"Why are you so unsure?"

One final stop All Might has made in his quest to form his decision. Though he has already visited three allies, he still found the answer to be far from his grip. His recent stop was one who was also very close with the web slinger, whom he was asked to personally arrest. The woman gave him a look as though he had offended her with his question. It baffled her that the number 1 Pro Hero needed advice when it came to his job. Then again, this was Peter they were talking about.

Mayume Aihara, known better as Overcast, played with the scarf that hung from her neck as it blew in the wind. They stoop on top of a large building, looking down over the city they both swore to protect. All Might was one of few she believed to take this job seriously, despite the attention he gets. Seeing how hard he fought over five years ago against his nemesis was enough to convince her he would do anything to protect others; she respected that.

"I'm unsure, Aihara," All Might began to answer, "Because we both know that Parker is an extraordinary child with much gift and talent. Everything he does, he does for a reason."

"He does …" She agreed, "Even if it means his own destruction."

"I know him. Well enough to wish not to capture him. The problem is that it's my duty to stop him, and treat him as though he was any other criminal…" He paused, "Any other villain."

"Peter Parker is no villain," Overcast spat coldly, "He only ever does the right thing, we both know that."

She knew it would be beneficial to her if Peter were to be caught. Lumina is only one stone away from getting the first half of the stones. Peter still had the other half of them, but that's not why she wanted him safe. She truly believed him to be a hero and didn't wish for him to suffer any more than he already has.

"Here's my answer, All Might," She faced him with a stern look, "Do what you feel is right. Personally, I wouldn't take the job, but I can't stop you from obeying the law. You're being given a choice, so make sure you think it through."

Another answer in Peter's favor, yet it didn't seem to sit right with him. All this support toward the boy made him wonder; do morals really make the man? Are someone's consequences defined by who they are, not by their actions? If he were to catch Peter, it would be because he broke the law. Simultaneously, not catching him would be because he respected him as a hero. Can you really choose to let someone go just because they're sorry?

…

The body of Stain the Hero Killer was now completely overtaken by the Carnage symbiote. Damage to its previous vessel was irreversible in its current state and would take far too long to repair. Instead of wasting time, it chose to jump from host to host until it found one suitable for its needs. This new vessel was full of rage and hatred. With the addition of the symbiote, that once controlled anger was now a weapon of pure destruction, ready to feast on the death of others.

No one moved from their spots, unsure if their actions would cause the monster to act instinctively. Spider-Man had only now finally regained his perception of reality, being trapped in his own mind for the last half hour. Even without Kletus as its host, Carnage was still dangerous. He had no idea who his new host was, but the others did, and it was a dangerous combination.

Bloodstain felt thrilled with the state of his new host. It took barely a full minute to completely heal the wounds his new vessel had taken from battle. All that work done by Izuku and his friends had been completely undone, and now he was stronger than ever. The power and ferocity of two rage fueled beings was a recipe for disaster.

Bloodstain laughed, his chest puffing out, "So much strength in this vessel, so much rage! I am going to have so much fun!"

It didn't take the monster long to become comfortable in his new skin and launch himself toward his toys. Like a child in a toy store, he marched straight for the action figures with the intention of pulling them off the shelf and ripping them out of their packaging. His body was aimed for Kyoka, who was still being guarded by Tenya, who stood there frozen. It was bad enough to see the Hero Killer here, the man who wounded his brother, but now he was even stronger. His new form froze him in place out of fear.

Bloodstain quickly charged for Tenya with a speed unseen from either half of the whole before. A cloud of dust erupted from the spot where Tenya stood, making the other heroes stumble back. The only one fast enough to react was Grand Torino, but even he was unable to move in time to stop the attack. They would have moved in to save him, if not for how silent it suddenly came. There was no scream of terror from Tenya, or laughter from Bloodstain.

As the dust cleared, they could see that a new figure stood between Tenya and the monster. Spider-Man had left his spot next to Kendo and made his way over just faster than Bloodstain could. The hero was holding the monster's wrists and pointing them upward, his claws extended but missing his target. Next to Kendo were a flurry of cracks in the ground, revealing the intense launch he took to move toward Tenya fast enough. The Pro's hadn't often seen speed like that before, other than from Grand Torino. Even Tenya was rather surprised by his speed and strength.

"Stop interrupting play time!" Bloodstain scolded as Spider-Man clenched his wrists tighter, "It's no fun with you here!"

"You keep breaking your toys!" Said Spider-Man, "I'm putting you in time out!"

On those words, he lifted his right leg upward and slammed it into Bloodstains chest. The hybrid went flying, scraping across the street and crashed into the wall of a building as debris came down on top of him.

Shoto, still standing near his father, got the full view of Spider-Man's assault on the creature. Once again, he saw Peter change in a way he didn't understand. He had once seemed happier in class, as though he had found something he lost. This, however, was different. It was as though Peter had discovered a new strength, one he never realized he had. The way he moved and the power of his attack; was this Peter's true ability?

"Tenya! Shoto! Izuku!" Spider-Man commanded, "Take Kyoka and get her somewhere safe!"

No one except for Shoto moved when commanded, rushing to his allies and grabbing Tenya by the shoulder. He told him they needed to move so the Pros could handle this, but Tenya was still entranced. The Hero Killer, alongside the friend who betrayed him, it was just too much for him to handle. He hadn't forgiven Peter yet for what he had done, abandoning them in their time of need. The same day he discovered his brother's condition, Peter was arrested. Now here he was, giving commands as though he can just walk back in without consequences.

"Iida!" Shoto shouted as he helped Izuku to his feet, "We gotta go before that thing gets back up!"

"…Right," Tenya snapped out of his trance, "Ok!"

Taking Kyoka by the arm, Tenya followed Shoto as he led Izuku down the street, who looked back at his roommate. He wanted to stay and help him fight, but he also understood that this was a delicate situation. Peter wouldn't want his friends to go to jail for the same crimes as him simply because they wanted to help. Right now, he was the only one who understood that monsters' abilities and could stop him.

"Kendo," Spider-Man approached her with his hands on her shoulders, "You gotta go too."

"No way!" She retorted, "I'm staying to fight with you! You promised we would do this together!"

"If the Pro's see you fight, you'll be arrested," He spoke calmly, keeping his worry in check, "It's not that I don't trust you, but I don't want you behind bars."

"Miruko has already seen me."

"She's never seen you fight, so she has nothing against you," he moved his hands to her cheeks, "Itsuka, I trust you. I need you to trust me too."

He was calm, which surprised her. Other times he was in a panic when wanting to keep others safe, desperately trying to get the job done. Now, however, it was different. He wasn't benching her out of fear, but because it was the logical move going forward. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, he was right. Being arrested isn't something she wants to do to those she loves, neither is being on the run.

"…ok," Kendo gave in, "I'll keep the others safe."

"Thank you," He smiled under the mask, "Now get out of here, hurry."

She kissed the forehead of his mask, "Go get 'em, tiger."

Kendo quickly took off toward Kyoka and the others, leaving just Spider-Man and the Pro Heroes. Some of the other Pros were still down for the count, unable to continue fighting the monster. The only ones that remained were Miruko, Grand Torino, and Endeavor. Each of them was very different, one of which hated working with others. It would be difficult to coordinate this group, Peter thought, but he had no other choice.

The rubble began to move; Bloodstain had healed himself already and was getting ready to climb out and fight again. Each of them quickly got on guard.

"He's getting his second wind," Spider-Man stated.

"So, you're on our side now?!" Endeavor questioned, "You tried to kill us a few minutes ago! Maybe we should still be fighting you!"

"Can it, hot head!" Miruko chimed in rather aggressively, "He may be on our wanted list, but he's no super villain. Use your god damn head!"

"I have to agree," Grand Torino kept his eyes on the moving rubble, his guard up and ready to move, "That creature seems to have possessed the Hero Killer, it only makes sense it did the same to the boy."

Endeavor hated being told what to do by others, especially considering his status in the Hero World. He was known as the number two best hero, just behind All Might. People looked to him, not the other way around. Now these two professionals were siding with a criminal, one whom they were told to take down on sight. Miruko was never one to work with anyone, yet she seemed a bit more compliant this time around. If anyone was supposed to be on his side about this, it was her.

"Kid," Miruko grabbed Spidey's attention, "This thing have any weaknesses?"

"Yeah," He complied, "Sound vibrations, fire, some chemicals …"

Hearing that fire was his weakness, Endeavor felt a sudden burst in confidence. Since his quirk was an overachiever of one of those weaknesses, he convinced himself this was over before it even started, "Then this will be easy," Said Endeavor, igniting his right fist, "I'll just burn the hell spawn alive!"

"Absolutely not!" Spider-Man retorted, "You do that, and you may kill the man inside! Carnage is possessing him as a vessel, we can't risk killing him!"

"That thing is possessing the Hero Killer. We'd be doing a favor for everyone by taking them both out."

The Hero Killer; Peter knew that was the name of the one who hurt Tenya's brother. Is that why Iida was here? Did he come here to fight him? "Either way, we don't kill! We're heroes, and we save lives, even those who don't deserve it!"

"I don't know what kind of hero you're pretending to be-"

"The kind that sees this as more than a job!"

The debris lifted off the body of the monster as he stood up tall, a sword in his hands and fused to the symbiote. He was smiling widely, enjoying this little game he was playing. To him, they were all toys from a toy box, new action figures bought by his mother and brought home for Christmas.

