Chicago Illinois, at this time of night was a beautiful place. The Financial District was practically glowing. People of black, white, red, green and every other type walked the streets and platforms beneath the multiple skyscrapers. It was a busy city, arguably the sevenseventh busiest city in the United States.
So very few people noticed the sudden red lightning that sparked along the cackling thunder within the darkening clouds of the night sky, as a vortex began to form from it right above the Shedd Aquarium.
Even fewer people noticed the figure that fell through, at great speeds, which only increased with each second until she hit a hard surface, splashing into the water.
It was hours before he awoke. Just like when he first got to this reality. Somhow lightning struck in the same place twice. And thus it brought him right back where he was. In a medical bed in the nurse's office, tucked in just like before.
Gaining consciousness the young man slowly opened his eyes. His eyelids fluttered, heavy to stay open.
As he gained a hold of the rest of his senses he felt something around his right hand. It was another hand, holding onto it.
"Good. You're up." He heard a familiar voice. Peter rolled his head on the pillow to his side. With his blurry vision clearing he saw the orange haired CEO sitting right beside his bed, wearing a small smile. "And I thought we lost you for a while. Which, in my position is a lot to come to terms with a second time."
"Mrs. Potts?..." The young man mumbled, pushing himself up on the bed, only to wince from the pain in his torso. Though it felt like nothing compared to the last thing he felt.
"You know...I thought the one good thing to come out of this would be that I wouldn't get a heart attack twice a week." Pepper let go of his hand, putting them together while looking down. "Instead, I'm apparently gonna get a heartattck every half hour."
The young man groaned, forcing himself to sit up while putting a hand on his stomach. "Mrs. Potts, I didn't mean to make you worry, I-"
"Oh it's not just you. It's Gwen, your host, being a supposed mentor, finding the stones, which we have no leads on!" Pepper was rambling on at that point, but after let out an exasperated groan, placing her head in her palm. "I can't contact Tony...I failed as a partner and I...I refuse to fail as a parent."
To that, Peter raised a brow. "And yes, as of this moment I do consider myself your surrogate parent." His question was answered before he even asked. "You and Gwen. Because you're both in way over your head."
The young man gave a huff and laid down on the bed. "Yeah...I know..."
The door to the nurse's office then slid open, causing both of them to turn their attention to who was at the doorframe.
There stood Midnight, still in her hero costume with a look of relief and concern for the young man.
"Peter!" She spoke in a desperate tone, running towards the bed past Pepper to her student. "You're awake! How are you? Did Recovery Girl heal you already?" She fired question after question at the young man, grabbing onto his jaw to open up his mouth and check his teeth and gums.
The young man grabbed her wrist with a gentle grasp, pushing her hand away. "Miss Kayami, I'm fine..."
"Fine?!" Nemuri put her hands on her hips, putting on a scolding tone as she spoke. "You took the explosive force of a frag grenade to the chest! You're lucky enough to still stand up, if you can!"
"Wait, a what?!" Peter's eyes widened at that. But he didn't get any further elaboration on it, as his teacher gripped his jaw again, looking into his eyes one by one for any sign of trauma. Nothing.
She pulled back some, raising her hand while she spoke. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three?..." Peter tilted his head as he spoke nervously. Indeed he was right, and the R-Rated Hero sighed in relief of it.
"If you're wondering, he only needs a few days rest. He should be ready for the practical this week.." Pepper stated while putting her hands on her laps, nodding her head. "If he doesn't try to exert himself, he should heal up all the way on his own in a few days."
"Good." Nemuri let out another sigh, lowering her head. She lifted her hand up some, placing it onto her student's head and running her fingers through his hair. All he did was blush, looking down. "You're okay?"
The young man nodded, looking up at the R-Rated Hero. "I'm fine. I promise, I've had worse..." He smiled softly. But that smiled soon went away as he looked down. He noticed the hairs on his arms had risen. And so did Pepper.
"Peter?..." Nemuri turned her attention to his teacher, and tracking her eyes found herself looking down upon his arms.
"What...What's that-" she started, but was caught off guard by the CEO reaching down to grab her metallic blue briefcase, pieces of it shifting and wrapping around her arm. Pepper got on her feet with the metallic briefcase disassembling itself onto her arm, and chest already, awaiting the danger that was coming for them.
The door to the room slid open, almost about to get launched into the wall. And before anyone knew anything a short but mature female body leaped inside, past Pepper and Nemuri right towards Peter, tackling him and sending the both flying onto the floor.
Everyone was taken by complete surprise, as the young inventor of 1-H towered upon her exchange student with a massive grin.
"There you are!" Mei spoke in her depraved desperate voice. "I've been looking around everywhere for you! But your classmates wouldn't tell me anything!" Her face drew closer to his, causing the young man's cheeks to begin to glow a light red hue. Until he noticed something. Her yellow scope-eyes looked watery.
"Are you okay?!" He could hear a crack in her voice as she asked.
"Mei, I'm fine..." Peter said softly. It was the best way to put her at ease. He smiled as he looked up at her, for a moment that, for them seemed to last forever. But it only lasted five seconds.
"Mei Hatsume! Get off him this instant!" Nemuri spoke sternly, walking around the bed towards the two.
Mei jumped some hearing her teacher, sitting up and on Peter's lap as she looked back at the two teachers. "Oh, he doesn't mind! You heard he's fine!"
Pepper stepped to Kayami's side, crossing her arm. "Mei? You're sitting on his crotch."
Upon that the inventor lost her smile, looking up in an oblivious manner as she processed the statement.
"Oh! So that's why I feel a bulge. You're pretty big, actually."
Cue a white Spider-Man angel escaping Peter's mouth through his dying breath a second time today, while Nemuri's cheeks brightened at the thought.
"Wait, wait wait..." The young man sat up, getting all three of the women's attention. "What...What happened after I took a grenade to the face?"
Evidently Peter's match ended in a draw. Not on account of him being gravely injured, but no one getting the key to their zones. Though, Mina was like Midnight, who was in full Protective Mother mode.
The fourth match was 1-A's Ochako Uraraka, Izuku Midoriya, Toru Hagakure and Shoto Todoroki vs Hiryu Rin, Kosei Tsuburaba and Togaru Kamakiri.
This match was the shortest of all the others. Since team 1-A's Shoto and Midoriya were the first to get to the key, and Deku swiped it before leaping like a bunny back towards his zone. While the whole of 1-B's team hurried after him, Todoroki encased them, as well as a small chunk of the entire city with ice. One point 1-A, Two points 1-B.
The fourth match consisted of Katsuki Bakugo, Gwen Stacy, Fumikage Tokoyami, Momo Yaoyorozou. Against Kojiro Bondo, Nirengenki Shoda, Shihai Kuroiro and Yosetsu Awase. Aside from the third match, the most explosive of the matchups.
Gwen was the first to nab the key from its resting place, while Tokoyami took defense. They got quite a ways away towards their side before they were ambushed by Shihai, who used the shadows of the buildings not for cover, but for a way of traversal. To the point that the female Arachnid swooped into the seqers under the city to get away, Yayarozou following suite while Bakugo and Tokoyami took care of the rest of the opposition. A surprisingly easy ordeal, except for one.
"Okay...Are we going the right direction?" Gwen questioned as the two walked along the concrete ledge right above a running sewage line.
Momo was looking down at a GPS device, something she was able to manifest with her Quirk: Creation.
"Yes. At least, we should be..." she sighed, looking up from the device. "The signal's getting fuzzy..."
"Wait, time out." Gwen looked over her shoulder to the skintight suit wearing young woman. "If you can make things with the lipids of your body, why not just make the gifts for me and Peter?"
