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z-iridest · 4 months

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I Am Phoenix- A My Hero Academia Fanfic

Chapter 15- What's In A Name:

The first place prize for the Sports Festival was an invitation to I-Expo, but since Melissa and I were already planning to bring Dad to I- Island, it didn't make sense for me to have an extra ticket. Since Dad was mentoring Midoriya, I figured Dad would bring him along as a guest, which left one person I could think of that had earned the right to go...

"Bakugo, wait up!" I jogged to catch up with the blond after school the same day the Sports Festival ended. He stopped, turning around.

"What'd you want?" He asked, sounding as grumpy as he looked. I gave him the ticket, and he instantly looked confused while looking it over. "The hell's this?"

"First place prize for the Sports Festival. Since I'm already going, it's a thank you for going all out. I might have won, but you earned it." I looked away from him, feeling my face burning. "You can bring whoever you want with you as a guest, so maybe Kirishima or Kaminari'll want to go with." I shrugged a bit. My phone went off. "Gotta go, see you round." I gave a small goodbye before taking off, and I could have sworn I heard a small but gruff:

"Thank you."

I stopped training for a minute, panting as I remembered giving the invite to Bakugo a couple days ago since I was already going to I-Expo through Melissa. I-Expo was pretty much a summer tradition between Melissa, Uncle Dave and I. That is, when Melissa wasn't busy with schoolwork like she was last year... And this time, Dad was going too, which meant that Uncle Dave and Dad could see each other again after... Oh geeze, how long has it been?

I took a drink of water, sitting down for a second. I probably could have given the ticket to one of the girls, but Bakugo had given me a real fight, he didn't hold back. It was something I could respect... I went back inside to shower after the training session. I know what you're thinking: Didn't Mr Aizawa tell you guys to take the next couple days to rest? Yes, but I can't sit still when I'm at home, gimme a break! Before I could jump in though, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID. An unknown number? What the hell? Probably not the smartest thing, but I answered it. "Hello?"

"Yagi, it's Todoroki." How the hell did he even... You know what, I don't wanna know.

"Oh, hey, Todoroki. How are you?" I asked, sitting at the island in the kitchen.

"I'm all right.... How are you?" He questioned. I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm good. So, what's up?"

"I just... Needed to tell someone this." I waited for him to continue. "I saw my Mom today. My old man threw her in a mental hospital when I was a kid, I haven't seen her in a long time."

"You did? How'd it go?" I asked, leaning on my arm a bit.

"We both cried... But, it felt good to talk to her again." I smiled softly at this.

"I bet... How're you feeling?" I asked.

"Determined... I... want to be the best hero I can... I want to save her from that place." While I didn't know the full story of what had happened, I was glad he had gotten to see his Mom at least to start repairing his relationship with her. We continued to talk for a while, and by the time we hung up, I felt my heart ache. I missed my Mom, more than anything, but I was happy for Todoroki. He was able to see his Mom again... I saved Todoroki's contact info for later before I got a text from Midoriya.

'Hey! Sorry, Hino, I probably should have told you sooner, but I gave Todoroki your number, he said he wanted to talk to you about something...' Oh, that's how he got my number... Makes sense. 'Listen, if you're not doing anything, do you wanna have dinner with me and my Mom? She's been dying to meet you.' Dinner with Mrs. Midoriya? While the thought made me nervous, I was curious to find out what Midoriya's mom was like.

'Sure! I just finished up training, so I'll get cleaned up and head on over, text me the address and I'll see you in a bit.' I showered, and dressed in casual attire. It was just a T-shirt with my Mom's hero insignia and jeans with a pair of black sneakers, but I thought I looked good. I put my hair in my usual ponytail before heading for the address Midoriya texted me. I hesitated slightly before knocking on the door. When it opened, I saw Izuku in front of me.

"Hey, you made it! Come on in, Hino." He greeted.

"Hey, thanks for the invite." I smiled as I entered the doorway, taking my shoes off and putting on the house slippers Izuku showed me. Once I was ready, he brought me further inside.

