Chapter 36: Meet the parents
Himiko leads Emily to her room, closing the door behind them before she confronts her friend. Emily had already sat down on her bed, nervously fiddling with a tan cat plush that was left out.
"So." Himiko started.
"I screwed up!" Emily exclaimed.
Himiko groaned. "Way to state the obvious."
Emily crossed her arms, hugging the plush to her chest as she looked away. "I just - I let my emotions get the better of me. Half of us were at zero points anyways, so it didn't seem like a big deal! But then Tomoe had to sacrifice her spot in the third round, followed by Atsuko hurting herself - how was I supposed to feel after that?"
Himiko felt hurt. "And what about how I felt?"
Emily snapped her head around to stare at Himiko, a dumbfounded expression on her face. "How you felt?"
"Yes! You're talking about yourself, and how you hurt Tomoe and Atsuko, but then you hurt me by throwing your match!"
"What…?"
Himiko wanted to scream. It took all of her control to keep her voice low. "Do I seriously have to spell it out? I wanted to fight you! Didn't you even care? You, Miss 'self-proclaimed quirk enthusiast,' didn't want to help one of your best friends see what she could do when her quirk awakened!"
Emily's eyes went wide as Himiko continued.
"Yes, I refuse to be your rival, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy our sparring!" Himiko felt herself blushing as she admitted that out loud.
"But Ryo is literally your designated sparring partner?" Emily's expression morphed to one of confusion.
"Yes! For my knife fighting skills! But now that my quirk is super cool? He didn't stand a chance! And you want to know why? Because of you and Izu! As much as your quirk analysis annoys me, I still learned a lot, and used it today!"
Emily blinked.
"Izu told me how they stopped the Nomu. I knew Uraraka would be perfect to deal with Ryo. At least, facing you, it would have been exciting! I would have had to think about what to do, and you would have had to adapt!"
"But, can't we spar at school?"
Himiko rolled her eyes. "By the time we spar at school you and Izu will have dissected my quirk. Today it was new and exciting! Just like how fighting Fuwa was exciting!"
Himiko stood there and waited. Her therapist was right, letting it out made her feel better. She didn't realize how complicated her own feelings towards Emily had become until that very moment.
"You had to settle with Fuwa instead of me?" Emily asked.
Himiko rolled her eyes. "Of course that's what you would focus on. Yes! Because you abandoned me over your stupid pride, I had to settle on Fuwa."
Emily sat there and stared at Himiko, before she fell onto her side, a stunned look on her face. "I'm a bad friend."
Feeling guilty, Himiko sits down. "Now do you get why I'm upset?"
"Yeah."
They sat in heavy silence, until Emily finally spoke. "I think it would have been fun, but then I would have won the event and we would have both felt bad."
Himiko couldn't help but laugh. Grabbing her pillow, she hit Emily with it. "Says you! My quirk is the best now!"
"Ow!"
"See? No chance." Himiko couldn't help but grin.
Emily sat up, some of her defiance coming back. "Fine, maybe you would have won and it would have turned out ok. But only because you had the element of surprise!"
Himiko stuck her tongue out at the other girl.
Emily turns away from Himiko. "I'm sorry I was such a disaster today."
This surprised Himiko. Even though Emily is getting better, she still rarely apologized. "You remember how much of a mess I am, right?"
"But you hide it so well!"
Himiko laughed. "That's because I have Izu and mom. They help a lot."
Thankfully Emily was still looking away from Himiko, so she didn't have to hide her rising blush. "And I have you to help me."
"H-hey now! You have our other friends too!"
"B-but they aren't here right now! You're still the one who called me out."
Himiko sighed. "You probably should apologize to Tomoe and 'Suko as well, you know."
"Don't worry, I will."
Suddenly, Emily turned and grabbed Himiko, pulling her into a hug. Himiko felt her face heating up from the sudden contact, before she hugged the other girl back.
"And just so you know I am still going to kick your ass the next time we spar in Heroics. It's not fair to take out my aggression on Ryo all the time."
She could feel Emily shudder as she was laughing. "I'd like to see you try!"
Pulling away, Emily smiled at Himiko. "We should get going, hopefully everything is set up and waiting for the appearance of the winner and her guest of honor?"
Himiko laughed and shoved Emily off the bed. She was glad they had the conversation, and felt like she was ready to enjoy the evening.
Returning to the living room, the pair saw that everyone had arranged themselves around the living room, with Izuku and Ochako being forced to sit on the floor. Himiko snickered as she plopped down on the couch next to Inko, while Emily sat on the other side of the couch next to her mom.
When Izuku started the recording, Himiko felt Inko wrap her arms around her shoulder, and she leaned into her mom. She knew she wasn't going to be escaping for the next two hours, and she was perfectly happy with that.
The commentary began in the second round, as the students were able to see the quirkball match from different angles. They were actually surprised to see a dramatic shot of the finale, showing viewers a scene of Tomoe forcefully transferring points to Atsuko. That made her happy, from where she was sitting Himiko could see the relief on Atsuko's face.
When the third round began, the commentary grew even louder. It was mostly from Izuku and Emily, of course, but the rest of her friends chimed in as well. When her match with Habiki began, Himiko felt her mom tighten her grip as the room fell silent, only for everyone to break out in cheers at the exact moment of her quirk awakening.
"I need a permanent copy of that video."
"Speak for yourself! That was super embarrassing! Imagine getting hit with your own quirk!" Habiki fired back.
Himiko stuck her tongue out at her friend while Inko patted her arm.
"Don't worry, I'm never going to delete this recording."
Himiko couldn't even be annoyed by Izuku and Emily spending the rest of the time theorizing about her quirk. Instead she just enjoyed her mom's warmth, and the company of her friends cheering each other on.
After they had finished watching the festival, the Songs invited everyone to a local barbeque place, much to Himiko's delight. When they arrived, a member of the staff recognized Himiko immediately, causing her to blush profusely as practically the entire staff of the restaurant visited their table to congratulate her.
The unexpected attention reinforced her desire to become an underground hero. However, she did have to admit that it felt nice getting this much attention once in a while. And a small part of her hoped that, due to all of the attention she was getting, the Togas found out what she did today. Not only did she want her parents to know she is thriving now, but she also wanted Hifumi to be proud of her big sister.
Ochako was thankful that there was nobody participating in the sports festival today. After the last two nights of celebration, she was looking forward to a less eventful evening before their 3-day break began.
