Chapter 14: Apex
With the two days of compensatory rest coming to a close, I watch as my classmates flood into class once more, each having a weary expression.
Once again turning to my desk mate for answers, I ask, "More reporters?"
Shaking his head, Koda starts to make nonsensical hand movements once again. Still unable to understand anything Koda was trying to tell me; I turn to old reliable.
"It's probably because we've been recognized by the public and those who aren't used to it find it tiring… I guess."
"How come you don't know that?"
Jumping at the sudden voice, I give a dissatisfied stare to Hagakure and refuse to answer her question.
"Come on…" Hagakure pokes me in the cheek, "Don't be so petty."
Under her constant whining and poking, I finally break and answer, "Because I live here."
"Huh, really, that's so cool!" Hagakure claps her hands, "…Why?"
"Remember, Aizawa's his legal guardian." Todoroki fills her in.
"Well yeah… but doesn't Aizawa-sensei own an apartment or something."
"Well, when UA provides free housing for all of its teachers… Shota would be stupid if he didn't take the offer."
"Ah." Both Todoroki and Hagakure gave understanding nods.
"But hey, do you wanna know how I felt when people recognized me?" Hagakure cheers.
Shrugging my shoulders, her tone instantly turns hesitant, "Well, honestly, it was a bit… embarrassing. With everybody staring at me so intently, it felt so weird. Especially now that you revealed the greatest flaw of my costume."
"The fact that you don't have one."
"Shut up!" Hagakure covers my mouth with both her hands, "I don't want other people to know that… it'll make me feel weird."
Sticking out my tongue and having them touch Hagakure's hands, they instantly recoil and let me say, "It should… your costume is a problem."
"Ew Kou…" She starts to shake her hands, "You're so gross."
Smiling, Todoroki once again spoke up. "You really shouldn't smile Kou… it's not healthy."
"You guys are just bullies."
Giggling, Hagakure's forced back to her seat when an unbandaged Shota waltzes into the room.
"The old lady got overdramatic with her treatment. But let's out that aside. Today's hero informatics period is a little special." Shota begin, "It's time to formulate your codenames. Your hero names."
Like a fission bomb suddenly exploded in the room, everyone, beside Todoroki and me, rose from their seats and cheered.
Shota, whose hair had slightly been blown backwards from the outburst continued, "This is related to the draft nominations by pros I mentioned the other day. The nominations will truly start mattering only after you've gained some experience and you adaptable fighting ability is judged during your sophomore and senior years… In other words, the nominations you're getting this year are more akin to expressions of 'interest' in your future potential. And it's not rare that that interest dries up by graduation or is simply unilaterally dropped."
"So, I guess the nominations we received are like personal hurdles, then!" Hagakure spoke out.
"Yes. Now, the tally of nominations is as follows."
Todoroki: 4.123
Bakugo: 3,556
Tokoyami: 360
Iida: 301
etc.
Kou: 1
"Typically, the results are more balanced. But this year all the attention leaned towards two of you."
"Damn, it's clear it's practically black and white!" Kaminari whines.
"How come Kou only got 1 while the 1st and 3rd place got way more votes?" Kirishima asks.
"Oh, Kou got more nominations," Shota inform, "But since he already has a choice picked, I just decided to throw out the unnecessary ones."
"So, how many did he actually get?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Shota gave hope to those with 0 nominations.
"Based on this... regardless of whether you received any nominations. I'll be having you all go get some so called 'workplace experience.' You've all dipped a toe in the world of the pros, unfortunately. But I think experiencing the activities of pros firsthand will prove to be more fruitful training than before."
"So, because of that, we'll need hero names, huh?" Ojiro nods to himself.
"Of course, placeholder names are fine, too, but something appropriate…"
"Because if not, it'll be hell from there!!" Aunt Nemuri stepped into the room in another one of her sexy poses, "The names you pick now! In many cases, they stay that way after becoming pros."
"Well, she is correct." Shota pick up his sleeping bag, "I'll be having Ms. Midnight evaluate your naming sense. The way your futures end up will approach the image projected by the names you choose. It's all down to that old phrase, 'names and natures often agree.' For example, 'All Might'."
Getting ourselves a whiteboard to write on, I start to scrawl myself a name.
15 minutes lates, Midnight calls out, "All right, it's almost time. For those who're ready to present their names for the class."
Without hesitation, Aoyama stood up and present his future hero's name, 'I cannot stop twinkling.'
Even as a whole sentence, Midnight got rid of the I and made the cannot can't.
So now, Aoyama's hero name is 'Can't stop twinkling'.
Being the next to present herself, Ashido was 'Alien Queen'. But because of its resemblance to the super-acidic blood thing, it was rejected.
Feeling the mood of the class change after that rejection, Tsuyu went up next and deemed herself as 'Froppy: The heroine who kicks off the rainy season'.
Kirishima deemed himself as 'The hero of hard virility: Red Riot'.
Jiro deemed herself as 'The hearing hero: Earphone Jack'.
Shoji was 'The tentacle hero: Tentacle'.
Sero's 'The taping hero: Cellophane'.
Ojiro's 'Martial art hero: Tail Man'.
Ashido, for her second try, went with 'Pinky'.
Kaminari wrote ''Charge' + 'inazuma,' as in bolts of lightning = the stun gun hero: Chargezuma'
Hagakure aptly went with 'Stealth hero: Invisible Girl'.
Yaoyarozu chose 'Heroine of all creation: Creatie'.
Todoroki chose 'Shoto'.
Tokoyami is 'The jet-black hero: Tsukuyomi'.
Mineta chose 'The hero who gives: Grape Juice'
'Meet and greet hero: Anima' is Koda.
'Uravity' is Uraraka.
