My Hero Academia: Nightmare Mode

The Bakusquad dorms were unusually loud as everyone gathered for Bakugo's birthday party. Despite Bakugo's repeated grumbling about *not* wanting a celebration, Mina had taken it upon herself to invite everyone from Class 1-A. By the time Kikidori arrived, the room was already filled with laughter, chatter, and the occasional sound of something crashing—likely Denki or Sero doing something clumsy.

Kikidori stepped into the dorm, his usual stoic expression in place. The chatter died down for a moment as a few people turned to look at him. Mina spotted him from across the room and immediately sprinted toward him, her pink hair bouncing with each step.

"Kikidori! You actually came!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm.

"You made me," Kikidori said flatly, pulling his arm away.

Before Mina could respond, a loud *zap* echoed through the room, and everyone turned to see Kaminari on the floor, sparks flying from his hair.

"Owww… I did it again," Denki groaned, his eyes swirling.

The class erupted into laughter, and Jiro rolled her eyes as she walked over to help him up. "You're hopeless, Kaminari," she muttered, pulling him to his feet.

The attention quickly shifted back to Kikidori when Mina clapped her hands loudly. "Okay, everyone! Since it's Bakugo's birthday *and* Kikidori never gets involved in any of the fun, we're doing something special!"

Kikidori raised an eyebrow, already dreading whatever she had planned. "What now?"

Mina grinned mischievously and pointed at him. "We're picking your hero name!"

Kikidori's expression darkened. "I don't need a hero name."

"Yes, you do!" Mina protested, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Every hero needs a name. It's like… the most important part of being a hero!"

"It's cheesy," Kikidori muttered.

Mina gasped dramatically, dropping to her knees in front of him. "Please, Kikidori! If you don't pick a name, I'll give you one myself!"

"Not happening," Kikidori replied, crossing his arms.

"Fine!" Mina said, smirking. "If you don't choose, your hero name will be 'I Heart Toga XOXO.'"

The entire room burst out laughing at her threat. Even Todoroki, who rarely showed much emotion, let out a quiet chuckle. Kikidori's eye twitched as he glared down at Mina, who was still on her knees, grinning up at him.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "My hero name… is…" He paused, glancing at the expectant faces around the room.

Mina, clearly impatient, jumped to her feet. "Too slow! I'm calling you 'Shadow Boy' from now on!"

"No," Kikidori said flatly, shaking his head.

"Yes!" Mina insisted.

Before the argument could escalate, Kaminari let out another loud *zap.* This time, he had accidentally shocked Sero, who immediately collapsed onto the floor with a dramatic groan.

"Why do you keep doing that?!" Sero shouted, sitting up and glaring at Denki.

"I didn't mean to!" Kaminari replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

The class burst into laughter again, the tension over Kikidori's hero name momentarily forgotten. Even Kikidori smirked slightly, though he quickly wiped it off his face when Mina noticed.

"You're not off the hook!" Mina said, pointing at him. "You still need a name!"

Bakugo, who had been silently watching the chaos from a corner of the room, finally spoke up. "Why the hell are we talking about this on *my* birthday?!"

"Because you didn't want us to celebrate you," Mina shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

Bakugo growled but didn't argue further, clearly outnumbered by the cheerful energy of his classmates.

As the night went on, the party continued with games, snacks, and more accidental mishaps courtesy of Kaminari and Sero. Despite his initial reluctance, Kikidori found himself staying longer than he expected. The warmth and camaraderie of the class were hard to ignore, even for someone as reserved as him.

By the end of the night, Mina hadn't let up on the hero name debate. Kikidori still refused to agree to "Shadow Boy," but he hadn't offered an alternative either.

As the students began to disperse, Mina pulled Kikidori aside one last time.

"Come on, Kikidori," she said, her tone softer this time. "Don't you want a name that represents who you are? Something cool and mysterious?"

Kikidori sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll think about it."

Mina beamed. "That's all I ask!"

As he walked back to his dorm, Kikidori couldn't help but reflect on the night. The laughter, the chaos, the camaraderie—it wasn't something he was used to, but it wasn't entirely unwelcome either.

Maybe, just maybe, being part of Class 1-A wasn't so bad after all.

End of Chapter 12

(When I say Minas dorm I mean the Bakusquad dorm).