AN: I'm cowboyalchemist on Discord. Come on over if you want to chat and talk about ideas. If you want an invite to join my discord server, you only have to ask me.

It took a while for us to get to this point, but we're finally entering the second act of MHA, Rise of Villains. And to be honest, I'm excited because now that Wade has the Provisional Hero License, I'm able to do more original arcs to replace the duller ones and ones that don't focus on Wade. But first, we got to get into one of the best arcs of the series, the Overhaul Arc.

Let's do things differently. The story's the same, yet things have changed.

His name is Wade Walker, and not only was he bitten by a radioactive spider, but he's become All Might's one and only successor. There are many Spider-People like him out there in the multiverse, just like there are so many holders of One-for-All. But there's no one like Wade, being a vessel for both great powers.

He didn't always have it easy, but Wade has proven himself a Hero. He proved it when he saved Ochaco from the 0-Pointer and when he saved his friends and teacher during the League of Villains attack. He saved Todoroki and Iida from the darkness of their souls and helped them find the resolve to become better heroes that they wanted to be. The might of his body and his spirit had been put to the test when Wade was kidnapped and fought his brainwashed father. Time and time again, Wade had shown the hero he was destined to be. Proving himself over and over again, even when the future seemed bleak.

And now, Wade was stepping into a new chapter of his life. The young hero would need all of his power, skills, and convictions to combat new, more dangerous threats in a violently changing world. His mind would expand, his body would be broken, and his heart would be put to the test, just like before.

He's proven himself a hero. Now, let's see if he can live up to his Hero namesake.

He must now prove himself as All Might's successor to the world.

By showing the world what Spider-Man can do.

HEROES OF TOMORROW

Issue #31: Sir Nighteye

"The hero work studies are a more serious version of your internships," Aizawa told the class. "They entail helping Pro agencies on the streets and with investigations. Your teachers and the principal discussed them at the faculty meeting, and we all agreed."

Wade waited with anticipation. This was it. He and his friends were going to go out into the world and become sidekicks.

"It's way too soon," Aizawa said, dashing away all hopes. "They should really be canceled."

Wade made a stupefied face. "What? ARE YOU JOKE!?" He yelled with glaring white eyes and sharp teeth. And it wasn't just him that felt cheated.

"But we already met about them!" Kirishima protested as well.

Kaminari was playing with Ojiro's tail when he said, "I guess, when you think about why we had to move into the dorms, it does make sense."

Bakugo, with a triumphant grin, slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "HA, HA!"

Hagakure, who sat in front of him, sighed. "Of course you're happy."

Getting back on topic, Aizawa continued. "But…some people think we wouldn't be able to raise strong heroes with that sort of protective outlook. And with that in mind, the compromise is to be selective about the participating agencies. So, choose one with a proven track record. Otherwise, you won't be taking part."

And just like that, Bakugo's victory was snatched away from him. "You gonna sit down or not," Wade asked him. Luckily, he did, but it did little to quell the explosive blonde's anger.

Wade sighed and leaned back in his chair. An agency with a good track record of work studies? That was going to be difficult to find. However, Wade wasn't looking for any random agency. There was one that he already had in mind, thanks to the tip given to him by Gran Torino.

Curious about who he was talking about, Wade did some research on All Might's sidekicks. Only one name popped up.

Mirai Sasaki.

Known to the world as Sir Nighteye.

"Wait, you want me to introduce you to Sir Nighteye?" All Might asked, turning in his chair to look at Wade in shock. The moment the class was excused for a break, Wade ran out of the room and down the hall to the teacher's faculty room. Luckily for him, the teacher was still there. "You really want him for your work-study program?"

"That's right," Wade said. "If he really worked under you, then he's a perfect fit."

Setting down the papers and forms in his hands, All Might crossed his arms and said, "And who could have put that idea into your head?"

"The only man you fear," Wade remarked with a smirk.

"All for One?"

Wade raised an eyebrow.

All Might sighed in exasperation and massaged his temple. "Of course. You wanted to be proactive, so you called Gran Torino, didn't you?"

"Yeah, you know, I thought I checked on the old man," Wade said, one hand in his pocket and the other scratching the back of his head. "You know, make sure he doesn't lose his mind. I think he could use some company every once in a while…"

"Well, I refuse," All Might said.

Wade raised an eyebrow. "Really? I mean, Gran Torino was your master—"

"Not that! I meant introducing you to Sir Nighteye!"

"...Oh," Wade said awkwardly. "Wait a minute, how come? Is this about the fight? I did the time, man!"

"I'm not saying no to punish you. I have three reasons," All Might told him before holding up one finger. "First up: I opposed the work studies at a faculty meeting yesterday. I think it's unnecessary for first years to start them so early."

"I agree," said Thirteen from the other side of the desks.

All Might held up two fingers. "Reason two: You need to train more."

"But that's all I've been doing," Wade argued. "I've mastered all of my moves, I have Battle Focus down to a science, and I've taken care of my ultimate moves."

"But there's still room for improvement," All Might said. Then he added in a third finger. "And third: Sir Nighteye…I just don't wanna have to talk to the guy."

Present Mic jumped in and pointed at All Might's back. "Personal feelings getting in the way," he asked with his usual grin. "Emo Might! Emo Might! Emo Might!"

"Will you give me a break!" All Might groaned, making his colleague leave the conversation.

Wade sighed and looked at his mentor with determination. "Didn't you hear what Bakugo said? You've laid the groundwork for me, so I'm not allowed to fail," he said to the former Hero. "And, if you think about it, with my powers being so similar to yours, if I worked for Nighteye, he'd know exactly how to help me improve my Quirk."

To differentiate the two powers in his body, Wade needed to call them for what they were. His spider abilities were what he called 'the power' or 'his powers', while One for All was called a Quirk.