Bakugo tried to get 'King of explode-kills' but it was quickly rejected.
Seeing as Bakugo, Iida, and Midoriya were stuck in their name creation, I took my turn to present my hero.
"Alright Kou," Aunt Nemuri lick her lips, "Let's see what you got."
"I'm kinda surprised that no hero has ever taken this name before…" I flip my board around, "Or someone has, and they've just been forgotten."
The name I'd written on the board was 'Apex'.
"You dumbass, I'm at the top right now, not you!!" Bakugo stood up.
"But that was without gear and without me using my quirk more than two times."
I could see Bakugo want to scream some more, but the words seemed to be caught in his throat.
"Also, Apex means I'm at the top… doesn't mean I have to be the only one there."
Grumbling while getting back to coming up with a hero name, Nemuri approved of my hero's name.
With our final three members, Iida chose 'Tenya'.
Midoriya chose 'Deku'.
And Bakugo still couldn't get a name to pass.
Getting up from his nap, Shota put a stack of papers on the pedestal.
"Your field training will be one weeklong. These are all good workplaces. But those with nominations will receive a personalized list. Pick one. Those who don't, get this list of 40 participating workplaces from across the country. Choose one from the list. Their areas of operation and expertise all vary. So put a lot of thought into it before you choose."
Getting handed my list of nominations, it had only one agency written on it, 'Nighteye Hero Agency'.
"So, who was your nomination for?" Todoroki tried to peer at my paper.
"I thought you heard what Mirio said."
"Well, yeah, but who is Nighteye?"
Stranded with Todoroki's question, I start to slam my head into my desk.
"Did you," I stab his desk, "Just ask who Nighteye was? You… a child of the 2nd strongest hero who's obsessed with beating All Might…"
Shakily nodding his head, he tries to look for anyone to help him.
"Ah…" He points to Hagakure, "Perfect timing… You don't know who Nighteye is, right?"
Thinking about it, Hagakure then nods her head, "Yeah, I totally do! Nighteye used to be the sidghajkj."
Stopping Hagakure from saying more by luckily managing to place my hand over her mouth, my precautions were completely ruined when Midoriya came flying from halfway across the room.
"Nighteye used to be the former sidekick of All Might and was often considered the brains of the operations All Might did back in the day before they broke up. Now, Nighteye serves as a pro hero…"
Tuning out the rest of Midoriya's constant blabbering, I lightbulb turned on for Todoroki.
"Wait… that Nighteye?"
"Yup." I nod.
Licking my hand to remove it from her mouth, Hagakure holds out her hand, "Hold on… why're we talking about Nighteye?"
"Because it's where I'll be training at his agency." I wipe my hand off.
"And what's Nighteye's quirk again…"
"Like me…" I point to myself, "Nighteye tends to be tightlipped when it comes to his quirk… so, not much is known about it."
Though, if you have a loudmouthed friend like Mirio, then questions like that disappear into the wind as he tells you anything and everything he knows. Though, honestly, when I think about working with Mirio, I can't help but have a smile… he's just too likeable.
"What're you suddenly smiling about?" Hagakure does an action she seems to enjoy quite a bit (poking my cheek), "And why's it not scary? Is it a girl?"
Slapping away her hand, I say, "Just thinking about what I'll be doing at Nighteye's agency… I have been trying to catch his attention for a very long while now."
"Why?"
"Have you ever seen Nighteye fight?" They all shake their heads. "Well, Nighteye uses hyper-density seals to attack. He uses them with such precise movement and strength that he is near unbeatable in a 1v1."
"So, Nighteye is going to teach you control?"
"Yup."
"What about your quirk though?" Midoriya finished with his ramblings to ask.
"Only I can improve my quirk… so when it comes to relying on other people, they'll improve my body or brain."
Being cut from my conversation by Yaoyarozu to do the measly work of a class president, the two days to submit our papers comes to a close and the on-the-job training starts.
"You've all got your costumes, right?" Shota 'worried' over us, "Obviously, wearing them in public is prohibited, and don't lose them either."
Like children responding to their parents, we all shout, "Got it!"
"Be sure to mind your manners! Okay, let's go!"
As Shota let everyone disperse, I was stuck there waiting for my ever-jolly friend to guide me to Nighteye's agency.
"Long time no see Kou~"
Staring down at my feet, I could see a face popping out from it.
"Mirio go put on clothes."
"Congratulations on your second-place finish in the Sports Festival… I really wish I could've been there to watch it."
"Mirio." Shota tried to get his attention again.
"Honestly, I don't know if Sir will like you… your face is always so strict."
"Mirio, I'll have no problems reporting you to Mr. Principal."
Finally looking to Shota, Mirio dipped back into the ground only to reappear a block away from us, walking like a normal person.
"Well, since he's here… I'm taking a nap."
Waving goodbye to Shota, Mirio locks his arm around my neck.
"To think that Sir would ever send out a nomination to a first year. I only received my internship with him this year. But knowing how much Aizawa had begged him to train you… it's not all that surprising."
Walking to Nighteyes agency while listening to Mirio's ramblings and watching his small party tricks, Mirio finally told me a few bits of important information as we got to his building.
"As you know, Sir is quite strict, but so long as you make him laugh at least once, you'll be fine." Getting a pat on the shoulder, Mirio walks into the building, "Sir holds humor in high regard. And while Sir can't technically deny your right to the in-field training he'd offered; he can teach you absolutely nothing and have you do nothing. So, first impressions mean everything. It's a ride or die situation. Make sure you don't die."
Walking into Nighteye's office, I immediately felt like bleaching my eyes.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Kogatsu
Kogatsu "I smile to show the pressure of heroes and to trick the fear inside of me." - All Might
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone