Damn. Lost track of time. Late posting.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
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Aizawa pressed a button on the remote, and the projector came on.
A chart appeared on the board, displaying names and numbers in descending order.
INTERNSHIP OFFERS — CLASS 1-A
Yuta Akutami — 4,123
Shoto Todoroki — 4,021
Katsuki Bakugo — 3,556
Fumikage Tokoyami — 360
Tenya Iida — 301
Eijiro Kirishima — 272
Momo Yaoyorozu — 108
Ochaco Uraraka — 20
Hanta Sero — 11
The rest of the class had single-digit offers or none at all.
Silence.
Then—
"FOUR THOUSAND?!" Kaminari shot out of his seat. "How does the new guy get four thousand offers?!"
"He's first?!" Kirishima's eyes were wide. "That's insane!"
"Ribbit. That's more than Bakugo"
"Yeah. Even Todoroki's got more."
Bakugo's chair creaked ominously as his grip tightened on the armrests.
"Tch."
Todoroki stared at the screen, expression unreadable.
"Usually it's more spread out, but unsurprisingly, all eyes are on these three this year."
Aizawa said. "I hope this reinforced my previous point. Performance matters."
"Gah! Such a big difference!" Kaminari slumped.
Aoyama huffed. "Those pro's don't know a good thing when they see one. To think they'd ignore a star such as myself."
"How did Bakugo place third?"
"Is it surprising? Most pro's aren't excited to ask for a guy who had to be chained to the podium."
Bakugo exploded!
"WHAT'S THERE TO BE SCARED OFF? THEY'RE PROBABLY JUST A BUNCH OF WIMPS ANYWAY IF THEY THINK THIS FORFEITING BASTARD'S WORTH MORE THAN ME!"
"Hehe. It think it says more about you than it does Yuta, Bakugo."
Iida adjusted his glasses. "While unexpected, this demonstrates the impact of a strong Sports Festival performance. Akutami's matches were highly publicized."
"Yeah, but he forfeited the finals!" Mineta whined. "How does that get four thousand offers?!"
"Because unlike you," Jiro said flatly, "he made it past the second round and actually looked competent doing it."
Midoriya looked thoughtful. "It's probably a combination of several factors. Not just the performance but probably his origin."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean Deku?"
Everyone's eyes turned to Midoriya.
"YEAH DEKU! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Bakugo looked like he would spew flames at this point
"Um, well. He's the only one not from the Hero course so ..." Midoriya stuttered. "To the pros, he doesn't have the training and resources we do. .. To still have a performance like that ... Then .."
"Then it means greater potential."
The interruption came from Todoroki whose brows were slightly furrowed. "If he could do all that with no training of any sort, then how capable would he be if he were in our position."
Everyone was stunned.
"Both of you are correct." Aizawa added without a change in expression. "Potential is the right word for it. Typically, hero agencies extend invitations in the second and third years after students have gained enough experience and can become immediate assets to pros. In other words, for them to extend offers to first years like you shows that they're interested in your future potential."
"These offers are often cancelled if that interest dies before graduation, so you'll have to continually prove that you're worth it." His eyes settled on Yuta, seemingly speaking directly to him.
"To my point. Being a hero means you'll have to step over countless others for success. Most times, even your own classmates. As you can see, part of that journey can be bridged with an interesting enough background and reputation."
"Oh oh! You mean like the origin stories of heroes in novels you read." Toru raised her hand.
"That's right. In essence, it's your marketability."
BANG!
Bakugo slammed his hands on the table. "So you're telling me that he got more offers simply because he came from another class?"
"Partly, yes."
"Hey! That's not very fair is it?" Mineta waved in outrage, only to stiffen as Aizawa's eyes turned red.
"Not fair?" The man swept his eyes over all of them. "Does anyone else share that sentiment?"
No one responded.
"Make no mistake. Just like Akutami, all of you had higher visibility and attention than everyone else in the sports festival. Do you remember why?"
"Um ... Because of the U.S.J?"
"Exactly."
His eyes returned to normal.
"The media and the pro agencies haven't forgotten that you survived a villain attack. They look at this class and they see survivors. Potential heroes who have already tasted the reality of the field. That's why your numbers are as high as they are. And it only goes to highlight why as of now, Akutami sits above all of you in terms of potential and interest."