Arriving back at the Midoriyas' apartment, they arranged themselves on the couch, with Himiko making sure that Ochako was sitting next to Izuku. She felt her face heating up as Himiko gave her a predatory look. There was something different about it, something else behind the older girl's usual teasing, that she was unable to decipher.
After they watched the final day of the event, Inko prepared a meal of blood sausage for dinner. It was a new experience for Ochako, but Himiko explained it was one of her favorites, for obvious reasons. After sitting down for dinner, everyone began talking about their plans for the rest of the week.
Eventually, Inko turned to Ochako. "Uraraka, dear, what are you planning on doing for your break?"
Ochako paused to look at Inko, noticing a gleam in her eyes. She remembered that look and shuddered. The last time she saw that look was when she was pulled into the current arrangement, after all. She wondered what the woman had in store for her this time.
"I just want to relax! School has been super busy ever since we started. It will be nice to just have a couple days to myself."
Inko chuckled. "I can imagine. I know these two are planning on enjoying themselves."
Izuku and Himiko both looked at their mom and nodded vigorously.
"Do you plan on coming over at all?"
There it was. Ochako wasn't going to back down this time! As much as she enjoyed spending time with them, she was still capable of being independent!
Ochako shook her head. "No! I think I just want a few days by myself to relax!"
She was surprised when Inko didn't look disappointed. Rather, she simply smiled as if she knew something, which was somehow worse.
"That's understandable. Well, if you change your mind, just let us know."
Ochako felt mixed emotions. While she appears to have evaded whatever Inko was planning, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. That was almost too easy.
The next morning Ochako was walking home, bag of groceries in hand. Looking down, she couldn't help but smile at the bag of fresh mochi tucked on top. Thanks to Inko, the few meals she ate by herself were much better than they would have been, and she was even able to indulge a little.
When she returned to her apartment, she noticed that the door was unlocked, putting her on edge. She was sure she had locked it before she left. Cautiously opening the door, she peered inside to see that there were two pairs of shoes already there. She didn't have any time to think about whose they were before she heard two familiar voices down the hallway.
"Ochako!"
"Surprise!"
Ochako gasped as her parents rushed towards her. Although she was disappointed when they stopped and didn't envelope her in a hug, the way Inko usually did.
"Mom, dad?"
"After I talked to you on the phone, I just knew we had to come and visit you!" Her father, Katashi Uraraka, explained.
"Don't you have to work?"
Her mom, Miu Uraraka, shook her head. "We can afford to let our employees handle things for a couple days, and we wanted to see our little girl!"
Ochako felt her eyes watering before she rushed forward and pulled both of her parents into a hug, startling them. It was a habit she had picked up from the Midoriyas, one she was a fan of.
Once the three untangled themselves, her mother continued. "Besides, we also want to meet Mrs. Midoriya, and her children. I want to thank her personally for taking care of you."
Ochako felt her face turning red as she realized that Inko and her parents had planned this.
As it turns out, Miu had been on the phone with Inko almost immediately after the first year's competition ended. She told her that they wanted to surprise Ochako with a visit, and while they were in Mustafu they would love to meet her as well. Inko was also interested in meeting them, and they arranged a lunchtime meetup at a local cafe that was a favorite of hers.
As they were walking there, Miu noticed how nervous her daughter was.
"Honey, why are you so nervous?"
"It's not like we're meeting your boyfriend or anything." Her father added.
Ochako squeaked in embarrassment and felt her face heating up, causing her parents to laugh. She should have known that her little crush would get back to her parents. Of course, if she confronted Himiko about it, the girl would just laugh in her face and try to goad her into doing something.
"I just hope that you like them!" Ochako tried to defend herself. "After all, they've done so much for me. It would be awkward if you guys didn't get along!"
"Oh honey, I think it'll be ok." Her mother tried to reassure her. "I have talked with Mrs. Midoriya on the phone several times over the past few weeks, and she seems like a wonderful person."
"Y-you have?"
"Of course! I have to check up on my daughter, and I know you're busy with school."
Ochako didn't believe that for a second, but she felt better as they approached the cafe. If they've already been talking, that means that hopefully they both have some idea what to expect, and it won't be a complete surprise.
Now if only that was the only thing she was worried about.
She didn't have time to dwell on that further as they turned the corner and saw the cafe, with Izuku and his family standing out front. Smiling, Ochako began waving to get their attention.
Inko smiled and waved back. "Oh, you must be Miu and Katashi Uraraka! It's so nice to meet you finally!"
Ochako's dad spoke first. "No, the pleasure is all ours. It's nice to finally meet the woman who has been taking care of our little girl. I hope she hasn't been giving you any trouble."
Inko shook her head. "No, not at all! She fits right in with our family."
"Is that so?" Ochako's dad asked, before giving Izuku a hard stare.
Ochako felt her face heating as she watched the silent confrontation. Somehow, Izuku was able to hold out longer, shifting uncomfortably for a bit before his face started turning red as well. Fortunately they were both saved when Himiko burst out laughing, destroying the mood.
Of course, Himiko was going to enjoy every minute of this.
"Well, I think we should go inside!" Ochako announced. "We can't eat while we're standing around out here!"
Izuku nodded vigorously in agreement, and their parents took pity on them, letting the two lead the way. Izuku chose a table that could accommodate all six of them, and they sat down.
Just like with the barbeque place, one of the waitstaff recognized Himiko, and congratulated her. Himiko's response was to sutter and blush, before she composed herself enough to thank the girl. It was actually kind of cute, and would be disarming if Ochako wasn't fully aware of how terrifying Himiko Midoriya could actually be when she wanted to.
After they settled in and placed their orders, the conversation resumed.
"Oh, and before I forget! Congratulations on winning! And congratulations on taking 4th place! You must be proud of your kids." Ochako's dad said.
"I am!" Inko smiled.
"I was originally going to be happy with top 16, but then my quirk awakened!" Himiko was beaming.
"A quirk awakening? Is that why you could use Chako's quirk in the final match?"
"Yep! My quirk is the best!"
"That is an impressive quirk, letting you copy other quirks like that!"
"How long can you stay transformed like that?"
Himiko looked at Izuku to answer.
"It depends on how much blood she ingests. While we know exactly how long she can stay transformed based on how much blood she drinks, we still don't know if copying someone's quirk changes that. The matches at the sports festival were too short for us to figure it out."
