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Exciting news, everyone! We've reached 1,000 FAVORITE AND FOLLOWS! Thank you all so much for your love and support over the years. It is fantastic to have reached this number. And on the last chapter of volume 3, no less! Whoa!
Let's get into the action.
HEROES OF TOMORROW
Issue #30: The Big Three
The campus of UA was a relatively peaceful place during the night. The kids were asleep, the school was locked down, and security bots were patrolling the grounds, making sure that all was well and that there were no disturbances. Disturbances like, say, a pair of superpowered boys duking it out in one of the mock cities.
And that was precisely what was happening.
Wade landed on the ground, gritting his teeth and glaring up at the air, and jumped away again. Getting out of the way before Bakugo came down and destroyed the ground with a massive explosion.
"Bakugo, we don't have to do this!" Wade yelled, flying through the air before landing on the ground a few feet away. Panting for a moment, he held up his hands. He might have been willing to fight Bakugo, but he still tried to rationalize with the bully. "How is this the best way to work things out, huh? We're gonna be in serious trouble for wrecking Ground Beta! We could have talked about this during one of our free periods. Hell, even reserved a training room! There's no reason it has to be right now!"
Gritting his teeth, Bakugo stood back up as the smoke around him dwindled. "If we fight for real at school, we'll be stopped," he said, looking at Wade with another soft look that had the young man pause for a moment. "I wanna know what made All Might give his power to a loser like you. Let me see for myself. Is it because you've secretly looked up to him more than I did? If that's the case, does it mean everything I've done to be like him was wrong?"
"What? No! Dammit, Bakugo. This has nothing to do with admiring All Might or stuff like that!" Wade exclaimed.
"Then, was it your power?"
"No! I…It wasn't any of it!" Wade exclaimed, still trying to reason with the explosive young man.
"Then what was it!?" Bakugo roared, blasting off towards Wade.
"Katsuki!" Wade yelled, his senses alerting him again.
Time seemed to slow down as Wade saw Bakugo's right arm raise and start to swing down in a right hook. However, the Spider's instincts told him not to trust that right hook. That's how he got him the last time, and Bakugo would remember that.
But then, Bakugo's right hand started letting off sparks, and Wade gasped. It wasn't a feint; it was the real deal!
Wade fired a burst of webbing at Bakugo's face, blinding him. However, it did little to stop him from trying to blast Wade. Forcing Spider-Man to jump out of the way before Bakugo set off the explosion.
Grunting in pain, Wade looked down and saw that Bakugo's blast hit him. However, it did little to slow him down.
Landing on the ground, Wade saw Bakugo flying at him again. "Stop trying to talk and fight me!"
Wade glared at Bakugo and activated Battle Focus. "Alright, then, no more talking," he said before shooting towards his rival.
The two boys were within a foot away from one another before Bakugo tried blasting him again with his left arm. However, Wade, in mid-air, ducked down and grabbed onto Bakugo's back. Throwing both of their momentum off. As they spun around in the air, Wade crawled behind Bakugo and charged a Venom Blast into his right hand. However, upon seeing this, Bakugo gritted his teeth, held out both arms in front of him, and fired a full blast. This sent the two boys across the air until they smashed through the windows of a building.
Wade and Bakugo grunted as they rolled across the floor, getting covered in cuts from the glass. When they came to a stop, Wade was crouching low to the ground. Bakugo, who was on his stomach while glaring at Wade, blasted off at him again. Only to get an upper kick to the face that sent him crashing up into the ceiling, cracking it and leaving an impression.
Gritting his teeth, Bakugo pulled himself out and blasted off towards Wade, who effortlessly jumped over him and stuck to the ceiling. The young Spider-Man then shot himself at Bakugo, slamming into his back. This attack caused the two of them to smash through the floor and land on the lower floor. Bakugo responded by blasting the floor under him and plowing back into Wade, throwing him off before turning around and rushing at him. Blasting him in the chest before he had a chance to react and sending him flying into a column.
"You were always behind me our whole lives!" Bakugo said, glaring at Wade hatefully. "A bug that didn't even have a Quirk. No matter how much I tried to put you in your place, you kept coming back!"
Wade groaned as he pulled himself away from the pillar. "Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "That's kind of my thing."
"Shut up! Take this seriously!" Bakugo yelled, running at Wade.
Wade, however, dodged the explosion Bakugo fired by shooting a web-line off to the side and pulling himself away. In mid-air, he fired a blast of webbing at Bakugo's hand. Trapping it to the near-obliterated column.
"Trust me," Wade said, landing on his face and jumping at Bakugo. "I AM!"
Bakugo couldn't stop the Venom Punch from hitting him in the face as Wade struck him so hard that it had Bakugo flying out of the window and falling towards the streets.
As his body was paralyzed and throbbing, with pain for a moment, Bakugo thought about what All Might said to him after their first day of combat training, how pride was a great attribute, but that he still had a lot to learn. Then Bakugo thought about what All Might said during the Fina Exam, about how Bakugo was so angry with Wade's vast improvement. And he was right. Wade has improved so much faster than anyone in the school. Most of all, Bakugo himself. So why was that? Why did fate choose him to be Spider-Man and All Might's successor?
A few floors away from the ground, Bakugo felt an arm grabbing him by his arm. Opening his shut eyes, Bakugo was shocked to see it was Wade, who was hanging from a web-line.
"Don't worry, I've got you!" Wade yelled.
Bakugo, however, glared at Wade. "Stop trying to save me, you bug!" He yelled and tried to blast him with the arm he was holding. Wade saw this and released his grip on him. This action had the unintended consequence of Bakugo shooting himself down to the ground at high speeds.
"Bakugo!" Wade yelled, seeing Bakugo slamming himself down into the sidewalk at high speed. Jumping away from the building, Wade did a front flip in the air and landed a few meters away from his bully. "You okay, man?!"
Hearing him being concerned for him struck a nerve within Bakugo. Seeing Wade coming up to him and holding out a hand, Bakugo responded by swatting it away. "Don't you dare worry about me!"
Wade was about to yell at him when Bakugo launched another attack by blasting himself into the air. Then, he let off another blast and rocketed down toward Wade with his left hand stretched out and glowing.
However, Wade quickly jumped back before the bully could blow him up. "Are you kidding me?!" He yelled at his childhood bully. Then he saw Bakugo coming at him again.
Thinking quickly, Wade hopped into the air again just before Bakugo could get to him. Dodging his hand before it could touch him.
But then, Bakugo rocketed over Wade and landed behind him in a flash. Wade's senses picked up the danger, and the web-slinger could only brace himself. Bakugo landed a powerful punch in Wade's side, sending him flying back until he slammed into a guardrail. Denting it as Wade grunted in pain.
"Shit…" Wade groaned as he quickly flipped over Bakugo when he came at him again. Exploding the ground where Wade once was.
Then, Bakugo did something Wade never expected to happen. He was able to grab his arm and spin him around before throwing him across the street. Wade, luckily, rightened himself, and his feet skidded across the asphalt until coming to a halt. This was bad. Bakugo wasn't just attacking mindlessly. He was attacking before Wade could even have the time to react. Predicting his moves. Bakugo's reaction time had gotten faster than the last time they fought.
"You've got faster, man," Wade commented as Bakugo stood back up. "Then again, we've both gotten stronger."
"What the fuck are you smiling about, huh?!" Katsuki yelled angrily as he used his Quirk to propel himself at Wade. "I thought you were going beat me into the ground!"
However, Wade had a trick up his sleeve and jumped up, letting Bakugo pass him before he could get him with his right arm.
"Not giving me much of a choice!" Wade yelled as he fired a web-line at Bakugo's outstretched arm.
Landing on his bully's shoulders, Wade pulled the arm back until it was touching Bakugo's left shoulder. Then he shot a burst at his arm, binding him. Bakugo tried to attack with this other arm, but Wade shot a line of webbing at that one, too, and did the same, securing his left hand to his right shoulder and covering him in more webbing.
With his enemy now restrained, Wade jumped off and landed on the ground. "Stay down," he told Bakugo.
"Shut the fuck up! This is one of the things I hated about you the most!" Bakugo yelled, trying to pull his arms away from his body. "I can never tell what you're thinking."
Wade smirked and held up a finger. "A vital part of fighting is never to let your opponent predict your next move," he said.
"Shut up, bug! No matter how much I beat you up, you keep getting back up! It's obvious you've always looked down on me," Bakugo roared at Wade. "Even when we were kids! You think you're better than me. But if you seriously believe you're gonna surpass me as a hero, even with both of your powers, you better think again, bug!"
Wade raised an eyebrow at his long-time bully, looking at him in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me? Are you just projecting, or are you really that delusional?!" Wade yelled at Bakugo, glaring at the explosive blonde in anger. Deciding just to give in, Wade spread out his arms. "You know what? Fine! I was looking down on you! There, happy! But could you blame me? When your ego is so fragile that you have to bully me, someone who couldn't be a threat to you. Everything you did to me when we were kids was a contradiction of your dears! Even with an amazing Quirk, everything you did was a direct contradiction of what being a Hero is supposed to be!"
"Shut up!"
"No! You want to be a Hero, but you acted so much like a villain when we were kids!" Wade shouted. "I've told you over and over again what it takes to be a real hero, and yet you refused to change! That is why you failed, Katsuki! It's why you've fallen to where you are now! Because you are afraid of changing!"
"I said, SHUT UP!" Bakugo roared as he used his Quirk to blow his arms away from his shoulders, ripping away the webbing and freeing himself.
However, Wade was done holding back. Reactivating Battle Focus, went from his usual 5% to 8%. He's been holding back because he believed he could reason with Bakugo. However, his emotions cause him to raise the level of his power. "If you won't listen, then I'll have to do it the only way I know how to get you to listen!"
Bakugo's eyes widened as he saw Wade charging at him with even greater speed. He couldn't dodge him, so he had to block. However, even with his arms crossed in front of his face, it did little to hold back against Wade's Venom Punch connecting with his stomach!
"AAAAAAAAH!" Bakugo screamed in agony as he was sent flying away, only for Wade to grab him with web-lines and pull him back. Kicking him in the face and launching him back.
Scrambling back onto his feet, Bakugo launched himself back towards Wade. Using One-for-All, Spider-Man shot himself at Bakugo.
The two of them passed, and both quickly tried turning around. But Wade was faster and more robust. He kicked his bully in the face, making him stagger back. Wade promptly followed that up by jumping up and swinging an ax-kick down on Bakugo's head.
However, Bakugo saw it coming and reacted at the last minute by leaning back. Wade's power-charged foot just inches from the blonde's face. Bakugo then attacked Wade with another massive blast of his Quirk. Blasting Wade back, and sending him rolling across the street from the backlash.
"Dammit, my timing was off!" Bakugo said, standing back up.
BASH!
Wade suddenly rammed into Bakugo's chest after slingshooting himself back at him, knocking the wind out of his bully and sending him flying down the street once again. However, Wade wasn't done with him.
Landing on his feet, Wade shot another web-line at Bakugo's chest. The moment it connected, his body stopped in midair before Wade yanked him back with all his might. With his other arm, Wade charged another Venom Punch, ready to deliver the final knock-out punch.
Bakugo saw he was coming at Wade at high speeds. This was his chance to get him. The moment Wade tries to punch him, Bakugo will dodge and blow him to hell! He concentrated his Explosion-Quirk in his right hand and waited for his moment.