Aizawa finished bluntly.
The whole class fell silent.
'So they think that bastard is better than the rest of us, huh?' Bakugo thought with clenched fists.
'Well, that stung.' Yuta sat quietly as the stares converged on him. Many burning with fighting spirit.
"Mr. Aizawa. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're trying to isolate me from the rest of the class."
Aizawa paid him no heed.
Clicking the remote again, the screen shifted to a list of agency names. Page after page after page of them, scrolling automatically because the list was too long to fit on one slide.
"Over the next two days, you'll each review the agencies that sent offers. Pick carefully as you'll spend the internship week there. Some of these pros barely qualify as hero agencies."
Sero raised a hand. "Sensei, uh… which ones barely qualify?"
Aizawa gave him a deadpan stare. "If you see an agency headquartered behind a convenience store, don't pick it."
A few students winced.
Then Aizawa turned toward the back of the room.
"Akutami."
"Sir?"
"Your list is… extensive. If you need help narrowing them down, ask. Half these agencies probably only made an offer because the nation can't stop talking about you."
"That's ... not comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be."
The class snickered.
Aizawa continued. "Focus on overlapping goals. Your quirk is versatile. Some agencies will want you for rescue, some for combat, some for utility. Avoid anywhere that looks like they're only after publicity. That applies to the rest of you."
"So, like, half the list?" Kaminari muttered.
"Sixty percent," Aizawa corrected. "Keeping those in mind, whether or not anyone asked for you ... You will all be going on internships with pros."
"Huh?"
"Yes. They're assigned agencies by the school. After all, you already have experience fighting villains. It will be meaningful to see how pros work firsthand."
He clicked to the next slide
"Which brings us to the next important thing."
The board changed to display a new heading:
HERO INFORMATICS
"Before you submit your choices, there's one more thing you need to finalize." He set the remote down and crossed his arms.
"Your hero names."
The room perked up immediately.
"Hero names?!" Ashido's eyes sparkled.
"Finally!" Kaminari grinned.
"I see. Since we'll be working with pro's, we'll need hero names."
"Indeed. This is a crucial step," Aizawa continued, voice flat. "Your hero name is how the public will know you. It's part of your brand, your identity. Though at this stage, they're temporary, but choose wisely, because once it's registered, changing it is a bureaucratic nightmare."
Iida's hand shot up. "Sensei, are there guidelines for naming conventions?"
"Yes. Keep it professional. Nothing vulgar, nothing that violates trademark laws, and nothing that makes you sound like an idiot. It's best if it's a single word with no more than four or five syllables."
"Most of you will go through multiple revisions before settling on something permanent. That's normal. However. ..." Aizawa walked toward the door and opened it. "... to make sure you don't choose something catastrophically stupid, I've brought in a professional."
He stepped aside and a woman stepped into the room.
Tall, curvaceous, wearing a domino mask and a costume that could be described as bold.
"Hello, darlings!" Midnight purred, striking a pose. "Did someone say hero names?"
The boys, minus Todoroki, Tokoyami, Bakugo, and Yuta ... immediately sat up straighter.
Mineta's jaw dropped. "It's Midnight!"
Midnight sauntered to the front of the room.
"Aizawa asked me to help you kids avoid embarrassing yourselves. And trust me ..." She leaned against the desk dramatically. ".. I've seen some terrible hero names in my time."
Aizawa picked up his sleeping bag on the side. "A name is important as it gives you a concrete image of what you want to be in the future. It's not just for the public. Midnight will review your choices. If she approves, you're good. If not, try again."
"Don't worry," Midnight said with a wink. "I'll make sure you all sound fabulous."
She pulled out a stack of small whiteboards and markers from a bag she'd brought.
"Alright, everyone! Grab a board and start brainstorming. Write down your top three choices, and we'll workshop them together!"
The class erupted into excited chatter as students grabbed boards and markers.
Yuta leaned back in his seat, staring at the blank whiteboard in his hands.
'Hero name, huh?'
He twirled the marker between his fingers.
'What the hell am I supposed to pick?'
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