Issue #20: "Revelations"
Wade's eyes fluttered as he woke up the next morning, flinching and using his right hand to block the bright lights for his room. When he roomed his hand out of the way, he found himself staring up at a white ceiling looming over him. Laying on an equally white bed in hospital gowns. Wade sat up and yawned, inside of a patent room in the Hosu General Hospital.
"Good morning, Wade." He heard a familiar voice next to him. Wade looked to see his friend, Todoroki, sitting on his own bed, having been awake for an unknown amount of time with his left arm wrapped in bandages.
"Morning, Todoroki." Wade grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He noticed that Iida was sitting on his own bed across from Todoroki, both arms in casts. "Hey, Iida."
"Good morning, Wade." Iida greeted back with a small smile, sounding soft and quiet, like a child that was yelled at by his parents. "Did you sleep well?"
"As well as I could, after all what happened last night." Wade informed them. He looked up as his mind went over the events of the previous night. It all felt so unreal. "I just can't stop thinking about that fight. To be honest, it was amazing what we did last night. After everything that happened back there, it's a miracle that we're still even alive."
Wade looked at his arm, where Stain cut him. Thanks to his healing factor, it closed up nicely. "I was an easy target every time he paralyzed me. He could have killed me when he got the chance." He said with a scowl, thinking back on the power of the Hero Killer.
"Seems to me he let us both live on purpose." Shoto said, looking at his bandaged arm. He then turned his head to Iida, who was looking down at his arms. "I'm impressed by you though, Iida. He was actually trying to murder you, but you stood tall."
"That's not true…" Iida said, pausing for a moment as he looked down. "I was-"
He was cut off when the door to their class shuffled open. The three students from Class 1-A looked and saw Gran Torino and Manual walking into the room. As the old Hero walked into the room, he turned to Wade with a scowl. "Oh, I see you younglings are awake."
"Gran Torino!" Wade exclaimed happily.
"And Manual, too." Iida added.
"Idiot. I could yell at you for hours now." Gran Torino scolded Wade. He then sighed and looked towards the door. "But before I do, you've got a visitor."
Wade looked up towards the door, just as a very tall, sturdily built man walked into the room. The first thing he noticed about the man was that he had the head of a beagle. The area around his eyes and his ears was a dark brown, with the two sides separated by a tan line that ran down his forehead, widening at his muzzle. His muzzle was flecked with pale brown, and he had a large, black nose and dark eyes. Although the rest of his body was a normal human shape, his skin appeared to be the same tan color as most of his face. The anthropomorphic dog wore a suit consisting of a dress shirt, and waistcoat, over which he wore an unbuttoned black blazer and matching dress pants underneath. He had a belt with a large buckle and a black and white tie that resembled a dalmatian's coat.
"This is Hosu's Chief of Police. Kenji Tsuragamae."
This surprised Wade. Why was the Chief of Police here to see them? Iida and Todoroki immediately stood up, prompting Wade to do the same thing, but the Tsuragamae stopped him. "No, please stay seated, woof."
'Woof?' Wade comically thought, holding back a chuckle as he, Shoto and Iida sat back down.
"So, you're the U.A. students who brought down the Hero Killer, huh?" The Chief asked the three injured students. They all nodded, but they still have questions about the reason why he's here in the first place. "Stain has some serious injuries. Severe burns and several broken bones. Right now he's in the hospital under strict guard, woof."
This made Wade suspicious. Why was the police chief telling them about Stain's injuries? He knew that they messed him up pretty good, but it was the only way to get the man to go down. "What about the sniper that tried to kill him?" Wade asked. Even if he got away from him, he hoped the police would have found something out.
"Unfortunately we couldn't find any trace of the shooter. That being said, I wanted to discuss something important with you three," said the Chief. The boys listened to the dogman. "Here's a lesson you should have already learned. When Quirks became the norm, the police force sought to maintain the status quo. They decided we wouldn't use Quirks as weapons. That's when Heroes came in. They could do what we couldn't, if they were licensed, of course, woof. It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of deadly Quirks. After all, we're here to stop such harm from being done. The only reason Pros can use their powers now is because of the strict code of ethics that the early Heroes chose to abide by."
Now Wade was starting to see where this was going.
"That's why it's against the law for uncertified people to use their Quirks to cause injuries. Whether you were up against the Hero Killer or not, none of you had the authority to harm the villain. That means the three of you, and your supervisors-Endeavor, Manual, and Gran Torino-should receive harsh punishments for this gross abuse of your powers."
This enraged Todoroki, who gritted his teeth and spoke out against this. "Now wait a minute. If Iida had not stepped in, Native would've been murdered. And if not for Wade, both of them would be already dead. No one else even realized that the Hero Killer was in Hosu. Are you saying that we should've just stood by and watched people die?!"
"So it's okay to break the law as long as it goes your way?" The Chief answered back with a stern tone.
"But, sir, isn't it a Hero's job to save people in trouble?!" Shoto asked incredulously with his fist clenched.
"This is why you're not a full-fledged pro yet. It's obvious that U.A. and Endeavor haven't been teaching you nearly enough. What a shame."
That really infuriated Shoto. "You damn, mutt!" He began making his way towards the Chief when Wade's hand suddenly appeared in front of his chest. Stopping him from doing anything he'll regret.
"Todoroki, please, that's enough." Wade said with a stern and calm tone. "Believe me, I understand and I'm pissed off as well, but he's right. This is what we signed up for when we decided to be Heroes. So cool it. The last thing I need is to see you get expelled and thrown in jail for attacking the Chief of Police."
There was a moment of silence before Todoroki sighed. "Fine, I'll control myself." He stepped back as Wade patted on his shoulder to keep him calm.
"That is just the official stance of the police department. But, any punishment would only be necessary if this went public," the Chief said, scratching his nose. "If it did, you'd probably be applauded by citizens everywhere. But there's no way you could escape from being reprimanded. On the other hand, we could say Endeavor saved the day. Stain's burns would support this story completely and we could pretend you weren't involved, woof."
"So, basically, we did the deed, but all the credit goes to Endeavor." Wade said knowingly, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Correct. Thankfully there were very few witnesses. This could be the last you heard of any punishments. Just as Mr. Walker pointed out, it would mean no one would know about your, though. You'd receive no acclaim at all. The choice is yours. Personally, I know where I stand." The Chief raised his arm and gave the boys a thumbs up. "I don't wanna damage any promising young careers. Not for a mistake like this."
"Either way, we'll need to take responsibility for being negligent as supervisors." Manual added with a serious tone.
Tenya walked up to his internship mentor and bowed to the Hero. "I'm sorry. I should've listened."
Manual lightly chopped him on the head with his hand. "Yeah! You caused us a lot of trouble. Remember that, and don't do it again."
"I apologize as well." Wade said, bowing his head. "And I'd like for Endeavor to be given full credit."
Shoto bowed his head too. "Me too. Please take care of it."
"I know that it's not fair. You won't enjoy any of the fame and praise you probably would've received otherwise." The Chief said, before he was cut off when Wade spoke up.
"Honestly, sir. We're okay with that." Wade said with a smile and a shrug. But then something did make Wade's eyes widen with recollection. That's right. How could he forget about that? "Wait, one more thing, sir. The bullet train that was attacked by one of the Nomu. Is everyone okay?" He asked worriedly. "Did everyone make it out?"
