The villains bar was dimly lit, as always. Every night for the last week, Eddie Brock would come to recuperate with himself. Bonded to a symbiote, his singular mind was never left alone, save for a few moments in the day. Most of the time, his mind was fused with another, like having two voices, two kinds of thoughts.

Occasionally, at least once every other day, the symbiotes mind would sleep, having been satisfied by the actions Eddie allowed him to take part in. Where Carnage needed to kill, Venom leaned more toward simple destruction. His craving was revenge, anger, and hatred. Taking out his emotions on others was what kept him going; it's why they bonded in the first place. Eddie—or Venom for that matter—has not killed as of this point, but he has always come close. The thrill of backing off just before the victim's death excited them.

Right then, however, the symbiote was satisfied and asleep, and Brock could only hear his own thoughts. It was a strange feeling, one that scared him most of the time. Not having the symbiotes voice to compliment his own was abnormal to him, but he could at least bathe in the silence for however long it lasted.

Clarity was a rare thing—for everyone, not just him.

"Need a drink?"

Kurogiri approached him with a bottle and a shot-glass, politely placing them on the table. Eddie always identified this man by his gas-head, wondering how someone could exist like that and call it normal. Then again, he could say the same about himself.

"It doesn't really affect me," Eddie admitted, "My symbiote sort of just burns through the alcohol."

"Shame," Kurogiri put the drink away, "The bliss of being drunk is the only thing good about it, anyway."

"Don't like the taste?" Eddie asked.

"Can't taste. Even if I could, I wouldn't."

"There a reason we're talking?"

Being that he used to be a reporter, he knew when someone was trying to start a conversation just to lead them to a different topic. It was a common method to lure people into a subtle interrogation, or ease the blow for something they wanted to bring up.

"You're clever," Kurogiri complimented, "We notice that since join the League of Villains, you've done very little to prove yourself useful."

"I keep to myself, that's all."

"You need to start pulling your weight," He placed a file on the table for him, "We have an assignment coming up for some of the newcomers. Go with them and ensure they succeed. Everything you need to know is in here."

"I'm getting homework."

"You getting a roof over your head. Don't screw up, or you may lose it."

"The roof?"

"Your head."

He walked away from Brock to continue cleaning the glasses.

Eddie felt the symbiotes conscious awaken from its slumber, like a headache flooding in with the greatest of subtlety. Together, they examined the file and everything inside, excited to feed on destruction once again.

…

The morning sun caressed Peter's hair. Despite its purpose to revive those lost in sleep, it's light soothed him deeper into slumber. Too many late nights plagued him and they had finally caught up to claim his eyes. Even when he did wake through the night, he would choose to keep his eyes closed as to return to the blissful dream he was having.

What finally woke him wasn't the sun or an alarm, but a strong and sudden stinging sensation across his cheek, preluded by the roaring of his spider-sense too late to prevent it.

He shot up in a yelp and breathed heavily, finding his partner, Mei Hatsume, standing over him with a smile on her face.

"Did …" he did a double take, "…Did you just slap me?!"

"Yes," She answered plainly, "Problem?"

"…Yeah?! What the hell, Hatsume?!"

"Well how else was I gonna wake you?"

"Uh, an alarm, maybe?! Or just lightly shaking me?! Not slapping me across the face!"

"Pft, that's boring though. My way is efficient and way more fun!"

"Not for me!" he sarcastically chuckled.

Peter swung his legs out of bed and rubbed his eyes, letting his body catch up with the panicked state of his mind. Hatsume didn't seemed bothered at all and was unable to register what she may have done wrong. It was hard to be mad at her when she gave him that innocent grin.

"Your mom is making us breakfast," Hatsume told him, "I think she slept out in the living room, last night."

Peter muttered profanity under his breath after remembering where he had left Inko the night before. He wasn't sure whether or not it was better to quickly check on her, or approach her slowly. Eventually, he chose to get up and navigate into the living room.

The chair he left her sleeping in was empty, with a single blanket sprawled across the floor. Inko herself was in the kitchen, cooking a traditional Japanese breakfast with rice, miso soup, and protein side dishes. She was rather focused in what she was doing, which was often a method of distraction she was familiar with.

"…Good morning," Peter said sheepishly.

Inko briefly turned around to wish him good morning with a half-hearted smile, continuing to cook and finish up what she was doing. Even in early morning, Inko was always wide awake with sunshine in her eyes, unless something was clearly bothering her.

"…How was your night?" He asked.

"How was yours?" She retorted, finally turning around to clean her hands with a rag, "I was hoping you would get home a bit sooner."

"I know …I'm sorry that I always get home so late …I was-"

"Patrolling. I know."

There was a sense of bitterness in her voice, though not intentional by any means. She felt more like the disappointed mother, expecting more of their child than what they got. He hadn't really felt that in a while, not since May, or even his own mother.

"You're mad," he stated.

"I'm not mad."

"I'd rather you be mad than disappointed."

"I promise I'm not mad."

"Inko …"

She sighed and clenched the rag tighter, "I worry for you, Peter. You disappear into the night and I never know if you're coming back. You're 16 years old; you shouldn't have to deal with all this, yet."

"It's not my choice."

"It absolutely is! You don't need to put on that mask just because you have powers! I have a quirk too, but I don't put on a mask and risk my life!" she took a moment to breath, relaxing her shoulders and bringing down her tone, "You could find a school to learn about being a hero, or you could become a police officer. There are so many better things you could do."

To be told such things admittedly made him angry, but not at her, specifically. He hated when people acted like what he did was purely a choice. Yes, he chose to put on a mask, but not for the thrill or excitement. He wanted to live up to the memory of his uncle, and use his gift responsibly. This was just something he had to do.

"…My uncle once told me 'with great power comes great responsibility'. I have these powers, so it's my responsibility to use them for the good of others."

"I understand," She admitted, "But fighting criminals is only one thing you can do."

The tension was split like a knife through blood when Hatsume had finally entered the room with her bright personality, exclaiming a good morning to them both while hugging Peter from the side. Her bubbly demeanor quickly changed the atmosphere as she was practically jumping around, "Good morning, Midoriya family! Is breakfast ready, yet? Parks and I need to get to work! Stat! Super stat!"

It was both somewhat annoying, yet also enviable, that she was completely oblivious to the tension in the room. At least, she seemed oblivious.

"You two can eat in the boy's room while you work," Inko said as she handed them their breakfast.

"Coolest mom ever!" Mei cheered, grabbing both sets of breakfast and pushing Peter with her shoulders, "Come on, nerd!"

Though he wanted to finish the conversation, Hatsume was far too persistent as they moved back into his room. Had he been able to continue talking with Inko, he probably would have just felt worse about himself.

Did Hatsume know that? Or, was she really that oblivious?

…

Why was she putting it off?

Mirko was standing outside the prison, where her best friend was locked away deep inside, waiting for her. She had made several visits already in the past weeks, yet today she found herself hesitant. Was it a sense of guilt or shame? What's different about today?

Maybe it's just finally getting to her.

Seeing Aihara in that prison uniform, surrounded by guards ready to pull a gun on her, never being able to give her a comforting hug from behind the glass window. It was all poking at her like a blade to the skin. This was her best friend since High School, and now everyone was shaming her. Maybe she did deserve her punishment, but what about malice that came with it?

Finally, she entered the building and got respectful greetings from the workers. She found Aihara waiting for her in the visitation center, one palm supporting her from the cheek. Her hair had grown a little in her time behind bars, now reaching just beyond her shoulders rather than falling short of them.

"I like your hair," Said Mirko as she sat down, taking the phone in her hands, "Always said you should let it grow out."

"Can't really cut it," Aihara retorted, "I asked if they would, but I don't think they want me anywhere near sharp objects."

"The messy look always worked for you, though. Made you look sexy."

Despite her resistance, Aihara couldn't help but chuckle at the comment, "You would say that."

"Why, 'cause your sexy?"

"Usagiyama," she scolded.

"I miss teasing you," Mirko admitted, "We haven't hung out enough since High School. Remember people used to think we were a couple?"

"Ew."

"Uh, excuse me? What do you mean 'Ew'?"