"Wait, so that means you had to drink Chako's blood for your match?"
When Ochako heard her dad ask the question, she felt her blood freeze. Looking over, she saw that they were clearly uncomfortable with the idea.
"Dad, it's ok!" Ochako was waving her arms frantically, trying to play damage control. "She was really good about it, she asked permission and used a syringe and she even gave me a bandage afterwards!"
"Apologize to my daughter." Inko said.
Looking across the table, Ochako saw that it was too late, and Himiko was clearly hurt by their response. She knew that her childhood was not great, but to see the pain on her face was something new. The fact that it was caused by her parents just made it worse.
Miu turned towards Inko. "We're sorry, we just were taken back by the fact that your daughter drinks blood to use her quirk."
"As you said yourself, my daughter has a wonderful quirk. So what if she has a rare activation condition and needs blood to use it? It's not like Himi forced your daughter to do anything. She willingly helped."
Ochako looked at her parents and silently pleaded with them. They turned to each other and quietly deliberated amongst themselves, and after a few awkward moments of silence they both turned towards Himiko.
"We're sorry, young lady. Neither of us has met anyone with a blood-based quirk before and it just caught us off guard."
The tension seemed to leave Himiko, being replaced with determination. "I shouldn't be ashamed of my quirk."
Himiko pulled out her phone and showed them her lock screen, a picture of her kneeling next to a little girl, both of them proudly displaying fanged smiles.
"And little girls like her, she shouldn't have to feel ashamed of her quirk either. That's why I'm going to become a great hero! To show people that there's nothing wrong with blood-based quirks."
Ochako's dad looked away. "No wonder you won yesterday. You're a strong young woman."
"You're right, we shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about you."
Inko looked at Himiko, before turning back to Ochako's parents, her expression softening. "Thank you."
"You really care about your kids." Ochako's mom observed.
Inko simply wore a smile of pride as she looked at Izuku and Himiko, and nodded. She knew what they both went through, and she was proud of how strong they had become in spite of that.
Meanwhile, Ochako felt relief wash over her. "Anyways! Since her opponent had super-regeneration, Himiko couldn't just use a combat quirk to stop him. But she remembered what I did at the USJ, so she asked for my help!"
"Yep!" Himiko jumped in as she started smiling again. "Uraraka's quirk was perfect! It was my first win against Ryo ever! It felt great!"
"Well, I'm glad Chako was able to help you, then!" Her father said, a hint of pride in his voice.
Ochako couldn't help but listen as Izuku began gushing about her quirk to her parents. She still had trouble following his quirk analysis, but she was getting better. And for his part, Izuku was also getting better with his explanations. Sure, when he was with Emily those two operated on a different level, but now that he had classmates who were actually interested in learning more about their quirks, he was learning to slow down, and explain his ideas in simpler terms.
After that, the conversation became more pleasant, as the topic shifted to the safer realm of heroics and school. Ochako was proud to inform her parents that having Izuku as a study partner has been helping keep her grades up. Because everyone at UA was already at the top of their class in middle school, she was worried that she would fall behind because she was going to a more competitive high school. But thanks to Izuku, she was able to stay in the top half of the class.
They were thankfully able to avoid any more incidents as they sat in the cafe and talked for hours. They would have stayed longer, but were forced to stop when they realized what time it was, and Ochako's parents had to leave so they wouldn't miss their train.
"It was nice meeting you! I'm glad knowing my Chako is in good hands."
Inko smiled. "Barring initial unpleasantness, it was good meeting you. I can see where your daughter gets it from."
Ochako's father looked embarrassed. "I'm real sorry about that."
While her parents were apologizing again, Himiko grabbed Ochako and pulled her close, whispering to her. "Don't worry, mom still likes the future in-laws."
Ochako turned bright red and squeaked at that, trying to form a sentence in protest but failing. Her embarrassed flailing caused all three parents to turn, laughing when they saw her flustered condition. At least Izuku was nice enough to give her a sympathetic smile.
After they parted ways, Ochako sighed in relief. She had suffered enough embarrassment to last a lifetime, and wanted to crawl in a hole and hide for a few years until everyone forgot about her. Thankfully her parents took pity on her, and didn't subject her to any more teasing.
"It's only been a few weeks, but we're proud of you." Her father said as they were walking towards the platform.
"You're growing into a fine young woman." Her mother agreed.
Ochako smiled at her parents, tears building in her eyes. "Thanks! With my friends, I know I can keep my promise, and I'm going to become a great hero!"
Both of her parents smiled warmly at her and the three shared a hug, before her parents walked to the train, waving goodbye to their daughter
She waved back, before watching her parents board their train. She stayed on the platform and watched the train pull out of the station before she finally turned around and left. Her parents were only able to stay for one night, but even the short time with them was enough to lift her spirits, and she walked home with a smile on her face.
Next year, I'm going to beat Bakugo and show everyone how awesome my quirk is!
When she returned to her apartment she collapsed onto her bed. While she normally appreciated the silence after a long day, she didn't think she was ready for it to be over yet. Pulling out her cell phone, she selected a number and began dialing, a smile forming on her lips when she heard him pick up.
"Hey Deku!"
In his agency, Hawks was going through a stack of folders, reviewing potential candidates from the many hero schools across Japan. While it was a holiday for many people, for a professional hero like himself, this week was the time to seek out new talent for his agency. From watching the sports festivals, to reviewing students files, and writing internship offers.
His focus was interrupted when he heard his phone ringing, the ringtone one he chose specifically to identify the caller. On instinct, he picked up his phone and answered it.
"Hello?"
He heard the voice on the other line. "You want me to take a look at Midoriya? UA's second year winner?"
He remembered seeing her in action, and was impressed by her flexibility, but she wasn't someone he was personally interested in. He was hoping for someone who could use their quirk for flight, and was able to keep up with him. She, on the other hand, seemed more suited for underground heroics.
"I see. You think she would be a good recruit, and want me to gauge her interest?"
As he was listening, he turned to his computer and entered her name into the system, bringing up her file.
"I agree, she has a lot of potential, but that ain't my area of expertise. Don't you have someone more suitable for recruiting her?"
He heard the argument, and frowned. Of course, as the winner, she would be flooded with offers, and they would need someone high profile, such as himself, to attract her attention.
"Alright. I'll prepare the offer. I can't make any promises though. Is there anything else?"
The voice on the other line didn't have anything else to add, and said their goodbyes.