"Don't you worry. The injured Pro is in recovery, and only a few of the passengers received minor injuries." The Chief said, much to the relief of Wade, happy to hear that everyone on that train was okay. Wade didn't know if he'd receive any credit for saving those people on the train, but actually he didn't care. They were all safe, and that's what mattered to him.
The Chief of Police then bowed his head. "I know it's not a lot, but allow me, as the chief of police, to thank you."
"You could've started with that, you know." Todoroki said, looking off to the side in embarrassment. Wade chuckled at Shoto's embarrassment, but he was also thankful for the Chief's efforts.
None of them knew they'd end up fighting in that back alley, and in the end, no one else would find out. It was a small price to pay in order to avoid punishment. Even so, the implications of that battle would continue to eat at the three Heroes in training, even after their wounds were healed. But their victory over Hero Killer will have not only lasting effects on them, but for all of Japan.
Word about the Hero Killer's arrest spread like wildfire and the people rejoiced. Just as the Chief of Police said, Endeavor would be given all the credit for Wade and his friends' actions. News and coverage of the arrest was so large that it completely shadowed Wade's daring attempt to stop the train. It also outshined the Nomu riots in the city. But why? The attack left a few people dead and many more injured. They knew from the appearances of the Nomus and footage of Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and Ghost that the attack was orchestrated by the League of Villains. The same group that attacked the USJ last month.
So why was it that a serial killer's arrest was making headways all over the nation? Why were people believing he and the attack were all connected? It's true that Stain claimed many lives. Claiming more lives than any other criminal since All Might's debut.
The answer: his motives. Everyone wanted to know why he did it. His ideology and opinions will be all over the media. Everyone will want to know his motives.
That's all that Wade was hearing as he waited in the waiting room of the hospital. Thanks to his healing factor, Wade was able to be let out of the hospital, but he decided to stick around to keep an eye on Iida and Todoroki. Iida was going to be getting the test results from his arms, and Wade wanted to be there for his friend.
The video of Stain, before Wade leg-swiped him to save the Hero Killer's life has taken the internet by storm. Everyone was talking about it, saying that he was connected to the League of Villains. Wade wasn't so convinced. If he was, why would that one villain try and kill him? Maybe Shigaraki didn't like that Stain killed one of his Nomu's.
Wade's thoughts on the Hero Killer were interrupted when his phone started buzzing. Reaching into his pocket, Wade pulled out his phone and saw it was Ochaco, Mina, and Momo calling on a video chat.
Pressing the accept button, Wade was about to greet the girls when suddenly…
"YOU FOUGHT THE HERO KILLER?!" The girls yelled at him, startling him. Wade's wide eyes blinked for a moment, before putting the ear back to his ear.
"You guys saw the video, huh?"
"That's what everyone's talking about!" Ochaco said from Gunhead's dojo.
"I still can't believe that you were able to fight the Hero Killer! I'm so jealous!" Mina exclaimed, bouncing up and down.
Momo on the other hand wasn't as thrilled. "It's not something to be jealous about! What were you thinking, Wade? You could have gotten seriously hurt!" She scowled him, but only because she was really worried about him when she heard the news.
"I'm sorry. We really didn't have a choice." Wade said with a sad look. They likely heard the cover story about Endeavor being the one to take him down and how Stain attacked Wade, Shoto, and Iida out of nowhere. "We tried fighting him off for as long as we could until Endeavor showed up to take him on."
"Oh my gosh! That's so scary! I'm just glad you guys are okay!" Ochaco said in relief. "The three of us were really worried about you."
This got Wade's attention as his eyes widened. "Really?"
"Well, yeah, dummy. All you sent was your location." Mina said. Her excitement was replaced with a look of genuine concern. "We didn't know what was going on and could only speculate."
"Yeah, sorry about that. At the time, that was all I could do." Wade responded while looking down in shame.
"I'm just happy you're okay, Wade. Though I do wish that you weren't so reckless." Momo said with a sigh.
"So, are you gonna tell us everything that happened when you get back or what? I wanna hear everything later." Mina said, bringing back her excited side.
"I will, but not right now." Wade said with a smile. "Listen, I gotta go, I'm waiting for Todoroki and Tenya to be discharged so we can go back home. Take care girls, and see you later." He ended the call and leaded back in his chair. Wade thought about those girls and was happy that he had such great friends. But as he thought about them, another thought entered his head.
"Looks, heart, strength, and brains, no wonder you've got those three girls gunning for you."
Wade blushed brightly when he remembered what Nemuri said to him that day. He knew that she was messing with him, but he couldn't help but think about it every time he was with the girls.
Momo, Ochaco, and Mina were not only beautiful and cute girls with sexy bodies, especially Momo, but they were also great friends and awesome in their own way. Momo was a brilliant and dedicated young woman who was level-headed and calm in the face of danger. Ochaco was his first real friend and Wade couldn't have asked for a better one. She was the most laid back girl in their class, while also being very bubbly and kind of an airhead at times. She was there for him when no one else wanted to be on his team and had a noble reason for being a Hero. And then there was Mina, the cheerful, easygoing girl that almost always has a smile on her face. Highly social and excitable, she loved to hang out with her friends and Wade.
They were all great friends and Wade would be lying if he said that he didn't have a crush on each of them. Some people would say that's weird, but it couldn't be helped. They're so wonderful in their own unique way and they were very attractive. Especially when they were in their form fitting costumes that showed off all their well-developed bodies...
"No! Shut up, hormones!" He whispered loudly to himself. Not wanting to be heard by anyone else. He got up and headed back to Todoroki and Iida's room. Opening the door to the room, Wade walked in and greeted the two with a smile. "Hey guys. I just talked with Momo, Ochaco, and Mina. I told them they shouldn't worry about us and we'll be back as soon as possible."
"Wade." Todoroki said as Wade walked over to them. The Spider-Man stopped and looked at him with a curious look. "Iida just got his test results back."
Wade turned towards Iida, who sat silently on his bed.
"My left hand might have permanent damage." Iida said softly, his head down and staring down at his arms.
This shocked and concerned Wade greatly. "Permanent?" He asked with a worried expression. "Wait, wait, what do they mean by that?"
"Both my arms were pretty torn up, but the injury to my left arm was especially severe." Iida said with a dejected look, rubbing his cased arm. "There was damage to my brachial plexus. Which just means… I'll have trouble moving my fingers. And my hand might have some numbness. Apparently, there's a chance it could be healed with nerve transplant surgery."
"Oh, well that's some great news! That means you'll be good as new after you get that surgery." Wade said with a hopeful smile. However, Iida wasn't smiling, and was still looking depressed. "What's wrong?"
"...When I came across the Hero Killer, I stopped thinking rationally. The first thing I should've done was call Manual, but I got lost in my own anger." Iida explained, as his mind played back the words that Stain said to him. How he was completely blinded by his desire to avenge Tensei. The madman was right about him. He was far away from being a Hero if that was Tenya's goal. "I hate him so much, but I can't deny he spoke the truth. That's why, until I'm able to call myself a real Hero, I'll leave my left hand as it is."
This decision surprised Wade and gained Todoroki's attention. "Are you sure about this?" The bicolored boy asked.