"Oh, not because you're a girl, just because it's you. You're more like the big sister I never had; annoying, bit of an attention hog, stubborn-"

"You're such a brat!" She scoffed.

Their laughter filled the room, much to the guard's dismay. They were so close in High School and always looked out for the other. Mayume had protested her visits at first, but now had begun to look forward to them. It was the only time she felt somewhat normal while trapped here.

"What's the food like?" Mirko asked.

"Surprisingly, not that bad. It's no gourmet, but it's not terrible. The people, on the other hand …"

"I doubt they'd ever mess with you."

"Why would they? They think I'm some kind of murderer."

The darker tension had returned, pushing weight onto Aihara's shoulders. No one could escape the shadows forever, especially when they came from inside of her. She had never intentionally hurt someone, yet everyone was convinced she was a terrorist. How did her acts of grief turn into terror against an entire nation?

"When you get out in a few weeks," Mirko tapped on the glass between them, "Let's go out for a few drinks. There's a new bar that's pretty fancy, has karaoke, and tons of good-looking guys and gals hang out there."

"In a few weeks? What are you talking about?"

"Your trial, remember?"

"Usagiyama …I'm not getting out of here."

"Don't be stupid! You rarely ever hurt anyone!"

"I hurt a lot of people when I got the stones."

"Put yourself down all you want, but I guarantee you'll get out in no time."

Mirko was so confident in her, but it only made Mayume feel worse. All that pride and belief was misplaced, she thought. Aihara knew what she was; a villain. The trial would be nothing more than a formality, in and out with a guilty verdict. It was better to prepare for the worse than expect the best.

"I'm buying you balloons that day as insurance," Mirko suggested.

"Please don't do that …make it cake. I miss cake."

"They don't serve cake in here? That's the real crime!"

The guards signaled to them that time was almost up.

"Drinks," Mirko smirked, "You and me. Deal?"

Despite her doubts toward her release, she couldn't resist that smile, "Deal."

Mirko's face suddenly became very serious as she placed the palm of her hand against the glass, "Promise? Swear by your pinkie."

Mayume hesitated, feeling as though she was lying if she did this. The look in her friend's eyes was too much, like an ocean which beckoned her to swim. It was hard to ever say no to her. That's why she couldn't stop herself from placing her hand against the glass, "Swear by my pinkie."

"If you don't show up, you owe me your pinkie."

The rabbit hero left her on that promise and exited the room with a friendly wave. Mayume was distracted, looking at her own palm, almost deaf to the voice of the guards telling her to get up. It was as though she was staring at invisible chains, wrapped around her fingers with a lock, and Mirko would only give her the key if the promise was fulfilled.

It should have given her hope, yet, their promise has only made her feel more trapped.

Rather than continue her hero work straight away, Mirko had quickly returned to her home. It was a well-kept, quality apartment several stories high. She could aim for a pent-house, if she wanted, but decided a dash of humbleness was something she needed. She would head back out soon, she told herself, just needing a break.

As much as she enjoyed visiting her friend, seeing her there in that orange outfit was torture to the eyes and a slaughter to the heart, as though the devil was slashing them with a whip. What she did was terrible, but she was still a hero, yet it seemed like no one cared about that. She had saved so many lives, and even as a villain, never took one. Again, no one cared.

She was no better. Before knowing she was Lumina, she treated the villain just the same; not caring about the why, only how she needed to be stopped. Mirko treated Peter the same way back in Hosu. She was no different than everyone else in that moment. It made her feel like a hypocrite.

She checked her phone which sat on the desk, having left it here since her leotard didn't exactly provide pockets. Besides, it made for less of a distraction by leaving it behind.

When she observed the phone, she saw a voicemail had been left for her from All Might himself. She hadn't spoken with him much, despite both being in the top ten. She curiously played the message with the phone brushing against the fur of her rabbit ears.

"Greetings, Mirko!" All Mights proud voice came through, making Mirko grin as she shook her head, "I hope you are faring well! I call today to inform you that the B.O.H. protocol has been activated!"

Mirko froze in place, having not heard that term since High School and never imagining she'd be part of it. She wanted to question him, before remembering it was just a voicemail.

