Chapter 3: Issue 3 - If This Be My Destiny!
This wasn't Peter's first ambush, and a tired part of his brain admitted that it probably wouldn't be the last.
But they were always a pain.
Peter crouched low to the ground, his hands and feet spread apart as he narrowed his eyes. His vision was a lot clearer on the ground. He could see the pieces of debris and plaster from the work done on the building before he took up residence as well as a few coins, candy wrappers, and what he prayed was a deflated balloon.
But there were no green and purple boots.
"Damn. This chick is quick." Hobie was no slouch either, but whoever this person was they had him beat on how quickly they could hoof it. He winced as the pain in his right ankle flared up and he felt something wet run down his foot. "Not the best odds, but I've been in..."
Peter's Spider-Sense flared up and he rolled forward to keeping something slamming into where his back once was. He turned his head to see the smoke had cleared up enough for him to see this new, probably Japanese, Prowler, with her left foot down and the ground cracked underneath it. The likely result of an axe-kick that was meant to split him in two.
"But why wasn't I able to see her feet!?" Peter shook his head and decided to do what he did best. "Hey! Look, I know that you're upset I haven't gotten your coat..." Peter jumped to the ceiling before launching himself at the Prowler. "...but I just moved here!"
Prowler threw a straight punch at him, but he grabbed her outstretched hand and twisted his body as he went over her head, dragging her with him and lifting his would-be assassin off her feet. "I mean, you can't expect me to be ready for unexpec-WOAH!"
Rather than just letting her get thrown, the woman instead used her free hand to grab the back of his suit. Peter heard the familiar sound of 'FWOOSH' in the air.
"Ah, shit. She has rocket boots."
Peter fell face-first onto the ground... and it hurt. It hurt so much that he let go of Prowler's arm and planted his hands and feet on the ground before doing a push-up. Launching himself into the air, he allowed himself to be pushed by the Prowler just a bit before aiming a web-line at a support beam. With a tug, he changed his momentum and feed himself from Prowler's grasp.
Swinging completely around the support beam, Peter raised his right foot. "Okay, I gotta admit that was pretty cool! But let me tell you..."
Peter momentarily saw Prowler turning around. Indeed, small flames were coming from the bottoms of her boots as she hovered just five feet from the ground. He kicked the woman in the abdomen, using all his momentum to hit her hard.
What he said was, "...the Spidey Express is the only way to travel for me."
What he was thinking was, "OwowowowowowOWOWOWOW!"
The Prowler gasped before she was flung through an incomplete wall, plaster and drywall raining down around her.
Peter hissed as he landed on the ground with his left foot this time, hopping a little as he held his now bleeding right ankle. "Oooh, that smarts!" He looked at the Prowler and began walking over, limping while making sure to put more pressure on his left foot. "Prowl... can I call you Prowl? I have to say, you are being an ungrateful guest..."
Peter shot a web with his right hand to an unfinished light that was on the ceiling before he got within ten feet of the Prowler. "...and my friend would like to see you regarding stealing his look!"
Peter knew a villain playing dead when he saw one.
And he was right. The Prowler instantly got onto her feet and jumped up, the tips of her gloves glowing green as they elongated and sharpened. She tore through the light, the wiring, and pieces of the wall like paper.
He didn't expect her to twist her body and extend her legs so that the tips of her feet touched the ceiling.
And Peter certainly didn't expect her to stay on that ceiling and start running towards him.
"Okay, now I think I'm also gonna sue you! That's copyright infringement!" Peter shot his webs at her but the Prowler kept weaving so that he wouldn't snag her. He couldn't help but notice that her body was lightly glowing with a light purple energy and that her coat or any part of her attire was sagging down, complying with the basic rules of gravity.
"It's like they are following her own personal... Oh, that explains it."
The Prowler snatched something from her belt and swung. The little handle she had strapped onto her belt now had a long metal tube extending from it. It whistled in the air as it made a beeline for the right side of Peter's head. Peter raised his right arm quickly, tightening his muscles as the 'sword' made contact. He grunted as the thing surprisingly hurt.
"And this chick has super-strength and personal gravity manipulation!? What the hell is with the mutants of this place?"
Peter's Spider-Sense went off but it was too late.
Peter's body clenched as he felt the familiar sensation of being shocked by electricity. Countless run-ins with Electro, electric batons, and the occasional Taser made Peter an expert in the feeling that few could relate to unless you were a superhero.
Peter clenched his teeth as he leapt away, avoiding another strike from Prowler. The 'sword' was now crackling with electricity and the familiar scent of burning ozone filled the air. "T-That's s-so not fair!" Despite his shakiness, Peter raised his right hand to launch a web at Prowler who predictably jumped and twisted her body so she could be on the floor again.
"B-but then again, I'm not a fan of rules either!" Peter steadied his arm and launched a web from his left hand. Prowler dodged to the left, easily avoiding the telegraphed move.
However, Peter wasn't aiming for her.
Peter's web snagged a bag of cement and he pulled back. The heavy bag slammed against Prowler's back. The woman gasped in shock and pain but Peter didn't let up. He launched more webs at her, her arms being bound to each other while her feet were webbed to the ground. She struggled but Peter kept applying more webbing to her body.
"There! Nice and snug! Now..." Peter lowered his arms when he saw Prowler was struggling futility, her entire body save for her head now covered in a couple layers of webbing. The sword was no longer glowing, which meant Prowler had the good sense to disable that feature when she realized what was happening. "You be a good girl and..." Peter winced as the pain of his ankle flared up again. He needed to clean and wrap that up as soon as possible. "...uncle Spidey will read you a bedtime story before the cops kiss ya goodnight..."
"DAMARE!" The Prowler shouted and Peter heard the familiar sound of something tearing and being cut.
"Come on Prowly." Peter groaned as he scratched the back of his head. "I know you can't understand me, but ya gotta know that it's going to take you a while to cut through all tha-!"
Peter was silenced when he heard something click and green smoke began to billow out of the cocoon. Slowly but surely, the webbing seemed to melt and fall off as Prowler struggled out of her bindings.
"How..." Peter saw that her right hand was still gripping the sword, but the left's index finger was outstretched and touching a little button on her gauntlet, which was making the green smoke come from both gauntlets.
Peter had only one thing to say to that.
"Oh, that's so not fair."
Peter bit his lip and turned tail before running to the tarps covering the windows. "Sorry Prowly! But I gotta cut our date a little short!" Peter dodged the volleys of projectiles and what he was pretty sure were a variety of colorful Japanese curses whizzing around him. The pain in his right foot flared as he got closer to the window, but he didn't dare show it.
"This sucks because I've been trying so hard to get back into the dating scene!" Peter jumped forward and tore through the tarp, people beneath him shouting in fright as he fell down but he launched a web and began swinging above them.
Continuing the fight in the building was not ideal for Peter. While it was more open than most, it was still an enclosed place and Peter had been shot with something in the ankle. It was just smarter to get out before he hurt himself more.
"Plus she seems to only be after me. So I can just focus on putting some distance between us and bandaging this thing up without her hurting anyone else."
Well, he could use his webbing as a temporary bandage... but Peter would have to worry about things getting stuck on it or, god forbid, the thing tearing off and taking more skin with it.
Plus if it melted and the wound had not fully stopped bleeding, Peter would have a whole other mess to deal with.
As Peter swung, his thoughts went to the Prowler... the new one.
"I think I remember Hobie complaining once that one of his old hideaways had been stripped clean... was this where they had gone? And that gas..."
A lot of Peter's enemies had figured out ways to escape his webbing. To melt it, cut through it, or escape it through sheer brute strength.
But that gas brought back memories of another green gas-using supervillain.