"Hey, Mom, my friend's here." He called to her as he led the way. I looked around. They had a beautiful home that had an open kitchen and living room, and straight ahead of me in the hallway were two separate rooms, one of which the door held a sign that screamed my Dad's merch and had his name in gold letters. I smiled before going into the living room to meet my host. When I came face to face with her, it was like I was seeing double of Izuku. Big, round green eyes and green hair, though hers were darker than his, and her hair was straight and shoulder-length, with a small and spiky ponytail at the back. She was taller than me by an inch, but she was a round woman that reminded me of the comfort of home. "Hino, this is my Mom, Inko Midoriya. Mom, this is the friend I've been telling you about, Hinotori." I bowed in respect.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, especially considering Izuku talks highly of you all the time, and thank you so much for inviting me to your home. It's beautiful." I replied.

"The pleasure's all mine, Hinotori, it's lovely to meet the friend my Izuku's been talking about all this time." She smiled. "Dinner'll be ready in a few minutes, so why don't you two grab a seat in the living room and catch up."

"Is there anything I can help with?" I asked. She giggled.

"Oh, no, sweetheart. You grab a seat and dinner'll be ready soon. From what Izuku's told me, you've been training extra hard the past couple days, it's about time you give your muscles some proper fuel." She told me, gently shooing me toward the couch. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Okay, but if you need help, just holler my name." I told her.

"I will." She beamed before scurrying back to the kitchen. I smiled.

"So, Hino, did Todoroki end up contacting you?" Izuku asked.

"Actually, yeah, he did. He called before you texted me... He got to see his Mom." From the look on his face alone, Midoriya already knew the situation with Todoroki and his family, or at least part of it.

"He did? How did it go, how's he doing?" Izuku asked. So, I told him what Todoroki told me. By the time I was done, he breathed in relief. "I'm glad it went so well, and even more so that he's okay."

"Me too... Honestly, I hope things continue to work out for him. But, it's Iida I'm worried about." I brought up.

"Honestly, me too." Midoriya looked down. "I've been worried since you told me what happened. I just hope everything's all right."

"Me too. When he sets his mind to something, it's all he can see. He'll get himself into trouble if he's not careful..." I trailed off, not wanting to think about the consequences of Iida were to go after the person responsible.

"Now, now, you two, that's enough of that sad talk, let's give your bodies some fuel." Mrs Midoriya told us, shuffling into the dining area. My stomach rumbled at the smell of the katsudon she'd cooked, making both of them giggle.

"Guess I'm hungrier than I thought." I sheepishly giggled.

"Come on, let's eat." Izuku replied as we got up, sitting at the table.

"Hinotori, I couldn't help but notice your shirt. Is that Ace's symbol?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, Ace was my mom." I answered as I sat down. When I caught her glance, she was smiling softly.

"Despite the horrible things you've gone through this year, I think it's safe to say your mother would be proud of the strong and sweet young woman you've grown into." Inko told me. I smiled.

"Thank you, Mrs. Midoriya." I replied.

"You call me Inko, sweetheart. If you need anything at all, you can come to me." She gently patted my hand.

"Thank you, Inko." I smiled, and when she smiled back, her eyes shone brightly, just like Izuku's when he smiled. I found myself at ease as I ate dinner with the Midoriyas, and afterward, we reviewed the Sports Festival footage together. I saw for myself how Midoriya had caught up with me. I sighed a bit after it got to the final tournament, watching his match with Todoroki. "We really need to find a way for you to control that power better... Maybe some way for you to hold it over your entire body like I do with my flame armor."

"At 100%?!" He shrieked, looking at me wide eyed.

"Not right away, you'll break every bone in your body if you tried. I mean starting from what your body can handle and building up, kinda like building a tolerance." I told him, pulling my feet under me and leaning on my elbow, my palm holding my cheek.

"How am I supposed to do that?" He asked.

"Well, since Quirks are physical abilities, I'd assume training, though I don't think Dad would be any help in that department. I'd help, but I'm honestly not sure how to direct you how to do it." I crossed my arms over my chest, frowning in thought.