"We need you to come to the station as soon as you can!" The message continued, "Before that, though, there is someone I need you to pick up. Call me back as soon as you can …This is All Might, by the way."

The message ended, leaving her dazed.

"B.O.H.," She repeated under her breath, "Damn …"

…

Peter's notes were filled with endless chicken-scratch, as if written in a language only he and Hatsume could ever understand. The door to the room was closed, but they left the window cracked open as it was starting to get a bit warm from the work.

His suit was sprawled out across the bed. The basic form was finished, with many of the wiring and mechanics nearly put in place. All that remained after that was covering the material in layers of fabric, Kevlar and polyester. He considered making the emblem out of stronger metals, but that would make it harder to wear underneath his clothes and hide in his bags. There was always too much to consider when it came to practicality.

"I did it!" Hatsume suddenly shouted, standing up from Izuku's desk and laughing hysterically, "Screw you, unsolvable problem that is now solved!"

"What did you do?" Peter asked with mild concern.

"I finally cracked the retraction matrix for your web wings!" She held up the wiring and papers she had been fiddling with, "It's going to take a lot of threading and materials, but if we do it right, you'll only have to press a button in your glove with a single finger for two whole seconds and BOOM! Web wings expand from under your arms! Then, you press it again to retract!"

"And the wings themselves?"

"Stretchy, long lasting materials mixed with silk, threading and a version of your web fluid that won't dissolve after two hours!"

"Durability?"

"Strong! Like, super strong! You'll rarely have to replace them unless they get damaged!"

He stood up to examine her work, just to make sure she hadn't missed anything in her excitement. Her notes were chicken-scratch, much like his own, but the science was solid. She had clearly put a lot of thought into it, considering the writing would overlap itself.

"You …actually did it," he said with surprise.

"Hell yeah! Now, hug me! We need to celebrate!"

Without warning, she quickly wrapped her arms around Peter and squeezed tightly, nearly lifting him off his feet. It would have hurt if not for his super strength and stronger bones. He couldn't help but laugh at her excitement.

"Okay! Okay!" He finally managed to squirm out of her grip, "Tell you what, what if I head somewhere and get us some food? I've got quick access to a portal like from the funeral, so I can grab something from New York if you want."

"A New York delicacy?! Yes, please!"

"I wouldn't call it a delicacy by the traditional means …"

"I demand New York Pizza! And wings! OOooh the symbolism of eating wings!"

"Settle your braids," He patted her shoulder, "You stay here and I'll be back."

As he made for the door, Hatsume suddenly grabbed his arm. He expected to turn around and see her face as bright as ever, asking if she could come along. Of course, he would have to say no, as it would just be easier if he went by himself.

Instead, though, the smile on her face—though present—was dwindled. Her eyes were no longer as wide as they were a second ago, and her lips twitched with silent words. He had never felt something like this coming from her, not since the funeral. "Are you okay?" He asked.

It was like she was trying to speak, but the words couldn't escape past the wall of her own anxieties. Her eyes darted in every direction, trying to find the courage she somehow dropped on the floor.

It didn't take long for her to give up, release his arm, and put her face back on, "Lost my train of thought!"

"Hatsume …?"

"Go! Go! Go! We need fuel to keep making our baby!" She pushed him out the open door with a hand locked to the handle, "And don't come back till you got at least two full sized Pizza's!"

"That's a lot."

"Two!"

She slammed the door in his face and locked it, in case he tried to come back in. He did attempt to jimmy the handle, but eventually accepted that even if he got inside, she wouldn't talk.

As he left the home, Hatsume pinned her back to the door and slid down against it. How could it have been so hard to say a few words? She had never practiced, never been good at it, never even tried before.

This wasn't what she was meant to do or say, yet she tried, and she failed.

"…Thank you for being my first real friend," she whispered aloud, practicing the phrase over and over again, "thank you for being my first real friend …"

…

Peter had only been out on the roads of Musutafu for a few minutes, but it felt longer with how his thoughts trailed behind him like weights. What was Hatsume trying to say, he wondered. She never gets like that, always having a full smile on her face, even in the face of failure. Perhaps he could try talking to her about it, but she would likely dodge the topic. You could never get that girl to talk about or do anything she didn't want to.