Wade wanted to say something but stop himself. He wanted to tell how sorry he was for not being a better friend back at the train station. However, he couldn't do that. This wasn't about Wade. This was Iida's decision. Tenya's already accepted what happened last night and it'd be selfish of Wade to make this about him.
Looking down at his right hand, Wade stared at the scars from his finishing move during his fight with Shoto. "Couldn't have said it better myself." He muttered with a look of determination. His hand was a reminder, too. Wade looked back up at Tenya as he stepped closer to him. "If you think that's the only way to make up for your mistake, then I won't try to change your mind. But I just want you to know that whatever happens, we're always right behind you." He then held out his fist towards him. "So let's get stronger. Together." Wade said with a grin.
Iida looked surprised by this, for a moment, but then he smiled before touching Wade's fist with his own.
Todoroki watched this with a soft smile spreading across his face, before he took one step forward and brought his fist together with Wade and Tenya's. At that moment, they formed an unbreakable bond and swore to become stronger from this experience.
Two days after the Hosu incident, the Hero Killer's identity and motives were released to the public, and everyone started to dissect from various angles.
His real name is Chizome Akaguro. As a child, he was greatly inspired by All Might's debut. He enrolled in a private Hero high school, but was dismayed by what he viewed as the educational system's skewed understanding of what it meant to be a Hero. Throughout his teenage years, Chizome advocated for a return to form. For society to go back to the early days of Heroes. But he quickly realized that words had no power. For ten years, he trained in killing techniques in order to fulfill his self-appointed duty. During this time his parents passed away, in what police eventually ruled as a tragic accident.
Chizome focused on a return to the old days. He believed that Heroes should not seek compensation. That one should epitomize the idea of self-sacrifice. He believed that present-day Pros were frauds. Through his violent purges, Stain hoped society would eventually side with him.
Wade sighed, stopping the video right before it could play Stain's speech. He didn't need to see it nor hear it. The look in his eyes and his words were still burned into his subconscious. Wade was currently waiting for him to come out of his room, watching another video about the Hero Killer that popped up on the internet.
Everyone on the news was obsessed with the Hero Killer. The story that was reported was that seven Pro Heroes and three high school students stumbled upon him. Endeavor rushed in and took care of the situation all by himself.
Of course, that's just the official cover from the police department. The chief was true to his word. Wade, Iida, and Todoroki were never named in connection to the Hero Killer. Their injuries were explained as being caused by accidents that happened during their internships. At first, Wade was worried about how people would see him saving the Hero Killer from that sniper, but much to his relief, nothing about it ever came up.
After Iida found out about the damage to his arm, he ended up going back home to his parents house so his mom could take care of him. Todoroki's injuries weren't all that bad.
The door to the room opened, breaking Wade out of his inner world and turning to see Shoto in his school uniform. "You ready?" He asked with a smile.
"Yes." answered Todoroki with his usual blank expression.
The two then started walking down the hall to the elevator. Stepping into the elevator together, Wade pressed the button for the first floor. "So, what's the plan for you?" Wade asked after the doors closed.
"Same as you. I'm returning to my internship." Shoto said.
"Back to your dad's agency?" Wade asked. "I would have thought you'd stayed with your mom until the week was over."
"I still wanna learn everything I can from him. Besides, they're saying he defeated the Hero Killer, even though it was actually his son who helped out. I wanna see if there's any shame on his face."
Wade smiled with a slight bit of nervousness. "Well, let me know if he does, and tell your mom I said hi," He said with a slight chuckle. The two left the hospital and went their separate ways, wishing each other good luck with the rest of their internship.
It was now the final day of Wade's internship and he was standing outside of the apartment in his school uniform, holding the briefcase that had his suit. Gran Torino was standing in front of him with his cane. For the rest of the internship, Wade was subject to even more rigorous and difficult training by Gran Torino. The old Hero made Wade go through tougher challenges when using Battle Focus. It wasn't easy, but Wade was able to make his new ability last longer.
"Thanks for everything. I know I wasn't here for long, but still." Wade said with a grateful smile.
Gran Torino let out a yawn, having just woken up a moment ago. "I don't think there's any reason for you to thank me. I wasn't around when the really big stuff happened."
"Well, yeah, but if it wasn't for your training, I wouldn't have been able to stand up to Stain or stop the train." Wade said, before his senses went off again and he leaped out of the way before Gran Torino hit his ankle. "What the hell?! The internship is over!"
"You survived, yes, but only because the Hero Killer let you." Gran Torino told him. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Well, at least you learned how to channel your power instead of relying on one monster smash, even though you still managed to get a stress fracture in your arm."
"Yeah, but, in the end, it all worked out...right?" Wade asked nervously, already feeling the wack on the head that was surely coming.
"Oh, yes. It all worked out for you. But I still got cut in my pay and my teaching license suspended!" Gran Torino shouted angrily at him before calming down. "Don't worry, I didn't really care about it. I'm sure you know this, but, if you're really aiming to become the greatest Hero like All Might, then you've still got a heck of a lot of learning to do, boy, so keep at it."
"I will. You have my word." Wade said, placing his hand on his chest with a look of determination.
Gran Torino nodded and started turning around to go back inside. "See you around."
"Wait!" Wade suddenly called out, making the old Hero halt and turn back to the Spider-Man. "I've just one more question. Even though you're really strong and you trained All Might yourself, no one knows you. With that, you should be super famous. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just wondering why that is."
"Oh, that's an easy one. I was just never that interested in working as a Pro Hero to begin with." Gran Torino said.
"Huh?"
"There was a point in the past when I needed to be able to use my Quirk freely, without limits. That's the only reason I got my license. It might be better to hear this from Toshi-All Might, I mean. He can explain everything better than me."
This got Wade's attention. Was that All Might's real name? "I see." Wade said.
"That's it, kid. Keep workin' hard." Gran Torino said to Wade.
"Yes, sir!" Wade bowed in respect to the old man that trained him to use One-for-All. "Thank you very much again. Bye."
Wade then turned around and started walking away towards the train station. All the while, Gran Torino watched him from the steps of his appointment. It was kind of strange to believe that this boy was the future of One-for-All, but it wasn't all too unbelievable. He may not look or act like him, but he's still just like Toshinori. The man chosen by Gran Torino's friend Nana Shimura, to inherit One-for-All. The man who became the very best.
"Hey, boy!"
Wade turned back when Gran Torino called him.
"Who are you?" Suddenly, the Hero was back to acting like an senile old man.
"Oh my God, my name is Wade Walker!" Wade yelled back exasperatedly.
"That's not right." Gran Torino said, much to Wade's complete annoyance.
But then a thought went through his head. Wade then grinned and proclaimed to the old Hero. "I am Spider-Man!"
Gran Torino smirked at his answer, before turning and walking back into the apartment. Giving Wade one last wave as he closed the door behind him. As Wade continued on towards the station, Gran Torino knew that his work wasn't completely done. He and Toshinori were going to watch over Wade Walker together, until the day All Might passed on into history.
Until the day that the Hero "Spider-Man" is celebrated around the world as the new Symbol of Peace.
When Wade got back to his hometown, and the very moment he exited the station, his stepmother Inko was there to greet him with a tearful, bone-crushing hug. Just like all of Japan, she's heard all about the Hero Killer being arrested. Even though Wade wasn't named as one of the three students that Stain attacked, she instantly recognized her stepson's costume and was so worried about him. It took a moment for Wade to calm her down. Inko was just so grateful to know that Wade was okay.
Returning to their home, Inko opened the room and stepped inside. "You go put your stuff down, Wade. I've got something I wanted to show you!" She said happily, before running off into the living room.
Wade walked into his room and placed his bag and case on the bed, before laying down on it himself. Just then, Inko came over to his room with a big smile with something behind her back. She stood in front of Wade and brought the object she was hiding out to show Wade.
The young man sat up and was confused to see it was a handful of letters. Taking the letters, he asked. "What are all of these?"
"I don't know. They're all addressed to you." Inko said, tilting her head to the side.
Setting the letters to the side, Wade grabbed the first one and opened the envelope. Pulling out the letter in it, Wade opened it and was shocked by what it was.
It was a letter from one of the operators from the train he saved. He wanted to thank Wade for saving their lives. Opening the next letter, it was the conductor, also thanking Wade for his heroic actions to save everyone on board. The next three letters were from families that were on board the train. All of them thanked him for saving their lives, with one being written by a little kid. Seeing all these letters made a smile grow on Wade's lips.
Inko smiled as tears formed in her eyes as she watched Wade read the letters. She pulled him into a hug and kissed him on his head. "I'm so proud of you." She whispered, with Wade leaning his head on her.
Even if he didn't get any recognition for helping in Stain's take down, at least there were still those who remembered Wade's deeds and were more than thankful to him.
The next day, it was back to school for not only Wade, but for all of Class 1-A.
"HAHAHAHA! HOLY CRAP! WHAT THE HECK, BAKUGO!?" Kirishima and Sero laughed their asses off. Even Wade was about to die of laughter when he saw his rival.
The reason? Bakugo got a new haircut from Best Jeanist as part of a 'make-over'. Instead of his usual spiky, explosive hair style, Bakugo was now sporting a columned and nicely styled haircut that was similar to Best Jeanist. It was totally ridiculous and it was too much for the three boys to handle.
"Stop laughing!" Bakugo growled in fury. "My hair's gotten used to this and I can't get it back the right way. Did you not hear me? I'll kill you all."
"I'd like to see you try, pretty boy!" Sero laughed while wiping the tears off his eyes.
"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME!?" Bakugo yelled, his outburst popping his hair back to its original style.
"Oh hey, there it goes!" Wade said, not even surprised at the sudden turn of events.
"Awesome! You got to face actual villains? I'm super jealous!" Mina said to Jiro. The other students in the class were talking to each other about their experiences at their internships.
"Well, I didn't fight. All I did was help people evacuate and provide logistical support." Jiro said, twirling one of her ear jacks.
"But it still sounds like so much fun. All I did was literally nothing! And it was so boring!"
"I spent basically the whole time training and cleaning the ship deck." Tsuyu added, placing her finger on its usual spot on her chin. "Though, there was this one day we caught a bunch of drug smugglers."
"Okay, that's cool!"
"What about you, Ochaco? How was your week?" Tsuyu asked, as they turned to their bubbly friend.
Ochaco had a scary dark pink aura around her as steam came out of her mouth every time she breathed. Her eyes were white and focused, while she stood in a fighting stance. "I'd say that it was very enlightening." she said, beforing throwing punches into the air like she was in a trance.
"I think she found her fighting spirit." Tsuyu said in amusement.
"Yeah, that battle Hero must've been something else." Jiro replied nonchalantly.
Meanwhile, Kaminari was talking with Mineta as they watched the girls. "After one week she's like a totally different person." The lightning user commented.
"Different? Don't be fooled, Kaminari." Mineta said, wagging his finger at him. Suddenly the little pervert's attitude changed completely. Now he looked shell shocked, biting his finger nails nervously.
"All women are demons at heart. They just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces."
"What the heck did Mt. Lady do to you?"
Kaminari stopped Mineta from biting his nail, snapping him out of his horrified state. "Everyone at my internship loved me-it was actually kinda great. Now if you wanna talk about the ones who really changed, it was those three." The blonde said, motioning towards Wade, Iida, and Todoroki. The three were at Todoroki's desk talking when Kaminari called them out.
"Oh, yeah! The Hero Killer!" Sero pointed out, with Bakugo having both him and Kirishima by the back of their uniforms.
"Glad you guys made it back alive! Seriously!" Kirishima said with a relieved look.
Wade felt someone's hand on his hand and looked to see it was Momo looking up at him with a worried look in her eyes. "I was worried about you, too." she said.
"You were lucky Endeavor showed up and saved you guys." Sato said with his arms crossed.
"Agreed, you three would've been in big trouble if you were on your own." Shoji added with a serious tone.
"So cool!" Hagakure said as the three Heroes in training glanced at one another.
Shoto looked down at his desk and said, "Yeah, that's right. He saved us."
Wade sighed and looked away from everyone. "Yeah." He didn't like to lie to them. But for now, he had to just do it to avoid any trouble. It's not worth it if the matter was already resolved.
"Did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?" Ojiro asked, gaining everyone's attention. "Everyone's been saying that he was somehow connected to the League of Villains. Can you imagine how frightening it would've been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?"
Wade scowled at that thought. Honestly, it did frighten him. Stain wasn't like those villains that they had fought. He was something else entirely.
"He's scary, yeah." Kaminari said. "But did you see him in that weird video? It's all over the internet."
"I didn't even know there was a video of him." Sero added with a surprised look.
"Yeah. Stain's a pretty evil villain, but, like, super tenacious. He's almost kinda cool, dontcha guys think?" He was suddenly smacked in the back of the head by Wade.
"Dude! Seriously?! He's standing right here!" Wade yelled at Kaminari for his insensitivity for Iida.
"No, it's okay, Wade." Iida calmly said, looking at the bandages around his left, which were under his sleeve. "It's true that he's quite a tenacious villain. I understand why people might think he was cool. But...instead of helping the world, his beliefs led him to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned."
Everyone listened to him as Iida continued on. "To keep anyone else from suffering like me, well, I promise: I will strive to be the perfect Hero!" He proclaimed to the rest of the class. "It's time for class to begin! Everyone, please take your seats!"
"And he's back to normal." Wade said jokingly. But deep down, he was proud of his friend.
Just as they were back at school, All Might was back to train them for their Hero Basic Training class. The Number One Hero had the class change into their costumes and gathered them at one of the training fields. This time the field was more of an industrial city with many pipes across it.
"I am here!" All Might exclaimed to the kids, standing between them and the gate to the field. "Hope you're ready to return to our lessons. Today it's Hero Basic Training. Feels like I haven't seen you in a while. Welcome back!"
"Now then, listen carefully for what's in store. We're going to be conducting a little race." All Might told the students with his usual grin. "Take everything you've learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training."
Iida immediately held up his hand. "If it's rescue training, then shouldn't we be at the USJ instead?" He asked.
"Ah, that facility specializes in disasters. As I said earlier, this is a race. So prepare. You're about to step into Field Gamma!" All Might said, presenting the field to the class. "Inside is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around. You'll be competing in groups of five. Each person starts from a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I'll send a distress signal, and you do what you must to rescue. Whoever finds me first wins! But try to keep the property damage to a spare minimum, please." All Might said, pointing his finger at Bakugo.
