was a steadfast ally to have. Hawks was all about speed, both in his rise and how he handled things, yet he never lost his cool. He was the ideal of what teen boys wanted to be.

Mirko was a rabbit heteromorph but was far from cute or weak, being closer to a wolverine mixed with a kangaroo. A brawler, and a damn good one, she could take and give some of the most intense hits and get back up with the same battle-crazed smile. Yet, she wasn't nearly as abrasive as Endeavour; she, like Hawks, was someone with charisma, though a more raw, intense one than Hawks smoother, pretty boy meets action star.

'All right, but what sort of hero name do I want?' Jiro asked herself, stopping long enough to accept the whiteboards and markers handed to her, grabbing one of each for herself, and passing them to the back.

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The class had fallen silent, nothing but the sounds of markers on the whiteboard, quiet grumblings, and whispered thoughts for what felt like hours before Midnight clapped. "All right, that was enough time. Let's see some drafts."

“Wait, we have to present them?” Uraraka asked.

“Of course! You’re going to be known by them for your entire professional career, you gotta have some confidence to show it off to a group." Present Mic snapped his fingers, and he and Midnight stood aside to allow someone, whoever they might be, to take to the front and do just that.

‘I mean-yeah, but that’ll take some balls.’ Awase noted as both teachers looked around, seeing no one rising to the challenge, not even the stoics like Shoji, Yanagi, and Todoroki. However, Midnight was surprised when even the hotheads seemed reluctant to try to lead the group. She supposed even their egos couldn't suppress the fear of embarrassing themselves should their choices not pan out.

'I tend to forget they're still at their age when this sort of thing scares them more than literal monsters and villains.' Midnight mused while Present Mic was about to pick someone at random, only for the class to be saved by Aoyama, who stood up.

Walking up to the front, he kept his board hidden from the rest, not out of shame or embarrassment but a desire to reveal it on his own terms, in what could only be the most Aoyama way possible.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a proper hero name for a dazzling hero such as I, the Shining Hero,” Aoyama started before she held up his whiteboard. “Limelight! Please watch your eyes, or my brightness will blind you!" He smiled at them, almost as much a peacock as his quirk.

‘So arrogant!’ The class couldn't help but collectively think as their 2 teachers reviewed the name.

“Hmm, cool name, really fitting for a rocker like you, but it's rejected!" Present Mic announced, which knocked Aoyama off his pedestal.

‘Wha-why?” He asked, his smooth charm broken if only for the moment by their rejection.

“Because it’s too close to another hero name, Limestar. They’re a Canadian hero, and it would be confusing for people if they know both of you." Midnight explained that she had met them once while doing a joint task in the States. Oddly enough, they were from the French-speaking part of Canada.

"Oh yes, the pains of having two stars with similar names make for confusing marketing." Aoyama thought it over, but ultimately bowed out. “Very well, I shall attempt to create another name for myself.”

“Yes, Kodai, step right up!” Several people blinked as they looked to the typically quiet girl who had raised her hand. With permission, she got up and walked to the front, and Aoyama returned to his seat. When she got to the podium, she didn't waste time or speak as she presented her board.

Size Hero: Ultra-Girl

"Any reason behind the name, Kodai?” Kendo asked her.

"I like Ultraman." Kodai's response was quirky and deadpan as usual. It was surprising as it was funny. Thinking back on it, her costume didn't seem close to the Ultraman look, did it? Who would have guessed she was a fan of it?

“Also, another banger name, but," Sadly, Present Mic had to rain on the parade. "It's not the best one if you want it yours, you know? A few pros already have 'ultra' somewhere in their names. Same issue as Aoyama, but it'll be even more likely seeing as I know like two other pros right in Japan like that."

There were also the legal issues associated with names based on owned IP, but Present Mic didn't think it would be too much of an issue given the word's popularity.

“Boo.” Kodai erased the Ultra-Girl part of her name and returned to her seat to workshop another. However, her rejection didn't leave someone else to immediately step up, not when the first 2 choices were rejected for being too common.

"I'm next!" Well, someone was brave enough, that being Ashido, who jumped up to the front, as bubbly as ever before she showed her sign." "Ridley Hero: Alien Queen!"

Midnight was not a fan of that choice. “Wait, Ridley? You mean like those things with the acidic blood and the stomach bursters? Better not, you’ll terrify people with that!”