"She is probably one of Quentin's customers." Peter's eyes narrowed. "Does that mean he's...?"
Peter's thoughts were interrupted by screams and he twisted his body around to see what was happening. He watched as a motorcycle without a driver roared down the road and jumped onto the roof of a truck. It was a Japanese bike, sleek and built for speed. Its chassis was painted purple with neon-green rims. The Prowler jumped out of the window that Peter had left through. She spread her arms out, as if to soak in the feeling of flying, and fell down.
"What the hell is she...!?"
She got closer and closer to the truck but wasn't close enough. Civilians on the road screamed in horror as the Prowler was surely about to become sidewalk pizza.
Instead, Prowler's rocket boots ignited at the last moment and she flew up and over the truck before cutting them off. She cartwheeled twice before lifting her left leg and letting her body crash onto the motorcycle seat. The machine lurched to the left and was about to tip over, but she brought her foot down and balanced the machine. Peter could practically see the Prowler glaring at him as she revved up the motorcycle twice.
"Ah, crap..." Peter moaned as he turned around to focus on swinging and not slamming into anything or anyone. He made glances behind him, seeing the Prowler drive off the truck, land onto the top of a car, and hitting the road with her engine roaring into the nightlife. People shrieked as she shot forward like a bullet, her attention honed solely on Peter.
Not even two days in and he was already dealing with a villain who wanted him dead.
Such was the life of Spider-Man.
Once again, Izuku was walking home feeling like shit.
It wasn't anything new. A dressing down from Bakugou, the giggles during P.E, and his teacher giving him a look during their private meanings when asking if U.A is really the school he wants to apply for. That look which was a cross between the inward question "Is this kid for real?" and the unspoken one to Izuku.
The look that screamed, "You can't be this delusional, Izuku. You know this is impossible. What are you even trying to prove?"
Izuku had been trying to prove to himself that he could be a hero. That if he could just wish hard enough, dream hard enough, and believe hard enough he could become a Hero.
A Hero like All Might.
One that could put a smile on people's faces and tell them that everything would be alright.
"Damn it…" Izuku looked at his phone as he slowly walked through the bustling night streets. His mom sent him a barrage of texts, each asking a variation of 'where are you?', 'please call me?', and 'are you heading home?'. A voicemail she had left had her asking why the school had called her about him running out. Her voice was full of worry which made Izuku feel especially horrible. "All I do is cause trouble for others."
"You should probably give up, already."
Izuku grimaced as the words his childhood doctor said to him echoed in his head for the umpteenth time. He had chosen to walk home rather than take the train to sort things out, but all it did was dredge up especially bad memories and feelings. "And everyone knew it. Knew that if I tried to be a Hero I would just hinder others…"
"I'm sorry Izuku… I wish things could be different...!"
Izuku stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and ignored the people shuffling around him and grumbling about him being in their way.
For years he had wanted to be a Hero. Even if he knew on some level he couldn't be like All Might, he still wanted to be a Hero.
He wanted to be All Might.
"And it didn't matter what Kacchan, the doctor, my classmates… or even Mom felt." Izuku bit his lip and put his phone into his pocket. He clenched his fists as he held his head down.
"I can teach you to be Spider-Man."
"And when I got the opportunity, I just… I just…!"
Izuku had gotten it all. His prayers had been answered and he had been given powers like the old comic book Heroes of fiction. Great gifts with a legendary Hero ready and willing to teach him.
Thousands of people would kill to be in his position. Yet, he backed down. Because he was afraid. Afraid that he would just waste Peter's time, that he wasn't ready to be trained as a Hero like Spider-Man even though this entire situation was a dream come true.
"So stop muttering or shouting that bullshit. You're distracting an elite like me from getting what I deserve."
Was that it? Was Izuku really just a distraction?
"Distracting those who need to use their powers from more important things and too cowardly to actually grasp the dream I've been yearning for…"
That thought just made Izuku want to curl up into a ball and cry.
The idea that he really couldn't be a Hero, powers or no powers.
Peter Parker's life was infinitely harder than his. Peter had to work for his fame and respect and yet his heroism was rewarded with a divorce, poverty, and now homelessness.
Yet he still tried to do the right thing when the going got tough while all Izuku did was mope or run away.
He wasn't crippled with indecision.
Spider-Man did the right thing regardless of how it could affect him.
And if that was the truth, then Izuku could never be Spider-Man.
"Damn it…!"
Izuku's thoughts were interrupted when he heard something crash in the distance. He turned and looked to see everyone else turning back. Sirens echoed through the air as the police cars began navigating through traffic.
"What's going on…?" Izuku asked himself and he was answered by the murmurs of the crowd.
"Hey, where are the cops rushing to?"
"I think I heard there's a big accident…"
"No! I think it's a Villain! My cousin just called and told me!"
"Some Villain is chasing a homeless guy dressed as Spider-Man and causing tons of damage!"
Izuku's stomach did a flip as a plume of smoke rose into the nighttime air. "No way…!"
He knew that the smoke was originating just a couple of blocks from where he and Peter ate.
Izuku felt the ground shake and glanced around to find the source. He saw the top of the head of a blond-haired woman with purple horns behind a couple of buildings a block away. They were bobbing as she got closer to the origin of the smoke.
"T-That's Mount Lady…" She was the new rookie Pro Hero making waves. She had just made her debut a couple of days ago and had gained huge amounts of popularity thanks to her form-fitting costume and gigantism Quirk.
If she was getting involved, the Villain chasing Peter must be incredibly tough!
"Oh, was that Mount Lady!?" someone to his right asked. "Man, I can't wait to see her in action!"
"Whoever the Villain is must be a big deal! My thread's already saying Kamui Woods and Death Arms are heading over there too!" said another. His cloud head's edges curled up to form the closest thing to a smile that his head could allow. "Dude, this is going to be epic! We've gotta make it there quick before the fight ends!"
"Hope they rescue that poor, delusional homeless guy."
"Heard he's holding his own, but…"
Izuku didn't hear the rest. He was already running down the block heading to the scene, pushing past people and panting as he got further away from home.
"Peter…!"
"Alright, hold still young lady…" Peter began as he swung. When he reached the end of an arc, he let go and spun around to launch several webs towards Prowler. She veered to the right, letting one hit the asphalt and the following one covered r the windshield of a cab. The driver poked his head out the window and shouted something at Peter who turned back around to focus on swinging. "...because I will turn this car around!" Peter bit his lip in frustration. "Sooner or later at least."
He was not losing this woman. She certainly earned her motorcycle license if she had one and probably made a killing on the side with illegal street races. The Prowler was weaving through traffic like a professional while avoiding his shots.
"I need to end this fast, otherwise someone will get hurt!"
And it won't be just him.
What if the Prowler caused an accident? They were lucky so far since the drivers of Japan were apparently used to superhero battles, stopping as soon as the two could be seen on the street. But how long would that last?
"Can't take any chances!"
While his left hand gripped the web he was swinging from, he shot a line with his right and gripped a recycling can. With a tug aided by his momentum, the can dislodged from the street and Peter threw it at Prowler.
The Prowler merely grabbed her sword handle with her right hand and batted it ahead of her. It crashed on the top of car and Prowler turned to her right while sheathing the sword on her belt. Now she was on the sidewalk, people screaming as they got out of the way while the bike wobbled and the front wheel swayed violently from side to side.
"Good, she's going to total it!" Peter launched a web the edge of the building to the right corner and began pulling to launch himself. "Need to turn around so I can stop the bike parts from flying into people!"
Peter was going to say something clever about bike insurance but the words died in his throat.