When we went back to school the next day, it was dark and raining, and it felt... Almost ominous... I scrolled through my phone as I rode the train to school, trying to ignore the fact that my Mom had been involved in that fatal fight 9 years ago that day. "Psst. Hey... Hey, you, kid." I raised my head to find a man smiling softly at me. "You're Hinotori Yagi from Class 1-A, right? You were amazing in the Sports Festival." The man's words had turned the attention of everyone around us. Pretty soon, I had everyone around me congratulating me. "Keep up the good work, young hero!" They all told me at the same time as I got off the train.

"Oh, thank you so much!" I bowed in respect before I left the station, heading to school. But, the bad feeling hadn't gone away. I felt like something was wrong, but couldn't place it... Why do I feel like this? Like I did the day Mom died? I thought, wishing that this feeling of dread would just be washed away by the rain...

"Morning, Hino." Izuku greeted, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, good morning." I greeted back, before noticing he looked tired. "You okay?" He nodded.

"I just feel like I'm barely awake..." He answered. Before I could reply, we heard a familiar voice call out to us.

"Good morning Midoriya and Yagi!" We both turned to see our class president heading toward us. He was decked out in rain boots and a green poncho with a hood that was pulled over his head, making it easy for him to run and stay dry.

"Whoa, Iida! You really went all out with the rain gear." Izuku observed.

"Why on Earth are you two walking so slowly?" He passed us. "You'll be late!"

"There's five minutes until the first bell, what'd you mean we'll be late?" I asked as we hurried after him.

"UA students should always arrive ten minutes early, don't you think?" He questioned in counter before speeding up. Izuku and I looked at each other before we followed our classmate inside. As I shook the rain off my umbrella and put it in the spot designated for our class, Izuku spoke up.

"So, um, Iida..."

"If it's about my brother, don't be concerned." Iida cut off Izuku as he put on his school shoes and took his hood off. "I'm sorry if I made you worry, everything'll be fine." He assured as he turned to look at us before we headed toward our classroom. Judging by the look on Izuku's face, he was just as worried as I was. The look in his eyes didn't match what he said, something was obviously wrong... Once we were in our class, everyone was buzzing from the past couple days.

"It's so weird that people recognize us from TV. Everyone wanted to talk to me on my way here." Mina was saying.

"Yeah, me too!" Kirishima grinned.

"People on the street were staring at me! It was kind of embarrassing..." Hagakure shifted a bit.

"Sure, but isn't that pretty normal for you?" Ojiro asked. Oh my god, this boy...

"You won't believe what a bunch of elementary school brats yelled at me." Sero spoke up.

"Nice try?" Tsu and I guessed at the same time, making Sero groan.

"All it took was one Sports Festival and suddenly we're like celebrities." Kaminari told Mineta.

"This school really is amazing." Mineta replied. The door opened as everyone stopped talking and took their seats.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Mr Aizawa." We all greeted our teacher in return. When he faced everyone, I saw that the bandages were off, and despite a scar on his face, he looked perfectly fine.

"Ribbit, Mr Aizawa, you don't have bandages anymore, that's good news." Tsu observed.

"The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment. Anyway, we have a big class today on Hero Informatics." Aizawa replied. Everyone tensed up. Geeze, how many times were we gonna do this where we all tense up because we're expecting the worst? "You need codenames." Mr. Aizawa finally finished after a silence way too long for any of my classmates' likings. "Time to pick your hero identities."

"This is gonna be totally awesome!" Everyone cheered, before immediately quieting down when Aizawa glared, his eyes flashing red.

"This is related to the pro hero draft picks that I mentioned the last time we were in class together. Normally, students don't have to worry about the draft yet, not until their second or third year, actually... But your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to first years like you, pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation, though." I heard Mineta slam his fist on his desk before he mumbled.

"Stupid, selfish adults..." I kicked the back of his chair to get him to shut up.

"So, what you're saying is, we'll still have to prove ourselves after we've gotten recruited." Hagakure spoke up.

"Correct. Now, here are the totals for those of you who got offers." He pressed a button on a remote and it showed a hologram total of the offers. I was in first, Todoroki was in second, Bakugo was third and so on. I felt my face burn as most of our classmates, turned, grinning at me. "In past years, it's been more spread out, but there's a pretty big gap this time."

