Deep in the city, within the League of Villains warehouse, all appeared to be quiet. Most of the villains were out and about either doing their own thing, or trying to find others to recruit and fill their numbers. They still had a few of the American villains, but most had been scattered after they lost the bar. Villains like Morbius and Mr. Negative managed to stay, but others had either been arrested or fled during the conflict.

Alone in the main room was Glitch, the newest and most mysterious member of the League. He was setting up a strange contraption; a balloon that hung from a string in-between two boxes. The balloon was filled with water and a bucket sat underneath to catch the mess. In his hands were a set of darts, sharpened for the job.

He backed up and took deep breaths as he shook out his shoulders. How many times had he been practicing this? How many balloons had he gone through? At least they were sold for cheap, though Tomura may get upset if he wastes too much water.

Right as he threw the dart, his eyes flashed orange. The dart slowed down in mid-air with an orange aura around it. Glitch followed the darts slowed pace with excitement, watching as it very carefully punctured the balloon.

The rubber split slowly and he could see the shape which the water took within before it started to drop. It was like watching footage back at a thousand frames per second, but in real time. Glitch poked and pushed the water with his fingers and watched its trajectory change as it landed in the bucket.

"You're getting good at that."

Glitch was greeted by Twice, currently dressed as Jin Bubigawara. Usually, the man wasn't comfortable in his civilian clothing around the villains, but Glitch was somehow different. "Thanks," said Glitch, "I've been practicing with these balloons. I can slow down small objects without too much effort, now."

"Yeah, don't want you 'glitching' out again, huh?" he laughed.

"Hence the name," Glitch smiled, "Time-Control is the only thing I've been able to get a handle on, so far. My other abilities …elude me."

"Elude?" Jin chuckled, "Getting good with words, though. You barely spoke a full sentence, before."

"Feels like I'm getting more and more of my mind back, every day. Once I master my other abilities, maybe I'll be of more help to the League."

"You were already a big help last week."

"I know, but I haven't been able to do that again. I don't know what else I'm capable of …or if I can even control it. I just want to be useful."

"You are," Jin put a hand on his shoulder, "You're one of us, remember?"

"But what does that mean?" he asked, "What does it mean to be a villain? I've been watching the news; people hate villains, but you guys don't seem that bad."

"Kid …" Jin hesitated, but figured honesty was the best policy, "We are bad. We've all done things we don't like to think about. Some of us found enjoyment in it; take Toga, for example. We're different from society and they hate us for it. They don't want to fix us so why should we try to change?"

"I guess …" Glitch looked at his hands, "I just …want to be sure this is who I'm supposed to be. If I could just remember …"

"The past is a weight not worth dragging. Easier to climb upward if you lose the baggage."

"Yeah …I guess."

"Now, how about you show me that balloon trick again?"

"Wanna see me do it with two?"

The two friends began to set up the balloons again, excited to perform their next magic trick as though it was a game. Tomura, however – who watched them from the shadows – thought only of the strength his new asset was gaining.

To him, this was not a game. If it was, then he was going to win.

…

Peter had chosen to lay low since the press conference in the park. About a week had passed since then and he had barely left his room other than his trips to New York. With things quiet concerning his villains, he chose to spend more time in the big apple as Spider-Man and avoided the people of Japan, and reporters just loved that.

It was actually the Pros themselves that suggested he lay low until the heat died down. The press conference was brutal, after all, and everyone was speculating. Lesser publishers jumped at the accusations and started posting 'evidence' that Parker may have murdered May to keep his evil deeds from getting out.

Of course, his lesser known 'spider-squad' fan club was defending him online, debunking each article as fast as they possibly could in an attempt to keep his name clean. Admittedly, that was one of the comforting things Peter had to cling to. At least someone was trying to defend him without having to know him.

When Peter would come home from New York, he would stay in his room and work on his web gadgets. Occasionally, Hatsume would show up to help him fine-tune his equipment, but there wasn't as much joy and laughter coming from the room anymore. He tried, but he just didn't have it in him.

