Chapter 5: Forward unto Tomorrow

Fuyumi, upon walking to the office, was met with multiple pairs of curious eyes and an enthusiastic greeting from Mrs. Fujikawa. A big smile present on the woman's face. The sudden, and borderline unprofessional, behavior in which the older woman treated her was hardly befitting of someone in the role of leading the education department. But the dean wasn't alone. No, there were two other people sitting across from the woman's desk and their respective appearances caught her attention in different ways.

In the eyes of anyone, she knew they would be taken back to see someone like Present Mic sitting in an office at Juranno College. He may be wearing a casual outfit in the form of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket, but what gave him away was his blonde hair tied into a simple ponytail. It's a look people don't typically see in Japan as it came straight out of that American musical known as Grease.

His presence wasn't entirely strange as he regularly came to visit the school for a number of reasons. A big one happened to be the close relationship between him and Mrs. Fujikawa. But it still didn't answer a few of the questions she had.

Why was he sitting in Mrs. Fujikawa's office today of all days?

Was there some private meeting going on? Was she interrupting them?

Or did she make a mistake?

It wouldn't be the first time she misheard the dean, but those questions went out the window after she remembered about the other person in the room. It was some guy sitting in the other chair. Fuyumi had a feeling he was the new student.

'So why is this guy with Mr. Yamada? Does he know him in some way?'

In contrast to everyone else in the room, the mystery student was most definitely a foreigner from just his face alone. Yet the first thing to catch her attention was noticing his brown eyes looking over in her direction. Fuyumi wasn't sure what to think and awkwardly smiled back. She wouldn't lie about being somewhat anxious.

She's no stranger to leading tours. Throughout her time at Juranno College, Fuyumi was always willing to lend a hand and help make the new students feel comfortable. The thing is...there's a big difference between dealing with a group of third-year high school students versus interacting with a single person, especially a guy, the entire time.

It's why she looked at the dean in hopes of avoiding eye contact with the guy. She slightly bowed in the direction of Mrs. Fujikawa, "I am terribly sorry for being late."

The dark-haired woman waved off her apology, "No need to be sorry. I'm actually glad you got here when you did. We just finished up our little meeting and, unless there are any more hidden surprises from our guest here, it looks like you're going to be seeing a brand new face on campus beginning next week."

"That's…"

"Fantastic, isn't it?" Mrs. Fujikawa asked, a smirk on her face. "Well, in light of the news, I do think it is appropriate for Mr. Parker to receive a tour." The dark-haired woman smiled at the young man sitting down next to the pro-hero. She switched over to English when speaking to him, "Mr. Parker, while I'm sure you may still have some doubts, I can assure you our students would love to get to know someone like you."

She saw the foreign student smile in return, "Cool, that's, uh, really cool. So...are we done here then?"

"Actually, we are just about done here," The dean crossed her arms as she explained what will happen. "The only real thing that needs to be done is for Hizashi to fill out some paperwork and...for us to discuss some things between ourselves. So why don't I introduce you to someone."

Fuyumi panicked as she realized what was just said.

She watched as Mrs. Fujikawa stood up from her chair and walked away from her desk. It was followed by the foreign guy standing up. At that moment, Fuyumi noticed he was taller than her by a few inches. If she had to guess, he was probably slightly taller than Shoto.

The dean introduced them to each other, "Mr. Parker, I would like for you to meet your guide; Ms. Todoroki."

Awkwardly, Fuyumi didn't want to be rude and stretched her hand out. She remembered that people over in the west shook hands in these kinds of situations and managed to remember to speak in English to him. "Hello," She said, doing her best to say the words without stumbling. "Nice to meet you."

He returned the gesture and shook her hand, "Nice to meet you too. I'm Peter. Peter Parker."

Fuyumi wasn't totally familiar with how things were done over in places like America, but she did know that they didn't treat given names as seriously as they did over here in Japan.

"Good," The dean said, clapping her hands together. "Now, Mr. Parker, she will be showing you around the school and answering whatever questions you may have at any point. Ms. Todoroki is a very good student and someone I trust. I'm also sure you'd rather hear the information from a pretty girl over some old lady like myself."

...And there she goes.

Fuyumi smiled awkwardly, "Was that necessary?"

"What?"

The smirk on the woman's face made Fuyumi wonder if she should've listened to Marina about backing out. Unfortunately, there was no longer the option to do so. For the time being, she would fulfill her role in giving Mr. Parker a tour of the school.

"Never mind." Fuyumi decided it wasn't worth the trouble. It was better to focus on helping the new guy make sure he knew his way around. After all, classes are just about to begin. The only reason she was even here today was to get a start on some material for her classes and get a chance to talk to Marin as she's been busy most of the summer with her modeling gigs and cosplay conventions with Goro.

"Good, then it's settled," The dean said in a chipper tone. She turned to face the new student with a grin, "I'm expecting good things from you, Mr. Parker. Not many people have a man like Hizashi in their corner. I hope you understand that."

"Believe me, I do."

"Mature, aren't we? Anyway, I don't want to keep either of you here any longer." Mrs. Fujikawa started pushing them towards the door. "Fuyumi, I do believe you have a tour to begin."

"Yes, Mrs. Fujikawa."

With those final words, Fuyumi walked out of the woman's office with the new student right behind her. After they left the room and closed the door, things were quiet as Fuyumi was unsure of what to say next. Talking to guys wasn't a real priority for her. In fact, the only boys she interacted with on a regular basis were her two brothers and father. Other than them, she usually kept to herself.

The first one to say anything was the new guy.

"Quick question," He said while pointing at the door. "Is she always like that?"

Fuyumi was thankful for him to break the silence. She chose her next words carefully, "I'd like to say she's not always like that. I do apologize however if she did go too far at any point. Mrs. Fujikawa has a tendency to be a little...eccentric around new people."

"Nah." The new guy shook his head. "It's fine. She reminded me of someone I used to know."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Fuyumi raised a brow.

She noticed the corner of his lips curved upwardly, "Neither."

His answer was unexpected. Fuyumi was quite aware of the reputation Mrs. Fujikawa had among the student population. Some questioned if she was messing around and truly didn't take her job seriously. Those people couldn't be farther from the truth. That woman put more effort into her job than most people could even begin to imagine. It's why Fuyumi was willing to deal with her eccentric nature and tendencies to do things people in her position don't typically do.

"So, uh, before we start this tour...what do you want me to call you? I think she called you Ms. Todoroki back in there."

"You can leave the miss part out." Fuyumi was quick to shut down that idea. She wasn't looking forward to a guy around her age addressing her in such a way, "Just call me Todoroki. I'll do the same with you."

"I'm fine with that," Parker said with a smile. "Where to first, Todoroki?"

Fuyumi returned the smile as she thought about it for a second before replying, "How about the building where you're classes will be?"

"Lead the way."

(X)

Inside the dean's office, Hizashi sat in the leather chair as he waited for Rumiko to find whatever it is he needed to sign on her computer. He started looking around, taking in the changes she's made to her office over the past several years. Some new furniture, the occasional painting, and the bobblehead of All Might sitting on her desk.

Hizashi smiled at the little thing as he noticed it looked a bit weathered in some places, but seem to be kept in really good condition.

"So what do you think about Peter? I told you he's a good kid."

"Is he though?"

The blonde hero heard the tone behind her words and frowned, "You okay?"

The dark-haired woman stopped typing away on her computer and let out a sigh. Rumiko then turned to face him. What caught the man by surprise was the serious expression all of a sudden on her face. "You need to be honest with me about Mr. Parker."

"...And I have been."

"Hizashi, honey, I am not saying you're doing the wrong thing here. Parker...he seems like a good kid, and you've always been good with kids, but I just wanna know why he didn't exist in any system until two weeks ago," Rumiko said, who seem to be torn between concerned and upset. She opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper.