However, just as it came, Bakugo's mind once again flashed back to when he blew up Daniel. The bully gasped and forgot about his counterattack.
"If I can change, then so can you!" Wade shouted at the top of his lungs before delivering the knock-out punch into Bakugo's face. Electrocuting his entire body and slamming his body down into the ground in front of Wade with so much force that it cracked the street while a cloud of smoke enveloped the area.
As the smoke cleared, Bakugo was lying on his left side with a massive bruise on his left cheek. He was panting heavily, his body aching, and his mind unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"I…I lost…again," Bakugo whispered in misery. Above him, Wade powered down his Battle Focus. Grunting in pain, Bakugo struggled to get on his hands and knees. "Just like the first time…just like…the second time…you still manage to win…over and over again…"
Wade sighed as he tried, once again, to offer a hand to Bakugo. "Come on. We're done here," he said. The moment Bakugo saw his hand, he was reminded of that day in the river. The moment his hatred for Wade began.
"No!" Bakugo yelled, swatting his hand away, and tried standing up on his own. However, the battle left him disoriented, and he stumbled a bit.
"Dude!" Wade yelled. He stepped back from the explosive-blonde as Bakugo stood up. "What the hell is your problem!"
"My problem?! We're in the middle of a fight, and you're still trying to talk your way out of it with all this bullshit!" Bakugo shouted, his hair shadowing his eyes. For a moment, he took a second to take deep breaths. "Why…Why did everything have to be like this? Why did a damn fucking small bug like you have to get so strong and become and become the Number One Hero's sidekick? His favorite?"
Bakugo gritted his teeth as Wade saw something that he never thought he would see in a lifetime. Streaming down his covered eyes were tears. Tears that could have only been made from his sadness and anger at himself. Wade would've known those kinds of tears, as he'd shed them so many times.
"It's because of what I did, wasn't it? Because of what I did to your dad, right?" Bakugo said, grabbing the front of his shirt as he tried to hold back his sobs. He looked up at Wade, and the young hero finally saw the torment his bully was going through for a long time. "I admired All Might so much. But to him, I'm just a murderer! Is that right?! Why would he give his power to me if I caused someone to become brainwashed and become a villain!? If I had been strong…If I hadn't been captured by the Sludge Villain…Then it never would have happened. It's all my fault, All Might knows it, but he hasn't said anything. Everyone knows, though! You know! I can't get it out of my head! The moment I blew up your dad has constantly been playing on loop! It takes so much just to keep it down! That's why I can never beat you! This is my punishment!"
It was impossible for Wade to believe what he was hearing, and he did not want to believe it.
Bakugo blamed himself for Daniel's death.
It didn't make sense. How could Bakugo feel responsible? This guilt should have been Wade's burden, not his. So why did he feel this way? Wade began thinking about it from Bakugo's perspective, and his heart sank.
He realized that for all the time that he'd been feeling sorry for himself, Wade never thought about the impact and the torment that Bakugo had been going through. He was helpless to control his body when the Sludge Villain had its hold on him, but he would have seen his Explosion Quirk being used to gravely hurt many people, including Daniel. That would mess up anyone, and seeing Bakugo in the state that he's in right now, Wade began to understand that his bully had been holding that pain and misery in for a long time.
Wade felt so selfish. All this time, he could have been comforting Katsuki. They both could have helped one another with their trauma and grief. Instead, while Wade had people around him to express his emotions, Katsuki bottled up those emotions and trauma. He was alone, too afraid to tell anyone his pain because of his pride.
"No…No, Katsuki! It wasn't your fault!" Wade said, powering down his Battle Focus. "…It's my fault."
Katsuki's teary eyes widened as he looked at his opponent. The battlefield had fallen into silence as a small gust of wind blew through the area. "What? What the hell—?"
"I knocked the Sludge Villain out of All Might's pocket," Wade said, interrupting the other boy as he opened up to him. "I…I didn't do anything when I found where he landed. I'm the reason he got out and took over your body. You might have been the one who hurt Dad, but I was the one to blame. It's all my fault…"
Confused, Katsuki wiped away his eyes as he glared at Wade again. "Then…Then why did All Might want you to be his successor? If it was really all your fault, why pick you? If the spider powers were a random fucking accident, why did you accept All Might's power?"
With total honesty, Wade answered him. "Redemption."
It was an answer Katsuki was not expecting to receive.
Wade looked sadly at Bakugo for a few seconds before he closed his eyes in shame. "I was a pretty bad kid before those powers. Getting into fights, getting into a lot of trouble to say nothing to my Dad's heart. Honestly, if it weren't for Dad's guidance, I would have been another punk that you wouldn't have wasted a second thought on blowing up when you become a Pro-Hero. And look at how I repaid him," Wade told Bakugo with a heavy heart, opening up to the other boy just as he did with him. "When Dad died, I was in a bad place. All Might entrusting me with his power saved me from being something I couldn't imagine myself being right now. From becoming the worst version of myself. It was a responsibility I couldn't ignore."
Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Your point."
"I'm trying to atone for my sins," Wade said in total honesty. He placed a hand on his chest and continued. "All Might and everyone around me said that it wasn't my fault, but my soul tells me differently. Especially since I'm responsible for what happened to Dad. Even though I rescued him, he can never have a normal life again."
As Wade said this, Katsuki relaxed and actually started listening to Wade. This was good for Wade. For as long as he's known Bakugo, their relationship with one another was so messed up. Kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, they've known each other for so long, but up until this point, they've never talked to each other in any other way than their fists. Making this the first time they genuinely opened up to each other.
Wade lowered his head. "I'm not worthy of this power, Katsuki. I accepted it, but every day, I feel like I had to prove myself as All Might's successor. And every time I do, I just don't know if it's enough," he said. Then Wade looked up at Katsuki as they stood apart. "That's what drives me. To be better than the guy I used to be!"
Katsuki stared at Wade with his eyes wide, looking at the boy he used to look down on in astonishment.
"That's enough, both of you!"
Both boys gasped in shock when they heard that voice. Wade looked behind Bakugo as the explosive blonde turned his head to look over his shoulder. They were shocked to see none other than All Might walking towards them in his normal, deflated form.
"All Might," Wade said. "When did you get here?"
"When Young Bakugo started his little speech," All Might said as he approached the two boys. His arm was bandaged up, and his clothes still looked way too big for him. "I didn't notice it before. I should have."
Realizing that he was talking to him, Katsuki turned his head away. "It's too late now," he said. There was a moment of silence when he spoke up again. "You picked the bug after the Sludge Villain came, didn't you? So why him?"
"When I first met Wade, he was powerless. That was the same day he got his spider bite. Picking Wade had nothing to do with powers or Quirks. It had to do with his hero's heart," All Might said to Bakugo, confusing the young man. "Out of all the people there, even while he was in grief and suffering from the loss of his father, his heroic spirit stood out more than anyone else. Even myself. To this day, I, too, blame myself for doing nothing. I was there in the crowd but too scared of losing my muscle form to protect the people."
Wade sighed sadly. "Guess we're all to blame," he said, as all three of them felt guilty for their mistakes and their inaction during that incident.
"Young Bakugo, I knew you were strong. That much was obvious. But it takes more than just strength to be a Hero. As Wade said, with great power comes great responsibility. This means that it takes courage and a will to jump in and save a person in danger when you have the power to save lives," All Might told Bakugo as he gritted his teeth, trying to hold back tears. "That is why I chose Wade. When I learned that he did have powers, it was during another moment when he was saving your classmate Yaoyorozu's life. Seeing it, I knew that there couldn't have been another person more qualified for the role."
Bakugo gritted his teeth again. "But now you know I'm weak, too," he said, turning his body halfway toward All Might. His left shoulder facing him as his spiked hair covered his eyes. "I always wanted to be like you, which meant being as strong as possible. But I was too weak against that villain. If I was stronger…"
All Might walked over to him. "You can't blame yourself for what happened to Daniel. None of you can. You are strong, but I've been focused on physical strength and ignoring what was truly important," he said, placing a hand on Bakugo's head and pulling him into a hug. "I never once thought of you as a murderer. Just like Wade, I never imagined that you would be carrying the same guilt he felt. I apologize for not seeing it. You're still only children, and we're placing great responsibility on your shoulders."
Continuing to hold back his tears, Bakugo slapped All Might's hand away.
"After being a hero for so long, you start to pick up a few things," the former hero said. "Striving to be the best and caring deeply about people—about rescuing those in trouble, both of those feelings are core qualities to being a hero. Young Walker has learned to embrace both of these aspects. If he ignored one, then he would never truly be able to represent justice."
Wade looked at Katsuki, who looked at him as well. "So, what now," the Spider-Man asked his teacher.
"Well, now that you've laid your feelings out on the table, the two of you can start to build the foundation of understanding. If you can learn to trust one another, I do not doubt that the two of you will become the ultimate heroes, winning and saving lives at the same time," All Might said as both boys looked at one another.
After All Might finished his speech, Katsuki sighed and sat down on the ground. "Damnit, that's not what I wanted to hear," he said, placing his arms on his knees. For a moment, he looked at the ground in silence. Then, he looked at Wade. "You. You have the strongest guy in the world laying the groundwork for you. If you lose to anyone else except me, I'll kill you. I want to be the one to beat you."
Wade was a little bit surprised by his words. However, he then smiled at him. "May the best man win," he said.
Hearing that makes Katsuki scoff. "I plan to," he said, which didn't come as a surprise to the young hero. Walking over to him, Wade offered him a hand. Seeing this, Bakugo looked at him and his hand in surprise for a second. He then grabbed it and allowed his rival to pull him up. Meeting Wade's smile with his natural bitch face.
Once on his feet, Bakugo turned to his idol.
"Alright, so start talking. Who else knows about you two," the explosive blonde questioned the two.
"Recovery Girl, Principal Nezu, and Daniel Walker," All Might told the young man.
"You told Dad," Wade asked.
"I felt as though he deserved to know," All Might explained. "As far as students go…only you."
"And you don't want this to get out," Bakugo said, looking at Wade. "'Cause that would be bad."
"I haven't even told my girlfriends, man," Wade said, placing his hands in his pockets. "The last thing I ever wanted was for anyone I knew and loved to get hurt because of me. Shigaraki is still out there, and with his master locked up, he'll be gunning for me. If they knew about the power, they would become a target. Just like how you're one now."
Bakugo nodded, understanding now why he didn't want to tell him. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I'm no snitch. It would just be a real pain if this got out and messed stuff up. So, this will stay between us," he said.
Wade sighed in relief. "Thank you, Katsuki."
All Might sighed in relief. He didn't deserve this kindness. In fact, the former Number One Hero should be down on his knees begging for forgiveness and pleading for Bakugo not to tell anyone. And yet, here he was, making a vow of silence between him and Wade. "Now that it's come to this, I can explain to you what's happened between Wade and me. That's only fair."
And so he did. All Might told Bakugo the whole backstory. About the power passed down through generations in order to be used against the greatest evil in the world, about how he used that power to become the Symbol of Peace, and how he was gravely injured, which limited his strength and abilities. Finally, at the end of it all, he explained how he chose Wade to be his successor.
By the time All Might finished his story, they were already walking away from the faux city. The information that was given to Bakugo had him in a state of shock as he pondered on the matter. "If this got out, people would be confused, and they'd start wondering where the power is," he said, walking alongside Wade.