Peter had been writing new formulas for his web fluid when he had heard someone come through the front door in the other room. He recognized the voice to be All Mights. Part of him wanted to come out and greet them, but he decided to stay at the bedroom door and just listen.

"Yes, I believe we have already sent notice of this," Said All Might as they sat at the kitchen table, "but I'm here to talk about U.A.s dorm system."

Inko did get an email about this earlier in the week. In light of everything that had happened with the League of Villains, the Pro Heroes and the U.A staff thought it best that the kids be kept close for protection, and came up with the idea of the dorms. The students of class 1-A and 1-B would stay in customized dorms on campus so that the heroes could keep an eye on them. It was a move meant to calm the people of the city and reassure the children's safety.

"Yes, about that …" Inko said, "I'm against it. Ever since he entered U.A., Izuku …he just keeps getting more and more beat up. I watched your fight the other day on TV. As a regular citizen, I am very thankful. But as a parent, I was scared. If his path leads to a future filled with blood like that, then I …"

She paused, thinking back to when Izuku was a child and how much he wanted to be a hero. It made him so happy to just pretend he was a hero, bursting into the room to 'save' his mother while wearing his favorite All Might costume. Those days were far easier than this.

"I feel like maybe staying quirkless and happily watching heroes work would have made him happier," She continued, "I couldn't help it. You want to go to U.A, right?" She addressed Izuku directly, "I'm sorry …I don't have the nerves of steel to entrust my son to U.A High School as it is, now."

She couldn't be serious, could she, Peter thought? Was she really going to pull Izuku out of the school? Understandably, she was worried about him getting hurt, but being a hero wasn't her choice to make. This was Izuku's dream; how could she shoot it down like this?

Suddenly, Peter saw Izuku charging through the hallway toward their room and in a panic, jumped to the ceiling. Izuku practically kicked the door to their room down before asking hastily, "Where's that letter?!"

Peter looked around and pointed to his brother's desk, before trying to ask what it was about. Without answering, Izuku took the paper and rushed back out. Quietly, Peter moved through the hall and continued to listen to the conversation.

"It's fine! Even if it's not U.A.!" Izuku exclaimed as he held up the paper, "I got a letter …from the boy I saved at the training camp! A kid who hated heroes – and even quirks – thanked me! It doesn't have to be U.A.! Anywhere is fine! Because I will become a hero!"

Hearing the determination in his voice was awe-inspiring, even bringing All Might to his knees as he promised to protect the boy and raise him to be the next symbol of peace. He promised to protect him and dedicate his entire self into making the boy into a hero. Seeing the symbol of peace on his knees, begging the poor woman like that, it was a sight to behold.

Even Inko fell to her knees from the emotions, "Don't give up your life," She said, "Please live properly to protect and raise him. If you can promise me that, then I will allow it."

Inko was one of the most protective people Peter had ever met—even more so than May. Yet, Izukus steely determination and All Mights pure heart were able to move her. Despite the challenges they faced, they were still ready to overcome anything.

"Thank you, Inko Midoriya," All Might said gleefully, "I promise to protect him; to protect them both."

"Yes …Peter can get into just as much trouble as my little Izuku. When he was captured, I thought …I thought I'd never see him again. That thought nearly broke me. Part of me wished he would just give up being Spider-Man, but I know that, like Izuku, he'll never stop trying to be a hero. I only wish people could see him the way I do."

"I promise you," All Might reassured, "One day, they will."

Part of Peter wanted to walk in and join the conversation, but his guilt held him back as if a ball and chain clung to his ankle. He would pull and pull with all his might but never found the strength to budge. He could call out to them, beg for their help, but his voice was lost—dropped into the void of his guilt.

The arachnid hero inevitably chose to back away from the door, put on his costume, and swing away. He knew that it didn't matter where he went—to another town or another world—his guilt would always follow, and it would always try to kill him.