"Gah! That's no fair!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"What about the real star? Moi?" Aoyama asked.

"Todoroki got more than Bakugo?" Jiro questioned.

"Yeah, it's the opposite of how they placed in the festival..." Kirishima trailed off. I was curious to see the list, but there was only one agency that I could think of that might have sent an offer in... My Mom's old agency in Hosu. It was run by the same sidekick who had been Mom's right hand while Mom was still alive... Ember.

"You must be proud." I heard Yayorozu talking to Todoroki.

"These offers are probably because of my father." Todoroki replied. I had to cover a snort when I looked over at Ochaco and Iida. She had gasped and was shaking Iida.

"People want us!" She squealed. Meanwhile, my poor friend looked shocked, though, and when I looked at his name, I saw that he had gotten no offers at all.

"Midoriya, you got none." Mineta commented. "I bet everyone was grossed out by the crazy way you were fighting."

"Can you quit rubbing salt in the wound for two seconds, Mineta?" I asked.

"Despite these results, you'll all be interning with pros, got it? Even those of you who didn't get any offers." Aizawa continued.

"Oh, so, we're all interning?" Midoriya asked.

"Yes. You already got to experience combat with real villains during the attack on the USJ facility. But, it'll still be helpful to see pros at work. Up close and personal in the field firsthand."

"And for that, we need hero names!" Sato exclaimed.

"Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!" Uraraka added.

"These hero names will likely be temporary, but take them seriously, or..."

"You'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight finished as she opened the door. Kaminari, Sero and Mineta all gawked at Midnight as she entered the room. "What you pick today could be your codename for life. You better be careful, or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent."

"Yeah, she's got a good point. Midnight is going to have final approval over your names. It's not my forte." Aizawa told us as he brought out his sleeping bag. "The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows the kind of hero you want to be in the future. A codename tells people exactly what you represent. Take All Might for example." Aizawa then had us each get a whiteboard and marker. I uncapped it, but as I was about to start, I heard soft growling, and I froze for a second as I watch Bakugo scribble something on his board before another growl left him, making me roll my eyes. He was probably gonna come up something with the words Explosion or Murder in it... But for me, my codename had been decided a long time ago.

"Hey, baby bird, whacha got there?" Mom had asked me a couple years after I got my quirk. I held up the paper to her as best as my four year old arms could reach.

"Possible codenames. When I grow up, I'm going to be a strong hero, just like you and Daddy!" I had told her, my hands squeezing into fists as I was on pins and needles, waiting for her response as she read the hero names. She smiled.

"There are some good ones in here like Emberfall, and Cinder, and Scarlet Wing... Oooh, Phoenix might be my favorite, though." She smiled down at me.

"But, it's just the same name as my Quirk... It's not very creative..." I trailed off. Mom lifted me up in her arms.

"But, a phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, remember? It shows that no matter how many times you're pulled down, you'll always soar back up into the sky again to shine bright. You did say you want to be a hero that gives a light of hope to people in times of trouble. What's a better name than Phoenix?" She smiled.

I brought myself out of the memory as I wrote my hero name on my board. The Blazing Ace: Phoenix. No point in changing it after keeping it in mind for the past 11 years, right? After a few minutes, Midnight spoke again. "Now, students, who among you is ready to share?" Wait, we're presenting these?! I thought. Much to my surprise, Aoyama walked up first.

"Hold your breath... The Shining Hero. My Name is I Cannot Stop Twinkling! Mon amis, you can't deny my sparkle." Oh, come on....

"It'll be better this way. Take out the I and shorten Cannot to Can't." Midnight advised.

"It's stunning, mademoiselle." Aoyama replied.

"She likes it?" Kirishima, Kaminari, Jiro, Midoriya, Sato and I all questioned.

"Also, you're not really french are you? That's just an act." Sato pointed out.

"Okie doke, lemme go next! My codename: Alien Queen!" Mina exclaimed as she took the podium next. Oooh, it definitely fit her...

"Hold on, like that horrible monster with the acidic blood? I don't think so." Midnight shot down Mina's.

