Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Code names," Kan-sensei stated. "Today you are going to be working with Midnight-sensei to choose your hero names. These names are part of the pro hero draft we discussed last week. While the draft is mostly a concern for second- and third-year students, some of you have also gotten offers from hero agencies for your internships."

"Here are the totals for those who have received offers from pro heroes." He pressed a remote and names started appearing on the board – each followed by a bar showing a number. Ibara topped the list with sixty-two offers, followed by Tetsutetsu with thirty-nine, Monoma with seventeen, and me with twelve.

The class reacted to these numbers quite vocally.

"Wow, Ibara-san, you really impressed them," Komori cooed.

"I am honored by their approbation," the green-haired girl replied.

"How come Monoma got offers? He wasn't in the tournament," Kamakiri complained.

"Yanagi wasn't even at the Festival, but she got offers?" Awase retorted.

"She only got them cause she's in the news." The insect boy countered. "Everyone wants a celebrity. They can play it up for publicity – 'Look at us! We hired the poor eta cripple.'"

Several classmates gasped in shock at his comment. Kan-sensei seemed to teleport to Kamakiri's side and grabbed the boy by the back of his collar, lifting him from his desk in the middle of the front row.

The teacher held him dangling a foot off the ground, the better to shout into his face, flecks of spittle flying. "That was well over the line, boy!"

It felt like the temperature in the room plummeted. The big man stalked to the classroom door, slammed it open, and tossed the offending teen out into the hall. "Go wait in my office. We are going to have a talk about this."

"For the rest of you," he turned back to the class, his voice once again at a reasonable pitch. "Regardless of whether or not you got an offer, you will be serving an internship with a pro hero. You will be able to observe pros at work firsthand, and you will be making connections that may help you start your own careers as heroes if you graduate."

He began to straighten the papers he had disturbed jumping over his desk. "This brings us back to the matter of code names. If you haven't already, please give some thought to your choice in your spare time before the afternoon class. Remember you have a test in …"

I don't think anyone was listening to the large teacher at this point. Test or no test, everyone was going to be dreaming about their new name, the symbol of their life as a hero and of internships where they would be working side-by-side with professional heroes in the field.

I remember the difficulty I had choosing a name the first time. I hadn't managed to come up with one I wanted before I went on my first patrol. It had been embarrassing having to tell Armsmaster I didn't have a name. I think it amused Lisa to no end. She never really helped me pick one out, though she probably could have come up with the perfect pick in no time. In the end, it wasn't my choice. Skitter was something the Brockton Bay Wards stuck on me after the bank heist.

Knowing this choice was coming eventually; Emily and I had been debating possibilities for a while. Some ideas were serious contenders – Penumbra, Emissary, Poltergeist, Kaidan (Ghost Story), or Kioku (Remembrance). Others were more of an inside joke or a play on words – Eidolon (Greek for the spirit of a person), Teiryo (Imperial Mausoleum, could be pronounced like Taylor), Ghost Parade, or Fighting Spirit. We decided to use the last two names for power attacks, which are apparently a necessary thing we would be working on later in the term.

What about Tatari? Emily suggested.

What does it mean?

It is usually read as a curse. However, the subtext is much more specific. It is the consequences laid upon a living person by a powerful spirit in retribution for their wicked actions. Rather than divine retribution, tatari is spiritual retribution for injustice. It is written 祟り.

I like that. I like that a lot.

Most Pro Hero names follow a set pattern. I suggest you be The Avenging Hero, Tatari –Spirit of Retribution, Emily offered.

As so many of the heroes here use English or semi-English names I could just call myself Retribution in English, that or Hex. I would rather use the Japanese though.

Why?

I think some of the ways people in Japan can mangle English are either funny or cringeworthy. I'm sure my mistakes in Japanese are just as bad. I don't know why Japanese names aren't more common.

While some Pro Heroes do use Japanese names, they are not nearly as popular as English names. There is some concern that Japanese names may be perceived as old fashioned, even reactionary.

I'd still rather go with the Japanese.

Very well, she agreed. Tatari it is.

In Hero Class that afternoon, I watched as student after student took names I thought were silly. I wished I had talked to some of them about their choices. Spiral, Battle Fist, and Real Steel were actually pretty good. But Mudman, Comicman, and Lizardy could have used some help.