"Why're you pointing at me?" He growled, looking away.
"All right. First group, get to your places."
The first group was none other than Wade, Ojiro, Iida, Sero, and Mina. While they stood at their positions and waited for the race to start, everyone else waited at where All Might was. There was a large jumbotron tv screen in front of them, so that they could watch the race as well.
"Iida hasn't completely recovered yet, right?" Kaminari asked, a little concerned for the speedster. "He should sit this one out."
"Man, everyone in this group has really good mobility." Kirishima said while looking at the rest of the teams.
Ochaco was sitting with Momo, Tsuyu, and Jiro when she leaned towards the busty creator. "So, you think Wade's gonna win this?" She asked with a grin.
"I...I'm not so sure." She said hesitantly, albeit a little embarrassed at Ochako's question. "I want him to, but he might be at a disadvantage."
"What do you mean?" Jiro asked with an eyebrow raised, clearly not expecting to hear that from Jiro.
Momo watched the screen as Wade stretched legs. She blushed seeing his handsome face with that expression of determination. "W-When it comes to movement, he's got no competition, but whenever he uses his full power, he always gets badly injured."
"I think Wade and Sero are neck and neck." Kirishima said while rubbing his chin in deep thought.
"Oh, yeah? I've got odds on Ojiro." Kaminari stated.
"I choose Ashido. 'Cause she's got a super athletic body," Mineta added, looking dumbly at her costume hugging around her figure.
Bakugo didn't say anything. He wanted Wade to lose, but knew he wasn't coming in dead last.
"Is everyone ready?" All Might called out to the group that was racing with a remote in his hand. He then pressed the button on the remote, activating an airhorn. "BEGIN!"
Sero started off by quickly using his Tape-Quirk to swing and propel himself around the pipes. He knew that Wade was going to be his biggest competition, so he had to get moving quickly. Mina also used the pipes of the city. Using her acid, she slid down the pipelines towards All Might. Ojiro used his tail to jump high up into the air and swing himself across the pipelines and onto the roofs. Iida took his usual approach and ran through the factory labyrinth.
As for Wade…
He zoomed right past Sero.
With Battle Focus turned on at 5%, Wade jumped from pipe to pipe as electric aura coursed around his body. Coming across two standing pipes that were pointing up, Wade shot his webs at both of them and slingshot himself towards the narrow gap between them. Becoming a spinning vortex of light as he twirled his body, pasting right through before straightening out and landing onto another pipeline.
"With my new training, I can win!" Wade exclaimed with a confident grin as he shot across the air.
"WHOA! WADE?" Mineta and Kirishima yelled as they jumped off their seats. All Might and everyone watching were absolutely shocked by what they were seeing. Wade was moving faster than he's ever been able to do without his webs. Bouncing from surface to and spiralling in the air for longer jumps. Only ever using his webs to propel himself.
While everyone else was amazed by his abilities, Bakugo was in disbelief, but also angry. All throughout his internship, he was getting groomed and made to look presentable. But Wade was getting better. It frustrated him to no end.
As Wade jumped past Mina, she was clinging to a wall and watched him go by. "Whoa! Go, Wade!" She cheered for him.
Wade jumped high up onto a large roof and slid across it like a baseball player for a moment, before jumping back onto his feet and ran towards the railing. He was doing great. All he had to do was not go above 5% and stay calm and alert.
Jumping up onto railing, Wade launched himself high into the air and was about to land on top of a silo...
...when a bird came out of nowhere and hit Wade in the face.
Also everyone turned comically white with their jaws having dropped down to their feet and their eyes wide and blank.
Just like when he first swung around the city, that bird threw him off balance, killed his momentum, and Wade started plummeting towards the ground.
"WHY, BIRDIE!?" Wade cried, as the bird just continued flying. Almost like it was mocking him.
Spider-Man hit almost every single pipeline on his way down. Landing on his back, front, side, and even breaking some when they weren't able to sustain his body falling on top of them. All ending when he landed on his back on the ground. Making the other students watching cringe.
Wade laid on the ground for a moment, waiting for the pain to stop so he could get up again. As he looked up at the sky, he saw Mina sliding on a pipeline above him and stopped to look down at him.
"Are you okay?!" She called down to him with a look of worry.
"Yeah! I'm good!" Wade groaned while holding his thumb up.
"Do you need any help?!" Mina asked.
"No! I-I got this! You just try to win this race!" Wade yelled, waving his arm in a gesture to keep going.
"Okay!" Mina said, before continuing the race. Wade slowly got up and was about to continue the race himself when All Might's voice was heard on the intercom.
"And it's over!"
"Goddamnit." Wade sighed and slouched his shoulders. Luck was not on his side.
All Might presented the winner of the race with a white and red sash that said "Thanks for saving me" on it. "Thanks, Hero! And congratulations!" He said, placing it on the student that won the race: Sero.
"All right!" Sero cheered with a big grin on his face.
"Darn it!" Mina pouted, lightly stomping her foot. Ojira was trying to catch his breath, while Wade was leaning against the rails of the roof they were on.
"Wade, are you alright?" Iida asked.
"Yeah, I'll just have to...remember to watch out for birds." Wade said, panting after taking off his mask.
"Young Sero may have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you all showed some incredible improvements." All Might told the first group of students with a proud smile. "Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!"
"Sir!"
"Group 1, leave the field. You're up, Group 2." As the others started to leave, Wade pushed himself away from the rail and was about to follow them when All Might stepped up to him. "You surprised me. That was incredible."
All Might turned his back to him and gave Wade a thumbs up. But then he started whispering to him. "Find me after class. We need to talk."
This confused Wade, but he nodded. "Yes, sir."
"The time has come for me to tell you the whole truth. About me. And One-for-All."
After the all Hero Basic Training was over, the students were told to go change out of their customs. The boys were currently in their locker room, taking off their suits and putting back on their uniforms.
"You sure you're alright, Wade? You took a pretty nasty fall." Kaminari said to Spider-Man.
"I'll be fine, don't worry" Wade said, already feeling the pain going away. "Besides, it's going to take more than a little tumble to put me down."
"That's the spirit!" Sato said with a smirk. "Ah, that was some tough training today, huh?"
"It's the first class in a while that had me glistening," Aoyama said, wiping his face with his handkerchief.
"Man, I really gotta work on my mobility." Kirishima said, slipping off his shoulder pieces and storing them away. "I don't know how someone like Wade can go equally as fast as hard as he can hit."
"You could also compensate by improving other skills." Tokoyami chipped, adjusting his tie.
"Still wish I could use my Quirk for speed. I'm jealous of guys like you and Sero," Kaminari whined.
Wade chuckled as he took off his shirt. But his mind was still thinking about what All Might said about wanting to talk with him. What did he want to talk about? He sounded so intense.
"Hey, Wade!" Wade snapped out of his thoughts and looked to see Mineta waving him over. The little boy was standing next to a piece of paper stuck to the wall. "You won't believe what I just found."
"Found what?" Wade asked, though he couldn't help but give him a suspicious look.
"It's the jackpot!" Mineta exclaimed, pointing to a small hole in the wall.
"A hole?"
"Not just any hole! Someone Shawshanked a hole in this wall!" Mineta said, emphasizing his point by shaking his hand on the wall. "A previous generation has given us a gift. You know what's next door, right? This looks into the girls' locker room!"
