26

Chapter 26: The Weight of NamesNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku sighed with a weary smile as the class erupted into one of their greatest yells yet. The Hero Informatics lesson about Hero Aliases had that effect. Even those who usually kept quiet and proper—like Shoto, Tenya, Momo, and Hitoshi—were visibly interested in the matter.

- I mean, Hitoshi's probably just excited to be here at all. -

He received a grateful nod of thanks from Kyoka, who he'd told to keep her jacks hidden when the lesson started. At least now she wouldn't grumble because of her ringing ears.

He focused on their teacher for a moment as the man moved on to show the Pros' draft picks for the class. Feeling playful, he closed his eyes to block his, and the vestiges', view. 

- Any bets for the top five? Whoever's closer gets to choose the next movie I'll rewatch. - 

"Top to bottom?" Daigoro eagerly asked. 

- Better. - 

"... What's the catch?" Hikage, ever cautious, inquired. 

- I'll skip the losers' next turn. - 

Second grumbled. "Come on, that's-"  

"You first, of course," the Fifth interjected. "Then the girl with the ponytail, ice and fire boy, exploding prick, and gravity girl."  

"Have the decency to learn their names at least," Nana shook her head. 

- He'll have points deducted in case of a draw - Izuku mentally chuckled as the vestiges ignored Banjo's cry about unfairness. 

"I'll say... You, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Bakugo and Ida." Yoichi joined the game, liking the change of pace. 

"You. Yaoyorozu. Todoroki. Bakugo. Tokoyami." En kept his answer brief, and clearly more on a different prospective. 

The Third quickly followed with a "You, Todoroki, Bakugo, Yaoyorozu, Shiozaki."  

"Shiozaki's not in the class, idiot," Daigoro rolled his eyes. 

"He didn't specify anything like that," the other replied, unperturbed. 

Izuku stifled a laugh. - He's not wrong. - The girl would probably get around 400 requests, so it wasn't like Third was that far from the truth. 

"Dammit."  

"I will keep my turn safe, thank you very much." Hikage backed down from the challenge. 

"I don't care," the Second grumbled. 

"Spoilsports," Nana snickered. "Anyway, you all got it wrong. It's Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Bakugo, Uraraka, Ida and Tokoyami."  

"That's six," En pointed out, nonplussed, "and you haven't added Ninth."  

- And that's why she won. - 

"What?!" Daigoro screamed as he opened his eyes, taking in the list appearing on the blackboard.

"As far as spreads go, I've seen better and I've seen worse. It's obvious how the spotlight moved onto the ones that lasted until the later rounds, but don't be discouraged. You all did well, and those of you without requests will get to choose from a list of Pros that usually work with the school," the teacher explained, giving a couple of moment to the kids to wrap their heads around the results. 

"Damn, thousands, they're in a whole other league," Denki hung back on his seat, dejected. 

"You've got hundreds yourself though," Kyoka said, shifting annoyance into a joking tone. "I mean, come on, leave some for us poor two-digits." 

"These Pros have no eye for talent," Yuga sighed theatrically. 

Koji whispered a "I-I'm s-sure you'll do g-great anyway," to Rikido, who nodded with a sympathetic smile, and congratulated Fumikage, who'd done pretty well considering his loss in the earlier rounds. 

Mina playfully poked Eijiro, terribly proud of getting one more request than her Horn Buddy, and he took it in stride, congratulating Hanta, fellow two vs two loser. 

Momo and Shoto exchanged some compliments, one elated, one unsure, but both worried about how much of those numbers came from their parents' influence. 

Ochaco, unable to contain her tears of joy, was shaking an all-too-serious Tenya. In the same way, on the other side of the class, Toru was hanging onto Mezo's arm, shaking for the excitement. 

"Wait, ribbit, why isn't Midoriya up there?" Tsuyu asked the fatidic question, getting some of the classmates out of their concentration on their own numbers. 

