LightReader

Chapter 11 - Toga Himiko

The night is quiet. Too quiet. Spider-Man is mid-patrol when his spider-sense picks up something unusual—not danger, exactly, but distress. Emotional distress. Raw and unfiltered.

He follows the sensation to an old abandoned building, its roof crumbling and overgrown with vines. And there, sitting on the edge, legs dangling over a five-story drop, is a girl.

She can't be more than fourteen or fifteen. She has blonde hair tied in two buns, and she's wearing tattered clothes. Her body is shaking—not from cold, but from the force of her sobs.

SPIDER-MAN (cautiously approaching):

"Hey."

The girl whips around, eyes wild and red-rimmed. When she sees the red-and-blue suit, she flinches.

TOGA (backing away):

"Don't! Don't come any closer!"

She moves further toward the edge. Spider-Man immediately stops, raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture.

SPIDER-MAN:

"I'm not here to hurt you. I just… heard you. Are you okay?"

TOGA (laughing bitterly):

"Okay? Am I okay? That's funny. Nobody ever asks if I'm okay."

She wipes her face with the back of her hand, smearing tears across her cheeks.

TOGA (cont'd):

"They look at me like I'm a monster. Like I'm wrong. They always say I'm wrong."

Spider-Man carefully sits down on the rooftop, a safe distance away. Not threatening. Not prying.

SPIDER-MAN:

"Who says that?"

TOGA (voice breaking):

"Everyone. My parents. My teachers. The kids at school. They say my Quirk is creepy. They say I'm creepy. They say I should be locked up. That I'm dangerous."

She looks down at her hands.

TOGA (cont'd):

"And maybe they're right. Maybe I am dangerous. Maybe that's all I'll ever be."

Spider-Man listens. He doesn't interrupt or minimize her pain. He just listens.

TOGA (cont'd):

"There's this person… they say I could be so much more if I just stopped fighting it. If I just accepted what I am and used it. They say there's a place for someone like me. A group. A family."

She looks back at Spider-Man, and her eyes are desperate.

TOGA (cont'd):

"And part of me… part of me wants to say yes. Because at least they don't think I'm wrong. At least they want me."

SPIDER-MAN (carefully):

"What's your name?"

TOGA (hesitating):

"…Toga. Himiko Toga."

SPIDER-MAN:

"I'm Spider-Man. And Himiko? You're not wrong. Your Quirk might be different, but that doesn't make you a monster."

TOGA (angry tears):

"You don't know me. You don't know what I can do. What I want to do sometimes."

SPIDER-MAN:

"You're right. I don't know all of it. But I know this: if you were truly dangerous, you wouldn't be sitting here crying about it."

He shifts slightly, still maintaining distance.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"Real monsters don't question themselves. They don't doubt. They just do. The fact that you're conflicted? That means you still have a choice."

TOGA:

"What choice? Everyone's already made up their mind about me."

SPIDER-MAN:

"Not everyone. And more importantly—you get to choose who you want to be. Not your parents. Not your peers. Not this group trying to recruit you. You."

Toga is quiet for a long moment, her body still shaking.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"I'm guessing nobody's ever told you that before."

TOGA (whispering):

"No. They just tell me what I should be. What I should do. Like I don't matter. Like my opinion doesn't count."

SPIDER-MAN:

"Well, your opinion counts. Your choice counts. And if you want to be more than what people expect you to be—if you want to be a hero instead of a villain—that's possible. It's hard, but it's possible."

TOGA (looking at him):

"How do you know that?"

SPIDER-MAN:

"Because I'm proof. Nobody expected me to do anything. I'm quirkless—at least, I was. But I decided I was going to make a difference anyway. I decided I wasn't going to let other people's expectations define me."

He stands up slowly, still being careful not to make sudden movements.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"And here's the thing—it's the hardest path. Being a hero is harder than being a villain. It requires sacrifice, discipline, and constantly fighting against the easier option. But it's worth it. Because when you save someone, when you help someone, when you make a real difference—that feeling is worth everything."

Toga is still crying, but differently now. Not the desperate, hopeless tears from before. These are tears of uncertainty, mixed with something that might be hope.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"There are hero schools. Places where people like you—people who don't fit the mold—can learn to be heroes. To use their Quirks for good. To find a real family, not one built on shared darkness."

TOGA:

"I could never… they'd never accept me."

SPIDER-MAN:

"You don't know that until you try. And even if one school rejects you, there are others. There are always options."

He extends his hand, still keeping a respectful distance so she doesn't feel trapped.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"Come away from the edge. Let's talk about this more. Let me help you figure out what comes next."

Toga stares at his hand for a long moment. The wind whips around them, carrying the sounds of the sleeping city below.

TOGA (quietly):

"What if I mess up? What if I'm not strong enough? What if I choose this and then… it's not what I thought?"

SPIDER-MAN:

"Then you figure it out and adjust. That's what living is—making choices and learning from them. The important thing is that you're the one making the choice."

He keeps his hand extended, patient and steady.

TOGA (voice small):

"Can I… can I think about it?"

SPIDER-MAN (smiling beneath his mask):

"Yeah. You can think about it. Take your time. But don't think alone, okay? There are people who can help you figure this out."

Toga slowly moves back from the edge. She doesn't take Spider-Man's hand, but she stands up on shaky legs.