…

"Ugh! Unbelievable!"

Itsuka Kendo was practically shouting as she read another article about Peter. By then, they all felt the same; framing Peter to be a villain and a murderer with people posting 'evidence' that pointed to him murdering his aunt and why. There were even videos for 'Top Ten Reasons Spider-Man is ACTUALLY a villain' and how 'number five will surprise you'.

"This is infuriating!" Kendo exclaimed to the people she spoke with on her laptop, "We know Peter didn't do any of that crap!"

"I know!" Mina Ashido agreed, coming from the group call open on the screen, "I've had people pass me on the street and say stuff like 'It's a good thing he didn't go after YOU! Ugh!"

"People love speculation," Said Kyoka Jiro from another box, "And they're really feeding this flame. Parker's reputation is worse than ever."

Everyone went quiet when they heard the sudden and loud clacking of computer keys from another end of the call, "Y-Yaoyorozu?" Kendo questioned, "What are you doing?"

"Writing a very strongly worded letter to the news station," Said Momo, "And , and Musu News, and-"

"We get it."

"Well, they don't."

"How are all your parents taking this?"

Momo spoke first, "Mother and father have been absent from the conversation. They just make sure I get home on time with their hands on the ready to dial 9-1-1."

"They keep telling me I have bad taste in men!" Said Mina, "I do not have bad taste!"

"Ashido."

"I'm just saying!"

Kyoka cut in and confessed "My parents are …odd. They're a little on the fence. I think they know that he's a hero but all the stuff that the news is saying still puts them on edge."

"I hate what everyone is saying!" Mina cried, "Especially Monoma!"

Kendo groaned, "Don't get me started on him. I've had to karate chop him 4 times this week already. It's ridiculous, and It'll only get worse once everyone moves into the dorms, then he can torture you 24/7."

There was an audible groan from the call. None of them really liked Monoma. Sometimes he would be okay, but most of the time he was always trying to find ways to hurt their feelings. It likely came from some sort of superiority complex. Kendo was the only person able to keep him in line.

"What about you?" Asked Kyoka, "How have you been handling everything? Have you talked to Peter at all?"

"He visits as often as he can, but it's hard with my parents on high alert. It'll hopefully be easier when we move into the dorms. As a temporary Pro, he has visitation rights."

"HE DOES?!" Mina exclaimed joyfully, "Finally! He can pay back his hug loans!"

"Hug loans?"

"HUG LOANS!"

It definitely would have been nice for them to all spend time together as friends again. So much happened in such a short time and they haven't really been able to just be kids. More than that, Kendo just wanted to spend quality time with Peter. She was still his girlfriend and they've keep kept at arms length because of all the controversy.

"I'm …worried," Kendo admitted, "Peter is hurting so much and …I can't do anything."

"You don't need to," Momo said, "You can't rush grief. What happened at the press conference must have brought up some of the pain from May Parkers death. You just need to be in his corner, Kendo."

"I want to do more than that! I want to just …make it all go away."

"If it was possible to remove all of Parker's pain …he probably wouldn't be Parker."

She was right about that, Kendo realized. Peter's pain and ability to persevere through it is what made him who he is. His strength to carry on through the darkest of times is what made him so wonderful, and what made her love him. To lose that part of himself would be like becoming a completely different person.

And she wants no one else but him.

…

The conversation with All Might was calm, afterword's. He and Inko actually found themselves to rather enjoy each others company. Though the symbol of peace should have continued with his visits to the other students, he got stuck chatting with the Midoriya family. Lately, there haven't been as many chances to just sit down and talk to Izuku as a person, rather than a student.

Though, something was still missing.

"Where is young Parker?" All Might asked, "I haven't seen him, yet. Is he in New York again?"

"I'm not sure," Inko sighed, "He doesn't come out of his room unless it's to go to New York. Frankly …I'm worried about him."