"What?!" Wade exclaimed with a shocked expression.
"Don't even think about it!" Iida yelled, reprimanding the grape-haired student. "Peeping on them like that would be criminal!"
"Then you'll have to throw me in confinement, 'cuz you can't stop me!" Mineta yelled, ripping off the piece of paper from the wall. He then put his eye to the hole while continuing his horny, perverted rant. "I wanna see Yaoyorozu's curves. Ashido's slender waist. Hagakura's floating underwear. Uraraka's super-fine body. Asui's unexpectedly soft boobies!"
Before he could continue, Jiro's earphone jack stabbed him in the eye.
Mineta screamed in pain as Wade yelled at him, "Serves you right, you little bastard!" He then called to the other room. "You girls okay over there?"
In the girls room, the girls moved away from the hole. Jiro, in only her sports bra and skirt, had one of her earphone jacks sticking to the wall to listen in on the boys, while the other one was still jabbed in Mineta's eye.
"We're fine Wade!" Ochaco said in her bra and only one sleeve of her shirt on. Mina and Tsuyu were with her. The pink girl was in the middle of taking off her leotard with her skirt and shirt on, and Tsuyu was still getting the top pop of her body suit off.
"We'll take care of him." The girls heard Wade, and Jiro's earphone jack retracted from the hole. They then heard Mineta's screams of pain. Indicating that Wade was likely doing something painful to the class pervert. "Iida, get me a glass! I'm making grape juice!"
"AAAAHHH! PLEASE DON'T! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Mineta can be heard shrieking from the other side, seemingly trying to run away from Wade.
"Ugh. Thanks, Kyoka." Hagakure said. Still completely naked with only her gloves on.
"Despicable." Momo said in disgust, with her hair down and only wearing her leotard. "We'll close up this hole immediately."
Jiro just had a blank expression on her face. 'Why am I the only one that he didn't say anything about?' The likely answer was because she interrupted him before he could get to her.
It was the end of the day, and Wade walked up to the same room that he and All Might have been using to talk. He gave the door a knock and said, "All Might. It's me." This was to let him know that it was his successor and that he didn't have to transform.
Wade opened the door, and what he saw troubled him already. All Might was sitting down on the couch in his true form, with his finger tips touching and his head down.
"Come have a seat."
This took Wade aback for a moment. He seemed...different. More serious than ever before. He gulped a lump in his throat and walked over to a stoll.
"You went through a lot recently." All Might said, as Wade sat down. "I'm sorry I wasn't around to help you out."
"It's alright. You don't have to apologize for what happened with Stain." Wade said with a small smile. But then he leaned forward a bit. "So...what's going on? You mentioned One-for-All earlier."
All Might looked up at him. "I heard that the Hero Killer swallowed your blood in the attack."
"Yeah. His Quirk's really freaky, but it allowed him to paralyze me for a small amount of time," Wade explained. "Is that what all of this is about?"
"Do you remember how I gave my power to you?"
"Yeah, you told me to eat your freakin hair!" Wade exclaimed, pretending to pluck a hair from his head. "Still don't know how that works though."
"That's because you didn't let me explain!" All Might argued back at his student. "It's like the spider that bite you. It was because the key was in my DNA. That's why you had to swallow the hair."
Hearing this made Wade start to panic and shoot up from his chair. "WHAT! You're telling me that the fucking Hero Killer has the power now!?"
"No, he doesn't!" All Might said, much to Wade's relief. The 1# Hero sighed. "I just thought you might be worried about that, but...I had forgotten that I didn't tell you about how it works. One-for-All can only be given to another person if you, the bear, intend to pass it along. It's not something that can just be taken by force. Although it can be transferred by force."
"Take for example that a girl had a crush on you and wanted to give you chocolates. She then forces you to take the chocolates and says you have to take them."
"The hell kinda example is that?!" Wade yelled, though at this moment he imagined that the ones who's giving him the chocolate were Ochako, Mina and Momo.
"The Quirk you now have is unique, and you should know its origin."
Wade's eyes widened as he sat back down on the stool. Paying very close attention to All Might to not miss a single detail.
"One for All was derived from another odd Quirk, a power that's very old."
"It came from another Quirk from the past?" Wade asked, to which All Might nodded his head.
"The name of that Quirk is All For One. It allowed its user to take Quirks from others. Then the user could keep the Quirks for himself or give them to someone else."
Wade would have made a Three Musketeers joke if he wasn't shocked by this revelation. "'Take Quirks?' As in...he could steal other people's powers?"
"This was back when Quirks were just starting to show up. Before society had figured out how to deal with the newly powered among them. When Quirks first appeared, suddenly, it was impossible to say what it meant to be a 'normal' person. Laws and human rights were hotly debated about these new 'Metahumans' or 'Mutants' as they used to call them. Civilization's progress stalled. Society decayed."
Wade leaned back and looked out the window. "To think, we could have finally expanded out into space if it wasn't for Quirks." He said sarcastically.
"Right. During that chaotic period of change, there was one person who managed to rally many people together. He went by the name of his power, All For One. He stole Quirks from others. And then, with his overwhelming abilities, he spread his influence across the country. He manipulated people to serve his purposes, and committed evil acts with little resistance. In the blink of an eye, he became the leader of villains and ruled over Japan."
"How come we don't know more about this?" Wade asked, starting to feel a deep sense of dread in his core. He's seen plenty of rumors about this thing online, sure, but he thought it was made up to scare people. "I mean, this should be something in our textbooks."
"Because like the atrocities Japan committed in World War 2, it's the kind of shameful history people would rather ignore. Anyway, when a person gains true power, they enjoy showing it off to others."
"So, how does this all tie into One For All? How could it have come from All For One?"
"It's like I said, All For One could give Quirks to others. He made people trust him or submit to his will by altering their abilities. But apparently, there were many poor souls who couldn't bear the burden of the Quirks they were given. They became like mindless living dolls, incapable of speaking. Just like the Nomu are."
Wade gasped in shock and horror.
"Meanwhile, some Quirks actually evolved as they were passed on. Some even combined with other power sets. This evil man had a Quirkless young brother. He was small and sickly, but he had a strong sense of justice. They couldn't have been more different. It pained the young brother to see All For One's deeds, so he kept resisting him. And then, All For One transferred a Quirk to his sibling, one that would allow him to stockpile power. We don't know if it was a gift he was giving his brother, or if he just wanted to force him to submit."
"Don't tell me…that brother..." Wade was too shocked to finish the sentence, but he knew the conclusion.
"Yes. Even though everyone thought he was Quirkless-turned out, the brother did have a Quirk. Though even he hadn't realized this to be the case. He had a useless power that only allowed him to pass on Quirks." All Might explained, spreading out his arms. "And so, the stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother's power, and that is how One For All came to be!"
Wade stared at All Might, speechless with his jaws hanging open as he was immersed in the story he was being told. When All Might finished, Wade let out a breath of air and leaned back to look up at the ceiling. "So...all this time, this power for justice came from the ultimate evil…"
"It's ironic, isn't it. Justice being spawned from evil." All Might said.
As he thought about the story, a thought popped into Wade's head. "Alright, so One For All came from this big bad villain, but he's gotta be dead by now, right? So why bring him up?" Wade asked.
"One who steals Quirks has no limits. Anything's possible. There are Quirks that halt aging. He probably has something like that. The Symbol of Evil seemed pretty much immortal. With the state of the world at the time and the huge difference in their combat abilities, the young brother decided to entrust this new Quirk to future generations. Even though he couldn't defeat All For One, he hoped One For All would continue to grow in power, until it was strong enough to stop his older brother. Eventually, it was my turn, and I managed to defeat All For One! At least, that's what I thought. But he survived and is now back in action as the brain behind the League of Villains."
All Might stood up and walked over to the wind. Staring out at the setting sun. Wade stared at him as he continued to talk. "So, now you know. The entire purpose of One For All is to defeat All For One. As its holder, you may one day have to fight against this great evil yourself. Because I failed. I know you didn't expect this, but-"
"I'd do it." All Might looked back to see Wade standing up with his fists clenched and a look of determination on his face. "I'm not gonna back down now! As long as you're with me, I can do it! I'll finish what was started all those years ago and defeat All For One!" Wade exclaimed with righteous determination.
All Might stared at the young man for a moment. He appreciated his vigor and determination, but it just made him all the sadder. All Might had to tell him. Wade needs to know.
Wade started to become concerned when All Might placed his hand over his mouth. The truth was that's not how it will happen. Their futures are…
Wade won't understand.
Turning back to Wade, he said, "Thank you."
Wade felt like something was bothering All Might, and he wanted to know what's wrong, but right now, he felt like he shouldn't pressure his mentor. With that, Wade walked out of the room and down the hallway. All Might stood there with a look of despair. He wished he could have told him. All Might wanted to tell him, but he couldn't. That boy doesn't need to feel anymore burdened by the secret war that the Hero has dragged him into.
By the time Wade Walker faces All For One, All Might won't be by his side anymore.
"Well, it's almost time for summer vacation. Don't get too excited. You can't just relax for an entire month." Aizawa said to Class 1-A the day after All Might told Wade about All For One.
'Does that mean…' Many of the students thought at the same time.
"You'll be training while you're camping in the woods."
"I KNEW IT! ALRIGHT!" Everyone shouted with joy.
"A big sleepover!" Mina cheered.
"Baths!" Mineta said.
"Fireworks!" Tsuyu said.
"Springs!" Ochako shouted.
"And s'mores!" Iida added.
"Skinny dipping!" Wade shut Mineta up by shooting a web line at him and then yanked him back over to his chair.
Momo thought for a moment. "We've been training in cities, so these will be very different conditions for most of us."
"No matter what the environment, we must always remain vigilant. Yes. Very wise," Tokoyami said in agreement.
"Hanging out with everyone all summer-I'm so excited!" Hagakure exclaimed with glee.
Aizawa flashed his red eyes at the students, getting them to be quiet and sit down. "However. Those of you who don't pass the final exam before the semester is over...will have summer school."
"Everyone, do your best!" Kirishima exclaimed.
"This is so stupid." Bakugo muttered.
"All you girls better pass this thing!" Mineta said, grabbing onto Wade's shoulder, much to his annoyance.
Wade was most definitely excited. Even though what All Might had to tell him was mind-blowing, Wade's daily life was continuing as usual. And despite everything, his goals haven't changed. He had to focus on the final exams and continue to work his way to becoming a great Hero.
When the bell rang for class to end, Aizawa started to gather his papers to leave. "All right. That's it for class today. There's only one week left before your final exams begin. I'm sure you're all studying constantly, right? Don't forget to keep training. The written exam is only one element. There's also the practical portion to worry about." He walked over to the door and looked back at his students. "Good luck."
Aizawa closed the door behind him.
"I'VE BARELY EVEN TAKEN NOTES THIS SEMESTER!" Kaminari and Mina both yelled together. Having gotten the 20th and 19th place overall on the Midterms respectively. But while the electric blonde was freaking out, Mina was smiling and laughing about it.
"What?! Why not? You're in high school, man!" Wade said in disbelief.
"You think I don't know that!?" Kaminari yelled, before grabbing his head. "With the Sports Festival and internships, I didn't have time to read the textbook!"
"It's true that we haven't had very much free time lately," Tokoyami said, having gotten the 14th spot in the Midterms.
"We'd barely learned anything when we took our midterms so they didn't seem all that hard, but I'm kinda worried about these," Sato told the ever silent Koda, both getting 12th and 11th respectively. "We've been through a lot and they probably won't pull any punches when it comes to testing us."
"As someone ranked in the top ten, I'm not all that concerned," Mineta said with a smug look. Surprisingly, he was able to get 9th place.
"What?! You were ninth in the midterms?!" Mina and Kaminari yelled, completely flabbergasted.
The pink girl pointed angrily at the little pervert. "Aw, man, and here I thought you were one of us!"
"Don't you know weirdo little creeps like you are only likable if they're kind of stupid!? Who's going to love you now?!" Kaminari exclaimed.
"Everyone. Trust me." Mineta replied, still wearing a smug face.
"I sure don't." Wade retorted, having gotten the 4th place in the midterm. He then turned to Mina and Kaminari to motivate them. "And don't give up, you two! We'll do our best and go to the training camp together, right? We've still got time to study!"
"Yes!" Iida said, holding up his hand. He got 2nd. "As class rep, I have high hopes that we'll make U.A. proud."
"It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class, isn't it?" Todoroki asked, having gotten the 5th spot in the midterms.
Kaminari felt that one stab his heart. "Why you gotta cut me down like that…?"
And the shining star of the midterms was none other than Momo, who got 1st place in the midterm. "Hey, don't worry about it, you two, I can catch you up to speed on the important topics, if you want."
"You're the best, Yao-momo!" Kaminari and Mina cried.
But then a gloomy cloud appeared over her head. "I'm afraid I won't be any help when it comes to the practical, though.
"Well, if you want, I can help you with that." Wade said with a smile.
Momo looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really?"
Wade nodded with a smile. "Then can I come?" Ochaco asked, walking over to them with a big smile. She got 13th in the midterms. "I wanna spare you, Wade!"
"Room for one more?" Jiro asked, walking over to Momo. She was in 7th place. "I've been studying, but...could you help me out, too? I'm having some trouble understanding quadratic functions."
17th place holder Sero joined them to plead with the vice rep. "Tutor me, please! Classical Japanese is killing me!"
Right under Jiro was Ojiro, who's in 8th. "Is there room for one more? I'm afraid I'm falling behind a little."
"Pretty, please!" And so almost everyone in the class begged the smartest girl of the class.
Momo gasped in delight. "This is wonderful!" She then jumped up to her feet and threw her fists in the air. "YES, let's do it!"
"All right!" Everyone cheered.
"Okay, then. We can hold a study session at my residence over the weekend." Momo suggested, earning the stunned looks from her "students".
"Seriously?! I can't wait to see your fancy digs!" Mina exclaimed, excited to see what Momo's house was like.
This just made Momo even more excited. "Oh! I must call my mom and have her prepare the great hall for us to set: it'll be the perfect spot."
'Great hall?'
"What kind of tea does everyone like? I'll have her make sure we're stocked."
'That's overkill.'
