"TODAY!" Midnight announced, striking a pose that made several students look away nervously, "We're doing something special! You'll be choosing your hero names!"
The class erupted in excitement.
"FINALLY!" Ashido bounced in her seat. "I've had mine planned since elementary school!"
"This is a crucial decision," Iida said, hand chops in full effect. "Our hero names will define our public image!"
"Or you could just use your real name like boring people," Kaminari said.
"That's not boring, that's classic!"
Midnight cracked her whip for attention. "Listen up, babies! Your hero names are important. They're how the world will know you, how civilians will call for help, how villains will fear you!" She gestured dramatically. "But they also need to be approved by me, because some of you have terrible taste."
She distributed whiteboards and markers to everyone.
"You have fifteen minutes to decide. Make it good, make it memorable, make it YOU!"
Arthur stared at his blank whiteboard, mind working.
What name represents who I am now? Not who I was, but who I'm becoming?
Around him, classmates were already scribbling enthusiastically.
"I'm so ready for this!" Ashido declared.
"Me too!" Hagakure's invisible form wiggled with excitement.
Arthur looked at his blank board again. His marker touched the board, and he wrote slowly.
"TIME'S UP!" Midnight announced. "Who wants to go first?"
Aoyama's hand shot up immediately. "Moi, of course!"
He sauntered to the front, sparkles already emanating from his body. He turned his board around with a flourish.
"THE SHINING HERO: CAN'T STOP TWINKLING"
"It's perfect!" Aoyama declared. "It's me! It's magnifique!"
"It's... certainly something," Midnight said diplomatically. "Approved!"
Ashido went next, practically vibrating with energy.
"PINKY"
"It's cute, it's simple, it's pink!" she explained. "Plus it sounds friendly, which is important for a hero!"
"Adorable! Approved!"
The names continued. Asui chose "Froppy" with her characteristic deadpan delivery. Kirishima went with "Red Riot" as a tribute to his favorite hero. Kaminari picked "Chargebolt" despite Jirou calling it "aggressively mediocre."
Then Bakugo stomped to the front.
"KING EXPLOSION MURDER"
The class went silent.
"No," Midnight said immediately.
"WHAT?!"
"Absolutely not. That's not a hero name, that's a threat."
"IT'S INTIMIDATING!"
"It's illegal. Try again."
Bakugo returned to his seat, fuming and crossing out his board aggressively.
Todoroki went next, his expression carefully neutral.
"SHOTO"
"Just your name?" Midnight asked.
"Yes. I'm not using my father's hero name. This is mine."
Something in his tone made it clear this wasn't negotiable. Midnight nodded.
"Simple and powerful. Approved."
Midoriya was still frantically erasing and rewriting, muttering about "symbolism" and "inspiration."
Yaoyorozu chose "Creati" for her creation quirk. Tokoyami went with "Tsukuyomi" after the moon god. Jirou picked "Earphone Jack" which Kaminari immediately made a joke about.
Then it was Arthur's turn.
He walked to the front, feeling the weight of everyone's attention. The board felt heavy in his hands as he turned it around.
"PENDRAGON"
"Ooh!" Midnight's eyes lit up. "Like the legendary king! I love the reference! Very heroic, very mythological!"
"It's a family name," Arthur said, which was technically true. "It means 'chief dragon' in old Welsh. Seemed appropriate."
"It sounds badass," Kirishima said appreciatively. "Like, really badass."
"The dragon symbolism is powerful," Tokoyami added. "A creature of legend, strength, and wisdom."
"It's pretentious," Bakugo muttered, but there was less heat in it than usual.
"Approved!" Midnight declared. "Next!"
Arthur returned to his seat, feeling oddly satisfied. Pendragon was his name, his legacy, but in this world it was just a reference to mythology. He could own it without revealing himself.
Pendragon. It fits.
Iida went up next, but Arthur noticed something off. The speedster's usual enthusiasm was muted, his movements mechanical.
"TENYA"
"Just your name?" Midnight asked, surprised. "What about following your brother's legacy? Ingenium?"