"And because of me, now the fate of our society is hanging in the balance," Wade said, looking down at the ground with a troubled expression.
"It was my own decision to use up the last of my powers," All Might said, walking ahead of the two. "Please, don't blame yourself, Wade. We both knew that I would have eventually lost my powers."
Wade sighed. "I know, but it doesn't make it any easier," he said with a troubled look on his face. "I know what I have to do. You said it yourself. It's now my turn to take up the mantle."
All Might looked back at him as he continued walking. "True. You're right about that," he said, knowing that Wade would have a lot on his shoulders. But, deep down, All Might knew he was up for the challenge. And if he ever needed help, he was always there for him.
The secret between All Might and Wade became Bakugo's secret as well. They weren't just connected by their shared blame for the Sludge Villain incident. Now, they were connected by their shared secret of One-for-All.
However, now they had a new problem to face.
"You fought the night you finished the Preliminary Hero Licensing Exam?" Aizawa was far from being happy with the two boys. Glaring at them with fiery fury, he wrapped his scarf around both of them tightly, cutting off circulation. "I'm glad to see you two have so much energy."
"Aizawa, wait, hold up with those restraints," said All Might, trying to calm down the tension and ease the anger of the teacher. "It's my fault that they spared in the first place."
"Huh?" Aizawa turned his attention back to his fellow teacher, eyes twitching.
When he learned that the two boys were fighting, he wasn't surprised at all. What did surprise him was that All Might wanted to be the one to confront them. His line of reasoning was that the former Hero knew them well before they came to UA and had given the pair quite a bit of thought. Aizawa agreed and waited at the dorm for their arrival.
"Your fault? And how is that," he questioned All Might, making both boys worry that he might spill the beans.
All Might walked over to his colleague and whispered in his ear, "When he lost at the licensing exam, that seemed to have been the last straw, and his inferiority complex exploded, and this happened."
That was the wrong thing to say, however. "What? Did mister high-and-mighty fail to process his own emotions and take his loss with dignity like a fucking normal and well-adjusted person," Aizawa said, tightening his grip on Bakugo. This little inferiority complex of his was getting on his nerves.
"A-Aizawa, please! It seems Young Bakugo has been holding a lot of guilt for the Sludge Villain incident. More so than Wade. He's been holding that in him for over a year now. I hadn't seen it before, and it was my failure as a teacher that caused things to get to this point," All Might said to his fellow teacher.
Aizawa grunted lightly as he took in this information, pondering over it. It in no way excused Bakugo's attitude, but it would explain a few things about the hothead. Since day one, Bakugo's had a fall from grace. The society that he was raised in at home and in his schools bred a violent boy who knew nothing but his own greatness. And from what he's neared, Wade has constantly been the underdog, having been picked on by Bakugo and having never been praised for anything because he was Quirkless.
Now, the roles were reversed. Wade was now the rising star, and Bakugo was being knocked off one high pedestal after another. It was just like what he said to the explosive blonde after losing the combat training to Wade. Bakugo was wasting his talent, and now the real world was hitting him hard. He was at rock bottom with Todoroki, both of whom were predicted to have stayed at the top. And now, at the bottom of the barrel and (doubtfully) humbled, Bakugo had a chance to work his way back up to the top.
Sighing, Aizawa released the two boys and retracted his scarf. "I understand that they felt like they had to break the rules," he said as both Wade and Bakugo looked at him. Aizawa then gave them a frightening glare that made shivers go up their spins. "But this isn't something I can just ignore. There must be a suitable punishment. Who threw the first punch?"
Normally, Bakugo wouldn't have wasted a second thought on throwing Wade under the bus when they were still in middle school. However, that was because he could have gotten away with anything, thanks to the teachers always taking his side. However, that wasn't the case anymore. He was the one who started the fight, so he had to take responsibility. With a sigh, he raised his hand. "I did."
"Wait!" Wade spoke up, much to Bakugo's surprise. "I knew that it was wrong to fight. I tried to stop the fight from happening…and I let my anger get the better of me. If anything, I should be punished, too."
"Oh, is that right? Well then…" Aizawa pointed at the two of them and started yelling. "You're both on house arrest! Four days for Bakugo and three for Walker! During that time, you'll clean all the common areas in the dorm, morning and night! Plus, I want a written apology! Wade, you've got a healing factor. Bakugo, if your injuries need to be checked out, head to the infirmary! But don't rely on the old lady's Quirk this time! Figure it out yourselves!"
After that yelling worthy of a drill sergeant, Aizawa sighed. "That's all. Go."
A few minutes later, Wade and Bakugo were walking together down the road of their school's campus. "Why did you volunteer for house arrest," the hothead asked, looking at Wade with a scowl. "I was going to take the blame, bug."
Wade sighed and placed his hands behind his head. "Don't know," Wade said, looking up at the night sky. "Guess my heart worked faster than my brain again."
Soon, the two of them arrived at their dorm and started walking down the stone pathway. As they approached the large building, Bakugo was lost in thought over All Might's reason for picking the other boy. Spider-Man's answer to his question just reinforced the former Symbol of Peace's point of view.
"Heart worked faster than your brain," Bakugo said, looking at Wade as the young hero turned his head to him. "That's why…you saved me from being taken by the villains. It was just like during the Sludge Villain incident, wasn't it?"
The two of them stopped halfway to the steps. "Yeah," Wade said with a nod and lowered his hands. "At that moment, I didn't think about anything. Not even Dad. I just…thought about all the bad things they would do to you and knew that I had the power to stop them."
Hearing that, Bakugo looked down with a frown. "That's why…why you were so much further ahead of me," he said, as he finally started understanding why everything was happening and why Wade was rising while he was failing. "I heard what you said when I was unconscious."
Wade gasped as the wind passed through his messy hair.
Wade's scowl fell as he looked at his rival with a sad expression. "And honestly...I...wish things were different between us, Katsuki."
Bakugo still didn't wake up as Wade finally told him what he wanted to tell him.
"I never hated you, Katsuki. I never wanted the two of us to be like this. Honestly, I kind of hoped that we were friends. But I guess it was inevitable. Us constantly at each other's throats. Perhaps if things were different, we could have been different. I don't know what it was that made you hate me so much, but it doesn't have to continue. I'm not sure that it's possible for us to really be friends. Maybe it is. We don't have to continue this cycle anymore."
He placed his hand on his bully's shoulder and said. "We don't have to hate each other, Katsuki."
Turning to Bakugo, Wade placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. It's possibly the first genuine smile he's given his former bully in a long time. "And…what do you think?"
Bakugo looked at the young hero for a moment, scowling. He then lightly swatted his hand away from him. "Don't count on us being chums…."
Well, that was a bust. But Wade wasn't expecting them to be friends automatically.
"But…all that fancy heart-felt talk made me realize now what I must do," Bakugo said, glaring at Wade with a fire of determination in his eyes. "You said that you wanted to be better than what you were like back then, right? Well, I can do the same. If it means being a better hero, then…I'll be a better person than what I was. Just like you, I'll make it my drive. If my great power really does come with a great responsibility, then I, too, will take up that responsibility. That way, I can get better and become greater than you, Chosen One."
Hearing this, Wade left in a state of shock and awe at his bully. Was he earnest about what he was saying? Despite all of his flaws, Bakugo was a man of his word. When the hothead set his mind to something, it was nearly impossible to convince him otherwise. Meaning that Bakugo was set on becoming a better person. It may not be the purest of reasons, but it was still a reason for him to change. It's a start.
Wade grinned and looked at his former bully with determination. "Alright, then, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. If I'm going to be the new Symbol of Peace, then I will have to be greater than I am right now," Wade said, grinning at his rival. "And…hey, if you ever want to talk, you can come to me. Okay?"
"...Yeah, whatever." Bakugo turned away and started walking towards the dorm. However, a few steps away from Wade, he stopped and stood still. Not turning his back to his rival. If he was dead set on his drive, then he had to take that leap of faith. "And…Wade…"
Wade's eyes widened as he gave Bakugo his full attention. That was the first time in their lives that the explosive blonde called him by his real name.
"About…everything I did to you…I…" Bakugo's voice grew lower as he mumbled the end of that sentence.
Wade raised an eyebrow and walked over to him. "What? What did you say?"
"I said that I'm…." Just like the first time, Bakugo mumbled the last bit of his sentence.
"Dude, you've got to speak up," Wade said, holding his hand up to his ear. Bakugo took a deep breath and turned around to him.
"I said I'm SORRY!" Bakugo yelled at the top of his lungs as his head grew big, his teeth became sharp, and his glaring eyes turned white. Wade was startled by the yelling and jumped back a bit. Bakugo then turned around and marched back to the dorm, where he slammed the door behind him like a child.
"…Apology accepted," Wade said, digging into his right ear, as both were still ringing. It was not the most positive way to apologize for all the shit he put him through. However, this was a good start. Bakugo still has a long way to go, but if he kept his drive, Wade knew he could make it. They were now proper rivals, in a way that they weren't before.
The next day came, and Wade and Bakugo began their days under house arrest. When the others heard about what happened, some, like Wade's girlfriends, felt sorry for the two of them. Others, like Iida, were disappointed with their rash action. However, there was nothing they could do to help them, and Aizawa explicitly told the class not to help Wade and Bakugo or tell them anything about what they were learning until they were back in class.
Luckily, Wade had a solution for that.
As the afternoon came and the sky started to turn orange, Wade was crouching down in front of one of the couches and placing his fingers under it. "You ready," he asked Bakugo, who had the vacuum.
"Yeah!" The explosive blonde said, turning on the vacuum.
Wade nodded and lifted up the couch with ease. Yeah, the shape made it awkward to hold up, but luckily, Bakugo worked fast and furiously to vacuum up the carpet.
"Done!" he yelled, getting out of the way before Wade placed the couch back down.
With a sigh, Wade sat down on the couch. "Man, what a day," he said.
"Stop sitting around! You're supposed to be getting the trash out!" Bakugo yelled at Wade, pointing to the large yellow trash bags near the kitchen counter.
"Yeah, yeah, I've got you," Wade said, standing back up and walking over to the bags. Just then, the door to the dorm opened, and their friends and classmates came walking in.
"We're back!" Ochaco exclaimed with a big smile on her face as she was about to run over to Wade.
"Hold it right there!" Wade yelled and pointed, getting her and the others to stop. "We just got the place clean, so leave your shoes at the door!"
"Y-Yes, sir," the others said, quickly taking off their shoes so as not to incur the wrath of both boys.
After taking off her shoes, Ochaco walked into the common area and looked around with wide eyes. Everywhere she looked, there were little clean sparkles, and there didn't appear to be a speck of dirt anywhere. "Oh wow, you two actually managed to clean this entire place?"
"I don't know," Mineta said with a smug look on his face. "I might have to inspect it for any…uncleanliness."
"Bakugo, how do you feel about having grape juice?" Wade asked, cracking his knuckles as he glared at Mineta. "My treat."
Bakugo made sparks in his right palm as he, too, glared at Mineta. "Would love some," he growled, making Mineta scream and run away to hide behind the couch.
"Anyways, if you guys bring down your trash, I'll take it all out in a second," Wade said as Sato and Mina walked past him and leaned around the other couch where Kaminari and Kirishima were sitting.
"Thanks, baby. You're the best," Mina said, sounding exhausted.
"So, how was class?"
"Brutal," Mina moaned.
"So, Present Mic's class today…" Sato trailed off.
