Peter stood in front of the comic book store with his fingers interlocked. It had been only a few hours since the incident at the school. It hadn't taken him long to conduct the next step in his search. He could have searched her page, or asked other students where she normally hangs out. He didn't actually need to do any of that, he just needed to remember where they ran into each other. After something as stressful as today, it made sense she would come here. He would too.

Peter walked inside and let the bell of the door ring, alerting the cashier to his presence. He waved awkwardly, making his way past the racks of merchandise and toward the back. He could see the back of her head from there, looking at the many issues of comic books and manga. She was wearing her headphones, blasting them at full volume as to drown out the world. It made sense she would hide toward the back of the store where few people would bother to notice her.

Peter tapped Kyoka's shoulder to get her attention. She looked at him and removed her headphones, still able to hear the rock music blasting away, "Parker," She greeted, "We meet again. Glad to see you're ok after what happened at the school."

"You too," He smiled, "Did you get hurt?"

"No, I got out pretty quickly. You?"

"Uh …same."

"Why're you lying?"

Peter cleared his throat, trying to dodge the question, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot. I mean don't shoot as in shoot, I mean shoot as in shoot the question …did you get contacts?"

He chuckled. Her social awkwardness reminded him of himself, "I was thinking about the other day, when Tokoyami was picking on me during class. A paperclip was thrown at him by an unknown entity of sass. You wouldn't happen to be that entity, would you?"

She paused, trying to see if he was going for some kind of unknown angle, "I am a being of sass, but why do you wanna know?"

"Was it you, Jiro?"

She sighed, "…Yeah."

"Why did you help me? Not that I don't appreciate it, because I do. I'm just curious."

Kyoka gently put the manga she was holding back on the shelf, and turned the volume of her music down all the way before finally coming up with an answer, "I've been picked on before, too, for being different. The way I dress, the music I listen too, the way I act and talk; people use it all against me. It came to a point where I started drowning out the world because the world seems to hate me so much. I didn't want you to start doing the same."

"You didn't want me thinking no one was there for me."

"I worried if the act was given a face, it wouldn't mean anything."

"It meant a great deal, more than you know. And I want to return the favor."

From his pocket, he pulled out a strange golden object shaped like a large eye. It was connected to a chain like a necklace. Had he gotten her a gift to say thanks? Was this his way of hitting on her? Many different scenarios played out in her head, all of which flattered her.

"Can you hold this for a minute?" He asked.

She didn't see where he was going, but curiously, she took it into her palms.

The process began instantly. Golden mist traveled up from the Eye and into her arms, moving through her veins with every beat of her heart. As it reached her head, her ears absorbed most of the energy. From her earlobe, something had begun to grow and form. It resembled a similar shape to that of headphone jacks, made from her own skin. As it reached her brain, images and sounds filled them to the brim of overflowing. At first it scared her, but she was paralyzed momentarily.

Then, everything became clear.

"…Peter," She spoke softly, "Peter …oh, my god, I remember!"

Peter shushed her, placing her headphones back over her ears as to hide the jacks hanging from them, "I know you've got a million things going through your head right now. I promise you I'm going to explain everything. I just need you to come with me for now, ok? Do you trust me?"

It wasn't even a question, not for her, "Yes," She said, "Always."

Spider-Man: Hero Academia

Chapter 51

Pro Hero (Part 3)

There were not many places in the city they could find to hide away in. With Kyoka's ears and Mina's color alteration, they would stick out in public like a pair of sore thumbs. They needed a place to plan out their next move without being spotted.

It wasn't easy for Peter to search up abandoned buildings with his parents, aunt and Uncle texting and calling him every few minutes. He had to finally answer him in order to get them to calm down, telling them he'd be home soon and that he got out before it all started. He hated making them worry, but none of it would matter anyway, not once this was all over.

Eventually, they finally managed to find an apartment complex scheduled for deconstruction, but not for a few days. It would be the perfect place for them to operate until it was time to make a move.

The room they found was devoid of most furniture, minus what was abandoned by those who were evicted last minute. All that remained was a couch and a lamp for light, plus a rug for them to sit on. Once everyone was settled in, Peter stood before them and spoke.

"I need everyone to stay here while I go out and look for Izuku," He ordered, "Once I bring him back here, we'll get started."

"Who else are we getting?" Asked Kyoka.

"Just him. We need to keep the group small."

"But why us? Why not Pro's?"

Peter pressed his lips together, only slightly annoyed by her question, "Momo asked the exact same thing."

Momo nodded, crossing her arms with pride.

"If we restore too many people, we alert Overcast to our presence. I could have gotten Pro heroes, but they're too far away. In the time we have, I won't be able to find and restore them, then bring them back here."

"Before what?" Asked Mina, sitting on her side with her legs hanging out, "You never really explained it. How did Overcast do this? Why did she do it?"

"Once we have Izuku, I'll explain. I'd rather not go over the details more than once for the sake of my sanity."

"Do you even know where he is?"

"I do," Peter knelt down to her, "You gotta stay here until I get back. This world—this new world—it doesn't know about quirks. You have to stay hidden for your own safety for now."

Mina, reluctant as she was, nodded to his wishes. Peter stood up straight, headed to the window where Kendo was leaning against the wall, acting as the gatekeeper to his exit. She gave him a look, asking without words to be able to go with him. Of course, he returned the look with an expression of solitude. She didn't back down very easily.

"Kendo, you gotta stay and watch them," Said Peter.

"What happened to 'We're in this together'?" She asked.

"We are, but I know Izuku better than you do, I need to get through to him and use the eye to restore his memory. Once we're all together, we can figure out some kind of strategy. I don't plan to take on Mayume alone. I want the people I trust most in this world."

"Who happen to be mostly girls," She teased.

"…What?" he raised a brow.

"Nothing. Just noticing four of the six members of this little team are all girls. Two of them used to have a crush on you. How funny."

"That- Kendo- it's not like- Stop it. Stop teasing me, it's not funny."

"It kinda is," she grinned.

"People are people," He said with a stern look, "Fine, yes, the people I connected with most are girls. They're my friends, and I trust them, just like I trust you."

"You didn't use to trust me."

Peter gently kissed her forehead, massaging her arms carefully as to sooth her, "I trust you now. After everything we've been through—every fight, argument, and moment of bliss while swinging through the sky—I trust you."

His words were nice to hear. It was strange to think that once upon a time, she tried to get him to give up the vigilante life, just to end up joining him in his crusade. Never did she expect falling for him , especially with the given circumstances. The secret of the multiverse was theirs to share, which was a burden she never thought she would carry. There's a lot she's done that she never thought she'd do, and a lot has changed that she never thought would.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"…Of course, I do," She smiled, kissing his forehead in response, "Just be careful, ok? Text me when you're on your way back."

"Will do," he said, letting her go before jumping out the window.

"Always on the move, isn't he?" asked Kyoka, earning a groan of agreement from Kendo.

Kendo wanted to say something funny to add to her comment, but she noticed Kyoka had suddenly started looking glum. She supposed she couldn't blame her, or any of them. They were likely all dealing with the same thing she was; memory backlash. A life that's not there is in their heads, slowly fading away but forever present in the background.

She sat down with the three of them, crossing her legs to get comfortable. Momo was still standing, leaning on the wall closest to the door, but she was still listening regardless.

"How are you all holding up?" she asked them.

They didn't want to answer straight away, not because they didn't want to, but because they didn't know how. There was so much to dissect that they weren't sure where to start. Eventually, Mina was the first to give it a shot.

"…It's weird," Mina said, "Overcast gave us all a fake life to live. I still took up dancing in this life but I never shared it with anyone. I was …normal. I honestly don't remember a time when I didn't have pink skin. I don't remember a day when I didn't have eyes on me in some way. I never realized how much people liked me mainly for my quirk …"

"That's not true, Ashido," Kendo argued.

"Isn't it? This version of me doesn't know nearly as many people that I do. My quirk—my appearance—it dictated my friendships …"

Kyoka scoffed, "Bull-crap. You're still a great friend regardless."

"How do you know?"

"This …this version of me admired you a bit. She liked how pretty you were."

Mina smiled warmly, "Thanks, Jiro. What about you? What were you like here?"

Kyoka took a moment to think about this, trying to collect the memories of this life before they faded away, "Not too different, actually. I dress kinda goth-like. I keep to myself most of the time. The only difference is that I never made many friends. Even before U.A, I was confident enough to make some friends. I wonder now if that's because I had a quirk, like it was some kind of identification of greatness."

Kendo nodded, "I know what you mean," She said, "This iteration of me took to fighting in a fight club because I didn't know how to deal with my feelings. Getting my quirk and training to be a hero became my outlet, but not in this reality," She paused, reflecting on this, "Our quirks really defined so many aspects of our lives, didn't they? Our careers, how we made friends, how we acted. Without them … we're completely different people."

Momo chose not to chime in right away because—as much as it pained her to admit it—they were right. Things weren't that different in her life without a quirk, but they were still worse. As Kyoka put it, her quirk identified her as successful without needing to prove anything. Without it, she had to try so much harder to make her family proud. The bottom line though was that—quirk or no quirk—she was still miserable.

"Momo," Asked Kendo, "What about you?"

"…I'm the same, just …more intense," Said Momo, "I always felt like I had something to prove, and its worse in this world. This version of me is so …broken down."

"And what about the real you?"

Momo didn't answer. She didn't want to worry her with anything she was feeling. Now just didn't seem like the right time, not with everything at stake.

Mina gestured to Kendo to wait, seeing as she was about to get up. Mina stood and paced over to Momo slowly, as to give her a chance to see her coming. She held her hands behind her back, lifting her shoulders slight with her head cocked to the side. A smile was plastered on her face, and Momo asked what she wanted.

"Do you remember what I told you at the sports festival?"

"…Strudels?"

Mina chuckled, "Yes, I did say strudels. And it made you laugh. It's proof there is still hope in you. You think you're so hopeless, I've seen it; we all have. But even a single chuckle is proof you'll be ok."

"…How can you be so cheery?"

"It's the pink. It's a very warm color. Hug me and I'll prove it."

Momo smiled with a laugh, before pulling Mina into a warm hug. At first she was gentle about it, but once her emotions took full control, she couldn't help but grip her tighter. Mina didn't object to the tight grip in anyway, returning it with the same amount of strength. Her kind nature was something Momo always felt she was able to rely on. It did give her hope; maybe everything will be ok.

Just maybe.

…

Deep within the abandoned warehouse, Mayume sat in her chair with one leg hanging off the side. She had been sitting there for hours, flipping through channels and watching all that transpired with the world. She pretended as though she was a guardian angel, but at times even she didn't feel like one. Most of her time was spent in that chair, and it was beginning to drive her mad.

This was the world she chose to create, and she had to keep it that way.

