Hey, everyone, what's up?
Some of the reviews, I just had to provide answers to:
silentstrixe: Thank you! Yeah, I wanted to try something a bit different with Spider-Deku concept and Superior Spider-Deku sounded pretty fun to tackle.
foxsliver12267: It's cool! Always good to know when I get people from other countries as readers!
RedHood001: I often feel like people downplay just how messed up Stain is. In most stories, he is always portrayed as this cool or righteous guy who has a good point about the heroes and their role in society. Which I just don't agree with since the guy comes across as more of a simple serial killer with delusions of grandeur.
And yeah, I wanted to give a bit of perspective on Inko and how she feels about her son developing a Quirk and his dream.
Lucius Walker: Thanks, yeah, had a bit of a rough patch due to real world stuff. Hope things will get better soon enough. Hope you are doing well, too.
Airchampion: All true. And yeah, with Bakugou, I wanted to make things a bit different with how he came to hate Izuku in this universe.
Now, without any delays, a new chapter of my current main story for you all! Hope you all like it as much as I had!
What did one feel in their last moments on Earth? Regret? Relief? As he stood above his broken and dying body, Otto felt nothing. He had no attachment to wretched husk of his former form. To him, it was the trap. The prison of flesh that shackled the world's mightiest mind.
But no longer would he be the captive of it.
"Farewell, Peter Parker."
Instead, let one of his worst enemies fall in his place. Peter Parker. Spider-Man. The man who has been a thorn in his side from start to finish. Oh, how many times did Otto imagine ending his foe. And today, at last, that dream became a reality.
But, even victorious, he had to give Parker his dues. In his last dying moments, he managed to show him something very important. Something that would serve him henceforth. He saw it all. The tragedy that drove Parker. The rush of the victories. The despair of the losses.
What made a mere and shy Parker into the mighty Spider-Man.
Otto's eyes narrowed in derision and contempt at what he saw. He scoffed. He wanted to laugh. He could do better. He would do better than that.
"Know this, I will carry on in your name. You may be leaving this world, but you are not leaving it to a villain."
It was twisted and, deep down, Otto knew it. It was selfish and self-absorbed.
He saw the pain in the fading lights of his former eyes. He saw the despair overtake Parker in his last dying moments. And Otto savored every single second of it.
"I will be Spider-Man."
It was the final nail in the coffin of his enemy. The final note to the hero's swan song.
He wanted Parker to pass away fully aware that he was replaced by someone better. Someone... superior.
"With my unparalleled genius, and my boundless ambition, I'll be a better Spider-Man than you ever were! From this day forth, I shall become... The Superior Spider-Man!"
It was the dawning of a new day for Otto Octavius.
And whatever challenges may come, he was sure, he would overcome them all and stand triumphant.
)O(
There was less than nine months before the entrance exam. Nine months to fully understand his powers and master them. Nine months to build up his fighting skillset and develop the proper strategies for, at least, five different scenarios. As well as, of course, prepare for the written portion of the exam, which Doctor demanded he passed with the marks no longer than ninety-five.
He was handling the studies well enough. What he lacked in, as his fight with Moonfish had painfully demonstrated, was the physical and combat training. Thanks to the serum, he had the materials and the starting point. Now was the time to shape those into the tools.
Doctor Octavius' memories and advice were good and provided him with certain amount of insight into the combat. But even when the man gave him the most detailed descriptions of his own experiences as Spider-Man, there was only so much the retelling could do, whether it was visual or verbal. He had to get help from a professional.
Luckily, there was plenty of options.
As the hero industry boomed and prospered, the corresponding businesses started to develop in response. From the basics of physical training down to the public relations and orator courses, it wasn't long before there were numerous courses and preparation classes for those who wished to become heroes.
With his allowance and the part-time job income, Izuku had a few affordable but reliable options before him. From them, the one he felt most comfortable with was Brass Knuckle.
A relatively small but, from the reviews, very effective training center was located in Naruhata. Their staff consisted only of Kugizaki-san, the gym's owner, and a couple of part-time employees. Still, he had a good feeling about the place.
"Alright, kid, I think we are about done with the warm-up for today," Kugizaki-san said and Izuku slowly came to a stop. "Man, you weren't kidding about your stamina being abnormal."
The stamina the man was more than willing to put to the test. Not that Izuku was complaining. He needed to find out what his limits were. Jogging in the park was a nice way to keep himself up in proper shape but he almost let himself get lost in the feeling of this power. If it weren't for the rude wake-up call that was Moonfish and Stain, Izuku doubted he would see just how weak he still was.
"Alright, now step into the ring," the blue-haired coach then called for one of the other kids here. "Tetsu, you up for sparring?"
"Hell yeah I am!" Izuku took a step back as a kid around his age hopped into the ring, an absolutely shark-like grin on his face. His eyes not losing that eager spark, the guy made his way to Izuku. "Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, nice to meet you, newbie! Don't worry, I promise to go easy on you on your first day!"
The metal-haired teen looked sincere. Friendly, too. Izuku was sure that he didn't mean his words to come across as condescending or arrogant. Perhaps it was all of Doctor's talk about how he should take more pride in himself but, despite the above, Izuku couldn't feel the slightest twinge of annoyance at the guy's words.
He wasn't powerless anymore. And he came here to get even stronger.
"It's fine to use your Quirk," he said, suppressing his urge to apologize. He had nothing to say sorry for. "I mean, that's what this gym is all about, right?"
While Brass Knuckle taught people self-defense without the use of their Quirks, one of its main selling points to Izuku was its focus on fusing the Quirk use and martial arts.
"Man, you are speaking my language. I'll give this my all then!" Tetsutetsu grinned as he slammed his fists together. Izuku watched in awe as, in a blink of an eye, the teen's skin turned metal. "Try not to die on me, dude!"
The bell rang and he charged at Izuku like a bullet train. Spider-Sense buzzed and Izuku jumped into the air as high as he could. The buzzing was smaller and not as intense as before. But it was the first time it reacted to an attack without any malicious intent behind it.
"Your power is evolving," Doctor noted. "During one of my encounters with the alternate versions of Parker, I had the pleasure of meeting one whose Spider-Sense developed beyond mere detection of danger. Assassin Spider-Man... What a fitting name for someone with such a powerful ability."
Izuku landed on the ground and blocked the teen's punch. It hurt but nowhere near as much as it might have once. Using the narrow window of a chance, Izuku grabbed Tetsutetsu by his forearm and twisted his body around. He lifted the guy off of the ground and swung him down. With a thundering thud, the metal body crashed into the ground.
Metal teen was nowhere near done though. Izuku barely had time to react when Tetsutetsu, now without his metal shell, tackled him less than a second after rolling onto his stomach.
I did it again... Izuku thought bitterly. I let my guard down before the fight was over.
Tetsutetsu wasn't kidding when he promised to give it his all. Getting him into headlock and then going metal was a simple but effective move. Izuku tried to break out but, even with his enhanced strength, there wasn't much he could do.
"Alright, that's enough, break it up."
Without much else said, Tetsutetsu let him go and helped him up. There were no hard feelings on Izuku's part. He did ask his sparring partner not to go easy on him. It did little to help the burning embarrassment he felt though.
"Remember this feeling well, Midoriya," Doctor said as they both watched the other members of the gym praise Tetsutetsu on his technique. "There is no shame in losing. There is, however, in not learning anything from your mistakes and failures."
The blue-haired coach then led Izuku through a set of exercises he had in mind for him. As well as some of the techniques they would be covering over the next few months. The physical aspects of training were clear to understand and follow.
Which left the issues of his Spider-Sense and Venom Blast.
"I have some friends who could help you with your Spider-Sense. Nothing concrete but I will see how they can help you," Spider-Sense was a tricky power to train. It's not like he could just put himself in random peril and wait for some improvements.
"It's a powerful ability, not gonna lie, but there are always ways to work around it. Someone fast enough to attack you even if you expect it or someone hiding one danger among many others."
Izuku listened and agreed with the brief but clear list of all the ways relying on Spider-Sense could fail.
"Your electricity thing is also kind of a tough fit. Can't exactly have you blasting the other guys here to see how it works," Both ignored Tetsutetsu volunteering as a training dummy. Much as he hoped for it, there were limits even in Quirk-focused gyms. "But I will see if I can find anything. For now, I am going to have you use one of our dummies for target practice. They are pretty resilient but try not to break it, okay?"
That was more than he could ask for.
"Thank you, Kugizaki-san. I promise to work hard."
"You better. Always get your money's worth, kid."
Izuku looked at the clock.
Speaking of money...
It was time for his job.
)O(
"I hate this place. I hate it with every fiber of my being."
Izuku couldn't help but awkwardly shift at the doctor's clear indignation.
"You are wasting the precious time here, Midoriya. We could always use one of my identities for the required funds."
That was an option he considered. But in the end, even if Izuku was sure the man could hide it well enough, he didn't want to risk it. Before merging, Doctor had the complete and full control over his own digital space. He created fake personas across the globe and nobody was none the wiser. But back then, it was just Doctor himself.
Now that they were in one body, all it would take was one mistake on Izuku's part for them to be detected by someone.
"This is demeaning," Doctor Octavius hissed as Izuku changed into his work uniform. "You better not use this as an excuse if your grades slip."
As if he had any room to let that happen. Putting on his best smile, he approached the table and said in clear and polite tone:
"Welcome to Captain Celebrity's Cafe Cool! May I take your order?"
Three orders of Spotlight Special. One order of Prime-Time Pasta. One Big Time Burger set. Two orders of Fizzy Fame. Two orders of Shock Coke. With that written down and given to the kitchen, Izuku proceeded to go around the restaurant to do the other odds and ends around the place.
Two more orders of chicken popcorn to table seven.
Table two still waiting for their order.
Bringing the bill to table nine.
Whoever called these jobs simple labor clearly had no idea how intense the day could get. From angry and entitled customers to the simple amount of things he needed to do, it certainly didn't feel as easy or fun as shows would have you think. But a paycheck was a paycheck and he did get an employee discount on the gift shop items.
The day slowly came to an end and all that Izuku had left to do was throw away some trash and leftovers.
"Come on, man, this is a lock!"
"I-I don't want to do it!"
Huh? Izuku looked for the voice. Sure enough, there were a three men by the dumpster. One of them looking much wore for the wear than the other two.
"Come on, it's a fool proof, plan!" One of the men, dressed in baggy black and red clothes, continued to try and convince the haggard stranger. "We just need some muscle for the job, that's all."
"Please, don't make me do this! I can't! I will split apart!" The blonde man with a nasty scar splitting his forehead back away and sank to his knees. "Please, just leave me alone! Just give me my mask back and leave me alone!"
"You want this?" the other man asked holding up a simple bag with eyeholes in it. "Help us with the job and you can have it back."
"No, give it back! Give it back!"
The man made a desperate move for his mask only to be kicked down back onto the cold ground. The kick didn't look nearly that painful but the man shrieked as if he had been stabbed.
"Hey!"
Three pairs of eyes turned on him. The first two in annoyance and dry amusement. The man on the ground looked at him with confusion and hope.
"Look, brat, this is none of your business," the man took a step towards him, his fist already glowing bright red. "Why don't you go back inside? For your own good."
"Yeah," his friend smirked and placed his foot on the crying man's body. "We are Jin's pals, you see? Just trying to hook him up with a job. Can't have this waste of space live off dumpsters forever."
Doctor was happy such convenient targets came along for his practice. There were no cameras so he could use his powers on them without any threat to his future prospects. And if they were to try and report him, their age and appearance would play against them.
If they wanted a fight, then Doctor was fine with Izuku giving it to them.
But Izuku didn't want to fight if there were other ways out.
"I will call the police."
The two men exchanged brief glances before bursting with laughter. Once they were done, one of them got closer and was towering over a teenager.
"And what will you do until they arrive, huh? You honestly think we are just gonna let you call the cops and wait for them to come? What do you think we will do once you call them, brat?"
Izuku fought back the instinctive urge to look away. Don't look away, stand your ground, the doctor's words echoed back in his head. Show that you know exactly what your opponent is capable of. And show how little it would actually affect you.
"Try to beat me up. Probably with your Quirks," Izuku gestured to the man's glowing hand. "Go on t-then," Izuku challenged, wishing he didn't stammer at the last moment. "Use your quirk and go from a regular assault on a minor to a villain attack on one. Show what a big and strong guy you are."
The man scowled and raised his hand. Before, it would intimidate him into submission. But now, his Spider-Sense told him that the man wasn't going to do anything. It was just that, a desperate attempt to save his face and score some petty victory over a child.
Denying whatever petty victory to the man felt good.
"... fuck it, let's go," the man spat and bumped into Izuku's shoulder. Small price to pay. "You better watch your ass around here, kid."
No danger. No real weight to his threat once again.
"Will do."
As the two men left scowling and cursing, Izuku picked up the paper bag and handed it to the man. Izuku flinched when the blonde practically ripped it out of his hands and pulled it onto his head with a breath of relief, "oh thank God... You are a lifesaver, kid. What did take you so long, you punk?"
Izuku blinked at the sudden shift in the man's mood.
"No, really, thank you!" the man said. His cheerful tone a sharp contrast to the thumbs down he was giving him at the same time. "You were lame as hell but you were cool there, kiddo! Anyways, you are welcome!"
The man was about to leave when his stomach let out a particularly pitiful noise. The man took a quick look at the bag of leftover food by Izuku's side. His stomach let out an even louder and more pitiful sound than before.
And just like that, Izuku found himself sitting by an apparently homeless man in the dark alley. Bubaigawara-san munched on the cold food quietly, only occasionally breaking into one of his weird double-sided dialogues.
"Those two were right, you know."
"About what? Being your friends?"
"No, about me being a waste of space."
"You can't be that bad."
"I used to rob banks for a living."
Okay, that was pretty bad. Izuku ignored Doctor's suggestion to turn the man in for reward money though.
"I don't do that anymore these days. Though not for any noble reason. Can't use my Quirk on myself anymore - not without feeling like I am going to split even more apart."
And just like that, the floodgates opened as the man revealed to Izuku his story. From the family tragedy to his slow descend into crime, Izuku was surprised by how much the man was willing to share with a complete stranger.
"In the end, I am just what everyone always said I was. A good-for-nothing," the man chuckled bitterly. "Can't even tell if I am the real or the fake one because even I couldn't stand myself."
With no other option, Izuku only placed the hand on the man's shoulder and provided the words of comfort. He didn't know the man beyond the story he told and could only try and fail in reassuring the blonde that he was the original Bubaigawara-san. His efforts only seemed to aggravate Doctor Octavius further, however.
"Don't bother with pity, Midoriya," Doctor sneered. "That man seems content enough depending on the kindness of a child half his age. You should leave before he tries to guilt-trip you any further."
Izuku looked back at the man, dirty and desperate enough to accept some scraps as his dinner. Ever since he was a kid, he wanted to be a hero. Back then, being a hero meant beating bad guys and stopping natural disasters. Saving dozens of people from a burning apartment or even hundreds from a flood.
For now though, helping one man was good enough of a start.
"We have enough on our hands already."
Yes, they did. So what was one more person to help?
"Here," Izuku handed the man most of the cash in his wallet despite Doctor's complaints. "It's not much but I think it could help you for a couple of days. I can talk to the owner of a gym I go to, he said they were looking for some staff."
"They accept criminals, huh?"
"Former criminals," Izuku emphasized. "No idea, but I heard from other members that he is all about helping people with the past. We can meet tomorrow around this time if you are interested."
Once they parted ways, Izuku couldn't help but take pride in knowing that he helped someone tonight. It was a small thing but he had a good feeling about Bubaigawara-san. Hopefully, the man would get the help he needed soon.
)O(
From the shadows, Stain was watching the boy.
Ever since he witnessed the fight between this child and Moonfish, the harbinger of the new heroic age grew significantly interested in his progress. Would Midoriya Izuku stay on the righteous path of selfless champions or would he, like many others, fall and be tainted by this country's system?
Stain gritted his teeth as he tried to break down what he witnessed so far.
Sludge Incident. It was the selfless act of heroism that Stain approved of.
Moonfish fight. Another righteous battle at the risk to one's own health and benefit.
Application into U.A. and bet with the blonde. Stain grew to see schools such as U.A. as the pillars of the system that contributed to the spiritual rot of the heroic ideals.
He wouldn't, however, deny the value of training to be received from All Might. And though his willingness to leave it up to the bet grated on Stain's nerves, for now, he would give the boy a benefit of the doubt.
Finally, helping a villain like Bubaigawara Jin.
"That, I cannot approve of."
Heroes. Villains. The line between the two was drawn and clear for all to see.
Justice. Doom. Only those with strong ideals deserved to stand in this battle.
Virtue. Vice. Those that lacked convictions, they would be the first ones to go. It was his mission to cull the weak and unworthy. But he was just one man. One mortal man in the endless battle. The child had the potential to be an ally in his crusade. Beyond his skills and selflessness, Stain could feel the drive in the boy.
But that drive would be worth nothing if he allowed himself to be tainted.
Stain drew out his knife and watched Bubaigawara and Midoriya part ways. The man had power - power that he abused for his own gain. Power that he believed now a curse. Some would say the man was punished enough but Stain knew better. Villains and all those who used their power without any responsibility deserved nothing but death.
All for the sake of the better tomorrow.
Before he could go after the man and deal out his deserved punishment, Stain noticed something. A small figure on rags was following Midoriya on the rooftops. Stain gritted his teeth as he focused on the mysterious figure. Bubaigawara Jin would live another day - for now, he must ensure the safety of his potential ally.
Stain followed after the figure. From the restaurant to the train station, it showed no signs of hostility towards the boy. Until suddenly, something changed. The hero killer was adept in body language enough to detect the telltale signs of attack. What's more, he recognized the figure as not just an assailant but a predator.
A very hungry predator.
Stain moved just as it was to launch itself at the boy. Slamming his frame into the cloaked figure and slashing at its arm. The thing let out an inhuman scream and glared at him with its glowing green eyes. Stain wasted no time and brought the blade to his tongue, surprised at an odd taste of the blood. His suspicions were only further confirmed when his Quirk failed to take any effect on the thing.
He cursed under his breath as the thing jumped at him. He drew forth both combat knives and charged. The creature met his blades with a pair of its own spike-like blades. Its speed and strength were overwhelming but their moves were sloppy. Whatever this thing was, it was an amateur in fights.
It screeched as Stain threw one of his blades into its foot. The momentary opening was enough for him to hook the creature's arm behind its back and press it into the ground. He had no intention to try using his Quirk a second time now that it proved useless. That, however, didn't mean Stain had no means of restraining the damn thing.
With its hands and feet tied with his own bandages, Stain decided to remove the ragged cloak that concealed the creature's face. He was going to kill it anyway, might as well see what was underneath those rags.
Big mistake.
"Aaaargh!"
Stain roared in pain as the stream of acid burst into his eyes. His vision blurred but he could hear the creature struggle with its restraints. He was too slow in drawing his sword and the sound of fabric tearing signaled the start of the creature's counter-attack.
It was holding back before. Stain realized the terrible truth when the thing's first punch connected with his ribcage and cracked them with almost comedic ease. He gasped in shock but fought through the pain as he grabbed the thing's wrist and drove a knife into its forearm. He drove the blade up the thing's arm and towards it shoulder.
The deafening scream of pain was worth broken ribs.
Or it was for the long ten seconds before the thing grabbed him by the throat and threw him towards the ground. Stain's vision was still blurry but he could make out the vague shapes. He rolled to the side just as the creature slammed its fist into the round where his chest was less than a second ago.
"You are one tough creature, I will give you that," Stain chuckled grimly. "But I ain't dying to some freak of nature! Not until I rid this world of the fakes that taint the word 'hero'!"
Something changed.
The creature seemed shaken by his words as its movements became erratic. It was shaking violently like a leaf in the wind, its breathing heavy and ragged for no visible reason at all. It started clawing at its own head before suddenly letting out another deafening screech. This time, though, far more furious and pained than before.
Stain took the stance and readied his sword for one final swing. The creature stood at its all fours before charging forth with the claws drawn and ready to slice him into bits.
The hero killer's blade cut met the creature's body and sliced through its flesh. And it burst into the cloud of black dust. Stain coughed and tried to wave it away only to find the task much harder than he thought. He coughed and retched as whatever was in that smoke made it hard for him to breathe, it was as if the dust was squeezing his throat from the inside.
He collapsed onto the ground and watched the dust particles come together to form the strange creature once again. Its cloak was gone though, exposing the creature's pale flesh to the world. Stain tried to force himself back onto his feet but to no avail.
His vision blurred, dark spots taking over the world in his eyes. He saw the creature bleed and curse in the weird combination of hisses and tongue clicks. It took one look its arm and foot and hissed in frustration before running off into the dark alley. Opposite of the direction where Midoriya Izuku lived.
As the lack of oxygen took its tool, Stain took joy in knowing he protected his potential alley... from whatever the hell this was.
Izuku is making small steps towards becoming a hero and unknowingly sets Twice on the path to redemption. Too early? Maybe but I wanted to give the poor guy a break. Who knows, maybe working a job in the gym will help him escape the Bad End of canon, eh?
Can you imagine if Izuku redeems all League of Villains members in this story by getting them jobs? Just kidding, of course, unless...
Nah, just kidding.
And, in continuation of my "Stain is really creepy" agenda, here is Stain spying on Izuku and determining if the kid is really worthy or just a fake. All other people got Guardian Angels and Izuku has Guardian Serial Killer. As to the identity of this mysterious creature? Gonna be fun to expand on that in the future.
Off-topic but I was thinking of starting a fic which would be a set of story concepts/plot bunnies. The general idea is that there, I will write one-shots built around different premises and, if it has enough attention or approval, I will write it as an actual story.
What do you guys think, does that interesting?
With that out of the day, till next time, everyone!