"I don't blame you. Last weeks press conference was brutal, and all the newspapers in town are eating it up like hungry vultures. I wanted this to be an opportunity for Parker to prove himself to the community and repair his reputation …not make it worse."

Izuku spoke up, sitting up from the table, "Which is why Peter should come back to U.A.!"

This was the first Inko heard of such an idea, "Back to U.A.?" She asked before addressing All Might, "Is that possible?"

All Might rubbed the back of his head, "Frankly, I don't know. In the way you're suggesting, young Midoriya, not likely. After forging papers in the past to get in and running from police after being outed, I don't know if they'll trust him enough to come back into the hero program."

"Even after all he's done?" Izuku asked.

"Especially after all he's done," All Might rephrased, "Spider-Man has had a much bigger impact on Japan than you think …much bigger than he even knows."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean there's been a surge of vigilante activity ever since the Lumina takedown. People are inspired by him, just like how villains were inspired by Stain; the Hero killer. They're drawing comparisons to him and claiming Parker is …making an army."

"Oh, come on!" Izuku protested, "That's ridiculous! Why do people always think the worst of him no matter how much he tries to help?!"

"I couldn't say. Parker doesn't know about this, yet, does it?"

Izuku sat back down, "He hasn't really been watching the news or reading the papers. It probably hurts him too much."

"He'll find out sooner or later, and I'd rather it be from someone he knows. If you can ask him to call me when he returns, I'd like to speak with him in person. Retired or not, I'm still heading the program for his partnership with the pros."

"We'll …we'll tell him."

All Might stood up and adjusted his cast, "I should see myself out. Lot's of paperwork to fill out for the dorms."

As he made his way for the door, Izuku called out one more time, "Is there really no way he can come back to U.A.?"

All Might grabbed the door handle with a sigh, "As long as his past as a vigilante remains, I just don't think it'll happen." With that final word, All Might left the home in a sorrowful atmosphere.

It's not that All Might didn't want to do something, but there was physically nothing. He had already pulled every string he had to get Parker a temporary license. To ask for anything more would be shot down immediately. With his retirement on top of everything else, it was just too soon to turn in any other favors. They'll never accept a vigilante into the school, again.

Would they?

…

With how crazy everything had been, it was impossible for Spider-Man to swing around the town without being seen by a hungry reporter. Mostly, he'd swing while using his invisibility. Already he'd had to recharge the battery three times since the conference. Hatsume was often the one to help with that. The only other option was to use the electricity from the Midoriya household, but that would raise Inko's bill to unimaginable heights.

Spider-Man stuck to the wall of an innocent looking house, staying transparent as he crawled closer to one of the second-floor windows. He could see inside and find his girlfriend, Itsuka Kendo, closing her laptop and heading to lay on her bed. Like many of the U.A. students, her parents had been keeping her in the house while all the controversy gets resolved. Hopefully, their visits would get easier once the dorms were put in place.

Turning off his invisibility and silencing the hum of his belt, Spider-Man knocked on the window to the rhythm of his theme song, written by one of his adoring fans from the spider-squad club. Kendo jumped to her feet at the sound and rushed to the window, opening it and not hesitating to pull her partner inside before anyone could notice.

They embrace immediately. No words were traded, no kisses or pecks; simply the warm and comforting embrace of two partners, knowing that at least for the moment, they were finally safe from the harsh weather of the worlds view.

"Are you okay?" She whispered only loud enough for him to hear, not wanting to alert her parents to his presence.

"I don't know, right now," He answered quietly taking off his mask and sitting with her on the bed, "Everything they're saying, they-…they're saying I-"

"I know," Kendo rubbed his shoulders, "It's horrible. You would never do anything like that."

"…wouldn't I?"

"What do you mean?"

"I could have …I could have saved my aunt. It's just like with my uncle …I could have done something and because I thought I was better than that, I …I let her die. Is that not the same as killing her?"

