35 Hero Name

The drone of music was little more than a quiet hum in the background, the chatter a blurred mess rolled into a cacophony of sounds indistinguishable from each other. The lights blared through the air visible in rays from the spoke of cigarettes and steam of warm drink.

Nick wove through the crowd, rubbing shoulders with the unsuspecting teens that were enjoying the height of their youth, partying, and drinking. He felt it, the bodies of each person he passed, a trace glance with his quirk to see if he could find that same… 'imbalance,' in the brain that he had felt in Yu.

Hearing the sounds of shouting and rustling behind him through the dull drone he looked over his shoulder, at the guards dealing with a rowdy customer as they pulled him aside and out the front.

Moving quicker Nick needed to make his way to the VIP section. Walking over to the stairs he walked up to the guard who just looked at him with a gruff expression, his entire posture one of 'don't fuck with me.'

His broad shoulders completely blocked out the stairway and his defined muscles showed that he knew how to fight. And well.

"No entrance man. Get back into the crowd." He heard the man say as Nick was approaching, walking straight towards him.

With a small smile on his face, Nick just let a small tendril work its way towards his shoe from the tip of his foot, it was the same dull grey as the concrete floor and thin enough that through all the lights it would be impossible to see.

Not responding to the guard Nick just made the man move. Freezing his voice box so that he couldn't speak he used his quirk to force the man to step aside and let him in and as soon as Nick was making his way up the stairs he froze the man solid. Anchoring his muscles to his bones, even freezing his eyes so that he couldn't look around all too well.

Hoping that no one had been paying attention, and even if someone was looking it wouldn't look that different from normal. He made his way up the stairs towards the door. Seeing two more guards on either side of the balcony they looked at him with confusion and then down at the guard below. Nick just kept on walking hoping that his confidence would mean they let him walk past but as they shared a look they held out their hands to block his way, but before they could even lift their shoulders they were moved and frozen as well.

Opening the doors himself he walked into the VIP lounge and the change of atmosphere was jarring enough that he almost had to stop. It was like he passed through some form of barrier, as soon as he was on the other side the sound cut off, replaced by classical music. The air smelled like cologne, tea and the faint waft of wine.

Seeing multiple heads look at him in confusion he looked around the room.

From what Yu had told him there were three VIP club rooms. The first one was for those that were paying more money for a 'higher class' club experience. It was another room connected to the main room and was just a more exclusive club experience. There was another lounge with loud music above the main dance floor where one could go to sit and drink. Then there was this lounge. Entirely out of place, but the Marionette liked it here, so this was where it was.

It honestly, felt very very out of place. Like an entirely new world glued wrongly to the side of something it was not meant to be attached to. The two far exits have clear ways for people to get in and out without having to enter the club.

As Nick's eyes passed over the room he saw that the Marionette was not there, as some people were looking at him and muttering to themselves in confusion he simply tilted his head. His hair was raven black, his eyes glowing a dull red and as he looked at them all they seemed to be in the inaction of confusion before he formed his mask.

Seeing that nothing was happening threads wove out of his arms and chest to create the plague doctor's mask on his face. And that kick-started the action.

As soon as the mask formed he heard one of the older gentlemen say, "well get him!" In a clearly frightened voice. Pointing a finger at the doctor who just spread his arms out to either side as the VIPs got up and made a run for one of the far exit doors.

Shaking his head Nick waited for a guard to get to him, a very very fast jab launching towards Nick's head but he made no move to block it. Blades emerged from the man's fist as they started to spin and vibrate creating a low humming noise.

As soon as the blades made contact with the doctor, however, the man exploded. Feeling the wave of power pass through the man he pulled him apart. Deconstructing him to little more than threads. And as soon as he did so he reassembled the man.

Passing over the floor was a trail of muscles and nerves that made its way like roots to a tree, passing over the lush red carpet until the main mass of the man impacted the door that the VIPs were running to. Reassembling the man over the door so that no one could get out the doctor grinned beneath his mask. The man's 'corpse' was splayed out over the double escape doors blocking the path of anyone wanting to come in and out, ribs pried, arms spread to the side like a man crucified.

It looked brutal, but it was actually entirely painless, Nick held nothing against these random guards doing their job. At least for now. So he would leave them in a fixable state. He had removed the man's pain sensors before splaying him out, ribs open and still beating heart on display for one purpose. To terrify the guests.

Their eyes widened, their faces drained of blood, pale. As they turned another guard made it to the doctor but seeing what happened he hesitated briefly, and in that split moment his eyes glazed over as preset commands took over the man. A moment of hesitation passed as he attacked Nick with a weapon, a nightstick. Having seen what happened through contact.

Reaching out the doctor's hand was too fast to counter. Simply touching the man's chest he disassembled him and for the first time since the Nomu actually used the flesh of another. As the man unwound, threads in an instant covering the floor in almost a carpet of what looked like pulsating nerves, Nick suddenly felt the entire room through his quirk clearly. Everyone who was walking on the floor was going to be touching the new carpet of biomass.

Snapping his finger the rest of the guards, some of that had started to prepare energy blasts in the small moments that it had taken Nick to make both the blockade on the door and the carpet of nerves. Attacked, although whatever attacks hit the doctor seemed to do nothing at all.

The man's will had been crushed, his ego put to sleep as Nick used his body painlessly, he would give the man his sense of self back after, but for now, he needed it to make it easier. He was in enemy territory, he would be a fool not to take things seriously.

With the sound of his fingers snapping the remaining guards also unwound. Their threads explode apart before reassembling into the same person just frozen, unable to move. He would use them if he needed them. One man used to cover the other exit door.

With the final snap of his fingers, the VIPs finished their turn to look at him. In shock that this unknown man had just 'killed' all the guards in the room in an instant. Not even giving many of them a chance to fire back. Some had shot some energy blasts but there was no damage to the strange man or his clothes.

As they looked at him the blood drained from their faces as some started shaking like a leaf.

Stepping forward an older lady with a fine dress stepped forward. Pipe in hand, her gaze held steel. She was not a coward at least. "What do you want masked man?" She said, asking the question that the others were thinking. 'Why?'

"Is it not clear? If I cut the strings of enough puppets, surely their mistress will come." the doctor responded, a raspy deep voice coming from every frozen guard in the room instead of his own mouth. The sounds merge into a broken symphony.

Hearing the sound of the club start to bleed in he frowned and turned to one of the frozen guards, one that had attacked him with a sound wave. Looking at the man he unfroze his head and mind and said, "block out the sound like you normally do, and I will let you live."

Nodding frantically the man closed his eyes and soon the room sounded normal. He must be here for the opening hours of this lounge… what a useful quirk.

Looking back at the high-class VIPs he didn't recognize anyone major. No heads of major companies or government officials… it looked like normal VIPs, rich families who paid enough that could come here. Part of the Marionette's circle maybe? Not quite, they were just customers. This complicated things.

At least he thought it did.

As he was just about to do something he heard a knock on the far side of the door. Looking with his 'sense' he felt that there was a woman and two guards. Figures he was very familiar with from her harassment of him at the Underground Masquerade.

Opening the door he saw her eyes widen at the scene inside. Just for a moment, as she took it all in her guards got into defensive stances. Quirks activating. The one on the right had a strange red energy emanating from his body. A sort of ethereal fire danced on his skin as the floor started to singe where he was standing.

The one on the left emanated a sort of fog from his skin as his fingers became less tangible, becoming like the fog that sheathed his skin now. With every breath, he took a small cloud of it left his mouth. Nick could feel through the floor that his body was fading, becoming that fog. His lithe yet muscled building held clear power.

"Hello, Marionette." The doctor said through the frozen guards. His gaze held hers as he tilted his head to the side like a bird of prey eye its next victim.

"You may all leave." She said as she entered the room fearlessly, her guards following behind her. Clearly cautious to walk on the floor. The smoke man however started to float a bit in the air although shakily he was not touching anything. The fire guard burned the ground yet Nick still felt that split-second connection.

As the rest of the VIPs turned to scramble out of the room they found their legs frozen, looking back at the Marionette and the doctor it was clear they didn't know what to do. All but the women with some spine cowering.

"hmm… very well. They may go." This meeting would be over before they could bring anyone. Unfreezing them they all hastily made their way out of the lounge.

Walking over to a table Nick sat down, motioning to the other chair. "Sit." His voice was stern, expectant.

"Why should I listen to you?" She said clear anger in her voice, as she was about to speak up again her fire guard exploded. Just viscerally exploded. Blasting gore and guts all over the couches and tables. Seeing her stiffen and panic he said to her.

"Sit."

He had made more nerves under the man using the Nomu's carbon scar as a base so they would not burn and it had worked wonders. While it still singed he could regenerate it since it wasn't as thin a hair almost.

Pulling the chair out she sat down, the smoke man now looking back and forced between the gore of his comrade and the Marionette.

Once she sat down slowly, pale-faced and looking at the doctor in caution he nodded to her. Waving his hand and in shock they both watched the gore unweave. As the strands darted through the air faster than most could see the fireman reassembled back into himself as he stumbled in shock. His face was pale as he stared at the doctor in evident fear.

"I heard from Andrew that you might hunt me down Marionette… so I thought I might find you instead…" the doctor spoke, once more through the mouths that were not his own sending a shiver up the back of the fireman as he clearly was not looking too well, his cheeks a bit grey.

"I-" She started to respond but stopped, just staring at the doctor with a mixture of fear and hesitation clear in her voice.

"What is your purpose." the doctor interrupted her.

After a moment of thought she answered, "I simply want to live my life… I was allowed to by someone far worse than you until he needed me so I am simply waiting for his summons. All I want to do is live a peaceful life in luxury."

Nodding his head that made sense, it showed as well. She abused and underpaid her workers for that slight bit of extra profit and the string of clubs that she owned were known to make it easier for younger teens to get illicit substances.

She was just like everyone that got a taste for money… wanting just that little bit more to line her pockets.

What shocked him though was the news that she was waiting for someone to command her.

"I can assure you now, that when they come back to power you will regret ever messing with me." She said as she looked at him with some gained confidence as she saw his eyes narrow, thinking that maybe he knew what she was talking about. "The bogey man is still alive doctor… and I am going to be one of his closest members when he returns to power! So mess with me now and I wil-" She started to ramble.

With her mouth suddenly unwinding and then weaving together she was left without lips to speak from. Her guards going to act but then hesitate, looking at the doctor in fear.

Everyone who worked seriously in the underworld knew who the bogeyman was… All for One, his fame, despite his disappearance was still widely known and feared in the underworld, after all, years reining in terror were not easily forgotten.

"He cares so so so little about you, your quirk was only strong because you were from a rich family I assume. You can only control those that accept you or you force to accept you, even then orders can be easily fought against if someone disagrees with you… your quirk is more like influence than the puppeteering you make it out to be hm? Your weak." The doctor said as he looked at her.

"I think that you are a terrible person." He finished. As he said that he split her spinal cord. He had no idea what would happen to her clubs but he didn't want her wandering around. From what he could assume Kai got rid of her in the original around this time or maybe a bit earlier. All for One might have planned to use her for something but she clearly was not important. He probably found her because her quirk sounded interesting but in reality, it wasn't that good.

Standing up he remade the guard that was against the door and the one that was spread out across the floor. Unfreezing all the other guards as well as he nodded his head. "Good day to you all."

Turning he left and no one tried to stop him unsurprisingly.

Passing through the frozen guards outside he unfroze them as he walked down the stairs and soon out of the club. Sighing as he made his way down the street and away from the loud clatter of the nightlife. He was back at school once the sun rose.

He was sure that the whole Marionette situation wouldn't be over so quickly but for now, he didn't care much about it, he wasn't that scared of what would happen. After all her two strongest guards had seen his power first-hand and probably wouldn't want to get involved. They were only there for the money that is now well… dead.

---

Getting to a safe place he changed his appearance and found his hidden bag before going back to the train, he would be going home for a quick rest and then going back to school straight after. He had spent the day before getting both Yu and Yomi to the new clinic and setting them up. Telling them how things would work and leaving the advertising to Nezu as the bear had asked him to do. He had informed Nezu about his hires over the phone and checking that everything was alright he saw that the bear had indeed responded.

Nezu was fine with the hires, which was a relief, Nezu actually had someone of his own planned but after checking both Yomi and Yu's history he thought that they were decent choices, at least considering their loyalty. With that out the way, he heard that he already had a client. Reading the name he shook his head, Tensei Ida, the turbo hero. Of course…

He had wondered if either Ida or the principal would ask him to heal the hero.

---

Sitting at his desk Nick let 0ut a yawn as he saw Aizawa walk into the room. Everyone quickly went back to their seat. Smiling slightly at how well respected their teacher has become after the U.S.J. incident.

"Morning, Today's hero informatics period is a bit different." Aizawa said. Looking around at the falling faces of the people around Nick looked at Aizawa, clearly the man was drawing the tension out…

"It's time you formulate your codenames. Your hero names." Aizawa said.

The class started to lose it, standing up and making a massive deal about it, it was exciting, yes but honestly, everyone was so so eager it was kind of shocking. Seeing Aizawa's hair start to float as his eyes glowed a bit everyone quieted down and got back in their seats.

"This is related to the draft nominations by pros I mentioned the other day. The nominations will truly start mattering only after you've gained some experience and your adaptable fighting ability is judged during your sophomore and senior years. In other words, the nominations that you receive this year are more akin to expressions of interest in your future potential." Aizawa continued as his hair settled again.

"It's not rare for interest to be dropped after your first year or your first term of workplace experience depending on your performance." He finished, pointing to Toru who raised her hand to let her speak. Her wrist bands were the only way he knew she was doing it.

"So I guess the nominations we received are like personal hurdles then?" She asked.

"In a way yes, if you cannot preform well this year your nominations shall be drastically effecting in your upcoming years." Aizawa clarified as he looked back at the main class. "Now, the tally of nominations is as follows." Pointing the display behind him.

Looking at it Nick smiled, he had expected to be at the top but was surprised to see that he was wrong. Todoroki was number one with 4,571. He was sure that was more than canon, maybe his final push during the match created more interest in him.

He was second with 3,672. He was expecting to be first but then again, his performance was incredible, maybe some agencies didn't bother putting an offer in since they knew that he would be getting ones from the big leagues?

Bakugo was third with 3,592. More than canon? He didn't win the finals though and his fight against Hendrix was heavily shrouded. Although it took a while, that might be why. Oh, and he wasn't so aggressive on the podium meaning that the worst part of his nature wasn't shown… made sense.

"Typically the results are more balanced. But this year all the attention leaned towards the top three as you can see." Aizawa said before giving the class a moment to speak. With some complaints and compliments being passed around Nick saw Midoriya deflate in the seat in front of him.

"Based on this… regardless of whether or not you recived any nominations I'll be having you all get some so-called work-place experience." Aizawa said settling the class down again, "well, you've all dipped a toe in the world of pros, unfortunately. But I think that experiencing the activities of pros firsthand will prove to be more fruitful training than before." Aizawa said finishing with, "of course, placeholder names are fine, too, but something appropriate-" before being forcefully interrupted.

"BECAUSE IF NOT, IT'LL BE HELL FROM THERE!!" Midnight said with gusto as she entered the room. "The names you pick now! In many cases stay that way after becoming pros! The names you come to be known by the world as now will probably stick even if you try to change it!"

With the shocking introduction of Midnight happening the final parts of the speech were given, All Might being used as an example as whiteboards were passed down the rows of seats.

Sitting back in his seat Nick took a whiteboard and passed the last one back to Momo along with a marker.

Tapping his chin with his marker Nick had been thinking about names that he could give himself. He honestly didn't really put that much thought into it and despite having a bunch that he liked like:

Metamorph since he could change the physical form of a structure or substance. It also made sense since he would be morphing himself a lot.

Overlord also worked, as the controlling hero. He liked the sound of it more than its meaning though. He didn't really see himself as an overlord type. Although it did sound similar to Overhaul which did amuse him.

But he thought that one stood out above the rest, something that he just felt was cool and sounded nice.

As the class started to go up and present their names he watched as it unfolded the same as canon.

Seeing as everyone went up and took their names Nick just waited, leaning back in his seat as he looked at the ceiling. Thinking about his still and what it meant.

Soon everyone but Uraraka, Ida and Midoriya had gone, Bakugo having been promptly denied.

Seeing Ida was having less conflict than the original yet there was still some form of conflict going on. He must have been informed that his brother could be healed.

As Uraraka chose her name Uravity, Tenya just took his own name Tenya for now.

Nick was about to wait for Midoriya to go up but Midnight said, "Nick what about you? Got something?" Causing him to get up and head to the front. After all, Midoriya did have main character powers and had to go last. No point fighting it.

Standing in front of the class he put his board down and said.

"Asura."

Asura, meaning divine. He wanted to be more than just a human after all. It also was the name of a class of beings that were defined by their opposition to the devas or suras… gods.

He didn't know what he thought about gods, honestly, he hadn't thought about whatever entity offered him his wish in the first place but death, at least to him, was a god. And he had resisted it, he had bested it not once but twice, once because of the grace of something, and the next time because of his will.

They were also commonly depicted with multiple arms, and not that he needed to do that anymore. He still would when he needed the extra attack or defence… it made sense to him.

He didn't have anything like 'the divine hero: Asura.' Just Asura.

It had to mean enough to him, to challenge the gods whether they be All for One and One for All of the beings that were beyond even this world, he didn't know what was out there, but he had somehow come to this world so there had to be something.

Hearing the agreement of the class and a compliment from Midnight he went and sat down at his seat once more as Midoriya went to the front and took his name. Deku… seems some things hadn't changed.

The rest of the allocated time was spent listening to Bakugo trying to have something with explodo-kills in it but soon he too was forced to settle on his name.

With everyone settling down from picking names they were given a short break in order to talk then once everyone was back to sitting down. Choosing a place to intern was finally happening.

With Aizawa giving a brief explanation of how they would be given sheets with the agencies they were offered to work at in order of their rankings and how those that hadn't received offers would be given a choice between 40 agencies that were offering to all U.A. students.

As well as an explanation of choosing an agency that suited what you wanted to do as a Hero or what you specialized in.

With a final, "I want them back in two days." to the shock of the class he sat down and talked to midnight as the class was left to their own devices.

Getting his stack of papers Nick gave it a quick flip through. There were a lot of offers, countless he recognised and even more that had no meaning to him. One that did stand out was something that he didn't expect… but it was perfect… it was also one of the few heroes that might be able to teach him something.

Taking out his form he wrote the name down and handed it in. He knew that he needed to be in Hosu during the incident so this was perfect since he knew that he would be there if he went with this agency.

Satisfied with the progress of today he started to make his way home. It had been a very long day, he still had things to do though. He needed to find a few more key pieces to make himself a new body. He still needed to actually get a hand on a Nomu however. But that was all happening soon.

=======

Long and early chapter today! Decided to go with the name Asura after I looked it up to try and find out who the character was but when I saw it's meaning I felt that it worked with Nick quite well!

Thanks for all the support! Reviews and comments are always welcome, let me know how I am doing!