"Dang it..." Mina sulked as she went back to her seat. Tsu raised her hand.

"Ribbit, I think I've got one. Okay if I go next?" She asked.

"Come on up." Midnight encouraged. Once she was at the podium, Tsu spoke again.

"I've had this name in mind since grade school... Rainy Season Hero: Froppy."

"That's delightful! It makes you sound approachable. What a great example of a name everyone will love!" Midnight approved Tsu's.

"Froppy! Froppy! Froppy! Froppy!" All of us cheered as she sat down. Kirishima was next.

"Got mine too! The Sturdy Hero, my name is Red Riot!"

"Awesome!" I exclaimed, making him grin at me.

"Red Riot, interesting. You're paying homage to the Chivalrous hero Crimson Riot, yes?" Midnight inquired.

"That's right. He may be kinda old school, but someday, I wanna be just like he was. Crimson's my idol." Kirishima replied.

"Hm... If you're bearing the name of someone you admire, you have that much more to live up to."

"I accept the challenge." Kirishima told her, grinning.

"Man.... I still can't think of anything that's cool enough..." Kaminari trailed off before he got tapped by Jiro.

"Hey, I've got one. How does Jamming-Yay sound to you?" Jiro asked.

"Oh, it's like Hemingway who wrote A Farewell to Arms, right? Real clever, I like it!" Kaminari answered.

"No..." Jiro snickered. "It's because even though you're powerful, you always..." A snort left her. "Jam your brain." I covered my mouth as a snort left me too.

"Aw come on, Jiro, quit messing with me!" Kaminari exclaimed. Jiro then went up.

"The Hearing Hero, I'm Earphone Jack!"

"Now, that's a good one!" Midnight told her.

"The Tentacle Hero: Tentacole!" Shouji's was a play on words.

"Oh, I like what you're doing with that. A nice portmanteau."

"The Taping Hero: Cellophane." Sero's was pretty cool.

"That's on the nose, good work!" Midnight gave her thumbs up.

"Martial Arts Hero: Tailman!" Ojiro's was all right...

"No surprise with that one, I guess." Midnight's response was mediocre with his, but she approved it still.

"I'm The Sweets Hero: Sugar Man!" Sato's goes on the cool name list.

"Perfect!"

"PINKY!" Mina exclaimed hers at the top of her lungs.

"Make those looks work for you, girl!" Midnight approved the second attempt Mina had.

"The Stun Gun Hero: I am Chargebolt! Electric, don't you think?" Kaminari's definitely goes on the cool list along with Kirishima's.

"Makes me all tingly!"

"The Stealth Hero: I'm Invisible Girl!" Hagakure's was a little too on the nose...

"That really suits you!" Midnight's response to Hagakure's codename was pretty mediocre.. "Now, come on, who's gonna step up next?!" It's a wonder our teacher could stay asleep during all this ruckus... Yayorozu was next.

"I hope that I can live up to this name.... The Everything Hero: I'm Creati!"

"Creative!"

"Shoto."

"Just your name? That's it?" Midnight asked.

"Uh huh." Todoroki answered her. Aw come on, why not something like ThermaFrost, Todoroki?! I thought, but kept the potential name to myself for a moment.

"The Jet Black Hero, Tsukoyomi." And Tokoyami adds a new hero name to the cool list!

"God of the Night..." Midnight swooned.

"The Fresh-Picked Hero, Grape Juice!"

"Very kitschy!" What the hell does that word even mean? Anyways, Kota was up next with showing us the name Petting Hero: Anima. "Yep, all about it!" That... was when Bakugo walked up...

"King Explosion Murder." He growled. Called it...

"I'm gonna say that one's a little too violent."

"HUH?! WHADDYA MEAN?!" Bakugo shouted.

"Why don't you be Explosion Boy?" Kirishima called out to him, half teasing him.

"YOU SHUT UP, WEIRD HAIR!" He shouted as Kaminari and I both snickered. "OR ELSE I'LL TAKE YOU OUTSIDE AND SHOW YOU WHY EXPLOSION MURDER SHOULD BE IN MY NAME!"

