The sun dropped from the sky, and in its place the moon was its successor. Most of the U.A students had been fast asleep by now, enjoying their few days off after the Sports Festival. Peter Parker was not one of these people. Instead he was leaping across rooftops, trying to make his way quickly across the city. His web shooters were still in police custody, so he couldn't go to the auction without being prepared.

He leapt off the roof and stuck himself firmly to another wall, scaling it with ease without looking down. His eyes were fixed on his bedroom window, shut with the night being born. He hoped Izuku was either asleep or not there, either way he needed to be quiet. Reaching the window, he looked inside and found his roommate was nowhere to be seen. Wherever he was, he had an opportunity he couldn't waste. Peter opened the window slowly and entered, not bothering to turn on the light as not to attract attention.

He started searching around his corner of the room for his backpack. When he found it, he opened it up and found his classic suit inside, and started putting it on. His mind, though, was on something else entirely.

Lumina, Otto, and Beck.

He understood why they were doing this, but that didn't make it right. If it was really safe to use those stones, they could have used them to fix everyone's lives a long time ago. Otto and Beck are only thinking of themselves, even if it seems justified. Lumina, however, she has always been different. She has shown him kindness, compassion and empathy. Whatever has happened to her in her life, she believes this is her only option now. Honestly, he can't blame her for what she has been driven to, if she was driven by pain.

The lights of the room flickered on, startling Peter as he turned around to find Izuku standing there at the door with glossy eyes. While he was happy to see Peter, he was also concerned as to why he was sneaking around, confused by his sudden arrival.

"…Peter?" Izuku said quietly, "What are you …doing here… wearing that? I thought you were still at …why are you sneaking around?"

There was no time for him to keep secrets, or come up with more lies. Too much was on the line right now.

"Izuku," Peter put his backpack over his shoulder, "I can't explain right now. I just need to go."

"And do what?!" Izuku shouted, "Are you even supposed to be here right now?! Why else would you be sneaking around?!"

"Izuku-"

"No! You need to tell me what's wrong! Why can't you talk to me?! Aren't we…aren't we friends?"

His heart broke hearing that, but he couldn't indulge in a deep conversation with him, not now, "Izuku, there is something I have to do right now, or a lot of people are going to get hurt."

"You're putting yourself in danger, again?!"

"Yes! I have to!"

"Peter-!"

"No! Izuku!" He shouted, stomping his foot on the ground and making his friend back up, "This is something I just have to do. I can't stand by and let bad things happen, or they happen because of me! Being a hero is not standing by and letting someone suffer or die because you did nothing!"

"But-"

"Izuku, being the best hero you can be is setting your own golden standard. This, this is mine."

"Peter, you can't keep doing this," he begged.

Ignoring him, Peter put on his mask and walked to the window. Izuku rushed over and grabbed him by the wrist, trying to pull him away as tears ran down his face. He begged him not to go, pleading over and over as he was given no response. Instead, Spider-Man turned around, grabbed his arms and pulled him into a tight hug.

"…The world won't wait for you," He whispered to his green haired roommate, before pushing him away and leaping head first out the window. Izuku watched as he leapt across the buildings, disappearing into the night.

He could only lean out the window and watch his friend leave, his tears falling out of the window and down to the ground below. Every word he said hung with the once quirkless child, causing a flurry of conflict to rise within him. Was he right? Was this the right thing to do, regardless of the danger? Was the entire point that your safety meant nothing, even if it meant the law? Peter had endangered himself again and again for his friends, his family, and nearly died each time.

Is that what it meant to be a hero?

With his fists clenched, he put his hand on the window sill, and then his feet till he was perched on top it. He had no idea what Peter was going out to face, but he could only think of one thing.

He wasn't going to face it alone.

"Imagine the egg not exploding …" He whispered, as One for All charged into his legs. It wasn't his full power, no more than 5% of it in his limbs.

With his power ready, he pushed off the window and leapt through the air, letting out a scream of terror. His body cut through the winds that fought against him, yet with each passing second, he became more determined, and readied his body for landing. The roof of a building came fast, and as he landed, he rolled over his shoulder to control his momentum. Skidding only a foot, he finally stopped and looked up. The window he jumped from was so far, at least it felt like it.

"My own Golden Standard," He whispered, getting up and rushing to the nearest fire escape. No, Peter wasn't going to fight alone, not this time.

Not without him.

…

She honestly had no idea why she was going through with this, but her instincts were just telling her to. Kendo continued up the steps to the auction house, thankful it was open to the public rather than needing an invitation. She was dressed in her regular clothing, a skirt and leather jacket. Everyone crowded inside to see the many items on display, while she only looked for one in particular. She had no idea what she was going to do, a bridge she would have to cross soon. If she was Peter, she would make sure no one stole the thing, no one dangerous anyway. She had no money to bid, but she could always just bluff to keep it out of the wrong hands.

The auction room itself had a stage up front, with the items scattered around the room and kept in glass boxes. Each one had a written description of the items history and starting price. The cheapest item there was a few hundred yen, and she barely had 50 in her wallet.

Finally, she found the stone near the stage. It was kept in a glass case just like all the others. The description wasn't much, but they called it the 'Soul Gem' due to how it 'speaks to one's soul with its beauty.' Beyond that, they really didn't know anything else about it, just that it was pretty, therefore it must have been worth something. Its appearance was stunningly close to the one she found in the street, so much so that it worried her. Each stone was capable of something different, so what could this one do?

Unknown to her, Otto and Quinten both entered the auction house together wearing nice suits, before splitting up and heading to opposite sides. In their ears were wireless comms, used to communicate as the event went on. Lumina was not with them, absent from the night she talked so much about.

"I'm in position," Quinten spoke softly, standing next to the pillar closest to the stage's right side.

"Same here," Said Otto, standing far in the back, "It's all on you, Beck. I'll back you up if something goes wrong."

"Be careful, you two," Lumina spoke over the comms, "I don't want you getting caught. You gotta wait until the bidding starts. When everyone is looking at item #11, that's when you make your move."

"Just like we planned," Beck grinned, "It'll be quite a show.

The doors of the auction house opened again, and inside entered the large pale man known as Tombstone. Behind him, coming in slowly as not to attract attention, were some of his men. No one else would be able to tell something was off, but Otto had seen this kind of thing before.

"We have company," Said Otto, pressing a button on his glasses. The inside of them suddenly turned green, and began to scan the rooms details. Once the scan had reached Tombstones men, he identified the guns hidden in each of their jackets, "Tombs men, all armed. Even the man himself is here."

Tombstone eyed the stone at the other end of the room, grinning and signaling his men to spread out. As they did so, he approached the glass casing, where Kendo was still examining it.

"Beautiful artifact, is it not?" Tombstone said as he stood next to Kendo, startling her.

"Uh …yes, it is," She spoke slowly. His entire vibe completely threw her off, and she didn't like it."

He leaned in and read the description, "'Soul Gem', hm, very intriguing. What do you think they mean?"

"Well …it says that it speaks to the soul."

"Yes …I suppose it does," He finally looked at her, rather curious concerning her age, "What is someone so young doing in a place like this?"

She gulped quietly, not wanting anyone to start looking into her motives, especially not a stranger. Otto meanwhile had been watching the two of them, tuning his comms to listen in on their conversation.

"I just wanted to see some of the nice stuff. Just looking, don't really have the money to bid," She didn't want to speak to him, or accidentally establish an alibi she can't be confident in.

"Ah …I see," He was relieved, assuming it would be one less competitor on the board, "Funny thing, this gem is part of a set. I've been trying to collect this one for a while."

"A set?" She realized now he knew exactly what this stone was, and was likely here to steal it should he be unable to bid, "Fascinating."

"Yes, very. Stones like this are better put in the proper hands, not just anyone's, don't you agree?"

"I suppose so …" She quietly tried to defuse the conversation, not feeling remotely comfortable with him around. Just to her luck, however, the announcer came onto the stage and started talking into the microphone.
"Looks like they are gonna start soon," Said Tombstone with a large grin and a raspy voice, "Nice talking to you."

When he finally walked away from her, she let out a sigh of relief with her shoulders loosened. Every bone in her body told her that guy was bad news, she should make sure to watch out for him.

Everyone began to gather in a more compressed crowd as lights turned on for the announcer, "Thank you for coming, ladies and gentlemen," She began, "We have a special list of beauties for the taking tonight, the question is, who will win the race?" With a clap of her hands, the first artifact was brought on stage. Nothing special, just a necklace made of diamonds from some mountain they've never heard of. In fact, this continued like this for a while. An item was auctioned, people bid, someone won, next item. It was a slow process, which didn't help with the anxiety Kendo was feeling.

Otto, in his time scanning the area, finally took notice of Itsuka Kendo. Though their meeting at the station was brief, it was enough to recognize her as an ally of Peters. If she was his friend, then the only reason she would be here rather than at home would be for the stone. She was still a student, it was doubtful she was here to bid for anything, unless she just so happened to be rich.

"We got a problem," Otto said, pushing another button on the lenses, "I'm sending you the live footage from my goggles. A friend of Peter's showed up to the auction, and I don't think it's to bid."

Lumina took a moment to examine what he was seeing, and an auditable gasp was heard, "Crap …That's Itsuka Kendo. She's from Class 1-B, and I believe she's the closets person to Peter other than Izuku Midoriya. I remember she was at the Sports Festival when Peter was attacked, as well as at the school. What does she think she's going to do?"

"Not sure, she probably doesn't know either. It wouldn't surprise me if Peter managed to convert her into a vigilante. He seems to have a thing for gingers, I've noticed."

"Keep an eye on her, just in case she tries anything."

Finally, item #10 was brought onto the stage, and it was none other than the Mind Stone. Tombstone, Otto and Kendo's heads immediately perked up at the sight of it, each of them knowing that this was it, the moment they had come here for.

"Our tenth edition is what we call the 'Soul Gem'," Said the announcer, "It's very outer layer holds an appearance that convinces you you're looking into the universe itself. It speaks to you in ways never thought possible between humans. A truly rare beauty for anyone lucky to own it. How about we start the bid at 50,000 yen?"

"60,000," Tombstone called out.

"Do I hear 65,000? Going once …" She began to count. Kendo started to panic, knowing full well this guy couldn't be trusted, especially not with one of those stones. She had to buy some time until she thought of something else.

"70,000!" Shouted Kendo, immediately starting to sweat afterword's. Why did she say that, she wondered, what was she doing? She had no way to cough up the money, it would just get passed to the runner-up bid.

Tombstone looked at her in surprise as well as anger. He remembers she said she wasn't bidding, so the red flags were starting to show themselves.

"She's bidding," Otto said, "Not good. There's no way she has the money for this. She's going off instinct, trying to do what she thinks Peter would. That boy doesn't realize what an impact he leaves on people."

"Trust me, I know," Lumina groaned, "If Tombstone tries anything on her, keep her safe. He's looking angry."

"He won't be able to do anything," Said Beck, "Not once the plan gets underway."

"How about 75,000? Do I hear 750?" continued the announcer.

"90,000!" Shouted Tombstone.

"100,000!" Shouted Kendo.

They eyed each other, Tombstone with a look of rage and Kendo with one of fear. Everyone could easily tell a rivalry was starting, but they hadn't realized how much tension was actually there.

"Seems like we have a competition on our hands!" Said the announcer, "How about 1050?"

"500,000," Tombstone said confidently, feeling as though he had her beat, right up until she spoke again.

"100,000,000!" She shouted, sweating even more now though trying to hide it.

Otto groaned, "She's gonna get herself killed like this."

"Otto, stop her. Do whatever you have to."

With a sigh of annoyance, Otto slowly approached the crowd as they continued to bid against each other. He could only think of one way to get her out of this, but it was the best option in order to move forward.

Otto approached Kendo and put a hand on her shoulder, holding out his hand and shouting "200,000,000!"

Everyone clapped at the arrival of a new competitor, except for Kendo and Tombs. When she saw his face, she was almost ready to punch him. Kendo immediately recognized Otto as the man who took Peter from the station, and it required all her self-control not to choke him or break his hand.

"That man is called Tombstone," whispered Otto, "And if you don't stop bidding, he is going to kill you. Let him bid us both out, and we can get you out of this alive."

"…It isn't about what happens to my life," She whispered back, pausing to bid again against Tombstone, bringing them to another stalemate, "What matters is keeping anyone from getting that stone, including you."

He sighed, "Peter really has rubbed off on you, hasn't he? Don't worry, he's perfectly safe. Tombstone isn't getting that little gem; I'll see to it. But you have to back off or things will get worse for you. Look around, notice all the men wearing black belts? Silver buckle with a house sigil?"

She looked around, immediately noticing all the men he referred to, "So?"

"So, they're his men, and there's a good chance they'll open fire if Tombs doesn't win the bid. You need to think about the long game, otherwise people will die. Do you want that, Hero?"

When it came down to the facts, she knew he was right. If they really were armed, then continuing as she was would get everyone killed. The main priority of a hero is keeping people alive and safe. She may have hated it, but she had to stop.

"300,000,000!" Bidded Tombstone, looking to his competitors for a response.

"Going once …" Said the announcer, while Kendo said nothing, "Going twice …sold to the pale man in the black suit!"

Everyone clapped for his victory as he relaxed his shoulders and neck. He was almost worried for a moment there, but everything seemed to work out in the end. When he glanced back at Kendo and Otto, they were walking away suspiciously. A problem for later, he thought.

Otto dragged Kendo to the corner of the room, keeping her hidden, "You need to leave, kid," He said, "Things are only going to get worse from here."

"I can't leave," She stood her ground, "You wanna beat me till I submit, go ahead and try. Peter would want someone to do the right thing, and that has to be me right now."

"Ok, Spider-Girl," He mocked, "What was your plan? Bid? Get the stone and run before you have to pay? Go to the police and explain why you had to commit a felony?!"

"…If that's what it took."

There was no getting through to her. Peter had converted her from a studying young hero to a vigilante in no time flat. She was thinking the same way he would, rash and uncalculated. Still, he had to admire her persistence despite how obviously scared she was. Another quality Peter seemed to pass onto her.

The 11th item was brought to the stage, looking like some kind of high-tech clock sitting up to face everyone, "This is the Future Clock. It was submitted last minute by an unknown donor. It's full of the latest technology to really light up your home."

"And other things," Whispered Beck, putting a finger to the comms, "Ready?"

"Ready, do it Beck," Lumina confirmed.

With a push of his phone, the clock suddenly lit up with bright colors. Suddenly it began projecting a light into the room, dim enough that no one even realized it. On the stage materialized a humongous snake, hissing at them with its venomous teeth. Everyone shouted in fear and scrambled away, including the announcer who had been standing next to it. The snake tried to follow the moving crowd as they made their way to the doors as quickly as possible. Even Tombstones men were too afraid and made a run for it.

Guards came in with guns and tried to fire on the creature, only to find their bullets passed through it. Once it seemed like nearly everyone had left the building, Otto stepped forward and let his metal arms extend from his back. He swung them at the guards, slamming them into walls and knocking them out on impact.

When the room was empty, Otto faced Kendo again, his metal arms lifting him up, "You need to go, girl."

She wanted to say something, but didn't know which words to use. Looking at the snake, it too made her want to run. Yet, she was standing her ground regardless of that. With her fists clenched, she let them grow to a massive size, holding them in front of her body, "Someone has to be the hero."

"I suppose so," Said Otto, readying himself to attack.

A clicking gun sound caught Becks ear as he stepped from his spot near the pillar. Coming out of the obscure view of the stage was Tombstone, holding a tommy gun in his hands. He hadn't run like the others, instead retreated to a hiding spot until he could make his move. Neither Kendo nor Otto noticed him there, too focused on one another instead. Beck panicked, and started running toward Otto. His mind raced with thoughts he couldn't control, things he never thought he could feel before meeting him and Lumina. His mind flashed back to his time with them.

"Question," Quintain raised a finger, "What is our plan? Or, yours I mean."

She turned around, "To fix things that are broken, I guess. No one else will, right?"

"If I recall, all you promised Otto and I was a second chance. We can have that in this world, with or without your help."

"Then why don't you go too?" She asked.

Otto stood next to Quinten, gesturing to themselves, "Maybe our second chance lies with you."

"It's gonna be hard to find the stones with just the three of us."

"Maybe it'll be easier without the extra weight," Quinten suggested, "Easier to bounce ideas off three heads than 2 dozen. Let's get to finding those stones."

He had yet to admit it, but they were his friends, maybe even his family.

Just as Tombstone raised his gun, Beck jumped into the air and pushed Otto out of the way, "Look out!" He shouted. Tombstone fired off a few rounds, the bullets striking Beck In the leg, arm, and one near his stomach. He collapsed to the ground, the blood already starting to drip from hos body as he screamed in anguish.

"Quinten!" Otto painfully screamed, looking at Tombstone in anger, "You bastard!"

"I know you are," He reloaded his gun, "And we'll leave it at that."

In a fit or rage, Otto charged at Tombstone, using his metal arms as a shield from the bullets. When he was close enough, he ripped the gun out of his hands and struck him in the face with the sharp end of his claws. The attack hadn't even scratched him, but it did manage to knock him off balance. Otto kept at him, attacking with one arm after the other, while Tombstone only laughed at his attempts.

While they fought, Kendo shrunk her hands and rushed to Quinten's side, looking over his wounds. The bullets in his arms and legs weren't too bad, but his stomach wound was lethal. It had entered just to the right under his chest, and he was quickly bleeding out.

"H-Hang on," She said, pulling off her jacket and using it to put pressure on his stomach, "Just stay with us, I'm gonna call the paramedics!"

Otto continued to strike in a fit of rage, bringing his metal arm down on his face. Tombstone still felt nothing, and only laughed.

"What's so funny, you bastard?!"

"Nothing! I just never thought 'Doctor Octopus' cared so much for other people!"

He struck Tombstone again, pinning him to the wall with two metal arms. Out of his two other spares, blades had grown out of the top. He was preparing to stab him, not thinking of the consequences.

"Go right ahead," the pale man baited, "It won't do a damn thing."

"Otto! What's going on?!" Lumina panicked, "Have you secured the stone?!"

Kendo quickly hung up her phone, having just called the paramedics here. With the noise they've coughed, there was no way the police weren't already coming too. She would have gone to them originally, but with everything going on, she worried they wouldn't believe her, especially if the stone being here was only a hunch. Now, she regretted that decision in full.

"I'll kill you, Lonnie!" Said Otto, as his metal limbs started shaking.

"You think I don't know things about you, Octavius?" he pushed the limbs away with ease, much to Otto's surprise, "I know full well that if you can't focus, your octo arms don't work right!"

He punched Otto square in the jaw, making him stumble back and retaliate by striking with his metal arms. They were weak on impact, and his enemy just pushed them away and struck him in the gut, knocking him to the ground.

"No focus, no arms," Said Tombstone as he started walking toward the Tommy Gun he dropped, fully intending to end this.

The blood was slowing down from Quinten's stomach, but it was still leaking at a concerning pace. He was having a hard time breathing and keeping his eyes open, yet he still managed despite the pain. His tired eyes rolled to see Otto with Tombstone, the wrong man losing the fight. Using all his remaining strength, he rolled over to his side, much to Kendo's disapproval. As he stood, he tried limping toward the occurring fight, even though Itsuka tried to pull him away.

"Stop it! You're injured!"

"My …friend …needs me," Quinten coughed blood.

From his pocket, he grabbed a small metal sphere, with a green button on the end of it. Tombstone noticed Beck coming his way and laughed while he picked up the gun.

"Mysterio, right? What are you going to do? Hit me with one of your shallow illusions? Play a trick on me?"

"Yeah …" He grunted, "But it isn't so shallow, you son of a bitch."

He threw the sphere like a baseball, pressing the button just as he let go. The sphere started glowing brighter as it made its way toward him. Beck leapt toward Kendo and tackled her to the ground and covering her from what was coming. When the object reached Tombstone, it exploded into a flurry of light and collapsed the wall around him. The debris fell on top and pinned him to the ground, completely covering him under the rubble. The light could be seen from outside the building, the residual wave of energy spreading to the rest of the room.

Otto stood up and retracted his metal arms, seeing the debris keeping Tombstone trapped. With a moment to finally breath, his mind calmed enough to focus again, "Beck!" he called out, rushing over to find him laying on Kendo.

She pushed him off, holding his head up as she set him down carefully. The blood from his stomach had stained her shirt; the bleeding had gotten worse.

"Beck!" Otto cried, rushing to his side, "Come on! Stay with us!"

"So much …for that fresh start," Quinten coughed, "I guess Lumina could revive me with the stones, but …" He sighed, "I'm thinking … just in case she doesn't get them…" He smiled, "Thanks for everything."

"Beck, no! Stop that! You'll be fine! We'll get the stones; we'll bring you back! It'll be fine!"

"Why?" he asked, "…So I can live a false life I didn't earn? No …What I wanted was a fresh start, but …" he coughed again, "But you and Lumina …I think you were my fresh start. Maybe …my second chance laid with you."

Otto was crying, holding onto his hand and gripping it tightly. Beck and Lumina had been there with him for some time now, yet they had grown so close so quickly. Quintin was once apart of his sinister six, a group of misfits he used to further his goals. He wasn't a tool anymore; he was a friend.

"You saved me …" Otto choked, "I won't forget that."

"Thanks, Otto," Beck closed his eyes and laid his head back, "For seeing me …"

With his last breath, Quinten Beck passed from the world to somewhere beyond.

It took Otto a moment to process everything. When he finally had, his fist slammed into the ground in anger, crying out in rage. Kendo scurried away from him in fear he would lash out at the nearest body. As he mourned for his friend, she could only stare at the bloodstains on her shirt.

There was blood on her hands now. Quinten wouldn't have had to save Otto if she hadn't been distracting him. A man was dead because of her, and she couldn't reverse it. It was enough to make her cry a bit too, more out of trauma than mourning. Otto on the other hand was more than distraught. Quinten was someone he truly cared about other than Lumina, and now he was gone thanks to the likes of Lonnie Lincoln.

"Lumina …" Otto choked to speak into the comms, "Quinten …Quinten is dead …"

"What? No …dammit!" She shouted, nearly making him take the comms out, especially when she started crying, "Goddamn it! This is …this went so wrong!"

While Otto may have been distraught, it was Lumina who had truly broken. Both Quinten and Otto had finally begun to feel like a family to her. Redecorating the warehouse made it feel like a home, but it would mean nothing if they weren't both there. Despite the knowledge that she could bring him back with the stones, his death still pained her. Truthfully, she knew there was a chance she wouldn't succeed, which meant there was a good chance Beck was gone forever. A piece of the new life she had built was taken from the puzzle, leaving an incomplete image even a child couldn't understand.

"…I'm sorry …" Kendo said quietly.

"You should be!" Otto scolded, "I could have stopped Tombs if you hadn't been so stupid as to come here!" he stood up and summoned his metal arms again, "You'll pay for what you did!"

"O-Otto! Stand down!" she called out, "Just get the stone and get out of there!"

"Beck is dead!"

"I-I know …but it wasn't her fault …just get what we came for and go …please."

He wanted so badly to give into his instincts and end her, drive the blade of his metal arms right into her body, but he knew Lumina was right. If he didn't grab the stone, then Becks passing would be for nothing. He backed off of Kendo and made his way for the stone, still kept in its casing.

Otto stopped when the pile of rubble began to shake and lift. Tombs body slowly became visible, grunting and pushing with his back until he was loose enough to stretch his shoulders and launch the larger pieces of debris off of him. He stood straight, Tommy Gun still in hand. There wasn't a scratch on him, barely even a bruise.

"You thought that was gonna kill me?" he asked, "Guess it ended up doing the reverse. I'll be taking that stone now."

"Not a chance!" Shouted Otto.

"Hm …look at this mess," he gestured to the pile he was in, "The police will be here soon with what we've caused. Better keep them and the Pros distracted," From his belt he pulled a walkie talkie, speaking into it but keeping his eyes on Otto, "Nightmare, this is Tombstone, do it."

…

Spider-Man leapt from building to building, refusing to look at the streets below. He knew the stone was going to be at the auction house, and that both Lumina and Tombstone would likely be there at the same time. That was two threats he needed to deal with, though perhaps one at a time. She wants the stone out of Tombs' hands just as much as he does, so he could use that to his advantage. This meant his focus should be Tombstone, at least until he's completely dealt with.

As he traversed the city, he heard sirens turn on and driving a few blocks behind him. Several units were making their way in the same direction as him, which probably wasn't a good sign. Something must have already happened at the auction house. Hopefully he wouldn't be too late.

Besides, he seemed to have other problems.

To his side, a sudden series of explosions sounded off across many blocks of buildings, causing him to stop in his tracks and watch the smoke reach the air. Buildings had caught fire out of nowhere, the explosions travelling in a straight line. Once they had gone off, police cars had turned to go in that direction.

His spider-sense sounded, and he hid in the alley of a building. Over his head, right below him, everywhere he looked he saw different Pro Heroes rushing to the fires. He recognized a few from the news, others he didn't at all. He had never seen so many at one time, but it made sense with whatever was going on.

He wasn't stupid, he knew this wasn't a coincidence. Someone did this purposely to distract Pros from the auction house. Arson like this wasn't Lumina's signature, so it had to be Tombstone. Leaping back onto the roof, he wanted so badly to rush to the fires and help. However, so many Pros were already on the job, and he had other issues to attend to.

It was a matter of what was more important.

"…They got this," Spider-Man muttered, turning and running toward the edge of the building, "Gotta keep moving!" He leapt into the air and continued forward.

Just as he seemed to leave the roof, Midoriya landed where he was and took a moment to let his body settle. His limbs still weren't broken, meaning what he was doing was working. Of course, he was still out of breath trying to keep up with his friend.

"…Gotta keep moving," He muttered, charging One for All into his legs again and launching into the air.

Spider-Man scaled the side of the buildings, running across the walls and leaping to the next one, building speed and momentum with each jump forward. In the background, more and more explosions were taking place. Tombstone wasn't messing around this time. The only reason he wasn't trying to help with the fires is because he knew the Pros had it, and that it was a distraction so the stone could be grabbed by the wrong hands.

Leaping again, Peter perched on the edge of a roof just in sight of the auction house. Lights seemed to have been flickering inside, as if a crazy amount of movement was taking place. Something was going down already, and he had to stop it. Just as he was about to leap down, the windows of the first floor suddenly erupted with fire. An explosion had just been set off inside.

…

Kendo rolled over her shoulder and hid behind one of the pillars, catching her breath as fires had begun to spread around her. Otto had gone crazy with rage, firing a flamethrower built in to his metal arms. Many of the drapes had caught fire, spreading to the rest of the building. Tombstone wasn't affected by the attacks, but Kendo began coughing due to the smoke. Killing Beck had sent Octavius over the edge. He wasn't thinking clearly anymore, he just wanted blood.

"Hold still and let me kill you!" Shouted Otto.

"Have you forgotten already?" Tombstone asked, "You can't kill me! I'm indestructible!"

"On the outside, but you can bleed to death from the inside too!" Otto struck again with a flurry of jagged attacks, his metal arms losing their strength due to his inability to focus. With his tech based on the focus of his mind, a lack of it will cause them to malfunction. Tombstone, of course, knew this very well.

Otto's arms suddenly began to spark and shake out of his control, much to his dismay. When he tried to move them, they only did the opposite of what he wanted. He was then struck in the gut by Tombstone as he grabbed one of his metal arms. In a swift motion, he ripped it straight from its socket, then preceded to strike him with it. Sparks had flown everywhere, some of them scorching a bit of Otto's face. A burn was left on his cheek, reaching down to his chin.

"Fun fact about Octopi," Said Tombstone as he kicked Otto down and pinned him with his foot, "They live roughly between two and five years. You're breaking the rules of death, and I think it's time we fix that."

Kendo rushed from her hiding spot and jumped through the air, her right hand growing into a large fist and striking Tombstone straight in the chest. The impact sent him stumbling backwards off Otto as she continued her assault with both fists enlarged now. First, she struck his chest, then uppercut his chin, followed by a hook punch to the side of his face. Though he felt no pain, it was still enough to knock him around.

Eventually, she got tired and backed off to catch her breath. Even though she was very strong, her attacks weren't doing anything to him. He just stood up straight and laughed at her, scaring her down to the bone.

"You really don't know who you're up against, do you?" Lonnie laughed, "The name is Tombstone, and nothing can hurt me!"

She kept her hands up not wanting to back down now, not when things were bad. Peter wouldn't have, not ever.

"Allons-y!" he shouted as Spider-Man came rushing in, soaring through the air and landing a direct hit on Tombstones jaw, forcing his body to turn quickly and land on his stomach. The arachnid twisted in a ballet fashion and stuck his signature landing pose, forming an L shape between him, Tombstone and Kendo.

He wasn't sure how this fight would go without his web shooters, but this was his chance to prove that a hero was more than their gadgets.

"Peter!" Kendo cried in joy. Seeing her friend here made her happier than she had been all day. It was as if her prayers had finally been answered, and he had been returned safely to her. Her fists shrank to normal and she moved slowly to him, then faster, until she was in a running speed. She jumped into his arms and he held her tightly, caressing the back of her head to comfort her. Their embrace was warm, and overdue. Peter could feel his shoulders relaxing once finally in her presence again.

"I missed you so much!" Kendo cried, adjusting her grip over his shoulders and resting her head next to his, "When you were taken, I didn't know what to-!"

"I'm so sorry I made you worry," He quickly broke the embrace, more worried than relieved now, "What the hell are you even doing here?!"

"I found out one of the stones might be here! I thought about what you would do and I just …" She smiled, tears in her eyes, "I can't worry about the law if people are going to get hurt. The world won't wait for me …right?"

