Chapter 10: Volume 2: Issue 10
AN: This chapter was rewritten by francisthewitcher.
Okay, let's do this one last time, yeah? This is it.
It all began in Keikei City in China, when an extraordinary child was born who could radiate light. And after that, reports of people with superpowers popped up across the globe. No one knew what was causing those Quirks. The world became a superhuman society, with about 80 percent of the population possessing some uncanny ability. Our streets were like comic books coming to life. As cities swirled with chaos and confusion, a new profession dominated our collective consciousness.
It was an age of Heroes.
My name is Wade Walker. I was born without superpowers until I was bitten by a radioactive spider from another dimension. And for 10 months, I think you know the story. I lost my dad. I was able to get into UA. Battle against my bully. Met some cool and beautiful girls. Made new friends. And saved my mentor twice, and everyone else from an organization of villains.
It's been a long road for me, but to be a Pro is all I ever really wanted to be. But after a while, I've started to give up on that dream. But I knew all I wanted was to be a Hero. And thanks to the people who guided me and supported me, I am here now. On my way. Living by my father's words. That with great power comes great responsibility.
My dream's becoming a reality. And though I've had setbacks, I keep pushing forward. My journey's just beginning.
This is the story of how I become this universe's Spider-Man!
Of how I become the world's greatest hero!
HEROES OF TOMORROW
Issue #10: The Games Begin
Wade was looking at a comic book with wide eyes before looking up. "This is amazing, Mr. Lee!" He said with a big smile. The young man was currently in a comic book shop talking to one of his favorite people in the world. The man, the myth, the...local comic book shop owner himself. His name was Stan Lee. He was a kind old man that loved telling stories and comic books. So, he started to create one that he hopes would be a success.
"Thanks, Wade. All I have to do is put the last page." Stan said, before pulling out a piece of paper from behind the corner he was standing behind. He placed it on the corner and placed his hand on it. Using his Quirk called Illustrate, the final panel, images, and lines of the comic appeared on the paper.
With bandaged hands and arms, Wade placed the pages on top of the final page. "Well, I hope this one will be a success." He said with a smile. Stan nodded before taking his comic and placing it under the counter.
"Hey, everyone!" Yelled one of the residential people that looked like your stereotypical nerd. He pointed up at the TV. "Look at this!" Immediately, all the geeks that were shopping in the store turned to look at what the guy was talking about. Wade and Stan turned their heads and saw the news was on. The shop owner turned up the volume.
"Up next: an update on yesterday's incident at the U.A. rescue training center where Hero course students were attacked by a gang of villains." The news reporter said on TV. "According to new police officials, the criminal forces called themselves 'The League of Villains'. Investigators have reportedly uncovered that this group has been plotting to kill U.A. teacher and popular Hero All Might since the spring of this year. Police arrested 72 villains at the scene, but the League's leader escaped. His whereabouts are unknown."
Wade's eyes had a grimness in them after hearing that last part. Stan then turned to the young man and said. "I'm surprised that they would pull a stunt like that. Thank goodness you and the others got out okay."
"Yeah." The student said with a sigh. He then turned and headed towards the door. "I've got to get home, so I'll see you later!"
"Don't worry, kid," Stan said, waving goodbye as Wade walked out of the store. "I'll always be here."
Night came and in the conference room of UA, Tsukauchi met with the teachers and staff members of the school. The detective was standing in front of a large desk where all the Heroes of the school were seated.
"Our investigators are trying to learn everything they can about this so-called 'League of Villains.' We've made some progress, but we can't find anything on this Shigaraki so far." Tsukauchi read off the paper of the report. "We've searched our records for men in their 20s or 30s who are registered as having some sort of disintegration Quirk, but so far, we've come up empty. Same for the Warp Gate villain, Kurogiri. So, they're not citizens or they're using aliases. Hard to find, either way."
With his arms crossed, Vlad King looked down with a grim expression. "So, what you're really saying is we don't know anything."
"We've gotta track 'em down," Snipe said. "I shot their ringleader, but once he heals up, he'll probably try pullin' somethin' like this again. What a pain."
All Might sighed. "He did seem like the type."
Sitting next to him was Nezu, who heard his comment. "Is something on your mind, All Might?"
"The attack on the USJ was too bold. No sane adult would ever attempt it. The ringleader kept monologuing about the reasons he was there. And he bragged about Nomu's many Quirks, but he never said a word about his own powers. When things didn't go his way, or when Nomu's weakness was exploited, he was visibly upset. Like he was gonna throw a tantrum. Ah, I guess bragging about Nomu's Quirks was a quick way to draw me into a fight."
"That might be true, yes, but strategically, it was foolish to reveal his Quirks upfront instead of keeping them a secret."
"Shigaraki made wild, immature claims, but did so with a completely straight face. And he talked about Nomu like he was some kind of a pet. It seemed like he'd never been 'no' before—like he thought things would go his way no matter what." All Might said, thinking back on Shigaraki and remembering the man's covered up face. "He has the personality of a spoiled little brat. A man-child."
Vlad King said. "A child with incredible power, though."
Midnight then replied. "It's possible he never got the Quirk counseling students received in elementary school."
"Maybe so, but it doesn't really matter now." Snipe said.
"There were 72 villains arrested in the aftermath of the USJ attack." Tsukauchi said, continuing the report before looking up at the Heroes. "They were all small-time thugs who usually lurked around back alleys. What worries me is that this 'man-child' got them all to follow his crazy plan. They viewed him as a real leader. Criminals are starting to feel more pressure now that the world is brimming with Heroes. That could be why they were so quick to back such simple-minded villainy."
"Guess that makes sense." Vlad King said with a scowl.
"There are plenty a' people out there lookin' for a cause to get behind." Snipe said with his crossed arms.
"So, what can we do to stop them?" Midnight asked.
Tsukauchi flipped through the pages of the report before stopping at one. "Well, it is thanks to you Heroes that we have the time to devote ourselves to this case. We'll expand our investigation and continue searching for the perpetrators who planned this attack."
Nezu looked down at the report copy that he was handed. "A man-child, huh?" All Might looked to the principal as the creature continued. "In some ways, he shares common grounds without students. They both have so much potential. And, like our students. I suppose it's possible someone's guiding him, trying to nurture his malice and villainy."
This troubled All Might greatly, that he didn't want to think about what that could mean.
Meanwhile, at Inko's home, the motherly woman was cooking another diner that Wade had on his list of foods to eat for his training. The school was closed the day after the League of Villains attacked USJ. Wade figured they wanted the students to have a little break. However, many of Class A's students couldn't rest easily. It was tough to relax. That's why Wade came to the comic shop.
In Wade's room, he was sitting at his desk, which was littered with Spider-Man stuff from the case. On his computer, he watched a YouTube video of one of All Might's greatest moments.
Wade leaned back in his chair after turning off the video. Turning his head slightly to the right, he spotted his Spider-Man mask hanging off the edge of the desk. Grabbing it, Wade looked into the white eyes of the mask. He was still a long way from becoming a real hero.
His mind then flashed back to when the villains attacked the USJ. All he and his classmates did was slow Aizawa and Thirteen down. Although it was Wade that beat Nomu and save All Might, if it weren't for the Number One Hero and the teachers, they never would've stood a chance against those villains.
Wade put down the mask and sat on his bed. He grabbed one of his dumbbells and started to do some weight lifting. If he was going to truly oppose evil, then Wade was going to have to make All Might's power his own. Blending it into his Spider powers to create one Quirk. He had to embody One-for-All and master every aspect of it until it's second nature for him. Just like his first Quirk.
There wasn't much time left. All Might was the one he chose. Wade was going to make him, and his dead father proud.
He snapped out of his thoughts when there was a knock on his door. "Wade?"
"Yeah?" He turned over his shoulder as he lowered the dumbbell.
His adopted mother opened the door and looked at him. "It's dinner time. Your food's getting cold."
Wade smiled. "I'll be right there. Thanks, mom." He stood off his bed as Inko stepped aside to let him walk out of his room.
"Um… Are you okay?" Inko spoke with concern.
"Hm?" Wade stopped and turned to Inko in puzzle. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
Inko then looked down at the floor before Wade noticed her troubled expression. "When I heard that some villains attacked the U.A., I panicked when I thought something happened to you, and…" She trailed off when she looked over his bandaged arms.
Wade blinked in surprise as he looked over his injuries as well, remembering her reaction when she saw him in bandages. She almost fainted when she learned he got hurt and Wade had to reassure her that he was okay, also hiding the fact that he broke his arms after using his Venom Smash. But that's beside the point.
He knew she's now worried for him that she wouldn't let him go to the U.A. after the incident. He couldn't blame her for her motherly instincts, and he could try to convince her everything will be fine, but he knew that won't help with her anxiousness.
"Mom…" Wade spoke as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Inko looked up to him. "You're afraid of what would happen to me, aren't you?" He asked with a concerned look.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't stop thinking about that day. It's all over the news and I can't stop thinking about you getting hurt, or worse..." Inko sniffed as she fought back the tears.
"I know… But please, listen to me." Wade then brought her into a hug. "Whatever happens, I will always return home. I promise."
Inko smiled tearfully as she embraced her son. It lasted for a moment before they went to the dining room.
The next day, classes were back to normal, and everyone was back to school. However, the big talk around the building was still the USJ incident. As evident as the students of Class 1-A were sitting on their desks, Hagakure said, "You guys! Did you watch the news last night?"
"Yeah, I'm surprised they mentioned us. I mean, I guess because we're All Might's students after all." Ojiro said as he was standing next to her.
"It was so cool that we got a few seconds of screen time!" The invisible girl said. "Through I bet nobody noticed me hanging out in the background."
"Probably not." Shoji bluntly replied with his arms crossed.
To comfort his invisible friend, Ojiro told Hagakure. "It is difficult to stand out when you're just gloves."
As Jiro twirled her earphone jack, Kaminari leaned back in his chair with his hands on the back of his head. "We're totally big deals," he said to Kirishima. "Those news channels love us—we're basically celebrities."
"Yeah, it's kinda crazy, right?" asked Kirishima.
However, Jiro wasn't too impressed. "Get over yourselves. The Hero Course that pumps out was attacked, and that's what they care about."
Sero leaned on his desk with his arms crossed. "Who knows what would've happened to us if the teachers hadn't shown up."
That just made Mineta panic and freaked out. "WHY'D YOU SAY THAT!?" He screamed with sweat and tears, yelling between Momo and Todoroki. "I'm gonna pee myself just thinking about it!"
"Oh, shut up!" Bakugo yelled at Mineta after getting very annoyed at the small boy. It scared the pervert and only startled Wade. "Grow a pair, loser!"
"Yo, Wade! Is it true that you were the one that took out that bird villain?" Sato exclaimed with a big grin. Word got around quickly that one of Class 1-A's students took out the giant villain at the USJ, and everyone in the class knew it was Wade that did it.
"You're kidding? You should have seen it!" Kirishima exclaimed with a grin. "He's the one who sent that monster flying out the dome!"
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! Wade, you really did that?!" Mina turned at Wade with a dumbfounded look.
"Holy crap, dude! I never thought you'd be so awesome!" Sato replied in amazement. "If only we could have seen that fight!"