It was a strange system, but it was another way for Wade and All Might to communicate while talking about One for All.

"If I'm to become stronger than what I am now, I've got to take all the chances I can get to make it," Wade declared.

All Might stared at his successor, wondering if Wade was that desperate to surpass him. Probably not, but who knows? "Look, I appreciate your passion, but I can't introduce you," All Might said.

Wade sighed in defeat. He then turned and started walking away.

"Emphasis on 'I'."

This got Wade to stop. Turning around, he saw his idol smiling at him.

"Aw, yeah. You are HERE!" Mirio Togata shouted with excitement as he sat on the other end of the couch as Wade. "Sorry! Couldn't help myself. I just got super excited you wanted to talk to me."

When All Might made it clear that he couldn't be the one to introduce Wade to Nighteye, the spider hero was confused when he made a call to the office, asking for Mirio. Then, after hanging up, the teacher walked with Wade to the counseling office. Along the way, Mirio's name was called out on the intercom, saying that All Might wanted to speak with him and head to the office as well.

Now that they were there, Wade looked at Mirio with curiosity. He looked like he was doing well, still being a big smiling bag of sunshine. Wade pointed to Mirio. "So, what's this guy doing here," he asked All Might, who sat on a stool across the tea table.

"Right? I'm completely clueless, too!" Mirio said.

All Might glanced at Wade. "You've met Young Togata, right," he asked. "During class?"

Wade wondered if he should tell him about the time he was a disembodied face. Seeing no reason to, he nodded.

"He's currently doing his work study at Nighteye's agency."

Wade gasped and looked at Mirio. "Wait, for real?!" He exclaimed. "That agency you've talked about, the one that helped you control your Quirk, that was Nighteye?"

"Yup!" Mirio raised his fist. "I've been working alongside him for a full year now!"

"Dude, that means that when you graduate, you're guaranteed to be his sidekick," Wade said.

"Well, so long as Sir doesn't change his mind, then yeah."

"That's amazing, man," Wade said, giving him a fistbump.

All Might cleared his throat and got the conversation back on track. "All right, I'm gonna get straight to the point here," he said to Mirio. "Tell me, Young Togata, do you think that this first-year has what it takes to work beside you at the agency?"

Wade turned his attention to Mirio, who placed his fist in his palm. "Oh, now I hear ya. That's why you called me in here to talk about it, huh?" The buffer boy then took Wade by surprise when he put his arm around him. "You want me to take Walker to him for an introduction!"

"You know, it's not wise to touch spiders," Wade commented.

"Whoops, sorry." Mirio retracted his arm away from Wade. "But wait a minute. Why do you need to go through me? I've always seen him watching old videos of you in his spare time. I'm sure he'd be really happy if you called him up yourself."

"Yeah." Wade crossed his arms and looked at All Might with suspicion. "What's going on with you and Nighteye? He can't be any worse than Gran Torino."

All Might sighed and looked down. "I can't exactly face him right now," he said. The former Number One Hero looked away. "Because he was dead right. I ended up precisely where he warned me I'd be."

That left Wade in confusion. All Might ended up right where Nighteye said he'd be. What does that even mean? And what was so bad about being where he was at the moment?

"So…do you think Young Walker has what it takes," All Might asked Mirio.

"Oh, man, that's a toughie," Mirio replied. "Why don't you tell me the kind of hero you wanna be?"

Wade didn't need to think hard about his answer. "I want to be the hero that, when they see me, people know they're safe, and they know that I'm not just another dime-a-dozen hero on the streets. I want to be their hero. No matter how big or small the problem is, I want to be the hero that saves people in trouble," he said to Mirio. "I want to be their shield, their helping hand, and their symbol of hope."

Mirio stared at Wade, trying to find any signs of waning in his determination. Some things are easier said than done. The intense times he's been through have obviously shaped his ideology. The more experience he gained, the more the young saw how much harder it would be to be the hero he wanted to be. If Mirio was going to agree to introduce Wade to Sir, he needed to be sure that what Wade told him was the truth and not just empty words.

And yet, the fire in his eyes was all he needed to get his answer.

"Wow," Mirio said, "that's a lot."

"It's the truth," Wade said with a grin.

Mirio chuckled. "There's no reason for me to say no, though," he said with a cheerful grin. "So, yeah!"

Wade gasped. "You mean it!?" He jumped off the couch with a big grin. "Dude, that's amazing! I can't thank you enough!"

"Sure! I always figured Sir would take a liking to you anyway," Mirio said. "But I'm not sure if he'll take you on."

"Don't worry about that," Wade said, pointing to himself. "I've got ways of winning over people."

"I don't doubt that."

As the two boys chatted with one another, All Might became lost in thought. This day turned out so much more than what he thought it would be. Not only did Wade ask to intern with his old sidekick, but Spider-Man was talking with Mirio…

The boy he was originally going to be his successor.

He was told about Mirio when Principal Nezu brought him into his office to discuss the possible next wielder of One for All. The person he suggested was a boy whose grades weren't anything special yet whose presence was something to be admired. Nezu explained to All Might that there's near-constant laughter in the halls whenever he's around. And even if he fails a test, his smile never disappears. Hearing all that, All Might did see that Mirio aligned with his philosophies.

And now, All Might was sitting in front of the very same boy he originally planned to give his powers to. If the Hero hadn't met Wade when he did, he would have been the next Symbol of Peace.

After classes, Wade brought his girlfriends to his room to go over what happened. Once they heard that he would be departing from school to join a work study, they immediately started asking questions. And the knowledge of their boyfriend joining the agency of All Might's ex-partner caught them off guard.

"No way, All Might had a sidekick," Ochaco asked, standing around Wade in his bedroom as he packed his hero custom briefcase.

"Apparently," Wade said, closing the case. "Mirio offered to introduce me to him after Gran Torino mentioned the guy."

Sitting on Wade's bed, Momo, who had Chewie on her lap, asked, "So, you really don't know anything about Sir Nighteye?"

Setting his case down on the floor next to his door, Wade walked back over and sat down on the bed. On both sides of him were Momo and Mina. Ochaco was sitting on his chair, backwards.

"Nope, not really," he admitted. "I haven't even looked that deeply into this guy."

Mina did just that, and her reaction of flinching did not fill Wade with confidence. "Uh, yeah, I wouldn't be confident if I were you," she said, showing her boyfriend the phone.

Even he had to flinch. Despite Sir Nighteye looking like your stereotypical Japanese man, the glare he gave off in the photo was like looking at a stone golem that was judging everything about him. From his hair to his clothes, to how white his teeth were, everything spoke about a man that desired perfection.

Tall and lean man, with sharp and elongated facial features, Nighteye's shiny dark green was worn smoothed down and had three yellow streaks towards the front. His eyebrows were also yellowish, matching the rims of the triangular glasses he wore.

Unusually for a Pro Hero, Nighteye wore a plain white suit with gold buttons, a white dress shirt, and a red tie with white dots.

But what made Wade hesitate were his eyes. Strikingly bright yellow irises elevated the stern look he projected. His looks gave off a sense of authority and power, as he's said to rarely smile and looked stern all the time, and he always appeared to be glaring.

"Wow, so that's the guy?" Ochaco said, floating above the three on the bed. "He looks scary."

"Yeah, and I'm going right to him," Wade said.

Momo smiled softly. "I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad."

"Yeah, this guy totally wouldn't be my new Professor Snape," Wade said, lying back on the bed.

"Who was the first one," Mina asked.

"Aizawa."

"Oh."

"Wade, it'll be okay," Ochaco said, landing on the bed and placing his head on her lap. The young man smiled as he felt her soft skin and thighs. "No matter what happens, you'll do great."

"She's right," Momo said, lying down on the bed with Chewie climbing on Wade's chest and curling into a ball. Mina joined her fellow girlfriend and rested beside Wade, snuggling against him. "Don't forget, you're Spider-Man, the best new hero."

"We'll be cheering you on, babe," Mina said, kissing him.

Wade's smile grew as Mina snuggled to him, Ochaco brushed away some of his hair, and Momo placed her hand on his chest. "What did I do to deserve you girls?"

"By being amazing," Ochaco said.

Mina added, "Spectacular."

"And Ultimate," Momo said.

Wade took a deep breath. "Well, one of these days, I'm gonna do what I should have done from the beginning and take all three of you on a date," he said, earning him even more kisses. Kind of makes him wonder if all Spider-Men were this lucky with the ladies.

Oh, if only he knew the truth.

Wade hopped on the train with Mirio. It was going to be an hour-long ride, but Wade didn't mind it. Mirio was a pretty cool guy, and he quickly warmed up to the blonde older boy. Soon, he was telling him about his journey to UA and how he managed to get into the school.

"Wow! So you really lost all of your points to save one person?" Mirio exclaimed, referring to how Wade destroyed the giant robot during the entrance exam. Wade had a lot of villain points but lost it all when he attacked the robot to save his girlfriend, Ochaco.

"Yep. Punched that sucker right in the face before it could crush Ochaco. Broke every bone in both legs and right," Wade said, flexing his right arm.

"Wait, so if you lost all your points, how'd you pass," asked Mirio, looking at Wade with curiosity.

Wade smiled and said, "Well, at first, I thought it was all over. I lost my points, so there was no way that they were going to let me back into the school. But as it turns out, there's something called rescue points. They converted all my villain points to rescue points, allowing me to pass."

"That's so awesome!" Mirio exclaimed with a big grin on his face. His outburst startled those around their seats. "Sir will love having you on his team!"

Despite the outburst, Wade smiled at his new friend and nodded. "So, this is it. I'm going to be working with the former sidekick of All Might," Wade said, smiling hopefully. However, that hope died as he slouched in his chair. "Now, it would be great, but considering how my luck with teachers has been…"

"Oh, come on!" Mirio smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "You're being dramatic."

"No, I have horrible luck when it comes to teachers." Wade ranted, listing off all of his most notable teachers and why they were horrible. "All my teachers from middle school didn't give a shit if I was bullied. My first teacher, All Might, didn't know how to teach. Aizawa is…well, himself. The third one was a tiny, cryptic old man who just beat the crap out of me. The Fourth one was the Pussy Cats, who threw us off a goddamn cliff, and one of them wanted to get in my pants. I mean, I'm flattered, but I'm taken."

The older boy looked at Wade with wide eyes. Or at least as wide as they could be. "Okay, now I see the pattern," he said.

"And I know that I'm going to have a hard time with this guy," Wade said, pulling out his phone and looking at one of the articles that talked about the Pro Hero. Sir Nighteye was said to be infamous for expecting nothing less than excellence from the Heroes working under him. Including himself. Just the gaze he had in the picture sent a shiver up Wade's spine. "And just from the look of this guy, I totally bet that Nighteye was going to be another asshole that I'll have to deal with because the universe can't ever give me a regular teacher!"

Mirito's smile dropped as he said, "He may be harsh, but there's a totally different side of him that the press never gets to see."

Wade was confused by this. However, deciding that he would see it when he met the guy, he dropped it.

"So, what do I have to do to get the guy to like me," he asked the older boy.

Mirio thought for a moment and said, "Well, the best impression you can make on him is simple. However, it's the most important thing you can do at this meeting."

The boy then smiled at Wade.

"You've gotta make him smile."

Wade blinked. "Really?" he asked. "That's it?"