"What, did he scare the Pros off for being too powerful?" Minoru asked in disbelief. 

"A most strange occurrence," Fumikage said. 

"Was there a mistake?" Hanta, unconvinced, looked between Izuku and Aizawa. 

"No mistakes," the teacher claimed, resting by his desk. "Heroes are allowed to put in more than one request, but just giving them out like candies or shots in the dark would lower their credibility with the principal. And no one wants that." 

- For good reasons, - Izuku thought. His friends still had no idea of Nezu's influence and pettiness, the pure souls. 

"For this very reason, many put in one or two requests, three at most when students seem very compatible with their own style." Aizawa pointed a finger towards him, making Izuku smile as he took out the folded piece of paper that rested in his breast pocket. "But your Class Representative got an offer from All Might. On live television. No one's going to try and surpass that."

Heads nodded and "ohs" were liberated as the fact sank in. 

"That actually explain a lot," Mashirao said, staring at the All-Might themed envelope. 

"Incredible," Eijiro grinned. 

"It feels like we've beaten him in something, but at the same time it really doesn't," Denki muttered, staring at the blackboard. 

"Well, more picks for us!" Toru giggled, looking at the bright side. 

- Exactly as it should be. - 

He'd gotten everything he'd ever need from Pros at this point. His family deserved to grow much more than he did. 

"It seems you've played us, Ninth," the Third said, somewhat proud of the deception Izuku hadn't even tried to add to his game. 

- It's not my fault you all just took my win for granted. - 

"It wouldn't be if you hadn't crashed everything in your path like a steamroller," Hikage sighed. 

"Damn you, Kid," Daigoro grumbled, holding his face between his hands. 

"Oh, don't be grumpy Dai," Nana snickered, "You'll get to enjoy some good movies for once."  

The man groaned. "Why would you do this to us, kid?"  

It was safe to say that Daigoro and Nana didn't share most of their entertainment preferences, despite being two of the most hard-headed of the vestiges. 

- Eh, I'm not picky. - 

The vestiges retracted again when Midnight strode into the class as majestically as ever, interrupting Aizawa's words in a clearly staged moment. 

"I'll give you some time to think about it. You can also share ideas if you want to, god knows how some people aren't gifted with naming," Kayama stated, eyeing Shota as a cat would with a mouse. 

"I resent every word," the man grumbled. 

"And I'll let Zashi know again," the woman winked and laughed heartily as he collapsed inside his sleeping bag, leaving the class to do its thing. 

Izuku took a blank slate from Katsuki, the boy not even looking behind himself, and passed the last ones over to Minoru. Then his desk was partially shadowed by an empty-looking uniform. 

"Hey Midori! Would you mind giving me a hand on my alias?" Toru asked after she'd skipped over to his desk. 

One of the benefits of having brought his class closer together was that his friends now actively asked for his opinions without him having to interject. 

"Yeah, of course Hagakure. You don't have anything in mind?" 

"Weeell, I wanted to go with Invisible Girl, but you kind of destroyed that for me. In a good way, I mean!" 

He sure had, as using only her 'invisibility' wouldn't match her style soon enough. Moreover, if he could be blunt, any Hero alias with an age in it was bound to sound weird at some point. But never tell that to Recovery Girl. 

"Ahah, sorry. Let's think about it together then," he offered. 

"Oh! We're already exchanging names?" Mina didn't lose a chance to join. 

"Just asking for help," Hitoshi pointed out, also walking over and standing by. 

"Look at you kids, completely undermining my presentation," Kayama's voice cut through the background noise as she shook her head, making most stop on their feet. "I like it! Exchange ideas and come up with better ones! I'll be here and cut in when necessary, I refuse to have your aliases be anything less than perfect!" 

"Ah! She's so fickle," Banjo laughed. 

- It's her whole persona. She really cares about us, - Izuku mentally chided the Fifth. 

It didn't take long for the entire class to be filled with the noise of moving chairs. 

