Running faster than I ever had before, I just barely escaped the downpouring bullets of rain that followed my trail. I nearly collapsed into the floor while sliding into the train cart. I looked up at the closing door as it broke me and the other passengers off from the sudden rain showers.

I gasped in relief while leaning against the train doors and giving myself a chance to breathe. When half of your limbs are made of very sensitive machinery, rain is the very last thing you want to bump into.

Thankfully, I avoided ruining my best set of prosthetics. I backed up and took the last free seat on my train. Normally, mornings weren't that tense, even during a little storm. Since I moved in with Q, I had fallen into the habit of riding with him to school. Although, I was no longer in his homeroom, and there was no sense in me getting there an hour early any more. I was on my own once again, and it was already close to being a disaster.

I turned my eyes up to the windows of the cart that were instantly drenched in rain drops. I shuddered when thinking about what just a little water would do to my arm and leg. Trying to distract myself, I leaned down to my school bag and did a checklist of everything I needed to bring. Since I saw this morning's forecast, I rushed out as soon as I could, so it wouldn't be a surprise if I forgot a few things.

Among those few things were my phone charger and headphones, but since I would be taking courses with Aizawa that day, I figured it'd be best to get rid of any distractions. It had also skipped my mind to bring lunch. I didn't need to eat with my Quirk, but it was usually decent to have something to do in the cafeteria while everyone else ate. It was pointless, but at the very least, it made my day go by just a bit easier.

While digging through my bag, my hand passed by a paper sack where staples cinched the top closed. Weird, I thought after already marking my lunch off as forgotten.

I pulled the bag out and sat back. Stuck to the front of the bag for me to see was a bright yellow sticky-note. The messy handwriting and name at the bottom answered all my questions. The note read,

"You're always the main character in my book,

- Q," with a small heart sketched to the bottom.

Feeling the tears coming on, I clamped my hand over my mouth to avoid looking like a fool in front of this cart of strangers. I couldn't cry on my first day no matter how damn nice that gesture was. I tilted my head back and blinked away the tears.

Not gonna cry. Not gonna cry. Okay. Tears gone. Crisis averted.

I took a breath and kept my eyes above parallel as I stuffed the homemade lunch back in my bag. I knew if I looked into what was probably the most thoughtful and healthy meal inside, I would lose it. I had to be tough for at least one day.

As the train pulled to a stop, I knew my first challenge of the day was about to start. Looking at my straight path ahead, it was clear that I had to be smart about avoiding the rain that drenched the paved sidewalk and threatened to do the same to me.

I shouldered my backpack, tightened my fist around my umbrella, and glared at the obstacle ahead.

And then, I ran.

I probably looked insane as I sprinted through, but it was worth sparing my own limbs. My work boots protected my bionic leg from the knee down, but the main problem would be shielding my arm while also running. I kept my umbrella tilted at an angle, letting my hair get damp while my arm stayed covered. The humidity alone was enough to stretch my already frizzy coils, so I wouldn't worry about a little water.

As the view of UA came closer in sight, I noticed my path being blocked by a few guys walking calmly along the pavement. Although there were only three of them, it still was too crowded for me to find a way around. I instead saw an opening between the scrawnier kid with messy, green hair and his much taller friend where I bolted through.

After turning sideways to get past them quicker, I looked over my shoulder, yelling an "I'm sorry!" While I felt a little bad for running through them, moving around a few slow walkers was well worth keeping my robotics intact.

As I ran farther ahead of them, I still saw the tallest of the three wearing full head-to-toe rain gear, like any normal person. His glasses gleamed as he raised both hands at me, shouting from the top of his lungs, "I appreciate adequate attendance such as anyone else, miss, but that was quite rude of you!"

I didn't have time to explain myself. I felt a drop of rain fall against my forehead and roll down my cheek. The school building was getting close, and I just had to keep going. I turned over a few puddles and skidded past the dripping gutters until I was safely under the overhanging roof of my school.

I leaned my arm against the walls of UA, the sound of the rain beating down outside still right in my ear. However, I was safe from it. I turned my head down to catch a breath. Once my anxieties eased and I could act normal, I looked up, only to have them spike again at the sight of a person waiting so close to me.

It took a lot of faked confidence not to yelp at the surprised sight of indigo eyes staring me down. I relaxed when recognizing Shinso, but still, I hated being snuck up on.

"You looked crazy back there," he pointed out. I got ready to argue against it, but he was right on that. I looked at my metal arm and held it towards the rain that rolled off the roof next to us.

"Probably, but rain isn't exactly good for these."

Shinso seemed to get the idea quickly because he didn't take long to change the subject.

"I needed to talk to you," he said, and I stood up straight to show I was listening. "We'll be seeing which classes we've been placed in today. One of us will advance to class 1-A, and the other will be moved to 1-B. Judging by how you froze when fighting Eraserhead, I want you to know that I plan to take the spot in Class A."

It was always hard to tell when Shinso was joking or not. He had a dry sense of humor, and we weren't that close. At that moment though, it looked like he was dead serious. His words were firm and strong, but even a small part of myself wasn't sure.

"You really think that?" I know we had been in competition for a while, but I had figured that since there was a spot for the both of us, the tenseness could ease. I was wrong. "I mean, considering I did beat you during sparring-"

I shut up when those dark and exhausted eyes aimed another death glare at me. Shinso's stare turned off to his side, discouraged for a minute before regaining himself.

"That might be true, but let's not forget who won the Sports Festival." I wanted to laugh when he brought up that phony win. If things weren't so tense, I might have.

"Oh, come on," I dismissed. "That doesn't count. I let you win by walking out, so you didn't do anything."

Shinso's agitated glare softened into one that was confused by my argument. He didn't seem to understand what I meant, but how could he not?

I knew it like it was yesterday. During our last match of the Sports Festival, I was set up to fight Hitoshi Shinso. He had beat half of the bracket with his Quirk, as everyone had explained to me, but when it came to our fight, I just left without trying.

"I think you're remembering it wrong," Shinso said. "I used my Quirk on you."

Before he could explain, I stopped him, already finding flaws in his own memory. "No, you didn't. You asked if I believed in fate, and I said yes. That's why I left. It had nothing to do with you- I didn't even know you had a Quirk until after that."

If he wasn't confused before, Shinso was the definition of baffled by then. I still couldn't grasp what was complicated about the whole thing. Yes, it was weird of me to choose to leave, but I had my own reasons for it.

Back then, I knew I was ready for what would happen if I won the Sports Festival. I was already under the pressure of my family and everyone else looking for me to win it all. In the moment though, it didn't seem worth it. That's why I ditched my match.

Shinso shook his head with his hand reaching for the hairs behind his neck. "That doesn't make any sense..." I wasn't sure what to tell him, as I was starting to get a little lost myself.

Shinso looked up to me with the same cold stare as he continued. "It doesn't matter. If you really lost that match on purpose, then that's just unacceptable. You should have given it your all, and now that I know you held back on me, I have even more reason to beat you.

We might have been able to be friends before, but now that we're both after the same thing, I have no choice but to make you my rival."

My jaw clenched, and I felt speechless. There was nothing I meant to do to provoke this. Part of me wanted to punch his stupid face, but I mostly tried to take the high road.

Mostly.

I leaned back on the wall to the school and faced down to my metal hand. There was a lot in what would happen depending on what I said next, and I knew it. I told him, "I guess. . .I guess I'm sorry-"

"I'm not going to accept your apology-"

"You misunderstood," I cut him off, standing up to meet above his eye level and hardening my stare downwards. "I'm sorry for you..because you're choosing the wrong person to make enemies with."

I swear I saw the slightest second where Shinso backed up, and I was proud of that. It meant he was starting to regret this, and rightfully so. He was right when he said there was a moment where we were almost friends, but if a rival is what he wanted instead, then I'd let him have one.

"Like you said, there might have been a time for us to get along. But if you want to rival me, then be prepared because I'm not an easy win. You'll learn that one way or another." After that, there was no point in staying as I didn't need to hear any smart remark he had saved.

I got a hold of my bag and my umbrella before I was moving past Shinso and into the school building. While things didn't escalate as bad as they could have, it still wasn't exactly how I wanted to start my day off.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

The UA Campus itself hadn't changed since the last time I was there; however, things felt different that day. It was the fact that I was, for the first time, going into class as a soon-to-be Hero Course student rather than a forgettable extra.