"Yep. Do that, and he'll totally approve of you," Mirio said. "He seems stern, but he really values humor for some reason. It's like irony or something, I think."

"Alright! Let's go!" Wade said, his confidence boosted as he leaned back with his hands behind his head. "I've got this in the bag. I mean, I'm a funny guy."

Mirio busted out laughing for a moment. Looking back at Wade, he stopped when he saw the young hero looking at him in offense. "Oh, wait, you were serious," he asked.

"I hate you."

Mirio busted out laughing again. "That's a good one!"

A moment later, the two boys were walking into the massive building of Nighteye's agency.

"So, remember, he may seem stern, but he values humor for some reason. Ironic, right?" Mirio said, opening the two. Together, he and Wade walked into the building and began walking up a spiral staircase. "The most I can do is introduce you to him. Sir's the one who'll decide if he can use you. I wish I could help more, but that's all I've got. From here on, you'll have to figure it out."

Wade raised an eyebrow at Mirio's back. "Yeah, so about that. What's up with you?" he asked. "Why do you know so much about me? I barely even know you."

"What're you talking about?" he asked. "I don't know you at all."

They turned down a hallway that led to a door at the end.

"But I do know that you've got a crazy-ambitious goal, and you're fighting to turn it into a reality," he said, smiling back at Wade. "And wanting to help out people is basically Hero-ing 101, am I right?"

The young hero smiled back. Was it possible to not like the guy anymore than he did right now?

Mirio pointed to the door. "Here we are! Just beyond this door," he said. "You want to be a better hero, then walk on through."

"Right!" Wade said, already grabbing the door handle. At last, he was going to meet Sir Nighteye.

He opened the door. Determined to see what kind of place this agency was.

But he wasn't prepared for the scene that was going to be on the other side of the door.

There were two people in the room. One was a man, and the other was a poor young woman strapped to a torture device, getting tickled.

The girl who was begging to be let go and having a hard time breathing over her laughter was a fairly well-built young woman with a rather slim build and light blue skin, short, ruffled dark-blue hair, and wide yellow eyes with thick eyelashes.

Her hero costume was a skintight dark blue crop top with a white high-collared section, and a zipper down the middle, over the higher part of her chest, which revealed her torso from the underside of her breasts. She wore black tights with loose white shorts, two yellow markings down either side of them, and thick white boots with lines running down their shafts, yellow rings in the center of them. Over her entire face was a transparent visor with an air filter on each side, and on her hands, she wore plain dark blue gloves.

"See? This is how loud and energetic you can be," said the man himself, Nighteye.

"Stop! Please!" Bubble Girl begged, unable to stop laughing as tears flowed down her face.

"What the actual hell is going on here?!" Wade yelled as Bubble Girl was mercilessly tickled by the device holding her hands over her head.

"That's Bubble Girl," Mirio said, pointing to the pool girl. "She's his sidekick. I guess she didn't make him laugh."

"Really, that's all it took—whoa…" Wade trailed off as he looked around the room.

All Might was the only way to describe it. Every wall, shelf, and book that wasn't a case file was about the former Number One Hero. Nighteye had everything there was, from the rarest collectible that would have made a man rich to products that hadn't even been released to the public.

"Holy crap," he said, wondering if there were other versions of himself or One for All users in his position right now that were as big of an All Might fanboy.

If only he knew.

Sir Nighteye turned to Wade, and it almost triggered his spidey-senses. Just as he had in the photos he'd seen, the first thing that came to Wade's mind when looking at the Pro was unimpressive. And yet this man had the glare that would make a bull want to walk the other way.

"Who are you," the tall man asked.

Wade swallowed the lump in his throat. It was time for the charm. "Who, me? Didn't you come here?" Wade said, extravagantly spreading his arms out. "Well, my good sir, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has arrived!"

Silence fell in the room.

"What was that? You call that an entrance?" Nighteye said, much to Wade's surprise. "You're All Might's student, yet you can't even come up with something as spectacular as he did."

"Uh…"

"Your entrance lacks presentation," Nighteye said, grabbing Wade's arms. "You can't even be bothered to keep up that smile until you make your entrance. All Might would have been keeping up that smile and never allowed it to go away."

"So, what," Wade asked. "Should I practice my smile in front of a mirror for over an hour before going out to fight crime?"

"No," Sir Nighteye said, letting go of his arms. "All Might does it in under 30 minutes to get it right in the beginning."

"Yeah, and how many bugs did he pick out of his teeth the first month or so," Wade quipped, trying to be funny.

However, it was ultimately in vain, as Nighteye stepped away and looked at Wade with disappointment. "I do not care for this one. See yourself out."

Wade looked at the man and deadpanned as Nighteye walked away to continue tormenting Bubble Girl. "I hope you picked up the phone, Mirio," he said.

Mirio looked confused. "Huh, why?"

"Because I fucking called it."

Luckily, Bubble Girl's torment ended when Wade made that joke, as Mirio and Nighteye looked at him. However, it only took a moment for Mirio to understand the joke, and he started laughing uncontrollably. "Oh, man! That's awesome! You got me there!"

"You liked that, huh?" Wade asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah, that was really clever."

"Excuse me, what are you talking about," asked Nighteye.

"Oh, I was just making one of my famous jokes," Wade said, turning away from the man. "But if you don't want to hear it…"

"Hold on," Nighteye said, making Wade smirk. "I don't see how it's so funny. Perhaps you can explain it to me."

Wade, still smirking, turned around. "So, you don't want me here, right?"

"That is correct."

"Well, the joke is a reference to what I told Mirio while we were on the train. About how all of my teachers have been horrible in some way, shape, or form. The Pussy Cats, Aizawa, All Might, that one teacher from middle school…"

"And how exactly is All Might a bad teacher?" Nighteye demanded to know, grabbing his head, and giving Wade a dangerous look that dared him to say anything that would have offended his idol.