"Not very heroic, Bakugo." I teased him, making him glare at me before I ignored him for Uraraka.

"This is the name I've thought of: Uravity." And there's officially a cute list.

"I just love that!" Midnight gushed, making Uraraka sigh in relief. "To be honest, choosing names is going faster than I thought it would. All we have left is young Bakugo who has to rethink his, Yagi, and Iida. Oh, yes, and Midoriya too." I stood up.

"It's not that I had trouble coming up with mine... It's just meant so much to me that I haven't thought of anything else." I replied as I walked to the front. "Everyone else's is so creative..." I looked at my hero name as I got to the podium, nervous about revealing it to everyone.

"Go ahead, Yagi." Midnight encouraged me, and when I glanced up, I found matching grins of encouragement on Kirishima and Kaminari's faces. I gave a small smile back before showing my hero name.

"The hero I want to be is one who is able to be a light of hope for everyone... From now on, call me the Blazing Ace: I am Phoenix." I told them.

"Paying homage to your mother as well as making it your own. It's perfect." Midnight nodded in approval and I saw Kirishima pump his fist in the air. As I went back to my seat, Kaminari and Kirishima both held up their hands for high fives, which I gave them as I walked by. Once I sat down, I glanced over at Iida. He looked like he was remembering something awful. When he finally walked up, his first name was on his board.

"You're using your real name too?" Midnight asked. He doesn't feel like he can take on the name of Ingenium yet... I thought, seeing the look on his face. "Well, Midoriya, are you ready?"

"Oh... Yes." Izuku replied as he stood up. I smiled at his chosen hero name, but it made everyone else gasp.

"Really, Midoriya?" Mineta asked.

"You sure about that?" Kaminari looked unsure himself.

"Yeah, man, remember, that could be your name forever." Kirishima added.

"Right. I used to hate it... But, then, something changed. I guess.... Someone taught me that it could have a different meaning., and that had a huge impact on how I felt. So, now, I really like it." Ochaco and I exchanged smiles, knowing what he meant. "Deku. That has to be my codename!" I smiled at Izuku, finding him smiling back at both Ochaco and I. Once he sat down, though....

"LORD EXPLOSION MURDER!"

"That's basically the same thing." Midnight voiced my thoughts on Bakugo's second attempt. That was when our teacher got up.

"Now that everyone's decided their hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships. They'll last for one week. As for who you'll be working with: Those of you who were on the board will choose from among your offers, everyone else will have a different list. You have a lot to think about. There are around 40 agencies across the country who've agreed to take on interns from your class. Each agency has a different specialty that its heroes focus on. Keep that in mind."

"Imagine that you're Thirteen. You'd want to choose a place that focuses on rescuing people and not fighting villains, understand?"

"Think carefully before you decide."

"Yes, sir!" We all acknowledge our teachers' words as the bell rang. When I got my list, I saw that pretty much every agency except for Endeavor's agency put in an offer for me. I wasn't really all too surprised that Endeavor wasn't recruiting me, he's only interested in training his own son, after all...

"Turn in your choices before the weekend." Aizawa told us as I looked over the list. It wasn't too far from the list that I saw Ember's agency. I hadn't seen her in a few years... I wonder how she's doing...

"Wait, we've only got two days?!" Sero asked.

"So much for no rush..." I mumbled.

"Yeah, so you should start now. You're dismissed." Aizawa replied before he closed the door. Once lunchtime came around, Mina spoke up.

"So, guys, have you decided what pro agency you wanna go for?" She questioned all of us.

"Mount Lady's my top choice!" Mineta was the first to answer.

"Why doesn't that surprise me, ya little pervert?" I questioned.

"You made it pretty far in the tournament... It's pretty surprising you didn't get any offers." Ojiro told her.

"I know!" Mina exclaimed.

"Hey, Deku, who's on your list?" Ochaco asked.

"There are only 40 heroes who'll take us, so after looking up their specialties and splitting them into groups, I can start narrowing...."

"Here we go again..." I mumbled, but Izuku got snapped out of his ramble.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, what'd you guys say?" He asked.

"You're really thinking hard about this, aren't you?" Tsu countered.