"You were as lost as I was," asked Kirishima.
"Were we supposed to know all the grammar he was going over?"
Mina joined in on the conversation. "Oh, yeah, that! Right? I was, like, is this even English?"
"I think I studied the wrong chapters!" Kirishima exclaimed.
"I got stuck at the beginning, and then I couldn't figure out anything after that," Sato said.
Wade listened to them before another conversation between Jiro, Ojiro, and Hagakure started when the punk rock girl said, "About those work studies, I wasn't scouted, so I wonder if I'll get to participate in one."
Hagakure said, "Maybe we can go to the places where we did our internships. I'd be totally down with doing that."
"I hope I get to do one," Ojiro commented.
Suddenly, a girly voice said to Wade, "In just one day, I've been completely left behind!"
"Huh?" Wade looked to his right and saw Iida doing another weird pose that made him wonder if he was a Jojo fan. "Is that your impression of me?"
"Yes, and that's what you've been thinking. Right, House Arrest?" Iida asked his best friend.
"Oh, like you're one to talk about not breaking the rules," Wade said with a deadpan expression. "You're the guy who went after a villain in revenge without a license and almost got himself killed."
Tenya flinched with a shocked expression for a moment before recomposing himself. "Fair play," he said.
Wade sighed and placed a hand on his hip. "So, have they talked more to you guys about the work-study?"
"I'm sorry, but we can't tell you anything—" Iida stopped himself, realizing what Wade had said. "Wait…how did you know about the work-study?"
Wade froze up a bit, realizing that he might have blown his and Bakugo's little plan. "Uh…because Jiro mentioned it," he said nervously, shocking the punk rock girl. Jiro looked at him with an 'Are you serious?' expression after being thrown under the bus.
"Jiro, please! Our instructions were clear. We're not to give any details about our classes to Wade and Bakugo while they're on House Arrest," he told not only her but the rest of the students.
Pretending to be upset, Wade groaned as Momo walked up to him and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. "I'm sorry, darling. You'll just have to experience the same shock and surprise we went through. But Aizawa did say that once you come back to class, he'll explain it all."
"Did you catch that, Bakugo!?" Iida called out to the explosive boy.
"Shut your mouth! I fucking heard you, four eyes!" Bakugo yelled. He might be trying to be a better person, but he was still Bakugo. Meaning that his new drive to be better was going to be a slow ride.
Wade sighed in relief as he walked outside of the dorm. All the bags that he'd collected were webbed up together, allowing him to carry them over his shoulder, on his back.
As it turned out, the young hero had Hatsume make him a very special gadget when his suit was being upgraded: a spider drone the size of a tarantula. Wade had the spider-drone sneak into the homeroom during the assembly, and it became Wade and Bakugo's eyes and ears as they cleaned up the dorm. Even his rival had to admit it was impressive.
Initially made for disaster rescues, the drone proved to be a great spy drone, as it allowed Wade and Bakugo to learn a bit about work studies.
To put it simply, it's work outside of class, like the internship they did at Pro Hero agencies. Only, it'll be closer to the real thing, as Aizawa put it. They'll be using their connections from the Sports Festival to secure a work-study, which was described as basic networking. It wouldn't be part of the regular classwork, but it's discretionary for each student. Meaning that those who weren't scouted at the festival will have a hard time lining one up. Initially, individual agencies recruited on their own, but there was a lot of competition as people tried recruiting UA students. So this is how things ended up.
Now that Wade and the others that passed had provisional licenses, they could assist in real ways, for longer periods of time. With the increase of villains, the school's been exploring the idea of Wade's freshmen year participating in work studies as well.
That was where Aizawa stopped with the explanation of the work-studies. Meaning that if Wade wanted to know the rest, then he would have to wait until his three days were up.
Normally, Wade wouldn't have used the spider-drone for this kind of purpose, but if he wanted to stay at the same level as everyone else, he had to use more shady means. It was the start of the new semester, and it was all he could do to make up for his house arrest. However, he still couldn't participate in hero training, meaning that all he could do was sit around in his room doing nothing.
Wade sighed. "I hate this. Even with the drone, I'll fall behind," he said.
Meow.
Wade's eyes widened when he heard the meowing. Looking around to see where it had come from, he looked to his left and then slightly down and gasped.
Sitting a few feet away from him was an adorable orange tabby kitten. His eyes were blue, with the right eye scarred closed, likely due to having to survive on its own for so long. And his furry was dirty. "Meow."
"Aw~." Despite the scar, Wade gushed at the sight of the kitten and crouched down to it. "Who do we have here~," he said with a big smile, pulling out a cracker from his pocket. The kitten meowed again and walked up to him, allowing the young man to pet it, and it munched on the snack. "Where's your mama? Are you out here all alone?"
The kitten meowed again, as Wade looked around the tree line surrounding the dorm. He was hoping that there would be other cats, like the mom, or at least a litter.
Sadly, though, there were none.
"Poor little guy," said a voice behind Wade.
"Yeah. Most have been out here all by…." Wade trailed off when he turned around to look at the person talking to him…
…only to see the face of Tintin sticking out of the wall.
"...himself," he finished the sentence as he looked at the face in total shock. It wasn't coming out of a hole in the wall or looked like it was made from the wall itself. It was quite literally just a face that was phasing through the wall, smiling at Wade with beady blue eyes.
"He seems to really like you," said the face.
Wade stared at the face with wide eyes as the kitten rubbed Wade's hand. "Uh…yeah…" He yelped in shock with a hand phased through the wall and pointed to the face's right.
"What are you doing? You know you can just throw away the food trays with the burnables, don't you," asked the face.
Wade sweated a little bit as he nodded his head. "Oh…really? Thanks."
The face nodded and disappeared, pulling itself back through the wall.
Leaving Wade and the kitten alone together, with the young man pondering what he had just seen. "Oh my God, I knew it would happen. Some kid died at this school, and now their ghost haunts the grounds."
The face appeared from the ground in front of Wade's feet, making him scream in shock, and the kitten meowed in fright before running off. "So you must be that exciting first year everyone's been talking about?" The face said with a laugh as Wade backed away from him. "I bet that was a freaky surprise for ya. Kinda sorry about that! Gotta admit, I popped out here because I thought it would be funny."
"Wait…" Wade looked at the face with wide eyes. "You're not a ghost?
"Oh my God, ghosts are here?! Where?!"
"You, dumbass!" Wade yelled with white eyes because returning to normal. "Alright, start talking! Who or what the hell are you?"
The face laughed again. "Not a bad question there, my friend! I admit, sometimes I even weird myself out! You know, once in a blue moon," he said with a cheerful smile. "But don't worry, you're gonna find out who I am soon enough."
"Uh, could you say that and not be so ominous about it," Wade asked, making the face laugh again.
"I guess you're right. I'm just glad it looks like you've got a fighting spirit. You see, the truth is that people are talking about you. So, I figured I see what the fuss was about," the face said before disappearing. Leaving Wade, once again, alone.
With his free hand, Wade sighed and covered his face. "Okay, Wade, it's not a ghost, meaning that you're going crazy," he said before continuing his way to throw out the trash. "Though, come to think of it, I feel like I've seen that guy somewhere before."
Returning to the dorm later on, Wade opened the door and walked inside. "I'm back," he said with closed eyes, feeling tired and ready to go lay down and sleep.
Hearing her boyfriend, Ochaco walked out of the kitchen with an apron on. Everyone else was eating, so she took it upon herself to cook Wade's dinner. "Hey, babe, I made some…." the brunette's face turned from happy to see her boyfriend to a look of shock as she gasped. "Oh my gosh, KITTY!"
The squeal startled not only everyone else but also left Wade confused as he said, "What? What are you—huh?!"
Wade nearly tripped over when he saw the same orange tabby kitten standing at the door beside him. It had followed Wade back to the dorm and slipped in when he wasn't looking. Now it was inside the building, looking up at Wade with its one adorable eye and meowing at him.
Seeing the cat, Ochaco and Mina comically slip on their stomaches towards the kitten, stopping just two feet from him. "He's adorable!" Both of them exclaimed together as some of Wade's friends walked over to him and the kitten.
"Whoa, Wade, where did you find this little guy," Kirishima asked.
Sero said, "Actually, I think I've seen him before a few times."
"Wade, you understand that this is a wild animal!?" Iida exclaimed.
"Hey, I'm well aware of that," Wade said, kneeling and petting the cat's fur gently. "I just found him when I was taking out the trash just now. Must've followed me here."
"Aw~ he likes you!" Hagakure said, coming closer to the kitten. The kitten hissed and scrabbled behind Wade's legs, looking at the girls and boys with a scared look. "Hey, what's the matter?"
"Guys, you're scaring him," Wade said, gently picking up the cat and petting it. "He's been all alone in the world. On his own, fighting for his life."
Todoroki commented, "And now you're the first person he's trusted."
Wade looked at the kitten, who snuggled into his chest. The adorable animal meowed a cute yawn and closed its good eye. Making Wade smile at him before turning to Koda. "Koda, can you help me out with cleaning him up," he asked.
Koda nodded eagerly. Momo, however, approached her boyfriend with a concerned expression. "Are you sure, Wade? He's a stray cat," she said, worried for her boyfriend's health, as the kitten could have fleas.
"Not anymore," Wade said with a smile.
Despite it seeming like time was crawling by, three days eventually passed, and Wade turned in his written apology to Mr. Aizawa. When his house arrest ended, it meant that Bakugo would be left alone to clean up the dorm by himself, as well as take care of Wade's pet kitten.
He placed the kitten into his bed in the common area and stood back up. "Alright, Chewie, I'm heading out," he said with a smile, which got him a cute meow.
Chewie, short for Chewbacca, was named by Wade after he knocked over Wade's Lego UCS set. The same one that he was still trying to rebuild after Kaminari broke it. And also because he liked to chew on stuff. Luckily, Koda gave the cat a chew toy after the two of them gave him a bath.
One trip to the vet later, Chewie was formally adopted by Wade Walker. Luckily, when Wade told Aizawa about the cat, he surprisingly allowed Wade to take him to the vet. He even gave him money for the vet, a good collar, a water and food bowl, and cat food!
It wouldn't surprise Wade that he was a cat lover.
"Alright, I'm heading out," Wade said to Chewie as he walked towards the door. "Uncle Bakugo will take care of you. Right, Bakugo?"
"Shut up, bug! I already said I will!" Bakugo yelled angrily at him while mopping.
"Good, make sure he goes in the litter box! Don't blow him up!" Wade said before running out the door to catch up with the others.
Bakugo and Chewie were left alone together, with the young man looking at the adorable kitten. The kitten meowed at him, making Bakugo turn away with a scoff. "Shut up."
The moment Aizawa walked into the classroom, Wade quickly sat down in his chair along with everyone else. "Morning. Now that Walker's back, we'll go into more detail about the work studies," the teacher said to his students. Then, to the confusion of the kids, Eraser Head turned to the closed door. "Go ahead and come in."
Wade, confused, looked at the door as it opened.
"I'll have people who've experienced them firsthand explain," Aizawa said as the people waiting outside came walking into the room. When Wade saw them, he was stunned. "I suggest that you listen to them as they point out how the work studies are different from the internship. These three are in their third year at UA. They ranked at the very top of the student body. You may know them as…THE BIG THREE."
The Big Three stood in front of the classroom. Allowing everyone to gaze upon them in awe.