Once again thankful for his role as Class Representative, Izuku got up to get everyone's attention. 

"Okay, let's do this orderly. Raise your hands and try not to talk over each other. Hagakure asked me first, so we'll start with her, afterwards we can go with whoever has an idea." He moved his gaze over the invisible girl, her eyes slightly tilted to the left. 

"Okay, so, I would really like something to do with light, since it seems to be a whole thing I didn't know I could do before. I'm getting much better at it, so Invisible Girl just isn't gonna cut it anymore!" 

"But it was pretty cute," Ochaco said, "you still want something on those notes?" 

"Yeah! But also cool!" 

"Asking for nothing, uh?" Hanta and some others shared a chuckle. 

"How about Light then?" Mashirao proposed. "It's straightforward." 

"But that's too simple!" Mina shook her head. "Why not Rainbow?" 

"Why not Prism?" After another couple options were listed, with Toru looking thoughtful all the while, Izuku went with something she'd usually accept. "It's a transparent optical element that refracts light." He showed a picture on his phone. "Pretty nice, isn't it?" 

"Oooh," Toru cooed, "I like it! Then I could go with... The Rainbow Hero: Prism!" 

"That's a great one! Me next!" Mina jumped up, the others letting her go to quell some of her boundless energy. "I want to be The Ridley Hero: Alien Queen!" 

"From the movie? Why?" Denki asked, as he knew the context but nothing too precise. 

"It's the sequel, and because that Queen monster had acidic blood," Eijiro sighed, as he had been made to watch the film one too many times. 

"Not really what I would go for, Ashido. It's bound to scare kids if they end up looking for it on the net," the teacher clicked her tongue in slight disapproval. 

"Wait, you could save some of it, at least in the concept," Izuku interjected before Mina could start to frown. "What would you prefer keeping? 'Alien' or 'Queen'?" 

The girl thought about it for a whole second. "I like Alien... but I'd keep Queen, without a doubt." 

He started writing on his board. "Then, if you take out Ridley and Alien, which could cause problems when coupled with Queen... And add something that relates to you and acid without making it too obvious... here." 

"The Bubbly Hero: Queen Venus..." Mina read, blinking twice. 

He showed a tentative smile. "You know, since carbonic acid is used to make bubbles in soft drinks—" Which he knew she loved. "—and since nobody here would fit the term better than you..." 

"Ah, yeah, it's perfect! But why 'Venus'?" Eijiro grinned and asked. 

"Well," he started raising his fingers, "the atmosphere of Venus is full of acid rain, it fits the 'alien' aesthetic, and it was also who the Romans called the goddess of love and beauty..." 

"I love it!" Mina jumped on him, circling him in an embrace as she took the slate and raised it high, showing it off to the teacher with a smirk, who gave her a thumbs-up and a smile in return. 

"My, Midori~" she whispered in his ear, "what a tease you are..." 

He rolled his eyes and blushed meekly, but kept smiling. "Hear what you want, Ashido."

She let go as she giggled, uncaring about the stares coming from all directions. He sighed internally, knowing that he wouldn't hear the end of it now that Midnight had witnessed the exchange. 

Hitoshi was next in line. 

"Anything you want to start with?" Izuku asked, receiving back a tired sigh. 

 "I didn't have a chance to think it through. The only thing I know is that it shouldn't relate too much with what I can do." 

"Smart," the two exchanged a grin. 

"What is it you can do, ribbit?" Tsu curiously asked. 

Hitoshi waited for a second before answering, ready to judge his new classmates' reactions. "I can mind control people who give wrong answers to my riddles." 

Silence fell as many eyes opened wide, though Izuku, Kyoka, and Mezo could hear some teeth gritting from Bakugo. 

"That's so cool!" Denki was the first to raise his voice. "So that's what it was!" 

"So I did hear right," Kyoka thought aloud, starting to snicker. "You had no chance of winning then, Kaminari." 