"That's the curse of overthinking everything." I shrugged.

"It'll all work out, I've settled on my pick." Ochaco replied.

"Yeah? Who'd you go with?" I asked.

"The agency that the Battle Hero, Gunhead, runs." She responded.

"Huh? Gunhead's a big brawler, though. Are you sure that's where you wanna intern, Uraraka?"

"Yep, he sent me an offer!" She punched the air, and I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face.

"Whoa, really? But, I thought you were trying to be a hero kinda like Thirteen, more into rescuing than fighting." Ochaco let her fist drop.

"Ultimately, that's the plan..."

"But since your match against Bakugo, you wanna expand your skill set to include being able to handle combat situations as well as rescue missions." I finished, making her nod at me before she shifted her position and punched the air with her other hand. Why was she so cute?!

"Plus the stronger I am, the more possibilities I'll have! Plus, learning from a battle hero will give me a different perspective, right?" Izuku blinked for a few seconds.

"Yeah, totally." He replied.

"More importantly, there's something I've been meaning to ask you all day... Why are you trembling?"

"Oh, this? It's exercise." He answered.

"Exercise?!" That was about when I saw what she was talking about. Izuku was sitting, but he was keeping himself hovering about an inch above his chair.

"Geeze, you're training your body even when sitting still?" I asked.

"Were you doing that for the whole class?"

"There's no way!" Mina exclaimed.

"That's such an old fashioned way to train."

"A smart way, though." Ojiro countered Mineta. "The isometric muscle contraction that's needed to hold your body above your seat makes it an easy way to work out without moving." I glanced at Bakugo while Ojiro was talking and saw that the blond in front of Izuku looked even more pissed off than before.

"Idiots..." He growled out.

"Tis skill not strength that governs a ship." We heard Tokoyami muse. Ochaco turned to me.

"What about you, Hino? Have you chosen your agency yet?" She asked. I nodded.

"Actually, yeah, I'm going to Ember's agency." I answered.

"Wait, isn't that one your Mom's old agency?" Ojiro questioned. I nodded.

"Mmhmm, Ember's also the one who helped my Mom teach me how to use my flames when I was little. I need to work on improving my body's resistance to my own flames, so it's the best option for me." I replied. Plus, it's in Hosu City. Judging by the look on Iida's face, he's going with his brother's old agency, which allows me to keep an eye on Iida. I thought, glancing at Iida as he looked like he had chosen too. When it was time to head home, I gathered up my things, being pulled to the door by my arm by Ochaco.

"Hey, Deku! Wanna walk together?" She asked him. He nodded, smiling at her in response.

"Iida, come with u- Huh..." When we turned toward Iida's seat, we found that our friend had already left.

"I bet he already decided where to do his internship."

"Honestly, that's what I'm worried about." I told Izuku.

"He's probably off turning in his forms right now..." Izuku replied. My Dad pretty much slid in front of the door just as Izuku opened it, startling the crap out of both of us.

"I AM HERE IN A BIZZARE POSITION!"

"Really, Dad, did you have to give me a heart attack?!" I asked.

"Yeah, what's that about and why are you in such a hurry?" Izuku asked.

"Hi, come with me a sec." Dad didn't answer Izuku's question.

"Uh, sure, okay." Izuku replied. We both went with my Dad. Once we were secluded enough, Dad spoke again.

"I'll get straight to the point. You've received an offer from a hero who'd like to take you on." Dad told Izuku.

"Wait, seriously, who?!" He asked.

"Yes, the hero's name is Gran Torino." The name sent a chill down my spine. Gramps?! "He taught at this school back in my day, but only for one year. In fact, the man was my homeroom teacher. He knows about One For All, as well... Actually, I suspect that's the reason he asked for you." I watched as Izuku's face went from excited to super excited. "This guy sounds totally awesome!" Then he came back down to Earth. "Wait. So, he knows how your Quirk works too? But how?"