Rather than crashing through a window or falling to the ground, Prowler merely leaned to the right and jumped off her bike. She twisted her body as the right side of her bike skidded on the cement. Sparks flew as the chassis ground against the asphalt beneath it. Her hands still gripped the handles while her feet touched the nearby storefront.
She kept running, ignoring the sounds of the window panes cracking underneath her boots as her body began to glow purple. Her bike glowed the same color and began lifting off the ground to "fall" towards her. Prowler leaned away from her bike, making it turn so that its right side nearly sandwiched her against the wall. Before the bike could crush her body, her boots flared and she was flung back to the left. With one more twist, she was now sitting on the bike and the tips of her shoes touched solid ground again.
The purple glow ceased, both vehicle and driver bouncing on the sidewalk as if they had merely hopped off the ground instead of pulling off a stunt that would've made Ghost Rider burn green with envy.
Said stunt only took five seconds.
"Okay, that was pretty cool," Peter admitted while sticking his left foot out in preparation for a kick. "But maybe you should rethink your life choices when you're off in dreamland!"
Prowler raised her left hand, claws out, and swiped at him. However, Peter launched a line to a lamppost to the left corner behind him and pulled back. He could almost hear the metal bend before Peter was jerked out of the Prowler's range. "Well, that didn't work!" Peter flung himself off the lamppost and began swinging again. The blaring sirens of the incoming police cars penetrated the soundscape below, but none of them could drown out the roar of that 400 horsepower motorcycle. "And she's still following me! Great!" Peter turned…
...and saw something completely insane.
Prowler was now standing on her bike, her right foot on the seat and her left foot between the handlebars. Her arms were outstretched on either side of her, soaking in the wind, the honks of horns on the street, and the screams of civilians.
She then aimed her right gauntlet towards him and steadied it with her left hand. Peter soon heard the very unpleasant sound of his web line snapping.
"CRAP!" Peter began firing a line from his right hand but the nozzle was only sputtering out a few strands of webbing. "Well, I guess I deserve that for not checking if the tank was full before I left." Peter cursed himself as he glanced at his fluid levels. His right web shooter was completely empty while his left was only half-full.
But before he could shoot a line from his left hand, Peter heard a metallic clang as he slammed into something hard. He groaned and slid backward, placing his hands and feet on the box truck's cargo.
"I think I threw something in my back!"
Peter grimaced as he felt something tug painfully on his back. Rolling to his front, Peter looked forward to see that truck zoom past a yellow light. This was a driver who was running late and didn't care for any traffic light other than red.
Or a fight had broken out on his street and every car other than him had stopped.
Peter looked to the right of the car and saw that the Prowler was now driving beside the truck, specifically next to the back right wheel. The glowing green claws of her left glove were practically singing as the night air rushed over them.
Peter didn't need any louder of a warning.
Peter leapt to the front of the truck, noticing a shocked raccoon-headed person wearing a grinning cap with large blond eyebrows. "Hey buddy! Sorry! We're making an emergency stop!" Peter crawled to the right door and ripped it off. He flung at the Prowler, who swerved to the right to avoid it. The door was caught by what appeared to be… a guy who seemed to have tree branches for hands and tree bark for a mask.
Peter tore out the driver's safety belt and grabbed him. "Hang on!" Peter flung the driver away, shooting a web to create a 'bed' in between the nearest lamppost and building for the guy.
The Prowler swiped her claws on the wheel and slammed on the brakes. The truck swerved to the left and Peter put his feet between the door edge and the cargo box. "Please work! Please work!"
Peter fired two lines to the right with his left hand which hit a nearby building, his right hand shooting out to grab them instantly. He fired two more to the left and pulled with all his might as the truck swerved left and began to flip over.
"COME ONNNN!" Peter shouted, an attempt to motivate himself which probably did nothing to change the outcome. "COME ON BESSIE!" The truck teetered over, and Peter's back and right foot screamed in protest. Peter's right foot slipped a bit as blood dripped onto the metal but he held on. Peter's bones and arm muscles creaked and groaned, but Peter pulled harder to make them shut up. He heard the strands begin to snap.
"Come on you heavy bastard, stop being melodramatic and get back onto your wheels!"
After an agonizing few seconds, the truck tipped back onto its wheels. Peter breathed a sigh of relief as he let go of his web lines before crawling to the top edge of the truck.
Civilians were clustered at the edge of the street by the crosswalk, held back by a guy wearing a fireman's jacket and hardhat. His arms outstretched and lines of water forming the image of hazard signs at evenly spaced points. The cops were also parking behind the civilians and running to the scene. The guy with the wood mask was getting civilians out of cars that had crashed in the ensuing chaos.
Meanwhile, a beefy-looking guy with a white mask that had four holes on the front and revolver chambers on his wrists was trying to get the raccoon guy out of the web Peter put him in. Two more colorful characters were running to him. A guy who looked like he had protein for every meal with giant metal wrist gauntlets that were striped yellow and black, and what appeared to be Hank Pym's distant Japanese cousin wearing a skintight cream, purple, and orange one-piece costume.
"Well, at least the cavalry has arrived."
His relief died the moment he dared to look down.
The Prowler's bike had been parked right in front of the wreck.
Peter's Spider-Sense tingled but what happened next still shocked him.
The Prowler slipped out from the other side of the wrecked truck, crashing her feet right into Peter's face.
Peter felt a hundred or so pounds of body weight slam into him face-first. His teeth rattled and his nose broke almost instantly as he and his 'rider' were sent tumbling to the ground.
Peter wanted to say, "Sorry honey, but I ain't into that kind of thing!"
But all he could manage was "Sry hrny!"
He grabbed her by the ankles and tugged them away from his body, but his arms shook from the strain.
Obviously, the endeavor took longer than Peter was used to because he hit the street shoulder-first.
On the bright side, Peter couldn't feel the pain in his foot or back.
Mostly because the pain in his left shoulder blade hurt so much worse.
Peter grimaced as he raised his right foot and kicked the Prowler in the back. Bad idea since the pain of bending his back and hitting a solid object made both parts of his body hurt enough to match his shoulder blade. He groaned as he rolled onto his belly, only to be met with a green and purple boot to the face.
Peter stumbled onto his feet and before he could say something else the left side of his jaw was met with a solid right hook.
"Damn it! Come on Pete! This is Tuesday night for you!"Peter raised his fists in anticipation of the left blow but rather than seeing one Prowler he saw three. "Seeing triple? That's not good…"
Not good indeed. The Prowler was now getting her collapsible sword-thing from her belt and swung at him. He tried to grab it before it struck the back of his knees, but his vision had failed him yet again. It hit the back of his ankles and Peter found himself falling on his back.
Now there were black spots in his eyes. He noticed one that kind of looked like a bunny and mumbled out, "Hi again, Larry…"
He had been in positions like this so many times that Peter decided to name the spots that looked like animals years ago.
The Prowler twirled her sword and the tip was now aiming to Peter's head. Both of Prowler's hands were on the handle like a knight of old. She raised her arms as if she were about to sheath the sword in the stone with Peter desperately reaching out to stop her with arms that felt like wet noodles…
But the truck was picked up by the giant lady, who had a grin plastered across her face. She was saying something while her left hand was on the ground to steady herself. The beefy guy pounced on the Prowler, throwing a punch over Peter's body while she leapt over his Peter's prone form. She activated her rocket boots, propelling herself to the giant lady and landing on her left arm. Prowler glowed purple again as she ran up the now visibly shocked giant lady's arm.
"Oh, this isn't good…" Peter groaned out as he got to his feet.
And things were going to get a whole lot worse.
The day started off so well for Yu Takeyama, better known as Mount Lady to the general public.