"Hey!" Hanta patted the blonde's back as he weakly tried to find a retort, which didn't come. 

"What a marvelous boon," Fumikage mused. 

"It sounds like an extremely useful Quirk," Minoru agreed. "How long can you keep it going? We'd be invincible if you could stop Villains long enough for me to catch them." 

"As long as they don't get hurt. Shock and pain reset the effect," he explained. 

"Ah, so you were bluffing during your speech," Momo eyed Bakugo's back. 

"I wanted to play my cards right, since we were live. I don't have to fight if my enemies are deterred by knowing what I can do." 

"Smart," Mezo commented, his arms crossed. 

"Going back to the name," Izuku redirected the conversation. "Any ideas?" 

"Riddler?" Rikido offered, but Hitoshi shook his head. 

"Sorry, too direct for me." 

"Puppet Master?" Hanta proposed, making weird movements with his fingers. 

"That's not bad," Kyoka approved, thinking of a certain song she liked. 

"Something shorter, perhaps?" Momo inquired, seeing that the teen wasn't sold on the idea. "Ancient Greek legends speak of the Sphinx, a mythological creature who riddled travelers in order for them to pass before her." 

"That has a nice ring to it!" Mina nodded with a grin. 

"It does," Hitoshi acknowledged. "I think I'll use it as my title, but I'd like something else as the name... Something... about control, but not really." 

"That's a hard one," Eijiro tilted his head, knocking on it with his knuckles. 

"Oh!" Toru shot up. "How's that thing that hackers say in movies? Like, when they take control or change stuff..." 

"Uh, 'I'm in'?" Denki said, unsure. 

"I think she means 'overriding'," Izuku said, knowing where the idea was going. 

"Yeah! That!" 

"The Sphinx Hero: Override," Hitoshi mused. 

 "Ribbit, you like it?" Tsu asked. 

"A lot," a grin settled on his face. "Thanks guys." 

"You're welcome!" his helpers chorused, making Izuku smile. They had already started making Hitoshi one of them, so it wouldn't take that long for him to open up. 

"Good choice!" Midnight approved. "Keep them coming!" 

Yuga tried with his usual "The Shining Hero: I Cannot Stop twinkling!" getting a shorter version from Kayama, and an even shorter one from Izuku. The greenette had once given up on making him choose anything simpler, but then he'd remembered one crucial detail: Yuga was part French, and he loved making it very apparent. Combine that with his love for everything beautiful... 

The blonde didn't wait a second before approving "The Twinkling Hero: Magnifique" with full marks. 

"The Rainy Season Hero: Froppy" and "The Sturdy Hero: Red Riot" were fine as they were. 

Eijiro could become "The Unbreakable Hero" later on, but there was no need to rush. The title would mean more if someone else "gifted" it to him. The red-haired boy needed to feel like he deserved it, and that name would be something to strive towards. 

Tsuyu becoming "Hoplight," or "Hoplite," also depended on her future choices, some she might not even have to make, if things turned out well. Izuku preferred to see her happy, if he could help it, even if he would be eternally grateful for her "past" choices. 

Then there was another one he had to reluctantly stop. 

"I wouldn't go for that, Jiro." 

Kyoka looked over, confused, her jacks raised slightly. "Why not? It's my Quirk, and it fits my aesthetic, doesn't it?" 

"It does. Many Heroes use their Quirks for their names," Momo responded, on her friend's side. 

It did, but that wasn't the point. 

"It makes it too easy to use it as a keyword," he answered as curious gazes fell on him. "I remember you saying that you've got the same Quirk as your mom's." Which wasn't accurate but, as naming went, was fine. "Which means that there is something relating your entries on the Quirk Registry. We know that the government puts more protection around the Heroes' files, so you'd be fine, but regular people don't have that advantage. The Registry is secure, but we've already seen how Villains won't stop at anything..." 

"I'd be putting her in danger," Kyoka realized, frowning deeply. 

