After they finished choosing their hero names(Except for Katsuki, who got his subsequent attempts shot down as well), they were handed out papers with their options for which agency they could choose to spend the next week pseudo interning under.
After that, Aizawa surprisingly gave them lots of time to just chat and talk amongst themselves about their choices.
Izuku swallowed. Then began to go through the stack of 44 pages of agencies that were his options of the pros who wanted to draft him.
He was on page 5 when Uraraka came up to him.
"You look like you're looking for someone in particular."
Izuku froze, then looked up, before slowly nodding.
"I am."
Uraraka cocked her head, looking down at the massive list of agencies and the heroes they represented.
"What about you Uraraka? Decided on someone already?"
"I have. I… Was kinda unsure who to go with, but there was a guy I hadn't expected on page one. I'm going with him."
"Really? Who was it? One of the top 10?"
As he said it, he noticed Edgeshot was on the list of the next page, a pang of incredible fanboy joy dancing through his stomach, but he moved on from it. Edgeshot… Was a good choice, but he wasn't one of the two Izuku was hoping would be on the list.
"No, it was an older hero. Gran Torino."
"I've… never heard about him. Who is he?"
"He's the teacher who beat All Might into shape during his final year at Yuei."
Izuku froze.
"Really? You'd think he'd be famous then."
"Well, he only taught here for a year, before retiring and going back to hero work. In any case, I didn't know he was still active, else I… Well. It's gonna be an interesting week."
No kidding. So, she was literarily looking to follow in All Might's footsteps then. That… seemed really fitting. Also, he was definitely gonna read up on this Gran Torino later today too.
He was really, really curious to learn anything about any part of All Might's past that wasn't public knowledge.
"So, who's the hero you're looking for? Someone super strong?"
"Yes. I'm looking to see if Black Cat or Mirko sent an application."
She whistled.
"You're aiming really high then."
"Yeah… Assuming either of them is interested…"
"You… Don't sound very hopeful about that."
"Yeah… Mirko isn't exactly known for taking either interns or Sidekicks, while Black Cat… Well, she's got plenty of sidekicks, but from what I can tell, she doesn't take interns much either."
"Well… Maybe they'll make an exception this year! Who knows, maybe you really impressed them!"
Izuku didn't answer and instead went through the papers, one after another.
Uraraka was eventually called over by Tsuyu for her thoughts on the frog girl's choices, leaving Izuku alone to flip through the pages.
As he went through number 38th, another voice called out to him.
"So… Who's the spectacular Spiderman gonna intern under?"
His head turned up again, seeing Mina standing beside his desk, looking down on him and the pages with a grin, and her hands behind her head in a relaxed posture, like she didn't have a care in the world.
As he saw her, he immediately felt that strange feeling of happiness in his gut again. He blushed faintly but quickly focused on her actual question.
"I'm… Well… I'm looking to see if two heroes, in particular, scouted me out… If one of them has, then I'll go with them. "
"Who do you have in mind?"
"Mirko and… Black Cat."
Mina looked surprised by that confession like she really hadn't expected that answer.
"Really? You wanna go play intern under mom?"
"Well… I've thought about it, and frankly… I need more direct combat training. And the only ones of the really top heroes whose power and fighting styles are similar to mine is Mirko and… Well, we don't have many direct, hand-to-hand brawlers in the top rankings, other than All Might, there is pretty much just Mirko and… your mother. If I'm gonna really learn something specific to what I can do in fights it would have to be one of them."
"Oh… Well, I can tell you that you don't need to bother with looking for mom's agency then. She never takes interns, first years or otherwise."
Izuku felt a sinking feeling in his gut, only for Mina to continue.
"The only reason she's making an exception this year is to draft me. But you know, family and all that."
Izuku nodded, only for Venom to pop out.
"Wait, we thought Black cat didn't plan to take you as a sidekick?"
"She's not. But interns and sidekicks aren't the same thing. One is temporary. Not to mention that if I was a sidekick, she'd actually have to pay me." She chuckled. "She said if I'm gonna spend a week as unpaid labor, I might as well learn something with her while I was at it."
Izuku was only half-listening, as he reached the final page. Then he sighed.
"Well… you were right. And Mirko wasn't interested either."
He wondered who he would go to instead. Edgeshot seemed a good shot idea, but there were plenty of other heroes he could choose.
"Aww… that sucks man, though-" She suddenly got a look at her face, like she had just gotten the most brilliant idea ever, the only thing that could have helped sell that look, even more, would have been if she brought her fist down on an open palm like manga characters sometimes did when they realized something.
"Actually, I can probably help you out with that!"
Izuku quickly turned his face, and his full attention at Mina, who flipped out her phone and quickly typed away to call someone.
It took a while before the person she was calling finally answered.
At the close distance they were, Izuku had no problems hearing the person on the other end.
"Hi, mom!"
"...Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
Black Cat's voice was a mixture between being out of breath, and being really, really annoyed. Izuku could also have sworn he heard the distant sound of someone else breathing similarly in the background, but it was hard to make out with the chatter of the class all around them.
"Oh, I am, but Aizawa's is letting to talk with everyone to discuss next week and the first internships!"
"... Please don't tell me you called to tell me you wanna go intern under the same hero as Midoriya or something."
"Oh, nothing like that. No, I actually wanted to ask if you could send an application for Midori instead. He was really hoping to intern under you."
A long, long pause followed until finally, Izuku heard a long, and heavy groan on the other side.
"Midoriya. The boy wants to intern under me." Black Cat said flatly.
"Yeah, he really wants to learn how to fight under you."
"God knows he does need more training with that. The way he got shot out of the air at the end of the race was absolutely embarrassing."
"So you'll do it? He'll get to train with us?"
Izuku heard a snort on the other side. But the voice was positive.
"Sure. Why the hell not."
Mina pumped her fist in the air for victory, then flashed a grin, a wink, and a victory sign at Izuku.
"Anyway, since I actually have you here now, I might as well ask. What did Midoriya and Uraraka call themselves?"
"Oh, that. Well, Uraraka called herself Shimura. Not really sure why though, it's not exactly the most striking or obvious name."
"I'm sure the girl had her reasons for the name. And Midoriya?"
"The Spectacular Spiderman!"
Izuku heard a crunching sound on the other end, then the sound of the call ending.
Mina looked at her phone with a confused expression, then shrugged at Izuku.
Izuku for his part was absolutely stunned with gratitude.
"Tha-Thank you. That was…"
"Eh, don't sweat it Midori! We're friends after all! I'll make sure mom mails the application tonight so you'll have the paperwork to file tomorrow."
She grinned. A much more sly smile and expression than usual her usual energetic ones.
"This is gonna be absolutely great~!"
...
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