He had a tendency for breaking new toys.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star," Bloodstain sang, "Pluck your head and throw it far. Up above your body's hung, watch me as I eat your lung!"

Miruko shivered, the image disturbing her.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star, I'll keep your blood in a jar!"

Bloodstain rushed forward with his blade and started swinging in random directions. Torino was quickest out of all of them, zooming to the side and readying to pounce again. Both Miruko and Spider-Man jumped up and over while Endeavor shuffled back and away. His quirk charged, Torino launched with a gust of wind and kicked Bloodstain in the shoulder. The impact forced him away from Endeavor, but his expression didn't change.

"Bonzai!" Spider-Man exclaimed as he jumped forward with his legs in front. His legs wrapped around Bloodstains head, and he twisted his body to throw him into a roll. Bloodstain stumbled away from him and fell to his back.

Bloodtstain only needed to get to one knee to jab his sword toward Spider-Man. The arachnid hero quickly caught the blade by pinning it between the palms of his hands. He tried to break the blade, but the added layer of the symbiote made it stronger, sharper and heavier. Thankfully, Torino charged in again and kicked Bloodstain away, freeing Spider-Mans hands from the blade.

"You dealt with this monster before?" Grand Torino asked, keeping his gaze on Bloodstain.

"Yeah, he's insane," Answered Spidey, "Relentless, dangerous, and bloodthirsty."

"How did you beat him before?"

"Normally I use soundwaves, but we don't have easy access to that right now. Endeavors fire quirk should be our advantage. Can you get him to make a ring of fire around Bloodstain and I?"

Torino nodded, "I'll get through his thick skull." Grand Torino heard a bit about Peter from his time working with Izuku Midoryia. The boy was rather calm under pressure, opting to use strategy over sheer strength. Even though he was a wanted criminal, they were all after the same thing; taking down this monster before he hurts anyone else.

The old man zoomed over to Endeavor with a stern look, "You gotta make a ring of fire around the monster and the kid!"

"That won't beat it," Endeavor argued.

"We don't want to kill it, just slow it down."

He was reluctant but accepted the request. Though he was often hot headed and preferred strength above skill, his time as a hero did teach him that there were desperate times where he needed to toss his pride away. He never liked it, but this monster was dead serious on slaughter, so there wasn't any room for being prideful.

Reluctantly, Endeavor began to shoot the flames from his fists and a ring formed around the monster. Bloodstain panicked at the sight of the warm colors that burned to the touch. The ring was tight, so the only safe place for him was right in the middle where the heat just barely reached. It was never any fun when the toys played back.

Spider-Man entered the ring and activated the stealth mode on his suit, turning completely invisible. Bloodstain could see from any angle on his body, so the only way to avoid him was to not be seen. The hero struck him in the gut, then quickly moved before he could retaliate. The action would repeat over and over, with Bloodstains strength fading with each strike. The flames were dwindling his symbiote, though it didn't do much good for the vessel, who was still unconscious and being used like a puppet.

"Stop it!" Bloodstain complained, leaping into the air and out of the ring of fire, just as Spider-Man regained visibility. His feet planted themselves on the nearest wall as he looked down at his prey in rage, "I am so tired of playing with you! Stay out of my way or I'll tear your guts apart from the inside!"

He launched down and bounced off the ground, leaping toward Endeavor with his claws extended. The monster sliced across his arm ever so slightly, drawing blood from him. Endeavor was just fast enough to dodge the attack and avoid the murder attempt. "Is that all you can do?!" Endeavor taunted.

Bloodstain laughed, lifting his claw up, the hero's blood on the end, "Actually, this vessel has some new features!"

He took a taste of the blood into his mouth, and Endeavor immediately felt his body freeze. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to move his muscles any more than an inch, if even. He was completely paralyzed, unable to activate his quirk. "…How…?" he questioned.

It didn't take long for Spider-Man to figure it out. Bloodstain tasted his blood, then Endeavor freezes? That must have been the Hero Killers quirk; he could taste someone's blood, and they become paralyzed. As if Carnage on his own wasn't bad enough, now he has the added powers of this villain.

Fire was his weakness. Now that Endeavor was out of the way, Bloodstain swung down the street in the same direction Kyoka and the others did. "He's going after the kids!" Miruko stated.

"I'll stay with Endeavor!" Torino volunteered, "You two are the strongest, don't let him hurt the kids!"

Endeavor tried to move, wanting to help chase down the monster that did this to him, but he was still unable to move. He pained him to watch the other two leave while Torino stayed behind with him. It made him feel weak, something the number two Pro hero shouldn't be, especially when competing with All Might.

…

By this point, Kyoka and her friends had made good distance from where the fight with that monster originated. Even in the silence of the abandoned street, Kyoka could still hear the monsters screech in her head. It was fixated on her, hunting her because he thought it would be fun. Now, her friends, Pro Heroes, they were being put in danger while trying to protect her. She was supposed to be a pro someday, she couldn't keep allowing this to happen.

She stopped running and ripped her arm away from Tenya, making the others stop and stare at her. The monster could still come after them, so it didn't make any sense to them that she had suddenly stopped moving. "You guys should just get out of here," Kyoka suggested, "It's me that the creature …it's me that Bloodstain is after. He'll leave you all alone if you go now!"

"Absolutely not!" shouted Todoroki, "If we leave you now, that thing is going to murder you!"

"Look at how many people are getting hurt because of me! I can't keep letting that happen!"

"Kyoka, we aren't leaving," Tenya argued, "You're our classmate, we don't abandon each other!"

She froze, a series of thoughts shooting at her mind like bullets. It brought a poison to her voice, brewed in defense for another, "…What about Peter?" She asked as anger arose within her, "We abandoned him."

"He abandoned us!" Tenya shouted, his mood immediately shifting at the very mention of that name, "He lied to all of us, schemed right under our noses! After everything, he left us because we didn't matter!"

"You're wrong! He cares about us, about all of us! He wouldn't have tried to protect me if he didn't still care!"

"Peter is a villain!"

"He's not!"

Izuku jumped from Shoto's grip and got between them, holding his hands out at them to keep their bodies apart. He was doing his best to avoid crying like he always does, but it was hard considering the subject. They were arguing over his roommate, a friend who had been there for him, even if their time was short.

And he was honestly sick of it.

"Peter Parker …is not a villain!" Cried Midoryia, "Everything he did, he did for a reason! He may have lied about a lot of things, but he always had a reason, and it was always for the benefit of others over himself!"

"You don't know-!" Tenya tried to argue, but was immediately cut off.

"No, you don't know!" Izuku shouted back, "You don't know who Peter really is. If you did, you wouldn't be criminalizing him, damning him because it's easier! I know you're hurting over it, but he's not the Hero Killer, so stop treating him like it!"

The silence fell over the two friends, the coin finally dropped between them. He had been treating Peter the same way he did the Hero Killer, as someone who personally attacked his life. "You keep pinning so much on Peter, and I get it!" Izuku continued, "After what happened to your brother, you've been really angry, but Peter didn't hurt your brother, and he didn't mean to hurt anyone else! Stop blaming him for only doing what he thinks is right!"

Could Izuku have been right? Was Tenya only projecting his pain onto anyone who causes him pain? Had he been conflicting his feelings on the Hero Killer with his views toward Peter? He couldn't help now but look away in shame, unsure of his own feelings now.

Her friends were coming apart at the seams. It had clearly been a long night for all of them. The attacks, the fires, the Hero Killer and Carnage, now together as Bloodstain. It was all so much, even for Pro's. Everyone had been struggling and fighting with everything they had.

Everyone except her.

The familiar screech roared down the street, alerting the group to the approaching threat they fled from. "He's gonna catch up! We gotta go!" Yelled Shoto. The monster was yet to come into view, but the threat still felt very real. While the boys were ready to start running, Kyoka seemed to stand very still, her back to the street as thoughts flooded her head. They tried to grab her attention, but she wasn't listening.

She blamed Peter for the longest time, hating him for abandoning his friends, loathing how he chose to fight villains now rather than wait like the rest of them. Today, however, seeing the strength that monster posed, she began to understand. He wasn't doing this because he wanted to, but because he felt he had to. Peter saw the dangers to the world and fought them out of responsibility, yet when she saw that monster, all she could do was hide. She decided, here and now, she wasn't going to do that anymore.

Kyoka ran into the street, looking down toward the monster she saw swinging in her direction. Just seeing her standing there, Bloodstain was overcome with joy. She wasn't running anymore, finally she wanted to play with him. He had gotten so angry with his other toys, now he can play with his favorite. Bloodstain was so happy, that he legitimately forgot about the pro's still following behind him. The boys tried to shout for Kyoka to move, but she didn't listen. Not yet, she thought. She couldn't risk him following anyone but herself.

Finally, when he was close enough, she ran into the nearest alleyway, making her way toward the street on the other side. Bloodstain quickly turned his swing in her direction and followed through the alley, completely ignoring her classmates and the pro heroes. She was drawing him away, damning herself to his wrath and sparing the others; the act of a true hero.

Spider-Man and Miruko arrived a few seconds after, wondering where the monster had run off to. Izuku was the one to point out that "Kyoka is leading Bloodstain away through there!" and pointed down the alleyway. The good news was that the number of victims had been reduced to one, at least for now. The bad news was that now all the focus was on Kyoka, putting her in much more danger.
"Will you guys be alright?" Spidey asked, earning nods from his former classmates, though there was a hint of poison with Tenya. He still felt strongly against Peter for what he had done, but this was no time to worry about fixing it. Without Bloodstain after them, they'll be safe until this is over.

Spidey quickly swung after Bloodtstain with Miruko following behind him. She didn't like being led around by someone, especially one who was so much younger than her, but he had more experience with this guy. There was a lot more at stake than her own pride, and refusing to team up with such high stakes is not a mistake she wanted to make again. She already once refused the call for help from a friend, and that resulted in many wounded and dead, all so she could attend a talk show. That mistake wouldn't be repeated, so her pride took second place tonight.

When Kyoka finally made her way out of the alley's, she found herself at the bottom of one of the city's large bridges. It was backed up with cars and buses that people left behind during the evacuation. People were likely still trying to make their way across, slowed by the flurry of panicked people.

Hearing that horrible laugh, her back tensed up just as Bloodstain swung down and picked her up, clutching her tightly with his claws. Spider-Man and Miruko followed just behind them, struggling to keep up with the slippery psychopath. Kyoka did her best not to scream; as scared as she was, shouting wasn't going to make anything better.
Bloodstain swung upward toward the pylon of the bridges and landed on top of them, adjusting his grip to hold Kyoka by the throat. He was smiling devilishly; finally, he was alone with his new favorite toy. All the other kids had been trying to take it from him, but finally he had it all to himself. As he held her, he poked at the ear jacks dangling from the sides of her head, resisting the urge to rip them off.

"Finally," He said, "I told you before, didn't I? I'm going to rip off your ears and make you choke on them! It'll be so much fun, you'll see!"

The heroes arrived at the bridge, seeing how high the pylon was in comparison to the ground. The people on the bridge were still panicking, pushing each other around to escape from the city. It was utter chaos that only added to the situation up above. "Come on!" Spider-Man shouted, leaping onto the pylon and climbing up it's side. Miruko followed by leaping up onto the cables and climbing them to the top.

Spider-Man reached the top first, still several yards away from Bloodstain and Kyoka. The monster didn't even realize he was there, too focused on his new toy to care about anything around him. If he made any sudden moves on him, he may hurt Kyoka, or worse.

"Bloodstain!" He called out, angering the monster greatly. He wasn't pleased that his playtime was once again interrupted, prolonging the fun he craved so much, "That's far enough!"

"Just let me play with my toys!" Bloodstain cried, "It's mine! All mine!"

Arguing with him wasn't going to do any good. The Carnage side of him was insane, devoid of any logic or reason. He was a ball of pure rage and devastation. His host, on the other hand, was different. He knew very little about the hero killer, but it wasn't hard to understand that he did what he did with purpose. He only killed heroes, not just regular people. That meant he had a motive, something driving his actions. With the right words, he could use that to his advantage.

"So, you kill heroes, right?" He spoke directly to the host inside, "Why is that?"

Bloodstain's expression changed; his demeanor altered without even realizing it. He became calmer, more focused, motivated, even Kyoka realized with the loosening of his grip on her neck. "Heroes," Bloodstains voice dropped, "They are a bane on this world. They work for money, not justice! They only see the people they save as dollar signs! There is only one worthy hero, and that is All Might! Only he understands the truth behind real justice!"

"…I get that," He spoke truthfully. Though the hero killer used his morals to enact violence, he wasn't entirely wrong. Many heroes only do what they do for money, or fame. They use their quirks only when they are getting paid, rather than when it is right. That idea is everything Spider-Man hated about this worlds hero system. It was personal, something he could reach for, "So many heroes are corrupt from the fame. They start out noble, but end up not caring about who it is they are saving."

"So, you understand," Bloodstain was rather surprised that someone so young could see things the way he did, "That's why heroes like this girl have to die!" referring back to Kyoka, the Carnage side of him began to regain influence, showing by the creeping of his smile returning to his face, "They should all bathe in their own blood! Glorious blood!"

"Except she's not a hero yet!" He argued, desperately trying to calm him down. He needed to keep him occupied, while Miruko climbed to the pylon on the cables behind him, "She's still in training, and she doesn't do this for money or fame! She fights hard for others, because she knows it's right."

He almost didn't believe him, until a serious of thoughts came into his mind. Being linked to Carnage, he could see into his memories, especially his recent ones. When he met Kyoka, she was attempting to help a victim that Carnage claimed the life of. She had no obligation to do that, yet she chose to, and she wasn't even a Pro hero yet. Morals like that violate his rules, so could he really go and kill her.

There was conflict in Bloodstain now. The two sides of him, the host and the parasite, were fighting for dominance now. He never had this issue when he was linked with Kletus; their views were always the same. This host was different from his last one, too focused, too sharpened. He hated when his hosts struggled, that's why he favored Kletus, he never resisted him. While Carnage favored needless bloodshed, Stain only wished to kill those he needed to.

"You can't kill her, and you know it," Spidey tried to move closer, his hands out in case something happened, "Just hand her to me, please."

"…You're right," Said Stain, the symbiote peeling away just enough to see his face, "I can't kill her, not when she hasn't done anything."

"Then please …hand her to me."

Miruko did her best to quietly step onto the pylon from behind Bloodstain, but the metal feet of her costume clanged against the surface. Stain turned around to see her, and she froze in place, cursing to herself. She was a Pro hero, one that fit all the requirements of his morals. Those morals lead to someone's death, and death was the definition of his 'others' personality. The chain led right back to the symbiote as it covered Stain's head and regained control over his body. His wretched smile regained full strength, looking back between the heroes.

"You want her?!" He shouted, "Scrap her off the pavement for me!"

In a single motion, he released his grip and pushed on her neck, sending her off the edge of the pylon. She wanted to shout and reach for something, but there was nothing to grab, and the wind had been knocked out of her. Spider-Mans sixth sense kicked in and everything slowed down. It would only take a few seconds for Kyoka to hit the ground, knowing how high they were. Her skull would crack open on impact; by the way she was flailing, she wouldn't be able to put her feet first and save her life, if not her bones. If he dived down directly, he wouldn't make it in time; he had to go at an angle.

Rather than jump straight for Kyoka, Spider-Man leapt off the edge from where he was, and waited two seconds before he shot his web for the pylon, positioned straight above where she was falling. His body pulled on the web as his trajectory changed, moving at an angle toward her. By the time he caught her, he was still moving downwards, absorbing the momentum from her fall and swinging upwards.

They landed on one of the bridges cables with Kyoka holding on tightly to Spidey's torso. She hugged him tightly, thanking him as she calmed herself down. Everything had happened so fast, she only now comprehended she was no longer in any danger.

"I'm getting you out of here, Kyoka," Said Spider-Man, releasing her from the hug.

Her face immediately told him that she didn't approve of his decision, which was rather surprising considering how badly she wanted to get away from the monster before, "I want to help you fight him. You said he was weak to soundwaves, so I can help you!"

"Are you sure?" He would appreciate the assistance, but he also didn't want to toss her into danger if he didn't have to.

"I know I chickened out before … when you asked me to help, I didn't listen because I was scared. Fighting this guy is nothing like what happened at the USJ. I let him keep causing havoc when I could have done something, so I'm not going to be scared anymore."

"It's not about having no fear," He put a hand to her shoulder, looking into her conflicted eyes, "It's about having the strength to face that fear."

"Then let me face it."

She was determined, more than she was previously that night from what he could see. He wanted so badly to stop Carnage and prove he was still strong enough to be Spider-Man, that he allowed his fears to consume him like she had. Now, they were both ready to conquer those fears and become stronger.

"…Ok," Said Spidey, "When I tell you to, do your thing. We need to separate the symbiote from the Hero Killer. I'll go up there and help Miruko bring him to street level. Once he's subdued-"

"-Turn up the noise," She finished.

Nodding, he grabbed her by the hip and rappelled them down to the bridge, where most of the civilians had escaped. After letting her go, he immediately leapt onto the surface of the pylon and climbed back up, hearing the fight between foes as he got closer.
Reaching the top, he saw Miruko quickly dodging the attacks done by Bloodstain, who had been using his newly acquired sword against her. The monster sweep kicked her, knocking her down as he quickly lifted his sword for the final blow. His movements were stopped when Spider-Man webbed his arm, pulling on it. This gave Miruko the opening she needed to push off her hands and slam her feet into Bloodstains chest. The crack of his bones was audible as he hit the ground, still gripping his sword.

"You ok?" Spidey asked as he helped Miruko to her feet.

"I didn't need your help …but thanks," She grinned stubbornly. As much as she hated teaming up, she had to admit that it made things easier.

Bloodstain charged them suddenly, hidden from Peter's spider-sense. Though he was able to dodge him, he still managed to slice across Miruko's arm and draw blood onto his sword. The two fell to the ground, and Miruko held her arm to stop the bleeding. Before she could get back up, Bloodstain licked the blood off the blade, and she suddenly found herself frozen. Every muscle in her body became paralyzed, unable to even lay herself back down.

"You may be very pretty!" Bloodstain said as he approached her body with his blade in the air, "But I'm really starting to hate you!"

As he readied to strike her down, he was suddenly tackled by Spider-Man, sending the two of them flying off the pylon and down toward the street. Spidey made sure that Bloodstain landed first, using him as a cushion for the fall. They fought for dominance over each other, trying to keep the other pinned to the ground. Kyoka, standing only a few yards away, readied herself to attack when he told him. She was nervous, but she couldn't let herself back down again, not this time.