I thought it funny that Pony, the American, chose a Japanese hero name – Tsuyo (Valiant/Brave/Strong). As did Kosei – Kakumau (Shield/Shelter/Protect). Shishida's name Gevaudan sounded French. Bondo's name Plamo I didn't understand at all. Maybe he misspelled Plasmo? And Kamakiri's Jack Mantis made me shiver – especially as his quirk was producing blades from any part of his body. I was going to keep an eye on him.

I really wanted to talk with Shoda, who chose Mines, and Kodai, who chose Rule. They weren't bad, but I think they could do with a little adjustment. Midnight had said the names were officially temporary, only for use as students. She also stressed that many pro heroes had become known by their student names and had carried them over into their professional careers.

It seemed pretty stupid to force fifteen-year-olds to select professional names they might carry for most of their adult life. At least the Protectorate and Wards forced PR assistance on you to make sure you didn't choose something really stupid – not that the occasional Clockblocker or Chubster didn't make it through the process.

Given the names I was seeing Midnight allow, I wondered how stupid a name would have to be for her to turn it down. I wondered if that ever really happened.

Finally, it was my turn. Only Rin was after me.

"I would like to be the Avenging Hero: Tatari," I said, showing my placard to the class. I had written the name in kanji, something I had been practicing. And I had added the kagome eight-pointed symbol that was on my eyepatch as a logo.

"Are you sure you want to use Japanese?" Midnight asked me, as she had the other two. There really seemed to be some sort of stigma attached to that choice.

"I am," I replied.

"It is a nice name. Spooky – but not evil. And it fits your background well. Good job!" She led a round of clapping. People were getting tired by this point, but I'd like to think they were a bit more enthusiastic about applauding me than they were about Monomo, with his blatantly criminal Phantom Thief, who had gone before me.

This is what high school does to you, I complained to Emily once I realized what I had just thought. It doesn't matter if they clap more for him than me. That's just silly. It's the sort of social one-upmanship that I hated the first time around.

You know that these sorts of behaviors are not limited to secondary education. Human nature is prone to false pride and unhealthy competition. These behaviors may be less polished in high school, but they are not the sole provenance of adolescence.

You're right. I know you're right. I just really hated high school before.

Then this is an opportunity to build a better memory. Try to remember the past only as it brings you joy or peace.

Yes, sensei.

Hmmph …

I missed Rin's choice. I'd have to check with him later.

Midnight stuck around as Kan-sensei filled us in on the details of the internships. "They will last for a week. If you have been made offers, you will be able to choose from the agencies that made them. Or – like the rest of the class – you can choose from a list of forty agencies from around the country that work with UA regularly. These agencies offer different environments and specialties. Some agencies take mostly search and rescue assignments, Others may be more concentrated on interdicting villains in the act. Still others pursue investigations of various sorts. Look over each possibility and see how they fit with your interests and abilities. Consider carefully before making a choice."

The class looked over the list excitedly.

"I want to fight crime in the big city," Tetsutetsu stated as he began to pour over his offers.

"I want to work with a big-name agency," Tokage said. "The better to make connections and catch the attention of other heroes."

"You will need to turn in your choices by the end of the day on Friday," our home room teacher announced.

"But that's only three days," someone cried.

"Heroes need to be able to make hard decisions quickly. I will be in my office for the rest of the afternoon if anyone needs to talk with me." Kan-sensei replied as he left the room. "Kamakiri, I expect to see you there at 1500."

The insectile boy looked like he was contemplating a bleak future. Having two meetings with the teacher for what I assumed was the same offence was a bad sign.

The rest of the hour was spent with most of the class looking over the main list and talking about their ideal situations. The other three who got offers seemed to be avoiding the general discussion and were busily perusing their recruiting letters. I tucked my offers away after a very quick once over – Alpine, Native, Greedo, and nine others I had never heard of. I would look at it more carefully at my apartment.

This afternoon was my first English Club meeting since my return. Jozu wanted to talk about the Sports Festival in particular, and sports vocabulary in general. Not really my cup of tea, but as the Sports Festival was actually a combat simulation and tournament, I could talk about that.

It turned out sports was the last thing the club members wanted to talk about.

