After Midnight woke him with a playful smack, Aizawa rose groggily. He unzipped himself from the cocoon of his sleeping bag, dragging his feet toward the desk. A neat stack of papers waited there, and he hefted them onto the podium before addressing the room.

  "Now that everyone is done picking their hero names, we'll go back to talking about the internships. They'll last for two weeks. You'll be given a list with all your options, and everyone who didn't get scouted will have to choose from forty agencies around the country that always accept our interns."

  His voice pressed down on the class like a heavy blanket.

  "Think carefully before you choose."

  He and Midnight began moving down the rows, sliding lists onto desks. Papers shuffled, chairs creaked. When they finished, the two teachers walked to the door.

  "Turn in your choices before Monday. Dismissed."

  The latch clicked shut behind them, leaving the room strangely hollow. For a moment there was only the rustle of pages and the soft, restless movements of students trying to hide their nerves. Slowly, chatter sparked up as some began comparing lists while others slipped out into the hallway.

  Uraraka stared down at her paper, eyes catching on a particular name. Battle Hero: Gunhead. Her breath hitched, hands hovering above the page as though afraid to touch it. I think I need to focus on my fighting style rather than any disaster training, she told herself, chewing lightly on her lip.

  At her desk, Mina lay face-down, her cheek pressed into her arms. She groaned dramatically before lifting her head just enough to speak.

  "Hey guyss... have you decided what agency you're going to yet?"

  Her tired plea drew a small group around her desk. Uraraka stood, ready to join in the conversation, but she paused when Robinn rose at the same time. Robinn's gaze flicked down to Uraraka's paper. The look was brief, but direct enough to make Uraraka freeze. Then, unexpectedly, Robinn spoke.

  "Who do you think you're going to be interning with?" Her tone was airy, accompanied by a smile.

  Uraraka stammered. "Oh, uh... Gunhead, I guess." The excitement she'd felt moments before slipped out of reach, replaced by an odd tightness in her chest. Talking to Robinn carried a pressure she couldn't name, though Robinn herself looked completely unbothered.

  Her eyebrow arched. "Gunhead?" Robinn tilted her head, hand brushing her chin in thought. "Yeah, I agree. He'd be a good fit for you. It'll be a great chance to work on your combat skills, which are lacking as of now, right?"

  Uraraka blinked, stunned by the blunt but strangely encouraging response. The knot of tension in her shoulders eased.

  "Yeah, right? And if I only do what I want, I'll end up with a narrower perspective." She smiled, relief creeping into her voice.

  Robinn only smiled back, saying nothing, as if perfectly content to let the silence linger.

  "So who are you going to pick?" Uraraka asked quickly, filling the pause. She nodded toward the tower of papers stacked on Robinn's desk. "That's a lot to sort through."

  Robinn handed her the top page without hesitation. "I already know. Luckily they ordered them with hero rankings."

  Uraraka's eyes widened when she saw the first name. "Wait... you got scouted by Hawks? He's number three, that's amazing!" Her voice rose before she could stop it. "And Best Jeanist too?"

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  The sudden volume drew attention. Kirishima and Midoriya wandered over, Midoriya nearly tripping over himself in his haste.

  "You got scouted by Hawks? That's crazy, Robinn!"

  Robinn gave a small shake of her head. "I did, but I'm not the one who got scouted by the highest ranking hero here." Her eyes flicked toward Todoroki, who was still studying his paper with unreadable focus.

  Midoriya frowned faintly but pressed on. "So who are you choosing?"

  "Easy, Hawks. He's the highest ranking one that scouted me." She said confidently.

  Kirishima leaned in a bit. "But isn't Hawks like super fast? How are you gonna keep up with him?"

  Midoriya and Uraraka also nodded at that. Midoriya's stomach twisted. Hawks was... Hawks. His speed, his wings, his experience... it wasn't the kind of internship you just "chose" because he happened to be number three. It was reckless, almost careless. He would have spent hours weighing pros and cons before even daring to circle a name like that.

  Robinn just grinned and looked down at them. "Dunno."

  The answer only made Midoriya's chest tighten. She spoke like the difficulty didn't matter, like she could just leap forward and the path would clear for her.

  The three of them reacted accordingly, dumbfounded by her seemingly nonchalant attitude at this insane opportunity.

  Uraraka, still buzzing with curiosity, changed the subject. "By the way Robinn, what's up with your hero name? Does removing an n mean something?"

  She looked at Uraraka blankly for a moment before replying. "It's just my name but easier to write, that way it's more recognizable. But I don't really care about that, I've never really been fond of hero names."

  Midoriya's head snapped up. Not fond of hero names? The words felt wrong, almost offensive. Hero names weren't just nicknames... they were ideals, the symbol of everything a person wanted to stand for. He could remember spending nights filling notebooks with possible names, dreaming of the moment his own would finally stick. And she just dismissed the whole concept with a shrug?

  That last comment shook him, though he forced his face into neutrality. He didn't dare argue, but the disbelief was written in his chest, hot and uncomfortable, as if she'd rejected something sacred.

  Robinn broke the silence with motion, scooping up her bag and slipping past the cluster. "See you later, guys. I've got a gym session to catch." She glanced back with another easy smile before heading out.

  The group lingered. Kirishima eventually peeled off on his own, while Midoriya turned back to Uraraka, both of them noting absently that Iida had left long before.

  Kirishima jogged down the stairs, spotting Robinn already ahead of him on the path. The late sunlight caught in her hair, turning the strands into flickers of orange and gold. For a moment he slowed, unsure if he should even call out, she looked so calm, walking steady toward the gym, shoulders squared, bag slung easily over one arm.

  He pushed on, lengthening his stride until he fell in beside her.

  "You're training today too? That's not your usual schedule." She glanced sideways, voice casual.

  Kirishima laughed, a little too quick. "I wasn't... but now I'm strongly considering it. I need to get stronger."

  She nodded once, saying nothing more, and the silence stretched between them. Kirishima rubbed at the back of his neck, glancing sideways at her, then back at the pavement. His chest tightened with the weight of words he hadn't planned, words he wasn't sure he should say.

  "Hey, Robinn, I have a question..."

  He slowed without meaning to, and so did she. Robinn stopped and turned, one eyebrow raised, waiting.

  "Shoot."

  The air felt thick in his throat. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. His pulse kicked like he'd just run a sprint.

  "This may be a weird thing to ask..." He trailed off, scratching at his hair.

  She tilted her head, still hearing him out.

  "But what's up with your name? It doesn't sound Japanese at all..."

  Robinn's lips curved into a faintly amused smile. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she answered with surprising lightness. "My name? Well, Reibach was my father's last name. He was Japanese, but his parents were German. And Robinn? My mom was just quirky, I guess. Though I've always kind of hated the second N in my name."

  Kirishima laughed, almost in relief, though the ease of it faded when he realized she'd just admitted she disliked part of her own name. Then it clicked... the missing letter in her hero name. "I guess I get that... but cool! I didn't know you have family in Germany."

  She looked down at her feet. "Had."

  The word hit harder than he expected. His steps faltered, guilt seeping in as he scrambled for something to say. But before he could find it, Robinn turned back toward the gym, already moving.

  "Come on, let's go get our training done." Her voice carried back over her shoulder, unshaken.

  Kirishima followed quietly.

  Small Author's Note: