The heroes were still running through the Shie Hassaikai base, getting closer to their target, or so they hoped.
"Man, I'm kind of worried about Amajiki," Kirishima said.
"So am I, he shouldn't have been left alone back there," Rina said.
"Even these first years don't have a lot of faith in him," Fat Gum mentally noted. "A moment of confidence means nothing if they don't see him back it up, still." The hero turned to face the students, "Listen up! Your comrade is guarding your back! If you really call yourself a man, you'll trust him!"
"Yeah, he's got this!" Kirishima said.
"Changed your mind fast," Rina said. "Still, I'm a budding woman, not sure how this applies to me."
"He's still a comrade of yours," Fat Gum said. "You should trust his word."
"Here's something I heard once," Leon said, getting their attention. "A woman relies on a man's word, and a man relies on a woman's actions. You have to trust Amajiki's word, just like he believes in your ability to be a hero."
"Wow, that's kind of interesting," Rina said.
"But, I'm no good when it comes to women, so don't be surprised if what I just told you is a load of crap," Leon said.
"What you told her is fine, Agent Kennedy," Fat Gum said. "Let's keep moving!"
"Yeah! Let's Go!" Kirishima shouted.
"Kid needs to calm himself," Rock Lock mentally scolded.
"If it helps, Johnny stayed behind, so he's going to keep an eye on Suneater," Rainbow Dash said.
"So less reason to worry, sweet," Kirishima said.
"This is strange, the guy who was messing with the halls stopped for some reason," Aizawa noted.
"Yeah you're right, think he gave up or is he just trying to mess with us?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Right now I can't say for sure," Aizawa said. "I expected him to throw as many obstacles as he could at us. Unless it's possible that his awareness and control don't extend to the entire building. That or it's possible he just wants to focus on the police squad that's above us."
"You really think this stuff?" Rock Lock asked.
"It's just a theory, but rather than having been assimilated into it, he's moving around the walls to monitor what's going on," Aizawa said.
"What you're saying is then, that his body isn't too far away from whatever he's controlling," Nightwing said.
"That gives us a better idea of where he might be at then," Videl said.
"That's what I believe as well," Aizawa said. "If he pokes an actual eye or ear at us, that's all it takes."
"Just gotta wait for the right opportunity," Remy said. "Get your poker face ready Eraser, we'll deal out the rest when the time comes."
Unknown to them, Mimic was making his way through the walls, ready to put a stop to the rest of the heroes.
Meanwhile Bubble Girl was seen placing cuffs on a gang member, "I can't believe you tried attacking us, it's so crazy."
"Not to us, fighting you heroes was our only sane option," a gangster said. "Otherwise Overhaul would have killed us without second thought."
"Overhaul? You mean Chisaki?" Bubble Girl asked.
"That's what he started calling himself after the boss got sick and he came into power," the gangster explained. "The boss was more old fashioned, he wanted us to stay as we were, even in new times. We're not just villains, the Hassaikai have integrity. We were meant to be more than low-life thugs. He's who we respected, because we trust him. The young head gave himself a villain's name, and let scum join us. He wants to make decisions on his own, regardless of what any of us think. All he cares about is his own opinion."
"The boss is in bad shape, can't even talk, and we know who to blame," another gangster said, to the concern of a third member.
"You don't seem to like Chisaki much, yet you don't seem to have faith that we'll catch him," Bubble Girl said.
"You don't stand a chance," The second gangster said. "That whackjob doesn't care about consequences or his own future. Guys like those are the most dangerous. It's what makes them dangerous."
Elsewhere, Gohan and Raven were doing their best to find Mayday and Mirio, but the walls were moving any chance they got.
"The only thing worse than a maze is one that constantly changes shape," Gohan said. "I gotta make sure Mayday's safe though."
"She's strong, she can handle herself until we find her," Raven said.
"But what if it takes too long?" Gohan asked. "How could I face Twilight if I let her daughter get hurt?"
"I don't want to let her down either, or Peter for that matter," Raven said. "But getting too worried is counterproductive. Focus on the task ahead and believe you can pull it off."
Gohan reluctantly agreed, "I'll do my best." He looked down the halls, still feeling worried. "Hang in there Mayday. Aside from your mother, I don't think my daughter will be too happy either if I let something happen to a girl she greatly admires."
Down the halls, Mayday could almost feel like someone's calling out to her. "Everyone's so far behind." She turned and focused ahead. "I gotta stay with Mirio, I don't think his emo buddy will be happy if he got hurt."
"Keeping up Mayday?" Mirio asked.
"Is that even a question?" Mayday replied. "Chisaki...where the hell are you!?"
Elsewhere in the halls, the walls continued moving strangely, this irritating everyone.
"Getting really hard to move down here!" Remy said.
"Guess that's the plan," Jiro said. "Make it hard for us to reach the boss."
"Can't say I blame them for this tactic, but it's really starting to tick me off!" Kirishima said.
"Don't lose control Kirishima," Logan said. "Focus on the task ahead."
"Hard to focus when you're so worried though," Kaminari interjected. "Feels like anything can happen."
"We'll be fine, just stay focused," Leon said. "Keep an eye out too, if you spot the guy screwing with this place, let him have it."