He nodded gravely. "Yeah. If I may, why don't you go with something related to your moves? You're not only about hearing, there's so much more you can do. Like... 'The Amped Hero: Heartbeat'!" 

Kyoka looked thoughtful for a moment, her jacks swirling around her fingers. "Mm, not that bad. A bit too cheesy maybe, but it'll work until I find something better." 

She put on a bit of a "fine, if I really have to" air, but he knew that she was only masquerading a hint of shyness by playing coy. Is she ended up keeping it, or going with the "Pulse" version of the name, he didn't really mind either way. They were of her own making, after all. 

Hanta was fine with his typical "The Taping Hero: Cellophane," but Izuku knew that Mezo, Mashirao, and Koji had just chosen the first thing that came to mind, partially regretting it later. 

He ended up helping them alter their original versions a bit: "The Tentacle Hero: Kraken," "The Martial Arts Hero: Whiplash," and "The Fauna Hero: Anima."

Rikido had been perfectly content with his "The Sweets Hero: Sugarman," so Izuku had no reason to change his mind, especially since Mashirao wasn't "copying" him anymore. 

Denki was incredibly proud of his naming sense (he'd once revealed that he'd spent hours lying awake, thinking about a cool enough name), so he only advised a small change in his title: "The Power Surge Hero: Chargebolt."

Minoru asked him his opinion on going with something more in line with his new theme, but didn't want something too heavy. After the core concept of seeing his hair balls as grapes evolved, they settled on "The Unshakable Hero: Vineyard."

Momo's "The Everything Hero: Creati" and Fumikage's "The Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi" were also fine, one fun, simple and all-encompassing, the other dark, strong and, as many liked that, Japanese. 

Then it was Uravity's turn. 

"What about the title?" Izuku asked Ochaco as she showed her admittedly cute choice, which had almost made Mina, Toru, and Tsu melt. 

"I don't really know," the brunette gave him a shy, wobbling smile as she tried to keep her blush in control, the girls' cooing being too much for her. "I guess I never thought about it that much." 

"But titles are just as important as the name itself!" He brought out his hero-nerd side. "Research shows that 60% of the public is more likely to respect and support heroes with a full-fledged name!" 

"Okayokayokay! Geez," she shook her hands. "I always wanted to be more like Thirteen, but I can't just copy 'Space Hero.' Any suggestions?" 

"The Flying Hero?" Minoru tried. 

"I think there's already a million of those," Denki countered. 

"Not that many, but it's still not that 'special'," Momo agreed. 

"The Gravity Hero?" Toru proposed, making Tsu immediately shake her head. 

"Gravity and Uravity together won't work, ribbit. It's already there." 

Izuku waited for a few more moments, as this idea hadn't come from him in the first place. He liked to let people thank the original creator, when possible. 

Just in time, Tokoyami spoke. "When we fought together during the second event, I felt that we had no limits, and you've shown the ability to take to the sky more than once during the tournament. For this reason-" 

"The Boundless Hero: Uravity!" [Dark Shadow] interjected, stealing their master's thunder. 

Fumikage quickly recovered from trying to scold his Quirk when Ochaco approved of his idea, her eyes sparkling. The light in her orbs fueled Izuku anew, as seeing her determination always did. 

Then came the hardest part. 

Katsuki was a lost cause. Even if Izuku could, technically, propose the incredibly fitting "Dynamight," there was no way that the current Bakugo would listen. He had to settle to leave it for later. 

Shoto was at the same time the hardest and the simplest guy to find an alias for. 

Izuku had spent ages thinking about a better Hero alias for him, both during his time with him and by himself. Icy Hot, Freezing Fire, Thermodynamic, Crimson Snow, White Burn, Cold Crucible, Fiery Verglas, Inferno, Melting, Dual, Balance, True Equilibrium... The number of names he had thought of and offered over time could have filled pages. 

