"I need you to tell me everything you know about Peter Parker."

All Might sat there in disbelief, watching the expressions his dear friend showcased. Of all things to consider Peter Parker to be, a criminal was not something that came to mind. While Naomasa didn't directly say that's what he was suggesting, he's known him long enough to understand when he's poking at a hidden idea. All Might nearly decided on entering his strong form just to form the courage to demand an explanation. He wasn't young anymore, though, and a move like that would only make things worse.

"This is insane!" All Might exclaimed, doing his best to retain his confusion and fury, "How could you be building a case around young Parker? He's saved a lot of lives since coming here and has only ever acted in the best interest of those around him."

"I'm fully aware of his efforts in the school attack, as well as the court room assassination attempt," Naomasa leaned his head on his hands, "However, there are still too many plot holes that I cannot ignore."

"Norman's lawyer tried to criminalize him and another young student who only ever helped people!"

"All Might, just listen," He gestured for his dear friend to calm his nerves, trying to defuse the tension, "I looked into the records of the school Peter attended in America."

All Might finally backed down, suddenly curious, "Marvel Caliber University, yeah. What about it?"

"Though our records show he attended the school and was transferred here for a semester, I called the head of their complex. Their university had no records of Peter Parker going there until the same day he arrived in Japan."

All Might's confusion grew larger, causing him to sit back in his chair, "How's that possible?"

"There's more. The nearest airports also have no record of a Peter Parker checking in with a passport, I even expanded to any airports further out. So, I got in contact with the police force back in New York City, America, and they gave me this."

Naomasa placed a photo of Peter Parker on the table. He was dressed in a casual vest, wearing glasses with his hair combed back. Peter was standing alongside his aunt and older man, just outside a comic book shop, "This is Peter Benjamin Parker, and this photo was taken in New York," he paused, "Yesterday."

All Might's eyes widened as he observed the photo, "There's no way he could have gone back and forth so fast, unless he was a teleporter!"

"It gets stranger," He handed him another photo, this time Peter was dressed in his school outfit, walking away from the school with his friends Momo, and Izuku, "This was taken at the school yesterday as well. According to the timecodes of both these photos, they took place at the exact same time."

All Might held the two pictures in his hands, trying to make sense of what was going on, "What are you saying? That there are two of them? Or is one of them an imposter?"

"I don't know. I only know that the Peter Parker in the photo from America never went to MCU, nor did he ever acquire any sort of quirk. His parents are both deceased, so he lives with his Aunt and his Uncle. If I remember you telling me correctly, our Peter claims his Uncle to have been shot and murdered, and evidence clearly states he has a spider quirk, so shapeshifting is out of the question for him."

"But it still doesn't add up! Why are there two of him?! Why does our Peter not have any records?! I don't understand what you're telling me, Naomasa!"

"I don't understand either. So far, this Peter hasn't shown any reason to be a threat to us, but I'm having him put under surveillance starting soon. Overcast is going to continue watching over him from a distance in case we find anything suspicious. As far as we know, the first time Spider-Man was ever seen in Japan as when he stopped The Rhino. But that's it," he leaned forward, "There's nothing else."

All Might slowly put the photo's down, his hands placed on his knee's as they shook. He didn't want to hold any suspicion for young Parker, not after everything he's done. He's excelled in his classes, made friends with the students of 1-A, saved lives despite the legal issues, and all around been an upstanding citizen. Of course, he'd be lying if he said the evidence wasn't stacking up. But that just begs the question; what would Peter have to lie about, especially if he has no records? Was he not the real Peter? Or was the one in America fake? All they can confirm is that the puzzle pieces don't fit, so the picture remains unclear.

"So, I need to ask you again, not only as a friend but as a detective," Naomasa sat back again, "I need you to tell me everything you know about Peter Parker."

…

The moon still hung in the sky as the time began to reach midnight. Peter had spent the last 20 minutes swinging slowly through the city, remaining as high as possible so those on the ground couldn't see him. He had to remain at a slow pace so as not to push his injuries further. His arm remained straight as he swung, a bruise close to where his joints met. He knew how late it was, and how angry they might be.

When he landed near the house, he rushed to an alleyway and grabbed his spare backpack hidden in the dark. Inside was a spare set of cloths, having tossed his last set to the side earlier that day. After changing and stuffing his spidey suit in the bag, he threw it over his shoulder and made his way to the apartment.

Going through the front likely would have disturbed everyone sleeping, so he decided to scale the wall with his chest close to the building. It didn't take him long to reach the window to his and Izuku's room.

Just as he reached for it, however, the window opened itself, and Izuku's head popped out to greet him. He was dressed in his nightly cloths already, though his expression said he had been up for some time.

"…You should be asleep," Peter stated.

"You should have been home hours ago," Izuku retorted, "May and mom were worried to death about you. If they hadn't already gone to bed, you'd be getting an earful. You're lucky Kendo texted me and said you were hanging out."

"She texted you?"

"Sure. We talk sometimes, kind of just happened. Friend of a friend, we traded numbers in case of an emergency like this one."

Peter let himself sit back on the wall, holding his knees close to his chest, "I'm sorry, I should have called ahead."

"You wanna come in? I can barely see you out here."

Hesitant, Peter shook his head, "I'm tired, and the light of your lamp will hurt my eyes."

"Well, you can't stay out in the cold."

He had him there.

Sighing, Peter climbed through the window and stood next to Izuku, who could finally see him in full lighting. Peter's entire body was covered in scrapes and bruises, dry blood scattered to a few key areas. Izuku could only cover his mouth in a gasp after seeing the state he was in.
"Peter …what happened to you?! I thought you were with Kendo!"

"I was! I really was!"

"Are you ok?!"

"I'm fine! I was …I was training with Kendo."

Izuku's face was a mix of shock and confusion, "…Training?"

"Yeah …I wanted to help her train for the Sports Festival. I guess it kind of got out of hand."

"Out of hand?!" He whispered violently, "Have you looked in the mirror yet? Here lemme help," Pulling out his phone, he opened it to the camera and showed him his face, "That! That's you right now!"

Peter gently pushed the phone away, scratching one of the bruises on his face, "I'm ok, Izuku, really. We got really intense during training, she's got a serious left hook… and right hook …and everything else."

The shock of the moment was just more than he could deal with, and Izuku finally gave up with a sigh, "It's just …after the incident yesterday, I was worried something happened again. You're a great friend, and I really don't want to lose you."

Peter, taking Izuku by the arm, sat him down on his bed and placed himself at his side, "If you're worried now, wait until you become a Pro Hero. Putting yourself in harms way becomes apart of the job description. Worrying is the number one thing your loved ones will be doing."

"Doesn't make it fun …" muttered Izuku.

"No …no it does not," He patted his back, "It's late. We should get some sleep for tomorrow."

"Yeah, we should," Izuku stretched his arms, "You should see the nurse as soon as possible though, otherwise you'll be stuck like that for a while."

"Ah don't worry," He gestured, "I heal fast."

He couldn't help but still feel suspicious of Peter. Kendo claims they were together, and he claims they were training. Still, something about it didn't sit right with him. Suspecting his roommate of lying wasn't a deed he wanted to sign, but he couldn't help but let the ink drip from the pen.

"Izuku …" Peter's vibe suddenly grew dark and serious, the innocent smile gone from his face, "If anything happens to me, can you promise me something?"

"If something happens? Oh my god! Are you dying?!"

"What? No! I'm not dying I- just listen. With these villains after me, if something happens, I just need you to make me a promise.

Though he was still concerned for the sudden proposal, Izuku managed to keep himself calm and nod.

"Promise me you'll take care of May. She needs someone; a family to be there for her. If something happens, please be that family for her."

The green haired hero had to do a double take to comprehend the deal presented to him. Of course, he would take care of his Aunt regardless, but it was the way the idea was presented that made him worry. The thought of losing Peter at all made him scared, especially knowing his enemies and instinct to protect others. Still, Izuku locked his fingers together and sighed, staring at his feet as his toes fiddled with themselves.

"Ok," he finally said, "I promise."

With a breath of relief, Peter patted his shoulder and stood from the bed, nearly jumping onto the blow-up bed set for him in the corner. Though he seemed so relaxed and ready to sleep, Izuku wasn't. His muscles tensed and stiffened with every thought, even as he laid his back against the mattress.

No, suspecting his roommate of lying definitely wasn't a deed he wanted to sign.

…

The coming school day marked just a few days left until the Sports Festival. This was the period where everyone had been resting; their muscles too sore from the constant training. Even the Heroics class took it easy on the lessons, knowing how everyone needed to save their energy. This wasn't the only reason, however.
All Might, the Heroics Class teacher, needed to take his excitement down a notch or two. Everyone believed it was because he was giving them a well-deserved break, and while this was true, it wasn't all that motivated his lack of effort. No, what brought him down was Peter.

And how because of him, he lied to his close friend.

When asked to tell Naomasa everything, All Might couldn't bring himself to spoil all the details. He said what he could about Peter's personality and usual habits, but not the secrets he entrusted. Secrets about his power's origins were something he just couldn't give out, especially since it was a detail so personal that he still shared it with Izuku. All Might himself knew all too well the price and motives of keeping a secret like that and giving it out on a whim wasn't an option, either out of respect or out of duty.

In this case, it was respect.

The class came to an end as it always did, with everyone placing their suitcases back into the wall compartments. All Might stood at his desk, not so elegantly as he has every day prior. Not many people took notice to his change in attitude, as he always had a smile on his face regardless. Some of the students recognized the change but didn't see it as significant enough to call him out on.

As everyone began to leave the classroom and continue with their day, All Might called out, "Young Parker! May you stay behind a moment?"

"OOOooo you're in trouble!" Cried Mineta, only to earn a slap to the head from Tsu and a kick out the door from Momo.

Curiously, Peter held one of his backpack straps and approached All Might's desk with a raised eyebrow, "Something wrong?"

"No!" All Might cried, immediately clearing his throat to compose himself, "No, I just wanted to check up on you. I know Norman's trial must have been tough for you."

"Oh," he sighed, relaxing his facial muscles, "Yeah, no yeah it's been an emotional few days. I'm just glad that it's over."

"I also heard that Gauntlet was stolen again," He brought up not so casually, "How do you feel about all that?"

At the mention of the Gauntlet, Peter could only remember the bruises and cuts he earned from trying to stop its theft. Had he not gone to the nurse that morning, he'd still look like a walking corpse, "It's …hard. I really want it to be returned home before all this is over."

"'All This'? What do you mean?"

"Oh, I mean … the semester. I'm not here much longer, so I'd like to find it."

"Have you considered contacting Pro's from America?"

Peter sighed, smiling and tightening his bag straps, "They're always busy. You can never really rely on their help when you need it. I should probably go before I'm late for the next class."

"Right …of course."

Peter had begun to leave, but All Might's voice stopped him once again, "Hey!" he shouted, grabbing his attention quickly, "…Do you remember what you told me that night in the hospital? You said that the hero system was flawed. Do you still believe that?"

"…Yeah, I do. Too many heroes are on their high horses and need to remember why they wear masks in the first place."

"Not everyone wears a mask."

"…Maybe they should," He shook his head, "I gotta go. See you tomorrow."

Peter was gone before All Might could get out another word. He hoped that his opinion would have changed after everything calmed down, but he was as stubborn as he was at that age. The fact that Peter refused to call for help from home confirmed a few suspicions of Naomasa, that Peter wanted to go at this alone, whatever 'this' may be.

That aside, he could feel the vibe coming from Peter. The tone in his voice, the language of his body, it all screamed hero.

Hero, in a tragic and painful scream.

…

As the school day came to an end, everyone left with their respective exit buddies. Izuku would always leave with Ururaka, Tenya and Peter. Mina had begun to leave while chatting with Tsu, Toru and Denki. Most parted ways after reaching the gate, heading off to train for the upcoming sports festival.

Others, however, left together.

Momo and Kendo arrived at the empty baseball field, where thankfully no practice was scheduled that day. It didn't take them long to change into cloths more suited for exercise. Each of them wore running gear, perfect for intense training and matching to their costume colors.
"So, how do you wanna start this?" Kendo asked, "Warm up first?"

"That would be beneficial, yeah," Momo replied, twirling her body and looking around the field, "How about three laps around the field. Just a simple jog should be enough to get our hearts pumping."

"Not a problem," Kendo stretched one leg out and pushed down on it, alternating between each of her limbs, "So, what do you normally do when you train?"

"A lot of eating, actually," Momo said as she began stretches of her own, "My ability turns energy into objects. The more that I've eaten recently, the more of an object I can make. How about you?"

"Lots of lifting. My Quirk makes my hands grow several times their size, but that doesn't increase my strength. So, I had to work on my muscles just so I could lift my hands after their mass increases."
After mentioning this, Momo took notice of Kendo's limbs and how physically developed they were. While Momo worked on her endurance to pushing her Quirk, Kendo worked more on her physical strength to improve the use of her abilities. Even if her Quirk were deactivated by someone like Aizawa, she could still hold her own with the strength she acquired to exert her power.

"So, does that mean you can't …you know …gain weight?" Kendo asked, "I mean, if you can turn that energy into non-living objects, does that mean your turning your fat into weapons? Don't go making me jealous now."

"You jealous?" She asked, "Look at you! You're as fit as someone our age can be!"

"I've worked at it for a long time," Kendo corrected, "At the beginning, I would be dragging my embiggened hands around for exercise. What about you?"

"Well, we noticed keeping a diet was making my power weaker. Allowing me to eat more allowed me to convert more energy into bigger objects. Though, I can only make so much at once before I need to rest, so I can't overeat anyway. Meaning, calm down, no need to be jealous."

"Ah, but you see, jealousy makes for excellent competitive motivation."

Grinning at her, Momo finished her stretching and shook the tension out of her limbs, Kendo doing the same. Grabbing the nearest stick, Momo approached the space behind home plate and drew a line from it to the fence, waving the stick and pointing at the surrounding area, "Stay along the fence and run three times around. It's not a race, so let's just pace ourselves, ok?"

"Sounds good," Kendo placed herself on the starting line next to Momo, rolling her shoulders up and down and doing minor hops to prepare herself. "Hey, so Momo, can I ask you something before we get started?"
"Sure, what is it?"

"Mina, the pink one in your class, does she like Peter?"

Momo raised an eyebrow, but answered her all the same, "She told me that she likes how Peter appreciates her. If you're asking whether she has a crush on him, Mina never confirmed it goes that far. I think she just grew an attachment to him because she doesn't always feel important, and Peter treats everyone like the most important people in the world."

"So, not so much love as it is appreciation and admiration?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Mhmm, and what about you?"

She was taken off guard by this, briefly looking away as to avoid her question, "Is there a reason you're asking this?"

"Well, now I'm asking because you're all red and defensive," Kendo giggled, "You don't have to say anything."

"Where did that come from anyway?!"

"Ready, set, go!"

Kendo took off quickly before shifting into a jog, the shock of the moment making Momo stay at the start for a few seconds before sprinting to catch up with her. Even though they were now moving at a similar pace, Kendo still managed to keep ahead thanks to her advanced physical state. Momo was suddenly focused on beating her and getting ahead despite claiming earlier that this wasn't a race. Why was she so bent on this now? Was It Kendo's question about Peter? Admittedly, she admired Peter for his intelligence and wits, but much like Mina, she hadn't confirmed it to be any sort of romantic interest.

"So, Momo!" Kendo slowed down to run at pace with her partner, almost running hip to hip, "What was the first thing you ever created with your Quirk?"

Momo laughed, "It was a rattle."

Kendo laughed next, "A rattle?"

"I was little, and mom took mine away because I wouldn't stop shaking it. I wanted one so badly, and one just suddenly popped out of my belly. I guess I must have known how it was made, because I barely remember doing it. Point is, she could never take my toys away again because I always made sure I knew how to make them."

"You sound like you were spoiled."

"Every kid is at first. How about you? When did you first use your Quirk?"