Those were the exact words he said to her the night he saved her from Hydro Man. After all this time, they finally sunk in.

Tombstone finally regained his balance and stood up. He had dropped his Tommy Gun when he fell, and it slid a few yards away from him, "Kids …this is why I never had 'em," He cracked his knuckles, putting on knuckle dusters he took from his pockets, "Too much trouble for that they're worth!"

"Aw but that what makes it so much fun!" Spider-Man mocked, "You could stand to have a hobby like that, or at least get out in the sun. What, you stay inside writing bad fanfiction all day?"

"Enough!" Shouted Tombstone, "I'm taking the stone, but first I'm taking you out!"

Tombstone charged at them like a bull, head first going forward. Kendo rolled out of the way while Spider-Man leapt over him and kicked off his back, sending him tumbling into one of the pillars. It broke on impact, making him fall over.

"Kendo!" Spider-Man called out, "Keep that stone safe!"

"On it!" She said as she rushed over to where it was being kept. Somehow in all the destruction, it hadn't broken from its glass casing. She placed her hands on both sides and lifted the glass up, tossing it to the side and watching it shatter. The stone now glowed in the presence of her, as if it wanted a vessel for its power. Slowly, she reached her hand out for it, taking it very gently between her thumb and index finger, using her other fingers to further support it.

It vibrated in her grasp, and her hand felt tingly and warm. She had no idea what it could do, but she wasn't eager to find out.

Otto's metal arm shot forward and grabbed Kendo by the wrist, making her drop the stone to the ground. Otto was sweating, bleeding and angry. He only had three working metal arms; the empty socket for the one missing was sparking and crackling immensely. His goggles were broken from the impacts he recieved from Tombstone.

"I'm taking that stone!" He shouted.

She gritted her teeth, "And it's my job to stop you!" enlarging her free hand, she grabbed the metal arm and yanked on it, nearly pulling it out of its socket as well. To stop her, Otto used the other two arms and grabbed her limbs, lifting her up and pinning her to the wall. The impact nearly gave her a concussion, but she remained conscious.

"I am so tired of this! This cycle of fighting the hero just to survive!" He shouted, "It's going to stop! Right now!"

His anger made the metal limbs shake uncontrollably. The one pinning her right hand released its grip from the stress, and she enlarged that hand quickly. The other arms couldn't take the added weight, and it dropped her, and upon landing she had launched forward and struck him head on with the big fist. The momentum of the impact made the loosened limb come clean off, falling to the ground and sending more sparks outward. The sparks only added to the fire that was already spreading.

Spider-Man hit the ground after taking one of Tombstones attacks, feeling the imprint of the knuckle duster on his chest. When he turned to the side in pain, he noticed the body laying next to him. It was Quinten, and it seemed like he had been dead for a little while now.

"…You killed him, didn't you?" He asked rhetorically, standing up on one knee.

"He's the one who jumped in the way of my gun, not that I wouldn't have killed him anyway."

"He may have been going about it all wrong," Spider-Man stood with his fists clenched, "But he just wanted a fresh start! All you want is drugs and money!"

"At least I've accepted who I am."

"So did he!"

Spider-Man ran at him with one fist pulled back, pushing off his heel for greater momentum. He struck Tombstone again, then once more, using his superior speed to dodge any of his counter attacks. Debris and fire fell and spread around them, feeling the heat on their backs and faces grow with each passing moment. Though he couldn't cause him pain, he noticed how Tombstone was running out of breath.

"Tired, Lonnie?" He asked, "Just because your outside is invincible, doesn't mean your insides are!"

He jumped in the air and spun around, hitting him across the face with a hook kick that made him lose his balance.

Out of breath, he stood on one knee, "You fool! Nothing can hurt me! It would take tons of force just to dent me! That's the kind of strength you just don't have!" He stood up straight, stretching his neck, "I'll make sure you bury you so far into the dirt, your bones will never be found!"

"S-s-m-m-a-a-s-s-h-h!"

Izuku's fist collided with Tombstones face, charged with the power of One for All at just 5% power. The impact echoed through the room and caused debris to fly in every direction. Tombstone was sent soaring backwards and slamming into the nearest pillar, dazed and confused.

"…Izuku?" Spider-Man couldn't believe what he was seeing. Had he followed him after he left the house? What was he doing here?

"I've had it with you villains targeting my friend!" he shouted, holding his arm, slightly sore but still not broken, "So you better back off right now!"