"Peter, no! You did not …you didn't do that. You would never-!"

"But I let her die! If I had just been strong enough to use the stones-"

She interrupted his self-wallow with a powerful kiss, holding his cheeks as not to let him escape. Their lips embraced like a long-lost couple. It was warm and soft to the touch. Her lips tasted of black coffee; her favorite morning drink. Through osmosis alone, he felt a spike of energy given to him by her love.

Kendo finally pulled back and let him breath, "You are the most wonderful man I have ever met. I know that you would never do something as cruel and as horrible as they say. You didn't kill your aunt; she was proud of the choices you made, remember? So, you know she would be proud of you, right now. You know that, don't you?"

He wasn't entirely sure if he did. After his uncle's death, he had done nothing but blame himself for it. He made a promise to never fail to act when trying to save someone; to not let someone suffer or die because he did nothing. In the end, that is exactly what happened. May suffered. She died because he did nothing. Peter Parker had managed to kill both of his guardians. Who next? Who else will die because of him?

He thought of Inko; the woman acting as his mother. What would happen if she suffered or died because he failed to act? What would happen if being Spider-Man is what will get her killed? How would that affect Izuku? His father is never around, never calls, never visits. All he has is his mother, and Peter's very presence could take that away.

"Peter," She reiterated, "You are a hero. You're the man that I love. You're a good person, and you always will be."

"…How can you believe in me?" he asked.

"Because I know who you are," she poked his chest, "In here."

"…see if I did that to you it's considered assault."

She pushed and smacked his shoulder before bringing him into another embrace.

They stayed there again for the remainder of the hour. That was all the time they had while her parents filled out the paperwork for the dorm system.

As terrible and as dark the days may have gotten, Peter at least knew he could always count on Itsuka Kendo to bring him back into the light. Still, there was one more person he needed to see before he could really try and put this guilt behind him.

…

A paparazzi formed when Peter tried to enter the prison through the visitation entrance. They bombarded him with cameras and questions and accusations. Some even tried to physically assault him, but the police stationed at the entrance were able to keep them away. Once inside, the guards would give him their usual dirty looks, but he was too preoccupied to even notice.

He sat down at the same spot as always, watching the other side of the glass as they let her through the doors. A hand was on each of her shoulders until she was fully seated, backing off only by a yard at most as they each picked up a phone.

"So," Said Mayume Aihara, "You kicked the hornets nest, didn't you?"

Peter didn't say anything straight away, wanting to let her get it over with. Her face screamed of 'I told you so', which really wasn't what he needed to hear even if it was inevitable. She had warned him this would happen and he didn't listen.

"Really, though," She asked, reminding him that despite everything, she still cared, "Are you doing okay?"

"You were right," Peter admitted, "I messed with things I shouldn't have. I thought I could fix everything …I thought I could make them believe in heroes again, but they turned on me so fast," he struggled to fight his tears, refusing to show more weakness in front of her, "Teaming up with the pros was supposed to make them believe in me, again. Now, I think they hate me more than they did before."

"The media is hungry for controversy; always have been. I think that's a constant no matter which universe you're in."

"I never got it; I never really got how you felt when your identity as Lumina was revealed—that feeling of betrayal, like being boxed in by guilt. They're accusing me of murdering my aunt and I-…" he couldn't finish his words. The thought of May was becoming too much for him to bear.

"I get it, kid," She sympathized, "When All Might retired last week, people started to speculate that I somehow orchestrated that whole debacle from inside my cell."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yep. Claimed I was in contact with All For One and told him how to beat All Might. They even searched my cell and my internet search history."

"You get internet?"

"Three hours of computer time per week in the library," she huffed, "You'd be surprised what reporters and journalists can pull out of their asses if they reach in deep enough."

"Ew," he chuckled, "Okay, but, what about you? How are you doing in here?"