"Are you asking that now?!" Creati raised a brow at her teammate, who only shrugged.
"It's a legitimate question when you realize you paid for something you could just make yourself."
"We really should be paying attention to getting this key to our zone. Quickly."
"Why? Because that shadow guy's right below me?" Gwen's mask raised a brow, and caused the rich young woman to tilt her head in confusion.
Just as a pitch black hand jumped out from the shadow of Gwen's leg, she jumped into the air, squinting her eyes. "Aha! Nice try, Pitch Bla-" Before she could finish her boast, another black arm jumped out from the shadows, grabbing onto her hood firmly before pulling her into the ceiling, impacting her skull into the ceiling with an audible crack.
Momo watched, stepping forward with her eyes wide in slight panic. "Gwen!"
"I'm fine!..." The masked young woman choked, feeling her windpipe getting crushed from her own suit collar as she attempted to pull the fabric of the hood away from her throat. "Just run!..." She continued, one of her hands letting go to toss the key towards Yayarozou.
Momo caught the item, and immediately sprinted for it, forgetting the GPS and deciding to just run for it.
While her teammate ran, Gwen swung her lower body forward, with enough power and inertia for her feet to land on the ceiling above. Just before Shihai's hand let go and his arm pulled back into the shadow, the hooded hero grabbed onto her wrist, immediately pulling the rest of his arm out.
"Alright, quit being a pansy and get out here!" Gwen growled, putting all her strength into her arms and legs. More than enough to send Kuroiro flying straight down to Earth, landing on his back on the concrete ledge.
Gwen landed right in front of him, crouching down as she breathed heavily, putting her hand on her neck as the eyes of her mask squinted.
"Alright...On equal footing..." She huffed each moment she spoke, putting her hands up into loose fists. "Mono-a-mon-" Suddenly they all felt a soft rumble, and both of them looked up in confusion. Both of them figured out quick what, or better who it was.
"Oh no..."
"Goddammit..." Gwen groaned, as behind her an explosion occurred, filling half of the sewer lines with the compressed power of a detonated rocket. The cause of it sent flying right towards the two.
"DIE YA FUCKIN' REJECT!" Bakugo screamed out, while his exchange student looked over her shoulder to him, her eyes widening in sudden, complete realization of what was just about to happen.
And anyone else could easily infer what indeed did happen. As even hours after the match Gwen had ash smush all across her face, with her hair mostly concentrated to one side of her head, in a complete mess. She looked more annoyed than anything else. And Peter wasn't helping.
"Christ! What happened to yo-"
"Not a single word." She warned bluntly, looking towards the young man from the corner of her eye. "Sit down."
The young man simply sighed.
Peter was brought by Nemuri to class 1-A, where the rest of his class were. Most of them were studying for the written portion of their Finals on Friday, like Izuku, Momo, and of course Gwen. But, a small handful seemed troubled with such a task. Such as Kaminari, Mina or, surprisingly Peter. Since he had absolutely no notes or references for the formal subject at hand. So, to help each other the lightning rod and acid girl went to their arachnid friend, who could elaborate on pieces of information they didn't understand.
It was something that did bother him. This test, as far as he caught on, was on the subject of Hero Society and laws placed around it, as well as the basic morals of said ideology. But what was moral to this society? Is being a Professional Hero really for the good of people who can't defend themselves, or something else?
It was something his classmate Gwen picked up on far quicker than anyone else. She hadn't said a word on it however.
It wasn't at all long before school let out, and most of everyone was quick to get up and out of class into the halls and to the courtyard.
Though, Neito Monoma didn't seem to be in much of hurry. Even as the rest of his class left he didn't really move. He was stuck in thought of what Peter said. That he was a 'Copycat'? Him just insinuating such a thing made the blonde's skin crawl. As he stared down at his table, clenching his fist it was all he could think about.
He was only snapped out of it when he heard a familiar voice.
"What's wrong with you?" Yui aaked, keeping her stoic expression as she looked down on her egotistical classmate.
Monoma looked up towards the stoic young woman, quick to put on one of his famous smirks. "Absolutely nothing! Why ask, Kodai?" he questioned that last part with a hint of venom. "Is me being here a detriment to you? You can always head home from school early. I doubt the student council will mind you leaving early once."
Yui simply crossed her arms. "You're hung up on what Peter Parker told you." She bluntly stated.
"Oh?" Monoma raised a brow, his tone growing condescending as he replied. "And what if I am? Are you going to tell me as part of the student council to just ignore it? Because it's my power and no one else's?!"
"No, I won't." she simply replied. "What you did today would have fatally wounded any other student."
Monoma simply scoffed, looking away. "He survived, right? I see no problem with that."
"It's exactly because he 'survived' that's the problem. He shouldn't have been in such a position."
"Oh brother..." The blonde rolled his eyes, but after a moment turned his eyes to Yui. "Any particular reason why you're suddenly defensive of him?"
Kodai's eyes simply narrowed. "It's terrible representation towards them and their teachers. So never do it again. Or I'll crush you with a desk. Understood?"
"Yeah yeah, understood 'Boss'. Anything else?..." The copycat huffed.
Yui simply bowed some, her stoic voice unchanged. "Have a nice evening, Neito." She bid him a farewell, before leaving for the door into the slighty deserted halls, and then to the courtyard.
And as she made her way through the doors of the main building and down the stairs, she noticed something from the corner of her eye. And turning her full attention to it she saw, just to her right down the steps was the pink skinned acid girl of 1-A, seeningly having a conversation with two of her other classmates, Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka, along with their exchange student Peter.
"I mean, in a general way, you two are pretty alike..." Ochako stated hesitantly, while Mina nodded beside her. The two boys simply looked at each other.
"Really, she has a point." the acid girl chimed in. "I mean, you both do move pretty much the same. Even if Pete's just a bit more agile."
"You both mumble when you think out loud too..." Ochako continued, thinking back to how both of them fill the rooms they were in with inaudible thought. "So cute!..."
Immediately the two simar young heroes began to blush. However Peter's cheeks had turned redder than Midoriya's. Nonetheless the two girls were gushing over it.
"Peter Parker." They all heard, causing the brunette and green haired young man to look over their shoulders up while Mina and Peter turned their heads towards the student council member Yui Kodai.
Peter raised a brow, tilting his head while he smiled. "Y-Yeah?..Wait, have I seen you before?.."
"Correct." Yui nodded, before bowing her upper body at an obtuse angle. "Last night, you rescued these two students and their friend." she gestured to Midoriya and Uraraka, who both immediately jumped some, one of them shaking her head as a way to tell her to stop. "For that I thank you, for keeping my fellow classmates safe."
The young exchange student let out a soft chuckle, looking away in slight embarrassment. "T-Thanks...I really need that right now..." he sighed. When he looked up the acid girl pounced in front of him, her voice booming with excitement.
"You saved my classmates?!" She grinned, getting on her tippy-toes and leaning her face inches from his, causing him to lean backwards some. She then looked back to Deku and Uravity. "Why didn't you guys tell me?!"
The two seemed at a loss at the question, both looking away from her and the others.
"We didn't wanna get him in anymore trouble with the police..." Ochako mumbled, pressing her index fingers against each other.
"If they figured out he did anything else without a license or Hero Approval, he could get in serious trouble with our school and his." Yui explained plainly.
"Yeah..." Peter sighed softly while lowering his head. "It sucks but, apparently I can't do anything I used to back home..." He soon looked up towards the group, smiling softly. "Anyone...wanna change the subject?..."
The green haired boy was the first to ask. "Did you get your suit fixed?..."
"Oh! Yeah, the suit!" Mina jumped with her usual grin. "You're gonna wear it on the Exam day, right?!"
"I-I plan to...It might be fixed by then..." The young exchange student stated with a slight stutter, looking away from her. When he did look to his side his eyes were set on Yui, keeping her stoic composure.
"Along with my gratitude for your help last night, allow me to apologize on behalf of my classmate Neito Monoma, for what he did to you earlier." Yui straightened herself up. "What he did was out of line and intolerable. It will not happen aga-"
"It's fine, don't worry about it." She heard, as the young man shrugged, keeping his smile. "I've had worse...Usually not everyday though..." He chuckled, and only a second later winced a bit, putting a hand on his torso. "Okay, hurts to laugh..."
Mina got even closer, her grin wiped away and replaced with a look of worry. "Peter, are you alright?!"
"M-Maybe you need to sit down? Take a rest?" Midoriya suggested.
"Guys I'm fine..." Peter simply waved off innocently.
While the three students of Class 1-A surrounded their exchange student, who was comforting them that he was okay, the Student Council member watched. And for a second, a small smile flashed upon her lips. But it quickly went away.
"Allow me to make it up to you." Yui suggested. While the young American looked over, she continued. "Perhaps a...lunch together? This weekend after the Finals."
Immediately Peter's eyes widened, blood rushing to his cheeks and turning them light red, while Mina beside just stared. Midoriya and Uraraka seemed unphased.
"W-Wait hold on, you don't have to do that, I told you it's fine, I-" He stuttered like a madman. He only stopped when his pink classmate chimed in.
"He can't! He'll be with us shopping for materials for the Training Camp!" She stated with her grin.
"Oh. Really?" Yui tilted her head, to which Mina nodded.
"Uh huh! After the Exam 1-A's goin' looking for supplies for the trip! Sorry! He'll be completely busy this wee-"
"You wouldn't mind if me and some of my classmates joined then, would you Peter?" Yui suddenly questioned.
Cue the Arachnid themed hero completely red in the face with a dumbfounded and nervous grin, while the apink skinned girl in front of him almost comedically tripped over her herself and fell onto the steps.
"Mina, are you okay?!" Izuku screamed out full of concern.
"Urghh..." Mina groaned softly as she laid on the stairs with nothing but swirls in her black and yellow eyes. All while the Student Council member watched.
"So?" Yui tilted her head, completely unphased. "May we?"
"Y-Yeah, sure!...It's a date!" Peter stammered to reply. But upon hearing whst he said he did his best to backtrack. But it fell upon death ears.
"Alright. I will meet you there then." she nodded, and with very little hesitation made her way all the way down the stairs before walking off.
The young American let out a huff of exasperation, hunching over some. "Okay..." He mumbled to himself. He then turned to the acid girl on the floor, reaching down to her and picking her up onto her feet. "You alright?"
Mina simply groaned, not in pain but more slight irritation. Something that was rarely the case for her. As she watched the Student Council member leave she spoke. "I'm fine...Really..." she then turned her attention to the young man, growing a soft smile. "But thanks for saving me. Again. My personal Hero~"
"No problem..." He smiled back, his blush still present, but disappearing slowly. Then he felt the hairs of his arms stand up. Something was coming for him from behind fast.
"Peter!" He heard a familiar voice, as a short female figure jumped into the air.
Swiftly Peter spun himself around towards the source of danger before him, spreading his arms apart to catch the body that had been thrown his way.
The young inventor flew into her exchange student's arms, wrapping hers around his torso. Holding her close the young man spun himself around as a say to deal with the sudden unexpected weight thrusted upon him. Finding his footing he looked down at the pink haired young woman in his arms, grinning as her scope-eyes stared right into his. All the while the there other students stared in surprise.
"I knew you'd be here!" She spoke in her usual tone, her grip on the young man tightening. "Why didn't you tell me your suit had so many other features?!"
"W-what're you talking about?..." Peter questioned, holding a smile but grow a hint of worry from the back of his mind.
"Wait, what's going on?!" Mina screamed out in confusion, filled with shock.
Mei tilted her head as she stared at Peter, who looked towards the 1-A group with nervous smile.
"Y-Yeah...this is Mei...Mei Hatsume. Y'know, the one who worked on my suit?..." Peter explained. Then something clicked, and he looked back down at her. "And, uh...Where is it-" He attempted to ask, but his host had just seen the students from the corner of her eyes, and turned a fraction of her attention to them.
"Oh! Right, people are still around! Hey, I know you two!" She stated with hwe usual, slightly oblivious tone, lifting her hand from Peter's torso to point a finger a Midoriya and Uraraka. "At the Sports Festival! I think..." she trailed off at that last part, looking away from the three as her finger limped some.
"Yeah, we were all on the same team in the Calvalry Battle..." Ochako spoke softly, looking away while she rubbed her hands together.
"I'm Izuku Midoriya..And this is Ochako Uraraka?" Deku raised a brow, waiting for her confirmation. What he got was nothing of the sort.
"Doesn't ring ANY bells!" Mei stated confidently, pulling herself away from Peter to put her hands behind her back as she grinned almost deviously towards the three, who all had a comedic sweatdrop at the side of their heads
"Mei." Peter began, and immediately, unlike everyone else, he got her full attention, with her swinging her head to his direction at breakneck speeds.
"Yes Peter?!" She tilted her head as she asked.
"Where's the suit?"
"The suit! Right!" Mei spoke, as she slapped her hand against her forehead, not losing her grin for a moment. "I almost forgot about it!" she let out a laugh, with was actually more of a laugh than a cackle. It was rather cute, cuter than he thought it'd be.
Peter did his best to hold back the smile forming on his face, and barely succeeded before asking. "Well?...Where is it?..." He then realized something. She was wearing gloves. But not workshop gloves. they were red, with black lining that went up her wrist. "Wait, are you..."
"Well..." She looked away from him, running one of her hands through her pink dreadlocks. There was a distinct red hue in her cheeks. She was at a loss of words. Something that never really happened before.
Silence engulfed the two brains of the group, both of them turned red in the face af the sudden realization of what just happened. Ochako was the first ask. "What's wrong with you two?..."
"M-Mei, why're you wearing my suit?!" He blurted out suddenly, catching all three of their classmates off guard. Mina the most, as her eyes were the widest and her jaw looked the lowest.
"I was wondering how many other features it had! I needed to know!" the inventor replied, stepping closer a bit as she looked up at him. "You have an onboard AI and didn't tell me anything about it, Peter!"
"W-Wait you know about that?"
"Of course! And the Enhanced Combat Mode! Why didn't you say anything?!"
They were arguing like a married couple. A rare sighting of the pink haired 'Psycho' and 'Sticky-Hands' together. And something that would likely become very common amongst the two.
The three 1-A students watched, all pretty surprised. Ochako, though, did catch onto what was happening between the two, growing a bit of a grin at the sight. The same with Midoriya, who decided to stay silent on the matter. Mina on the completely other end of the spectrum looked destroyed, because she knew what was going on.
"Are you two a thing now? That was quick!" Ochako blurted out with a heartfelt giggle, getting both of their attention. She didn't at all get any verbal response, but the red hue in both their cheeks was answer enough.
"Oh my me! So cute!..."
"Oh..." Mina slumped over in defeat, sighing softly.
As the halls of the main building began to calm and the number of students flowing through slimmed down, it became easier for the orange haited businesswoman to walk down the hall in peace.