She placed it on the desk and slid it towards him.

"Rumiko…"

"No." She stopped him from saying anything. "Honey, I trust you more than anyone in this world. I'm just a little concerned about what might happen if we go through with this."

Hizashi rubbed his forehead as he tried picking his words carefully, "The last thing I want to do is lose Peter's trust. Believe me when I say...he doesn't have a ton of people he can rely on."

"Why's that?"

She continued to press on, which Hizashi knew would happen. Rumiko was never one to take things at face value, and it seems Peter's past must have caught her attention.

"Because he's been through a lot."

"I understand. You know I do," Rumiko said sadly, but she shook her head afterward. "It just makes me nervous about what you might be getting yourself involved with here. Everything about this sounds suspicious, and as a school official, I need to know if, in a couple of weeks, I'll be seeing government officials on my campus."

The blonde pro-hero bit the inside of his cheek. He knew lying to Rumiko would piss her off, but she's not fully prepared to believe the truth, even if he wanted to tell her.

He raised his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes before slowly reaching down to twist the familiar band of gold around his finger, "If you're worried about any repercussions coming your way, I wouldn't be concerned. I will handle the situation in the event of things going south. But more than anything, I can promise you this much about Peter; he's a good kid and someone that has a lot of potential to do some real good. In the end, that's all he's asking for...a chance."

His wife looked back at him with concern written all over face.

"Can't you tell me anything?"

It pained him to hear Rumiko sound upset by his words and what he was hiding. There was no way he could even entertain the idea of telling his wife about the crazy things he's learned from meeting Peter and what it means in the grand scale of things. Multiple universes, magical rocks capable of rewriting the universe, and magic. He would be thrown into a mental hospital for suggesting those were real. Hell, he still questioned if what they saw all those weeks ago was real.

"...I can tell you this much about Peter," Hizashi said as he played with the gold band on his finger. "He wants to become a pro-hero. Honestly, I think he has serious potential to be one of the top heroes in all of Japan from what I've seen of the kid."

Rumiko's eyes widened at his statement, "Are you serious?"

"I am."

His wife stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Other than her tapping a finger on the desk, the room was silent as she seemed to be in the middle of thinking. She soon lost the concerned look on her face as it softened up, "Mr. Parker must have really been in a tough spot if you're sticking up for him. I can't recall the last time I saw you so defensive about a student since you started teaching down at UA High."

"Exceptions have to be made," Hizashi admitted with a frown. As a teacher, he went into his career with a mindset of wanting to be fair to each and every single student that walked into his classroom. None of his teaching experience from the last few years couldn't have prepared him to deal with someone in the position Peter was in. "Besides, Peter isn't a student of mine. The kid has been through more than most people will ever experience in their lifetime. Helping him out is the least I can do for him."

"Which required you lying to me about knowing his family," Rumiko pointed out his little lie from their earlier conversations in the week leading up to this meeting. He was about to respond, but she beat him to the punch. "I'm not upset. Or, not that much anymore, especially after seeing the way you two get along and what you told me. Just...try to be a bit more honest with me next time if you get yourself involved with something like this again."

"Promise."

"So is he the reason why you left home so late that night all those weeks ago?"

He made a 'so-so' gesture with his hand, "There was a bit more to it, but you could say Peter was a big reason for heading out. Again, I'm sorry for making worrying you like that."

Rumiko smiled gently at him, "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm not mad about it anymore, honey…"

"That's great."

Unfortunately, Hizashi spoke too soon as the gentle smile morphed into something far more coy and seductive. "You more than made up for it when you got back in the morning," She said, reminding him about the morning they had after he returned.

"...You've been hanging out with Nemuri again, haven't you?"

His wife's smirk only made the pro-hero concerned for his future in the bedroom. It was only made a lot worse as Rumiko got up from her desk and walked over to him. He did notice a bit of a way to her hips, obviously catching his attention.

She proceeded to plop herself onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his shoulder, "Is that such a bad thing? Anyway, I'm sure we can...catch up while Ms. Todoroki shows Mr. Parker around. Don't you think so? It has been a while since we got a chance in my office."

"Uh…"

Hizashi couldn't exactly complain this rather interesting situation. He glanced over at the clock on the wall, 'Really hoping that tour takes up a big chunk of Peter's time.'

The temptation to follow through with his wife's suggestion was difficult to pass up. He really hoped Peter was having fun on the tour. God knows the kid could use some in the aftermath of everything he's experienced prior to arriving in Japan. Still, there was something to think about and it revolved around the decision made by Peter.

His willingness to go through with such a life-altering consequence.

'Could I make that same decision?'

The thought of giving up his life in exchange for the good of everyone else was difficult to imagine. He didn't need to look much farther than the woman in his arms. Imagining the past several years without Rumiko in his life was a difficult pill to swallow. It only made him wonder how strong Peter needed to be to say those words.

Those final drawings were painful to look at.

"Honey?"

Hizashi was brought back to reality after hearing his wife's voice, "Hmm?"

"You okay?" Her bright green eyes were like an open book. "You went quiet on me for a minute there."

He shrugged off her concerns, "It's fine. Just thinking about something."

"...Don't tell me the asshole expelled his last remaining students?"

Hizashi couldn't help but chuckle at his wife's question. Or say anything about her nickname for Shouta as he remembered their few interactions with each other. Let's just say they disagree on a lot of things, especially regarding the role of teachers in their hero-centered society. "Nah, the three are still around," He said to his wife. "He seems to actually have good things to say about them."

"Woah, he's being positive now?"

"He can give out a compliment from time to time." Hizashi knew his close friend had his quirks as a person, but Shouta wasn't an asshole all the time. He was capable of giving good advice and helping out from time to time.

The couple waited a second before sharing a brief laugh together. It was moments like these that made Hizashi come to a conclusion about whether he can do what Peter did. Giving up his life, including the ones close him, was a step too far. What it did mean is he hoped Peter will never have to make that kind of decision ever again, especially if he ever found love again.

(X)

"...And this will be our final stop for today."

Peter was no stranger to going on tours for college campuses. In fact, prior to his life being upended, he actually visited several schools back in New York City that interested him before ultimately deciding to focus his attention on MIT. A plan that didn't end well for him, but Juranno College was looking to be a nice school from what he's seen so far.

It helped knowing his tour guide, Todoroki, was pretty good at answering whatever questions he had in his head.

But it really did put things into perspective. 'I really am about to attend a school in another country.' In any other situation, this would be really cool. The odd thing was knowing this was a Japanese college in a different universe. 'Never thought I would miss the idea of sitting in a class.'

Todoroki had shown him several of the buildings on campus, mentioning their functions as well as relevance to him. It was impressive to see someone so familiar with the school. Not even the students at those famous colleges in NYC were good as her.

"So what this place for?" Peter looked at the building-in-question. It looked to be in good shape, unlike a lot of buildings back home. He received an explanation from his tour guide.

"Actually, this is where your classes will be held," The white-haired girl said. She then asked him, "If I remember correctly, you're here to strictly learn Japanese, correct?"

Peter recalled the few interactions he's had with people in public. Their English was not the best, which only reinforced the need to learn the local language.

"Learning the local language wouldn't be the worst thing I imagine," Peter said, trying to crack a joke in the moment.

It thankfully worked as Todoroki giggled at his words, "I think you have the right idea, Parker."

At least, she was laughing. That was a good sign, right?

"I've been known to come up with a good idea from time to time," He said, attempting to keep things from slowing down. Earlier in the tour, Peter could tell she was nervous for some reason.

"Is that so?"

Peter held open the door as he answered casually, "I like to think so."

