So this is a proof of concept type thing here. I've seen a couple of MMA fanfics uploaded here, but they never really got too far out before the writer stopped, my favorite being the one by Nerdmaster19. I've seen some others, but they mostly just mirrored MHA with a few name swaps. After talking with a couple of other writers, I thought I'd give this a shot, write a chapter or 2. If it gets enough good feedback, maybe I'll continue it. Let me know what you think!! *
Hi, I'm Peter Parker. But you already knew that. To say my life is complicated would be a tremendous understatement. I guess you can say it's a reflection of the world I live in. Let me give you a quick rundown of how things work around here.
So for those of you with your head stuck in the ground, the people in this world are born a bit differently. Officially, it all started back in the 1930's, when the military was experimenting with the concept of creating a Super Soldier. But rumors, legends, and random internet theories think it goes back way further than that.
In any case, people started popping up with different special abilities. Super powers, or Quirks, to give it a simpler name. Of course, it wasn't long before one of these guys thought, "Hey, I can probably use my quirk to put myself above everyone else!"
And for a time, chaos reigned. Regular law enforcement was literally powerless to stop the growing amount of super crime. Fortunately, this trend would be met in kind by the emergence of Heroes. Those with quirks who devoted their lives to keeping the peace and protecting society as a whole.
Heroes like Ka-Zar, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the original Human Torch, Captain America along with his sidekick Bucky. They would go down in history as the first in a long line of defense against the chaos, leading the charge for justice.
Fast forward almost a hundred years later, and now roughly 80% of the world's population has a quirk of some kind. Whether it was through scientific breakthroughs, genetic mutation, or just plain bizarre circumstance, super powers have become the norm. But aside from that, not much has changed. Super crime is still very much an big problem, and with the evolving nature of Quirks, it's even more dangerous to deal with.
As such, the most popular career is to become a fully fledged super hero. Granted you have to go through a ton of training to use your Quirk safely in public, get licensed by whatever state you live in, it's not an easy process. The best way to accomplish this is to attend one of the specially sanctioned schools run through the world peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D. It's a long road, but if you've got the right power and the right attitude, you can make it happen.
Seeing super activity is pretty normal around here: some bad guys try to pull something daring and illegal, heroes swoop in and save the day (sometimes with a dose of minor property damage), rinse and repeat. Here in New York City, we probably have the largest number of registered heroes in the country. Although that's probably because we've got the most crime in the country.
I know I sound kind of jaded right now, but honestly, I was in awe of the heroes. Here were these people, devoting their lives into protecting others. They had amazing powers and everyone knew who they were. Even as a kid, I would stop and watch as the heroes did their thing, taking notes on some of the quirks I witnessed in action. I wanted to be just like them. More specifically, I wanted to be like him.
Everyone has a hero growing up, I was no different. My parents were scientists, so I admired people like Reed Richards, or Bruce Banner. But the one who stood above them all was Tony Stark, better known to the world as Iron Man. One of the founding members of the Avengers, I don't think there's anyone in the world who doesn't know who this guy is. I used to love watching this old video of him rescue a train full of injured civilians on his own. He was larger than life and everybody loved him.
To be that kind of hero is something I think everyone should aspire to be like, and I was no different. But here's the sad truth; not all men are created equal. I would learn that some kids had more power than others. And just as quickly, I learned that some would never have power at all.
"Sorry kid, it's not gonna happen." Pretty harsh, right? But those were the words my doctor told me at age six. Somehow, like about 20% of the world's population, I wasn't genetically predisposed to having a quirk. I was "quirkless," to put it bluntly. And when you're different like that, the world doesn't let you forget it. One person in particular was a constant reminder, but I'll get to him in a second. I think first, I should start with the day my entire life changed...
- From here on, the story will be told mostly in 3rd narrative. I'll just jump in now and then when context is needed. -
It was an average day at Midtown Jr. High. Peter Parker was 14 years old and in the middle of his last year. Currently, the boy was daydreaming about a hero battle he'd witnessed that day, featuring the debut of the new Ant-Man.
The science teacher, Dr. Connors was handing back our exams. "Not bad, Mr. Thompson," he said to one of the students. "But there's still plenty of room for improvement. Especially if you plan on going to Marvel Academy after this year."
"Heh," the boy grinned smugly. "With my power, I don't need to worry about not getting in!" He looked around at the other students in the classroom. "You hear that? I'm going straight to the top, and I'm the only one in this school who's gonna do it!"
- The guy with the blonde hair is Eugene "Flash" Thompson. Big guy, star quarterback, and he's got this awesome quirk that would make anyone jealous. I've known him since preschool, and naturally the guy's ego grew along with his power. Too bad his brain didn't... -
"Before you make such bold claims, perhaps first you should try and score as high as Mr. Parker here," the teacher replied, handing him a perfect score. "I understand you're interested in attending Marvel Academy as well?" Peter nodded nervously as Flash roared with laughter. "You serious? Puny Parker wants to go to M.A!?"
A few of his cronies joined in, "You've got no chance, you Quirkless runt!" "You'll never get in!" "Who says I can't?" Peter argued, adjusting his glasses. "There's plenty of heroes without Quirks. Just look at Hawkeye, or Mockingbird!" One of the boys frowned, "Dude, Mockingbird's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, not a full-on hero." "And the way Hawkeye shoots, there's no way he doesn't have some sort of targeting Quirk!" The other chimed in.
"Alright, enough," called Dr. Connors, tapping his reptilian right hand on his desk with annoyance. "There's plenty of room at M.A. for anyone with the drive and dedication to become a hero. I would be proud if any of my students got in, but that's still a ways off. For now, let's move on to our next chapter..."
After class, Flash cornered Peter before he was able to leave his desk. Dr. Connors had left to grab something from his laboratory, so it was Peter alone against Flash and his buddies. "You're not going to M.A, Parker," he said coldly. "Says who?" Peter replied, trying his best to ignore him. "Says me," Flash slammed his hand on the desk, snatching up the notebook being written in.
"What the hell's this?" He said, flipping through the pages. "Notes on Quirks? Are you stalking heroes again, you damn nerd?" "Give it back, Flash," Peter stood up irritably.
"Ooh, Puny Parker's getting mad!" One of his friends teased. "Why don't you try asking him nicely?" Said the other. "Fine," Peter said, gritting my teeth. "Please give it back, Eugene."
Immediately, Flash slammed him up against the wall. Black tendrils emerged from his back, waving wildly. And a goo-like substance covered the boy's arm. "You don't get to call me that," he glared into Peter's face. "Only my friends get to call me that, and even they don't call me that!"
"Flash, settle down!" Said the first crony. "You don't wanna get in trouble again, not before the big game!" "And what about M.A?" Chided the other, "You don't need another fight on your transcript!"
Flash narrowed his eyes, perhaps weighing the potential consequences before he threw the boy to the ground. One of his tendrils kept him in place on his back. "Knock me around all you want, you can't stop me from trying!" Peter said bitterly. "You know what you are Parker?" He asked. "Enlighten me," Peter retorted, struggling to escape his grip. "You're a bug," he sneered. "A useless, little Wall-Crawler trying to get to a place he doesn't belong."
"So what does that make you?" Peter asked. Flash got dangerously close to his face, another of his tendrils grabbing the notebook. "I'm the guy who steps on the bugs," he said. As if on cue, the tendril crushed the notebook like it was nothing and tossed it aside.
"Stay out of my way Parker," he glared, retracting the tendrils. "Or you'll get stepped on too." With that, he walks out of the room, his two buddies following close behind. Jerk, he thought, struggling to stand up.