The part of me that wasn't still ticked about my recent confrontation was pretty happy to be there. Although, there was still that part of me that was nervous as hell. Aizawa mentioned that Shinso and I were on a sort of probation period where we had to prove ourselves to be enough for the two classes.

As Shinso mentioned, this would be the day where we found out which class we would be assigned to. We both knew there wasn't technically a superior class among 1-A and 1-B, but that didn't stop either of us from aiming for the A class.

At the front of the first-year Heroics hall, Aizawa stood waiting for us to meet him. Shinso and I walked separately without a word to one another, but we were forced to interact once we met up with Aizawa.

"I'm sure you both are wondering which class you'll be spending the day with," Aizawa led, dreariness thick in his voice as his eyes looked ready to shut at any moment. As exhausted as he appeared, he still gave us firm instructions like always.

"There's only one spot in each class, so congratulations, Rosemary, you'll be training with my class, 1-A." Aizawa watched me as he announced this, and I had to stop myself from cheering in victory.

I shot Shinso a quick glance, nothing overly mean, but just enough to acknowledge that I had won this round. Not the most mature road to take, but it beat letting him prove himself right about me.

Shinso looked ready to object to this arrangement, but Aizawa was fast to explain his thoughts on why we were each placed this way.

"Remember, this isn't permanent. I couldn't convince Vlad to change his class plans for you two, so Shinso will also be joining my students just today." My mini-victory wasn't thrilled to hear this, but I was happy to know that I would be the one to stay in 1-A. Aizawa saw no argument with this and went on to explain. "We'll test you both out here, then move Shinso into 1-B for two reasons."

As he mentioned this, Shinso cut in, "Which are?"

"For one, we were aware that our classes have somewhat of a rivalry going on, and it would benefit us to keep personal connections limited. We were sure that out of you two, you'd be the least likely to make any close friends on your first day."

Shinso looked defeated when Aizawa mentioned this, his expression drawing into a more bitter frown. "What's the other reason?" he asked, looking back up at our teacher.

"Alphabetically," was his answer.

This time, I was the one to jump into the conversation,"Well, you could have led with that."

The conversation seemed to dissolve from there. It was a lot to take in, I'd admit. We've been hearing about these transfers for forever, so being just steps away from the 1-A classroom was so surreal.

Aizawa went on to discuss the finer details. He explained that I would be taking seat number 19 of 1-A, and all that was left for him to break the news to his class. He asked us to both wait in the hallway, and he would be back shortly.

Shinso and I didn't do much other than try to peer into the classroom through the openings of the door. I was closest with the best view, but all I could see was Aizawa talking at the front of the room, motioning to a seat in the closest column.

"What's he doing?" I asked aloud.

Shinso took a turn to look through the door with his back to the wall as I stepped aside. "One of us is transferring in; it's possible he's in the middle of transferring someone out."

Seat number 19.. repeated in my head. Whoever used to sit there was being moved out. I began to doubt this, not wanting to face the guilt that I'd be the reason someone was kicked out of their class. Before I could think of any other option, the door was opening and Aizawa was leaving his class with his former student in tow.

Aizawa didn't say anything to Shinso nor I, and the kid he dragged along looked too stunned to say anything. Looking at the guy, I wondered how he made it into that class considering he was shorter than anyone our age, and the Exam Bots could have crushed him in a second.

He was small enough to come below my hip even with his mohawk hairstyle consisting of violet spheres. I hadn't ever seen that kid before, and something told me I would never again, but I still felt bad thinking he and one student from 1-B would be demoted out of the Hero Course.

If Shinso felt the same way, he didn't show it. As soon as Aizawa left the hallway with his scarves yanking down the tiny student, Shinso turned around to duck his head into the classroom.

From out in the hallway, I could hear the kids inside chatting lightly. Shinso stepped his foot just outside the door as he took a look down the hall, then he stepped in. With my only other option being to wait outside, I followed him in.

When we were both visible to the whole class, their talking ceased. It was only a few seconds before their eyes were locked on us. Even if I never saw them often, the class before me was unique enough that I could recognize their faces without names.