"I still have my eyes out, if I see him then his quirk is done," Aizawa said.
As the walls continued to move, Logan was quick to spot something, "Eraser! To your right!"
Aizawa looked to the side, seeing a rock hand coming at him, "He's trying to take me out, so I don't spot him!"
Fortunately Fat Gum was quick to knock Eraser out of the way, and got knocked through a hole for that, tumbling down to an unknown room. As he stood up, he saw that he wasn't alone. "Red Riot? Wild Thing?"
"Hey boss, how's it going?" Rina asked.
"What are you two doing here?" Fat Gum asked.
"Well I went to protect Eraser Head, seems like Howlett here had the same idea," Kirishima said.
"Yeah, now we're wherever this place is," Rina said. "Hopefully my parents won't be too bad, but I think they'll understand. For now let's just try to reunite with them."
"Wait hold on, we're not alone," Kirishima said.
A muscular masked man emerged from the shadows, looking ready for a fight.
"Is that Gang Orca?" Rina asked.
"No, it's a villain," Kirishima said, hardening up. "I dare you to punch me! I'll smash your fists to pieces!"
"Careful Kirishima!" Rina warned, though her teammate took an immediate punch toward a wall. Rina was about to strike but Fat Gum got in the way, taking a few blows to the stomach.
"Red Riot! You good!?" Fat Gum asked, the hero recovering from his attack.
From the distance, Kirishima looked heavily damaged, much to Rina's worry.
"Kirishima!" She immediately ran over, checking on his body. "Oh no, your arms!"
"He...he actually did damage," A surprised Kirishima stated.
"Want my opinion?" the villain said. "Knives and guns have no use in a fight. Anyone can win with a weapon, but a real man destroys his opponent using nothing but his own strength. So, are you a real fighter?"
Suddenly a shield had appeared, a man in a traditional Japanese kimono and a black germ mask on his face. "So, our opponents are Fat Gum, a boy with a hardening quirk, and a young girl who to my knowledge, appears to be the daughter of Wolverine. Two of them are good for defense, but the girl might be more on the offense. Still not too hopeful of a fight, is it Rappa?"
"Can't say I want to fight a girl, doesn't really seem manly," Rappa said, throwing some more punches against Fat Gum.
"Hey!" Rina extended her claws, "You really want-"
"Stand back Wild Thing! Don't attack yet!" Fat Gum ordered. "Damn, that guy's punches feel like bullets!"
"Still, these other guys may not be worth the fight either," Rappa said. "I mean, yeah you're both not dead but still."
"Neither of these guys were on our quirk list, did the Hassaikai bring in some outside help? Are they from S.I.N.?" Fat Gum wondered. "One guy makes a barrier, the other rains down punches. This won't be an easy fight."
"We are a spear and a shield," the barrier man said. "Two of you are merely shields with a small spear."
"Small!?" Rina shouted.
"Too many shields, one's lame enough," Rappa said.
"Of course, that other boy barely counts as a shield," the barrier man said.
"Son of a..." Kirishima tried to move but he keeled over. "Dammit!"
"Hey don't push yourself!" Rina said. "Take a second to catch your breath!"
"I should have been able to absorb that blow!" Kirishima said. "I thought I got stronger, but I'm still weak!"
"Hey don't say that, you're strong, but some guys are just monsters," Rina said. "Even my pops needs to catch his breath after a punch from The Hulk."
"Your pops is a real man, that's why," Kirishima said. "Me, I'm just...just..."
"Hey, you're supposed to be unbreakable, and that's not just in the physical sense!" Fat Gum stated. "The key to winning is to make your opponent lose the will to fight! If you let your spirit be broken, you've already lost!"
"The boss is right! This fight ain't over yet!" Rina said. "Let's take these losers down and catch up to Eraser and the others."
"They believe they can win, you must be thrilled," the barrier man said.
"I like the way that fat guy thinks," Rappa said. "Alright, this is gonna be fun! Get rid of this damn thing Tengai, this stupid bubble's in my way!"
"Rise above your ow desires," Tengai said. "Remember the words of Master Overhaul. We were paired up for a reason, our skills compliment each other and ensure victory."
Rappa groaned in annoyance, throwing some punches at Tengai, the barrier user putting up the defense.
"Is there a purpose to such violence?" Tengai asked.
"Overhaul didn't ask me if I wanted to team up with you!" Rappa said.
"It's Master Overhaul, show some respect," Tengai said.
"I don't give a crap, I just want a good fight to the death!" Rappa said.
"Very well, if you think you can win, then by all means," Tengai released his shield. "Go for it."
"Alright, guess you're not so bad after all!" Rappa said, delivering more punches to Fat Gum.
"He's too fast to dodge, and he has too much power in his punches!" Fat Gum mentally noted. "At this rate, I won't have anything left. Despite their arguing earlier, I don't doubt that this other guy will protect his partner if need be. It's too strong for me to destroy too, that guy's going to be trouble. Plus Kirishima is in rough shape, and while Howlett is strong, even she may have trouble with these guys. Still, I gotta do something. I know it could get me killed, but if I don't fight we're dead either way."
Kirishima tried to stand, Rina being quick to assist, "Hey don't push yourself!"
"But Fat Gum..." Kirishima said.
"I know you're worried, but you gotta play it smart," Rina said.
"Hey, you said your name is Rappa, right?" Fat Gum asked. "I've done a lot of fighting myself, so I know this ends one of two ways. Either your arms get tired or my body gives out. So which is stronger then? Spear? Or shield? Guess we're about to find out."
"Oh man, you totally get me fatso!" A very excited Rappa shouted. "Tengai, remember!"
"No barriers," Tengai confirmed.
"This is gonna be awesome!" Rappa shouted, delivering blow after blow to Fat Gum.
"No!" Kirishima wanted to rush in but Rina continued to hold him back.
"Did you not hear what I said!? Are you trying to get yourself killed!?" Rina shouted.
"I can't just stand here and do nothing! Fat Gum is obviously fighting hard to protect us!" Kirishima said.
"Exactly, if we rush in willy nilly, it's just going to do more harm than good!" Rina said.
"Dammit! I thought I got stronger!" Kirishima regretfully stated. "I was supposed to be unbreakable! Yet he broke through my move with a single attack!"
"You're being too hard on yourself, no one is indestructible," Rina said. "Even Superman takes a bad blow once in a while. Sad thing is that no matter how strong you get, someone stronger will be there. But that just means you have to keep climbing!"
"What does it matter? We're probably going to die down here anyway..." Kirishima lamented. "In the end, I'm nothing more than a liability."
"He's really bummed out...that attack didn't just break his shield, it broke his spirit," Rina looked toward Fat Gum's direction. "Still, I gotta come up with a plan. Even if I can sneak up on the big guy, his friend might trap me in a shield before I get a chance to strike. If I go for him he might see me coming, or the big guy will flatten me. Come on, what would Deku do? Back when we fought Muscular, it was tough but we pulled it off, this shouldn't be much different, should it?"
"Man, his punches are getting stronger and strong with each blow! I'm not gonna be able to hold out much longer!" Fat Gum mentally noted.
"Try not to die on me yet tubby, I'm just getting warmed up!" Rappa said, throwing more punches, further weakening Fat Gum.
"I can't just stand here, I gotta do something!" Kirishima said.
"Be smart, remember there's two enemies here," Rina reminded. "We may out number them but that doesn't mean the odds are totally in our favor."
"But...Fat Gum's about to die! Because of me!" Kirishima said.
"Will you knock that crap off already!?" Rina said. "Come on! I deal with this nonsense enough from Tamaki! I don't need to hear this from you!"
"But..." Kirishima said.
"Listen to me Eijiro, don't give up. Things are bad but the moment you give up is the moment the bad guys win," Rina said. "Fat Gum said it best, those who lose the will to fight lose the battle. I know you're better than this, you're freaking Red Riot. My dad wouldn't have picked you as his mentor just for the hell of it. You have the potential in you! You have to bring it out! Fight strong, and smart, just like my dad would!"
"That boy won't be much of a problem, I can see clear as day that he's lost the will," Tengai said.
Rina's ear twitched, "Hey! I heard that! Don't act like you know a damn thing about my friend here!"
"The girl still seems to have a bit of fire in her, despite that, I can see hesitation in her as well," Tengai said.
"Hey, I'll show you..." Rina clenched her fist. "I gotta calm myself. If I lose my temper, I'll lose the fight. I gotta be strong for Eijiro. But he's right in the fact that this is not easy for Fat Gum, and if we don't do something soon, we're done for."
"Howlett..." Kirishima said, falling back onto his knees. "I'm sorry."
"The hell are you sorry for? You didn't get us into this mess," Rina said, kneeling beside the boy. "Now what's going on? You've always been full of energy, at least from what I've seen, and what Mayday described."
"I usually am, I've been this way since middle school...but even then I was always in over my head," Kirishima said.
"What does that mean?" Rina asked, then heard some rumbling nearby, almost forgetting where she was. "Right...battle. Still, I gotta know what's going on so I can help you through this. Just try to skip the pointless details."
"I can't talk about it, it's embarrassing," Kirishima said.
"I won't judge you," Rina said. "Talk to me...preferably quick."
"...Might as well since we're gonna die anyway," Kirishima said. "Since middle school, I've always wanted to be a hero. If I saw a bully picking on a kid, I would always rush in to fight that bully."
"Reminds me of Mayday," Rina recalled. "So, did you beat the bully up?"
"No...I usually came up short, my quick doesn't increase my strength by much, just my durability," Kirishima said. "That's what some jerk even pointed out when I tried to help a kid he was picking on. Fortunately Ashido was there to help, but that just made me feel worse."
"Ashido?" Rina asked. "You mean Mina Ashido? The pink girl with the acid powers?"
"Yeah, she showed up and somehow made everyone friends with each other," Kirishima said.
"Wow, sounds like my mother would be proud," Rina said.
"It sucks, no matter what I did, I just couldn't make a difference," Kirishima said. "Hearing that she wanted to apply to UA just further fueled my desire to be a pro. But I didn't think my quirk was as flashy as hers."
"Flashy is overrated," Rina said, glancing between the fight and Kirishima. "I know I can't talk since my claws are psionic but my point stands. It's the man that makes the power, not the other way around."
"I should know that, but I wasn't a man at all," Kirishima said, the boy clenching his eyes shut in shame. "One day when I was walking home from school, I saw two girls, friends of Ashido, being intimidated by this giant."
"Giant?" Rina asked.
"Probably the size of a house, he seemed to be asking directions but he wasn't being too friendly about it," Kirishima said. "I so desperately wanted to do something, I wanted to go and save those girls but I ended up freezing, unable to do anything. Thankfully, Ashido was there and got the guy to leave, and I respect just how brave she was but it just made me feel like a coward!"
"It's normal to be afraid of stuff like that," Rina said, glancing again at the fight. "This is so stressful but hopefully this pep talk pays off in the end."
"I know, Ashido was scared too but she went to save her friends anyway!" Kirishima said. "She had the courage I wish I had."
"That stuff builds," Rina said. "Ashido probably felt extra motivated because those were her friends."
"That shouldn't mean anything, heroes save everyone...like Midoriya did," Kirishima said.
"You mean Izuku Midoriya? Did you know him too before UA?" Rina asked.
"No, but I think I heard about him," Kirishima said. "I heard the news reports about Spider-Man's daughter getting entangled with a villain, and a boy going to save her. I didn't know it was him at the time, but given how close Parker is with Midoriya, and even hearing it recently from Spider-Man himself and The Great Saiyaman, I know for certain that Midoriya is the one who saved Parker. His quirk probably didn't even develop yet, yet he was more of a man that day than I could be. My spirit doesn't make me a man, my actions do, and when you're in danger, that's when your true colors come to life. Facing danger and choosing to take that next step forward is what makes someone a hero.
"Sounds like Izuku and Mayday left an impact on you without you even knowing them yet," Rina said.
"My mom said when my quirk developed, I cut my eye," Kirishima said. "I cried about how much I hated my quirk, but I still, I turned to the hero Crimson Riot. He is to me what All Might is to Midoriya, my main inspiration. He said anyone who's chivalrous can become a hero. His quirk was like mine, but he stood tall. Still, everything that happened nearly made me want to give up on UA."
"What made you change your mind?" Rina asked, flinching as she heard more fighting. "Shit, Fat Gum is...getting skinny? That's weird, but concerning."
"I remembered the words of my hero, Crimson Riot," Kirishima said. "From an interview of his that came with an old birthday present. He said he was afraid when he fights too, not just for his own life, but something worse. The idea of someone dying because he hesitated, because it's happened to him once. To him, being chivalrous means living a life with no regrets."
"Sounds about right," Rina said. "And hey, don't worry about the fear thing. My parents get scared too. Mom once had to tell a dragon to shove off, and she's terrified of dragons."
"A dragon?" Kirishima asked.
"Not one of those kind dragons you hear about here in Japan that are all about divinity, but an old fashioned mean European dragon," Rina explained. "That thing could have burnt mom to a crisp but she toughened up and laid down the law. My dad...he gets scared sometimes, his biggest fear is anything happening to his family, a fear he's lived at least once."
"Does this have to do with why he's hesitant to talk about Laura?" Kirishima asked.
"Yeah, pretty much," Rina said. "Still, you don't need to be scared. But even if you are, that shouldn't be enough to stop you. I can see the fire in your eyes, but I can also see the Kindness. So try to get over this whole tough, macho thing and focus on what makes a real man."
"Heh...funny, Ashido told me something similar when she saw me in UA for the first time. She told me not to be so eager to change who I am as a person," Kirishima said.
"You shouldn't, you can be a hero without having to put on an act," Rina said. "Well, maybe a bit of an act to keep people feeling assured but don't do it 24/7."
"I'll let you in on a secret. This hair of mine, isn't my natural color. It's usually black, and not spikey," Kirishima said.
"Wow, that kind of surprises me," Rina said. "You really do admire Crimson Riot. I think dad's met him once, you should ask about it."
"Yeah...That'd be great," Kirishima said.
"For what it's worth, I think your power is cool, especially when you go all Indestructible," Rina said. "Eijiro, I know I don't know you well, but I think you're amazing. My dad sees something in you that you need to see in yourself. Can you really just accept death today? Or will you give it your best shot!?"
"You know what..." Kirishima said, clenching his fist. "I will admit, I've been in a lot of scary situations since that day with the villain. But one thing has always kept me going!"
Rappa again punched Fat Gum, amazed the hero has been enduring so much, "How are you still standing!?"
"You think I'm just a shield, that's your mistake. I've been absorbing your blows this whole time. It depletes the fat that protects me but I'll take that risk," Fat Gum began charging up power. "I will create a spear that will shatter any shield!"
"Rappa, he's about to strike, take him down!" Tengai warned.
"I'll admit, I'm more worn out than I expected, I don't know if I can pull this off," Fat Gum thought to himself.
"Show me what you got!" Rappa shouted, throwing another punch that Kirishima was quick to block.
"Red!?" Fat Gum shouted in surprise.
"I won't regret anything! Now or ever again!" Kirishima shouted, blocking the strikes. "I'll do it! I'll become a hero! I'll protect people!"
Rappa continued his punches, "How is he holding up so well now after losing so easily earlier!?"
"If I crack then I'll harden again!" Kirishima continued hardening his body. "Stay strong and protect others! Even if it costs you your life!"
"Alright kid! Let's go!" Rappa shouted, winding up his punch, Kirishima doing the same. The two sent their strikes at each other, however Tengai was quick to put up a barrier. "A shield!? Now!?"
"Of course, don't be a fool," Tengai said. "Nothing can break my shield, that boy's attack was for nothing."
"Take this then!" Rina shouted, leaping into the air and charging her attack. "FATAL CLAW!"
Using her psionic energy, she sent an attack right at Tengai's shield, hitting it hard but the defense was still standing.
"Your attacks are in vain," Tengai said. "Give it up."
"That's what you think," Fat Gum said, charging up his energy. "Thank you Red Riot, you too Wild Thing."
"Tengai! Take this thing down!" Rappa ordered.
"My wall will stand," Tengai insisted.
"I don't think it will!" Rappa insisted back.
"You two will lose, you know why?" Fat Gum said, his energy fully charged. "We underestimated the hero Red Riot, and his chilvarious spirit!"
One punch destroyed the shield, defeating both Rappa and Tengai, the two having been sent flying against a wall.
"Awesome job, boss," Rina said, landing beside her mentor and her friend.
"Spear and Shield combination," Fat Gum said. "The victory is ours."
Downtown, during this fight, Momo is still leading her classmates toward the Parker Family house in hopes of cutting them off on the way toward Eri.
"It shouldn't be far now," Momo said. "Keep up the pace."
As the girls leapt ahead, Tsuyu looked behind, "We might have a problem."
Coming in hot was Vega, the ninja looking determined to put a stop to the girls' plans. "Don't wander too far my beauties!"
"Didn't Midoriya stop to slow him down?" Momo asked alound
"Looks like he gave him the slip, but look, Midoriya isn't that far behind," Tsuyu said.
Izuku was closing in on the ninja, doing his best to get in close, "I won't let you get away from me!"
"Stubborn child," Vega said, stopping for a moment. "Do you wish to die that badly!?"
As Izuku was about to land a punch, Vega again leapt away, the boy looking irritated, "Did he just bait me in?"
"You will have to do better than that, niñito!" Vega taunted as he again dashed away.
"Come back!" Izuku shouted, again giving chase.
Momo took a moment to stop, "You girls go on again, I will halt this hooligan in his tracks myself!"
"Are you sure? He might be dangerous," Ochako said.
"It's our only choice!" Momo said, bringing out a metal staff. "Go!"
Reluctantly both girls had made their leave with Vega getting closer to Momo, stopping just before her. "Do you wish to do battle against me?"
"If I must," Momo said, getting into a stance.
Vega looked behind, seeing Izuku getting closer, "Normally I would love to indulge you, but I have a job to complete. I cannot afford to play babysitter for a couple of flower buds."
"I will not let you pass!" Momo shouted going for a swing of her staff which Vega ducked and quickly slashed her arm with his metal claws, then kicked her aside.
"Forgive me my young beauty," Vega said, lifting his mask to lick the blood off of his claws. "I must depart."
"No! Come back!" Momo began to trail Vega. Suddenly Izuku had rushed past her, the boy covered in electricity.
"I'm not letting you get away!" Izuku shouted, dashing in and readying a strike. "One for All! Shoot Style!" The boy delivered a mighty kick and knocked Vega aside, the ninja crashing through a nearby window.
"You got him!" Momo praised.
"Took long enough," Izuku said, then noticed her arm." You're hurt."
"Oh this?" Momo asked, generating a patch and placing it on her. "It's nothing compared to taking a blow to the head at the camp." Momo suddenly felt a bit guilty for bringing that up, "Uh, I shouldn't talk, you got hurt way more than I did."
"It's fine, that was mostly my fault for overdoing it with my quirk," Izuku said. "Come on, let's meet up with-"
"Watch out!" Momo called. Too late as Vega had dashed in and slashed Izuku across the face. "Midoriya!"
"You pack quite a punch," Vega said, licking the blood off his claw. "Or rather, kick."
"That's the second time I saw him licking blood like that. Is this related to his quirk?" Momo wondered.
Izuku wiped the blood off his face, ready to keep fighting, "I won't let you near Eri!"
"It's sweet how you care, but I have a job to do," Vega said, aiming his claw. "However, perhaps I will make time to finish you off."
"Yaoyorozu, go find Uraraka and Tsu," Izuku said, maintaining his stance. "I'll keep him distracted."
"Alright, if you think you can handle it," Momo said, ready to turn away.
"You are not going anywhere, my young beauty!" Vega shouted, leaping at Momo.
Izuku appeared before his eyes and landed a strong punch to his face, knocking him aside and breaking his mask. "Quick! Go!"
Momo wasted no time in trying to find her friends while Vega stood, up, a look of fury in the man's eyes. "You could have left a scar on my beautiful face! For that your death shall be that much more painful!"
"This guy's full of himself," Izuku noted. Suddenly Vega dashed in to strike, Izuku barely dodging. "He's angry though, gotta be careful!"
Vega went for another strike but Izuku was quick to grab his arm and judo flip the ninja, slamming him hard on his back.
"I won't let you endanger Eri!" Izuku shouted, grabbing his arm again and flinging him against a roof entrance, leaving Vega in some bodily pain. Izuku marched over, looking down on the ninja, "Wish I had rope to tie him up."
"Izuku!" Peter called, landing near the boy alongside Twilight.
"Oh Peter, perfect timing," Izuku said, gesturing to Vega. "I just knocked out that Shadoloo ninja."
"Glad you caught Vega then, maybe Twilight and I didn't need to worry so much about you kids," Peter said, then noticed Izuku's scratches. "Crap, you're bleeding."
"Oh, it's nothing," Izuku insisted.
"I'd hardly call this 'nothing'," Twilight said, levitating a nearby rock to her and transforming it into a napkin to wipe Izuku's face.
"It's fine, really, not like it really hurt," Izuku said. "Also, did you just transform a rock? You can do that?"
"Yeah, I can transform anything into anything, but some things require more magic than others, anything too big might wear me out," Twilight said, padding Izuku's face.
"I take it the girls went ahead," Peter said.
"They did...what about Wesker?" Izuku asked.
"Amy's fighting him," Peter said. "I'm not exactly worried, Amy's a lot stronger than many people give her credit for."
"I'm not exactly thrilled to have left though, I know Amy's strong and she has Starfire with her, but there might be some unknown variables," Twilight said. "Just as theorized, Wesker and Shadoloo were part of this operations, that means The League of Villains and The Brotherhood may also be involved."
"So Shigaraki could show up at any point," Izuku said. "Which means we need to pick up the pace, for all we know he could be close to your home."
"Yeah, you should hurry on Izuku," Peter said. "Twilight and I will-"
His spider-sense went off as Vega dashed in and kicked Peter across the roof and attempted to slash Twilight, the girl ducking underneath and blasting Vega toward the edge.
"I'll finish this," Twilight said, reading some magic. Suddenly the building stared shaking, much to the concern of the heroes.
"What's happening!?" Izuku asked.
Peter looked down below, spotting a certain mutant as the one behind the sudden Earthquake. "Crap! Avalanche is here!"
"That will be my cue to leave," Vega said, leaping away.
"Come back!" Izuku called.
Vega landed across the roof, "I think you have much bigger priorities, if this building falls, and it will, people will be crushed by the debris. Now, what would a hero do at this point?"
"Dammit...only a villain would cower behind hostages!" Izuku angrily felt.
"Adios, amigo!" Vega said, making his own leave.
"We gotta stop Avalanche and save these people!" Peter urged.
"You do that! I'm gonna put a stop to that bastard!" Izuku shouted, dashing off without warning.
"Izuku wait!" Peter called, to no avail. "That's one eager kid."
"He can handle Vega, I'll stop Avalanche while you make sure everyone in this building escapes safely!" Twilight said, flying down to attack the Brotherhood member.
"The pretty little Princess," Avalanche taunted. "Aren't you a bit too far away from your castle?"
"Aren't you a bit too far away from a prison cell?" Twilight taunted back.
"If you want me there, you'll have to drag me over yourself," Avalanche taunted.
"Gladly!" Twilight shouted, flying in to attack.
Peter was quick to head inside the building, where he could see a group of people gathered in a hallway, worried for their safety. "Don't worry! I'll get you out of here so long as everyone stay calm! Now stick close to me, and if you can hold something hard over your or a child's head, do it! Now let's hurry!"
Meanwhile with the other girls, Ochako and Tsuyu were getting closer to their destination.
"There's Peter's condo! It's only a few blocks away!" Tsu called.
"That's a relief, here's hoping we don't run into any surprises when we get there," Ochako said.
"How about before?" Came Toad's voice as he swung in and kicked Ochako off the roof, the girl catching herself in mid-air.
"Ochako!" Tsuyu shouted in worry, then turned her attention to the mutant who attacked her friend. "It's you!"
"Miss me Tsu?" Toad asked.
"Don't call me 'Tsu', only my friends can call me that," Tsuyu said.
"Oh what, we can't be friends?" Toad taunted.
"I would never want to be friends with someone like you," Tsuyu said. "And don't even think of trying your mind games with me again. I don't care if our quirks are similar, you're still a villain."
"What a shame, amphibians like us should stick together, look out for one another," Toad said. "After all, we're both being judged by the same world."
"I told you I'm not falling for this!" Tsuyu shouted, leaping in for a kick, with Toad sidestepping and using his tongue to grab Tsuyu and slam her on the ground.
"You're making this quite difficult, Tsu," Toad warned. "Am I going to have to hurt you?"
"You'll have to get through me!" Ochako shouted, jumping in to a kick that stumbled Toad back, then rushed in for a punch followed back a spin kick, giving Tsuyu enough time to jump over and do a kick of her own to Toad.
"Nice moves," Tsuyu said.
"Peter taught me well," Ochako said. "Rather, he taught both of us well."
"Why you..." Toad stood up, ready for more. "Little brat, I'll show you how out of your league you are!"
Toad rushed in to attack but Ochako was quick to duck and hit an uppercut and then did a jumping kick to his chest to knock him down again.
"Wow, nice punch," Tsuyu said.
"Amy taught me a few things too," Ochako said.
"That's good, I'm not sure if I can handle her style though, punching isn't my strong suit," Tsuyu said.
"You just need practice, and Amy is a really great teacher," Ochako said.
"Hope she taught you to lose!" Toad shouted, leaping to attack again, both girls dodging out of the way. Tsuyu rushed in with a kick to his back, stunning him long enough for Ochako to run in and do a spinning back kick to his face, allowing Tsuyu to grab him with his tongue and fling him off the roof.
"Ha! Heroes can't teach others to lose...because they always win!" Ochako said, thinking over her words. "I mean...um...you suck!"
"Um...what was that about?" Tsuyu asked.
Ochako sheepishly rubbed her head, feeling a bit embarrassed, "I was trying to mimic Peter's trash talk, but I couldn't pull it off. Guess I should see if he's willing to teach me about quips."
"Pretty sure it's an innate talent rather than something that could be taught," Tsuyu said. "That and he grew up in New York, so he's used to hearing that type of trash talk so it comes naturally to him."
"I really wanna go to New York one day," Ochako said. "Maybe if Peter goes home during break, he can bring us with him."
"We'll ask him about it later, for now we should check on Eri," Tsuyu said. "I doubt that attack will keep Toad down for long."
"Of course, let's go," Ochako said as the two girls went ahead.
Toad however wasn't done, the mutant had gotten back onto the roof and was glaring at the two girls, "You're gonna have to hit me harder than that to keep me down you little brats!"
Back with Wesker, the villain continued doing battle against Amy, though he had a harder time that he wanted to admit. Amy was fast, too fast for him to catch in a blow.
"You're one troublesome little girl," Wesker said, throwing his strikes.
Amy then caught Wesker with a strong blow to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, "Don't call me, 'Little Girl'."
Wesker keeled over in pain, angrily glaring at the hedgehog. "Would the term 'irritating brat' be better?"
Amy responded by whacking him with a hammer, sending him crashing against a nearby car, "Do yourself a favor, and call me by my actual name. Amy Rose. The hedgehog that's gonna send you crawling back to S.I.N."
"That so?" Juri said, appearing behind Amy and hitting her with a kick, sending her face first against a wall. As she shook it off, Wesker dashed in and kicked her head through that same wall.
"Not so cocky now, are you?" Wesker grabbed Amy's ankle and slammed her against a car. Afterwards he dashed to another car, slamming her face first against the window, breaking it on impact. "You should have known better than to think had a chance against me. I am a God to someone like you."
Amy spit out some debris, grinning confidently at Wesker. "I've seen more impressive Gods than you."
"Juri," Wesker held Amy up and allowed Juri to rush in and kick the little hedgehog down the street.
"That girl loves talking crap, doesn't she?" Juri said, sinisterly walking over alongside Wesker. "Ready to give up?"
"If I was the type of girl who gave up on things, I wouldn't have the loving husband I have today," Amy said, holding her hammer. "So no, I'm not ready to-"
Wesker kicked her away again, sending her against a pole, "How irritating."
Amy leapt down, holding her hammer still and grinning at the duo, "Come on, is that the best you got? You've gotten soft, Albert."
"Watch your mouth when you speak to Wesker, little girl," Juri warned.
Amy focused her glance at Juri, "Like I just told your boss." She sped over and whacked Juri with her hammer. "DON'T call me a little girl!" Wesker went to attack but Amy had blocked and whacked him against a car. "Though if I was, it's embarrassing how badly you two are losing."
"GAH!" Balrog flew overhead and landed on a car. "Ow..."
"Looks like I'm not the only one making fools of my enemies," Amy said, looking up as Starfire did battle against Bison.
The Shadoloo leader tried landing some blows but Starfire was too fast for him, the Tamaranean
dodging and blasting him out of the air. She flew in and blasted him once more, sending him flying against a wall.
"Do you surrender?" Starfire asked.
Bison coughed a bit, but only offered a sinister grin, "Not even close my dear." He flew in again, charging in and kneeing Starfire in the stomach and then whacking her to the ground below. He then charged up some Psycho Energy and charged down and hit an attack destroying the car she was on and hitting her with some strong damage.
"Kori!" Amy shouted in worry.
"Don't worry," Bison said, stepping out of the wreck, sinisterly toward Amy. "You'll joining her in the afterlife soon enough."
"Oh I don't think so," Amy rushed in to attack, Bison parried her hammer away and made her drop it. He was about to follow up, but she disappeared from sight. "Where did-"
Amy appeared behind Bison and kicked him forward. Wesker and Juri stood back up, ready to go after the hedgehog girl, but Starfire had emerged and blasted the two back with her energy projection.
"Oh good, you're okay," Amy said. "You had me worried."
Starfire wiped some soot off her face, "I think I am the one who should be worrying. You look hurt."
"It's just a scratch," Amy insisted. "Now come on, the sooner we take these guys down ,the sooner we can catch up to Peter."
"I agree, let us-" Starfire was interrupted when some explosions went off nearby, taking her and Amy by surprise as several cars began exploding. Starfire grabbed Amy and quickly flew away and out of the danger.
Amy coughed up a bit, still in shock from the attack, "What just happened?"
Starfire wiped her eyes a bit, trying to regain her vision, "I do not-"
Suddenly a car was flung at the two, knocking them out of the air, courtesy of Wesker.
"A little gift from me to you," Wesker said, then turned to his new assistant. "That was quite an entrance, Tabitha."
Indeed it was Boom-Boom, the Brotherhood woman checking her nails, "It was nothing. Bet you're glad I showed up when I did, you nearly got thrashed."
"Just a momentary distraction," Wesker said, turning toward the direction of Peter's house. "I still have a bit of business to attend to. Would you mind making sure those girls stay down?"
"Fine by me," Boom said.
"Let's go Juri," Wesker said, making a dash.
"Right behind you, boss," Juri said, following Wesker.
Boom turned to Bison, "What about you?"
"I'll leave Spider-Man to Wesker, plus it seems like more of your allies are waiting to cut them off," Bison said, flying up. "I'll shall make my way to the Hassaikai Base, see how things are going over there."
"Fine by me," Boom said as Bison flew off. She focused on the task ahead. "Time to finish things off here."
"Oooooh..." Balrog said, stumbling over. "Dang, my back. Those alien girls hit hard."
"So who's stronger? A Mobian? Or a Tamaranean?" Boom asked.
"I don't give a damn," Balrog said, adjusting his gloves. "I'm gonna crush them both!"
"That's what I like to hear," Boom said. "Let's kick some ass!"
At the condo, Peni was patiently waiting, hoping for any information. She wanted to know soon that the Hassaikai were dealt with, but the wait was bugging her.
She constantly glanced toward the room Eri was in. Even though she knew Eri was here and currently safe, she didn't know how quickly that could change.
Feeling angsty, she grabbed a phone, considering calling one of the pros on the mission, but she didn't want to risk distracting anyone.
"This is so annoying, I hate not knowing what's happening," Peni said. "Maybe I should have gone myself. No, Peter needs me to keep Eri safe, and that's just what I'm going to do."
Peni noticed a nearby picture, turning it to face her. It was a picture of her as a toddler, in the arms of her adoptive mother May. Next to them was Peni's adoptive father, Ben Parker, with a younger Peter standing in front of him as his uncle had proudly placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Wish I knew you more, dad," Peni said. "Peter always told me what a great man you were, how he wanted to be great like you. You may not have been a pro hero, but you were still a man with great values, who always helped those in need the best he could. I just hope you're proud of Peter, not just for turning out to be a great her, but for being a great father. Your grandchildren would have loved you, including what could be our newest member of the family. I love you dad, and I miss you."
"Peni?" Came Eri's voice, this starting the young woman.
"Ah, Eri! How long were you there?" Peni asked.
"Sorry, I came because I got hungry," Eri said.
"Oh, you want me to cook you something?" Peni asked.
"Um...I kind of just want an apple," Eri said.
"That's all?" Peni asked, placing her hand over Eri's stomach. "I feel like you should eat more, I know Peter's been trying to feed you but you don't always seem eager to eat. That's not healthy."
"Sorry, it's hard sometimes, I'm not used to eating a lot," Eri said.
"I really hope Peter bashes Chisaki's face in for this shit," Peni thought to herself. "I'm gonna get some food in you. I'd rather you have a little chubby belly than the bare minimum."
"Okay," Eri said, then turned to the picture that Eri was looking at. "Who are those people?"
"The man and woman in that picture are my adoptive parents, Ben and May Parker," Peni said. "The girl in that picture is me when I was a toddler, and that boy is Peter when he was about twelve."
"Oh, that's Peter?" Eri asked. "And those are your parents?"
"Yes, my mom and dad are his aunt and uncle, but they raised him too so he's basically their son and my adoptive brother," Peni said.
"That's why you call him 'onii-chan'," Eri said.
"Exactly, he's my big brother," Peni said. "He's a great big brother. I kind of hate having to share that with Amy and Ochako, but I don't blame either of them for calling Peter 'onii-chan', because he gives them that big brother love. The only thing he does as well as being an older brother, is being a father. That's why Mayday is such a daddy's girl and why Benjy wants to be like him. Peter's kids adore him, they love him more than anything, and he loves them more than the world."
"Peter said he loves me too," Eri said. "Does that mean he's like my daddy?"
"I think he wants to be your new daddy," Peni said, picking Eri up and placing her on her lap. "He definitely loves you, we all do. You're that precious."
"...But, those other people didn't love me," Eri said. "Why do all of you?"
"Because they're a bunch of a...annoying people," Peni said. "Look, never mind them. Peter's going to deal with them. Right now, you have me, and Twilight, and Peter, and Mayday, and Benjy...there's a lot of people who are going to love you and treat you well. Take Amy, she loves you too, because you're precious. There's also Izuku and Mirio, along with Ochako and Tsuyu. There's a lot of love going around for you."
"That's really nice...I feel strange," Eri said. "Is this what being happy is like?"
"Yes, it is," Peni said, holding the girl close. "Daisuki Eri-chan."
"I love you too, Oba-chan," Eri said, returning the hug. "And I love you too Peter. Please come home soon."