Pepper stared down at her feet as she walked. The usually clear lenses of her glasses a purplish hue, as her vision filled with abundant amounts of information. All relative to several red lightning filled holes in the sky. The same holes that brought her and her teammates here.
"Come on...Come on..." She mumbled to herself with her arms crossed as she walked. She only lifted her head once she heard a familiar, partially heroic voice. As well as triumphant music from a distance.
"Mrs. Stark!" All Might called out from across the halls. Before she even turned all the way around a gust of wind blew past her, causing her to yelp some as her hair blew in the sudden wind, her glasses nearly falling off her face.
Right behind her the mountain of a blonde man stood, his hands on his sides as he spun around with his heroic smile. "We've been looking for you!"
Pepper turned around, readjusting the glasses on her face as she looked up at the blonde giant. Calming down she spoke. "Yeah? Do you need something?"
Another familiar voice filled her ear, causing her to turn around to see the Super Soldier Captain America slow himself to a stop, as he was running through the halls beforehand.
"Alright...You win." Steve stated with a soft smile, lifting his arm and extending it towards his blonde equal, who took it with a firm grip.
"Oh, it wasn't fair! We need a much wider space to see who's better!" All Might shrugged. "But thank you, Mister Rogers! I haven't had competition like that in a while! I say I may have gotten younger!" He began to laugh out.
Before poofing from his muscle form to the emaciated skeleton man known as Toshinori, who was spewing blood from between his teeth at high pressure.
"Oh my God!" Pepper stepped closer, as well as Steve.
"Hey, Toshi. Are you alright?" Steve put a gentle hand around his fellow teacher's arm as he looked down at him.
Toshinori let out a cough, spilling blood from his lips and quickly covering it up with his hand. "Yes, I'm...I'm fine...Just tired..."
The two heroes looked at each other, before looking back down to the emaciated Small Might in front of them.
"Lets get you some place to sit down.." The soldier nodded, taking his equal to the empty classroom beside them.
Once they all got comfortable, Pepper taking a seat at one of the front desks while Steve leaned against the teacher's table, which Toshinori sat behind with his hands together and his elbows on the table, Pepper began asking questions.
"So...You were looking for me?"
"Yes..." All Might nodded. "Today, both your students were hurt during joint training...I am sad to say it was at the hands of our own students. Allow me to apologize on behalf of them..."
"Toshi, you don't have to..." the Captain looked over his shoulder towards the skeleton, uncrossing his arms while shaking his head. "It was my idea. I take full responsibility for what happe-"
"I won't blame either of you." Pepper spoke, seemingly indifferent, until she slowly took off her shaded sunglasses. "They were accidents...And even if it could have been avoided, there's no need. They've both been through worse. Much worse..." she looked down to her feet, growing silent for a moment.
"Which is why I'm counting on you both to keep them out of trouble." She looked up back at the two. "Especially for the next few days."
To that Steve narrowed his eyes, gently pushing himself off the desk he was leaning against. "Are you...going somewhere?"
"America. On very, very urgent business.." Pepper sighed softly, intertwining her fingers. "One of our company staff were in an accident and I need to check on them."
"Which one?..." Steve put his hands on his hips.
For a moment all he got was silence before the orangette spoke, shaking her head as she looked away. "I...I honestly don't know. But I'm going to check it out. Which means I need you two and Wanda to keep an eye on Peter and Gwen."
"Do you have any idea when you might come back?" Steve asked, while Pepper got up out of her seat, shaking her head.
"Not really...Hopefully I can get back before finals."
"Okay...When are you leaving?"
"The plan is tonight. Hopefully by tomorrow evening I'll be heading back."
Steve gave a simple nod, as the room became engulfed in silence. Slowly Steve stepped towards her, and wrapped his arms around her, shutting his eyes.
"Get back safe. Okay?" Steve spoke, before backing away some.
"I promise." Pepper nodded. Her vouxe was full of determination. "I promise we'll make it back."
The train ride home was a quiet one for the Spider-Quirk user and his high IQ host. Both of them seemed too stuck in their own thoughts to talk. However that didn't stop them from being so close in their seats their shoulders didn't brush up against each, despite there being plenty of space in the train car for them to spread out. Or Mei almost intentionally leaning against her exchange student. Or Peter's nervous tapping on the plastic seat.
The walk from the metro station had little words from the young inventor, who the whole time was stuck in her own thoughts. She only snapped out of it once she heard Peter's voice.
"Hatsume? Mei? Talk to me, are you alright?"
The young man was right in front of her, leaning in close, however not as close as usual. When she glanced around she also realized she was back in her apartment with him. When she could've sworn they were still on the train, with her head on his shoulder.
"Mei?...It's Peter. It's me, Pe-" He didn't get a chance to finish, the tingling sensation at the back of his head just a second too slowly as Mei tackled him, causing him to lose his footing and send both of them falling onto the hardwood floor with a thud. The breath was pushed from his lungs.
M-Mei, W-what're you doing?!..." Peter stuttered, looking down at his pink haired host. Then he went silent, seeing her bury her head in his chest. "Mei?..."
For a moment he didn't get an answer. Silence filled the apartment as they both laid on the floor, unmoving while Hatsume rested her head against his chest, hearing his soft heartbeat, music to her ears for reasons she didn't know and didn't care to know.
"Sorry..." Hatsume's voice finally filled the silence around them, lifting her head up to lock eyes with him. "I have no idea what came over me!..." She grinned as she spoke. Her cheeks were uncharacteristically red. "Hopefully I didn't make you pull anything..."
Confused was exactly the right word to define how the young man felt, as he laid the back of his head against the hard wood floor, letting out a soft sigh."I'm fine, Mei. Promise..." he raised a hand, and with it patted her on her head. She didn't say another word, laying her head back down into his chest to once again hear his peaceful heartbeat.
The two stayed like that for what felt to them like hours, but was in reality only a few seconds. And it only ended when something suddenly popped into her head.
"Oh! One more thing!" Hatsume looked up at him, pushing herself up and taking a seat in his lap. Again. "Super important! I hope you don't mind." she shrugged off her backpack, looking to her side while her bag dropped to the floor. "It's just that...You probably aren't at the top of your game, so I asked your teacher for a few things..."
Peter sat up to look her in her scope-eyes, raising a brow. "Oh, Mei...You didn't hav-"
"Of course I do!" She interrupted, unzipping her back and reaching inside. "You keep getting hurt! You can't be a hero if you break your bones in every fight!"
He couldn't really talk back on that. So far it has been true. He wasn't on point, still healing. He wasn't ready to fight without some help.
"Alright...Alright..." Peter spoke softly. "Can we...get off the floor before you tell me?..."
To that Mei tilted her head, oblivious to where she was sitting once again. "Do we have to waste time doing that? I like my seat!"
Immediately her exchange student's cheeks grew red once more, as he stuttered for words to speak. Hatsume simply stared, a warm smile upon her lips.
The Ashido household was often hyperactive and uplifting, from both the colorful aesthetics of the wall, ceiling, and furniture of every roomc to the two out of three people who lived there, fueling such behavior. That being Mina and her mother, Shime Asido.
However the young pillar of joyfulness and positivity didn't seem like eithwe after she got home. Even hours later. And she hadn't opened up to it with either of her parents until dinner, where they ate a household favorite her father brought home from work. Shawarma.
All three of them sat at their table, the Shawarma bags in the middle with three plates surrounding it.
The pink skinned daughter held her left cheek in her left hand, using her right to stab at her wrapped food with her fork, looking down upon it with a monotone look. Something was wrong, and both of them knew it.
Though it was awkward, Shime did manage to get out the question.
"Mina, dear? You've been...awfully quiet...Is there something on your mind?"
Mina looked up from her food towards her mother, wearing a soft smile. Obviously fake. "No, no not at all...Just...thinking about Exams is all..." she shook her head. Something was definitely wrong.
"You know you can tell us, dear." Her father spoke, and Mina subtly tracked her eeyes to the humanoid white furred, white haired moth woman in a simple dress shirt.
"I know...I just...I don't feel so good after today..." Ashido sighed, looking back down at her plate. Until her mother prodded a bit further.
"Was it because Spider-Man was with you?"
Mina lifted her head, a soft green hue glowing in her cheeks as her eyes widened. She quickly looked away, raising her hand to scratch one of her antennae. "Y-Yeah...We were joint training with 1-B...He was part of my team..."
Already her mother was through the roof, her eyes gleaming with excitement while she nearly jumped out her seat. "Are you serious?! Why didn't you tell me?! Did you see him fight?! See him webswing?!"
"Did you ask him out?" Her father asked bluntly. The green in Mina's cheeks immediately grew more apparent, as she jumped some in her seat, stuttering some.
"D-Dad!"
"What? It's a legitimate answer, sweetheart." The moth woman, Ga Ashido, shrugged as she lifted her wrapped food and took a bite.
"Oh that'd be so adorable!" Shime wrapped her arms around her husband, who seemed very unphased "Just imagine! I bet they'd be so cute if they were together!"
"Mom!" Mina grew more and more embarrassed, as the thought of her and Peter together filled her mond, and her heart, for some reason, began to increase its pace.
But, after today?
"I...don't think so...He's too busy..." She spoke softly, solemnly, staring down at her food. The sight of him and his host filled her mind. "Far too busy...But I'm gonna get him all to myself...Somehow..."
For the last two hours Peter and Mei were together in the workshop of her apartment, crafting the items made specifically for him to use to his advantage during the Finals. And they were nearly finished, but Peter decided after two straight hours of slaving over a few dozen inventions that it was time time for a break. His host however thought they hadn't spent enough time on it, and should work it to its absolute perfection.
Upon those two arguments they bicketed with each other like they were a married couple, while also branching off to do what they needed to. Peter went off to the kitchen to put his chef skills to work with what was left in the fridge, which was little. Meanwhile Mei went to work on the couch, working the inside circuitry of the Support Items.
They had both gotten into more comfortable attire. Peter wearing a blue T-shirt with a yellow bold 'ALL M' on the front, and grey sweatpants. Mei wore nothing but his Stark suit, and her steampunk style goggles over her eyes.
And even while they worked two completely different things, they still bickered.
"If we increase the kinetic power output by fourty percents, your punches would be twice as strong as they are now! Hypothetically speaking. Oh, maybe even triple the strength!"
"That...would break my arms..." Peter looked up from the frying pan and looked over his shoulder, seeing his host hump some from behind through the wide window.
She hunched over, laughing lowly as that thought entered her mind. "Oh...We don't want that..."
The young man switched the stove off, before stepping to the side past the sink to the dishwasher. Pulling it open he crouched down, taking out two plates as he explained.
"We should keep the output at about...ten percent. Twenty at most." he stated, standing up and setting the two plates on the counter. He then lifted the smoking frying pan and using the spatula to scrape some of the pasta out onto both plates. "The rest of the power should be regulated to the secondary function."
"Right!..." Mei nodded. But she soon huffed some, hunching over some on the couch. "Really boring though..."
"I'd rather it be boring and still have my arms then...not have my arms." Peter walked through the doorframe of the kitchen to the livingroom, making his wasy around the couch and sitting down next to his host. He set the plates down on the low table in front of them, right next to the rest of the support items they were working on.
He laid back into the couch, letting out a soft sigh before turning his head towards the young pink haired woman. "Still not taking a break?"
"Why would I?! We're almost done! The faster we get finished the base equipment, the quicker we can make improvements! The better they'll be!" Under normal conversation, which were rare, she wouldn't even look up or stop working. But she did both, lifting her goggles from over her eyes with a genuine smile.
He couldn't deny it. That smile, it was beautiful.
For a second he froze up, she as well as her. Both with looks of true contempt, for reasons neither really knew. But soon the young American turned his gaze away, down to the gadgets and, more importantly, the food.
"Well, you're gonna need some fuel before you do all that.." Peter stated, only to get a sort of pout. "Hey, it's true."
"But then the Support Items won't get done as fast!..." Mei whined, causing her
exchange student to chuckle softly.
"Right. Fine. Open your mouth." He instructed, not much to his host's confusion. She did hesitate, but not for long as she opened her mouth as told, turning her attention back to the gadget in her lap.
Peter picked up the plate of pasta, taking a forkful and slowly leading it to his host. Once the forkful was between her lips they closed, before Peter slowly pulled out to allow her to chew.
The taste was incredible. The young inventor perked up, her scope-eyes glistening some as she turned her attention towards the Spider-Quirk user.
"What was that?! It's incredible! What was in that?!" She took her attention off her invention, all of it was on Peter, who simply let out a soft chuckle, his cheeks growing a soft red hue as she leaned closer.
"I-it's nothing, just something I learned in Culinary!...I just put my own...spin on it..." The young man shrugged, smiling nervously. But that smile soon went away once he looked away over the TV in front of them.
Hatsume tilted her head as she saw Peter turned his head away towards the screen. She did the same, and immediately stopped chewing, gulping it all down as she stared at the screen.
On the screen was the Hosu news feed, which reported the 'Elemental Hosu Incident' that only took place yesterday. As well as an incident that took place on the west coast of Italy, which nearly flooded the city of Bari a week ago, and a humanoid tornado showing up in Budapest a week prior to that.
Everyone wondered just how either of these incidents were related. But everyone in U.A who saw it figured it out immediately, when they saw a glimpse of the Rescue Armor facing off against the Wind Elemental, and the Scarlet Witch struggling to hold back the tsunami that was the Water Elemental. Two teachers of the exchange students of U.A in completely different places at different times seemingly far too close to each other, with the same things happening.
It raised a brow for some, such as Momo, who had finished a lonely dinner, and set her plate down on the coffee table as she watched.
Midoriya was lifting a twenty pound weight in his right, scarred hand, which he had been using for the last thirty minutes straight. His phone buzzed on his nighstand, getting his attention. He set the weight down and reached for his phone, flipping it over to read the Daily News Alert, reading 'Intertwining Elemental Incidents'. Once he read the article, his mind went racing on how these events were connected. The frequency of them all being so close was either a huge coincidence, or orchestrated.
Katsuki was starting to question too. Watching from his on his bed, lifting his dumbbell as he narrowed his eyes, as a photo of Peter's mugshot appeared on the screen.
Above him, looking down through the skylight window was Gwen, crouching down with a hoodie up. She groaned, looking away to the neighborhood in front of her. "Goddammit..."
"Well would ya look at that?" a raspy voice spoke as he watched from the bar counter of the rundown room. "Now that's pretty odd. A bunch of monsters coming out of nowhere causing nothing but destruction..."
"Ha! Maybe it's Mysterio, back at it again!" He spun himself around to look towards the man in a black and white costume, who was looking up with his arms crossed and a finger raised, his voice was high and full of grown man excitement, before the base of his voice dropped. "Eh! That's way too obvious."
That was Twice. Simply Twice. The unhinged newbie of this group of villains, with his Quirk labelled 'Double', in which he can duplicate himself or other people. It matched his name and personality, which was branching off two different ways.