A taller kid with fire hydrant hair was partnered with me during costume upgrades. He worked with me as my "Designated Main Character," or DMC, for a while, but we never got personal. On opposite sides of him, I could see two of the guys I had run into that morning, one with a deep blue comb-over and the other with sloppy curls.

So much for first impressions.

The hopes of having a good start with this class was a ship that had long sailed. Not only did I have to fight the green-haired guy sitting in front of my empty desk, but just in front of him was my semi-final opponent, the guy who helped me destroy my prosthetic arm and leg.

Other than the few recognized faces, I was completely dumbfounded when it came to this class. Almost all of them had some sort of mutation Quirk, and the ones without looked nothing less than flashy stars.

Shinso stayed deadpanned and cold as we faced them, and I knew it was up to me to stop this uncomfortable silence. I lifted my bionic hand and motioned it to a wave.

"Hi there," I told them, trying my hardest not to let my voice waver or shake. It was tough when some of these people looked ready to fight me on the spot.

Thankfully, that scenario didn't have to happen as Aizawa made his way back inside. As we expected, the little guy he once had by his side was long gone.

"Are these seriously who you have as the new transfers?" An obnoxious voice called out from the first column to the door. I looked over to see the kid of static blond hair refuse to look at me or Shinso as if we weren't right there.

Aizawa made his way to stand at my side with Shinso on my left. He gave his student the same "I'm tired, but don't piss me off" tone he had during training.

"Yes, they are. Class, meet Hitoshi Shinso and Tallulah Rosemary, who I'm sure you remember from the Festival. Over the next semester, they'll be in the process of moving up to the Heroics Course. After today, Shinso will be leaving for class 1-B, but Rosemary will be taking the spot of Minoru Mineta."

I expected the reaction to be uncaring or even a little dismissive. What I didn't expect was some of the girls suddenly celebrating with their hands up, one brunette even holding her palms together in thankful prayer.

"That's enough," Aizawa stopped the few of them speaking back and forth with the news. He looked over to me and Shinso and gestured over to the two empty desks in the second to back row. One fit in with the 4 by 5 arrangement, but another stuck out as an extra desk pushed in this morning at the very back.

I took it upon myself to snag the seat I guessed to be number 19, letting Shinso use the extra just one row over. I tried to remember who all I was near and where exactly this seat left me: I was placed behind the curly haired boy, a seat in front of another girl I had fought in the Festival, and next to one shorter person with a mutation that made him look like an actual bird. I figured it wouldn't be hard to remember that one.

Once we were both seated, Aizawa continued his announcements. "Alright, there's no time to waste here, so let's get moving with our lesson on Heroics Informatics."

I leaned back in my chair, disappointed in the dull sounding lesson plan. Here I was thinking that this homeroom might not consist of boring class plans. However, as Aizawa mentioned what exactly "Heroics Informatics" consisted of, I knew it would be anything but dull.

"It's time to pick your Hero identities."

My eyes stretched apart at this. How was I supposed to pick a Hero name when I've been in that class for thirty seconds‽ I knew nothing about this class, and he expected me to come up with a name off the spot? And one the whole country would be able to see!

I wasn't prepared at all. By the looks of it, neither were a few of my new classmates. Sure, many of them seemed excited, especially a guy with bright yellow hair and a pink-skinned girl who raised up in their seats to give one another a high-five.

I looked back at Aizawa as he pulled up a holographic chart from his computer to the board at the front of the class.

"These names will come in handy during your upcoming internships. Normally, Pro Heroes only seek out third-year students to teach, but with recent events at the USJ, your school thought it would be best if you all got some real experience."

That's right. These guys have already fought villains within the first few weeks of school. Pretty soon, they'll be doing it again while interning.

"Here are the number of internship offers Pro Heroes have given to each of you, Rosemary and Shinso included. Most of it was determined based on the Sports Festival and how these Pros observed you all, so there's a big gap." Aizawa clicked along on his keyboard near his desk as the chart ahead of us began to display our names with a bolded number to the side.

Some kids did really well. I wasn't exactly sure which one "Shoto Todoroki" was, but I had a good hunch about "Katsuki Bakugo." They both had an insane amount of offers as well as "Momo Yaoyarozu" and "Tenya Iida." But when I eventually found my name at the bottom of the list, I saw nothing but a bolded zero.