There had been no accidents today, no collateral damage in the few battles she participated in while in her giant form. For the most part, Yu had just been going from photoshoot to interview, earning her pay and shrinking the debts her office had accumulated since her debut bit by bit. The only real bad part of the day was that some creep kept staring at her feet.
God, there were all kinds in this world.
But just before she could head home, take a nice bath, and watch Teleporting Party Crasher in a ratty t-shirt and panties, her office got a call. Something about a fairly big shot Villain whose description matched the Prowler chasing a homeless man and shooting through traffic like a madman.
While Yu was more than pissed off that her date with bad TV and pizza was being interrupted, she knew an opportunity when she saw one. Prowler had been a fairly well-known Villain a few years ago, only seen through security footage stealing or beating an unlucky security guard to death. Her skills and gadgetry let her evade All Might the few times he was at the scene.
If Yu managed to be the one to lay the final blow on Prowler, turned up the sweetness for apologies, promised a few IOUs, and passed it off like it's no big deal, Mount Lady would be the talk of the country!
Let it not be said that Yu was naive to what it meant to be a Hero.
She had known for years that being a Pro Hero was tough work. You don't pay your bills by lounging around when you're needed (though Yu would prefer to be doing just that). However, she worked long and hard to put herself out there. To be in the limelight ever since her debut and get on every magazine cover she could be they reputable or kind of creepy. To save the day with a small smile that Yu perfected in the mirror and a demure personality to show the cameras. She'd shake her ass just a bit to get attention if need be. Yu sometimes had to do degrading things to get where she was and meet ends meet, lest she' become just a one-hit wonder and let the bills start piling up again.
Yu also knew that oftentimes Heroes had to fight.
Now Yu was a pretty good fighter when she was at her normal size. She had kept up with the training classes and made a point to go to a self-defense course on the weekends. But when Yu grew to her full 2062 centimeters it severely limited what she could do. Sure she can kick and punch, but she couldn't do anything fancy or she'd total several buildings and destroy her hands or feet. This meant more paperwork and more bills to pay on top of the costs of fixing her wrecked costume.
However, Yu also knew that the fighting tended to end when small-time villains met the foot or palm of a giant woman.
Sure, some would cause trouble and some could even fight toe-to-toe with her like that idiot who also had a gigantism Quirk, deciding in his infinite wisdom to use it to try and rob a store. But she was more experienced. Yu knew how to use her Quirk and work around some of its limitations to save the say while looking sexy and cool.
So it surprised her when the Prowler had decided to jump on her arm and run up it.
"What the hell!?" Yu quickly dropped the truck and rose to her feet. The wind alone and the shift from one height to another should be enough to disorient most people, but the Prowler obviously wasn't most people. "Get off!" She screamed as she raised her right hand and slammed it on her elbow where the Villain just was. But the Prowler instead jumped forward, missing the hand by a few feet. Yu didn't like where this was going, and as such quickly ran her hand up her arm, intending to grab the villain as soon as she felt the Villain made contact with the side of her fingers.
Instead, her hand slammed on the crook of her neck and Yu cried out when she felt something walk on the back of her neck. "What do you think you're doi-!?"
"Shut up."
Yu felt something bite into the side of her neck, akin to a bug bite. Yet the stinging afterwards told her it was something worse.
"Mount Lady!" Death Arms shouted in alarm, running to her. "Damn it! Kamui Woods! We need your help!"
"A bit busy!" Kamui Woods shouted from the distance, the Hero she stole the spotlight from a few days earlier. God, she wished he could come here and do the same now. She wouldn't complain.
Still, it wasn't like she was going to just sit around and wait to be saved! "I don't know who you are…" Yu began, reaching up with her right hand. "...but I hope you're ready to become a smear a few blocks back!"
Yu's hand clenched into a fist and shot to the area of her neck that she felt the sting. She needed to put more effort in this if she wanted to make sure that Prowler didn't have time to get away. Yu would normally just try to grab the Villain, but grasping with her hand might take a second she doesn't have. It might be enough for Prowler to tear a hole in her neck and...
"There's a bomb now attached to your neck."
Yu stopped. Her eyes widening in shock. "W-Wha…?"
"There's enough to take a chunk of your neck out, spoil that 'sexy' image," Prowler growled. "Tell them to back off. I will detonate it if they take another step."
"Scum!" Death Arms shouted, his leg muscles clenching as he prepared to jump. "Get away from…!"
"STOP!" Yu shouted in fear, causing nearly everyone to pause save for the wannabe Spider-Man-themed Vigilante getting onto his feet. Yu's throat went dry as she began explaining herself. "S-She has a… a…"
"A bomb!" Prowler finished with a yell, and Yu glanced to her right and saw her terrified and sweat-drenched face in a nearby window. She looked horrible and the civilians who were watching at the other end of the street probably thought so as well. She also saw Prowler on her right shoulder now holding something in her hand, her thumb pressed down on the top. "Big enough to punch a hole through Mount Bitch's throat. If any of you Heroes try to stop me or disarm it, I'll let go of the trigger and she dies!" The Prowler's eyes narrowed. "I wonder… will she shrink down before she bleeds out or will she stay the same? Will she tumble forward or fall back? Do any of you shitheads wanna take that chance!?"
"You scum…!" Death Arms snarled, but he didn't move any closer.
Prowler saw this as her cue and leapt off Yu's shoulder. She activated her rocket boots and flew to the street, doing a somersault so her feet were now on the asphalt as the flames went out. She raced past the Heroes towards the Vigilante.
"Shit, we need Hacks." Death Arms turned towards Kamui Woods who was standing next to her right foot and looking towards her. His eyes were widened with worry and anger. "Where's the Tech Hero!? We need him here five minutes ago!"
Kamui Woods grimaced, "According to the cops he's on the other side of town! He won't make it in time!"
"What do we do?" Yu asked in a quiet voice. She was using every ounce of self-control to remain perfectly still. To make sure her knees didn't buckle, because if she were to collapse right now that would be it. If she made any movement, Prowler would detonate the bomb on her neck and she would die.
Yu could now see it in her reflection. It was a black cylinder with a blinking purple light. It was so small it could have very well just been an enlarged birthmark on her neck. But no, the blood that dribbling down indicated both its artificial nature and that ripping it out might not be the best idea.
While she was too far away to crush the civilians if she fell over, the rubble from the buildings her giant body crashed through could severely injure or kill several people. Even if she was dying, she'd would never forgive herself if she let that happen.
Death Arms grimaced before looking away. "We don't have a choice. Focus on crowd control. We have to pray that guy can hold out for just a few more minutes…"
But those words rang hollow. The Spider-Man copycat was spun a web with his left hand as the Prowler raced towards him. She took the shinai from her belt and extended it, jabbing the tip into his back and knocking him down. The guy kicked back with both of his feet, but the Prowler batted them to the side before kicking the homeless guy in the face with her right foot.
"Oh god… she's going to beat him to death right in front of us…" Yu's felt herself hyperventilate and sweat even more as the horror show unfolded continued.
Maybe she did come here to get the spotlight, but Yu was nothing if not a professional. She came here to get this guy out and minimize his injuries. Yu should've been instrumental in putting away a dangerous Villain and giving the Vigilante a piece of her mind as to why his chosen path only caused trouble in front of the cameras.
Now she was being used as a hostage while this poor man was about to be killed.
And she couldn't do a damn thing about it.
None of them could.
Yu began to pray to the one person that could possibly help in this hopeless situation.
"All Might… please… help us!"
It didn't take long for Izuku to find where the fight was happening.