These sudden storms were not of her doing. They began appearing without her consent in random places around the world. All she could do was observe them, and snap them away should anyone die to their attacks. She couldn't erase all natural disasters; she wasn't stupid. She knew they were unavoidable. Instead, she chose to erase only those that kill someone in the process. No one had to die by accident ever again.

No one ever had to be killed again.

Koji entered the large room and saw his sister sitting in the dark. She never liked having the lights on beyond the Television. Though reality and everyone in it had been changed, he hadn't. She had chosen not to erase his memory, making it so they were the only two who remembered the 'Old World', as she called it. Perhaps she thought she could earn Koji's love and respect back the right way.

He thought it was only a matter of time before she decided to take the easy way out.

"Anything today?" Koji asked.

"Other than the storms at the school, no," Mayume said, "I don't know what's causing them, but they don't go away no matter what I do."

"Weather will be weather."

"Yes," She finally sat up straight, "But I fixed Climate Change. I restored the ozone, regulated heat across the world. There shouldn't be any weather irregularities. I just don't understand …"

The idea of not being in control was starting to get to her. Having all of this power now, she could do anything that she wanted. Every disaster, murder, or unforeseen event was erased in an instant. She had everything she ever wanted and so much more. So why was this the only thing she couldn't control?

Whatever it was, it made her angry.

Koji could see she was getting steamed, so he opted to say nothing further and move toward the tables in the back. This room was the one thing left unaltered by the stones, so everything was still here. All the tools, schematics and trinkets remained laying on the table, including the broken pieces of the gauntlet from when Otto made his modifications. Even his robotic arm that Mayume severed was sitting there, broken and useless. Unlike him; he had come in here with a purpose.

Quickly, he swiped a piece of the old gauntlet metal and stuffed it into his pocket, looking behind him to ensure that Mayume wasn't looking; she wasn't. She was too distracted by the TV to notice anything beyond it.

"I'm gonna go see our family," Said Koji, "I'll be back to check on you."

"Ok," She said bitterly, simply to take out her anger.

He paid her no further mind and left, pulling a hood over his head.

He was going to see his family, but he had a pit stop to make first.

…

It would be much faster to get where he was going if he only had his web shooters. He was getting used to not having them on his wrists, which was not a fun feeling. He could be leaping over rooftops as he did prior to regaining his memory, but that may draw too much attention. He hated having to walk like a normal person; it made him regret never pursuing a drivers license.

Finally it came into view; the Midoriya complex. Even in this reality, Izuku normally stayed at home studying. What he found out was different about his life was Bakugo. Without his quirk, he never had a reason to become a bully for Izuku, and they actually ended up becoming good friends. Izuku never acquired his anxiety toward the blonde hot head. At least that was one positive to come out of all these changes.

He hated to admit it, but a few things were improved in this world. A lack of unforeseen death was nice, fewer wars and conflicts, his family members being alive. None of it could serve as an excuse though for how reckless Mayume was. One way or another, it was only the calm before the storm, and the storm was deadly.

He knocked on the familiar door and tapped his foot impatiently. This process had played itself out so many times now that he was tempted to just shove the Eye in his face and get it over with. Until the illusion was revealed, however, he had to play along with this world rules. Patience was the key to success here, despite the clock they were running on.

Inko had opened the door, but he didn't recognize her at first. She was no longer the small, somewhat wide women he had grown to know. She was taller and thinner, looking to be in much better health than before. Her dress style and hair were the same, being the only way he could realize it was her.

"Oh, hello!" She greeted with a smile, "Can I help you?"

"Mrs. …Midoriya?" He asked.

"Yes, that's me. Who are you?"

Peter cleared his throat to regain composure, "Sorry, I'm a friend of your son from school. Is he home?"

"No, I'm sorry. He's out with his friends right now."

Dammit, thought Peter. He hoped this would be easy, "Do you know where?"

"The arcade, I believe."

"Ok, thank you," he nodded, beginning to turn around before she spoke again.

"How long have you known him?"

"Oh …I'm an old friend. He probably doesn't even remember me."

Inko smiled, holding her hands together, "True friends never forget one another."

Peter smiled sadly, looking away from her, "I sure hope so."

He left the house quickly, only showing his distress when he was out of eye-sight. He had assumed Izuku would be here because research told him he stayed at home more often than not. Making a trip to the arcade wasn't an issue, but it's an extra set of minutes that he didn't want spent, not with what was at stake. If he was going to take on Mayume, he needed the entire team, including Izuku.

Before he could cross the street, his spider-sense warned him of danger to his right. He lifted his hand quickly to catch a rock that nearly hit him in the head.

"Peter," A voice called out as quietly as possible.

Peter wasted no time approaching the alley that the rock came out of. Inside it was a man who's face he's only ever seen once. His dark skin and blonde hair were a giveaway to his identity. "Koji?" Peter asked.

Koji Aihara stood close to the wall as to hide from sight, wearing a grey hoodie over his head. The scars on his face were gone now, likely a change thanks to this new reality. The fact he was seeking Peter out at all could only mean a handful of things of which he could easily guess.

Koji Aihara remembered.

"You know me," Said Koji with a smile, "You remember."

"So do you," Peter pointed out, "Mayume didn't erase your memory?"

"No, she didn't. She didn't want to change me; she wanted to earn my compassion."

"What are you doing here?"

Koji looked to both ends of the alley to make sure no one was listening or watching, especially his sister. If she even caught a scent to what he was doing, she would undo it all in an instant. Never did he think he would find himself fearing his own sister. Then again, there were a lot of things he thought he would never do.

"If you remember," Koji continued, "I assume you're trying to stop her."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Peter questioned, "For all I know, Mayume has full control over you."

"That's why I brought a peace offering."

Koji raised his hands in surrender to ensure he was harmless, before slowly reaching into his hoodie pocket. He pulled his hand back out fully closed into a fist and reached it out toward Peter. When he opened it, he revealed a small piece of gold-colored metal no bigger than the tip of his finger. Peter didn't recognize the material; he hadn't seen it on the periodic table.

"What is that?" Peter asked.

"Mayume calls it Uru. It's what the Gauntlet is made out of."

Peter eyed him carefully to see if he was lying, but there were no such faults and his spider-sense hadn't gone off yet. This was a piece of the original gauntlet used by Thanos and Green Goblin. Had he swiped it from Mayume? How did he manage that without her noticing?

"When Otto built the new gauntlet for her," Koji began to explain, "He broke down the original and rebuilt it from scratch. This is one of the pieces that was broken off of it."

"How is this a peace offering?"

"Think about it, Parker. This metal is strong enough to take the full force of the stones. I may not be well informed on how this all works, but if this metal can take its power with ease, it stands to reason it should have some kind of …resistance to it as well, right?"

In that moment, it all clicked with Peter. He knew exactly where he was going with this now as he gently took the piece of Uru between his fingers. This little chunk of metal was used to harness the full power of the stones and remain unaffected by them. What better tool to be used against the stones than the material used to contain them? "This stuff …the stones can't effect it?"

"In theory. When you magnetize something, it creates a magnetic field. I think that's what this stuff does for the stones."

"How do you know all this?"

"You think I've been sitting on my ass these last few weeks?" he asked rhetorically, "I couldn't let Mayume get away with what she's done. I've been looking into how to stop her, and I think this is it. However you choose to use it is entirely up to you."

When he thought about it, it made a lot of sense. The same way flamethrowers need heat-resistance materials to be made from, the gauntlet would need a material that is naturally resistant to the stones power. This Uru can resist the influence of her snaps. It could keep them safe in the coming fight he knows to be inevitable.

This could be the key to fixing everything.

"Do you have more?" Peter asked.

"This is what I could snap without her noticing," Koji said in disappointment, "If you want the rest, you'll have to get it yourself."

Peter raised an eyebrow, "How? Mayume-"

"Will be kept busy by me. I'll get her out of the warehouse and you grab what you need."

It was a risky plan. If Mayume caught on even for a moment, everything would fall apart. Koji would have to put on his best act to keep her occupied. If these pieces really could give them the upper hand, then he had to try and use them. He may not get another opportunity like this again.

"Do you trust me?" Asked Koji.

"…Ok," Peter answered, "Is the warehouse in the same spot?"

"It's the only thing she didn't alter."

"Then get her out of there by 6pm. I'll be there by then."

"I can keep her out for an hour at the most, and she can pop back in at any time."

"Let me worry about that."

Koji nodded, rubbing the anxiety out of his arms, "Just don't screw this up."

There was nothing more to be said. Anything else they spoke would only be wasted breath, and they knew this. Koji took off quickly down the street, eager to reach his family's house to set up an alibi. Peter wanted to ask him more, but knew that just being here was a risk he had taken.

He examined the piece of Uru in his hand, watching the light of the sun reflect off its bright golden surface. This little piece of metal was powerful in its own right, even without the compliment of its other parts. This was a game changer; if he could harness its properties, it could mean the difference between victory and failure against Mayume.

6pm wasn't long from now. He'd rather not do one thing after the other and waste more time than he has to. He needs to tackle this and the Izuku problem at the same time.

Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialed Kendo's number and put it to his ear, "Kendo," Peter spoke, "Scratch my earlier plan. We need to divide and conquer."

…

Kendo listened carefully through the phone as Peter relayed his plan to her. Some of the details had surprised her, considering who she was talking to, "Ok …warehouse, got it. Keep us posted, ok? See you soon."

She hung up the phone and placed it back in her pocket, clapping her hands to gain the attention of her friends, "That was Peter, just now. There's been a bit of a sidetrack in the plan."

Kyoka, still sitting on the floor, turned to Kendo with a sarcastic scoff, "You mean the one where he takes care of everything?"

Her friends silently agreed with her. It was no secret that Peter chose to deal with things on his own rather than get help. Even though he's assembling a team, he still chose to go out by himself and fix everything on his own. It was annoying since he went through the trouble of restoring them but not ask for their help.

"Peter asked for our help," Said Kendo.

Though, even he has his moments.

"Peter just met up with someone who worked with Mayume. Apparently, he remembers what she did and wants to help us stop her."

"Which one? Octopus guy or purple mask guy?" asked Mina.

"Uh …purple mask guy. He says there's a material at her base of operations we can use to fight her without risk."

"So why does Peter need our help?"

"Because he wants to tackle the Midoriya issue at the same time, get both problems over with. Some of us will head to the warehouse with Peter while the others find and restore Midoriya. We'll have to meet up with him to grab that eye thing."

Momo stepped of the wall she was leaning on, keeping her arms crossed with one eyebrow raised, "How do we know we can trust this guy he met?"

"Peter seems sure we can," Kendo argued, "And I trust Peters judgement."

"Even though he trusted Overcast and she turned out to be a two-quirk timing supervillain," Kyoka sassed.

Kendo was going to scold her similar to how she always scolded Monoma, but she stopped and took a deep breath. She understood how stressed everyone was, and sass was just one of the ways to expel that stress. Right now, Peter needed them assembled for the job, not fighting among each other.

"Ok," Kendo cleared her throat, "Peter texted me where to meet him to trade off the Eye. Me and Jiro will head for the arcade with the Eye and find Midoriya, restore him, and bring him back here. Meanwhile, Ashido and Yaoyorozu will go with Peter to the warehouse."

"Wait, what?" Mina asked, "He needs us? Why?"

"Our quirks," Momo pointed out, "I can give us any tool we need, and you can melt almost any obstacle," She paused, going over the many different scenarios for how this could play out, "Is he sure this …material is going to work?"

She wanted to say 'yes, absolutely,' but she needed to be honest. She wasn't entirely sure if this stuff was legit. She didn't trust Koji, what she did trust was Peter. If he really thinks this is going to work, then she needed to back his play. That's what it meant to love someone; to be there for them and support them through the toughest times, "We have to trust Peter. He needs us."

A few weeks prior to what Mayume had done, Both Momo and Kyoka would have been unsure if trusting him was the right thing. Everything they've heard about him from the news, their friends and Pro heroes told them not to ever trust him. All they had to think for themselves was their experience with him. Even then, that experience was tainted by every media outlet branding him a villain.

Mina, however, never lost faith in him even once. She always knew even when they first met that he was a good person. He had saved her during their first training exercise together. From that moment, she knew what kind of person that he was. He's a hero, and he never stopped being one.

"I trust him," Mina said, standing up straight, "Whatever he needs, I'll be there."

"…Me too," Said Momo, finally dropping her arms.

Kyoka sighed with a grin, standing up as well to join the bunch, "Of course I trust him, honestly."

Kendo smiled and nodded to each of them, "Good, then let's go."

…

The trade-off was easy. The group headed out and met halfway with Peter. Mina was forced to wear a hoodie and hide herself as not to attract too much attention. Never before did she actually hate the way she looked out of fear of what others thought. It wasn't something she wanted to get used to, and hopefully she wouldn't have to.

Peter traded off the Eye for them and recruited Momo and Mina, separating from the others quickly. He didn't want to spend too much time messing around. With the threat of the storms and reality breaking, he was in a rush to get everything set up. The sooner he had the team and the Uru, the sooner he could fight Mayume and fix everything.

Itsuka and Kyoka went off in their own toward the arcade. Jiro kept her headphones over her hears to hide the jacks hanging from her earlobes. Most people just assumed she was choosing to drown out all the noise with music, which was actually true most of the time. It was strange for her to see this new world through a fresh set of eyes. In theory it was supposed to be a better world free of unnecessary death and even war. Yet, no matter where she looked, it all just felt so wrong.

The arcade was dimly lit, allowing for the neon colors of the games to shine in the dark. The latest pop music was playing from the speakers in the ceiling. People of all ages were running around, but it was mostly children about the age of ten or thirteen. It was a large single-floor complex filled to the brim with games, tables for food and karaoke in the back.

"This place is huge," Said Kyoka, "Good thing that kids green hair sticks out like a sore thumb."

"A sore thumb in a pool of hands," Kendo paused before shivering, "Why did I just imagine that? Like, an actual pool full of severed hands."

"Please don't share the image."

They began walking through the arcade, splitting up and going in opposite directions. The games were bright and loud, but nothing that Kyoka wasn't used to. The arcade was rather crowded, making it difficult to maneuver through each section without bumping into someone. It reminded her so much of when her school was panicked, thinking a villain was on campus as they rushed out through the halls. It was a sea of panicked students that only Tenya Iida was able to calm down.

Finally, she spotted the familiar green hair by the racing games. He was sitting on a replica of a motorcycle as he controlled a vehicle on the screen. Sitting on the game next to him was a boy with flat blonde hair. She didn't immediately recognize him until she moved closer. Izuku was racing against Katsuki Bakugou.

"…Is that …Bakugou?" Kyoka asked with disbelief, "Holy crap …he actually looks like a decent human being."

She quickly texted Kendo and got her to come to the racing games, where she too saw Bakugo with a much calmer vibe about his being. He was actually smiling and laughing along with Midoriya, treating him as a friend rather than an enemy. Never did Kyoka ever think in any reality that they would actually be friends. Does that mean Bakugou's anger was somehow tied to his quirk? She always suspected it had something to do with either that or his family, but she never imagined this.

"We have to be gentle," Kendo urged, "Forcing him to look into the eye isn't ideal. Until we restore him, this is still a different person than we remember."

"Yeah …he seems so happy," Kyoka commented.

"He wasn't before?"

"I don't know …I mean he can be optimistic and even cheery, but he's also always stressed out and worrying. Bakugou never made it easy for him to be happy. This version of him …doesn't seem so stressed out. I can't help but wonder if the source of a lot of his pain was his quirk. It's like …for some people, they're better off quirkless, while others are worse for it. Nothing about this is black and white."

"Welcome to reality, in this or any world," Kendo sighed, "Let's get this over with."

Just as Midoriya finished playing the game, the two girls approached him with warm smiles, "Excuse me, Izuku Midoriya?" Asked Kendo.

Izuku looked at them with puzzled looks, "Um, hello! Do I know you?"

"Kind of, we go to school together. I was hoping I could talk to you about something."

Izuku pondered her request for a moment, but thought little of it in terms of suspicion, "Ok, sure!" He said cheerily before turning to Bakugou, "I'll catch up with you Kaachan."

"Sure thing," Said Bakugou with a smile, "You still owe me another race!"

Bakugou quickly left to play another game, leaving the three of them alone with one another. At least, as alone as they can be in a place so crowded.

"So …you and Bakugou are friends," Kyoka stated.

"Of course, we are," Izuku looked confused, "He's been my friend since we were kids. What is it you guys want anyway?"

"It's …hard to explain," Said Kendo, pulling out the Eye of Agamotto, "Can you take a look at this for us?"

"What is it?"

"That's what we're hoping you can figure out."

"I don't see why it has to be me. You could probably ask a whole bunch of people more well-equipped."

She hated how he was trying to logic his way out of the situation.

"Listen," he continued, "I really have to get going. I'm sorry," He turned around and started to walk away. Kendo wanted to say something to stop him, but wasn't sure what she could say to this version of him that he would listen to.

"Oh, screw this!" Kyoka exclaimed, yanking the Eye from Kendo's hands and rushing over to the fleeing Izuku. Kendo called out for her to stop, but by the time she had, it was too late.

Kyoka jammed the Eye of Agamotto against Izuku's back. The energy from it dispersed in a small explosion of golden mist, attracting like a magnet to his body. Instead of a steady wave of restoration, all the energy hit him at once in every part of his body. A single burst of golden energy popped from his body, gone as quickly as it came. Seeing what she had done, she pulled the Eye away and watched the result.

Every one of his six senses were suddenly going haywire. A thousand voices seemed to speak at once into his ear. He felt as though every one of his bones were breaking over and over again. The lights flickered in and out from total blindness to pitch black darkness. His heart began beating fast, faster than what was acceptable. He was going into a panic attack he couldn't explain as thoughts came and went in his mind.

In a rush of fear, he fled through the crowd as sparks of green lightning came off his body.

"Dammit, Jiro!" Scolded Kendo, "Come on!"

They quickly pushed through the crowd after him. It was easy to keep their eyes on him with the occasional spark coming off his skin. It must have been his quirk coming in and out of restoration. This is why Kendo wanted to take things slow; who knows what happening to him right now?

Izuku busted through the front doors and ran down the street, holding his head in agony. Kyoka and Itsuka came out only seconds after to see he had already traveled a block, "We gotta catch him!" Kendo shouted as they began chasing after the once quirkless boy.

…

Peter climbed to the top of the warehouse roof, carrying Momo and Mina up with him one at a time. A backpack was hanging over his shoulder, ready to be filled with the Uru they needed. He expected to find a clear vent to climb through, but the vent opening for this building was too small for anyone to fit. He wondered if that was an intentional design, or his Parker luck striking again.

"Ok," Peter turned to Mina, "You're up. You need to burn a small hole in the roof."

"Won't she see that?" Mina asked.

"Not if you burn it …here," he pointed to a spot near the end of the roof, "When I was being held here by her and Otto, they kept me in the storage room. We're gonna climb into there, wait until Koji leads Mayume away, then get what we need."

Momo watched him describe the plan with great concern. She wasn't worried it wouldn't work, that wasn't the issue. What bothered her was that—besides a few moments—Peter had been all business since restoring them. Had he processed everything already, or was he putting it all off for the sake of everyone else?

Mina got to her knees and placed her hands on the surface of the roof, keeping them at least a yard apart from each other. The acid secreted from her palms and expanded atop the surface, burning straight through it and creating a gap big enough for two. She had to shake her hands to eradicate the remaining acid, burning smaller holes around her.

"Ok," Mina stood up straight, "It's still a long drop, though."

"That's where Momo comes in," Peter pointed to the girl in question, "Can you create a rope for us to rappel down with?"

Momo nodded, turning somewhat red as she had to lift up her shirt just enough to reveal the skin of her stomach. It took her only a moment to manifest a long enough rope and attach it to the nearest object sticking out of the roof; a ventilation pipe. It was strong, but not for all three at once.

Peter was the first to slide down the rope, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Once he made it down, he signaled Mina to slide down next, catching her by the hips and helping her to the ground as he then did the same for Momo. The storage room hadn't changed much. In fact, the door's handle was still blown open. Strange how Mayume hadn't fixed it yet, if she ever planned to at all.

Peter kept in front of his comrades, leaning over to the door and peeking out into the main room of the complex. It hadn't changed even slightly from when he last saw it. Koji wasn't lying when he said the warehouse was the one thing she didn't alter. Everything was still there, including the work table in the back with all of her gear and supplies.

He could see Mayume sitting in her chair as though she had been there for days. She was lazily looking at the television, having been there so long that her eyes would have gone blind if not for her quirk. Koji had just entered from the office as he approached her. He didn't know if Peter was here yet or not, he only knew what he needed to do.

"Hey, Mayume," Koji greeted with a smile, "How's it going?"

"There was a fire in Hong Kong," She answered, "Real bad. A few souls got lost."

In response to her answer, Mayume lifted her fingers and snapped them, releasing a faint glow from each of the stones. Peters spider-sense started to ring painfully, nearly causing his ears to bleed again. Mina tried to comfort him through the pain, rubbing his shoulders to little avail. Eventually it passed, but the pain still echoed.

"They're ok now," Mayume finished, "A few burns, but they're ok."

"You left them with burns?" Koji asked.

"Conflict and pain are essential elements to the universe. If I remove them completely, people will get suspicious at best, and the universe will fight back at worst. I simply reduce the tragedy so no one loses their life without consent."

"You've had a lot of time to think about this."

"Not much else to do."

Koji grabbed the remote from her armrest and turned off the TV. She nearly jumped out of her chair to yank it back, but his face told her he had something to say. It was her brother, after all, so she listened. "Mayume," He started, "You've painted this world so much since you started this. Don't you want to see your work in person, and not through a screen?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean why don't we go out tonight with the family? Find somewhere nice to eat. You've spent most of your time in here rather than out there. You brought our family back, shouldn't you spend time with them?"

He was right, she thought. She hadn't spent a lot of time with her family, having chosen to fix all the corners and cracks in the world. After fighting for so long and losing so much, she hadn't allowed herself to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Perhaps she thought if she ever stopped working, she'd feel like she hadn't earned what she had done.

"…You're right," she smiled and stood up from her chair, "We should go out."

"Finally," Koji sighed with relief, "But do you have to take the gauntlet?"

Mayume's expression immediately shifted to something colder, staring him down as though daggers were shooting from her eyes, "I need to have this on me at all times. You never know what may happen."

"Ok …ok," Koji held up his hands in surrender, "Let's just go."

Her vibe instantly changed back once he had backed off the gauntlet, smiling as they left the warehouse shoulder to shoulder.

With her gone, Peter guided his friends into the room, keeping focus on his spider-sense should she choose to return quickly. With the space stone, a single thought would bring her back her in a second. His spider-sense would only be able to warn him so far in advance of her arrival. They needed to get in and get out fast.

"Over here," Peter said as he found the table in the back, full of tools and parts Mayume has used in the past, including the Uru material scattered about. Peter removed his back and opened it, collecting the pieces that were placed in every direction, "Talk about a mess …" he commented.

Momo watched him move, how he was so focused on the job and nothing else. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to be able to say anything until this was over. She needed to get her voice—her words—to be heard by him now before it was too late, "Peter?"

"Mhmm?" He asked, still collecting the many pieces.

"Are you ok?"

"Sure, why?"

"It's just …you seem so focused on the mission. That's not bad or anything, but …other than your apology back on the roof earlier today …you've been very distant. Getting from point A to point B."

Peter continued collecting, but still listened to what she had to say, "I have to be, Momo. We need to stop Mayume."

"I know we do, but we can take a moment to just talk, can't we?"

"Not right now."

"Why not?"

"Because I failed!" Peter slammed his palm against the table, finally looking at her with saddened eyes, "…I couldn't stop her. No matter how hard I fought, no matter how much I lost, I wasn't able to stop her. I've been beaten and bloodied and bruised more times than I can count. I have pushed myself as far as I can possibly go, but no matter how close to the edge of death I came, I still couldn't beat her! I dragged everyone left that I love into this, put everything on the line, and failed! I …I failed."

He should be crying right now; he should be bawling his eyes out. Yet, not a single tear was shed to accompany his words. There was no more room for such a thing, not right now, not after everything. He had done so much crying that he felt he was just out of tears now. Instead, he was just angry. Angry with Mayume, with this new world, and with himself. Especially with himself.

"…In this world," Peter continued, "Mayume gave me back my Uncle, my parents, she healed my Aunt. I have back everything I have ever lost …yet I've never been more unhappy. Deep down, I wanted Mayume to be right; I wanted to believe the world was better off without tragedy but its not. The only reason this world still functions is because Mayume is keeping it together with duck tape."

No wonder he kept focused on the job; how else was he supposed to deal with how angry that he was? How does anyone deal with how angry they are and not hurt those they love?

"…You are not a failure, neighbor," Momo said sternly, "You are not, nor have you ever been a failure. You've fought your hardest with everything you have. The odds were stacked against you from the start and you kept fighting. You inspired all of us to fight with you. You inspired us to be heroes. Don't ever think that you failed, not with how much you accomplished."

"She's right," Said Mina, rubbing her arms, "You opened our eyes to who we really are. You cared about us when we thought no one did. You guide us through the darkness, so we will always do the same for you. You're our friend, Peter! You always will be!"

"…Friend," Peter muttered, "You both once thought differently."

"We did," Mina smiled, "Because we projected so much onto you. Maybe it wasn't what we thought it was, but it was still something. No matter what you may think, you're always going to be apart of class 1-A; you're always apart of our family."

Family was a term he thought he was losing. His parents, his Uncle, now soon his aunt should they fix the world. He thought he was losing everyone who fell under that term. Now, though, after everything he's been through, perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps his family wasn't just his blood, but those he's grown to love.

The people of this world have become his family.

"…Thank you," He smiled, "Both of you. It means a lot to me."

"Pay us back with fixing the world," Momo said.

"Right …ok," He nodded, continuing to collect the remaining pieces of Uru. Once they were all collected, Peter threw his back over his shoulder and guided his friends back to the storage room, where they escaped through the hole they left in the roof.

If he played his cards right, this could all end tonight.

…

Every sense in his body was working on overdrive. Izuku saw every color in their maximum saturation, blinding him with the worlds artistic torture. All the voices, smells and sights were being thrown at him while he processed every fiber of information shoving its way into his head. It was a miracle he hadn't gone crazy in that short time.

Kendo and Jiro chased after him, trying to chase through the crowd as they watched him cross the road before the light blinks, "Why did you do that?!" Kendo asked Jiro.

"I was skipping to the point!" Jiro defended herself.

"We don't know what the eye is fully capable of! Whatever you did, it's driving him crazy!"

Jiro felt nothing but guilt for the pain she was now causing Izuku. All she wanted was to get things over with. She thought that whatever they did wouldn't matter once they restored him. Had she calmed down and taken a moment to make Izuku more willing, perhaps this wouldn't be happening. Perhaps he had to be willing in order for the process to really work. If thats the case—if he's fighting off the process—she couldn't imagine how much pain he was in.

Pain that she caused.

Izuku had nearly gotten hit by an oncoming car, but thankfully jumped out of the way as it pulled to a stop, honking its horn in defiance. His head was filling with memories familiar all at once. He couldn't handle it; he couldn't handle the curtain of lies being removed from the stage.

The car was going to keep driving until Kendo and Jiro rushed onto the crosswalk, only making the driver curse further and louder at the "Stupid kids!"

Izuku barreled into the nearest alley to get away from all the noise chasing after him like rabid dogs. He tripped over the end of a fallen trashcan and collapsed to his stomach, holding it in gruesome pain. He could have gotten up once the pain had subsided, but the agony in his brain was proving too much for him to bare. His body sparked with green electricity; his quirk activating and deactivating constantly as his two lives fought for dominance. Their battle for life was a slaughter of each other's being.

He felt like he wanted to die.

"Midoriya!"

The girls rushed into the hidden shadows of the two buildings to find Izuku's body sparking, each shock surging through his veins at full force. He was only a step away from every bone in his body breaking.

"Midoriya!" Shouted Kendo, rushing to his side but refusing to touch him in the state he was in, "It's going to be ok! You have to stop fighting it!"

"It hurts!" He shouted, "It hurts everywhere!"

Memories were colliding with one another. His friend, Bakugou, who he's known for years, now he remembers only hatred from him. His memory of his own friend flipped back and forth so much he had no idea what the truth was. His mother's appearance, his own sense of identity, everything was switching between two versions he couldn't comprehend. It was too much. It was just too much.

"Midoriya," Jiro approached now, gently putting her hands on his shoulders and rubbing his arm for comfort, "It's ok …it's ok. What's happening to you doesn't deserve fear. I know it's terrifying right now, trust me. I'm sorry, this is all my fault."

"Jiro-" Kendo tried to speak out of concern, but Kyoka continued despite her.

"This whole world is wrong. Remembering everything that's probably going through your head right now was terrifying for me. Being told that everything you knew is a lie, waiting as everything fades away. It's not fair, I know … the process is scary, so we'd rather keep living in the illusion. Whether your life here is better or not, it's not your life. There's no such thing as a perfect life, so seeking it only leads to pain. You have to let it happen, Midoriya, you have to bring yourself home."

His memories had finally started to calm down. The flipping back and forth slowed and came to a stop one memory at a time, settling on one set. Years of pain, abuse and turmoil had rushed back into his bones as though they were happening all over again. Every grueling day he spent on that beach pushing trash from one place to another. The months of time he pushed his body to the limit of breaking just to be worthy of 5% of what he was capable of. Even in the thick of the darkness, he still took the time to throw a match just to save a friend.

The sparks finally stopped and his body came to a calm. He opened his eyes and removed his hands from his head. The colors of the world weren't so bright anymore, and the noise seemed such a distance away. He waited to see if it would come rushing back, but there was nothing.

"…Midoriya?" Asked Jiro, "You with us?"

Izuku sat up with his legs crossed, rubbing his eyes of the irritation that came and went. He looked up at Jiro and Kendo, recognizing his friends with a smile of relief, "Yeah …I'm with you."

…

The time now was 7pm. The night had begun to roll in as the moon climbed the stars in the sky. Its brother—the sun—climbed down from his throne to sleep as its job for providing light was taken from him. It was easier for Peter and his friends to maneuver and keep Mina hidden from public under the cover of darkness. Momo had asked they get something to eat on the way for everyone. Considering the time, no one had eaten dinner yet.

Peter stepped through the door first, holding the first batch of food from a local fast food restaurant. A good portion of the food was for Momo, who needed the energy for her quirk. As Peter learned on the way back, she converts the molecular structure of her fat cells into a nonliving object. It was truly a fascinating ability; converting cells of energy into anything she wanted.

When he entered the room of the abandoned complex, he found Kendo and friends waiting for them there. What surprised him most was his friend, Izuku Midoriya, standing there with them. He expected—or at least hoped—that they would have been successful restoring him. Still, seeing him there after all that happened; he couldn't help but be happy.

After carefully dropping the bags of food on the ground, he ran over and hugged his friend tightly.

"It's good to see you, man!" Peter exclaimed with joy, "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Peter!" Izuku replied, "Well, I mean I didn't realize I missed you because I didn't remember you. This is weird …it's like living a whole other life where I had everything. Bakugou didn't hate me, I felt more confident in myself. Looking back though, it felt so …wrong. What happened?"

Peter released him from the hug with a huff, "We're going to figure all this out, though, I promise. I'm going to explain everything."

Izuku blinked twice, trying to understand if that was a hidden message to the info shared between them, of which only a few were aware of, "Everything?" He asked.

"Everything," Peter nodded. He knew that it was time to be forthcoming about the truth. This team he assembled were those he trusted more than anyone else in this world. These are the people he has fought with, loved, cried with, and who supported him through thick and thin. Each one of them has earned a spot in his heart because of their courage, their wit, and their compassion.

These were his friends; his family.

"It's time you knew what's at stake," Peter spoke as he gathered them all together, "It's time you all knew the truth about me and where I came from."