"Have a good afternoon, Madam President."
Hawks hung up his phone and added the name 'Himiko Midoriya' to the list of students to send an offer to, before returning to the stack of folders in front of him.
Chapter 37: Ominous warning
Even though she only had three days, it had been a good break for Himiko.
Unfortunately, like all good things, it must come to an end. Classes resumed tomorrow, and that meant work was due and tests were coming. Not willing to let her friends fall behind, Emily had insisted that they get together for a group study session, followed by a quiet meal with just their friends.
Even though the crowds at the train station were thin, Himiko still found herself being recognized, and had people walking up to her to congratulate her. She even had one person tell her how amazing her quirk was! While the attention was nice, a part of her was ready to transform into Inko, and just enjoy the anonymity for her trip.
Reaching her train, she found a relatively empty car and hopped into it, taking an empty seat away from everyone. Pulling out her phone, she brought up her group chat. She was getting ready to send a message letting her friends know that she was on her way, when she heard a voice in front of her.
"Do you mind if I sit here?"
Looking up, Himiko saw a familiar running suit, and despite the large sunglasses, a familiar face. The woman standing in front of her had dyed her hair, now sporting a jet-black ponytail, but she recognized her instantly.
It's her!
Himiko looked around and saw that the train car was still mostly empty. Looking up again, she examined the woman, not sensing any hostility behind her piercing gaze. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she gave the woman a quick nod.
"Go ahead."
"Thanks." The woman sat down and pulled out her own phone, giving the appearance of lazily scrolling through it.
Himiko has had enough training to know better. Her hero training had honed her natural talents, allowing her to pick up on subtle details most people would miss. Taking a cue from the other woman, she returned her attention to her own phone.
"You dyed your hair." Himiko stated.
"And you had to go and win the sports festival. Since you're getting extra attention, I need to make sure nobody would recognize me." The woman replied.
Himiko snickered. "Sorry, I wouldn't know what that's like."
Out of the corner of her eye, Himiko swore she saw a ghost of a smile appear on the other woman's lips. "It must be nice, just being able to disappear when you want to like that."
Himiko felt like there was a hidden meaning behind that, but didn't have time to decipher it right now. She had more pressing questions to ask first.
"So how long have you been waiting for me?"
"Since yesterday."
Himiko frowned. The idea that someone was interested enough in her to wait that long made her uncomfortable. "What do you want?"
The woman looked at her, and once again Himiko felt that piercing gaze through her glasses. "I just want to talk for a few minutes. Alone."
Himiko looked at the woman, and then back down at her phone, the messenger app still open. The temptation to just brush her off was strong. Or to report the woman to her teachers. But then she would be left with nothing but questions. She would never know why this woman was so interested in her.
Himiko already knew the choice she was going to make.
"I am getting off at Takoba. There are several parks nearby that we can use."
"Perfect." The woman went back to her phone and casually ignored Himiko for the rest of the trip.
Knowing she wasn't going to get anything else until they were alone, Himiko went back to her own phone. She finally began typing, sending a message to her friends letting them know that she was held up, but will be there soon.
When the train pulled into Takoba station Himiko and her mysterious companion both stood up and left, merging into the crowd as they made their way to the exit. It wasn't until after they had left the station that the woman spoke again, pausing in front of Himiko to quietly speak to her.
"The park across the street on our left. I will meet you there in 5 minutes."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and began walking in the other direction.
Gathering her courage, Himiko walked to the park in question and found a secluded bench to sit on. There was a part of her that was telling her to run, that this was her last chance to make a clean escape. But she had come too far. She wasn't going to turn back now.
Besides, she was an aspiring hero! And even without her quirk, it wasn't like she was defenseless. She drew comfort from the feeling of the knife strapped to her thigh, as well as the subtle pressure of another one hidden on her upper arm.
Himiko was thankful that the woman didn't keep her waiting long. After a few minutes she saw her jogging along the path before she stopped and sat down. Taking off her sunglasses, the woman was once again staring at Himiko with her piercing purple eyes.
"Thank you for coming. I know these are unusual circumstances, but I want you to know I have your best interests at heart."
Himiko was immediately set on edge. "Really? That's quite the conversation starter."
Not waiting for an answer, she pressed on with the question that has been on her mind for months. "Who are you?"
The mysterious woman smiled. "My name is Kaina Tsutsumi, although most people know me by my former hero name - Lady Nagant."
Himiko frowned, mentally going through the many heroes Izuku had talked about. "Never heard of you."
The woman's face returned to a neutral expression, hiding her emotions. "That's probably for the best. I currently have a warrant out for my arrest for the murder of a hero. Probably a number of vigilantism charges as well, but I imagine that the HPSC would prefer to bury me in the deepest cell of Tartarus before they would let me testify in court."
Himiko found herself choking on air, part of her suddenly screaming to run. "A-and you want to help me?"
"It may be hard to believe, but yes."
"Why?"
Nagant turned away momentarily, a faraway look on her face. "You remind me a lot of me, in my youth."
Himiko saw red.
"I've heard enough of that to last me a lifetime. I'm not going to become some- some villain!" She hisses out, her worlds laced with venom.
Her anger was quickly deflated when she saw Nagant's expression. Of all the emotions she was expecting to see, remorse was not one of them.
"That's what I was hoping you would say." Nagant turned to look at her again. "I'm talking about before that, when I was still young and idealistic. When I wanted to take on the world, and change it for the better."
"How do you want to help me then?"
Himiko narrowed her eyes, trying to be as menacing as possible. While she knew that in a stand up fight she was probably screwed against someone who has killed heroes. But she would be damned if she wouldn't go down fighting.
"When you go back to school and receive your internship offers for this year, there will likely be several offers from heroes who are friendly with the HPSC. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you had an offer from Hawks himself, given you won."
"The number three hero?"
"Yes, the same. If they haven't changed, it will be the most attractive internship offer you will receive, by far. And if you take it, it will ruin your life."
That gave Himiko pause, the absurdity of the statement sinking in. "How?"
"Hawks is an HPSC stooge. He has been groomed by them to be their perfect poster boy - and to do their dirty work, no questions asked. Just like I was. Just like they would love to do to you."
"What?" Himiko was stunned.