"It's a good thing you choose our school for your place of education," Todoroki replied back. "When it comes to learning languages we were rated as the best within the entire region."

He whistled at the fact, "Wow, that's...I didn't know about that."

"Now you do."

The rest of the tour continued as she led him through the building. Peter carefully listened as she talked about the locations of the classrooms, even going as far as to mention she was going to be taking a few classes in this particular building throughout the term. That was certainly some good news for him. The thought of being completely alone was a little nerve-wracking.

At least, there was going to be a friendly face in Todoroki.

Things were already going to be hard enough being a foreigner. It was going to be weird showing up to class and never seeing people like Ned, MJ, or anyone else he knew.

'We would've been attending MIT together about this time of the year,' Peter thought, remembering the concern MJ had about their chances of getting in together. 'I really hope they're enjoying their time at MIT. They deserve it.'

It was a bittersweet reality. On one hand, his friends were able to live their lives and attend the school each of them worked hard to get into. The flip side is he won't be seeing them again.

When they walked past a classroom, Peter glanced into the room and saw they were relatively smaller than what he probably would've dealt with at MIT. Guess it means they'll be less students per class. 'It only means more attention from the teacher.' Whether it turn out to be a good thing or not will have to wait until he starts attending class.

The rest of the building was what he was expecting to see. Classrooms, a few open areas for students to hang around, and even a decent-sized library attached.

"So what do you think of the school?"

Peter gave his honest thoughts while they walked through the hallway, "I like it."

"I hoped you would," Todoroki said with a gentle smile on her face. "I wasn't too sure knowing you're not from Japan. I imagine arriving in a brand new country might be...difficult."

He tilted his head in confusion, "Huh?"

Todoroki stopped walking and appeared nervous for some reason. There was a tinge of red on her face and started waving her hands, "It was nothing too personal, I swear. All she told me was you're from America and you're unable to speak Japanese. S-She didn't tell me anything besides that. I...I apologize if Mrs. Fujikawa went too far by telling me any of this."

"Oh, I'm not mad if that's you're worried about."

"You're...You're not?"

"Nah," Peter shook his head at her question. "I figured she might've said something."

She looked somewhat surprised by his answer.

Peter found her response to be funny. "It's not like you wouldn't have figured out I'm not from Japan if my face doesn't give it away or the fact I can't speak a lick of Japanese," He said, pointing out the very obvious things about himself. "Besides, you are giving a tour to a single person. I like to think leading a group is easier than just one person."

"You haven't been that bad."

"That's, uh, really nice of you to say."

"It's no problem. I just want to do everything I can to make your first-ever visit to our school as comfortable as possible," Todoroki revealed, catching Peter by surprise. "I imagine it's been tough adjusting to a brand new culture."

When he thought back on the last couple of weeks, the young man was inclined to agree with the girl. It has been tough. Things were already tough enough trying to juggle his life. Spider-Man, his friends, and dealing with the fallout of everything he's gone through over the past few years. The challenges he faced were similar but had their fair share of problems.

He no longer has friends to rely on. He wouldn't be able to go out as Spider-Man for some time. For all intents and purpose, Peter needed to start somewhere.

"Tough? Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. New York is a bit different than this town."

Upon revealing his hometown, Todoroki perked up at his words.

"Like the city?"

Peter saw the curiosity in her eyes and felt compelled to give her an answer. "Yeah." He nodded. "I was born and raised in Queens."

"Queens?"

The innocent question made him smile at her curiosity. He may never be ready to talk about May or the numerous events that changed his life, but bringing up the positive memories associated with home is a good place for him to start. Besides, Todoroki seemed like a nice person and he was bound to see her in school at some point during the upcoming term.

"It's the borough I'm from. I use to go to school there with my closest friends. Got to meet a lot of cool people prior to coming here," Peter said, hating the idea of lying to people. The unfortunate reality is he had no choice. "It's definitely a place I hold in high regard."