"What are you talking about?" The man sitting at the bar questioned. This was Eric O'Grady, the Black Ant. Who shouldn't be there to begin with. Not just in this bar, or this city, but on this Earth. He was a criminal, with dirty brown hair, a complete mess with a freshly trimmed beard.
"Ah, nothing!" Twice wsved off the question, before completely contradicting himself. "The end is neigh!"
"Both of you shut up." A voice filled their ears, causing them to look over at the black mist behind the bar. He rubbed away at the dirty glass in his hand with his cloth.
"Me? I'm not the one off my meds, am I?" Eric tilted his head, immediately getting confirmation from the masked villain behind.
"Correct!-Hey!"
"Aren't you two supposed to be somewhere?" Kurogiri questioned, setting the glass down.
O'Grady simply squinted his eyes, looking away from Kurogiri into the air as he spoke softly. "Are we? Am I? After being nearly burnt alive by a twenty foot monster?" He held a sarcastic tone as he spoke, turning his attention back to the black mist. "I found a way into the mainframe. You can find someone else to get that...whatever it is from that kid!..."
Kurogiri narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Quirkless criminal, who shrugged. "Fine..." he sighed, turning his attention to the blank screen. "Well sir?"
A majority of this situation Peter found himself in was beyond stressful. However, surprisingly, having the 'Psycho' of class 1-H as a host was not one of them. It seemed like one of the best parts of this trip if he were to be completely honest. Aside from...most of his new school, or simply just being so far from New York all the way in Japan.
After their short dinner and tinkering both youths went their separate ways. Or, they would've if he cared less about his host's mental integrity, which he saw first hand could go down the drain without some sleep. So before she got into her workshop he stuck her with a webline, pulled her over with a tug of the string and took her to bed despite the protests.
Within five minutes in his arms she was out like a light in bed. snoring a small bit and holding onto him tight, her matured chest pressing against his arm through his own suit.
Safe to say, the snoring wasn't what was keeping him up. Really the only thing keeping him up was his staring at her. She looked so peaceful like this, clinging onto his arm or not. It was far too cute to ignore. He just couldn't look away.
Until he felt the hairs on his arms stand. He looked over to his free forearm for confirmation, before looking up at the closed door. Out in the hall were footsteps, soft against the hardwood, not easily detected.
Peter reached his arm out for the shoes on the floor beside the bed, a with a flick of his wrist shot out a webline from his webshooters towards them.
Having just swung in and landing almost silently on all fours, the burglar walked through the hall of the apartment, keeping her guard as high as possible, as she looked around the place.
This burglar was tailored in a formfitting primarily black outfit, with the insides of her upper arms and her collar being a light grey. She wore a leather, zipped up women's athletic jumpsuit, with a trapezoid cutout right above her D-cup cleavage, along with thin black plating all along the outfit..
She wore white, thinly armored arm gaurds, as well as armored gloves, with what looked like retracted claws just above her fingertips. From her knees down were shin guards, white just like her arm guards and steel toed boots. Around her waist, a belt with small tins of utility, tight around her waist, along with a black bag over both her shoulders. Her white, curly flowing hair was put into a Ponytail, her bangs covering some of her blue lensed black frame face mask.
"Okay...Where are you?..." The woman whispered to herself, reaching for the door to her right, grabbing the knob to Mei's room and opening it slowly. She gave her facemask a tap with a finger, before her vision filled with a HUD, scanning the room. Nothing. "Okay, not this one..."
She closed the door quietly, before reaching for the door on her left. Once she opened it she saw the inventor, Mei, laying alone in bed. Nothing.
The cat burglar groaned, closing the door slowly before turning her attention to the metal door in front of her. She stepped forward towards the door, reaching to the lever of the door, twisting it down and pulling it open. "C'mon..."
She took a quick glance around the workshop. A match, right on the table. Was she was looking for was right there, on the clutter long table. Once she made her way inside she looked through the clutter, getting a closer scan on the dozens of gadgets on the table. Until she found what she was looking for. A flash drive, red and yellow with blue trimming on the side. An algorithm for a specific tracker on it.
"There you are..." She spoke softly, smiling softly to herself as she tilted her head. Thought you'd be bigger..."
After setting the drive away onto her person, she made her way out. Peaking her head out the room she looked both ways of the interior, first to the livingroom to her right, and to the open window to her left. It was all clear.
Until she stepped out into the hall. The end of a webline splattered onto her side, and before she realized it her body was jerked towards and through the open window.
The woman was quick to catch her bearings, shooting out a teather hook from her wrist. The spear end of the teather hit the concrete side of rhe bridge across the apartment building, reeling herself up from her descent. Once to the wall she shot out the claws of her fingers, lodging them into the concrete.
Across from her Peter was, perched against the wall right next to the open window, wearing his mask as well as a blue jacket hoodie and sweatpants, along with his red and white running shoes.
"A little late to be breaking and entering, right?" He joked with a raised brow expression on his mask. "Or is this a rule between criminals to steal from people while you think they aren't looking?" he continued while watching the woman elegantly flip onto the ledge of the bridge, crouching down.
There was no smile on her face. It was a look of surprise, frustration, and soft anger. "Are you kidding me?"
"Whatever you stole, give it back! I don't wanna hurt-" was as far as the masked young man got before the Black Cat backflipped onto the sidewalk of the bridge, spinning herself around and running away from him. The eyes of his mask widened as he stuttered. "H-Hey! Get back here, we need that!" He shouted before shooting out a webline onto the side of the bridge, pulling himself off the wall after her.
Pepper's arrival to the airport was quicker than she imagined it would. However thanks to a majority of people having gone home from their jobs to start over again, the traffic was fairly fluid.
Her bout through customs was easy as well. Since she wasn't taking a public plane to America, but a private 'company' jet. Driving through to one of the hangers she drove to a vacant space, where she was sure her car wouldn't interfere with take off.
Putting her ice blue sports car into park, she pulled the keys from the ignition before lifting the butterfly door to the driver's seat open. She then took a step out, reaching into the back of the interior and grabbed onto the handle of ger metallic blue suitcase. Pulling it out she shut the door softly, making her way around the front of the car to the white and blue private jet. However before she got on it an icon filled the right corner of the right lense of her glasses. It was a message, fresh and direct from Karen, Peter's AI.
With a tap on the right side of the frame she answered, the lenses gaining a purplish hue. "What do you have for me?"
"Peter is in pursuit of a cat burglar." Karen spoke. Immediately Pepper's demeanor changed. For an obvious reason that single sentence took longer than it needed to process, as she closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling dramatically.
"Did you get a good look at his face?" she questioned the AI, crossing her.
"Yes ma'am..." A picture then filled her vision, a passport photo of a woman woth ice white hair going down to her back, and piercing sky blue eyes.
Pepper narrowed her eyes as she processed the information given to her. She had seen that face before on Stark Industry and leaked SHIELD files. A rogue agent that escaped custody right after SHIELD fell.
But suddenly another message occured. an urgent red as the image of the woman minimized and moved to the bottom left corner of her vision. In its place was a satellite map of Musutafu, with a small, expanding circle near the other side of the city.
"Pepp, we got incoming!" Another voice filled her ear. It was her armor AI, A.D.A.M. "The same radiation as the last three, but I'm not detecting any dramatic atmospheric, hydrophobic or temperature changes."
She's seen this before in her time here. But it wa different than the others. Which meant this wasn't Fire, or Wind or Water.
And it meant even more people could get hurt. Including Peter.