"Ask that rat you call your principal if you want, I'm sure he's heard the rumors, if he doesn't know exactly what they are doing." She gave her a fierce stare. "The HPSC is corrupt to the core, and they groomed me to be their perfect little poster child. And their hired hitwoman. To the public, I was the rising star, but then I would get a call, and I was off to kill a villain who was too troublesome to leave alive. Or to kill a hero for being inconvenient to them. Until I told them I was done."
Tsutsumi's voice took on a regretful tone. "One day, some of my fans approached me. A couple young girls, who wanted to let me know how much I inspired them. As I was talking to them, I finally realized what I was doing was wrong. I wasn't really a hero, not one worthy of the title at any rate. So when I received my next phone call I went back to the HPSC and told them I wouldn't be their killer anymore. And you know what they did? They had the heroes killed anyways - and pinned the whole thing on me."
She laughed bitterly. "It's ironic, really, that they shielded me from my actual crimes, and then framed me for the one crime I didn't commit."
"And they want… me?"
Himiko was reminded of the bad old days. Of her birth parents calling her a demon and a monster. Saying that she was a bad person, and everything they did was for her own good. That if she would just act normal and fit in that she would have a chance.
She closed her eyes and shuddered.
She heard Nagant's voice, but it was softer this time. "I'm sorry that you are getting dragged into this. If I could do more to shield you, I would."
Himiko swallowed the lump in her throat. Taking a moment, she practiced her breathing exercises, slowly sweeping those memories up and burying them again. She thought about Inko's warmth as they watched her sports festival matches, happy tears staining her shoulder. She thought about her friends' cheers when her quirk awakened.
This is who I am now. Not the girl that the Togas feared I would become. I won't let anyone turn me into a monster.
Opening her eyes, Himiko looked at Nagant. "You said they groomed you. What did they do?"
Seeing the determination on the girl's face, Nagant smiled again. "The president of the HPSC actually approached me directly. She offered me a job. Fame, a boosted image, additional training. PR to wipe away any perceived drawback of my quirk."
Himiko swallowed the lump in her throat. "If that was offered to me, it would be like a dream come true."
"Exactly. And it would be, at first. But then they started asking me to do things. They started small at first - hold up a hero in a meeting here. Plant a bomb there to make a villain attack look worse, and maybe it just so happens to hurt a hero who was inconvenient. And then they asked me to kill. It started with inconvenient villains, but it didn't take long until they asked me to kill my first hero."
Himiko's jaw fell.
Nagant continued. "Which is why you need to take any other offer. Talk to that rat you call a principal, make sure that whomever you intern under isn't an HPSC stooge. And become a better hero than I ever was."
Himiko mustered as much false bravado as she could. "I-I will do that!"
"Good. I don't want you to become who I am. The fact that it also deprives the HPSC of a valuable recruit means it's a win-win for me."
"Gee, thanks so much for caring about my personal well-being in all of this." Himiko snarked back.
"Don't get me wrong. I've been keeping an eye out for you. And I like what I've seen - if I was still worthy of being called a hero I would absolutely love to teach you the ropes. But as it stands, I cannot stand the current state of society under the HPSC. So I am a vigilante and a villain, until either society changes enough that I am no longer a villain, or I am in jail. Or dead."
Himiko found herself staring at those piercing purple eyes again, words failing her.
"For now, think of me as your guardian angel. And once you graduate, you will be another hero who knows the HPSC's dirty secrets." She put her glasses back on and stood up. "If there is an emergency call me. That is a burner number, of course, so don't think it will lead anywhere if you decide to turn me in."
Without another word she casually began jogging away, as if she didn't just lay a ton of weight upon Himiko's shoulders. Looking at the bench, Himiko saw a scrap of paper with a phone number scrawled on it. Taking a few moments to collect herself, she pocketed the piece of paper and pulled out her phone to let her friends know she had arrived at the station.
When Himiko got home, she didn't even wait for Izuku to notice something was wrong. Instead, after saying hi to her mom she went directly to Izuku's room, closing the door behind her.
"Izu, which notebook of yours has Lady Nagant in it?"
That caught Izuku by surprise. "N-number 3, why?"
Himiko quickly walked to the shelf his notebooks were on and grabbed it, flipping through until she found the entry she was looking for.
"What happened to her?"
"H-Himi, what happened?"
Himiko gave her brother a pleading look. "Please, Izu. What happened to her?"
Izuku sighed and turned to his computer, looking up something. "She was a really popular hero about ten years ago, a rising star shooting up through the ranks. She even made it into the top ten! Due to her rapid rise, people began to even debate if she would eventually be competing with Endeavor for the number two spot."
"But then what?"
Izuku looked back at her. "Six years ago, she had some sort of argument with two other heroes. Nobody knows the details, but the HPSC released footage of her escaping their headquarters, as well as images of two heroes that had been shot dead. They were shot with her quirk."
Himiko looked down at the notebook, and saw what Izuku meant. Her quirk let her transform part of her arm into a high powered rifle, with bullets formed from her hair.
Looking back at Izuku, Himiko swallowed the lump in her throat. "S-show me."
Izuku sat down on the bed next to his sister and threw his arm over her shoulder. "Himi, what happened today?"
Himiko looked down, staring at Izuku's notebook. His art skills were much cruder back then, but she could distinctly make out a younger, happier version of the woman she met today. It was silly, but she touched the sketch of the woman, wondering what she was like back then.
"I met her today."
"W-What?!" Izuku exclaimed. "W-we need to tell someone!"
Himiko grabbed her brother's arm, and clamped her other hand over his mouth. "No, we can't!"
She gave him a moment to calm down before releasing him. "I-I need to talk to Nezu tomorrow. She said a lot of incredible things. But she told me that - that he would know."
Izuku looked down at his notebook. "And you want to know what happened to her?"
"Yeah. She told me her side of the story, but I still don't even know what the other side of the story is!" Himiko blurted out in frustration.
Izuku nodded. "Ok. I can show you."
The two moved over to his computer where he pulled up an old news article, showing her the images released by the HPSC, as well as the footage of her escaping their headquarters in the aftermath.
Himiko felt a pit forming in her stomach as she looked at Izuku. "Is there anything else?"
Izuku shook his head. "No. They didn't need any more, the evidence released by the HPSC was enough to issue a warrant for her arrest."
Himiko didn't know why, but the seeds of doubt planted in her mind kept her from believing what she was seeing. "I don't think it's as conclusive as it appears to be."
Izuku swallowed and looked at her. "You don't think she did it."
Himiko looked at her brother and took a deep breath. "No, she didn't kill these two. But she has killed heroes, and villains before. Just - just not these two."