Whenever a Villain appeared and a Hero was fighting them, two things helped to direct anybody who was interested to the spectacle. The first was the streets of gridlocked traffic filled with angry drivers who were complaining loudly to their passengers, over the phone, or to themselves. That and a bored policeman trying and failing to direct them to an alternative route. Izuku had heard rumors that a majority of new Villains were actually people driven insane from being stuck in traffic one too many times, but that was probably a myth.
The second was the large crowd gathered behind a police barricade where the fight was happening. While most people are used to Hero and Villain fights, there were always people who would take time out of their day to watch the spectacle.
Izuku was always one of them because he marveled at what the Heroes could do and took notes of their Quirks.
But he wasn't pushing himself through a crowd to get a front-row seat to an amazing show this time.
He was pushing through because he needed to confirm or dismiss his worst fears.
"Please… Please don't be here!" Izuku pleaded to himself but he knew it was in vain. Too many people were muttering about a homeless guy dressed as Spider-Man for it to be a coincidence. "Not only that, but if the Heroes help Peter stop the Villain…"
The Heroes would arrest Peter for acting as a Vigilante and for all the collateral damage he caused. Izuku saw glimpses of it as he raced towards the fight. Broken shop windows, crashed cars, webbing attached to buildings and lampposts as they fluttered in the wind. All of it helped to paint the picture that the fight wasn't in Peter's favor.
And in spite of all that, Izuku still wanted to see it. Spider-Man's heroics were always on the page or in now outdated CGI. This was his one chance to see Peter in action and see Spider-Man possibly pull through in spite of the odds.
"Excuse me! Please let me through!" Izuku shouted as he weaved through the crowd. His Spider-Sense tingled as an elbow flew towards his face, giving him plenty of time to dodge. These Spider-Powers sure were handy at times…
But when Izuku reached the front of the crowd, he noticed the water that was acting like a barrier and looked to his right to see the Hero that was causing it. "That's Backdraft! He's a rescue Hero that helps regularly with crowd control and works with firefighters to help quell blazes! Izuku's hands twitched, sorely wishing he had his journal.
But something else caught his eyes and dug into him like a knife.
In the middle of the street were several Heroes Izuku could recognize. Death Arms, Mount Lady, and Kamui Woods. Death Arms and Kamui Woods were turned towards them saying things like "Everything is under control" while Mount Lady stood perfectly still.
Izuku squinted between Mount Lady's legs and saw what was happening beyond them.
Peter was fighting the Prowler, jumping and trying to hit the Villain who matched him blow for blow. When he tried jumping over her, she turned and whacked him in the face with her shinai. Electricity danced across the blunt weapon and Peter spasmed as he hit the floor. He was obviously trying to say something but Izuku was too far away to hear a word of it. The Prowler didn't relent, hitting him across the face once again with her shinai.
"W-Why aren't they helping him!?" Izuku shouted aloud and that was one of many questions racing through his mind. Why was the Prowler here!? Why was she attacking Peter? Why was he having such a hard time fighting back?
Someone decided to answer him. "Apparently the Villain put a bomb on Mount Lady's neck." Izuku looked behind him to see a bald man with flesh-covered star-shaped protrusions on the sides of his head. He looked gravely at the scene as he continued. "They can't help him without killing her."
"Why can't they get a Hero to disarm the thing from a distance!?" Someone else in the crowd asked, sounding extremely uneasy. "That Villain's going to kill the guy!"
"Forget the Heroes! What about the police!? What good are they if they can't do something and just stand to the side while the Heroes do all the work?"
"All Might! Where's All Might!? He would stop this!"
"Wonder why a guy like is getting targeted by that psycho?"
"Maybe she just doesn't like anyone dressed as Spider-Man…"
Izuku's eyes widened as he thought back to the day the spider bit him. "Prowler was arguing with someone… trying to find that spider…" he remembered Peter's story. "And Peter's Villain was selling weapons and stuff to people on this world! C-Could it be!? Could he have told Prowler to kill Peter!?"
But how could Prowler have found Peter? He had been keeping a low profile until…
Until…
Izuku's arms sagged, "Until I got him a meal… People must've been posting pictures of Peter on social media. Prowler must have seen one of those posts and followed Peter to where he was staying!"
Peter was in this mess was because he dared to offer Izuku his mentorship.
If Izuku had accepted and was helping Peter now… Peter would probably be able to hold the Prowler off.
Izuku watched as the Prowler avoided Peter's sluggish and clumsy punches and kicks, jumping over one of Peter's webs before her feet collided with his chest. Peter gasped as he fell back onto the floor while Prowler's body glowed yet again. She put away her shinai and flexed her right hand, the claws extending and glowing green.
"He's going to die." Izuku's heart pounded in his ears as the nightmare unfolded before him. "He's going to die unless someone helps him!"
His mind was screaming that he should stay, that if he interfered he would probably just make things worse.
His body disagreed.
Izuku ducked the water barrier and darted forward with speed he never knew he had. His eyes widened as he looked down. "I'm... running!?"
"What the!?" Backdraft shouted. "Guys! Stop that kid!"
"WHAT AM I DOING!?" Izuku thought in disbelief as he raced in between Mount Lady's legs, passing the Heroes who were just registering their colleagues' request.
"No! Stop!" Death Arms tried to grab him with his huge, muscled arms, but Izuku sidestepped it and kept running.
"You're putting your life and others' at risk!" Kamui Woods added, but he didn't move to stop him.
This was crazy! Insane even! What was he doing, running towards a Villain who would kill him on the spot!?
Izuku didn't want to die…
..But he couldn't simply stand to the side and let Peter die!
"GYAAAAAH!" Izuku yelled not-so-elegantly. Sweat and tears streamed down his face, his feet pounding the pavement as the Prowler just registered his charge.
"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Prowler shouted in shock and fear, aiming her right gauntlet at him while pressing a button with her left pinkie. A capsule shot out and exploded into a net. Izuku's eyes squeezed shut but he legs would not stop moving. His body shook in fear and anticipation as he waited to be tangled in a mass of ropes.
But nothing happened.
Izuku opened his eyes to see that he was perfectly fine.
"I-It didn't hit me?"
He glanced down to his swinging arms and clenched fists. Pieces were changing color, gaining shades of green, purple, and blue while either extending outwards or breaking off. They returned to their normal form and color at random points while the sound of television static filled his ears.
"What is this?"
Izuku looked down at his legs and saw the rest of his body was doing the same. But when a piece of newspaper blew towards Izuku's right leg, the distorted leg dispersed and went around the paper before the newspaper totally bled through. The leg returned to 'normal' and Izuku glanced back up to see the Prowler staring at him in what he assumed was shock while Peter groaned beneath her.
"Is this like that electricity that shocked Peter? Another new power?"
But there wasn't time to think about that now!
Izuku felt his body stop vibrating as he drew close to Peter. The Prowler tried to grab him with her right hand, but Izuku screamed and dived underneath it. He skidded on the hard ground and grabbed Peter's left hand. However, the weight of Peter's and the Prowler's bodies killed his momentum.
"{Ow…}" Peter dazed eyes managed to focus on Izuku, "{Hey kid… what are you doing?}"
"{I-I do not understand!}" Izuku replied, his mind racing as he struggled to translate his thoughts into English. "{My legs ran on themselves! I-I'm scared Peter-san, but I couldn't stand aside while…!}"
"{While I got my ass kicked? Hey, I ain't complaining!}" Peter wheezed out.
Despite his fear and the tears streaming down his cheeks, Izuku felt a smile grow on his face. A glimmer of hope began to fill his chest as he started to tug Peter to safety.
"I told you before you goddamn idiot!" Izuku looked up to see the Prowler glaring at him and reaching out with her clawed right hand. She grabbed him by the collar of his school uniform and brought him up. "Stay out of my damn business! This doesn't concern you kid, so screw of-!"
Prowler was interrupted by a web splattering across her eyes and brow. She gasped and dropped Izuku, who winced as he felt his backside land on Peter's face. He could vaguely make out Peter shouting "{Oh, come on!}" underneath him before Peter shoved Izuku off and lifted his feet to hook around the struggling Prowler's neck. With a grunt of effort, Peter brought them down, flinging the Prowler through the air. She landed face-first on the ground. Peter shakily got to his feet as the Prowler scrambled to her own.
He glanced back at Izuku and said, "{Better stay back, kid. This might go on for a bit…}"
Izuku nodded rapidly. Whatever made him run to save Peter had left.
"If I interfere any more, I'll die!"
In fact, the sheer insanity of what he just pulled was starting to sink in. He had thrown himself at a known murderer, putting his own and dozens of others at risk, to help Peter! If something went wrong he'd only have himself to blame! What the hell was he thinking!?
"You fucking son of a bitch!" Prowler screamed. She released a green gas that melted the webs, revealing white eyes narrowed with rage. "That's it! No more games! I'm going to tear out your fucking throat before that kid can get in the way again! In fact…" Prowler glanced at Izuku and lifted her left hand, "This is your last warning you brat! I will blow a new hole in Mount Lady's throat if you even think about…!"
Something in the air moved. Windows shook as something akin to a sonic boom resounded through the city. Izuku shielded his eyes by crossing his arms in front of his face as a fierce gust blew in out of nowhere. "What is going o-!"
"What kind of Hero would I be…"
Izuku's eyes widened as he heard a familiar booming voice. A voice filled with confidence and power, one that Izuku heard countless times before in videos and news reports. "No way…"
"...if I let an injured man and child risk their lives to stop the cruelty of scum like you, Prowler!?"
Izuku looked up and saw the Prowler being knocked away by a blur of motion. She bounced on the asphalt, rolling before her right clawed hand grasped on the road. The claws dug five grooves into the ground l, slowing her momentum until she came to a complete stop.
"Both of you… fear not…"
Izuku looked back to where the Prowler was standing and saw him.
The newcomer stood 220 centimeters tall. He had 255 kilograms of rippling muscles that could make bodybuilders feel inadequate. He wore a humble white t-shirt that clung to him like a second skin, beige jeans, and sneakers that seemed to be straining to contain his massive form. His hair was golden blond, slicked back save for two front bangs that stood up like v-shaped antennas.
But what stood out was his face. Sharp and chiseled, his icy blue eyes hidden in shadows and a wide, confident grin on his face.
All Might seemed to pause dramatically on purpose before belting out the catchphrase that everyone wanted to hear.
"FOR I AM HERE!"
"All Might…" Izuku whispered out in wonder and awe. His idol was here in front of him, coming to his and Peter's aid in the nick of time. All Might's voice didn't contain a hint of doubt or fear as he stood in front of Prowler. The feeling that everything was going to be okay rolled off him in waves as the crowd went into a frenzy.
"It's All Might!"
"He made it!"
"Thank god…"
"It's going to be alright!"
"You hear that Pouncer! You're screwed!"
"It was Prowler, dude!"
"Get back!" Prowler shouted, standing up and backing away. Her voice and eyes now quavered, as she stood before Japan's greatest Hero. "I still have the trigger! I'll kill her! I swear to…!"
"Oh? You mean this?" Izuku looked to All Might, who was now holding a cylinder which was now covered in… duct tape? "Duct tape! Useful for all things from fixing leaky pipes…"
All Might became a blur as he chucked the tape-covered trigger into the night air like an American quarterback. It seemed to sparkle before disappearing beyond the horizon. All Might whistled as he put his right hand over his brow before finishing. "...and robbing a Villain of her bargaining chip!" He turned back to Prowler who was now staring at her empty left hand. "Now, I assume that the range of that thing is a hundred meters, tops?" All Might grinned as he continued. "Well, good luck finding it in Saga!"
The civilians, Heroes, and Izuku cheered at this. All Might had robbed Prowler of her advantage. It came as easily as breathing. The idea that All Might would save the day was a fact rather than a possibility.
"Thank god…"
"{Show off…}" Peter groaned out, palming his face. Izuku shot Peter a glare.
How could he say that when All Might did something this amazing!?
Prowler was shaking, taking a step back while eyeing All Might cautiously. "I've escaped you before. I can do it again."
"Yes, in enclosed spaces." All Might motioned around them. "But now you're in the open, Prowler! There is nowhere left for you to run!"
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" A new voice resounded through the air. It was distorted and full of static. Izuku's Spider-Sense would not stop ringing.
"{Get down!}" Peter shouted, tacking Izuku to the ground while All Might caught something in his right hand. Izuku's eyes caught the briefest glimpse of a miniature rocket before it exploded in a mass of fire and smoke. The smoke was a pale blue and soon filled the street, the civilians screaming as the other Heroes tried to maintain some semblance of order. "{You okay, kid?} Peter asked as he got off Izuku.
"{I-I fine!}" Izuku fearfully glanced back to where his idol stood. "{B-But what about All Might?}"
Izuku was answered when a mighty clap dispersed the smoke with a powerful shockwave, allowing Izuku to see a very much alive All Might with a torn shirt and pants.
"{Oh yeah, he's fine.}" Peter helpfully supplied. But Izuku was ignoring him.
The smoke was twisting and swirling, converging on the Prowler's position as if was being sucked there by a vacuum.
"But All Might's clap should've made it go away!"
"I am tired of this." The mysterious voice continued as the smoke continue to gather in that one spot. "Tired of this narrative, tired of Heroes beating Villains through brawn alone and basking in the praise of the sheep-like masses." Izuku saw that the smoke was taking a humanoid figure, lean yet standing tall. "It is time for a new Villain to rise! A Villain who is the master of the mind and the senses! The perfect foil to the likes of your so-called 'Symbol of Peace'!" The smoke then seemed to compress, tightening before shooting out and disappearing. "Behold All Might! Heroes of Japan!"
The Prowler and the smoky figure were gone. Standing in their place was a man wearing a dark purple skintight, long-sleeved shirt, dark green gloves, black leather pants, and matching boots. He also wore a dark purple belt with a buckle that consisted of a dull gold metal eye. A green brace with the same eye in the center hung around his neck. But blue flames rose into the air where his head should have been. The vaguest outline of a bald man's face could be seen within. A smug grin plastered itself across its features.
"BEHOLD MYSTERIO! THE MASTER OF ILLUSION!"
Izuku couldn't help but stare in a mix of horror and awe at this person who was supposed to be Mysterio. The way Peter made him sound in his story, the Villain was an old man who hit rock bottom in his search for respect. And Izuku remembered how he looked in the comics with his ridiculous fishbowl head and grandiose speeches which just hid a greedy, self-centered man.
But Mysterio didn't look funny now and his speech didn't sound corny at all.
He felt just like any other frightening Villain in Izuku's world.
"{So that's what the body was for…}" Peter grumbled to himself as he clenched his fists. "{Hey Quentin! Ghost Rider might have something to say about lifting his look!}"
"Be silent, worm!" Mysterio thrust his hands forward and blue lightning shot from his fingertips. Izuku and Peter braced themselves for impact but All Might shielded them with his own body.
He grit his teeth as the energy coursed through his form for two seconds before it stopped. Smoke came from his body and the Hero grinned as he looked at the otherworldly Villain. "Is that all you've got, Villain? And you claim to be my opposite?"
"Hardly." Mysterio took something from his belt and crushed it. Red smoke flowed around him and coalesced into new figures.