It was annoying, just as it was admirable.

He pulled out his phone as it vibrated in sequence. He had received a few messages from his friends on the camping trip. Apparently, they were forced to trek through the forest from the highway as apart of training, only for Deku to get a strike to the groin from some kid as soon as they arrived.

Peter couldn't help but chuckle a little as he cringed in empathy.

The other messages from his friends talked about their training, and even included some pictures of when they cooked dinner together. Turns out, Bakugou is a decent cook, which surprised everyone. Just dinner alone was good training for Yaoyorozu, considering her quirk turns body fat into objects. Impressive, till Kirishima pointed out how it's like human waste. He could be oblivious, that was for sure, but Mina still liked him anyway.

Peter wondered if he should try calling them. If they were sending messages, then maybe they were on a break of some kind. It would be nice to hear from them after the night he had, fighting Otto in the streets.

Scrolling through his recent calls, something took notice. The night before, he had gotten a call from an unknown number. For some reason, the number wasn't in his recent history. Had he deleted it? He didn't remember doing anything like that. Could it have been a glitch?

Before he could ponder further, a parked car behind him suddenly started its engine. He hadn't paid it much mind until it started driving slowly, keeping pace.

Any sense of subtlety was lost when it honked at him in rhythmic fashion.

The car only stopped when he did, rolling down the driver seat window so he could see a familiar hero inside. The rabbit hero, Mirko, with one hand on the wheel, and the other hanging out the window, "Hey, kid."

"Mirko?" He questioned out of glee and confusion, "Hey! What're you-what're you doing here?"

"Mind getting in the car?"

He glanced inside silently before leaning in closer, "Am I in trouble?" he muttered, "Because I've been really good this year, I promise."

"Get in the car, smartass."

Peter surrendered to her insults and started opening the passenger doors, only to get scolded by her to just sit up front. He circled around the back of the car in an awkward panic, scolded again for not just circling around the front, for which he told her some excuse not even he believed. The front passenger seat was filled and the door shut tight as Mirko immediately locked the door and rolled up the windows.

The first minute of the car ride was spent in silence, which Peter took to text Hatsume, saying he would be late. Both he and Mirko were expecting the other to speak and break the ice, but she was surprisingly awkward about it. Given her confident and boastful attitude, he figured she would have started talking the second those doors closed. Instead, it was left up to Peter to rescue the situation.

"So …how have you been? Visited Aihara lately?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, at least twice a week. I think she's starting to actually like my visits, but I can't be sure yet."

"Yeah, she's a stubborn one. I try to visit often too; let her know that I'm still there for her."

"I know. Every time I see her, she looks so hopeless, like she really believes no one is on her side."

"When's the court trial again?"

"A few weeks? I think their doing a trial by lay judge this time. They did it U.S style for Norman since he was American."

"Is that the reasoning we're going for?"

"I don't know, the Government clearly didn't think it through that far ahead."

Another minute was spent in silence. Peter hoped that getting her talking would help, but they just got off track again. He might as well have just ripped the Band-Aid off, "Obviously you didn't pick me up just to talk about Aihara. What's going on, Usagiyama?"

"…Usually whenever the Hero System as a whole need to make a big decision, we elect those in the top ten to act as a Board of Heroes. The government still runs us, overall, but we're given quite a lot of freedom when it comes to decision making. I'm in the top ten, so me and a bunch of others heroes have been rallied today," She turned her head to look him in the eye, "Long story short; the Board of Heroes need to talk to you."

"Talk to me? Have I done something wrong?"

"It's not that. You've actually been really well behaved …their words, not mine."

"Then what do they want?"

"Help," She put her eyes back on the road, "We need your help, Parker."

He waited to see what else she would say, but there was nothing. She just kept her eyes locked on the road with an expression as strong as steal.

"…With?" Peter questioned after a long silence.

"I'll explain when we get there."

"Oh, so you were just gonna leave me on a cliffhanger? Is that what we're doing? Did you expect me to ride in silence after that big cliffhanger line?"

"You're such a smartass."

"Cliffhanger it is, then."

"Screw you."