"Oh."
Himiko turned to her brother. "This is going to sound strange, but I think she wants to protect me."
Izuku gave her a forced smile. "You're a pro hero in training, what do you need protection from?"
Himiko pulled her brother's hand to her mouth and bit down, drinking a mouthful of blood and activating her quirk. "Think about what I could do with my quirk if I wasn't trying to be a hero. If- if I acted the way the Togas said I would."
Izuku froze up. But by watching his eyes, Himiko could see the gears in his head turning. "T-that goes for a lot of quirks though!"
"Yes, but think about my quirk! Sure you could do massive amounts of damage with your crazy strength, but I could waltz right into a building and nobody would know it's me! Think about what I could do once I'm inside!"
Izuku deflated. "I-I thought you didn't like thinking about that."
"I absolutely hate it! But that doesn't change the fact that it's true." She looked as if she just ate something foul.
Izuku gently puts a hand on her arm. "This is really hard for you, isn't it?"
Toga looked at her brother and nodded, dropping her transformation. "I thought I could ignore my past, that everything would be swept away once I became a hero. I never realized that being a hero would be so hard."
Izuku smiled at his sister. "You know, All Might once told me that being a hero wasn't about your quirk. It was about who you are as a person. The reason All Might is the best is because he can make people feel like everything is going to be ok, even when the situation is bad. Especially when the situation is bad."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that it doesn't matter how much bad stuff you can do with your quirk. What matters is what you choose to do with it. Do you want people to be scared of you, because you can be anybody, or do you want people to feel safe, because you always have an answer?"
Himiko looked at her hand, remembering one of the first lessons - one of the first proper lessons she received about her quirk.
"And I want to believe you'll make the right choice."
"Even if I make the choice just to spite the Togas?" Himiko turned to Izuku, the ghost of a smile forming on her face.
"Especially if it would spite the Togas!" Izuku grinned back.
Himiko laughed. She looked back down at the sketch Izuku had drawn, finally understanding what Nagant was trying to say.
"I think Nagant realized that too, before she was framed."
"You don't think she's a bad person, do you?"
Himiko shook her head. "No. I don't."
"You want to help her, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because, I think she regrets the person she became, before -" Himiko waved at the computer screen. "And I think, if there was some way for her to have a second chance…"
"You want to help her find that second chance?"
Himiko nodded, biting her lip nervously. "This is your fault, you know that?"
Izuku gave his sister a soft smile. "Guilty as charged. So, what do you want to do?"
"Right now? Nothing. I mean, I need to talk to Nezu tomorrow, but after that, I just don't know what to do."
Izuku could tell how nervous his sister was as he watched one of her fangs tearing into her lower lip, breaking it open as a drop of blood welled up around it. He grabbed a tissue, offering it to her.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Chapter 38: Results
If it wasn't so important, Himiko would probably have stabbed Izuku for waking her up so early. But after meeting Nagant yesterday, she needed to talk to Nezu.
With Izuku's help, she was able to get out of the house an hour before she would normally wake up. As she made her way to the train station alone, she was thankful that most people were still sane enough to be sleeping.
It gave her the peace she needed to collect her thoughts. After talking with her brother, she looked up what she could about Nagant's career as a hero. Seeing the young, successful hero, who was popular even with a quirk that wasn't traditionally heroic. Or at least, not traditionally top ten material. It wasn't bright, it wasn't flashy, and if anything, she would describe it as lethal.
But when Himiko saw the images of her, they made her sad. The images of a young woman, ready to take on the world and change things for the better. They were so different from the piercing, cynical gaze that she had encountered yesterday. The gaze of a woman who had seen too much, who had done too much.
The gaze of someone who lost hope.
She wanted to do something to help her. But first, she had to take care of herself. After the USJ incident, Nezu had promised to protect everyone at the school, to the fullest extent possible. It was time to see if that applied to protecting them from the HPSC.
Other than being depressingly early, her trip was uneventful, and Himiko made it to UA without interruption. Once she arrived, she made a beeline toward Nezu's office. She slowed down as she approached it, only to see it swing open.
"Miss Midoriya. I wasn't expecting you!" Nezu called from behind his desk. "If anything, I was expecting your brother to call on me this morning. Is there something you'd like to talk about?"
"Y-yes, there actually is, I think," Himiko said as she entered the room, sitting down in one of his chairs. "Is it safe to talk here?"
Nezu paused for a moment. He then pushed a button underneath his desk and Himiko heard the door close and an odd tone filled the air. "Now it is. What seems to be the problem?"
Himiko bit her lip, suddenly feeling very nervous. "I- Well. We're getting offers today. And this may sound strange, asking early and not waiting until class this afternoon, but did I receive an offer from Hawks?"
"Is there a reason you are asking?"
Himiko swallowed. "There is."
Nezu hopped out of his chair and walked around his desk. "I must admit, I am concerned by your hesitancy. Please, tell me what happened?"
Himiko looked down at the table in front of her. "I met with - someone. Let's call her a fan of mine. She warned me that Hawks might try to offer me an internship, and if I accepted it, it would ruin my life."
"My, that is a deep accusation. After all, Hawks is the number three hero. I would imagine an internship with him would have just the opposite effect, fitting for someone for a student who managed to win the sports festival."
Himiko sighed, refusing to make eye contact with the principal. "Well, beyond the obvious part where I don't understand why he would have interest in me, I heard he has deep ties to the HPSC."
The air felt heavy as she waited for a response. Himiko was taking a large risk by making that accusation. Even though Nezu had done so much for her family, had done so much for her personally, he was still someone whose interests were deeply connected to hero society.
"That is a bold accusation to make. You say a fan of yours told you this?"
"Y-yes."
"I see. Well, this fan of yours must be extremely well-connected, since we only recently learned of those ties ourselves."
Himiko jumped in surprise. "Y-you did?!"
"Indeed. What else did this fan tell you?"
Feeling emboldened, Himiko continued. "That the HPSC would love to turn me into one of their tools, doing their dirty work in exchange for boosting my profile and wiping my past clean. Including killing villains. And killing heroes."
"How does this make you feel?"
Himiko let her mask slip, anger spreading across her face. "You should know exactly how I feel! You're one of the three people at the school who knows what happened to me two years ago. I hate it! I-I I am trying hard to prove that I can be a hero too! Only to find out that the group that is supposed to oversee heroes wants nothing more than to use me like- like a villain!? It makes me sick."