"Yes. Your abilities and strength are truly a thing of wonder." Tokoyami said with his arms crossed.
"It wasn't anything you guys." Wade sheepishly said. At this point, he didn't know if he could get used to receiving more praise from his friends.
Momo, however, looked at Wade's arms and looked a little worried. "Are you sure you're okay? You were really injured when it happened."
"I will be, Momo. My healing factor is taking care of the rest of my injuries, so I will be able to remove these bandages in no time." Wade replied as he was opening and closing his fingers, feeling the slightest pain to notice they're recovering more and more.
"I think you should be more careful when you're using that super strength of yours, Wade." Tsuyu spoke up, poking her finger on her chin as always. "That's the second time you've broken your limbs when you used that power."
"I already know that. But those were the times when I had no other choice." Wade sighed as he looked at his bandaged hand. "I still have to find a way to control my strength, so for now I'm using this as my last resource."
"Wait, you don't mean you're gonna keep using that, do you? What happens if your body… Can't take much damage?" Ochako said with genuine concern, remembering the time he used it to save her in the entrance exam, only to break his arm and leg in the process.
Wade pondered the question for a moment. "I don't know. I just hope I don't have to use that power again." The bad news was, he had the feeling it won't be the last time he has to use One For All.
"I know! Why don't you talk to the teachers about it? I'm sure they can help you before you break yourself up again." Mina said with a forced laugh, clearly she's also worried about Wade getting himself hurt.
"Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing." Wade of course had to lie, it's obvious All Might is the one who's helping him to control the power he inherited from the Number One Pro Hero. Still, that's something that must stay between him and his mentor.
It was only 7 minutes until the start of homeroom when Iida came fast walking into the room. Moving like a man on a mission. "Attention! Homeroom class is about to begin!" He yelled, before standing behind the teacher's desk and held out his arms. "Everyone stop talking and take your seats!"
However, there was just one this wrong with that command.
"Uh, we're all sitting." Kirishima said bluntly.
"Yeah, you're the only one standing." Sero added with a deadpan tone.
Iida quickly went over to his desk and sat down. Trembling in embarrassment with his fist clenched. "Dang it!" He grunted.
"Don't sweat it." Ochaco said with a funny face.
Mina then looked back at Tsuyu and leaned backward. "Hey, Tsu. So…" She started, before leaning too far and nearly fell over. However, Tsuyu stopped her chair and Mina giggled a little because of it. "Who do ya think is gonna teach class today?"
Tsuyu put a finger on her chin. "No idea. Mr. Aizawa's still in the hospital recovering from his injuries. So someone should replace him for the time being." She said. That's when the door slid open.
"Morning, class." To everyone's surprise, it was the very injured Aizawa that was at the door. Face, broken arms, and every other injured area wrapped completely in bandages.
"Mr. Aizawa, what are you doing here?!" Everyone yelled at the man in shock.
"Whoa! To even come here with his injuries! What a Pro!" Kaminari said with admiration.
Iida quickly shot his arm up into the arm. "Mr. Aizawa. I'm glad you're okay!" He exclaimed as Aizawa wobbled over to his desk.
"You call that 'okay'?!" Ochaco asked in disbelief. "His body is literally covered in bandages!"
"My well-being is irrelevant." The teacher said as he stood in front of the class. "What's more important is that your fight isn't over yet."
"Our fight?" Bakugo asked, his interest getting caught at the aspect of a fight.
"Ah, crap. Don't tell me…" Wade got nervous, really not liking what's coming next.
"Not more bad buys!" Mineta panicked, and it really seemed like that was going to be the answer.
Until Mr. Aizawa said. "The UA Sports Festival is about to start."
"Ugh! Why would you scare us like that?!" The students shouted before their attitude turned to excitement. "The Sports Festival!"
Full of energy and enthusiasm, Kirishima nearly jumped out of his seat when he shouted. "Alright! Let's go kick some ass!"
That was before a concerned Kaminari shoved his face away. "Now wait just a sec!" He said.
"Is it really such a good idea to hold the Sports Festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?" Jiro asked.
Even Ojiro chinned in with his concerns. "They could attack once we're all in the same place."
Aizawa sighed, a little irked by the fact that the festival was still going to happen. "Apparently, the administration thinks this is a good way to show that the threat has been handled and our school is safer than ever." He informed them. His voice was a little muffled by his bandages. "Plus they're beefing up security compared to past years. This even is a huge opportunity for all students of UA to show their potential. It's not something we can cancel because of a few villains."
This, however, didn't sit well with the already frightened Mineta. "Uh, I'm sorry but why not?" He asked. "It's just a sports festival."
Wade turned his attention to the small boy and said. "Come on, don't tell me you don't know just how important this event is."
"Of course I do! I just don't wanna get murdered." Mineta murmured.
Aizawa continued with the announcement of the Sports Festival. "Our sports festival is one of the most-watched events in the entire world. In the past, everyone was obsessed over the Olympic games. But that was before Quirks started to appear. Now the Olympics have been drastically reduced in terms of scale and viewership. For anyone who cares about competition, there's only one tournament that matters. The U.A. Sports Festival."
Momo looked down at Mineta and said. "That's right! And the top Heroes around the world will be watching. This is where you get scouted."
"Sure, unless you're dead." The purple-haired pervert retorted.
"Geez, you should consider seeing a therapist." Wade shook his head. "But she got a point. This is how you get recognized by the Pros and after graduating, they'll be looking to hire us as sidekicks."
"And a lot of those sidekicks never manage to go solo. They remain sidekicks forever." Kaminari said.
Jiro turned her head to him. "That'll be you, Kaminari, you dunce." She said, hurting his ego.
"It's true that joining a famous hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity. That's why the festival matters. If you wanna go Pro one day, then this event could open the path for you." Aizawa said with a serious tone. His words sinking into the hearts and minds of his students. "One chance a year. Three chances in a lifetime. No aspiring Hero can afford to miss this festival. That means you better not slack off on your training."
"Yes sir!" The student responded enthusiastically.
"Class is dismissed."
The bell rang to signal the end of the fourth period, modern lit. After Cementoss stepped out of the class, it was lunchtime for Class 1-A and everyone's mind was on the Sports Festival.
"That villain stuff sucked, sure, but I'm pumped for these games!" Kirishima shouted with a big grin on his face. He was standing at the back of the room with Sato, Tokoyami, and Sero.
"We put on a good show, and we're basically on the road bein' pros!" Sero exclaimed, jokingly nudging the redhead in the arm.
Sato grinned and punched his palm. "Yeah, this is why I'm even here in the first place!"
"We get so few chances." Tokoyami said, as he was sitting upon the cabinets against the wall. "We have to make the most of this."
Hagakure stood before Ojiro. "Oh man, I'm really nervous, Ojiro! I need to stand out at the Sports Festival! She exclaimed and started to do this dance of excitement.
"But the Pros might not notice you unless you try really hard..." Ojiro said with a sweatdrop.
"Oh my, what's a boy to do? I stand out just by standing still, so the scouts won't be about to take their eyes off me!" Aoyama said, doing various poses before pointing to Koda. The timid boy started to get nervous and flailed his arms around. Aoyama then got closer to Koda's face with sparkles around his head. "Don't you agree?"
Koda frantically nodded his head.
Kaminari sighed as he was in a small group with Momo, Jiro, and Shoji. "You're so lucky, Shoji." He whined to the muscular boy. "People are bound to notice your unique Quirk."
"Sure, but what matters is that I show them how useful I can be." Shoji replied nonchalantly.
Jiro held in her giggles when she remembered how the blonde boy short-circuited his own brain and turned himself dumb for one hour. "No doubt you'll make a scene, too." She pointed out, which made Kaminari growl at her.
As he was standing next to Iida's desk, Wade watched how everyone was so excited for the Sports Festival with his arms crossed. "It's kinda weird to see everyone this excited."
"There is nothing odd about it at all!" Iida stated, before getting up out of his seat. "We enrolled at his school with the sole aim to become Heroes." He then started to do this really weird and funny looking dance. "So naturally, we're all getting fired up."
"Wow, Iida." Tsuyu said as she and Mina stared at the Class Representative. "Those are some very interesting moves you've got."
"Walker, do you feel the same?" asked Iida, waving his hands around.
"Hell yeah, man!" Wade said with a determined grin. "I've been waiting for a chance like this for a long time."
"Wade, Iida..." Wade and Iida looked behind towards the source of the voice. Only to be startled at the sight of Ochaco grinning a bloodthirst smile with eyes burning with determination and an intense purple aura surrounding her. "Let's do our best at the Sports Festival!"
"Uh, O-Ochaco? What's gotten into you?" Wade asked, a little frightened by her change in character.
Mina too was bewildered by Ochaco's sudden personality turn over. "Seriously, what's up? You're like the most laid-back girl ever." She said.
Mineta heard that and his perverted mind made him blush. "Laid-bac-"
Tsuyu slammed him across the face with her tongue and Wade shot him in the face with his webbing, knocking him to the ground.
Ochaco spread her feet out, crouching down slightly and raised her fist high in the air. "EVERYONE, I'M GONNA DO MY BEST!" She yelled with eyes glowing white and her hair shadowing the upper part of her face.
"Yeah!" Wade and the others yelled with her, raising up their fist.
Ochaco then turned around towards her other classmates and did the same thing. "I SAID I'M GONNA DO MY BEST!" They all raised up their fists with sweatdrops.
"G-Got it."
"Are you sure you're okay? You kinda look like you're losing it." Wade asked. As strange as it was to see her like this, he was happy to see his brunette friend so motivated. It made him wonder why she wanted to be a Hero.
"Huh?! You want to be a Hero for the money?!" Wade stopped to ask in shock. He, Iida, and Ochaco were in the hallway walking towards the cafeteria for lunch when he asked the girl her reason for wanting to be a Pro Hero. He was sure that the answer was going to be like Iida and Momo, that Ochaco was going to be carrying on her family's legacy, or like him in which she wanted to use her powers to save and protect people.
Instead, her answer was that her goal was to get rich.
With a slight tint of red, Ochaco scratched the back of her head in embarrassment and avoided eye contact with the Spider-Man. "Well, if you want to boil it down simply, then yes." She answered, before holding her face with her hands to try and cover the blushing. "Sorry, it's such an unwholesome reason. You and Iida have such admirable motivations, it's embarrassing."
"Not at all." Iida said before thrashing his arms about robotically while continuing to speak. "Having a goal to support your livelihood is very admirable."
Wade looked deadpanning at his tall friend. "You can't control your body, can you." He said before turning back to Ochaco. "So, is that the only reason why you wanted to be a Hero?" Wade already figured that there was more to it than she was letting on. Ochaco wasn't a shallow person.
Knowing that it was best to tell them, Ochaco sighed and started. "My family owns a construction company, but we haven't gotten any work at all, so we're flat broke. This really isn't something I tell other people..."
Wade and Iida placed their hands on their chin and started to think for a moment. "Construction..." Wade murmured. Inside his head, a chibi Spider-Man got finished screwing in a light bulb in his head, before taking a power cord to an outlet and plugging it in. Turning on that light bulb. "Oh yeah! If she got licensed, then she could use her Quirk to help cut costs way down!"
"And they could sell their heavy-lifting equipment." Iida followed up. "She could float everything!"
Ochaco turned around and pointed at the boys. "I know, right!? That's what I've been telling my Dad ever since I was a kid!" She exclaimed, jumping on her toes. Her bubbly personality deflated and she looked sad."But..."
[Flashback]
"You want to work for us?" Ochaco's father asked his young daughter, who was no older than two.
With eyes tearing up, she nodded before running up to her father. "When I grow up all big and strong, I'll help you and mommy out any way that I can." She said desperately.
Her father smiled and patted her head as his wife stood behind him. "I really appreciate the thought, Ochaco. But as your dad, I'd be even happier if you achieved your own dream. That's the way to make us happy. And if you do make money, you can take us to Hawaii or something!"
"Daddy..."
[End of Flashback]
Ochaco clutched her skirt tightly as she finished telling her story. "I'm gonna become a Pro. I'll sign with a good agency and make plenty of money." She told the two boys, before looking at them with determined eyes filled with passion and resolve. "Then I'll be able to let my parents have an easy life!"
Iida clapped his hands high above his head as he yelled, "THAT'S BEAUTIFUL! So noble! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"
Wade's eyes widened as he stared at Ochaco's. Taken aback a little by her resolve. It reminded him of his dream of being a Hero and when he accepted to be All Might's successor. To use his powers to protect people. And he was also very pleased with her answer. She's not here because of some Hero fantasy and he's happy that she didn't have to lose someone close to her to drive her to be a hero. In fact, she may have been more grounded than any of them, and that made him smile.
The three friends then heard the unmistakable laugh of All Might himself.
"Young Walker...is here!" The mighty Hero laughed as he pointed to the Spider-Man.
The kids stared at All Might, surprised by his sudden appearance. "All Might! What are you doing here?" Wade asked his mentor.
"Lunch!" All Might said while standing at the corner of a hallway, before holding up a bento. "Ya wanna eat with me?"
"Pfffff-hahahahahaha! That's adorable!" Ochaco laughed with spit flying out her mouth, for some reason.
"Whaddaya say?"
Wade was a little confused, wondering what All Might wanted to talk about. He looked to Iida, who nodded as a way to tell him it was okay. So, the sea green-eyed boy walked over to All Might. "Sure."
"All Might's having lunch with him?" Momo asked in surprise as she and Mina were standing in line in the cafeteria with Ochaco and Iida.
"Man, talk about lucky!" Mina whined. "Eating with the Number One Hero sounds so cool."
"Yeah, though I wonder what he wanted with Wade?" Ochaco said with a pondered look.
"I heard that when All Might was about to fight the villain, Wade stepped in to fight as he knew its weaknesses. He was able to beat it with All Might cheering him on." Iida said.
"That's right! Kirishima told us what'd happened after watching him fend off that Nomu creature." Momo said, thinking for a moment with a hand on her chin. "Perhaps that's what this is all about. But it may also be because Tsuyu was right, that Wade and All Might's powers are similar."
"They do have boundless power, even though Wade has a Spider-Quirk. Add that with Wade saving him, All Might must have taken a liking to him."
"That's because he's so cool!" Mina said, bouncing up and down.
Unbeknownst to them, the bi-color teenager Todoroki heard their conversation and eavesdropped. 'All Might and Wade Walker, huh?'
"Your time's shortened!?" Wade exclaimed in disbelief. After taking Wade to the break room, All Might put up the 'in us' sign so that no one would interrupt and walk in on them when the Hero was in his deflated form.
All Might poured two cups of tea for them. "Yeah. My three hours went down to barely over 2 and a half hours. That's how long I can use my power now. I overdid it too many times even before the USJ incident. Nomu reopening my wound didn't help either. It's a good thing you fought, or else things would get worse. But I'm still limited on how long I can remain as All Might."
"So even if I fought, you'd still be pushing it." Wade said as he looked down in frustration. "Sorry—"
All Might startled him when he coughed out blood as he laughed out loud. "You don't need to apologize for anything! Man, we are alike, you and me. Besides, you were great taking on Nomu!" He said, before placing a cup of tea in front of Wade on the table. "Here. Have some tea."
"Thanks." Wade took the tea and sipped out of it. "So why'd ya bring me here?"
"I wanted to talk to you about the Sports Festival. The problem is while you have full control of your Spider-Quirk, you still can't fully control One-for-All yet. One Quirk you can just use it with thinking about it, while the other, you'll still injure yourself." All Might pointed out. "So then, what's your plan?"
Wade set down his tea as he tried to think of a way to better control his secondary power. However, he gasped upon remembering something. "Wait a second, I did something like that! Back during the USJ!" He said before going into detail about what happened. How Momo was nearly killed by Shigaraki and how he attacked without thinking. Sending a Venom Smash that was blocked by Nomu. "When I landed that smash, I didn't get hurt at all!"
"Oh! That's right, you did mention that. What was different about that Smash?"
Wade sighed and looked down at his hand. Staring at it to try and come up with an answer. The biggest difference that day was that he and his class were facing real villains that wanted to kill them. Nothing was simulated and he didn't have time to think, but that could've played a feature. That's when he remembered Thirteen's speech:
"I'm sure you're aware that I have a powerful Quirk. It's called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust. But my Quirk could also very easily be used to kill."
Wade clenched his right fist. "That moment was the very first time I used One-for-All against a person. I had to save Momo, but...I didn't want to kill him."
Putting a hand under his chin, All Might processed Wade's answer for a moment. "It sounds like you succeeded in subconsciously putting the brakes so you wouldn't have to kill anyone." He said before looking back up at his student. "Hey, that's some kind of progress at least. By the way, your tea's getting cold."
"Huh? Oh, thanks." Wade picked up his cup and started drinking again.
All Might stood up from the sofa and walked over to the window. "To be frank, I don't have much time left as the world's Symbol of Peace." He told Wade as he looked out at the world. "Soon I'll have to put that title to bed."
Wade looked down at the floor with a somber expression. "Yeah..."
"And some villains out there are starting to notice that. Someone has to step up and keep the people safe." Wade stood up and looked at his mentor with wide eyes. All Might turned around and faced the boy. "I gave you my power for one reason: 'Cause you will be the Hero who takes my place."
"I know that I've been pushing myself too hard." He began to sob, as more tears mixed in with the sweat and his body trembled. "But I…I don't just want to pass! I have to work harder than anyone else to make it! Not just to make it into U.A. but to become a real hero, like you. I may not have been able to save dad, but I'll be able to protect everyone else!"
"Do you still feel the same way you did when we met? Do you still wanna be the Hero, Spider-Man?"
Wade's face showed his determination to his teacher. "More than anything!"
"Excellent. The time has come for you to prove it. This sports festival: it's something that the Pros—no, the entire country will be watching very closely. I want you to think of this sports festival as your debut. You are the fledgling Symbol of Peace. The next All Might! Wade Walker." All Might exclaimed. Wade felt a shiver down his spine, as One-for-All was getting stronger by his mentor's words. "I want you to introduce yourself to the world and proudly say 'I am here!'"
"...Your friendly neighbor Spider-Man..." Wade whispered, before asking. "But how can I do that?"
"You know how the Sports Festival is set up, right?" All Might asked before sitting back down on the sofa.
"Well, yeah. It's a big round-robin tournament in which the students of the support, business, general studies, and Hero courses all fight against each other in a bunch of preliminary trials. Whoever makes it through the initial games face off in the finals."
"Right!" All Might exclaimed as he pointed both his index fingers at Wade. "Meaning, you'll have plenty of opportunities to sell yourself."
Wade gave him a deadpan expression. "You really have to say it like that?"
All Might comically fell backward, and the couch flipped over with him.
"Jesus! I know that's true and all!" Wade yelled with white eyes and sharp teeth. Sighed and leaned back. "I'm just still surprised that this is all happening after the USJ incident. Not to mention that you're my teacher..."
"You're thinking too hard on this kid!" All Might shouted while still on the floor with blood coughing up. He then looked up at Wade. "Some Heroes always aim for the top, while others happily settle. The difference between those two mindsets has a big impact on how far you go in the real world. I understand what you're feeling, and I may even be projecting a bit of myself onto you. However, I hope you haven't forgotten the emotions you felt back on the beach during our training."
Wade's eyes widened after hearing that. All Might was right. He couldn't stop giving it his all. If so, then everything he's done to get him this fall would've been pointless. Fate has given him this power and this opportunity, and he was going to take it and go beyond!
He will be the next Symbol of Peace.
The school day has officially ended for today and it was time for everyone to go home. "Alright, goodnight everybody." Wade said as he walked to the door. "See you all tomorrow."
"Are you going home, Wade?" Momo asked, following behind him with Iida and Ochaco.
Wade stopped at the door and grabbed the handle. "Actually, I was going to head to this old gym and—" But when Wade opened the door, he stopped abruptly with a surprised and confused expression.
On the other side, there was a giant crowd of students blocking the doorway. Each of them was from a different class and course, and all were staring directly at the Walker boy. Some started whispering to each other.
"Is that him?"
"Yeah, the spider guy from the entrance exam."
"Did he really take down that giant villain? He looks kinda weak."
"He's pretty handsome though."
It would appear that word was spreading quickly about him. Looking back at his classmate and seeing that they too were confused by what's going on, Wade looked back at the students in front of him and asked, "Uh...can I help you?"
"Do you students have some sort of business with our class or Walker?" Iida asked, having heard some of the comments about Wade.
"Is there a reason that you're blocking the doorway?" Momo demanded, being Vice Class Representative.
"Yeah!" Mineta shouted. "I won't let you hold us hostage!"
"Would you stop being so paranoid for just a second?" Wade said exasperatedly.
"They're scouting out the competition, idiots." Bakugo said, walking towards where Wade was standing. Mineta looked scared at Wade while pointing at Bakugo. The Spider-Man just shrugged, as this was what his rival's liked on a good day. He just better hope he doesn't use his explosives. "We're the class that survived a real villain attack. Not to mention Walker's been the damn talk of the town." Bakugo stopped in front of the crowd with Wade beside him. "But they wouldn't know that the next future Pro would be, even when I'm standing in front of you. Now move it, extras!"
"You don't even know them and you're already starting shit." Wade said. The two rivals then butted heads and glared into each other's eyes.
"Shut up, bug!"
"Spiders are arachnids, blockhead!"
"You wanna die?!"
"You know I'm ready to kick your ass!"
"So this is Class 1-A!" Someone said from within the crowd as they made their way to the front, catching the two students attention and halting their impending fight. "I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass, blondie. Is everyone in the Hero course delusional, or just you?"
'I could've told you he was an ass.' Wade said in his head as Bakugo grunted angrily in response.
The student was Hitoshi Shinso. He was a tall young man with messy indigo hair that flared out in large tufts around his head and notably straight teeth. His eyes are dark purple with white pupils, and are thin and somewhat triangular, with no visible eyelashes. They're usually half-closed and have very dark eye bags underneath them.
It was like looking at a mini version of Mr. Aizawa.
"How sad to come here and find a bunch of egomaniacs." Hitoshi said with a tired tone as he stood in front of the crowd and scratched the back of his head. He then looked at Wade. "So, you're the one with that powerful Spider-Quirk. The one that everyone's talking about."
Wade shrugged. "Depends on what they're saying about me." He said half-jokingly.
"The one that took out that powerful villain. I wanted to be in the Hero course, but like many others here, I was forced to choose a different track. Such is life." Hitoshi stated as Wade stared at him. "I didn't cut it the first time around, but I have another chance. If any of us do well in the Sports Festival, the teachers can decide to transfer us to the Hero course. And they'll have to transfer people out to make room."
Wade's eyes widened with his mouth slightly open.
"Scouting the competition? Maybe some of my peers are, but I'm here to let you know that if you don't bring your very best, I'll steal your spot right from under you." Hitoshi said not just to Wade, but to the rest of the class as they stared at him. "Consider this a declaration of war."
'Great, another asshole to worry about.' Wade shook his head.
"Hey, you!" Another student yelled from the crowd. That person was Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. He was a young man with quite long, messy gray hair and black eyes which are tilted dramatically inwards, each lined with a very thick, jagged, tan-colored substance, which are presumably his eyelashes. He didn't appear to have any notable eyebrows, and, like Kirishima, had rows of sharp, pointed fangs as teeth. "I'm from Class 1-B next door to you! We heard you fought some villains, and I came to see if that was true! But you're just a bunch of brats who think you're better than us! Talk all ya want! It'll just be more embarrassing when you're KO'd!"
"Goddamnit." Wade whispered with an irked expression. Now everyone was hating on him and his class. All for nearly getting killed! "Don't you have anything better to do than spitting on our faces?"
"Huh?!" Testutestu snapped his head towards Wade. "And who the hell are you?! You're looking for a fight?!"
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Kirishima suddenly stepped in between Wade and Tetsutetsu. "That guy you're talking to is Wade Walker, he's a good friend and I won't stand by while you disrespect him!" Wade couldn't help but be surprised to have someone standing up for him.
"I don't have time for this shit…" Bakugo muttered bitterly and just walked past the crowd to go home.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going!" Tetsutetsu yelled angrily.
"Dude, are you serious?" Kirishima called out to the explosive blonde. "You gotta say something! It's your fault they're all hating on us, Bakugo!"
"These people don't matter." Bakugo responded.
"Huh?"
"The only thing that's important is that I beat them." Bakugo finished and walked off. Leaving Wade starting to think about what he said.
When Wade opened the door of the gym, he saw that he was the only one there. He was wearing his workout clothes and had a duffle bag with him. As he walked down the corridor and entered the main room, he sat down on a bench near the boxing ring and dug into the bag.
Pulling out a roll of cloth tape, Wade started wrapping it around his hand. As he did that, his head played back on some of the most important things said to him that day, along with what Bakugo and Iida told him previously.
"Enjoy that win, Walker. You won't get another! I'm just getting started! Got that?! I'm gonna end up the Number-One Hero, no matter what!"
"I'm gonna become a Pro. I'll sign with a good agency and make plenty of money. Then I'll be able to let my parents have an easy life!"
"As the second oldest Iida son, I strive to be just like him."
"That's why the festival matters. If you wanna go Pro one day, then this event could open the path for you."
"The difference between those two mindsets has a big impact on how far you go in the real world."
Wade cut the tape with a pair of scissors after he was finished. With both hands wrapped in tape, Wade stood up and walked over to the punching bag. It had not moved since the day of his father's birthday during his training. When he nearly passed out from exhaustion beating the thing.
He walked up to it and placed his hand on the bag, which still had some blood stains from his punches.
"However, I hope you haven't forgotten the emotions you felt back on the beach during our training."
Wade has forgotten nothing about what he felt during their training. Especially not on that day when, fueled by grief over Daniel's death, he vowed to be the Hero that protects everyone.
Taking a deep breath, Wade stepped by and got into a fighting pose. After a few seconds of silence, he started punching the iron cylinder inside the punching bag. Tomorrow, he'll head to one of the mock cities U.A. had and do intensive Quirk training.
The U.A. Sports Festival was in two weeks. The whole thing will be live on TV. There was no doubt that whoever impressed the audience will have a much better chance of becoming a Pro Hero in the future. They wouldn't know that the games will be until the first day. They could throw any sort of trial at them. And so, Wade and the others had to prepare for all possibilities.
Determined to give it their all, each student prepared in his or her own way. Whether that be training in better using their own Quirk, working out to improve their strength, a combination of both, training their minds and knowledge, or in Mineta's case preparing to showboat.
Days have passed and all that training made time go by quickly. Before they knew it, it was the morning of the festival.
After taking his breakfast, Wade was now dressed with his academy uniform before putting his shoes on, getting ready to depart. Inko was standing behind him to bid farewell, but like always, she wore a concerned look to see her boy go, especially because today is the sports festival day.
"Alright, this is it…" After tying his shoes, Wade took a deep breath before proceeding to walk towards the door.
"Wade?"
The young man stopped before turning around and saw his mother approaching him. She looked a little nervous, but she gathered her courage to look at her son.
"I'll be watching you on TV. I just want you to know… That I'll be rooting for you!" She exclaimed, though she couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.
Wade was taken aback by her outburst, but then a smile grew on his face and nodded. "I'm gonna win the festival, and we're gonna have a celebration tonight! I won't fail you!" And then he exited the house.
"Go, son! Go!" Inko cried out before he closed the door. Not only she started to shed tears of happiness, she also felt so proud to see the determination from the boy. It was like she just saw the resemblance of his father, Daniel Walker. He really has become like his father.
Moments later, before going to school, Wade decided to make one stop, and that was to see his dad before going. It's been shorter than a year since Wade stood before Daniel's tombstone.
It was a silent, sunny day at the cemetery, with no one in sight. Only a fatherless son standing before his dead father. The only family he had in this cruel world of superhumans. At first, Wade didn't know what to say to his father's tombstone. What was he supposed to say after not coming to see him?
Taking a deep breath, Wade got down on one knee and placed his hand on the grave. "Hey, dad. I know it's been a long time since I came to visit. To be honest with you, I wasn't sure how I'd feel coming back here. There's so much I want to tell you about. About my powers. About All Might. About me getting into U.A. and all the crazy crap that's happened. But I'm afraid that I've got to go to compete in the sports festival." Wade paused for a moment to fight back a sob that was building. "I just want you to know...just how sorry I am. For what I've done. That every day I've lived my life by the words you've shared with me. That I'm going to be the best Hero that I can be...Goodbye, Dad."
And with his final words, Wade stepped back from his father's grave and made his way to U.A.
The Sports Festival was one of the best events of the year for the city, and everyone was heading to U.A. to see the action. As fireworks went off around the building, many newscasters were standing at the front of the gate wanting to get in. However, security was much higher this time around due to the League of Villains' attack. Some are even criticizing U.A. for holding the festival because of it. But controversy is what the media feeds off of for higher ratings. Not like they'd need it, considering that the nation's watching Class 1-A.
On the other side of the gate, there were food stands and small souvenir shops selling merchandise. There was a lot of discussion going around the people at the little fare. Some were looking forward to seeing the third years since they've got the most experience with their Quirks. However, it was all about the first-year students this year. Especially with talks going around about Wade beating Nomu, but everyone was interested in the fact that the No. 2 Hero Endeavor's son was going to be in the games.
Helping out with security for the tournament were Heroes that were called in from all over the country. Some were hoping to do some scouting of their own but were having to sit back and make sure no villains attacked.
Finally, there was the stadium where the Sports Festival was taking place. The stadium itself was an oval-shaped, open building that featured a stand with three floors and several screens for the festival. The arena of the stadium itself consisted of a circular space with a flat square of concrete in the center, surrounded by grass. It also had many gates that lead in and out of the field. The stadium also features a branch nurse's office, as well as waiting rooms for the participants.
And in one of those waiting rooms was Class 1-A.
"Aw man! I was totally hoping I could wear my costume." Mina pouted as she and the other students were wearing the standard PE uniform they wore almost every day.
"I know what you mean." Wade said with a smile, stretching his arms to get ready. He too had on his PE uniform but didn't have on his web-shooters. Turned out that he could only use them if a person of the support course is willing to do it for them and give them the item. Needless to say, Wade wasn't giving his shooters to anyone. "We'll have to be prepared for whatever they throw at us."
Mina grinned too and threw her fist in the air. "Yeah! We'll show them what we can really do!"
The door swung open and Iida came in. "Everyone, get your game faces on! We're entering the area soon!"
While Mineta repeatedly said 'Swallow your fears' and counted something on his palm before eating it, Wade closed his locker and walked away from it to sit with the others.
However, he stopped when someone behind him said. "Walker."
Wade turned around to the person and saw that it was oddly Todoroki. The Spider-Man didn't know a lot about him, other than he was very calm, quiet, and reserved. Not really interacting with others, so it was surprising to see the two hair colored-boy wanting to talk with him.
"Hey, Todoroki. What's up, man?" He asked, wanting to be friendly even though there was this coldness in Todoroki's stare.
This didn't go unnoticed by the others. Everyone in the room turned their heads at the two boys in the middle of the room. Also curious as for what the Half-Cold Half-Hot Quirk user wanted with the Spider-Man.
"From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that the both of us are the strongest students in the class." Tokoroki said rather bluntly, despite every one of his classmates listening
This took Wade aback a little, but he recovered and said. "Yeah. I mean, if that's the way you're putting it. So why bring this up now?"
"However, you've got All Might in your corner, helping you out." Wade's eyes widened at Todoroki's perspicacity. "I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two. But know that I will beat you." Todoroki finished, and Wade's shocked expression turned to a scowl.
"Ooh! What's with all these declarations of war lately?" Kaminari asked with intrigue. Even the others weren't anticipating Todoroki to provoke Walker.
Kirishima stood up and walked over to place his hand on Todoroki's right shoulder. "Yeah, what's the big deal? Why're you picking a fight all of sudden? And right before we get started..." Kirishima's efforts to break the tension was interrupted when Todoroki pushed his hand away with his elbow.
"We're not here to be each other's friends." Todoroki snapped at him, before turning around and walked towards the door. "Don't forget. This isn't a team effort."
"Hey!"
Todoroki stopped when Wade called him.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, Todoroki, or why you believe that telling me you'll beat me will scare me, but I've never back down from this or any fight." Wade said with his eyes shadowed over by his hair and his fist clenched. Everyone was now staring at him, wanting to know his response. "There isn't a doubt in my mind that you have the most potential out of all the students in the Hero course, including me. It's why you got in so easily, yeah?"
"Wade, maybe you're being a little hard on yourself." Kirishima said to once again break the tension. "And us."
"But that doesn't change the fact the jackass is right. Everyone in the other courses and classes is going to be coming at us with everything they've got. We went through hell during the USJ, and now, just to stand out, we're going to have to fight harder. You want to fight for the top..." Wade looked up at Todoroki with eyes burning hot with determination. "Then I'll give you that fight. I'll be aiming for the top, too!"
Todoroki stared at him with silence before responding. "Fine."
The stage is set. Battlelines are drawn, and everyone is aiming for first place at the finish line. Their future awaits them and they'll have to show the world what they've got to offer.
For the Heroes of Tomorrow, the games have just begun.