Izuku gaped at what he saw.
A man in green armor and a grinning metallic goblin mask, cackling madly as he flew by on a glider.
A man dressed in a dark green sweatshirt and dark black pants. Over his eyes were black welding goggles which made the small grin on his face be even more menacing. He was suspended in the air by two metal tubes that came from his back while two more were drawn back, their four pincer-like 'fingers' at the end open and revealing menacing red lights.
A giant lizard-like creature was hissing as it slinked behind Mysterio, wearing a tattered labcoat as it stared hungrily at Izuku.
A hulking brute that seemed to be made of darkness itself stepped forward next. Its chest bore a pure white spider symbol and the "mask" had angular teardrop-like 'eyes'. It's massive maw hung wide open, revealing knife-like teeth and a long pink tongue that slobbered all over the pavement.
Izuku recognized them all. They were Spider-Man's enemies, plucked right out of the comics and movies and brought to reality. There were even more behind Mysterio, their eyes filled with nothing but cruelty and sadism.
"Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Lizard, Venom, Hobgoblin, Kraven the Hunter…"
"{Okay Quentin, that's really impressive…}" Peter shot a web from his left hand to the surface of a building by Mysterio. With a tug, Peter launched himself past All Might. "{But I don't have time for your mind games!}"
Izuku watched in awe as Peter curled into a ball when the Doctor Octopus illusion tried to stab him with its tentacles, using them instead as a springboard before firing a web into the Green Goblin's face. He grabbed the web before shouting, throwing the surprisingly solid illusion into the ground. Izuku saw the reason why the illusion was solid in a mass of twisted metal and wires.
Robots. Mysterio was mixing his illusions with robotics to make them real and convincing!
The Venom illusion growled before lunging at Peter, who was racing toward Mysterio. The Villain hadn't budged an inch from where he stood. Venom was interrupted by All Might, who gave the thing an uppercut that shattered the illusion into a thousand tiny pieces along with the robot's metal skull.
It was amazing. Peter weaved through the illusions while providing one spectacularly timed after another. Meanwhile, All Might was tearing through each and every robot as if they were made of papier-mâché. He never lost his grin of confidence and looked as though he was having the time of his life.
It was like something from a dream. Izuku still had a hard time accepting that this was real. All Might and Spider-Man fighting side-by-side in front of him to take down a Villain!
Peter threw his fist at Mysterio's chest, ignoring the head.
But Mysterio's right hand shot up, grabbing the Web-Slinger's fist and stopping it cold.
"{Impressive.}" Mysterio gripped Peter's wrist before he spun and threw Peter to the ground, which buckled and cratered while Peter flopped in the air, gasping in pain. "{For a fool!}"
"{Super strength and energy expulsion? When did you get this kind of tech, Quentin…?}" Peter sputtered between coughs. Mysterio leaned down as if to whisper to him, but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
"{I told you before bug… Here, I am something else.}"Mysterio's voice was dripping with animosity. "{I am going to make sure you die here. You will never see your home again, and you will die knowing that I was the one to finally beat you. Not Osborn, not Octavius, not Kraven, not Fisk or even Li. It's just going to be me… Parker.}"
Before Peter could say anything, All Might's fist went through Mysterio's chest. However, instead of screeching metal and fraying wires there was only smoke.
"You boast of your superiority but flee before the fight can turn in our favor?" All Might said through clenched teeth. "You are the master of nothing, Mysterio, save for cowardice! No different than any other Villain!"
"Oh, you shall see Symbol of Peace." Mysterio's voice echoed as the Villains disappeared, leaving nothing but metal skeletons, wires, and computer chips. "Consider this a test run. After all... I had to see if his stories were true."
Izuku looked to All Might, whose smile had vanished. A furious scowl replaced it as his hands clenched into fists.
"His? Who could Mysterio be talking about?"
"Beware All Might, for your days are numbered! So says… MYSTERIO!"
With that, all of the smoke disappeared, leaving Izuku alone between two roadblocks, a standing All Might, and a fallen Spider-Man.
"{Are you doing okay, friend?}" All Might asked Peter in English. Peter responded with a shaky hand that went flat and shook from side to side. All Might's hearty laughter returned.
"{No, seriously. I need a ton of painkillers and bandages.}"
All Might's laughing stopped. "{Oh, yes. Let's take care of that right away.}"
Izuku let out a sigh of relief as tears fell from his eyes.
He made it. He helped save Peter and nobody died.
He was even able to see All Might up close and in action!
"What a day…"
Izuku's thoughts were interrupted when a pair of strong arms gripped him by the collar and lifted him up. Izuku now found himself face to face with the utterly livid face of Death Arms who screamed, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?"
"Oh right. That."
Well, to say that the Heroes were grateful for my quick thinking and decisive action would be the farthest thing from the truth.
I got chewed out by the police and all the Heroes besides All Might for not only putting my own life in danger, but Mount Lady's and the other civilians. I could see their point, and I understand their anger… but I think that if my feet didn't act on their own Peter might have been…
...Okay, maybe not dead. Peter told me he's been in worse situations before. But still! He could've been seriously hurt!
Still, after staying silent and taking it for a good hour I got some compliments from Kamui Woods and Backdraft for my Quirk. A phasing Quirk coupled with my wall-crawling Quirk would make me extremely useful for rescue operations. So when I graduated from Hero School, I should give them a call for an internship.
It was nice… being complimented and all. But in the back of my head, I knew they would've dismissed me as a reckless idiot and forgot about me if I was Quirkless.
They would have probably been even more impressed with Kacchan if he were there…
Peter was placed in an ambulance with people muttering about how their tax dollars now had to pay for a homeless Vigilante's recovery. He told me to just wait for him before the doors shut. I couldn't help but worry… what if he tried explaining himself to the cops and they threw him into a mental asylum while he was drugged out from all the operations and stuff in the hospital?
All Might was busy with interviews and autographs, so I took it as a sign to get home before Mom called the police to search for me.
There's no way I could've expected what happened next…
"I AM HERE!"
Izuku screamed as All Might slid into the middle of the street in front of him. He had changed into a white polo shirt that hugged his body as tightly as his last shirt.
"Crossing the street like a normal person!" All Might finished with a chuckle before he stood up in front of Izuku, grinning with his hands on his hips. "Hello, young man! Fancy meeting you here!" He capped off the declaration with a tiny salute.
Izuku tried hard to keep his knees from buckling. "A-All Might!" This was the first time he was speaking to All Might! He needed to say something! Something that would encapsulate all his feelings about the Hero! Anything!
"I love you!"
Anything but that!
All Might wasn't even phased by Izuku's slip and simply laughed at his reddening face. "Don't worry! I get that a lot!"
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like…" Izuku gulped before breathing in and out to calm himself. This was his one chance to talk to All Might! There weren't any others who could get in the way and there was no life-or-death situation to steal his attention away. 'I-It's just that… I've been wanting to meet you for a long time… It's kind of hard to believe you're here in front of me…"
"It's no problem at all, young man!"
Izuku twiddled his thumbs and looked away. He couldn't help it! The excitement coupled with…
...coupled with the shame of how they met before.
"A-All Might…" Izuku bit his lip. "About the fight… I'm… I'm…"
He bowed before shouting, "I'm so sorry for my actions! I put so many people in danger and... and I probably forced you have to be concerned about me so you couldn't focus as much on the fight with the Prowler and Mysterio!"
They probably got away because of him too. Prowler and her bike had disappeared without a trace. Nobody could find her. No tire markings or even bits of her costume could be found at the scene.