Kendo grinned, "Some kid was being cocky in school because he was winning at arm wrestling. Someone needed to knock him off his high horse, so I took the challenge. While we were arm wrestling, my hand suddenly grew twice the size and nearly crushed his. His parents were not happy."

"What about yours?"

"Oh, they were thrilled I had developed a Quirk, didn't even ground me for nearly breaking his hand. Wanna know the most ironic part?"

"Do tell."

"His name is Neito Monoma, and he's in class 1-B."

"Seriously?"

Kendo nodded, "I'm always having to knock him down a peg. He has a serious superiority complex, especially toward class 1-A. He'll probably be the most competitive of our class towards you guys."

The two of them reached the finish line after having run three laps. They took a moment to catch their breath, Momo having to lean on the fence, while Kendo pushed her hands onto her knee's. Momo picked up a towel from her bag and wiped the sweat off her forehead before passing another towel to Kendo.
"I assume you aren't going to tell me what Neito's quirk is?"

"Nope, sorry. That's cheating, I've already told you a lot about my own power."

"In exchange of telling you mine, to be fair."

"Very true," Kendo dropped her towel and stretched her arms across her body, "So, how about we continue with a light sparring match, sound good?"

Momo rolled her shoulders and put her fists up, grinning at her opponent, "Ready when you are."

…

Dinner at the Midoryia household was normally chipper and upbeat. They always had something to talk about as they ate, whether it be what happened that day, what will happen, or just telling each other jokes. It had become more so when Peter and May had joined the house, adding more voices to bounce idea's and stories off. The night was never dull with them around.

That is, except for tonight.

The four of them were gathered around the table eating away at the meal prepared my Inko, with Izuku and Peter's assistants. Even during the preparation, the arachnid could see something was amiss. There was a tension in the air that prevented anyone from speaking beyond what was necessary. This was the first night this happened, and there had been no build up or prior evidence.

So naturally, he knew what was wrong.

"Ok," Peter said, somewhat startling everyone with the shattered silence, "I know what this is about."

"What do you mean?" Inko asked.

"You and May are still upset with me for coming home late."

The two women looked to each other, knowing fully well that he was right, "You worried us, what else do we need to say?"

"Something?" He suggested, "We should be able to talk to each other? Right? So why is it that you don't want to?"

Izuku joined into the trading of gazes between the three, and Peter tried to follow their eyes for the answers. He could see confusion, worry and even messages of guilt passed between them. Whatever they wanted to say, they felt bad about saying it. It was only then that it clicked with him.

"You don't believe I was actually out with Kendo …do you?"

Clearing her throat, Inko spoke up, "May …told me about when you went out in the middle of the night, to 'clear your head' she said."
It took him a moment to figure out what she was refusing to. She was referencing the first night May was here, when Peter snuck out to do some late-night swinging and think to himself. An event he hoped she wouldn't talk about, but of course, she only ever acted in his best interest.

"Yes, I did that. Why does that make me suspicious?"

"We aren't suspicious," She continued, "We're just worried. You have a lot of enemies, and Izuku thinks that-"

"I thought you may have been attacked on your way home," Izuku cut in to finish the thought, being that it was his alone, "You've been at the center of so much recently with all these villains, so I thought one of them attacked you again."

"Izuku …" Peter knew he was smart, smart enough to know injuries like what he sustained weren't from training. After all, it was a habit of his to constantly study any heroes he comes across, Peter included. The only way to ease their minds was to be honest, or at least his version of it. Frankly, he told half-truths so often that he almost didn't know how to show the whole picture, "Yeah …ok, yes. I was attacked by three villains."

May dropped her fork from her hand, Inko's eyes widened, and Izuku just looked down at his lap with despair.

"I didn't want you all to worry, but I did get attacked. I managed to drive them away, but not without a few scrapes. I know you were all worried for me, and I'm really sorry I didn't tell the truth. I hope you can understand."

The scrape of Izuku's chair against the ground made Peter's heart jump. The young Midoryia stood from his chair without even grabbing his plate, and marched from the table and into his room. The door practically slammed shut with a gust of wind reaching the dining room, making Peter's fingers twitch with worry.

"…I should, uh…talk to him," Peter gently stood up and treaded carefully across the floor, leaving Inko and May to their own bubbles of emotion.