"You want a list?" Wade said, not bothered by the way the man looked at him and swatted his hand away. "To say that he taught is a strong word. He still uses an 'Idiot's Guide to Teaching' manual for lessons. Didn't even know they still made them."

The boy and the man stared at one another for a moment.

"That I can believe. That does sound like Toshinori," said Sir Nighteye, adjusting his glasses. "I'll let it slide. Your use of past experiences to deliver your joke's punchline is impressive."

Mirio sighed, seeing that his mentor was likely giving Wade a chance.

A moment later, Wade was standing in front of Nighteye's desk. Bubble Girl was thankfully released from the device, allowing her lungs to take in deep breaths as she tried to calm down.

"Interesting. You want to do a work study here because you think that doing so will give you experience and make you stronger," said Nighteye.

"That's right," Wade said. "Please, allow me to work here."

"We'd need to draw up a contract."

"Oh!" Wade took off his backpack and opened it. After a second of rummaging through it, he pulled out the contract he brought with him and placed it on the desk.

"Once I stamp this document, you'll officially be contracted with my agency for work study. You have to understand that this will be nothing like the week-long internships that you students take on so casually. You must work here for a minimum of four months and will be paid wages. However, your academic responsibilities will likely suffer due to the absences you'll rack up, which means your classmates will pull ahead of you."

"I understand," Wade said, looking at the man with a serious expression. "However, if I worry about that, how else am I going to make it to the top?"

There was silence in the room again as Nighteye scowled at him. Mirio and Bubble Girl stood off to the side, watching the interaction. They all watched as Nighteye lifted up his hand and grabbed the stamp. He then raised it up and brought it back down…

…only to miss the paper.

Wade blinked in confusion. "Uh, dude, you missed the paper," he said, pointing to it.

"I'm aware of that," Nighteyes said, beginning to repeatedly hit the desk with his stamp. "I'm not approving this."

"What?!"

"I understand that you want to work here because it would benefit you. But what benefits would you bring to my agency," Nightweye asked, still hitting the desk with the stamp.

Wade crossed his arms and said, "How about a fun attitude, a great sense of humor, and a fighting spirit?"

"What use are those?" Nighteye shut that down quickly. "This office currently runs smoothly, with two sidekicks and one work study student under my employment."

"Double the number of work study students," Wade said. "Even things out."

"How about this? Why should I add you on, Walker? How can you contribute to society? How can you be useful to others?" Nighteye said. "In order for you to be acknowledged, you must be able to answer those questions unequivocally."

Wade looked at the man in disbelief. "Sir, with all due respect, but you saw what I did during All Might's last fight, right?" he asked, spreading out his arms. You saw how powerful I was. Not to mention that I've put myself on the line to save people."

"And that's supposed to convince me? Any hero can do that," said Nighteye, much to Wade's annoyance. "All Might showed his worth to the world by using power and humor. He gave hope to those who lived in fear of criminals. That's why the people were happy to acknowledge him."

"I…I see…" Wade said, thinking that he understood why Nighteye wasn't approving of him. He wasn't thinking about how he can help people. He was only thinking of himself when he came to this agency. A Spider-Man must think of the people, not just his own needs. "To be a hero, I need to give them hope…"

Nighteye pushed his chair back and stood up. Pushing it back under his desk, he looked at Wade.

"It's time to show me what you would bring to the table. Using actions, not words.," Nighteye said as he held up his stamp. "You have three minutes to try and take this seal from me. If you want to work as a hero under my guidance, then stamp that contract yourself."

Wade was shocked and confused. "You're…You're serious, aren't you?"

"Even though you don't appear to possess all of the traits that made All Might a hero and have a terrible sense of humor, I'm willing to give you a chance," he told the young hero. Nighteye then looked at Bubble Girl and Mirio and pointed to the door. "The two of you, go wait outside."

They both said, "Sir. Yes, sir!"

"Once more with feeling."

"Yes, sir!" They added in a salute.

Together, they walked out of the room and down the hallway. As they walked together, Bubble Girl looked at her young colleague and asked, "So, do you have to go through that kind of orientation?"

"Nope, I didn't have to do anything," Mirio said, also wondering what was going on with Sir.

Bubble Girl pouted and huffed as she turned her head away from him. "Look at you, Mister Golden Child," she said, letting out a sigh. "Of all the people to be jealous of, why did it have to be a high schooler?"

That made Mirio laugh out loud.

However, looking back, the young man was troubled. Not because he was worried Wade wouldn't pass, but because this wasn't like anything Nighteye had done since he knew him. He may not fully understand why he wanted him, but Mirio was chosen by his mentor easily. If Nighteye was going through this, it could only mean one thing.

Sir didn't want Wade in his agency.

"So, what are the ground rules?" Wade asked, placing his backpack on a chair and stretching his arms, thinking that he could easily get it with his web shooters.

"I'll take no offensive measures during this time, and you're welcome to attack me in any manner you desire," said the Pro-Hero. "Don't concern yourself with what happens to the room. Just come and get it."

Turning back to the Hero, Wade cracked his neck. This was going to be a tough one. He could take him in a far fight, but it was Nighteye's Quirk, Foresight, that made him hesitate. The name was exactly how it sounded. He'd have the power for the next hour to see the choice that person will make. He'll know all of Wade's moves. How it worked or was activated was a mystery.

This was extremely bad for Wade, who often used unpredictable attacks to devastating effect. All of his moves, he'll know. All of his ranged-based attacks, he'll sidestep with ease. So long as he sees him, he'll know all of his moves.

Unless…

"So all I've got to do is get that stamp from you and stamp the form myself," Wade asked.

Nighteye sighed in frustration. "Did I stutter? How could someone like yourself have gotten this far? It is beyond me. Quite frankly, you're out of your league. I know every move All Might had at his peak."