"In my family, we always drink Harrods or Wedgwood, so if you have any other preference, let me know! When we're finished, you'll all be model students! I'll make it my personal duty to push you forward." Momo exclaimed as the bubbly, bouncy side of her personality fully showed itself to everyone in the room.
Wade couldn't help but laugh a little at how she was acting. Sure, she might have been humble bragging, but then again she might not even know what she's saying. Momo was so excited and bouncy that Wade didn't even care.
Lunch time came around, and Wade was sitting with his friend while discussing the upcoming finals. "I've gotta admit, I'm a little nervous about the practical." He said, breaking off his chopsticks and eating his ramen. "We've got no idea what it's gonna be."
"Hard to believe that they'd give us anything too crazy." Iida said, sitting between Wade and Shoto.
"The written exam questions will all be stuff from the so…" Wade took a second to have a bite of his lunch. "I should be able to do those."
Ochaco, however, didn't look all that confident. "Do you really think it's going to be that simple?"
"From what I understand, it's a comprehensive test of everything that we learned this year. At least, that's what Mr. Aizawa told us." Momo said on the other side of the table with Ochaco and Mina.
"So, does that mean it'll cover combat training and rescue training?" Mina asked.
"It might also include basic training." Ochaco added in ponder.
"Well, either way, we can't just study hard. We'll have to train hard as well-OW!" Wade was suddenly hit in the back of the head by someone's elbow. With a hand clenching the place he was hit, he turned around to see it was Monoma from Class 1-B.
"Oh, sorry. Your head's so big that it's hard to miss." He said with a smug smirk on his face.
"The hell was that for?" Wade demanded while rubbing the back of his head.
"I heard you guys stumbled across the Hero Killer," Monoma said with a faux smile on his face. Looking at Wade with eyes filled with disgust and a need to belittle. "Just like in the sports festival, Class 1-A isn't happy unless they're the center of attention. But you do realize you're not in the spotlight because people think you're good Heroes, right?"
"Yeah? Then what's your point, asshole?" Wade asked, standing up to face Monoma with a scowl, angered that he was talking about his friends like that.
"It's just that you keep getting into so much trouble." Monoma suddenly had this insidious aura around him as he smiled an unhinged grin. "Here's food for thought: Someday, the rest of us might get caught up in your mess, and then we'll all become unwitting victims as well. What kind of horrible villains will you bring down upon us? What demon-"
He finally shut up when Kendo karate chopped him on the back of his neck. She grabbed onto his tray as he fell to his knees. Setting the tray down on another table, so she could deal with Monoma.
"That's not funny, Monoma. You heard what happened to Iida! Chill out!" She scolded him, even though he just fell unconscious.
"Kendo?" Momo said in surprise.
"I apologize for him. I'm pretty sure there's a hole where his heart should be." Kendo said to the students at the table.
"More like he was an asshole that needed to learn to shut up." Wade said, looking down at the knocked out Monoma.
"Yeah." Kendo looked at Wade and her eyes widened for a moment before smiling. "Hey, you're Wade, right? Yaoyorozou told me all about you. I'm Kendo. It's nice to meet you." Momo blushed when she said that. It was true, and Kendo teased her about her crush on him.
Wade smiled and shook the orange-haired girl's hand. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you too."
Kendo placed her hand on her head and said. "So I was listening...I know you're all worried about what's going to be on the big final practical. I heard it's gonna be combat against robots, like the entrance exam."
This surprised the Class 1-A students, with the exception of Todoroki. "Yes!" Mina cheered, jumping up from her seat. "Alright! This'll be super easy if it's just robots!"
"How do you know that?" Wade asked.
Kendo pointed to her chest with her thumb. "One of my friends who's a few grades up filled me in. I know. Cheating. But oh, well."
"What kind of idiot are you, Kendo?" Monoma said, having gained consciousness again and was back to being his usual, superiority complex self. "You just gave away our whole strategic advantage! This was our chance to finally pull ahead of that class full of idiots."
Kendo chopped him in the back of the neck again. She then grabbed his tray of food and dragged his ass away. "They're not the idiots!" She scowled him, all while Wade and Iida sweatdropped.
"She's like their class's big sister, huh?" Wade asked, turning to Iida with a puzzled look.
"Probably." He nodded with his head in agreement.
"Alright! This'll be super easy if it's just robots!" Kaminari exclaimed happily. After lunch and returning to the classroom, Wade told everyone about what Kendo told them at the cafeteria and it was a huge sense of relief for almost everyone.
"That's what I said! It's such awesome news!" Mina said with a big smile.
"Why do you sound so happy?" Shoji asked with his arms folded. "You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks."
"Yeah! But I can let loose with robots!" Kaminari said confidently, showing off his electric Quirk.
"And melting them'll be a cinch for me!" Mina added with a grin.
"See? Now you guys have luck. Once Yaoyorozu is going to help you study, you'll be all set for the finals." Sero said to them with a reassured smile.
"We'll definitely be able to go to the training camp now!" Mina and Kaminari exclaimed with their fist in the air.
Wade was happy to see them so excited for the finals, in a way. But got him thinking again about All For One. As the power's newest holder, he's going to have to battle the man. Someone that was named the Symbol of Evil. Wade looked down at his right hand as he clenched it. If he was going to be prepared for that battle, he had to make everything count from now on. But more importantly, he has to keep in good shape and stop breaking his body like the last time back at the Sports Festival.
"It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actual people." Bakugo said, who was getting ready to leave the room. He looked over his shoulder at Mina and Kaminari. "Why are you morons so excited?"
"Hey, who are you calling a moron?!" Kaminari yelled, pointing at the explosive blonde.
"Shut up!" Bakugo suddenly yelled back, frightening Mina and Kaminari. "You need to learn how to control your Quirk! Ya got it?!" Bakugo then turned around and glared furiously at Wade. "Hey! Walker!"
Wade looked up from his hand at Bakugo. At that moment, everyone became quiet in the room. So quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stayed silent as they focused on two rivals.
"I don't know that's goin' on with your power, but I saw the way you were using it now, and I want you to know-It's seriously pissing me off." The explosive boy gritted his teeth.
Wade scowled at him, without bothering to answer him back.
"Uh-oh." Ochaco said, walking up to Mina. "He must mean how Wade was flying around the other day."
"Oh, yeah, totally." Mina said, now understanding.
"I won't have another loss like the festival. We'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals-New rankings." Bakugo said with a growl in his voice as he pointed at Wade. "So we'll know exactly where we're standing! I'll show you how much better I am."
Wade continued to scowl at him. Bakugo then turned his attention towards Todoroki, angry at him for being the one that Wade used his full power on. "And Todoroki! I'll kill you, too!"
Todoroki didn't have a reaction as Bakugo walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.
"It's been awhile since I've seen him that worked up." Kirishima said with an incredulous look.
"Think it's impatience? Or hatred?" Tokoyami asked.
Meanwhile, out in the hallway, as Bakugo walked away from the classroom, Mr Aizawa was hiding behind a corner. He heard everything that happened inside the classroom, and it was obvious that Bakugo's attitude was getting worse than he thought. It's something that'll need to be addressed in the finals.
Let's just hope that the Heroes of Tomorrow were ready for what lied ahead of them. They're going to need all of their abilities for not just the finals. Very soon, the temporary peace the world was experiencing was about to come to a violent end.