"I..." Iida paused, and Arthur saw pain flash across his face. "I need to earn that name first. Until then, I'm just Tenya."
Something was wrong. Arthur's Instinct whispered warnings, but before he could analyze it, the moment passed and the class continued.
Midoriya finally settled on "Deku" after Uraraka pointed out it could mean "you can do it!" instead of "useless." The green-haired boy looked simultaneously embarrassed and touched.
Bakugo eventually settled on "Ground Zero" after Midnight rejected three more increasingly violent alternatives.
"FINE!" he roared. "But I'm keeping the murder vibes!"
"You can keep whatever vibes you want as long as they're legal," Midnight said.
After class, Arthur caught Iida before he could leave.
"Something's wrong," Arthur said quietly. "What happened?"
"I don't know what you mean," Iida replied, but his smile was strained.
"You were going to use your brother's name. Ingenium. You talked about it constantly. Now you're not."
Iida's facade cracked slightly. "I simply decided I need to establish my own identity first. That's all."
"That's a lie."
"Himura, I appreciate your concern, but—"
"Is your brother okay?"
Iida went completely still. His hand clenched on his bag strap so tight his knuckles went white.
"That's... he's fine. He's perfectly fine."
"Iida-"
"I have to go. Excuse me."
He walked away fast, almost running, and Arthur knew with certainty that something had happened to Ingenium. Something Iida wasn't telling anyone.
That's going to be a problem, Arthur thought. He's going to do something stupid.
The next day, Aizawa brought in the internship offers.
"These are based on your Sports Festival performance," he explained, passing out packets. "You have three days to decide. Choose carefully. This is a chance to learn from pros and see what real hero work looks like."
Arthur opened his packet and immediately regretted it.
Five thousand offers meant five thousand pages of agency descriptions, pro hero profiles, and proposed training programs. Some were generic template letters. Others were intensely personal.
"Holy crap," Kaminari peered over his shoulder. "Best Jeanist wants you! Ryukyu! Mirko! Gang Orca! Edgeshot!
"Why does Hawks have a winky face in his letter?" Sero asked, looking at another page. "That seems unprofessional."
"Hawks is unprofessional," Jirou said. "That's his whole brand."
Arthur flipped through the offers, analyzing. Most wanted him for PR reasons-the tournament champion would bring attention to their agency. Some genuinely seemed interested in his tactical abilities. A few were concerning in their intensity.
One offer stood out immediately.
Edgeshot - Ninja Hero Agency
"Your precision and tactical awareness during the Sports Festival caught my attention. Most students rely on power. You rely on skill. If you want to refine your technique and learn real combat intelligence, come to my agency. No publicity stunts, no PR nonsense. Just training."
Arthur studied the letter. Edgeshot was the number five hero, known for surgical precision and tactical brilliance. A ninja-themed hero who valued efficiency over flash.
Perfect fit, Arthur thought. Someone who'll actually teach me something useful.
"Who are you thinking?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"Not sure yet. Too many options." Arthur looked at her packet. "What about you?"
"Uwabami offered, but..." She looked conflicted. "She's more model than hero. I want to learn actual rescue techniques, not how to pose for cameras."
"Smart."
Across the room, Todoroki was staring at his offers with an expression Arthur recognized-resignation mixed with dread.
"Endeavor's agency?" Arthur guessed.
Todoroki looked up, surprised Arthur had read him so easily. "He's demanding I intern with him. Says it's 'time I learned from the number two hero.'"
"Are you going to?"
"I don't have much choice."
"You always have a choice."
"Not with him." Todoroki's voice was flat.
Arthur wanted to argue, to tell him that giving in to threats was weakness, but he understood. Sometimes you fought battles that couldn't be won, and accepted sacrifices for the greater good.
Just like I did, he thought. Every day as king.
"If you need to talk," Arthur offered, "I'm here."
Todoroki nodded, surprised by the offer. "Thanks. But I'll be fine."
No, you won't, Arthur thought. But you'll survive. That counts for something.
Arthur looked at Bakugo's offers, saw Best Jeanist among them. The number three hero, known for his emphasis on presentation and control. It would be torture for Bakugo, which probably meant it would be good for him.