Deciding that he would do what All Might does, Wade's mouth formed a grin. "Maybe," he said, cracking his knuckles. "But you don't know a thing about me."

"You? What's to know?" Nighteye said, looking at the boy with disgust. "I've seen what you did during All Might's final battle, and I'm not impressed. You're a punk, a wannabe amateur, a foolish boy who believed he could match the greatness of All Might."

Now Wade was starting to get pissed. "Let's dance, bozo," he said.

However, he decided to take a different approach. He could have easily launched into a series of attacks, but they wouldn't have landed. Nighteye would have seen them coming. So, perhaps he needed to throw the guy off his game and disrupt his concentration.

And so, Wade walked up to Nighteye, never breaking eye contact, and held out his hand.

"Can I have the stamp?"

Silence filled the room for a moment.

Nighteye felt his left eye twitching. "What?"

"Please," Wade asked again. "May I please have your stamp so that I may stamp my form?"

Again, there was silence for a moment before Nighteye glared at Wade in disbelief and contained anger. "Is this a joke to you?" he asked in a growl.

Wade held up his hand and walked backward, giving himself the room to make it look like he would attack. "Hey, you said anything goes. I bet your future vision wasn't expecting me to ask for it," he said.

Nighteye said, "You're not taking this seriously at all! You act like this is some kind of game!"

"Wow, for someone who asks for a hero to have humor, you are quite the sourpuss," he said, using the best strategy of any Spider-Man: annoying his opponent. "I mean, I have a policy not to punch people with glasses, but you're making me reconsider my stance. Have you considered contacts? Then again, it makes you look condescending enough, along with that vein on your forehead."

Sir Nighteye's glasses turned white, reflecting the light's glare. "How did All Might fall for your tricks? Why would he select you as his successor, when villains are getting restless and gloom is looming over the horizon."

Wade lost his grin as he listened to the man. "You…You knew?"

"Of course, and I do not accept you as All Might's successor. He chose wrong. Mirio should have inherited the power."

The shock and anger were expressed in Wade's eyes as he glared at the man before him. "The fuck did you just say," he said in a slight growl. Mirio? Inheriting One for All? He wasn't surprised that Nighteye knew about the power, but to learn that Mirio was next in line was a shock.

"Don't get me wrong; I love and respect All Might," Nighteye said. You're an impressive fighter, but I don't understand why he chose you. How can you succeed him when Mirio is everything that he was?"

Wade sighed and looked down. "Guess I never really thought about there being other candidates," he said. Wade then looked back up. "So, Mirio was one of the lucky few he picked to inherit One for All, huh?"

This brought up even more questions. How did All Might and Nighteye choose him? Or did All Might even know about any of this? And if so, why didn't he tell Wade before?"

"Tell me, when you look at Mirio, what do you see?"

"A big guy with a big heart and an even bigger smile," Wade said, smiling. He then paused. "So, that's it, huh? You wanted someone that's exactly like All Might."

"Precisely. Principal Nezu saw it too. Mirio's charismatic personality is a perfect match for All Might. He's able to enter a room and bring forth a ray of sunshine that lifts the spirits of everyone around him. Everything that All Might is capable of without One for All," Nighteye said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You are nothing like Mirio! You don't even have the same hair and eye colors. You are not All Might's successor, nor will you ever be his successor. There's a candidate that is far worthier of inheriting One for All than you. That's why I can not acknowledge you."

Then Wade did something Nighteye could never have predicted. He threw his head back and started laughing out loud.

"What was it I said that was so humorous?"

Wade continued to laugh for a moment, before calming down. "Sorry, it's just…Wow, I'm so tempted to call you Shifu," Wade said with a crooked smirk. "Good thing you didn't do to Mirio what he did to Tai Lung."

"…What?" It was Nighteye's turn to be confused.

"You haven't seen Kung Fu Panda? It's a classic movie, so spoilers," Wade said, giving a brief explanation of the movie. "In the movie, Shifu adopts Tai Lung and trains him to be a Kung Fu warrior. He was so certain that he would become the Dragon Warrior that he promised him the Dragon Scroll.

"However, it was never a title Shifu had the authority to give, and when Oogoway denied Tai Lung the Dragon Scroll, the guy went berserk. It was a test by Oogoway to see if Tai Lung would be humble enough to know that he wasn't what he was promised to be and accept it, and Tai Lung failed it when he lashed out and turned evil. I know it's odd to compare All Might to a turtle, but it's true.

"So when Oogoway chose the real Dragon Warrior, Po, Shifu rejected him because he wasn't one of his Furious Five, who he was so sure was going to be the Dragon Warrior—"

"Alright, enough!" Nighteye yelled, having had enough of the Spider-Man endless rambling over a movie.

"Okay. Not a fan of animation," Wade said, raising his hands. "But the movie is pretty awesome. You should watch it."

"Are you just going to waste my time?" Nighteye demanded to know, glaring at Wade with frustration. Why wouldn't this punk just give up? "Because I've got better things to do than listen to you blather on. Is this really how you're going to waste your time? Is this really the only idea you have?"

Wade scoffed. "Well, don't you have one nasty, no-nonsense attitude? I wonder why that is."

"Don't play psychoanalysts with me, boy."

"Oh, I don't need a degree to figure you out. That talk about Kung Fu Panda wasn't just for shits and giggles," Wade said. Then he disappeared.

Nighteye's eyes widened. How did he not see that coming? But then he remembered that Wade had broken eye contact with him, one of the most notable weaknesses of Nighteye's Quirk. Because it was purely based on eyesight, breaking eye contact with him through any means prevented him from further predicting opponent moves.

Was this all a part of his plan? To create a situation that would allow him to break eye contact? How did he know? Was it blind luck that it worked? He didn't know, and so long as Wade didn't use his bioelectricity, he was completely invisible.