"May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Todoroki adjusted her glasses as she asked her question, "What made you come here?"

Among the many questions Peter didn't want to answer, this was probably at the top of the list. He did have a quick lie for such a situation. Mr. Aizawa was pretty good at coming up with cover stories and a lot of lies.

"A change of scenery was a big reason for me leaving."

"Ah, I see."

For the rest of the tour, Todoroki must have realized his answer wasn't entirely true as she asked fewer and fewer personal questions. She mostly kept to generic ones about if he was excited to learn Japanese or attending college in another country. He was partially thankful for his guide picking up on the way he answered the question. It only made sense after learning she was studying to become an elementary school teacher.

Still, things seem to be coming together. He had something resembling an identity to remain in Japan. There was more and more information starting to come his way about how to obtain a hero license in this country. Heck, Peter was going to get a chance to attend college. Everything seemed to be going right.

All he had to do was not mess it up. Easy, right?

(X)

"Winter really is coming," Peter muttered, reciting the famous words from a fantasy book series he enjoyed reading. He found them to be accurate in describing the scene taking place outside the train. Just beyond the layer of glass and metal, snow was falling down from the gray sky and starting to pile up on the ground as the temperature plummeted.

It was yet more signs of the seasons officially changing, and highlighting just how much time has passed since his arrival in a new universe. The seasons weren't the only things to change as Peter had been slowly adjusting to various changes he's gone through.

One of the most obvious was being busy with attending college and getting back into the flow of being a student once more. Sitting in a classroom, being around other students, and taking notes as the teacher stood at the front of the class was refreshing in a lot of ways. For him, it's the first time he's felt normal in a really long time. After all, Peter never got the chance to experience graduating from high school or step onto a college campus like MIT.

Another important thing was college made him busy enough to forget about his troubles involving Spider-Man.

'God, I still can't believe it won't be till some time next year,' Peter thought, remembering the most recent conversation he had with Mr. Aizawa about when the chance to earn his hero license would come along.

He's been using every ounce of self-control he's gained over the years to keep his promise to Ms. Kayama. The small showcase during his first week in this universe helped to alleviate any concerns he had as Japan seemed to have more than enough heroes to protect its citizens from danger.

But it was more than just wanting to keep his word, Peter also didn't want them to get into any trouble for his bad decisions. He already went through that experience once alongside Mr. Stark and, more recently, Dr. Strange. There may not be magic or infinity stones in this universe, but things were done differently here and he had to learn to accept that.

"Good morning to all my wonderful listeners out there!"

His thoughts were interrupted by the bombastic voice of Mr. Yamda as his headphones came to life, cutting off whatever song was playing in the background. It was pretty much a routine for Peter to hear the man during his train ride to school. Mr. Yamada's radio show was helpful in many ways as it taught Peter a number of things he was going to need to know in order to survive in Japan.

None bigger than letting him hear someone speak Japanese just about everyday of the week. The only off days he has from classes are Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday.

In the past few months, Peter has learned a number of things about the language of this country. He was able to understand a few words and even some sentences (if spoken slowly enough) recently. On the other hand, learning to write was still up in the air as it was a complete nightmare trying not screw up.

It didn't help Ms. Kayama thought it was funny to throw him into the fire on a regular basis by him to interact with cashiers at the local supermarket. The woman even made him go alone sometimes with just a list in his hand and some money.

'I swear, I'm going to end up accidentally insulting someone at some point.'

The other important element to listening to Mr. Yamada's radio show was the topics he covered. All of it pertained to heroes. Whether it was heroes providing disaster relief, villains being caught, or major news surrounding the pro-hero community. The man was a gateway for most civilians into the world of being a hero as well as the responsibility that comes with it.

"...Today, we got a special show for you, folks," The hero-turned-radio host said, clearly excited. "In the studio with me, sitting just a few feet away is none other than Japan's young rising superstar and fifth on the national ranking; Hawks! So how are you doing on this fine snowy morning?"