"Gran Torino was the sworn friend of my predecessor. He retired a long time ago, so I forget to count him among the people that know." That's when Dad started shaking. I remembered the first time I met Gran Torino. It was one of the times Mom had been working and Gran Torino had come for a visit. I had only been three years old at the time, but he had told me he'd trained both my Dad and my Mom, to which Mom confirmed he had been practically a Dad to her after her own parents had passed away. Dad had always been intimidated by him, but to me, it was Gramps, the same man who had been just as much a part of my life from the beginning as Dad had. "Is this because I wrote about you in the letter I sent him? Or did he watch the festival and think that my teaching was inadequate? If he went so far as to use his old hero name when making the offer... It's scary! Too scary!"

"Been a while since you freaked out over Gramps..." I trailed off under my breath.

"Wait, Gramps?" Izuku asked me. I nodded.

"He taught Dad and my Mom and he's been in my life since before she died." I explained. "He's the closest thing I have to a grandparent." I answered.

"Dammit, legs, stop shaking!" I heard Dad growl, but he was only freaking out Midoriya more. "Anyway, it is my duty to train you. But, since you got an offer, you should work with him this week if that's what your heart says. Anyway, h-h-here's the-the-the-the-the address."

"You really gotta get a hold of yourself, Dad." I told him. He shook it off before looking at me.

"Did you already pick your agency, Hino?" He asked me after Midoriya thanked him and walked away. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going with Ember's agency."

"Be careful in Hosu City, Hinotori." I blinked at the use of my Dad's full name. He never usually calls me that... "I heard that the Hero Killer already attacked Young Iida's brother in Hosu. The next few times he'll be there, it'll be to kill."

"I'll be careful, Dad, I promise." I swore to him, knowing I probably wouldn't be able to keep it if Iida did what I thought he was going to do... It had been all over the news after the Sports Festival, what happened to our friend's older brother. The Hero Killer had been responsible for 17 hero deaths, and had injured 23 so badly, they'd never work as heroes again., Ingenium being the 24th victim to be left for dead. When I had gotten home, I did a little more research on The Hero Killer. Stain, as he was known, had been first known as a killer vigilante, Stendhall. After an encounter with the hero Knuckleduster, he changed his ideals from killing villains to killing those he considered to be sham heroes. His M.O.? Critically injuring the first hero he came a cross to send a warning before killing three other heroes in the same city, after which, he would move on and the process would start all over again... That chilled me more than any villain could...

The next morning, we were all gathered at the train station. "Everyone has their hero costumes, right?" Aizawa asked us. "Remember, you don't have permission to wear them out in public yet, and don't lose them or anything."

"Gotcha!" Mina exclaimed, holding up her case as she hopped onto one foot.

"Speak properly! It's 'Yes, sir', Ashido." Aizawa reprimanded.

"Yes, sir." Mina sulked.

"Make sure you mind your manners with he other heroes during your internships. Now, get to it." Aizawa told us.

"Yes, sir." We all echoed, but I noticed the look in Iida's eyes and my stomach dropped at the sight. He was planning on going after Stain if the two crossed paths... Shit... I walked with Iida towards the station we were leaving toward.

"Yagi? You're going to Hosu too?" He asked once he noticed me. I nodded.

"Yeah, the agency I chose is my Mom's old one. There's a hero there that has a fire quirk similar to mine, and since I need more control over my flames, I'm going to learn from her." I answered.

"Iida, wait!" We both stopped at Izuku's voice, turning to face him. Ochaco and Izuku both joined us. "Hey, if you ever wanna talk or anything, just let us know." Ochaco nodded to affirm that she thought the same thing. "We're friends, right?" He asked. Iida smiled, though it was half what his normal smile was.

"Yes." He replied, reaffirming that we all were friends before he walked away. Ochaco and Izuku both looked as worried as I felt.

"I'll keep an eye on him, guys. It'll be okay." I tried to reassure them before I left, but even from a bit behind Iida, I could feel the urge to kill Stain coming off of Iida. In that moment, I should have tried harder to get him to tell Izuku and Ochaco the truth, how he was feeling. In the days to come, my biggest regret would be not being there for him...

(Taglist: @euphorical-angel @qweenexplosionmurder13

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#cannon x oc #mha #hinotori yagi #dadmight #i am phoenix

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