"I'm okay. They pushed my trial to next month because of all the All Might stuff. Mostly I just do a lot of reading. Got any suggestions?"

"I could get my old comic book collection?"

She laughed, "That would be a change; sure."

The guards behind her said they needed to wrap up, soon, much to their disappointment. She had just started to cheer him up.

"Listen, Parker," She said, "I know you aren't a bad person. Don't let this bring you down. The only way to overcome this is to hold onto who you are and don't let go, no matter how much people try to rip it away from you."

"...and if I can't?"

"You have to. Otherwise, you'll end up just like me."

"What do you mean?"

"I spent so long being two different people, and now, they're both gone. Who I am now …I don't know her. Don't stop knowing yourself. Ever."

Peter had accepted long ago that Spider-Man and Peter Parker, in essence, were the same. On this world, he had no choice but to be both of them at the same time. There was so much pressure on him ever since he went rogue. No matter how much he did to make up for his mistakes, everyone around him still tried to kick him down and rip his heart to shreds.

At this point, even he didn't know whether or not he deserved it. People like Itsuka and Mayume told him he was good, but what if he wasn't? What if he had somehow tricked them into caring about him when really, he was exactly what everyone thought? What if he had actually tricked himself into thinking that? Is there any point in even trying to fix his reputation with how badly it's been torn?

The guards forced her to hang up the phone and yanked her to her feet. She gave Peter one last glance of sympathy before they dragged her back into the halls toward her cell. Peter just sat there, watching as she was taken away, wondering what it may look like if he ever ended up on the other side of the glass.

Peter hung the phone back in its place and made his way out of the prison. The paparazzi ambushed him as he went outside. There was no room for him to jump into the air and swing away, so he had to brave through the sea of angry reporters. He used his spider-sense to guide where he walked as he couldn't open his eyes from all the camera flashes.

"You should be in there, too!" someone shouted as they tried to punch Peter in the back of the head. He managed to dodge it but he bumped into another person who then shoved him. Suddenly, everyone around him tried to shove or hit Peter, forcing him to push through the attacks and finally escape to the other side where he could swing away.

He found room to breath on a roof up high where no one could see him. He had taken so much abuse—physical and emotional—that he didn't even have the energy to react to it anymore.

Peter sat with his legs hanging over the edge, enjoying the whistle of the wind.

…

A pair of muggers turned tail and ran at the sound of the convenient store alarm. No one could identify them through their ski masks, not that it mattered. They were pretty confident that no pro heroes would show up, not here. This was the poorer part of Musutafu, often compared to places like Harlem back in New York. Crime was highest, and the hero scale was lowest.

Sirens came next after the alarm and they ducked into a nearby alleyway as the cops started searching for them. Like they expected, they arrived too late to stop them from getting away.

"Stinkin' pro's never check here!" gloated one mugger.

"Let's bail before the cops check 'round the corner!"

Just before either of them could continue down the alleyway, something quickly collided with their bodies and kicked them out onto the street, catching the cop's attention. The bags of money they stole had fallen out of their hands and spilled out onto the street.

"The hell?!" complained the mugger, "There ain't supposed to be no pro's 'round here! Who the hell-?!"

Who they found sticking to the wall was not who they expected.

By the colors of his costume, it looked to have been Spider-Man; the hero ordained by the Pro community earlier that week. What was he doing here? Was he even allowed to stop low-level muggings? "Hey! You ain't got the right to stop us!" Shouted one mugger, "Get lost before the cops arrest you instead, Web-Head!"

When the hero jumped down and got closer, something about him seemed off. He seemed shorter, thinner, and his costume was wrong. There was no red belt wrapping around his waist. His boots were just regular shoes, and his gloves barely passed his wrists. The hero was even wearing knee and shoulder pads, something he had never sported before, and the costume's stitching was rough and messy.

"Sorry!" Said 'Spider-Man', "But don't start thinking you'll get off that easy, not with Spider-Man on the prowl!"