Each time Bloodstain tried to get to his feet, Spider-Man would strike him back down as hard as he could. The monster could feel that his attacks had gotten more powerful since they last fought. No matter how fast he tried to move, Spider-Man was just a bit faster.
"This isn't fair!" Bloodstain shouted as he struggled to stand up, "Why are you so much stronger?! You used to be a weak little bug! Nothing but an insect! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!" He slammed his fists against the ground with every repeat of the word, like a child who had his toys taken away.

"I was," he said, taking a moment to catch his breath, "Then I stopped holding myself back; I stopped letting fear control me."

"You can't get rid of fear!"

"But you can fight against it. I've stopped letting fear control me, and so has she."

She took that as the signal, and extended her ear jacks forward, plugging them into the symbiote. Soundwaves had begun to pump into the symbiote, in sync with the pulse of her heart, which had been beating rather quickly due to the dangerous situation. Bloodstain found himself in agony, unable to heal himself from these types of wounds. All of the soundwaves were being concentrated into the symbiote, tearing it apart from the inside. He turned to look at Kyoka, struggling to stay conscious and clung to his host.

"I'll kill you for this!" he choked out, "You'll choke on your blood!"

She said nothing, not even allowing him the satisfaction of seeing the fear on her face. His threats didn't scare her anymore, not when she had the upper hand.

Finally, the symbiote completely came apart and fell off the Hero Killer like slime, dripping onto the street and shaking in torment as Kyoka continued her assault. Seeing it as nothing more than a pile of goo, helpless and afraid, she knew she had nothing to fear anymore.

Completely separated from Stain, she removed her ear jacks and retracted them, watching the symbiote shiver in pain. Spider-Man didn't hesitate to create a bag out of webbing and scoop up the pile of goo, placing it inside and sealing it tightly. It would have to do, at least until they could find better containment.

Kyoka fell to her knee's letting out the breath she had been holding in as her shoulders drooped. Her hands were shaking in turmoil from fighting off the fear she had been feeling. Stain had completely collapsed and fallen unconscious, drained from his encounter with the alien creature.
Placing the bag down, Spider-Man took off his mask and kneeled down to Kyoka with one hand on her shoulder, "Are you ok?" He asked.

"How do you do it?" She aske him, "How do you fight your fears?"

"Not well," He admitted, "Only recently have I begun to understand what was most important. You can never really get rid of your fear, but you can find ways to fight it, and learn from it. It comes with the job."

"Except you don't see this as a job …is that why you became a vigilante?"

"I've never been in this for the money, and there are things that I can't wait four or so years to do."

She had spent so long conflicted on what she was suppose to feel about Peter. Everyone in the news, in school and at home, they all told her how she should have been feeling. She should have regretted knowing him, and hate what he had become. Deep down, a part of her didn't believe that. Now, she realized that part of her was right. He may have broken the law, but he still did everything Pro's did and more, and earned no praise or pay. He embodied what a hero was suppose to be. She shouldn't have been looking down on him, she should be looking up instead.

Finally, free of paralysis, Miruko leapt off the pylon and onto the street with a thud. She was ready to fight, but found the situation to have already resolved itself. "Is everyone ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, Carnage is contained," Peter pointed to the web-bag, "That webbing is only going to last one or two hours, so we better find a better mode of containment soon."

Carefully, Miruko picked up the bag and examined it. The texture felt weird to her, making her recoil in some disgust. Regardless, it did its job, "I'll get this thing to the police."

The police; she was supposed to turn Peter in once she found him. Now that Carnage was finally out of the picture, she could return to the reason she came here in the first place. Capturing Peter and evening the score was her goal, after all. So, why was she hesitating? Why was she not putting a pair of handcuffs on him and taking him to the police like she said she would?

No, there was no question; she knew exactly why she was hesitating, and just didn't want to admit it.

"…What happens now?" Peter asked, knowing what was going on in her head.

"…I take this thing to the police, like I said. I'll make sure this girl gets where she needs to. As for you …" Her mind remained on the fence until the last second, where she made the leap toward her decision, "You got away after I captured the monster. I lost track of you on the bridge."

It was hard to believe what he was hearing, yet there it was. Was she actually letting him go, knowing he was a vigilante? In the few times they met, she seemed so bent on beating him; what changed? Should he really even question it? For all he knew, she could change her mind at any time. "…Thank you, Miruko," He said gratefully.

"I don't see you, you're not here," She turned around, looking up at the sky to avoid any eye contact with him, "Get going before you make me into a liar."

Standing on his feet, he lifted Kyoka up with a smile on his face. Before he could go anywhere, she pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. At first, he was rather surprised by the show of affection, but returned the hug all the same. It was nice to know not everyone in class 1-A beyond Izuku hated him. If only he could go back and be with his friends, the people he's grown so fond of in such a short time; being able to formally say how sorry he was would be nice.

"I wish you didn't have to run," Kyoka spoke softly.

"Me too," He released her from the hug, "I miss everyone."