He knew that Shoto had taken some of those only for the sake of their relationship or to give his father a headache, proved by the fact that he'd also accepted something as silly as "Fire Cube" once. In the end, he opted for something simple, something that was already the essence of what something he wanted to be. 

Shoto didn't want to be anything but himself, the person he was growing into, now that he was freeing himself of the shackles and the misconceptions that bounded him. 

Adding a title for the public's sake, "The Frostfire Hero: Shoto" was born. 

Having only a couple of minutes left, he separated from the chaotic group discussing whose name sounded cooler with the excuse of wanting a moment to think in peace, stepping over to Tenya's desk. 

"Hi, Ida." 

The bluenette raised his head from the blank slate, surprised to have been called. "Oh, Midoriya. Do you need something from me?" 

"Not really," Izuku didn't chuckle as he usually would have. Despite his façade, Tenya wasn't hiding his mood well enough to fool him. "Still thinking?" 

"Ah, yes." Tenya crossed his arms, sighing. "I thought I would have taken my father's or my mother's name, just as my brother took my grandfather's, to carry on the family's legacy, but..." 

Velocity and Celerity weren't bad per se, but Ida could do better. It wasn't only about speed. 

Izuku sat before him, putting his crossed arms on the chair's backrest. 

"Carrying a legacy isn't done by simply taking on the same name," he stated. "Ideals hold more significance than any title." 

"They do." Tenya nodded, moving a hand to remove his glasses and two fingers two massage his eyes, marked by heavier darker bags. "I've thought about your words." 

"Lost sleep on them?" 

"Better to them than to nightmares," Tenya stated seriously, before showing a tentative smile, making Izuku chuckled lightly. 

"And?" 

"And I'm not ready to let go of those feelings," he confessed, "but I want to try and be better." 

Izuku nodded, speaking sincerely. "I think you already are. Better than yesterday, at least, and that's all we can ask of ourselves." 

"Just like that?" 

"Just like that. Live and improve. Be better than you were the day before." He then lowered his voice to a whisper. "You can't help anyone if you're dead." 

His friend stared at him for a few moments, then moved his eyes down, his marker already moving. 

"I know what path I'll choose, Midoriya." Tenya got up from his seat, turning his slate to let his class see his choice. Over the white board, in perfect calligraphy, stood his new name: "The Right Path Hero: Vivacity." 

"Vivacity?" Denki read, tilting his head to the side. 

"Uh, you sure?" Mina asked, knowing how the definition of the word would fit her way more than it would have with Ida. 

"I am. Thank you for your concern." 

Tsuyu got closer, going straight to the point. "Why that, ribbit? No offense, I do like it, but you aren't exactly the 'lively' type, Ida." 

"None taken, and I have several reasons." Tenya looked prouder with every word that left his mouth. "Vivax, in Latin, doesn't only refer to liveliness, but also to tenacity, vigor and swiftness. By using the noun with the -ity suffix, I'm also paying an homage to my parents, Velocity and Celerity. Lastly, Mr. Aizawa said that we should look to the future we see for ourselves. I aim to be a paragon of virtue and intellect, as my brother Ingenium is, but I shall not forgo my will to live a full life to do so. I shall keep spirits high, starting with my own!" 

A few seconds of silence elapsed as the class looked at the teen, the whole group stunned by the sudden speech. 

Kayama was the first to speak. "I think it would suit you, Ida, and your brother would definitely agree with those words. Approved." 

That seemed to work to let the words flow again. 

"Wow, Ida, that was way more well thought that I thought it would be," Denki commented, looking impressed until Kyoka whipped his head with a jack. 

"Not what I expected, but that's cool!" Mina grinned excitedly. 

"A good reasoning," Fumikage nodded. 

"At least it's not something you've chosen of a whim," Hitoshi said with a shrug. 

"Does that mean you won't be as serious from now on?" Toru asked, her tone clearly teasing. 

Tenya kept his head held high as he almost shouted. "I can't guarantee anything, but I promise that I will try!" 