TOGA:

"How do I find you again? If I decide… if I decide to try?"

SPIDER-MAN:

"Come back to this rooftop. Same time next week. If I can, I'll be here. And if you decide the hero path is right for you, we'll figure out the next steps."

He pulls out a piece of paper and a pen from his suit's small pouch. He writes down a number—a secure line that routes through M.A.R.I.A.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"This is an emergency number. If you're ever in danger, or if you just need to talk, use it. Okay?"

Toga takes the paper with trembling hands.

TOGA:

"What's your real name? I want to know… if I'm going to do this, I want to know the name of the person who believed in me when nobody else did."

Spider-Man hesitates. Giving out his real name is a massive risk. But in this moment, with this broken girl standing on the edge of a choice that will define her life, it feels important.

SPIDER-MAN:

"Andrew. My name is Andrew."

TOGA (testing the name):

"Andrew… Spider-Man."

She looks at him with tear-stained cheeks and something that might be the beginning of hope.

TOGA (cont'd):

"Okay. Okay, I'll think about it. And maybe… maybe I'll come back next week."

SPIDER-MAN (nodding):

"That's all I'm asking. Just think about it. And know that there are people out there who see your potential. Who see the good in you, even if you can't see it in yourself yet."

🌃 Scene: The Following Week – Same Rooftop

Spider-Man arrives at the rooftop to find Toga already waiting. She looks healthier—her hair is clean, her clothes are less tattered. Her eyes are red, but not from recent crying.

TOGA (as he lands):

"I've been thinking about what you said. About choices."

SPIDER-MAN:

"And?"

TOGA:

"I told the person who was trying to recruit me that I wasn't interested. They… they didn't take it well. Said I was making a mistake. That I'd regret it."

SPIDER-MAN:

"What did you tell them?"

TOGA (with a small smile):

"I told them that maybe I would regret it. But at least it would be my regret. My choice."

Spider-Man can hear the strength in her voice—fragile, but growing.

TOGA (cont'd):

"I want to try. I want to be a hero. But I don't know how. I don't know where to start."

SPIDER-MAN:

"First step: focus on school. Get your grades up. Show that you're serious about being a productive member of society. Then, when the time comes, apply to a hero school. UA if you can get in, but there are other good schools too."

He pulls out his notebook and starts writing down resources, school websites, training tips.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"Second step: control your Quirk. Learn how to use it responsibly. Find mentors who can help you understand it better."

TOGA:

"Will you help me?"

SPIDER-MAN (carefully):

"I can guide you. But I'm not a licensed hero, so I can't be your official mentor. But there are people out there—real heroes—who would be interested in training someone with your potential."

TOGA (determined):

"Okay. I'm going to do this. I'm going to be a hero."

SPIDER-MAN:

"I believe in you, Himiko. And I'm going to be watching. If you ever stumble, if you ever need someone to remind you why you made this choice, you know how to reach me."

He hands her a small device—an upgraded version of his burner communication system.

SPIDER-MAN (cont'd):

"This is secure. Use it if you need me."

Toga takes it, and for the first time, she smiles—a genuine smile that reaches her eyes.

TOGA:

"Thank you, Andrew. For seeing something in me that nobody else did."

SPIDER-MAN:

"I just showed you what was already there. You did the hard part—you chose to believe in yourself."

📝 Scene: Midoriya Household – A Few Days Later

Andrew is working on his web-shooters when Izuku knocks on his door.

IZUKU:

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

ANDREW:

"Yeah, what's up?"

IZUKU:

"Do you think people can change? Like, if someone's headed down a bad path, can they actually turn it around?"

Andrew sets down his tools and looks at his brother.

ANDREW:

"Why do you ask?"

IZUKU:

"I was reading about villain rehabilitation programs. And I just wondered—do you think it's possible?"

ANDREW (thoughtfully):

"I think… people are more complicated than 'good' or 'bad.' I think most people are just doing their best with what they've been given. And if someone chooses to try to be better—if they really commit to it—then yeah. I think they can change."

IZUKU:

"That's what I was hoping you'd say."

Izuku leaves, and Andrew returns to his work, smiling slightly to himself.

ANDREW (thinking):

One person changed. One choice redirected. It's not much in the grand scheme of things, but it matters.

And maybe that's what this is all about. Not stopping every crime or catching every villain. But giving people the chance to choose differently. Showing them that redemption is possible.

He returns to his web-shooters with renewed focus, unaware that his actions have just altered the course of someone's entire life.

🌆 Scene: News Broadcast – One Month Later

NEWSCASTER:

"In positive news today, several high-achieving students have been accepted to prestigious hero schools for the upcoming year, including UA High. Among them is Himiko Toga, a formerly troubled student who has worked to turn her life around through dedicated study and Quirk mastery."

On the screen, a younger version of Toga is shown accepting her acceptance letter, genuine joy on her face.

Andrew is watching the news when he sees it. His expression shifts—surprise, then quiet satisfaction.

ANDREW (thinking):

She did it. She really did it.

He doesn't know yet that Toga will remember him, that she'll search for Spider-Man during the hero school years, that their paths will cross again in ways that matter.

All he knows is that one person chose differently because someone believed in them.

And that's enough.

I hope I did this justice

More Chapters