The buzz of Wanda's cellphone filled the open air, as it rumbled on the round table she sat at with Steve. Earlier in the day after school Nemuri and Toshinori offered to give the two a bit of a tour around Musutafu. Already they had gotten a fourth of the city covered, which is quite a good starting point that ended in a small cafe just a few blocks from an apartment complex.
Nemuri had stepped away to buy a few drinks for them all. Nothing with alcohol in it, since Toshinori had absolutely no liver for it and Steve couldn't get drunk to begin with.
So Wanda, Toshinori and Steve socialized. Then someone had called the Witch. She turned her attention to her device's screen to see who it was. It was Pepper Potts.
She took the phone in hand and pucked it up, swiping the phone to the right to answer. She then brought up and put it on speaker for the other two to hear, smiling softly "Mrs. Stark, how's your fli-"
"I just got a radiated signal, it's another one of those things." they all heard. Immediately Wanda's smile went away, much like Steve and Toshi's.
Steve leaned closer to the phone as he spoke. "Where? Where is it?"
"The apartment complex on seventh and seventh!" Everyone gave each other a look, which only lasted one second as Steve stood up from his seat, grabbing his brown jacket from on the back of his chair.
"On it. Lets go." He held a stern voice, ready to go to war. As he slipped his arms through the jacket Toshi got onto his feet, hunched over but ready to fight, even in his weakened state. Steve turned to the Emaciated blonde, shaking his head. "Not you."
Nemuri watched from the counter of the cafe with a raised brow. She had no ifea what was going on between her three fellow teachers, only that Maximoff and Rogers looked ready to leave. In a bit of a hurry too.
As Wanda hung up her phone Toshi spoke. "I can handle it, Captain. I still have some fight left..." He then felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and turned to the Scarlet Witch.
"Don't worry. We've dealt with these things before. We can handle it."
"Handle what?" Nemuri asked as she came up to the group, putting her hands on her hips. "What's wrong?"
Steve turned to Nemuri. "Another villain. We have to clear the area on Seventh and Seventh." he spoke, before turning towards the door, with Wanda following. and Nemuri not long after. Meanwhile Toshinori stood there, watching them go. He then let out a sigh.
Peter came to a running landing onto another building roof, in a full sprint after the white haired woman. "When're you gonna stop running?!"
"When I lose you!" She shouted, jumping up onto a railing before leaping into ththe air up several more feet at an angle and enough leg power to fly across the street below to the lower building below.
She landed with a roll from her feet to her back and back onto the soles of her shoes.
The masked young man wasn't at all far behind. Using the power in his legs to leap into the after her, before extending an arm out and with the flick of his wrist shooting out a webline at the Black Cat. the end of the webline splatter onto the back of her suit as she ran, causing her to stumble a bit and stop dead in her tracks before looking over her shoulder back at him with a growl.
Before Peter landed the cat burglar turned around to him, grabbing onto the webline attached to her and pulling him forward. Caught off guard he was flung over her, down onto the roof and into an AC unit with a massive thud from his back impacting the metal and bending it inwards. He then fell onto his shoulder with an audible groan, the eyes of his mask narrowing. As he slowly got on his hands and knees the Black Cat stood across from him, a look of frustration upon her face.
"You don't want any part of this, kid!" she spoke, looking down once she got a few feet closer, just a few feet between them. Her angered expression soon washed away, as she watched the young man slowly pushed himself onto his feet, looking up at her. Her look changed. Into that of pity. "Just look away before someone gets hurt..."
All she got was a soft chuckle, as Peter put up his fists, wincing some from the still healing injury of his stomach. "I can do this all day..."
"Yeah...I know..."
The masked young man was ready to go in for the takedown, throwing up both arms towards the Black Cat and about to shoot out a webline from either wrist. Then the hairs of his arms stood up.
A shiver ran along his spine. Something was coming, something big. He turned his head to where this source of danger was. By an apartment complex with four four story brick buildings surrounding a small park.
He didn't notice when the Black Cat charged at him, skipping off her feet and throwing herself in her back just as she was about to run into him. She slid between his legs, grabbing onto his left ankle and pulling it with him while he was off guard.
Peter let out a yelp as the woman elegantly maneuvered. Once he fell down face first, she spun her body onto her claws, like a feline predator, before pouncing on the spider's back, pinning him down.
The young man let out a groan of pain having his head pressed into the concrete, the eyes of his mask narrowing.
"I already broke a promise by stealing this drive." The Black Cat whispered into the young man's ear while he struggled under her. "Don't make me have to break another by hurting you!"
Hearing that the eyes of Peter's mask widened some in confusion as he tried to look back at her to get a good look at her face. But the woman pulled away, jumping back onto her feet and beginning to run off. Peter was quick to try and go after her, but just as he tried to get onto his feet the lingering pain from his torso stung, causing him to groan in pain while immediately falling onto his knees.
He couldn't chase after her. As she ran for the ledge of the building, the young man threw up one of his arms towards her, and with a flick of his wrist shot out a small, ant size bead, moving like a bullet towards the woman's back and landing on one of the metal panel. She didn't notice a thing as she leaped off the roof, shot out a tether from her wrist and swung off.
Escaping his sight, Peter let our another groan in pain as he rolled himself onto his back, putting a hand over his stomach where the pain stemmed from. He was tired. But his job wasn't yet hairs on his arms stood up straight. Something big was still coming.
from the second floor of one of the apartment buildings, in a decent simple apartment a middle-aged man sat in his couch, adjusting his glasses as he looked down at the opened newspaper in hand in complete contempt. Until he felt a subtle rumbling.
The water beside him on the stand beside his recliner rippled, as the apartment shook, getting more aggressive every second.
The middle-aged man got up from his recliner, heading catching from the corner of his eye something from outside his window. He walked towards it, adjusting his glassed to get a better look. What he saw caused his eyes to go wide.
Down on the ground, in the middle of the complex grounds the dirt began to move, piling ontop of each other before everyone's eyes. The cement paths along the grounds began to crack and pull apart, all going towards the center as it all began to shape itself and form.
It was an abomination. A massive body at least thirty feet tall, with a muscular looking physique as opposed to its predecessor's skinny build. Its entire body was laced with pieces and shards of concrete, its four fingers massive on each of its bold arms
Pieces of its body fell off subtly like it was shedding, as it let out a roar of a predator down towards the citizens, who let out screams of terror as they turned away and ran as fast as they could.
The three U.A teachers were the first to the scene, cutting through the crowd.
Steve looked ahead as the Earth Elemental swung its arm into the ground. With it, the monster took the cracked broken concrete into itself.
"Gameplan!" The captain spoke, turning around to the other two. "Wanda, I need you to contain that thing. Midnight, make as much of that gas as you can!" he instructed the two, walking backwards towards the battle zone. "If we get this thing under we can minimize-"
He immediately stopped himself once he saw something from above. He looked up into the air, and as he did so did the others. Nemuri and Wanda turned over to the direction the captain looked, up into the sky. There their student was, swinging through the air.
Peter swung towards the danger, throwing his body towards the side of a building with his last swing and landing on the wall, his hand and feet sticking him to it. He looked towards the Earth Elemental between the complex, squinting his eyes. "C'mon, Spider-Man...No sitting on the sidelines..." he mumbled to himself. He then used his leg strength to push himself off the wall with a backflip, flying down to Earth. He then shot out another webline, attaching it to the side of another building, using his falling momentum to swing towards the apartment complex.
The abomination of rock swung its arm into one of the complex buildings surrounding it, breaking through the wall with a powerful thud. The bricks of the building crumbling, becoming a part of the monstrosity. It then swung its other massive hand into another building, going straight through the side of it to consume the material inside. As it did it began to grow, slowly growing bigger, at least ten extra feet.