"Just like Master Shifu, you had already made your decision on who All Might's successor would be," Wade said, his voice echoing in the room. "You were so set on it that the thought of anyone else being picked was too much for you. And just like Oogaway picking the real Dragon Warrior, All Might did pick someone else who was worthy of his power."

Nighteye gritted his teeth and turned around slowly. He looked up at the corners of the room, trying to see anything out of place, even the tiniest dust. "I'm not hearing this..."

"Get a clue, you hypocrite. All Might made his pick. It wasn't Mirio. The least you can do is respect his decision. That is, of course, if you don't really love him all that much."

"Shut up. Shut Up!"

"And there's Mirio! What happens to him? He's a good guy, and he'll become a great hero. But I doubt that matters to you anymore now that he's not All Might's pick. What are you gonna do with him now? Kick him out of your agency?"

"Show yourself!" Nighteye growled.

"You make me laugh. But only because I find you kind of pathetic," Wade said, before he started laughing to himself.

Nighteye yelled. "Stop that!"

"So your favorite superhero didn't go with what you wanted, and you threw a tantrum, is that it? Honestly, I'm starting to see why the old man doesn't talk to you anymore. I mean, look at this room. Yikes," Wade said, continuing to laugh. His voice echoed throughout the room.

"Don't you dare laugh!"

Wade laughed some more before asking, "Why? Shouldn't All Might's successor have a humorist side? I've been making jokes and wisecracks all day, man!"

"YOU'RE NOT HIS SUCCESSOR!"

Wade appeared right in front of Nighteye. Crouching down with his right fist surging with energy.

"Yes, I am."

Nighteye's face turned into an expression of pure shock. He should have been able to predict this coming, but in the end, he failed to. The brat outsmarted him.

That was the last thing he thought before Wade uppercut him with a Venom Punch that sent Nighteye flying across the room before hitting the wall with a hard thud. The stamp that he had been trying so hard to keep from Wade was now flying in the air. However, it was quickly snatched up. Wade shot a web-line at it and pulled it back.

"Yoink!" Wade smiled and grabbed the stamp. Then he pressed it down on the form, stamping it with a red mark of approval. "So much for seeing into the future," he said, placing the stamp back down in its original location.

"What was that?!" Wade turned back to see Sir Nighteye on his knee, panting as he tried to stand up. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Fighting dirty," Wade said. "You said anything goes. You just fell prey to Spider-Man's greatest weapon. Annoying people into making a mistake!"

"Y-You brat!" Nighteye yelled. "You idolize All Might, and yet you would use such a dishonorable act to win?! He would never have done something like that!"

Wade stared at him for a moment before smirking. "Told you didn't know anything about me."

That comment gave Nighteye a moment of pause. That's right, he didn't know. He saw how he fought, but to see was one thing. To know how one thinks was another element entirely. All this time, he'd been dismissing Wade as All Might's successor, never taking the moment to see the boy behind the incredible feats and how his mind operates. If he had, then he'd know that Wade was turning his attack on himself.

"Funny, but that doesn't alter what I see," he said, standing up. "You are not worthy of One for All—"

"I know, and I agree."

This surprised Nighteye. "Then why did you take it?" He asked, looking at the young man, who looked away in shame.

"To make up for past sins, and because of All Might asked me to," Wade said with determination in his eyes. "He chose me with a great power and the great responsibility that came with it. I know I have my spider powers, but I know that it and One for All could be used together to help more people. And that's more than enough for me. So, quite frankly, I don't care if you don't approve or if Mirio should've been the one. I'm here now. And there ain't no fucking way you're getting rid of me. So, by the end of my time with you, I'll make you acknowledge me as the successor to the Symbol of Peace!"

"And if I don't?"

Wade thought of it for a moment. "Well, how about something other than peace?"

Nighteye raised an eyebrow.

"It's like you said, villains are growing restless, and there's a looming darkness on the horizon. You're not the only one who felt it," he said, looking at a poster of the man who used to give people so much hope. "Folks need heroes, sir. To give them hope. They need something to believe in."

Wade turned to the man and smiled.

"I'm still workshopping it, but what about a Symbol of Hope?"

A symbol of hope? Such a thing would've been All Might's title, even though he took the mantle of Symbol of Peace. Was this boy so arrogant that he believed that he could be a new symbol for the people? Or, could hope truly be what is needed in the world? Maybe not now, as peace was still experienced by millions in Japan. But perhaps in the future, when all hope is lost, in the darkest of times, when there is no light, could Wade Walker truly be that light?

No, the power of All Might was supposed to belong to the true successor.

And that successor came in with Bubble Girl. "And cue our well-timed return!" Mirio announced to the room.

"You're done, right, Sir?" Bubble Girl asked. "That loud bang at the end sounded pretty final."

"Check it out!" Wade said, holding up his contract. "I got the seal. Guess that means I'm in."

"Congrats, Wade! You pulled it off!" Mirio said with that enthusiastic and lively smile that never seemed to go away. He then turned to Sir Nighteye. "So, he made you laugh, after all."

"No, this test wasn't for the right to stay in my agency," Nighteye said.

Wade's excitement turned into confusion.

"Huh?"

"I said to take it. I didn't say that you would be rejected if you didn't."

"Then what the hell was all this for?!" Wade exclaimed, holding up his stamp.

"When I heard you were coming, I had already decided I would take you on. I also knew you possessed skill, intelligence, and raw power, but I still wanted to see for myself."

"And your verdict?" Wade asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Symbol of Peace is gone, and the people are looking not for a dim light, but a dazzling one. You'll work here alongside professionals. And you will see, regardless of All Might mandate, you will never be worthy of his power," Nighteye told the young Spider-Man, reinforcing his belief that Wade, not being worthy of the power that was bestowed upon him by his idol and hero.