"Why don't you ask Yanagi-san? She's been more affected than anyone." The speaker was Togeike Chikuchi, a girl from Class 1-D. She was arguing with her friend, Agoyamato the general education students who could turn into a giant statue. We had fought together in the bus attack. Like Togeike, he was a general education student, though he was in Class 1-C. From his glowering expression it was obvious he was frustrated.

"Ask me about what?" I inquired in English. That was supposed to be our purpose there after all.

"Blockherd here say it is being more fighting. It is dangerous outside by school. In school too," she replied. Her English needed work, so I decided to clarify in Japanese.

"You're arguing that it is getting more dangerous?"

"Exactly!" Agoyamato jumped in. "You were there on the bus. Even the campus is not safe. Three attacks on UA students in one day. And you have been attacked how many times off campus?" He was pacing across the club room. Other students moved quickly to avoid the large boy. "I've talked to my family. They say it hasn't been this bad since the Restoration. There's the Hero Killer, the League of Villains, the Ravagers and the Hutts. The news is even saying that the magistrate that attacked you had connections to the Yakuza. They're everywhere!"

"Who are?" asked Yaoyorozu. She was much more comfortable around me after yesterday's exercise. I was going to assume that her faux pas during the first club meeting was an anomaly. She'd shown no other signs of prejudice in the weeks since then, while demonstrating a level of privileged naiveté several times.

"Villains!" Togeike threw up her hands. "I don't know what he's worried about. Even if there are more villains – and I'm not saying there are – we've got All Might. And the other heroes."

"All Might can't be everywhere all the time," Uraraka, the gravity Shaker from A-1 said sadly. "At the USJ, Thirteen-sensei and Eraser Head-sensei got overwhelmed by the number of villains and their sheer power. Mineta-kun got hurt before All Might showed up. And even He was stopped for a while. Midoriya-kun got badly hurt trying to save All Might. So did Kirishima-kun. If the rest of the teachers hadn't gotten there at that time, my friends might have been killed." She sniffled. Shoda offered her a handkerchief which she used to daub at her tears.

"That's why I am going to do my internship at Gunhead's agency. I may want to be a rescue hero, but I need to know how to fight. I have to be able to protect myself, so my friends don't get hurt trying to protect me." Her eyes, though still wet, showed a fierce determination.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," the man mountain said. "But it's easier for you and the other hero course students. You're being trained to fight. And you have these internship opportunities. You saw the sports festival. Out of the forty-two competitors that made it out of the first stage only three were not from the hero course. Three out of two hundred – two general education and one support student. All the hero students made it."

"No, dummy." Togeike slapped his arm. "You didn't listen – just went off on another rant. She has the right idea. If things are getting worse out there, we need to find the training to take care of ourselves. Not rely on the heroes all the time. But you're right about one thing – we're not going to get that training in class."

The discussion continued. Most of the non-hero course students got involved. The hero 1-A and 1-B students stayed out of it – retreating to the other side of the room. Juzo started leading them through the planned exercises. I stayed to listen to the others. I could tell they were scared and was wondering why no one was helping them. They had a point. They did need to know how to take care of themselves – even if that meant running away when faced with danger.

I was tempted to volunteer to teach them myself, but I wanted to find out what other options were out there. Perhaps there was some sort of self-defense club or elective classes or even private after school dojos. If not, I needed to find out if I would be breaking any school rules if the English Club branched off a defense group.

The gripe session lasted the rest of the club's allotted time. After several nasty looks from Jozu, I did start translating ideas into English and trying to get them to at least practice words and phrases.

As I was walking home Jin joined me. "Nice patch," he said as if continuing a conversation we had interrupted only minutes before.

"Thanks," I replied. "Good to see you survived – mostly." He was walking with a cane to compensate for a limp.

"You too." He held his off hand by his side. I noticed he was fidgeting with a piece of cloth. A closer look with a shadow showed it was his mask. If he were feeling the need for that safety blanket, he might be regressing. I used some wisps to examine his soul – finding it whole, but the discoloration was more noticeable.

Not sure he was here on his own, I sent several scouts to look around, including up on the nearby rooftops. Whether he was working with Jin or not, Greedo was stalking us from on high. Several other people were looking at us, but there were always watchers in this neighborhood. I was a teenage girl in a school uniform – stereotypical bait for predators of several types. The fact I had my hoodie zipped closed and hood up didn't make much difference.