He slowly entered the room, the lights still off despite the already present figure of anger. Izuku was sitting on his bed, his hands gripping his thighs rather tightly, trying to release that anger through pure pain and pressure. Peter didn't quite know how he was going to approach him; this wasn't a state he often saw him in. In fact, he has almost never seen him get angry before, not even over Bakugo's insults and demeaning comments. No, this was something that dig far deeper than some bullying.

"…Izuku?" he called out quietly, "Do you wanna talk?"

"Am I going to lose you?" Izuku suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Am I going to lose you? Just tell me that now so I don't have to be surprised," tears started flowing down his face, as he began to hiccup off his own sadness, "Just tell me! How many more times am I going to have to wonder if you'll be ok?! You were attacked at the station, then at the school, then at the courthouse! And now this! Is this what it will be like for my mom when I become a hero?!" He looked up now, his eyes red and sore from the pain, "How can anyone do that to their loved ones?! I thought we were heroes?! How could we willingly do that to the people we care about?!"

"…I ask myself that all the time," Peter closed the door behind him, sitting down on the blow-up bed with his fingers locked together, how own eyes beginning to water, "I won't sugar coat it. This is exactly what it is like. We go out there knowing we may not come back, and if you're loved ones don't know you're a hero, they may never know what happened. I never wanted my aunt to worry, so I never told her I was Spider-Man until I felt I had no choice. To me, being a hero isn't a profession; it's the life I've chosen to live. And it's a dangerous one, no matter how you look at it. That's why it can't be squandered."

"…I'll hurt my mom."

"And I'll hurt my aunt. There's no avoiding it."

Izuku wiped the tears from his face, slowing his breathing and wiping the tears on his blanket, "…I'm so sorry," He sniffled, "For crying, I mean. I really am a crybaby."

"Who says that? Bakugo? He doesn't know anything about you."

"He's known me since we were kids."

"Yeah, and he picks on you, making you feel worthless because he hates how nice you are."

"But he's so much stronger than me."

"Oh, come on! That's total bullcrap! You destroyed a massive boulder the day we met! With one arm! While the other limbs were broken! If anything, you are plenty capable yourself. Don't put yourself down so much, you're so strong, Izuku. I know that you'll be a fantastic hero one day, I just know it."

In a fit of emotion, Izuku leaped from his bed and wrapped his arms around Peter. His tears ran down his face and dripped onto his back, but he didn't seem to mind. He just held his dear friend there as he tried so desperately to speak but found no way to form words. Izuku just didn't have the energy anymore, and just let himself sit there in his arms.

…

Lumina placed the gauntlet down on the table, next to where Quinten had placed his helmet. The power of the stone clenched into place hummed against the golden metal of unknown origin. Octavius, her and Quinten stood around it, as if they didn't know just what to make of it.

"I told you we'd get the Gauntlet," Otto said, "Now that we have access to Quinten and I's world again, we're back on track."

"Yes …but we still have a few obstacles to drive over," Lumina crossed her arms, "Tombstone wanted Osborn dead."

"So? How does that affect us?" Asked Quinten.

"Organized crime is one thing, but assassinations are another. If he wanted Osborn dead out of fear or whatever other reason, then that makes him dangerous to us too. It would only be a matter of time before he decides to target us too."

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Otto asked, "We can't just storm the castle."

"I know …give me some time to think."

Quinten then unclipped his cape and sat back down on the couch, pulling out his notepad and turning on the TV once more.

"Otto?" Lumina tugged for his attention, pulling off her helmet and setting it to the side, "About before, when we fought Peter …"

"What is it? You sound worried."

"It's just …what you said to him, the way you threatened him, I just want to be sure you didn't actually plan to kill him."

"What? Of course not! I just wanted to scare him into staying away, that's all."

"…Right. Ok, I'm sorry."

Otto patted her shoulder, "Don't be, I understand. I'm going to continue working and designing. Now that we have the Space Stone again, we can access the vibranium of my world."

He walked away with idea's brimming from his head. While Ideas of excitement came from his eyes, ideas of worry came from hers.