…

He had been brought to the nearest police station, where a meeting room was set up just for them. Inside was a long table fit for about ten people. Whenever Pro heroes meet like this, it's usually when specific heroes are recruited for a mission, or when agencies have a discussion, or when Pro's in general discuss what's to be done about a problem. Similar meetings are held often for heroes acting as teachers in U.A. In this case, the decision being presented needed delicacy.

When that delicacy was required, they initiated the "Board of Heroes" protocol, and selected the current top ten heroes of Japan to meet and make a decision. The title would only be given for the duration of that decision being made, and it was always the top ten due to their skills, experience, popularity, and trust in the community. It's not often this protocol is activated, in fact, it hasn't happened in some years.

This was an exception.

As Mirko walked Peter into the room, he was met with mostly new faces. The only heroes gathered here that he recognized were Endeavor, Kamui Woods, and All Might. Seeing All Might gave him some peace as he knew whatever was going on, he was going to be on his side. Even though things were shaky between them before, they trusted each other now.

"Ey, Parker," Said one hero, sporting red wings on his back, "Glad you have you joining us."

Not many of these heroes had ever seen Peter up close. Somehow, they expected him to be taller, or look more muscular with how he was described in the reports. Considering how he went toe to toe with All Might, they thought he'd look the part. Seeing him now, he just looked like an innocent child.

The only thing that struck them as looking mature were his eyes; just something about them, as though they've seen more than they let on.

"Wow …" Peter exhaled, "You guys are putting the Avengers to shame with your costume designs."

"Flattery isn't required," Kamui spoke.

The hero with wings spoke against him, "Nah, keep going. I like compliments."

Peter was given a chair near the end of the table, where he sat next to Mirko.

"We're glad you're here, young Parker," All Might spoke loud and proud, "I'm sure you're wondering why you've been summoned."

"Is mystery and cliffhangers just a thing for you guys?" he asked, earning a soft 'yes' from Mirko.

He kicked her leg lightly in response.

All Might stood up to address everyone in the room, "We've been called together at request of the police, the people, the hero network, and myself to deal with a few issues regarding you and the villains roaming Japan, specifically, the ones you've faced back in America."

Peter tugged on his collar, "Sorry about that …So am I going to jail, or something?"

"Despite the harsh words of the people, no. No one here believes you should be in prison; I can assure you."

"I highly doubt that. Mirko said you needed my help, but she didn't say what for."

"Allow me to explain," he pulled down the retractable screen and started the projector, showing images taken of Peter's many villains across Japan, "Ever since Green Goblin, more of your villains have been popping up around the country, causing destruction. We hoped they would leave after the Infinity Stones were destroyed, yet they have chosen to stay. We've sent Pro Heroes after them, but there are still many to deal with."

"I feel like you guys have plenty of muscle to deal with them," he sat forward, "Where do I fit into this?"

"It's not just a matter of you helping us, but rather, us helping each other," He gestured to Mirko to continue the next part of the story.

"You see, kid," she began, almost forcibly turning his chair toward her, "I ran into one of your villains the other night. He was a slippery bastard, lemme tell you. Thing is, he looked a lot like another villain we fought together in Hosu."

"The Nomu?"

"No. That red guy, Carnage."

Peter froze as his breathing became tough, "Was he …like a blue-ish black?"

She nodded, "He called himself Venom."

His reaction was immediately noticeable by the other heroes, as though he was about to have a panic attack. Of all the villains to have run into to, why did it have to be him? He'd honestly rather face Carnage again, hell, Bloodstain would be a better option over him. It wasn't because Venom was stronger, but rather the guilt that came with him hurt most.

This moment reminded them all he was still a kid.

"Mirko posted the sighting into the Hero Network," All Might continued, "With the addition of another one of your villains, we knew something needed to be done. When I read of the report, a thought had come to mind. I remembered when we had fought together at the school; how well you knew the villains we were fighting, as well as their weaknesses. You told me once fighting them was your responsibility. Now, I believe I have a way you can fulfill that responsibility."

"…All Might what are you saying?"

He closed the projector and set his hands on the table, "We'd like to offer you a temporary Hero License!"