"Someone is keeping an eye on us. Is he following you or me?" I asked.

"You mean Greedo?" Jin replied. "He's been on my tail for a few days. Someone's been interested in me since I got back from my rustication. My guess is they hired the Bounty Blunder to keep track of me."

"Some old enemy?"

"Maybe, or worse, an old friend. Except I never really had any friends. That's why I used to twin myself so much. That and I was a lazy expletive and wanted my twins to do all the boring work. Problem was not only did they make expletive friends, they were all lazy expletives too and didn't want to do any work either."

"You want to come to my place?" I asked. "The Yanagi sent some gifts for you."

"For me?" His voice went up three octaves. "They are so sweet. I was sorry I couldn't save the girls."

"What do you mean? They're doing better than you."

"But I couldn't stop them from getting hurt at all. If I had twined myself, I might have …"

"No. I saw you. You did great. I'm proud of the choices you made. I just wish I could have …"

"There you have it folk – Dueling Guilt Complexes, in F minor." Jin took on a cheesy TV announcer voice.

"So … tea and presents?" I asked.

"Sounds good. What about Greedy?"

"I'm working on a plan for him. For now – he probably already knows where I live. And since you're going to be coming by to help me with my Japanese regularly, people will know about our connection."

"I have to be honest, Rei-rei. You're a little young for me. Now your mother – there's some hot …" I used some geists to hit him in the face with a discarded newspaper. While public quirk use was illegal, I doubted anyone could be certain it wasn't just the wind.

"That's enough about Mrs. Yanagi."

"She's a saint. That's what I was going to say – a saint."

"Didn't sound like it. Must have damaged your tongue in the collapse."

"Must have."

"So, tea and language practice."

"Stick with me, kid. I'll have you splitting infinitives in no time. And no one doubles a negative like me." He wiggled his eyebrows. By this time, he had his offhand swinging comfortably at his side, no sign of the mask.

I sent some scouts to make sure the dark stairway to the second floor was not infested with scum or villainy. The only one I found was the mutate I had dubbed Leroy. He was a homeless person of indeterminate age who looked like a three-foot-wide land crab with six human feet wearing sandals, and a man's face in the front of the carapace. He was usually there, except in the early morning. I had no idea where he lived.

Jin passed Leroy by without so much a noticing him.

We got to my door, I checked inside before opening it. No one was there.

I opened the door and gestured to Jin, "After you."

"Age before beauty …wait a minute…" He looked confused then smiled. "I must be thinking of you mother again."

"Hey!" I snapped.

"Whoa!" He was looking into my main room. I had to lean around him to see what he was staring at. My wisps and shadows were picking up nothing.

"What the fu …"

Taylor! Moderate your language please. Emily insisted.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Either you've got some really big roaches," Jin said with admiration in his voice. "Or someone let a kid with a wall-walking quirk loose in here."

There were little footprints all over my walls and ceiling – like a toddler had run through ink then danced all over my room. Two things worth noting. There were no footprints on the tatami floor. And the prints were invisible to my spirits. Not even my poltergeists could feel anything but the plaster where the marks were.

Emily? Is the apartment haunted? What's going on here.

I – I am not certain.

Can you see the footprints?

Only when looking through your eyes. To my spiritual senses, there is nothing there.

Wonderful.

"Hey Moe!" Jin whooped to get my attention. "I take it this ain't your idea of inspired interior decoration?"

"No."

"Any idea who did it?"

"No."

"Worried about it?"

"I don't know."

"If it isn't life threatening, I want my tea and presents."

"Right. The Yanagi all wanted me to thank you for your actions. You saved their lives."

"Aw shucks …"

"I wanted to ask you why you did it. You saved them, but you risked your own life to do so."

He was silent for several seconds. From his changing micro-expressions, I got the impression he was having an internal debate – which in his case was probably a literal debate. Finally, he spoke. "They were nice to me. It's been so long since anyone was kind to me. Since anyone made me tasty food or laughed at my stupid jokes. All three of them were nice to me so I couldn't let them die. Not if I could stop it."

"That sounds like a good reason to me. Thanks. For saving them. And for telling me. Now let me get you some tea."