Peter repeated the words said slowly in his head, wondering if the radio host was serious. What stood out was the mentioning of a hero named Hawks. 'Wow, I didn't think I would get to hear this guy on Mr. Yamada's show,' Peter thought, impressed with the radio host.

Throughout his early days of researching the heroes of Japan, the young man came across the most popular ones. Individuals like All Might and Endeavor stood out from the rest for being the top two in the nation as well as being some of the heaviest hitters in Japan. Yet there was one specific name being mentioned more and more often. His name was Hawks, and for a good reason too. The man somehow found his way into the top ten before he even turned twenty-one years old.

He thought something was awry until learning about the man's quirk. 'Still can't get used to calling them that.' Peter continued to be baffled by the term. Either way, the young man was still impressed with his powers. 'It's crazy to think his wings came about due to pure genetics alone. I wonder what Mr. Wilson would think if saw Hawks?'

The fifth-ranked hero was known for his crimson wings. It was the easiest way to spot him among a group of heroes. But the most interesting part to Peter wasn't his ability to fly.

No, he already encountered a number of individuals capable of taking flight in different ways. What interested the young man was his feathers. Somehow, they're able to detach themselves from him and does whatever he tells. It was like watching a less impressive version of the magical cloak used by Dr. Strange, remembering how it could act independently of the sorcerer as well as do whatever he asks of it.

"I've been doing fine. How you been, Mic? It's been a minute since we last talked," The top five pro-hero replied in a laid-back manner.

"Absolutely stupendous if I have to say so. Thank you for asking." Peter came to learn Mr. Yamada was a pretty good interviewer ever since he started listening to his morning shows. "Hawks, we got some topics to get through but I want to start with a very simple one; the reality of being a hero. I think the latest highlight of your incredible career might be a good example. Talk to me about the recent incident involving Flight 301."

The mention of Flight 301 was what grabbed Peter's attention.

A few weeks ago, he remembered hearing on the news about a commercial airliner suffering from engine problems while flying towards Japan. Things only got worse after it never arrived at the airport, prompting a search for the aircraft. Rescuers spent days looking for the aircraft until forced to bring in additional ships as well as pro-heroes best suited for searching the ocean. Among the heroes was Hawks.

"I remember being asked to help with the search," Hawks explained. "I was more than happy to assist the coast guard in the search. Like everyone else, I only wanted to do my job and find those people. They must've been terrified by what had happened to them. I could only imagine how those people felt. So you can picture my face when one of my feathers manage to do the impossible and located the missing passengers floating on emergency rafts...what miles away from the crash?"

Peter, despite being only able to understand portions of the hero's words, could understand where he was coming from.

"A terrible experience to say the least, but it does highlight something important, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, heroes deal with some rough situations. Sometimes, we don't always save the pretty girl at the end of the day," Hawks admitted, even managing to throw in a bit of levity into what they're saying. "But, thankfully, those people were able to go home to their loved ones. That's always the one piece of advice I give to anyone wanting to be a hero these days. It's not a fairy tale. On the other hand, I guess it makes me work even harder towards a dream of mine."

"Oh? What kind of dream?"

Upon the question being asked, Peter felt the train slowing down. He didn't need the person on the intercom to say anything as he knew this was his stop. Soon, the train came to a full stop as it entered the station. Peter adjusted the straps of his book bag as he already saw the platform full of people. He needed to be a little quick or would be caught by the wave of people preparing to board. Just as the door opened, he heard Hawk's answer through his headphones. An answer he wasn't expecting to hear.

"To make a world where heroes can actually relax."

I have returned with a brand new chapter. It is time to delve once more into the life of MCU Peter Parker in the MHA Universe. In this exciting installment...oh, who am I kidding? I manage to get this done after literally rethinking this entire chapter midway through writing the original version. I definitely appreciate Zaru's willingness to go with my sudden decision to change. Thanks again, man. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!