Half of the class snorted and laughed at the boy's earnest nature. 

- Oh Ida, never change. - 

As the group congratulated the bluenette, Ochaco took a few steps towards the class representative, keeping her hands behind her back. 

"Izuku, what about you?" 

He blinked at the question, realizing that in his rush to help the others he'd forgotten to speak up. 

"You're hopeless, Kid," the Second sighed as the others chuckled. 

"Oh, shush you," Nana interjected. "He was doing great, and I'm sure he already has a plan."  

- Well, yeah. - 

He got up, clearing his throat and quickly scribbling his piece. Twenty-one pairs of eyes moved on him as he smiled kindly, words flowing once again. 

"All my life, I was always inspired by All Might to be the best version of myself I could be. I wanted to help, to make others smile, to reassure them just by being there." 

Most nodded, fully agreeing with the sentiment. The vast majority of their generation had been inspired by the Hero's acts. But too many saw the man as a god. 

"You know that I aim to surpass All Might, but I don't just want to be more than he is. That would mean to be alone at the top." 

And he was already alone would never be alone. 

"It may be presumptuous of me, but I wish to represent the heart of something bigger than me, something everybody could believe in."

He had been Deku for decades. "The one who gives it his all" had been his persona for so long he had actually forgotten how it had been something placed on him. Once with ridicule, once with kindness. 

"Deku" had worked so well during his years that he'd changed the meaning of the word completely. He'd seen children who had never connected its meaning to anything less than "extraordinary."

But in spite of, or perhaps because of, its virtue and the message of hope it brought with itself, the alias had become a chain. Once "Deku" gained the same weight as "All Might," the effect it had on the public became certain: the birth of a new Symbol of Peace. The only thing he could not become. Not if peace was to last. 

And Kacchan would, deep down, keep hating that name, as it was a constant reminder of the worst parts of himself. He couldn't do that to him anymore. 

He'd tried many more names afterwards: Dekiru, Pillar, Atlas, Bastion, Valor, Beacon, Core... 

But that had been moving in the wrong direction. Any name, when related to One For All, would have made him end up like All Might. And he couldn't change that. The world needed him and giving anything less than his all would have spelled doom for everybody. 

So, he'd chosen to see things from a different perspective. 

He didn't have to be the pinnacle or the foundation of the system. Neither worked. 

But he could be the center. 

It was a small difference, but an important one. 

Most of the public needed to know that he wasn't the only one to thank for a job well-done, to hope for in a pinch, to pray to in the worst moments. 

He would still be one of many. Not a god, but a good man. The best, maybe, but still one of them. A primus inter pares. 

Izuku raised his hands, turning his slate to the people who he wanted to see him most of all. 

"I'm Everybody's Hero: Fulcrum."

Notes:

I sure had fun with this one, I can't wait to hear what you think of these versions.

Yes, I changed a lot of them. Do I like the original ones? Yes, but I also feel like some could be better.

I'm clearly a part of the "Pinky is such a lost occasion" crew.

Ingenium I like, but I feel like having two heroes with the same name would be confusing.

Though I really, really like Deku and the change of its meaning, here it wouldn't fit. Izuku has been clear with Ochaco from the start, and it's not their thing anymore, despite her usual better "reading" of the name. Plus, Izuku has other reasons to go on now.

The picks changed a lot too. The training made some look better, and having more heroes on site during the Sports Festival turned some heads.

Up next, we're looking at those picks!

I'm leaving here the request numbers, just in case the image doesn't load:

Todoroki: 2773

Yaoyorozu: 1854

Bakugo: 1624

Uraraka: 412

Ida: 387

Tokoyami: 348

Kaminari: 251

Shinso: 91

Ashido: 73

Kirishima: 72

Shoji: 53

Asui: 32

Sero: 29

Hagakure: 27

Jiro: 24

Koda: 19

Mineta: 16

Ojiro: 12