As Ashida deflated at being so soundly rejected, Present Mic offered her some words of wisdom: "No sweat, little listener. You want to play up the alien vibe? Go for it, but I would lean into something more approachable and relatable to you. After all, it's way cooler than whatever Ridley was fighting."

She accepted them, but still slumped as she returned to her desk. “I guess, but I really liked it…”

‘That was the 3rd rejection in a row, how the heck are we supposed to stand up now and present something?’ Jiro thought as it took another few moments before a hand was raised.

“Pardon me, but could I present my choice?” Yaoyorozu asked.

“The floor is yours, Yaoyorozu.” Midnight confirmed as the wealthy student stood and approached the front.

"I believe this name describes the sort of heroine I wished to be and what I bring to the table,"  Yaoyorozu explained before she presented her choice: “ Everything Hero: Creati.”

“Oh, that’s so creative and deceptively cute!” Midnight smiled, giving a thumbs-up that confused Yaoyorozu.

“Decepti-what do you mean?” She looked at the spelling, wondering if she had made an error or if something could be misread, but she didn't see anything like that.

Present Mic chuckled as he cleared the confusion. “You come off as much more refined and elegant, but a name like that shows that can be cute and fun; it'll be a real hit with the kids, I can tell you that!" He explained, which Yaoyorozu frowned at, but her face cleared as she could see their reasoning.

"Oh, well, thank you." She bowed to the two, which was a nice compliment to her character. She wasn't stiff or disconnected from people; she was just polite. She liked to think she had a fun side; she just didn't have a chance to really display it.

Midnight gave the girl a guy, surprising the college freshmen as Midnight held Momo for the rest of the relieved students to see. The class was happy to see a name getting immediate approval and with such praise. “I hope the rest of you take this as inspiration for your own names, don’t just take something surface level, release your creative spirits and let them run wild!”

“Creati! Creati! Creati! Create!” Momo covered her face with her whiteboard as her classmates cheered her name, leaving her embarrassed. She shuffled back to her desk, though a couple saw how she had a small smile the entire time.

Next up was Kamakiri. When he got to the front, he held his board with just one hand, the other resting in his pocket. "Well, you can pick a name that is all cutesy and flowery, but that ain’t my style, so I want with this." The Mohawk-wearing teen presented his choice, his board reading Jack Mantis.

"It's a bit edgy, but not so much. It's like a well-salted bowl of soup. I like it." Mic was the first to give his thoughts on it for a change, and Midnight nodded before she gave her opinion.

"It makes some weight, is mysterious, dangerous, but not menacing. A good balance." Midnight complimented, to which he smiled and let out a pleased grunt, others giving him a thumbs up and words of compliments as he returned to his take.

'Oh man, that name sounds so damn badass, how the heck are we gonna match it?' Sero thought as he looked at his chosen name. He couldn't help but compare it, only for Kirishima to be the next up. Next to take the stand was Kirishima.

“I picked this name for myself: Sturdy Hero: Red Riot!” He declared that his penmanship looked better than normal as he showed his choice, so he had to put extra work into the presentation.

"Hmm, are you perhaps paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero Crimson Riot?" Midnight asked, Kirishima turned to her, surprised but happy she recognised the name.

“Oh, hell yeah, you know him? Sweet!” Kirishima cheered, before he grew a little embarrassed about it, mainly because many of his classmates had no clue who that was, and it showed on their faces. "But yeah, I am. I know it wasn't the biggest in his time, and it's old-fashioned and all, but he's the one who helped inspire me, so it felt right to honour him like that, you know?"

Present Mic smacked Kirishima’s back, the man giving the student a wide smile. "Inspiring those that come after us like that is one of the highest honours we heroes can ever do; it shows that we had a real impact on the world and that it'll continue long after hanging up the cape and becoming fogies, sipping tea and enjoying some Okinawan beach." He joked, to which Midnight rolled her eyes as she added.

“True, but that means that for you to bear that legacy will bring a lot of pressure, as you can’t afford to shame it through your actions. Are you sure about this?” She reminded him that, unlike the rest, who picked names which happened to be similar, this was a direct homage. It meant that even when Kirishima first started, people would compare him to the older Crimson Riot.

Still, despite the added weight, Kirishima didn’t falter. “As sure as stone.”

'Kirishima is so cool, I was sitting here worried about my name, and he just…' Midoriya smiled, looking at his board, which had remained blank, his choices having all been things he never finished writing before he erased them to start over. But when he heard that, he got something of an idea. ‘I really do have some amazing classmates.’

"I'd like to go next." Tetsutetsu stood, marching to the front before slamming his whiteboard into the podium hard.

"Before I say anything, sweet name, Kirishima-it's really manly!" Tetsutetsu yelled at the now seated Kirishima, who laughed as he sent a compliment back Tetsutetsu’s way.

"Thanks, man! You'll have a name, just as cool, if not better." Kirishima replied, hoping that Tetsutetsu hadn’t picked a name close to his own, though that would be insane.

"You know it. I got plenty of pros who inspired me and gave me something to aim for, but I will try mixing and matching what I liked about them into my hero name. Tetsutetsu turned his whiteboard around to show what he meant. “I went with Real Steel!”

"Direct, rugged, and reliable, all the qualities of a fine steel tool, whether a shield or a spare. You got my approval, little listener." Present Mic noted.

"You said it was inspired by several pros. Would one of them be the American hero, Forged Steel Hero: Kypton?" Midnight asked, to which Tetsutetsu gave a shark-toothed grin, as if he were an older hero like Crimson Riot.

“Names sure, but I don’t know, but I think he had the right idea to say he was forged steel, as to be a hero means being able to protect people, right? To be the wall and the hammer that keeps villains out. Well, nothing better for that than some quality steel and muscle." Tetsutetsu remarked, as he could always remember seeing that old news clip, recorded along with some drama show at his grandparents' place.

Seeing the dark-haired, farm boy in his classic red, white, and blue hero costume as he battled against a monster threatening a city he hadn't heard of as a kid, he didn't care. He just watched the man do all he could, even pausing in the massive fight to grab people and take them to safety, his smile never absent. If he could, he would have gotten his merch, but sadly, it had been discontinued for a long time.

Midnight smiled as she saw the admiration in the young man's eyes, but she had to remind him that this would be harder than the rest. "It's a great interpretation of what a true hero means. I'm sure you'll embody it well. But much like Kirishima, there is an expected weight which will come from having the name, you sure?"

"I wouldn't have picked it if I weren't," Tetsutetsu affirmed before he returned to his seat, Kirishima sending him another word of praise over his name, which kept spirits high with the names, so now multiple people raised their hands to go, eager to add to that positive aura in the room.

“(Kero) Could I go next?” Asui was one of them and was picked by Present Mic.

“Go for it, Asui.” She nodded as she stood and approached the front to present her idea.

"I didn't put so much thought into this, but it's been something I've wanted to use since I was in middle school," Asui explained before turning the whiteboard around to show what she came up with. “Rainy Season Hero: Froppy.” Several people let out awes and sounds of endearment as they saw the name, one which Asui spiced up with a little frog drawing to the side.

"Oh, that is so cute! Friendly, cheery, and bubbly—I like it!" Midnight immediately approved it, followed by Mic.

"It looks like you followed the same vein as Yaoyorozu, or maybe she followed you if you've had the name idea as long as you say." Mic chuckled, drawing some attention to Momo, but she happily said she followed Asui's lead without realizing it.

After that, names came and went for the rest of the students, as it seemed like they hit their groove. No one got an outright rejection from the 2 teachers, just suggestions and changes to what was presented. Names came and went with different styles and meanings.

Some, like Sato and Jiro, chose names close to their quirks: Sweets Hero: Sugarman and Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack.

Others chose names with a bit more flair, such as Monoma, Tokoyami, and Komori with Phantom Thief, Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi, and Shemage, respectively.

While another group used names which were play on words or descriptions of their quirks, such as Kurorio, Sero, Tokage, and Shoji, with Scheming Hero: Vantablack; Taping Hero: Cellophone, Lizardy, and Tentacle Hero: Tentacole

Even those whose first picks had been rejected managed to find something, as Aoyama's second pick of Shining Hero: Lumen. Kodai went with Size Hero: Rule, and Ashido went with Ashido with Pinkie, but they did have some issues.

When Iida came up, he had a problem. "I must admit that, like Asui, this was a name which I had picked out in advance. My family has been in the hero business since my grandfather, and each generation took the same name of Ingenium, but with my elder brother still active, I can't take on the name myself, so this was what he helped me land on." He explained before he, too, showed his choice.

“Swift Hero: Merlin.”

Both Mic and Midnight looked it over, along with the rest. They couldn't say it was a bad choice in a vacuum, but they couldn't help but wonder why Iida selected it. "Hmm, I must admit, I don't see any real connections to speed, but it does have a catchy ring to it." Still, Midnight couldn't say it was ill-fitting, as it seemed like the older Iida had picked something that did the job, even as seemingly ill-suited as it was.

“Well, he can use his speed like the character to whisk evil doers away and save people in what feels like a snap.” Mic joked as he approved it, allowing Iida to return to his seat.

"Shoto." Todoroki followed, and it seemed that he would be the link that broke the line of creative names.

"Are…you sure?" Mic asked, as it wasn't like he could say the guy's name was a bad pick; it was his given name. Some pros followed a similar model, but they were insanely rare. If he was honest, he assumed Todoroki would pick a name primarily based on ice, given the guy's refusal to use his flames outside of clean-up.

"Yes." Todoroki didn't want to be dismissed or for someone to comment on his choice, a decision that confused but also annoyed some of his fellow students. Some of them recalled how frosty he had been during the festival and even the clean-up after the villain attack.

Midoriya didn’t say it, but he supposed Todoroki was as socially closed off as his father. Then he had a breakthrough with his own choice, as he had been going about this the wrong way. He could just copy All Might, but why not take tips from the entire group as well and create something uniquely his own?

It was a good thing his spark of inspiration hit when it did, as when he finished writing it, Awase had finished presenting his name, and Midoriya was called up. A little nervous but eager, he stood and went to the front.

“Midoriya?” Uraraka frowned.

"Are you sure about that? Remember what Midnight and the rest said: changing your name isn't going to be easy, you know." Ojiro told him that this seemed like a name that sent the wrong message.

"I know, and I don't want to change it," Midoriya replied, the boy confident and calm about his pick. "I'm…well, I wasn't born lucky like any of you. My quirk isn't natural, and soon people all over figure that out." They winced at that, recalling how things had been on campus since the assembly.

Midoriya took a breath, reminding himself that he would face what came next, and not alone. He'd always had people he could depend on, and that group had grown since he came to the U.A.

"Still, thanks to the support and hard work of others, I was able to take steps towards my goal, because they believed in me. Not just my mother, but Aoyama's family, the researchers, the engineers, the scientists." He smiled, nodding towards Aoyama, who would have tipped his hat if he had worn one, but his smile was sincere.

"Even now, my power is built up by others; each new set of abilities I might gain is a reminder that I'm not some grand hero, or the next All Might." Uraraka wiggled her seat, knowing the irony in that statement, but too enthralled to speak up even if she had wished to. “Still, I will become a hero like him, one who will smile and protect everyone.”

“So yeah…this is my choice.” Midoriya tapped the end of his whiteboard. “Normal Hero: EV.”

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You know the sad part about being a fanfic writer? I know it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Things can come up, priorities shift, or you just lose interest in a story; it's not like you're paid to do it or under a contract. I say this as there's a story I read, one which I will not name to not draw negative attention to the author, which has not been updated in the longest time because the author is busy. I can't even be mad about it, as I have like 4 stories I haven't touched in months either.

All that was kinda on my mind as I wrote this, as I'm lucky that I didn't have any assignments due this week, so I have time to work on them slowly without risking it biting me in the ass come due date. I also had time to think about this story and the direction in which I want to take it, as with how much has changed, the back-of-the-napkin ideas I had needed to be polished, updated, or downright scrapped. So think of this chapter and the next as the transition from those ideas to what will happen now.

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I did wish to add more, but that would have been painfully short regarding the students heading off for their internships. However, I did go back and forth on names for a while. As with Mina, I wanted her to go with Cosmo Pink before ultimately going with her canon hero name.

With Iida, I knew that his hero's name was based on an engine family made by Jaguar Land Rover, and I wished that Iida had a similar name. Alas, I couldn't find something like it. But then I recalled something else, and lo and behold, his hero name is taken from the engine type used in the British WW2 fighter, the Supermarine Spitfire.

Izuku, well, I’ve already designed his quirks off the Eevee family and its evolutions from Pokémon, so his name was really just taking that to the next step. And much like the Eevee, despite being 'normal', his evolutions or transformations mean he has a foot in the door of various other areas.

In the next chapter, we'll be getting into internships proper, so…yeah. I hope you liked it. Have a good week, and take care.