"We miss you too."

As much as he wanted that to be true, deep down he knew it wasn't, at least not for everyone. He wanted to say something more, but couldn't find the words to do it. Instead, he put his mask back on and activated the stealth function, jumping off the bridge and swinging away from the scene.

The police arrived soon after to collect Carnage and Stain, and get Kyoka to an ambulance. When Miruko was asked about the whereabouts of the vigilante, she told them she had no idea where he went. Apparently, he vanished not long after the monster was defeated; literally. There was nothing to go on, so the police had to back off the case for now. Normally she wouldn't have defended people like Peter, but he was different somehow. As long as she didn't come to regret it later, there was no harm done.

…

Izuku, Shoto and Tenya found their way to the hospital not long after the event, and were filled in on what happened when Kyoka had joined with them. They were relieved to know their friend was ok, especially after she had taken off so suddenly. Itsuka Kendo, however, was no where to be seen. After Carnage went after Kyoka and the others, she had run off somewhere. No one was actually able to identify her, having only taken her mask off for a few minutes. Even if they identified her, there would be no charges against her. The only ones who may have known her identity were Kyoka and her friends, but each had claimed they knew nothing. Perhaps they really didn't recognize her, or perhaps they were trying to protect her.

Itsuka had climbed a fire escape and hidden herself atop a building roof, looking down over the city and the aftermath of the attack. The Nomu had all been defeated. Some had been arrested, others deceased or missing. The only thing people knew about the Nomu was their connection to the League of Villains, so that must have meant they were behind the assault. No one understood their motives yet, perhaps they didn't have one. They were villains Afterall, they didn't need a reason to be evil. At least, that's what everyone is trained to believe.

Spider-Man climbed onto the roof where Itsuka had been waiting, undid his stealth mode, and removed his mask to greet her. She gave him a hug, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. She could tell by his body language that things had finally calmed down, and the danger passed. "So, it's over?" She asked.

"Carnage is contained," he said, "I just wish I knew what happened to Kletus."

"After Todoroki and I found him in the rubble, we called the cops and had him picked up."

"…you're like my own personal shooting star."

Smiling, she held him tighter and smiled, not wanting to let go. Now that the conflict was next, she knew what needed to happen. He had to return her to the Pro hero agency, and go back on the run as a vigilante, all without her at his side. She wished she could go with him, to keep him company on his lonely path, but he wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't want her to throw away her freedom for his crusade, as much as she wished she could. She had her family and friends to think about. Peter did this because he had no choice, but she did.

"…I really wanted to make this work," She said, the smile on her face dropping, "I wanted to see if this would work between us, but all we've done is fight villains. We need more time …I want more time with you."

"I do too, but we're going to have to put it on hold."

"I don't want to!" She argued, backing up to see his face but still holding him by the waist, "I wish you could just come back with me."

"You know that I can't. I have to finish what I started."

"…I know."

They continued their embrace for some time, wishing they didn't need to let go so soon. The sun would be up in a few hours, leaving little time for a tearful goodbye. Spider-Man quickly took her back onto the roof of the train and headed back to the city she came from. By this point, the sun was just two hours from waking, and she had been out all night long. Hopefully, no one had noticed she was gone. She hadn't gotten any messages from Momo or the agency, so perhaps she was in the clear.

Peter helped her climb into the window of her room, where Momo was fast asleep during this time. After helping her inside, they stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever. There were pools of sadness in their eyes that reflected on one another. As much as they didn't want to say goodbye, they knew it was best moving forward. It took all of his strength to swing away as Kendo watched him vanish into the night.

That night in bed, she cried quietly to herself, wiping her tears on her blankets.

…

After all that had transpired, All Might had gotten a call from Grand Torino, his former mentor during his rise to becoming a Pro. He informed All Might about what happened with Hosu, about how the Nomu arrived, and Izuku was forced to fight the Hero Killer. He wished he could have been there to help, but he hadn't any idea it was happening until it was already over. Thankfully, Izuku was safe and being treated carefully. Though, due to the boy's actions, Torino lost his teaching license for a while. It wasn't as though he was using it much, anyway, but it stands as proof for how troublesome Midoryia can be. He only got his teaching license to keep a promise he made to All Might's predecessor.

After that, they discussed everything about the Hero Killer, how people seemed moved by his motive, and even sympathized with him. He told All Might about the killer's obsession with the symbol of peace, how it pushed everything he did, and how he may have been connected to the League of Villains.

Villains, a term that brought pain to him, for he wasn't sure of the meaning anymore.

"Everything alright?" Torino asked over the phone, "You sound troubled."

"Yes, it's just …" All Might paused, looking at a folder of Peter Parkers files, "I've been asked to hunt down a former student of mine."

"And?"

All Might took a deep breath, looking down at his feet, "And I've agreed to do it."