Spider-Man moved fast, swinging onto the scene while letting go of his webline. As the Earth Elemental pulled his hand out of one of the buildings, taking the foundation from the upper levels and leaving it unstable, Peter let go of the webline, flying through the hole left from it. Going through, he swung his arm out, small web pellets flying from his open hand just seconds before they blew up, covering the walls, ceiling and floor to keep everything together.
He shot out another webline, using his momentum and swinging towards the ground before flying back into the air, before letting go of the line and throwing his body towards the walls of the upper levels, sticking his hands and feet to the side of the building. Immediately he felt a shiver down his spine. He turned his head to the direction of the danger, seeing a massive ground made fist headed straight for him. He was quick, shooting a webline up above him and latching it onto the ledge above. he pulled on it with all his strength, throwing himself up into the air just seconds before the massive fist ran its way through the wall.
Making his way up the building with a single pull he barely planted his feet into the wall before putting power into his leglegs, propelling himself away into the air, just above the growing fourty foot monster.
He curled up into a ball as he fell down to Earth, backflipping before shooting out another webline at the monster's shoulder. Just inches from hitting the ground he used his new momentum to swing under the Elemental, right under it's arm as it reeled its fist back for another swing. Thinking quickly Peter balled his free hand, pulling on the webline and changing directions straight towards the monster's head.
Everyone watched as the masked young man threw himself point blank at the Elemental's face, before swinging his arm out once more, throwing a dozen of the Web Grenade pellets from his once closed fist. All blowing up right in its face, covering its face in layers of webbing.
The Earth made monster roares out, leaning back and taking a step backwards, its hands slamming into its face to rip the webbing off.
Peter fell back down, back first towards the ground as he threw up one of his arm, shooting out a web. "I hope this works..." he mumbled, the eyes of his mask narrowing before he swung off again.
He swung out from between the damaged building of the complex, immediately spinning his body around and shooting another webline from both his wrists, the ends splattering on solid chunks of cement on the monster chest. Using all his upper body strength he pulled himself straight towards the monstrosity, picking up speed and tucking his legs into his torso, until he ran straight into its chest, and kicked straight through it.
The monster stumbled back as the hero-in-train fell to Earth, rolling onto his back and back to his hands and feet, while the Earth Elemental fell with a powerful thud behind him.
Peter's breath was fast pace, his heart was racing. Adrenaline was pumping three times over. Slowly he pushed himself onto his feet, but immediately fell back onto his knees while hearing footsteps running towards him.
"Peter!" He heard from Nemuri, as the teacher ran ahead of the other two, sliding onto her knees to him, wrapping her arms around him, much to his protest. Or lack thereof. She held him close in her embrace.
"Pete, are you alright?" Steve stepped, with Wanda behind him.
"Yeah..." Peter replied weakly, giving a thumbs up. "Could be...worse..."
"What was that thing?" Wanda was the next to ask.
"I don't know, it just showed u-" He didn't get to finish, as Nemuri pulled away from their hug, a stern look on her face.
"What were you thinking?! Do you know how badly you could've gotten hurt?!" She scolded, getting up and onto her feet as she looked down at him. "You aren't fully healed! You should be at home!"
The young man looked up at his teacher, and slowly pushed himself back up onto his feet. Immediately Nemuri's face turned from stern expression to the a that of a worried mother as he stumbled some, but caught his balance.
He was about to speak. But before he got anything out he toppled over, falling forward into Nemuri's arms as she wrapped them around him, getting on her knees to better comfort him.
The other two watched, in awe what just happened. What he just did to an Elemental.
Wanda stepped closer to the two, crouching beside Nemuri. "Let me see..." she spoke, lifting her hand as her fingers moved and twisted a bit, a red mist enveloping her fingertips and surrounding his head, connecting her with him. He groaned lowly, turning away.
After a momeny she stopped, lowering her hand. She looked to Nemuri with a soft smile. "He's tired. Nothing's wrong."
"Alright. Lets get him home then. It's been a long night and he has school tomorrow." Steve stated. Then they all felt another rumbling, another aftershock.
The Earth Elemental slowly gor onto its feet, hunches over as the manshaped hole in its chest began to fill with debris. It growled lowly, turning itself around towards the teachers and student of U.A.
"Run! Get him out of here!" Steve commanded.
Nemuri got onto her feet, helping Peter to stand while ahe ran them both away from the scene, leaving Wanda and Steve to hold the fourty foot monster off.
The Scarlet Witch stepped forward as the Earth Elemental lifted its arm up, black mist enveloping her fingers once more as she held her hand close together. With a growl, and all the power she had she spread arms apart. While she did, the chest of the monster began to bloat, like a bubble was forming inside it ready to pop, which it did.
But it did nothing. All it did was open a hole in the center of the Elemental, which closed slowly as it was filled with consumed debris. It roared out, ready to slam them both into the ground. Until it had no hand.
A blue beam shot out, a repulsor rays blasting its hand off. It roared out in pain, stepping back as another beam shot through its shoulder. Then its chest and torso. Then a metallic humanoid figure flew right through it.
It was Rescue, throwing her hands and feet up to slow her increased speed and change direction. She then swung herself around to the monster's back, spreading her arms apart as her glowing chestpiece shined brightly. She shot out a massive beam from her arc reactor, shooting straight through its head.
The monster, having lost half its head, grew limp, falling onto its knees before completely falling apart into nothing but a hill of dirt and debris.
Everyone stared up at the Rescue armor, as it hovered in the air, before descending down to the ground, looking around the place for something. For what no one knew. And for the moment she didn't care.
Nemuri and Peter had gotten a fair distance away from the battle, swat vehiclea passing them as they went the opposite way. The young man was conscious at first, was struggling. But not anymore. The woman made sure he breathed in some of her Pheromone to put him to sleep.
Once she was sure they were far enough away from the conflict, the teacher made her way to a bench, setting her unconscious student down with her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him in her arms.
But the moment wouldn't last. Less than a minute later the Rescue armor came crashing down, landing on her metal feet in front of the two. In reflex Kayami turned her back to her as a way to protect her student. But after realizing who it was she calmed down.
"Is he alright?! Is he hurt?!" Pepper's voice spoke throught the armor, as she stepped forward towards the two. Immediately she began to scan the two. Both of them were fine, aside from Peter still healing his earlier wounds.
"We're okay!" Nemuri stated, looking back at Peter in her arms. "I just put him to sleep..."
"Oh thank god..." Pepper let out a breath of relied, lowering her head. "Okay...Can this night get any worse..."
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them a figure hovered. Enveloped by the night darkness, aside from the glowing orange eye lenses. A soft chuckle slipping through its booce as it spoke. "Stark's here too?...I might get something out of this afterall..."
Hello again, beautiful reader. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. Or, I enjoyed writing most of it. Especially since I know people like it.
Just a heads up, this is technically a filler chapter. As will maybe half of the next chapter.
Now onto some questions people have on the story, like why this is categorized in Marvel as in the comics and not the Movies. First, because I was looking for Marvel, not Avengers or Spider-Man. Which leads into the second point, this is not just restricted to the movies. It is for anything Marvel. That being said, I put my own twist on these things, such as Gwen having Deadpool healing and other characters coming in that may be minorly or drastically different from the original.
And some people may not understand what's going on. Like the Avengers getting into U.A as teachers. I'd prefer to leave it up to interpretation, but if that doesn't work, I could probably make a flashback to whst happened. Or I could just tell you now...
...
Anyway, hope you enjoy. I set up a few plotlines for later, so prepare for that. If I finish this.