Mysterio was just gone, and from the muttering he heard when he left, everyone was talking about him. A hot new villain that escaped All Might. Realistic illusions coupled with robotics that kept him and the 'homeless Vigilante' busy, though they thought he was unoriginal by pulling out fictional villains to fight All Might.
Still, they thought it was cool. Better than the movies even.
"Whoa, young man! No need to mumble an apology!" Once again, Izuku's face turned beet-red. "Though I did come here to talk to you about that," All Might admitted with a grin. "I usually don't talk to fans one-on-one like this, so I would very much appreciate it if you answered my questions."
"Of course!"
"Now then, young man…" All Might's grin was replaced with an expression of utter seriousness. "What do you want to do with your life?"
Izuku stared at All Might, stared at the man who was the Symbol of Peace. The man he could only admire from videos, the one he fanboyed over even as others mocked him for worshiping the ground he walked on.
The man who inspired his dream.
"I-I want people to see my smile and feel safe. I want to be just like you," Izuku admitted with a bowed head. "I… want to be a Hero."
But that wasn't the kind of question Izuku wanted to ask All Might.
It was always, "Could I be a Hero?"
And now… he really needed to ask it. Considering he backed out whenever it actually mattered. Peter almost died because of his indecision. Who knew when that could act up again?
All Might nodded as if expecting this. "Yes… it's a noble dream. One many young men such as yourself have. However!" All Might pointed at Izuku and said, "What you did when the Prowler was attacking that man was something not many others have!"
"H-Huh?" What was All Might talking about?
"Many would call what you did stupid, short-sighted, and dangerous! You ran in there trying to save that man from a dangerous Villain who luckily didn't simply try to kill you for interfering!"
Izuku looked down and his eyes filled with tears of regret and shame. He was expecting this, but it still hurt.
"Tell me, young man… what was going through your head when you ran in?"
Izuku could lie… say that he knew his Quirk would keep him safe from the Prowler. But what was the point? Izuku couldn't lie to All Might.
"I-I wasn't thinking," Izuku admitted. His eyes were dripping again. Why did he have to cry in front of his Hero? "My legs just moved on their own. I wish I could explain it better but I can't." His hands clenched into fists. "I know it was stupid, and I called myself stupid for doing it, but I just…!"
"Young man, what you did is the mark of a true Hero."
Izuku's crying stopped as his gaze trailed upward to see All Might, grinning back at him. "W-What…?"
"The greatest Heroes of the world always have one thing in common." All Might lifted his right arm, pointing upwards with his index finger. "Whenever there was someone in trouble in front of them, their legs moved on their own and they went to save that person without hesitation."
He pointed at Izuku and said, "You, young man, have that thing in common with them. It's a rare trait to have. Not many in my business have that pure, unconscious drive to do what is right." Izuku gaped at All Might, who laughed while scratching the back of his head. "Sure, it could have happened under better circumstances, but what matters is that you acted when others wouldn't!"
"A-All Might…"
"Young man, what is your name?"
"Izuku!" Izuku replied automatically. "Izuku Midoriya, sir!" He bowed over and over again while shouting, "It's very nice to meet you!"
"Whoa! Stop that!" Izuku gave one last bow before standing straighter than any toy soldier. "I just wanted to tell you one thing. One thing that I know for a fact."
All Might took a deep breath…
...and said the eight words Izuku wanted to hear his entire life.
"You are going to become an amazing Hero."
Izuku couldn't help it. His lip quivered and his eyes watered. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as those words echoed in his head.
For years he had been told he could never do it. That he should just give up and that trying was pointless.
Yet here he was. Standing in front of All Might, who said he would become an amazing Hero without hesitation.
"This is a dream come true…!"
"Alright then!" Izuku blinked as something was shoved into his chest. "Sorry for going through your stuff, but I figured you would want this!"
Izuku looked down and saw in his hands was his open Hero notebook.
Across two blank pages was All Might's autograph!
"You have no idea what seeing you do what you did meant to me, Izuku Midoriya." Izuku looked up to see All Might smiling warmly and ruffling his hair. "If I had met you… ah well, it doesn't matter now."
He turned around and crouched low. "I best be off! I hope to see you at U.A. next year, Young Midoriya!"
"Thank you so much!" With Izuku's thanks, All Might jumped off into the distance. Izuku gazed at the autograph with the biggest, goofiest smile on his face.
"He thanked me… he said I had what it took to be a Hero…" His euphoria evaporated as another thought ran through his head. "...but I didn't ask him what I wanted to."He was too busy basking in the moment for the question to even cross his mind.
"{Well, that took longer than I expected.}"
Izuku turned around and screamed as he saw Peter. He was still dressed in the top of his costume, sweatpants, and jacket. "{P-Peter-san! What are you doing here!?}" He should be in the hospital! His face was covered in bruises and open scabs, his right foot was heavily bandaged and he was limping!
"{Well, I tried following that guy after ditching the ambulance…}" Peter pointed to where All Might left. "{But it looked like you were getting some inspirational speech from him and I decided that it would be awkward if I popped up.}"
Izuku couldn't help but agree.
"{So… you bummed out about what happened?}"
Izuku nodded his head, looking down. "{Peter-san… I-I am most sorry!}" He bowed his head again. "{I didn't accept the offer! If I had been with you rather than running, I would have… We could have…!}"
"{Izuku, come on. You gotta stop thinking like that.}" Izuku felt Peter's fingers lift his chin until he could see Peter shaking his head. "{Hell, if you had been with me I would've gotten my ass kicked even harder! I mean, I would have to be worried about you and you would be frozen in place! You weren't exactly a monster back when you charged at the wannabe Prowler…}"
"{But still…}"
"{Look, I wasn't expecting you to accept right away,}" Peter continued on. "{I would be worried if you did. I'm used to the insanity of the superhero lifestyle. You're just a kid. I wouldn't want to force you into something you weren't ready fo-}"
"{That is not it!}" The words left Izuku's mouth before he could think. Peter blinked, the words dying in his throat as he gazed at the fourteen-year-old before him.
"Might as well keep going. I need to get this out!"
Izuku's mouth tightened before he began. "{A-All my life, I had dreamed of being a Hero. But… I had been told it was impossible. Before the spider had bitten me, I was… without Quirk.}"
He didn't know how to say Quirkless in English and hated himself for it. It was hard to express himself without his full vocabulary. "{People mocked me, and I could only watch from far away as Heroes saved others.}" He looked at Peter and felt tears form in his eyes. "{Once I got these powers, you came to offer training and I rejected!}" Izuku began to sob as he said, "{I thought that they were right! That I was weak! That I was not deserving to be Hero!}"
All Might's face filled his vision.
"You are going to become an amazing Hero."
Izuku clenched his teeth. He knew what he was going to say now.
"{But All Might… he said I could! That I could become a great Hero now! But I need help! I-I cannot do this thing on my own! I need help to get into U.A, a school of the world's greatest Heroes! I cannot do this on my own!}"
Izuku rose into a shout, "{I-I won't hesitate anymore! I will not falter! Can you… can you teach me to become Spider-Man!?}"
That was the loudest he'd ever spoken. For all his life, Izuku had been quiet. It wasn't appropriate for someone like him to make waves or talk back to people like Kacchan.
But now? Now those words came out as easily as all the others.
Peter was silent for a second and Izuku felt all of his fears and insecurities bubble to the surface.
They were quelled with the beaming smile that spread across Peter's face.
"{Yes I can…}"
And that was it. That was how it all started.
The two meetings and the spider-bite that changed my life forever.
I was on the path to get into U.A and become a Spider-Man that Peter would be proud of.
"{Wait… you mean this world has an actual school for superheroes? Like Xavier's place?}"
But we both had a lot to learn before I got in.