"You should go with Best Jeanist," Arthur said.
"WHY WOULD I DO THAT?!"
"Because he'll teach you what you need most."
"WHICH IS?"
"Self-control."
Bakugo looked like he wanted to explode something, then grudgingly looked at the offer again. "He seems stuck-up."
"He is. But he's effective."
Midoriya was staring at his empty desk with visible disappointment.
"No offers?" Uraraka asked sympathetically.
"None," Midoriya said, trying to smile. "I guess breaking my bones every fight didn't make a great impression."
"That's their loss," Arthur said. "Your tactical thinking during the cavalry battle was excellent."
"Thanks, but..." Midoriya looked at his classmates' thick packets. "It's fine. I'll figure something out."
Arthur noticed All Might watching Midoriya through the classroom window with an unreadable expression. Something was going on there, but it wasn't his business.
"Himura," Iida approached, his forced smile back in place. "Have you decided on an agency?"
"Still considering options. You?"
"I'm thinking of..." Iida hesitated, then pulled out an offer. Manual, a fairly average hero based in Hosu. "This one. He operates in an urban area with high villain activity. Good for gaining practical experience.
"Why Hosu specifically?" Arthur asked.
"Just... seems like a good fit." Iida's smile was brittle. "Lots of opportunities to develop my speed-based rescue techniques."
He's lying, Arthur knew with certainty. Something in Hosu drew him specifically. Something related to his brother.
But pushing would only make Iida defensive, so Arthur nodded. "Good luck then."
"You as well."
That evening, Arthur sat in his room, staring at the three hundred and forty-seven offers spread across his floor.
His phone buzzed. Class group chat.
Ashido: "WHO'S EVERYONE PICKING??"
Kirishima: "Fourth Kind! He's got that manly aesthetic!"
Kaminari: "some agency that promised to help me control my discharge"
Jirou: "that sounds so wrong"
Kaminari: "I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT"
Bakugo: "Best Jeanist I guess. ONLY BECAUSE HIMURA SUGGESTED IT"
Sero: "wait you're taking his advice??"
Bakugo: "SHUT UP"
Yaoyorozu: "I've chosen Uwabami. Despite reservations, she did offer genuine rescue training alongside the modeling."
Todoroki: "Endeavor's agency."
Ashido: "ooh family business!"
Todoroki: "Something like that."
Midoriya: "I'm... still figuring it out. Didn't get any offers."
Ashido: "WHAT that's so unfair!"
Uraraka: "agencies are stupid. you were amazing midoriya!"
Midoriya: "Thanks guys. I'll find something."
Himura: "Edgeshot for me."
The chat paused.
Kaminari: "EDGESHOT?? THE NUMBER FIVE HERO??"
Sero: "that's so perfect for you it's annoying"
Jirou: "ninja hero for the sword guy. makes sense"
Ashido: "you're going to learn SO MUCH COOL STUFF"
Himura: "That's the plan."
Arthur smiled slightly at the chaos, then set his phone down and finalized his choice. Edgeshot. The ninja hero's focus on precision and tactical operations aligned perfectly with his skill set.
Plus, Arthur thought, his agency operates in urban areas. If something happens in Hosu, I can respond quickly.
Internships start next week, he thought. One week of real hero work. Learning from pros, seeing how the system actually functions.
And if my Instinct is right, something's going to go wrong in Hosu. Something involving Iida.
He pulled out his phone and sent a private message.
Himura: "Iida. Whatever you're planning, don't do it alone."
Minutes passed. Then:
Iida: "I don't know what you mean."
Himura: "Yes you do. And when it happens, call me. I'll come."
Another long pause.
Iida: "Thank you. But I can handle it."
Himura: "No you can't. But you're going to try anyway. Just remember: you have backup if you need it."
Iida didn't respond, but Arthur knew he'd read it.
Whatever happens in Hosu, I need to be ready, Arthur thought. The League of Villains is still out there.
Just like old times. Trying to save people who don't want to be saved.
But that was what heroes did, wasn't it?
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