She didn't even realize she had begun crying until Nezu had set the box of tissues in front of her.
"When my fan told me about this yesterday, I thought it had to be a sick joke, right? That she wasn't really a fan, but just another cruel person punishing me for who I am."
"Your reaction tells me everything I need to know." Nezu returned to his desk and sat back down, pulling up something on his computer.
"While I have concerns about this supposed fan, I would hate to see one of my students used in such a way as well. While we are forced to rely on the HPSC more than I would care to, I refuse to let one of the students at my school be turned into one of their pawns."
Himiko was reminded of the look Nezu had when she first met him, where he promised to destroy the Togas for her, and took comfort from the fact that they were on the same side.
"T-thanks. It seems like I'm going to owe you again."
"Oh, think nothing of it. If you achieve your goal of making blood-based quirks more acceptable, you will have done more for me than I could possibly ask for. Although I wish you would be more open about who your source is."
Himiko swallowed. Time for the second big leap of faith. "Her name is Kaina Tsutsumi."
Nezu paused and looked at her. "Now that is a name I haven't heard in a while. I thought she would have been in Tartarus by now."
Himiko shook her head. "I don't know what she is doing with her free time, but she wants the same thing you do. She wants me to be a hero worthy of the title."
"Of that, we agree, at least. I must warn you though. While we will try our best to protect you, if you are caught consorting with known villains, you could suffer consequences for your actions. And while I will do my best to protect my students, there are limits to what even I can do."
"If it makes you feel better, she feels the same way. She doesn't want to be directly involved with me."
It was mostly true. Himiko decided that she didn't need to mention the emergency number stored inside her desk at home.
"I am glad to hear she has some sense about her. Although, from the look on your face, I suspect you don't plan on keeping the arrangement as it currently is."
"I want to help her," Himiko admitted.
"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?"
"I don't know."
"I am sure I don't need to remind you, but you are entering dangerous territory. You will need a more concrete plan than that."
Himiko gave Nezu a fierce stare. "I know! But - I'm supposed to be a hero in training, right? What kind of hero would I be if I backed down from something because it's dangerous?"
Nezu returned her stare, and silence hung in the air for a few moments before he continued. "I see. While your attitude is commendable, I suggest you spend time thinking about what you intend to do before you act."
Himiko broke her gaze, looking down. "I will keep that in mind."
Himiko couldn't help but feel disappointed. She wasn't sure what she was hoping for, but maybe it was too much to hope for some advice on how to help Nagant. Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised. After all, UA was preparing them for a dangerous career where they would have to rely on themselves. And she may have inadvertently signed herself up for another test.
Without another word, Nezu resumed typing on his computer. A few seconds later, she heard a beep, and Nezu turned toward her.
"I took the liberty of updating your internship offers and notifying both Yamada and Kan. While we try to screen offers to protect our students, it appears we have missed one offender, I am very sorry about that."
"T-thank you."
"If you have any other concerns about offers you see, feel free to bring them to me. We can vet your offers to make sure they are appropriate for you. Although, after seeing what your top offer is, if you choose it, I assure you that you will be in good hands."
Now Himiko was curious. "You won't tell me who it is?"
"Of course not!" Nezu happily replied. "I must save some surprise for your class, after all!"
After lunch, the students of class 2-B were eagerly awaiting their internship offers.
"Why are you nervous, Himiko?" Habiki asked from across the aisle. "You're probably going to be flooded with offers!"
"That's the problem!" Himiko groaned. "It was easy when it was just a hundred offers, and they were mostly underground heroes."
"Maybe you should've let me win then." Ryo fired back from across the room.
"What, and not have my first victory against you?"
Ryo simply shrugged. "I wouldn't mind if you let me keep my perfect record."
Before Himiko could respond the door opened, and Yamada-sensei walked into the room. So instead she simply stuck her tongue out at Ryo, before everyone turned their attention to the front of the class.
"Good news listeners! Everyone has received internship offers this year!"
Yamada dropped his stack of tablets on his desk before fishing out a remote. "You all had a strong showing in the second round, and many of you even went on to the third round, with three of your fellow listeners placing in the top 4! This was enough to attract plenty of attention for everyone."
Yamada pressed a button on the remote, and the board lit up, showing everyone's offers.
Himiko Midoriya - 2532
Kenji Ryo - 2284
Emily Song - 1745
…
Himiko couldn't help but snicker, as she looked over at Emily. She can already imagine her friend getting upset at the difference in offers between them, even if Emily brought it on herself. Looking at her other friends, she saw the relief on Atsuko's face, and Habiki and Tomoe both seemed satisfied with their counts, even if they were smaller.
"Now then, you know the deal! You have until Friday to choose your offer and submit the paperwork!"
Yamada began handing out the tablets with their offers, as well as the internship forms, and Himiko felt her nerves returning as she was handed her tablet. She knew Nezu told her not to worry about her top offer, but after the close call with the Hawks offer, she couldn't help it. With a deep breath, she turned on the tablet and pulled up the list of offers.
Her eyes went wide when she saw the top entry.
Ryukyu Hero Agency - Castiron, Japan
"I got an offer from a top-ten hero?!" She yelled out.
This caused Yamada to smile. "Why so surprised, little listener? You did win for your year, and as a second-year the pros are going to start seriously considering you for work-study and sidekick positions."
Himiko felt her stomach twisting. "That - doesn't actually help."
"I know you want to go underground, but seriously!" Emily was shouting from across the room. "You can take any offer you want with your quirk now!"
Himiko couldn't help but grin at her friend's enthusiasm. She was right! Even though she felt bad that this was the second year in a row she wasn't going with underground heroes, Ryukyu was in the top ten. And she had a transformation quirk, just like her. Even though she only had her dragon form, she had spent years refining it, learning how to maximize it to its fullest potential.
She could learn a lot from the hero.
After Yamada finished passing out tablets, he returned to his desk and kicked his feet up. "Now then, you have the rest of the class to look over your offers. Feel free to discuss your choices with the other listeners in the room! If you have any questions I will also gladly help."
Himiko looked at her friends. She saw Atsuko simply sitting at her desk, staring in shock at the screen. Wondering what happened, she made her way over to her friend's desk, sitting down next to her.
"What happened Suko?"
Atsuko looked at her, and she looked embarrassed. "I-I somehow also got an offer from a top-ten hero."