Shinso's was the same, which made me believe our ranks in the Sports Festival didn't have as much to do with our offers as we believed.

Is it because we weren't in Heroics until now? I guess that makes sense. What Pro would be sending out a hero internship offer to a support course kid?

"Oh, I get it!" The enthusiastic and lanky kid across from me stood up with his fists raised. "These Pros are gonna know us by our code names, right?"

"Exactly," we all stopped the discussion at hand when a new voice was thrown into the room. I looked over to see a woman Aizawa's age that I recognized as a part of UA's staff, the Pro Hero Midnight.

"So you kids better decide carefully on these names," Midnight explained, taking position at the front of the class by Aizawa's side. "You won't want to choose poorly and end up stuck with a mediocre name, right, Erasure?"

Aizawa didn't respond to Midnight's playful elbow jab, but he did reluctantly answer. "Don't remind me."

I couldn't imagine getting stuck with a name as lousy as Erasurehead. No offence to the Hero himself, but come on, did he really just go with the first thing suggested to him? Either way, the name was misleading to his underground career and exceptional skills. I had to make sure my name reflected my identity as best as I could.

As Midnight talked us through the assignment, Aizawa took the liberty of passing out boards and markers to everyone in the front row to hand back. The boy of springy green hair handed me mine with a friendly thumbs up. I handed the last board to the girl behind me, and I began to think on this name.

"Remember, children," Midnight boasted, "The identity you pick is very important! Take Thunderbird and Huntsman for example, powerful names like those are sure to intimidate lowly villains while giving the public faith in their abilities. This is the face you present to the world that gives them the trust to put their lives in your hands. Don't screw it up!"

Gee, thanks for the pep talk. After that, all I could think about was choosing a crappy name.

A scoff could be heard from the front of the classroom, two seats ahead of me, "This is stupid," the kid I remembered as Katsuki Bakugo snarked. "I can easily pick names for all you wannabes right now." Despide no one asking him to do so, Katsuki stood up and began serving out "accurate" code names.

He whipped around with his arm stretched out, singling each individual with cheap insults. "Useless Deku, Octo-Loser, Pepto Bismol, Chicken of Darkness, My Worst Enemy, Latino Cellophane, Lame Extra, and the other Lame Extra." By the time he was finished, his finger was pointed to Shinso, naming him as the additional extra with myself as the first.

"Hey!" I argued along with the handful of others Bakugo had called out.

"That's rude!" The all-pink girl previously named Bismol snapped.

"Was 'Latino' really necessary?" asked the once spirited guy ahead of me.

"And why the hell am I the 'other' extra?" Shinso scolded.

Thankfully, Katsuki didn't have time to give out any more name suggestions before Aizawa made him take his seat. It was time for me to get serious and think hard about my Hero identity.

Let's see, Heroes are known for their Quirks, right? Maybe something to do with light?

Then again, I can barely use my Quirk as it is. I can't be showing off something that doesn't help me yet.

What about my name? A few of these guys are going the classic route.

On second thought, no one wants their city saved by a spice.

I'm thinking too much. I've always been a weapons inventor, so what about something like Lady Machia?

No, that's just not it. Come on, Rose, think. . .

"Time's up!" Midnight's confident voice announced with her hand up to show us her watch. "You've had five minutes to think; that's plenty of time to settle on a name. Now. . .which among you is ready to present?"

Are you kidding me‽ I haven't even started, and she wants me to show my name to these people?

Clinging to the possibility Midnight or Aizawa would forget about me, I slid back into my desk and let the real Heroics students go first.

Despite my nervous train wreck over this side project, I tried to focus on the others as I both learned their names and got entertainment about their names. A few were under the impression we would turn these in instead of presenting, so I benefited by reading their names at the top below their aliases.

First to share was a small girl with long, black hair and big, round eyes. She stood happily behind the front podium as she turned her board over, reading along, "The Rainy Season Hero: Froppy." Most of the class, myself included, had a good awe with that one. Midnight approved, and it sure eased my tension about the class just a bit.

Next was one of the recipients of Bakugo's insults, the tall-ish guy with chin-length black hair. His name above his Heroics one called him Hanta Sero, or futurly known as "The Taping Hero: Cellophane." I was disappointed in Hanta for giving in to his chosen label, but at least his name actually had some thought to it.

These names continued on with every student. Some were catchy and fun like "Uravity" and "Red Riot". Others were at first rejected like poor, "Alien Queen" who would be instead "Pinky." There were some generic choices such as "Shoto" and "Tailman". Then, there were some that were just. . .

"The Luminescent, Shining Hero: I Simply Cannot Stop Twinkling," beamed a guy I could only describe as blindingly bright. It was at the sake of everyone at his future agency that Midnight asked him to simplify.

After he was done, Midnight scanned over the class before landing on Shinso and I. "You two! Are either of you ready to step up and present your names?"

There were only a couple students left, and I hadn't made much progress. I leaned over my marker, internally begging it to do its job and help me out here. Before I could go out there unprepared, I saw Shinso stand up and take his turn before me, buying me some time.

I should have used that opportunity to finish my name, but the side of me that wasn't still pissed with Shino watched curiously at what he had to say.

He let himself take a patient breath while he looked at his own board, careful to turn it over and make his name official.

"The Brainwash Hero: Mindjack."

Midnight celebrated his courage with thrilled clapping as she gestured to Shinso. "I couldn't adore it better! It wastes no time explaining your Quirk, and it's extra spooky too!" Shinso responded with a content nod before leaving his board at the podium and taking his seat.

That left one unnamed Hero-to-be.

"You're next, Rosemary!" Midnight snapped, throwing a hand out to me, asking for me to move it along.

Okay, enough time stalling! Come on, what's one thing about you that makes you stand out against generations of Pros?

I let the feelings in my heart do the answering, and before I knew it, I had the marker in my hand and I was writing down the first name to come to light.

I hurried up to the stand, my board in hand as I manifested that this doesn't sound stupid when I read it out.

"Call me The Fullmetal Hero: Biónica!"

I waited in the still silence before anyone said anything. I almost started to regret choosing to base my name off my prosthetics, but I soon felt nothing to worry when Sero happily pumped his fists up to encourage me.

"Hey, I like that! Sounds like an action hero!" I broke my nerves and let myself smile at this short praise as Midnight evaluated my name.

"It certainly suits you, Biónica. You'll be the first Hero in Japan like you, so I look forward to seeing this name all across the billboard charts!" Midnight gave me a proud pat on my metal shoulder before letting me return to my seat.

I got to end the class with the satisfying feeling that I made use of it. Not only did my Hero name not be a waste of ink, but I could also finally cross it off my list. I was just one more step closer to becoming a real hero, and the day ahead was starting to look pretty damn good.

A.N.
Woohoo, Rose has a hero name!! Ahh, this was a chapter I had been DYING to write, so it's such a good feeling to share it with you guys!

Speaking of names, I've been thinking about what to call you wonderful readers, you fantabulous fanfiction fanatics, you extraordinary extras. Thanks to some help from the UA Storytellers, I've decided to dub you all my beloved Background Baddies! Congrats!

Onto the question: this chapter deals with names, so what's the story behind your username?

I personally don't have much of a story. I've had the name aBitGrim as a username for many years on many sites, and it's never failed me yet. The description aBitGrim was inspired by the ancient Cartoon Network masterpiece, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy that you might remember if you're an old soul like myself.

Before we go, I do have two quick announcements: the first is HOORAY, we got more fan art!!

This utterly adorable piece was made by -butterfly--effect- featuring the legendary crack ship, MordeKoto!

As I've mentioned before, MordeKoto is the pairing of my deaf character Rocket from the Bionic Bloom and the mute Koto Yamada from Muted Voices. FoxyPuff nor myself expected this ship to take off with such a fandom behind it, but seeing drawings like this just make my day.

One last thing before we close things out, big plans are happening over at UAStorytellers, so keep an eye on my page for exciting updates! I usually publish all short stories and side projects in my expansion book, but there are a few that you'll only be able to find at UAStorytellers. Be on the lookout for those!

Character Spotlight: Tallulah Rosemary (original)
Quirk: Weapon
Likes: inventing

I have been waiting SO long to show off this official character sheet for Rose! And it finally includes her hero name!! How cool is that?

Anyways, that's all I have for now. Enjoy the lengthy chapter, and I'll see you all next time. Until then my Background Baddies!

Dedicated to AaronV11