The first one was a tall young man with a very muscular build and several noticeable scars around his lower arms. His most distinctive feature was his beady blue eyes, which had no visible sclera and nose prominently rounder than most people. He had blond hair, the top part of which was arranged in a cowlick, while the bottom section was worn swept backward. In his school uniform, he dressed like most male students, albeit without the blazer. He wore a belt with a large, rectangular golden buckle shaped like a carnivorous mouth.
The second student was a gorgeous, fair-skinned girl of average height with a mature physique and wide, curious eyes. Her upper eyelashes were long and thick, and her irises were a royal blue. Her hair was periwinkle, reaching down to her knees, twisting around itself at her waist, and curving inwards around her legs. She had side-swept bangs, tucked behind her ears on the right and hanging just over her eyes on the left, and two short clumps of hair on either side of her face, curved towards her face on the right and behind it, under her ear, on the left. The girl wore a waistcoat instead of the standard U.A. blazer with her school uniform like Jiro occasionally does.
The third of the group was a tall young man with rather pale skin. His ears were longer than most, their tips pointy and somewhat elf-like. He has messy, indigo hair, which stuck out behind his head (Wade thought he looked like Sasuke), and thin, tired-looking eyes, partially covered by his bangs. His shoulders were hunched, and he avoided eye contact with people. He wore his tie slightly loosened when wearing his school uniform, and his shirt was only partially tucked in.
Wade looked at the three students in awe. "Whoa…" he said, amazed to see the most remarkable students of the hero course were in the same room with him. However, he looked back at the first student's face and gasped. "It's him!"
"Oh, wow!" Mina exclaimed with stars in her eyes and a big grin on her face.
Iida whispered. "Of all the talented students here, they're the ones at the top."
"They're on a different level," Momo said with a hand on her chest. "Still in school, but practically Pro Heroes."
Jiro chimed in and said, "If they're as good as I hear, then they're the students we should be chasing after."
"They don't look that special," Kamrinari commented. "Expect the girl. She's pretty hot."
Seeing the girl, Mineta focused his eyes on her. His brain zoned in and enhanced three of the most appealing parts of the older girl: first, her cute face and uniquely colored hair; next, her amped breasts; then her wide hips; and finally, her long legs.
Her sexiness overloaded Mineta's mind so much that he was drooling all over his desk. Wade delivered swift punishment by shooting webbing into his face. Turning back to the students, Wade looked at the muscular blonde. "So, the guy's really not a ghost? He's an actual student?" Wade said, looking at the third years, who stood with his arms crossed in a V. Seeing him in full person, Wade realized who he was, having seen him at Sports Festival last year on TV
Needless to say, he didn't do very well but left a strong impression when he suddenly got naked.
The other two didn't take home any medals either. And yet, despite that, they're regarded as UA's Big Three.
But that begged the question, how did they get those titles?
Aizawa moved the lesson along as he looked at the Big Three. "Get to it. Introduce yourselves briefly," he said. "Let's start with you, Amajiki."
All of a sudden, Amajiki stared at Class 1-A with such intensity that it took everyone, including Wade, by surprise. He couldn't sense any malicious intention, or else his senses would be going off. But the intensity of his stare was so great that it made the nerves in his spin rattle.
As for why he was staring at them so intensely, well…
Potatoes.
He was imagining everyone having potatoes for heads.
"It's no good," Amajiki said in a low, miserable tone of voice. Then he looked down, avoiding eye contact with anyone, as his body started shaking. "You two go. I just can't. Even if I try imagining them as potatoes, I can see their human bodies. I know that they're still people. No words are coming out. My mind's blank, and my mouth's dry."
"...the fuck is going on?" Wade asked, weirded out by the nervous breakdown the guy was having.
"...I can't say anything…I wanna…go home," Amajiki said, turning around and placing his forehead on the wall so as to not look at anyone. An action that took everyone but the other two big students and Aizawa by surprise.
"Okay," Ojiro said, a bit uneasy with how Amajiki was acting. "So, um, don't take this the wrong way, but are you really one of the top heroes at UA?"
The girl member of the Big Three laughed and said, "Come on, Amajiki! You need to have the heart of a lion, not a kitten. You know, even though you're a human. Get what I mean?"
She then turned to the students and continued with the introductions.
"This is our kitten, Tamaki Amajiki," she said, gesturing to her friend behind, placing her hand on her chest. "And, hi, my name is Nejire Hado. I'm supposed to be talking to you about work studies. You first years have a really exciting time ahead of you."
Hado then noticed Shoji and approached him. "Hey, wait, why are you wearing a mask? Is it cuz you're feeling sick? Or just…trying to look cool," she asked, leaning in close to the tall boy as she stared at his mask.
Shoji placed his hand on his mask and said, "Uh. Well…"
Hado, however, turned her attention to Todoroki the moment she saw him. "Oh wow! And you must be Todoroki, am I right?" exclaimed the curious girl as she sprung up. "Yeah! How'd you get that big burn on your face?"
"That's none of your—" Shoto was cut off when Hado turned her attention to another student.
"And, Ashido, if your horns break off, you think you'll grow new ones? Oh, and can you wiggle them," she asked, with Mina reaching up to her horns. Then she smiled at Tsu. "Oh, oh, Asui! You're a cute little tree frog, not a gross toad, right? Oh, my goodness! There's so much I wanna know about each and every one of you! Let's do a Q and A!"
While this seemed to be annoying Aizawa, most of Class 1-A was smitten by Hado.
"Aw! She's a total airhead. Even Cuter!" Kaminari gushed with a smile and a light blush.
"All those questions make her sound so young," Mina commented.
As she looked around the room, Hado's attention was caught by the sight of Wade sitting at his desk. Having seen him on TV, she instantly recognized him and bounced over to him with an eager smile. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I know you! You're Wade Walker, the Human Spider!"
"It's Spider-Man—" Wade tried pointing out but was interrupted by the cute girl leaning closer.
"Oh man, I've got so many questions for you," Hado said, clapping her hands. "How come you only have two eyes? Don't spiders have like eight? How come you shot webs out of your wrists? Is it because you can't shoot webs from your butt? Do you catch bad guys like flies? Can you spin a web any size? Do you also eat flies too? Oh wow, that'd be weird. No judgment, tho. So, are you like a cute jumping spider or a gross hairy tarantula?"
"...I'm…more like a radioactive spider," Wade said, overwhelmed by the questions Hado was asking him. "I don't have poison, though."
"Oh wow! Hey, what's up with your electricity? And how do you turn invisible?" Hado continued to flood Wade with questions until Aizawa, who now had a red aura about him, had enough and glared at the other last member of the Big Three.
"This is completely irrational," he said.
The blonde raised his hand and sweated nervously. "Oh, there's no need for you to worry, Eraser Head. I'm up next, and I'll get the audience refocused," he said with a smile and pointed to himself with his thumb. The guy then made an overly exaggerated pose with his hand to his ear. "The future's gonna be…?!"
He waited for someone to finish his sentence, but no one did. They all looked at him in confusion. Kaminari spoke up and asked, "Gonna be what?"
"Awful! That's your part, guys! Well, crap! My call and response was a total fail," he said before letting out a hearty laugh.
"This guy seems like a complete weirdo," Sato whispered to Koda and Tokoyami in the back of the room. "Is this some kind of joke? What's the deal?"
"Their strangeness is palpable," commented Tokoyami before the third-year tried again.
"Okay, you guys look like you have no idea what's going on," he said.
"Geez, you think!" Wade jeered.
The older boy laughed and scratched the back of his head. "I guess we are third-years who just showed up in your classroom to explain a program that's completely voluntary," he said, walking to stand behind the podium. "I can see how you'd be confused by that."
The guy then placed his hand on his chin and pondered for a moment.
"You guys got your provisional licenses as first years, right? Huh! This batch of new students has proven to be darn energetic," said the boy with a grin growing on his face. "So the problem is…you must not have a sense of humor! That's why my joke didn't land."
No sense of humor? Wade felt his pride as Spider-Man being hurt by that comment.
Hado and Amajiki, however, looked at their friend with knowing eyes. "Don't do it," warned the other boy.
But the third-year just punched up in the air with a giant smile. "Heads up, the rad new plan is for all you first-years to fight me at once!"
"HUH?!" exclaimed everyone in the room.
"You wanna fight all of us?" Kirishima said, wanting to clarify the plan, hoping that he'd misheard the guy.
"What, like, now," asked Sero.
The guy looked at Aizawa and rubbed under his nose. "Well, if you want them to experience what we experience, this is a pretty rational way of doing it then," he explained to the teacher. "Right, Eraser Head? Rational."
Aizawa sighed and said, "Do whatever you want."
And so it was.
Everyone got into their gym clothes and headed to Gym Gamma. There, Class 1-A stood together in a group while their opponent stood a few meters away, stretching out his legs. "Is he…for real," asked Sero, speaking the sentiment that everyone else shared. To take on all 18 of them seemed like it would be a suicide request. They didn't even know what his Quirk was.
"Oh, yeah, totally," the guy said.
"Mirio, you're impossible," Amajiki said. Just like before, he was standing as far away from the students as possible, his hands in his pockets and forehead resting against the wall. "It would have been simple enough for us to tell them. 'This is what it's like.' 'Here's what we learned from it.' Not everyone has your level of drive. Plus, think about it. What if some of them can't recover after fighting you? No one wants to spend the next few years in a hospital bed."
The last comment he made got some of the student's attention. A few years in the hospital? Just how powerful was Mirio? "Should…we really be doing this?" Wade asked. He could handle anything that Mirio could dish out, but the others didn't have his durability.
"I bet he's just trying to psych us out," Kirishima said, cracking his knuckles.
"Hey, listen up, it's story time," said Hado. The older girl was with Mina, who looked really flustered and uncomfortable as Hado pushed her horns back and forth.
Turned out, they can be wiggled. Wade would have to remember that.
"Long ago, a student got frustrated in class and quit being a Hero, and it was terrible for everyone. Did you know that? So, Togata, I know our job is tough. But you better make sure you know what you're doing," Hado said to Mirio. "Be careful, okay?"
"P-Please stop touching those," Mina said, trying to suppress a moan.
Tokoyami turned back to Mirio and said, "Let's think about this. You're obviously much further ahead than us. But we fought Pros before."
"Not to mention, we took down some legitimate villains," Kirishima bragged with a grin. "I don't think you need to worry about hurting us. We're not a buncha wannabes."
Mirio nodded, liking what he heard. "Heard, but you're gonna have to show me that's the truth. Now, who's gonna start this party?"
Wade smirked and took a step forward. "That would be me," he said confidently as he stretched his arms. He was determined not to fall behind because of his house arrest, and this fight would give him the chance to catch up.
On the sideline, Aizawa called out to his students. "View this as a learning experience. This'll be a good opportunity for you."
Mirio smiled when he saw Wade stepping up to fight him. "Oh, the problem child! Yes, this is perfect! I wanted to see that fire in you up close," he said as Wade got into a fighting stance.
"You wanna see fire? I'll give you a shock," Wade quipped, charging a Venom Punch. He was honestly a little thrilled. This was the top student in UA. If he was going to spar with someone, he was the best opponent Wade could ask for. Todoroki and Bakugo were good, too, but this was someone said to be beyond Class 1-A's league. How would he fair against him at his level? How much distance was there between where Spider-Man stood and Mirio was?
"The close combat team should surround him first thing," said Sato, as he and the others got ready for battle.
Kirishima hardened himself and said, "We've got ourselves a new mentor. Thanks for the opportunity, man. But you should know that it's clobberin' time!"
Wade wasted no time and fired a web-line at Mirio's uniform. Once the web connected, Wade slingshot himself towards the older boy, ready to strike him with a Venom Punch.
However, things did not go according to plan.
Not when Mirio's shirt fell off his body.
Then his shoes…
…Then his pants…
…and then his underwear.
Jiro screamed and covered her blushing face as Sero yelled at the nude young man. "Why did your clothes just fall off!?"
"Oopys! Sorry, my Quirk's a bit tricky," Mirio said as he tried to slip back on his pants.
Wade continued rocketing towards him. "Bad move, pad!" He yelled and swung at Mirio…
…Only for his fist to pass right through him.
Wade gasped when he saw this, before his entire body passed by Mirio. Turning around in midair, Spider-Man came to a stop as he slid across the ground. "So that's your power," he said, crouching as he glared at his opponent. "Your Quirk allows you to pass through solid matter."
Mirio smiled and said, "You're pretty smart."
Aoyama's laser, Seto's tape, and Mina's acid were shot at the back of his head while he was talking to Wade. However, they passed by him, just like Wade did, and headed straight for the young man. Forcing Wade to jump out of the way before he was hit, causing the attacks to hit the rock wall behind him. "Hey, watch it!"
Then the smoke cleared, and Mirio was gone.
"Where'd he go?" Iida exclaimed.
Suddenly, Mirio came jumping up from behind Jiro, who was standing at the back of the group of long-distance fighters. Once again, with no clothes on. "I think I'll start by taking out the long-distance fighters," he proclaimed, getting Jiro to turn around and come face to face with his ding dong.
The poor punk rock girl screamed while everyone else was wondering just how Mirio ended up on the other side of the gym.
"Did he warp?!" Shoji exclaimed.
Sato and Kirishima rushed toward Mirio. "His power isn't just slipping through things?" The sugar-powered boy exclaimed.
"How did this guy land such a cool power?!" Kirishima yelled.
Amajiki was still facing the wall when he heard the redhead. "You're wrong. Mirio's Quirk isn't what you should be jealous of," he said as Tokoyami attacked with Dark Shadow's arms. However, Mirio once again disappeared, and then…
BASH!
"GAH!" Tokoyami cried out in pain as Mirio was suddenly punching him in the stomach with the force of a cannonball.
"You should be envying his skills. That's what sets him apart, first-years," Amajiki said as Mirio rushed and took down Sero and Mineta with the same gut punch. The other long-distance fighters tried to attack him, but none of them could land a hit. "Mirio did a work-study with a hero, but it didn't stop there. He kept building himself up."
Mirio hit Mina, Aoyama, and Tsu in the stomach, taking the three of them out of the fight. Then, in the blink of an eye, he did the same to Momo, Shoji, Jiro, and Kaminari. It happened so fast that none of them could react. One moment, they were desperately trying to respond to Mirio taking down their friend; next, they felt a massive amount of pain.
To finish his attack, Mirio grabbed his pants and put them on. Then, he did a heroic pose in front of the bodies of his fallen victims.
"POWERRR!"
Wade and the other close-quarter fighters looked on in shock at what Mirio did in under a minute. Even Todoroki, who stood next to Aizawa, was left wide-eyed and with his mouth hanging. The muscular blonde had gotten more than half of Class 1-A in an instant.
"Mirio Togata," his teacher said, staring at the third-year. "In my opinion, he and Walker are the people who are closest to taking the spot of number-one Hero. That's including the Pros."
Todoroki looked back at Mirio in awe. "A student, but closer to being number one than most Heroes. He and Wade are evenly matched?"
Mirio smiled as he looked back at the students he'd taken down. They lay on the floor, groaning in pain while holding their stomachs. "Think that's it for the long-distance fighters," he said, turning back to face the others. "All that's left are the fighters who specialize in close-quarters combat."
This made the others flinch as they got ready to fight. "I have no idea how he just did that," Kirishima exclaimed.
"It's one thing to be able to phase through stuff, but warping too?" Ochaco said.
Ojiro looked highly uncertain. "He's unrivaled," he said. "Do we stand a chance?"
Mirio smiled with determination in his eyes as he transitioned into a low-fighting stance. "Hold the flattery."
Back in his little corner, Amajiki said, "'Flattery?' Just that one word, and I can tell what level you're all at," he said. "Like how an ordinary person might think a Pro's impressive but lack the ability to figure out why. If you can't tell how much hard work Mirio has put in, then you'll never be able to match him."
Wade heard the moody boy's monologue and turned his gaze back to Mirio. "There's more to his Quirk than we're seeing," he said, getting the attention of the others. "Whether his true power is slipping through matter or warping, he's still landing his hits directly. And being a Big Three means he has total mastery of his abilities. However, we can still counter him at the moment he's about to make contact. We might not be able to tell what he's doing, but we should be planning based on what we do know and use it to find a way to beat him."
Mirio's smile grew.
"Yeah! You said it," Kirishima said as he and the others' confidence was built back up. Now, they were all ready to fight against the seemingly unstoppable third-year. "House arrest didn't put a dent in that fighting spirit of yours, Wade."
"Then see if you can figure out how to win!" Mirio exclaimed as he came charging at the group of students.
Wade grinned as he concentrated his bioelectricity into his finger. "Venom BEAM!" With that yell, Spider-Man fired a concentrated beam of electricity at Mirio.
Suddenly, just as it was about to hit him, Mirio fell through the floor, leaving behind his pants to be zapped.
"He went under!" Sato yelled in shock.
Wade channeled his electricity into his fist as his senses alerted him to Mirio's next attack. "And he'll come up…"
POW!
"HERE!" Wade yelled as he whirled around and punched Mirio in the stomach, shocking as well as doing damage to him. It was a move that shocked everyone who knew Mirio, with the blonde himself being surprised amidst the pain he felt.
As Mirio was sent flying back, he thought about how Wade wasn't surprised. The younger boy had predicted where he would be and was able to hit him with precision. The spider-power first-year wasn't just strong; he was pretty clever.
Maybe he could see more of what this first-year had up his sleeve.
Mirio would have slammed into the walls and pillars Cementoss made during Class 1-A's training. However, he phased right through it.
"Don't let your guard down!" Wade yelled at the others. "He could pop up anywhere!"
"Right!" Iida yelled…
…until Mirio appeared behind him.
Iida tried to react, but the moment he turned around, Mirio punched him in the stomach and disappeared onto the floor.
"Damn!" Kirishima turned around to see where the Big Three member went, but Mirio flew up out of the ground behind him. Going over Kirishima's head, Mirio dived down towards the floor, punching the hardened student in the stomach before disappearing.
"Guy!" Wade yelled in shock and worry as he rushed in to try and help his friends. However, the moment Mirio appeared behind the others, it was too late.
With lightning-fast speed, he took them all down with punches to the stomach. When he was finished, he grabbed his pants and slipped them back on. All before doing another pose.
"POWERRR!"
Wade came to a halt in complete shock as he looked at the third-year's handy work. Now, it was just him and Mirio.
Off to the side, Hado laughed as she walked over to Amajiki. "Hey, check it out, huh—Togata's gotten super powerful lately," she said, still being cute and bubbly. "Are you even watching?"
"Mirio's been strong ever since we were kids. The problem is…" Amajiki looked over his shoulder to see all the students his friend had taken down groaning in pain. "...he needs to learn how to hold back.
Mirio looked at Wade with a smile. "Welp, looks like it's just you."
In spite of his nervousness, Wade smirked at the older boy. "Yep, just little ol' me," he said, wondering if he could beat him. No, there was no doubt that the Spider-Man could beat him. At least, there shouldn't be any doubts. And yet, Wade saw his friends being taken down with ease. Even so, he had an edge over Mirio.
"So, how did you predict where I was going to be? Usually, I'm able to get the jump on people with that move," Mirio stated, curious about how Wade was able to do what he did.
"You can thank my Spider-Quirk for it," Wade said, grinning at his pocked his head with his thumb. "It alerts me to any incoming attacks, allowing him ample time to counter it or brace myself against danger and save myself. Meaning that your little phasing trick can't work on me!"
"Oh yeah?" Mirio's grin grew as he looked at Wade with a determined glance, ready to challenge that statement. "Want to put that little theory to the test?"
"Sure, but no more getting naked and disappearing. That's Hagakure's thing," Wade said, getting into a boxing stance. "Let's settle this like men!"
"Gladly!" Mirio yelled because running at Wade.
Wade charged too and jumped at Mirio, throwing a Venom Punch at him. He watched as his opponent reached out a hand, seemingly trying to stop the punch.
But Wade's electric fist just flew right through him.
"Watch this ultimate move! Blinding Touch Eyeball Crush!" Mirio yelled, sticking out his pointer finger as he rushed at Wade's eye. Setting off his senses and making Wade close his right eye.
However, that wasn't what Wade's Spider-Sense was warning him about. And Wade realized it when he saw Mirio's hand passing by his head. With his right side blind, the Spider-Man saw Mirio's left arm cocking back, and his instincts told him what was to come.
So, he acted quickly. Before Mirio could deliver a devastating punch to Wade's stomach, the Spider-Man blocked the attack with his other arm. It took most of the punishment, but the older boy's attack was still powerful enough to send Wade's body up off his feet.
"Whoa, you were right. I've discovered that most people try to launch a counterattack, just like you did. So, naturally, I've trained to work around such a move. But here you are working around my workaround," Mirio commented.
Wade landed and skidded around the ground before coming to a stop. Panting from the pain he felt in his arm, he shook it off and refocused on his opponent.
And then, he disappeared.
Mirio's eyes widened for a moment before looking around. This is just like what he saw on TV.
BASH!
Suddenly, he was punched in the face with a powerful punch that sent him flying off his feet. That was until Wade's invisible hand grabbed his ankle and zapped him. The use of his bioelectricity forced him to reappear again.
Mirio grunted in pain before concentrating enough to phase through Wade's hand and down into the ground. When he saw his opponent do this, Wade quickly turned around to see if Mirio would reappear.
However, his Spidey-Senses went off again, and Mirio jumped out behind Wade the moment he turned his back.
Mirio tried to punch him, but Wade quickly jumped back.
Mirio fell down through the floor and then reappeared in front of Wade while he was still in midair.
Wade whirled around and tried roundhouse kicking him in the head, but Mirio turned back on his Quirk, allowing Wade's leg to go past him. However, instead of letting Wade have another shot at him, Mirio grabbed his leg and swung him over his head and then violently down onto the floor, making Wade yell in pain as the wind was knocked out of him.
Thinking that Wade was out of the fight, Mirio grabbed his pants as they fell from the air and slipped them back on.
"POW—"
POW!
"Eeeeeeeeeeeer!" Mirio squealed in agony the moment he felt Wade's foot strike him in the crotch. Everyone saw, including Class 1-A students who were regaining consciousness; they winched and groaned at the pain Mirio must have felt at that moment.
"I didn't hear no bell!" Wade yelled as he spun on his back and kicked himself up onto his feet. Ready to continue the fight.
"Alright, that's enough," Aizawa said, ending the fight as he walked towards the two students. He then looked at Mirio as he sucked in his lips and held his crotch. "I think you've made your point, Togata. Let's not drag this out."
"Y-Yep. Okay," the older teenager said, still in pain.
Once everyone could stand up again, they gathered in a row in front of the Big Three. However, still in pain, everyone beside Wade and Todoroki continued to hold their stomachs and groan in agony. Mirio, being much tougher than them, was no longer in pain of being kicked in the balls and was back to smiling.
"I tried to make it so you wouldn't see my willy. Sorry if you got a peak," he said, back in uniform, standing with Hado and Amjiki to his left. "But, anyway, that's a taste of what it's like to fight me."
This is little to relieve the misery the students felt. "We all just got punched in the stomach," Ochaco moaned. "We didn't even know what was going on until it happened."
"Right, so what do you think," asked Mirio with a bright smile. "Isn't my Quirk strong?"
Wade crossed his arms and said, "It's a pretty useful Quirk, but it's nothing too impressive."
"NOT IMPRESSIVE?! It's OP, Wade!" Sero yelled, grabbed his friend's shirt, and shook him around.
"Not everyone's as powerful as yours! Mine's nothing in comparison!" Hagakure screamed.
Mina pointed at Mirio and yelled, "How can you slip through things and warp? Do you have two powers like Wade and Todoroki do?"
Mirio placed his hands on his hips and said in response, "Nope. Just the one."
Confused, Wade pushed Sero's arm away and asked the older boy, "So wait, all those tricks you did, even the warping, was all done by one Quirk?"
Seeing another opportunity, Hado quickly raised her hand. "Oooooh, I know! I'll tell you what his Quirk is. Hey, hey, can I say it?" she asked her friend. However, the blue-haired girl didn't even give him a chance before blurting it out. "Permeation! Cool, right?"
Amajiki, who was facing away again, sighed in exasperation. "Hado, let Mirio explain his own power."
Mirio took over, explaining as he pointed to himself. "Yup! I've got a sweet Quirk that's called Permeation. What you guys thought of as warping was, you guessed it, simply an alternative application of that power," he said. Hado pouted adorably as she tugged on his shirt. "Oh, sorry, Hado."
Wade crossed his arms and looked at the older boy in confusion. "Okay, so how exactly do you warp," he asked.
"I activate my Quirk in my entire body. Then, I can pass through anything I want, no sweat. Everything! That includes solid ground," Mirio said, tapping his foot on the concert floor.
Ochaco gasped and remembered how Mirio fell through the floor to dodge Wade's Venom Beam. "So, that was you falling through the floor of the gym," she asked.
"That's right. I went deep underground, and then, whenever I release my Quirk while I'm falling, something extraordinary and super strange happens. Apparently, things with mass can't overlap. It's a simple law of physics that caused my body to repel upwards!" Mirio explained to the class. Some of them were able to understand, while others were having a more challenging time grasping the concept. "Think it this way: The ground spits me out, and I fly up into the air. That's how my warping works. By adjusting the direction I'm facing or the pose I'm holding, I can change the angle I come out at, so I can aim at different spots."
"That sounds like a buggy video game," Mina pouted.
Mirio spat out a fit of laughter. "Hahahaha, hey, that's pretty funny!"
"You're able to avoid any attacks, and you can move where you want in an instant," Tsuyu said in amazement. "Aw! You were born with a really strong Quirk."
"Not true." This response took everyone in Class 1-A by surprise. "My power's only strong because I made it that way. While my Quirk is activated, my lungs can't take in oxygen. Even if I breathe in, the air'll just pass through. In the same way, my eardrums don't work. And light can't go through my retinas. I can pass through everything. But that means that I can't feel anything when I'm in that state. Even though I have a body, I can't stop falling. I could probably keep going down forever. Does that make sense?
"That's why if I wanted to go through something like, say, a wall. I have to concentrate really hard," Mirio continued to explain. "I'll activate everything except one leg. Then I release the other leg and land on it. Then, the first leg is the last one to go through. Even for a simple action like that, there are a bunch of little steps involved."
This information took everyone by surprise.
"Oh, man, if I were in a hurry, I would mess that up every shine time," said Kaminari.
Mineta sweated a bit as he asked, "Seriously, if you can't feel anything, how are you supposed to move?"
"Growing up, I was always behind, as you might expect," said Mirio with a smile. "In no time, I'd drop to dead last. I dropped my pants a lot, too. In order to get to the top with this Quirk, I couldn't just hope that my life would get better. I had to use my imagination and learn to make combat decisions, not to mention I picked up a few new tricks. But the most important thing of all was that I learned to predict what would happen next. And what made those predictions possible in the first place was experience. I based my predictions on what I'd learned.
"This was kind of a roundabout way to get the point across, but that's why I wanted to fight. To show you through experience rather than words," Mirio told the class. "In our work studies, we're not treated like guests like in our internships. We're placed in the position of sidekicks and treated like real Pros. That can be super scary, especially since, as a Pro, you can get hurt and sometimes watch people die. But every terrifying and painful thing you go through is a meaningful experience that you can't get inside the classroom, even at UA."
Mirio clasped his hands into fists and proclaimed, "I transformed the experience I got in my work studies into power. That's how I got to the top spot! And that is why I think they're worth it, even if you're scared. Y'with me, first-years?"
And just like that, everything was laid out for Wade. His experience was what made him become a better hero. And now, he has the chance to turn the experience he will gain from the work-study into more power. Now that he got his license, he and the others will be treated like Pros once on the scene of an attack or disaster.
Wade will need to prepare himself to become a Pro Hero. It's why he and everyone in his class came to UA. They have to keep climbing and become Plus Ultra!
Aizawa ended the moment when he said, "Let's get back to class. Everyone, say thank you."
"Thank you very much!"
With that, Mirio, Hado, and Amajiki turned and started walking out of the gym. The curious girl wasted no time in asking the boys questions. "Hey, so, do you think we got the point across," she asked them. "Maybe not?"
"I'm just glad I didn't have to do anything," Amajiki groaned. "Let's be grateful to Mirio."
Meanwhile, Wade looked at his hand as he walked out of the large gym with the others. He was amazed by not just Mirio's Quirk but by how he overcame it. At first, his Quirk was something that held him back. But still, he made the most of his power. Mirio got as much experience as he could and learned how to predict people's actions.
That and his fight with him were enough to tell Wade that his position at the top of UA wasn't because he was born strong. Both of them had to work incredibly hard to reach that point.
"Hey, so…we thought you hurt some of them on accident, you know?" Hado asked Mirio. The three of them were walking down the halls of UA, dressed in their regular uniforms again. "But no one was injured, so I think you did a good job. Way to go, Mirio! You get an A-plus!"
"It was pretty close, though, especially with the spider guy. If we had kept going, I don't know what would have happened," Mirio admitted.
"Yeah, so did he really surprise you," asked the curious girl. "He really gave you a run for your money; admit it. C'mon, I wanna know."
Mirio turned his head away and looked at the ground, thinking about his fight with Wade. "Well, usually, I use the element of surprise. It's my biggest strategy in a nutshell. But that problem child's senses predicted all of my moves," he said. Then, he smiled brightly. "I bet Sir would love to meet him!"
At the end of the day, Wade returned to his dorm room and sat at his desk, controlling the spider-bot with his phone. With Bakugo's house arrest ending today, there was no need for Wade to have it hiding in the classroom, recording the regular school lessons. So, the moment everyone was leaving, Wade got the bot and headed out the door.
The spider-drone crawled around the ground as Chewie tried to pounce on it. He glowed as he landed on top of the small robot and tried biting on one of its legs. Wade laughed at the playful kitten as the bot tried wiggling Chewie off. Lucky for it, its owner walked over and picked up the small cat. Placing him on the bed, Wade then picked up the spider-drone and sat back down on the chair.
As he placed the robot on the table, Wade's mind was lost in his thoughts. When the class returned to the classroom, Aizawa told them they'd now learned what a work study is, thanks to the Big Three. However, it has not been decided yet whether or not Class 1-A would be allowed to do one. It's a topic that wouldn't be talked about until the faculty meeting. And if the school is going to approve the work studies, there's the media to consider.
That's all his teacher was able to tell the class for now.
"We better be doing it after today's ass-whooping," Wade grumbled. However, when he said that, the young man's eyes lit up. "Ass-whooping…That's it!"
Wade quickly pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. If he was going to be doing a work-study, he had to take some initiative. Sitting around and waiting isn't an option.
Founding the number, Wade tapped on it and placed the phone to his ear. He waited as it rang once, then the person he was calling picked up.
"Yes? What can I help you with?"
"Hi, Gran Torino! I'm calling to ask you about work studies," Wade said.
"Huh? Work study? Wait, who is this?"
"Oh, you know who I am, you old fart!" Wade yelled in annoyance. "Anyways, I was wondering if you'd be taking anyone for the program, Gran Torino? If so, then I'm your guy!"
"Oh-ho-ho! Finally remembered who I am, huh, big shot?"
"What? I called you Gran Torino!"
"Sorry, kid. I'm working on something else right now, so I can't help you out. Oh, wait, I remember who you are. You're that useless successor."
"Nice to see your memory isn't completely gone, you cynical old man," Wade grumbled. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Look, I'm calling because you know I'm All Might's successor. He trusts you, and so do I. If I'm as useless as you say I am, then I need to do everything to make sure I'm closer to being number one."
"It's so obvious, and yet you make it sound so cool."
"But if you can't help me, then who?"
"Why don't you go ask your master about it instead of calling me? He is supposed to be devoting himself to teaching now that he's retired, right?"
"If I could, I would," Wade said as he stood up and paced around the room. "Mr. Aizawa said we should use our connections from the internships and, well, that would be you."
"Yes, sure, but there are other ways. You don't have to go that route. Don't you think All Might could introduce you to a bunch of new people?"
Wade got an annoyed expression. "If it's another grumpy old man like you, I'd rather not."
"Watch it."
"Yeah, yeah. So who else would it be?"
"Well, the first one who comes to mind is his former sidekick."
Wade's eyes widened, and he gasped in complete shock. "Wait, All Might had a sidekick!?"
"Of course he did! How do you not know that?!"
"W-Well, he didn't tell me—"
Ringing!
Wade's eyes widened when he heard the phone ringing. Thinking that it was his phone, Spider-Man pulled it away from his ear and looked at it. However, it wasn't the one ringing. Following the sound over to his nightstand, Wade's eyes widened even wider.
It was his yellow flip-up phone.
"Hello? Are you still there?"
Wade placed the phone back to his ear. "I've gotta go," he simply said, hitting the button to end the call before Gran Torino could say anything. Placing his phone on the table, Wade walked over to the other phone and picked it up. Flipping it open, he said a phone number he didn't recognize.
This was it. The moment Wade's been waiting for. With a somewhat shaky hand, Wade pressed the call button and placed the phone to his ear. "H-Hello?"
"Hello, Wade."
Wade gasped when he heard the voice on the other line as a big smile spread across his face. "Dad! Dad, is that really you?"
"Heh, well, sure, who else would it be?"
"Sorry, I just…I can't believe I'm really talking to you," Wade said, as tears started welling up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away as he continued the call. "W-Where are you? Are you okay? Did you make it to the safe house?"
"Ah, Wade, I…you know I can't tell you where I am," Daniel said with regret. "I wish I could."
The father and son didn't have a lot of time to talk to one another after his brainwashing was broken and he was forced into witness protection. It happened so fast that Daniel didn't even get to say goodbye to his son. Right after the fake police convoy drove out of the police station with his copies, Detective Tsukauchi was kind enough to drive the father away from the police station. He took him to a safe house that only a few knew about.
"But I'm okay, and I made it to the safe house," Daniel said, yet beyond happy to hear his son's voice again. Wade sounded so much older, almost like a man. "I'm sorry it took me so long to call you…"
"No, Dad, it's okay. God, there are so many things I want to tell you…so many things I want to ask your forgiveness for, I—"
"Forgiveness? There's nothing you need to be forgiven for, Wade. Not by me," Daniel said, trying to comfort his son on the phone.
"But I wasn't there when you needed me. The things I've said—"
"Son, we all make mistakes. I've fucked up a bunch of times," David said, knowing that his son still blamed himself for what happened to him. He didn't want him to continue holding that guilt.
"So, that's it? You're really not mad or disappointed?"
David sat down on his bed. Behind him, Midnight, in all her sexy naked glory, crawled up behind the father and hugged him from behind. Pressing her glorious body against the man she loved so much, the R-Rated Hero listened to father and son with a heavy heart and a hopeful smile. Nemuri was sad that this call couldn't go on longer than 10 minutes, but Midnight was so happy that Daniel worked up the courage to call his son.
"Let me tell you something, son. The most disappointing thing you could ever do is give up. If you didn't reach for the kind of life you wanted for yourself. If you had settled for less because you were afraid of reaching for more. If you were walking away from what you believed, even once. That, as a father, would be the most disappointing thing you could ever do," he said with such wisdom in his voice. Daniel believed these words because he had given up; he'd given up his dreams a long time ago. However, it was because he had Wade to take care of. His son, however, does not have the same baggage he did. There's nothing to stop Wade. "Have you done that?"
"No, no, I haven't. I'm working so hard, day and night, to become number one, to master my new abilities, and to become a worthy hero."
Daniel sighed in relief as Midnight shed a tear and kissed his cheek. This conversation was so youthful. "Then I taught you right," Daniel told his son. "I've long since forgiven you. It's time to forgive yourself, son."
Suddenly, both phones started making a buzzing sound. Daniel looked at the phone screen and saw it was flashing red.
"Damn it, we don't have much time."
"What? But there's so much I wanted to tell you! The great things I've done. The fantastic people I've met. The three most amazing girls I'm dating!"
Daniel tried to hold back his tears. "You're right, son. I want to know everything. What your life is like being in UA's Hero Course and the work you're doing to become a Pro Hero. Over a year and a half has passed, and I've missed so much of your life. However, until the day comes when I can be with you again, there's just one question I need to ask you, Wade. This might be the most important question, so please, answer me honestly."
"Anything, Dad. Anything."
Daniel took a deep breath and asked the most crucial question a father could ever ask his child:
"Are you happy?"
"What?" The question took Wade aback as he sat on the bed with Chewie.
"We all go through pain, Wade. We all lose people we care about. We all suffer and get hurt. It's the price we, as humans, must pay. But, at the end of the day…do you like the life you lead? Are you happy, Wade?"
Upon being asked that question, Wade remembered all the hardship he'd gone through after the spider bit him and became All Might's successor. The death of Daniel, the training he was put through to take on the power he borrowed, all of his battles at UA, and the many brutal fights he's had to endure against the League of Villains. He's shattered his bones to protect people and has been captured by those who want to destroy Hero Society. And now, All Might was retired, and in his heart, Wade felt it was he would be all alone in his fight against the darkness. When All Might pointed to him and said it was his turn, the young man's heart felt so heavy.
The darkness was coming out of the shadows of his world. With the rise of villains and the end of an era of peace, with him having One-for-All, the fight would be his own.
However, at the same time, despite the bad things that happened to him, Wade couldn't help but think about all the good things. The friends he's made, the girls he loved so much, and the teachers and Pro Heroes that were there to help and guide him. It was because of them that Wade was still alive. It was because of them that he still felt joy. With them, the war against the darkness wouldn't be one he'd be waging alone.
"You know, it's the damnest thing, but…" Wade paused for a moment. Then, he gave a genuine smile. "...yeah, I am. I am happy. I have a good life, Dad. A real good life. I honestly can't believe just how lucky I am. It's funny. Until you asked me, I didn't realize just how good and how fortunate I am for living this life. But yeah…I'm happy, Dad."
"I'm so glad to hear that. A life that you're happy to lead is all that I could've ever wanted."
"Maybe so, but I don't know how long it'll last. Everything's changing so fast—so violently. My future is going to get darker, and things will get worse. I can feel it. But I know that I can get through it," Wade said with confidence in his tone. "…I still miss you, Dad. God knows I've missed you so much."
"I know, son. We've lived through dark days, and there are more to come. But it is the good and great men who stand up for the weak when others turn and run. My only regret is that I may not be there to see you become the good man I know you will become. Never forget your responsibility and never abandon the innocent to fate."
Wade felt tears streaming down his eyes. "I wouldn't. I promise," he said as the phone started making a beeping sound. Indicating that their call was coming to an end. "I'll be the greatest Hero I can be."
"I know you will. Until we talk again, remember that I will love you forever."
"I love you too, Dad," Wade said before the call was automatically cut. And just like that, Wade would have to wait another month to hear his father's voice. Fate wasn't always so kind to him and Daniel, but to have a moment like this was more than Wade could have asked for.
There was a knock on his door, and Momo came walking into the room. Her hair was no longer in a ponytail and was flowing down her back. "Darling, are you still in here—" she gasped upon seeing the tears streaming down Wade's face. "Wade, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
Sniffling, Wade wiped away the tears he had. "Yeah, I'm good. I…I talked to Dad," he said, cradling the phone in his hand.
Hearing this made the busty young woman gasp as she sat on the bed with him. "What did he say," she asked, placing a hand on his lap.
"We talked, and…he helped me realize how fulfilled and happy I really am. It's something that I haven't really felt in a long time since getting this power and taking up the mantle of Spider-Man. And it wasn't just him that helped me realize that," Wade said, turning to Momo and pulling her into a deep, loving kiss.
Momo's eyes widened in surprise. Unlike her fellow girlfriends, she was more reserved when it came to kissing and showing affection towards Wade in public. It wasn't because she loved him the least, but more because she felt embarrassed, having lived a life where she was taught to be prim and proper and ladylike. But with her boyfriend, all of those shackles could come off as she deepened the kiss and moaned into his lips.
As their arms held one another, Wade pulled away from the kiss and placed his forehead on Momo's. "I love you, Momo. I love you, Ochaco, and Mina so much. I know I don't have the chance to say it often, but it's the truth."
Momo teared up as she caressed Wade's cheeks. "We love you too, Wader," she said, kissing his lips again. "Please, come downstairs and enjoy the time we have together."
Agreeing to go, Wade stood up with his loving girlfriend. Chewie meowed and jumped off the bed with them. With a big smile on his face, Wade took Momo by the arm and walked out of the room with his kitten following behind.
Daniel was right about the dark days coming; what he didn't know was that they were already here. Dark forces were already at work. Relics from a time when the criminal underworld was at its most powerful were rising up to reclaim their throne. A war was coming that would rumble the foundations of Hero Society to its core, and while Wade was in school, his enemies would grow stronger.
For the Heroes of Tomorrow, the Rise of Villains has just begun.
AN: I've got to be honest; I'm really becoming resentful of Chapter 3. So many times I've gotten a bad review, it would always be about that chapter, even after changing it to have Wade get more points. It's disheartening and makes me want to rewrite the chapter over and over again until I get it right and I don't lose new readers. Heck, I've thought of an idea for the entrance exam that I want to incorporate right now because of those bad reviews.
Which I've gone ahead and done. I've reworked Chapter 3 and edited the ending of Chapter 2 to incorporate a new rule.
Now, if you attack the 0-Pointer, you lose all of your points. It's a small change, but it not only allows Wade to have a higher score than he'd gotten, but it also shows the kind of hero he is, risking everything to save one person.
Honestly, it's an idea that I really wish I had come up with when I started writing the story. It would have saved me so much of a headache, and it's different from what's in canon. Will it be enough to satisfy everyone? Probably. Then again, I doubt that those people who did drop the story after that chapter would be satisfied with any changes I make.
However, for those of you who stuck around and have been supporting me from the beginning, I just want to say thank you all so much. You guys are the best and have kept me going with this story. Your love and support mean the world to me.
This chapter was a pretty great one to write as we come to a moment that I've been waiting to do for a while now. Wade and Bakugo's rivalry has reached its boiling point, and the two of them duke it out for supremacy. Culminating in Bakugo finally reveals the guilt he's been bottling up within himself after his body was used to seemingly kill Daniel.
Now, Bakugo's a character with whom I've had a love-hate relationship. In the first two seasons, this man was scum. There was nothing to like about him. But, admittedly, he's grown on me with the way his character arc has been going, and I wanted to highlight it in this chapter. The fall from grace he's had, and now he has a chance to make a difference in his life and climb back to the top.
Admittedly, one of my biggest gripes with MHA was the author's focus on developing the other characters to the point that Izuku felt like an afterthought and not as interesting of a character compared to everyone else around him. Something that shouldn't always be the case.
And it makes sense for Bakugo to feel responsible for the bad things that happened to Daniel because he was the cause of all of it, just as much as Wade and All Might. Seeing your body being used to do horrendous things would be traumatizing for anyone. Now, the three of them are bonded together by their guilt for the Sludge Villain incident, which is what led them down the path they currently walk.
In the beginning, I was going to have Bakugo give the same speech to Wade that he gave to Izuku when he apologized for everything he did to him. However, to me, it felt too early for that. That was truly profound moment for Bakugo, and to have him say it now would feel hollow and unearned. So, instead, I had Bakugo finally realize that he needed to make changes in his life. This time, he's actually going to listen to Wade's words instead of continuing to think he's so great.
And it's also why I didn't have Bakugo win this fight. Initially, the plan was for Wade to let Bakugo win. However, while writing, I realized that doing so wouldn't have hammered in the life lesson Bakugo had to learn. Him losing to Wade in a fight for the third time in a roll showed just how far he'd fallen and pushed further to the bottom.
Plus, now the two of them can start building a friendship. It will be extremely difficult, with Bakugo still being Bakugo, but it's better than the two of them just hating each other. We see this new relationship between the two of them blooming as they not only help each other clean but also the spider-drone spying on the class and keeping up with their lessons. The drone is not based on the bots from the new game. Instead, it is based on the spider-drone from the first game. It just looks cuter to me and is something that wouldn't freak people out as much.
Also, KITTY! Why not let Wade have a furry baby? Yeah, Chewie is named after the Flerken cat name, but he's not an alien. It's just an average cat.
Then we have the fight with Mirio. I definitely wanted him and Wade to have a longer battle than in canon, with Wade's senses being able to alert him to danger and react faster than Mirio.
Finally, we had Wade and Daniel having their phone call, which was the most emotional moment of the entire chapter for me. This moment was based on one of the most emotional moments in Spider-Man history, when he talked to Uncle Ben's ghost. I can't think of a more perfect moment to base this scene on.
I'm very tempted to do a lemon story with Daniel and Midnight.
And so, as we reach 1,000 favorites and follows, we close on the third volume of Heroes of Tomorrow. Now, we can move on to the Shie Hassaikai Arc! Afterward, we can start one of the original arcs I have planned.
Until then, thank you all so much for reading, and I hope to see you all again very soon.