"Really? That's great!" Himiko exclaimed.
"Who?" Emily demanded, sitting down next to Himiko. "And how did you get someone ranked higher than both of us!"
Atsuko spun the tablet around, revealing the offer from Crust.
"Oh! That actually makes a lot of sense!" Emily explained. "Your quirk works similar to his. The two major differences are he can detach his barriers, while yours obviously are connected to you, and his barriers have a physical form, while yours are more or less invisible since they are made out of air."
"I just- can't believe it."
"It seems that we all have good news," Tomoe said as she walked over to their group next. "Sir Nighteye has made me an offer. Although I may have cheated by having Mirio mention my name to him."
"That's why you weren't worried!" Himiko finally put the pieces together. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"I tried! But I didn't want to go into too many details in case he didn't give me an offer." Tomoe admitted.
Atsuko looked relieved. "I'm glad I didn't ruin your chances."
"Even if Nighteye didn't give me an offer, there are several other agencies here that are interesting. His agency is just the most interesting offer."
"And what about you two?" Himiko turned towards Emily and Habiki.
"The highest-ranking hero I got was Majestic," Emily said, scrolling through her tablet. "If anything, he could help me be more maneuverable."
"You need it." Himiko snickered. "Your combat style is the most static out of all of us."
"Hey!"
"I think Kesagiri may be my best option?" Habiki said as he looked at his tablet. "He can boost his speed based on how much he gets hit, so his quirk works similar to mine?"
"That does sound useful for you!" Atsuko encouraged him.
"A few others if I want to learn about other aspects of being a hero." Habiki continued to scroll through his offers. "Not nearly as many options as some of you though."
"Still not sorry," Himiko said.
As Himiko looked over the offer, she couldn't help but smile. The more she thought about it, the more Ryukyu seemed like the perfect opportunity for her. And, if Nezu was to be believed, she was a safe choice as well. Pulling out the internship form, she began filling it out.
As Aizawa entered the room, the students were surprised to see that he was out of bandages. He dropped a stack of tablets on his desk.
"As I'm sure you're all aware." Aizawa started, looking pointedly at Izuku. "After the sports festival, it is time for you all to choose a place for your internship. Normally we have a more balanced amount of offers, but this year has some lopsided results."
Raising a remote, Aizawa pushed a button and the screen behind him lit up, displaying the results.
Shoto Todoroki - 3045
Katsuku Bakugo - 2295
Izuku Midoriya - 643
Momo Yaoyorozu - 622
…
Ochako Uraraka - 20
"Hey! How did IcyHot get more offers than me? I was the one who took first place!" Bakugo demanded from his seat.
"Maybe it was because he didn't need to get chained to the stage afterward?" Mina shot back.
"His dad is also the number 2 hero! I wouldn't be surprised if that influenced it." Mineta added.
This caused Bakugo to growl in frustration, his quirk already erased by Aizawa.
Izuku barely noticed Bakugo's outburst, as he tried to process the news. He didn't expect to get so many offers! He waited for Aizawa to hand him his tablet, and he began to look through the list. As he was looking, he realized one major flaw with the offers, and it was due to his cover story.
Most of these heroes assumed he had generic super strength or were just sending him a request because he made the top four. Maybe if he had an offer from Fat Gum or another hero with a storage quirk it would be a useful opportunity for him, but in his initial search, he didn't see any heroes that matched that description.
Before Izuku could dig any further, Aizawa called for attention. "Now, if you didn't receive any offers, don't worry. 40 agencies are available to everyone, and you will be able to choose one of them even if you do not have any other offers. We want to make sure every student has an internship."
The students could see Aizawa already pulling his sleeping bag out from his desk. "You have until the end of the week to decide on internships, but for the rest of the day, you have another assignment. Your hero names."
As if on cue, Midnight slammed the door open and walked in. "Yes! It is an important choice every young hero must make."
Midnight was carrying a large stack of whiteboards, which she proceeded to pass out to the students.
Aizawa continued. "Midnight is better at these sorts of things, so she will be your teacher for the next two days. She has final authority on your choice of hero name. Just remember, the name you choose today will likely stick with you your entire career. You will have exactly one other opportunity to change it when you receive your provisional license. So choose wisely."
After handing out the whiteboards, Midnight walked to the front of the room. "Precisely! If you aren't careful, you could end up with a name like Eraserhead, after all!"
The class knew better than to laugh at her joke, much to Midnight's disappointment and Aizawa's satisfaction. But rather than gloat, Aizawa finished crawling into his sleeping bag and began zipping it up.
"If you need anything, ask Midnight." Were his final words before he crawled under his desk.
Midnight sat down on top of the desk and looked at the class. "Well then, have any of you thought of a name already?"
Yuga and Tsuyu's hands immediately shot up, to the surprise of many. Izuku meanwhile, was staring intently at the whiteboard in front of him.
My hero name…
He thought back to his childhood and felt his face heating up as he thought about all of the names he came up with that were variants of All Might's name. While they made sense to him at the time, now he knew better. Especially after he had decided that he cannot be the next All Might, at least directly.
He wanted a name to inspire people.
He was half paying attention to his classmates while going over ideas in his head until he saw Ochako going up. She showed the class her hero name: Uravity. An obvious mashup of her last name and gravity.
As he watched her standing there, he couldn't help but think about her nickname for him, Deku.
I like the name Deku, it reminds me of Dekiru! And you seem to have that can-do attitude! She had told him, a bright smile on her face.
Izuku thought it over. The name Deku itself wasn't particularly heroic. But there was potential there. For all of those people with weak or quirks not seen as traditionally heroic, or for those people who are quirkless, what the name Deku could mean for them.
After all, if a hero named 'Useless' is the number one hero, doesn't that mean anyone could be a hero?
Izuku began smiling. It had a certain logic behind it. And, if he was being honest, there was a certain joy in taking the name Katsuki had given him, the name that was supposed to be an insult and reclaiming it for himself. What better way to show him that he had no power over Izuku than to turn his most common insults back on him?
Smiling, he began writing down the name on the board, before raising his hand.
Izuku confidently walked up to the front of the room and revealed his sign. He couldn't help but watch Katsuki's face. He saw the brief flash of anger that quickly turned into confusion, and Izuku smiled. His gaze shifted to Ochako and saw the surprise written all over her face. He'd have to thank her later, and explain how he decided on his name.
I am Deku, the hero for everyone! He proudly declared.