At first, the young man was surprised. However, he then scowled. "So that's it," he asked. "You're taking me on to make me give up? That's what this has all been for? You haven't even met me, and you've already decided that I'm not worth your time."

"Precisely. You could always walk away, and I'll rip up your paper. It'll be like this never happened."

The two of them stared at one another, waiting for Wade to make his decision. However, that decision was made a long time ago. After all, One for All could have been passed down through the will of the current user. He was chosen by All Might, and yet Sir Nighteye doesn't want to accept him.

He truly believes that Mirio should've been selected instead. It's not an ideal dynamic, and Wade would have to try every trick in the book to get this man's approval.

"You can see into the future, right?" Wade said with a smile. "Then my future should tell you one thing about me: I never quit."

When Wade got back to the dorm, the sun was already sitting on the horizon. The train ride had left him oddly exhausted, but that could be because even with his powers, some mundane things could still tucker him out. Opening the door, he saw everyone had returned home, and some of his friends in the living room, talking.

"I'm home," Wade announced to the group of friends.

Ochaco saw her boyfriend and immediately went to him with a smile and a hug. "Welcome back," the bubbly girl said as she kissed him on the lips, took his hand, and gently pulled him to the living room. "So come on, spill the beans. Did you make it into the agency?"

Wade sighed as he collapsed on the couch and looked at his friends. Iida, Mineta, Mina, Tsuyu, and Momo were sitting around the tea table, with the dorm's house cat sitting on the busty girl's lap. Bakugo and Todoroki were standing nearby.

"Well, it wasn't easy, but I think he…" Wade paused for a moment. "Well, it's complicated, but I think I can get him to come around eventually. Either way, you're looking at the newest member of Sir Nighteye's agency!"

"Congratulations, babe!" Mina said, jumping on the couch and planting a big kiss on his lips. "That's really cool!"

"Indeed, well done, Walker," said Tenya with a look of pride.

Momo smiled softly and placed a hand on her chest. "I'm so relieved that you're able to join," she said, petting Chewie's back.

Wade smiled as his pink girlfriend looped her arms around his neck. "Thanks, guys," he said.

"Thank you," Iida said, standing tall with an inspired smile. "You're an example to us all."

It was then that the rest of the classroom walked in to join in on the conversation. Kaminari, with his hands behind the back of his head, said, "I dunno how the rest of us are supposed to compete, though."

"Yeah, you'll be working at Sir Nighteye's agency," Sero said. "That's seriously amazing."

"And I hear Togata recommended you," Kirishima said.

"Pretty impressive, man," Sato said.

"Yeah, he was a pretty cool guy to do that," Wade said, even though he knew it was only because Nighteye wanted him to give up One for All.

Meanwhile, as Todoroki and Bakugo watched the conversation, the scared boy said, "The distance between us keeps getting wider. We've got to catch up soon."

Bakugo scoffed.

Ochaco placed her chin on her hands and sighed dreamingly. "I wish I had a place picked out," she said. "The school said Gunhead hasn't had enough interns, so his agency is a no-go."

"I know what you mean," Tsuyu said with a finger on her lips. "I wanted to go to Selkie's, but that's out, too."

Kirishima lay on the back of the couch. "Yeah, so is Fourth Kind," he said in misery. "He doesn't even accept students for work studies."

"The teachers aren't making it easy for use, are they?" Sero commented. "No thanks to all the requirements, a ton of agencies are ruled out right off the bat."

"We can't really blame them," said Ojiro. "Unlike the internships, we'll be directly involved, so if anything were to go wrong, then…"

"Then the pros would have to take full responsibility for whatever happens," said Aizawa as he entered the room.

"Mr. Aizawa," Wade said, watching as his teacher walked over to Momo and gently patted Chewie's head. Something the young cat enjoyed.

"Only pros who're the real deal will take on rookies like you guys, knowing the risks involved," he said, pulling his hand away from the cat. "Tokoyami, looks like you've got another offer from one of them. Hawk has invited you to work with him in Kyushu."

"No way!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Dude, he's the Number Three Hero!" said Sero. "That's awesome!"

"Well, what do you say," Aizawa asked the bird-headed boy.

Pushing himself away from the wall he was leaning on, as per usual, he nodded his head. "I respectfully accept."

"All right, then. I'll make sure you get the relevant paperwork later," he said. "Just let me know when you're expected in Kyushu, and I'll sign off on your absences."

The other students turned to Tokoyami. "Congrats, man!" Wade said with a big smile. "Even that has to get you excited."

"I'm grateful, of course," he simply said.

Aizawa then turned to the redhead of the class. "Also, Kirishima, apparently, Amajiki from the Big Three wants to talk to you about something," he said, causing everyone to turn to the young man.

"He wants me?" Kirishima looked at his teacher in bewilderment.

"Uraraka and Asui, you've got your own Big Three summons from Hado," Aizawa said to the two girls in question. "You can track 'em down sometime tomorrow or whatever. That's all for now." With that, the grumpy teacher turned and walked away.

"Amajiki and Hado? That's crazy," Wade said, looking at the three who were selected. "They must want to include you guys in the work study program."

"No way!" Ochaco said with a funny face. "That'd be too good to be true, right?!"

Becoming impatient, Kirishima groaned as he stood up. "Nope. I'm not waiting until tomorrow. I'm going over to the third-year's dorm right now," he said, turning around and walking away from the door.

"I don't think I can wait, either," Tsuyu said as she and Ochaco stood. "Let's go with them."

"Yeah!" The bubbly gravity girl said before the two friends ran off to join Kirishima.

Mineta, seeing how everyone was getting so worked up and excited over the work-study program, scoffed as his eyes drifted to Momo's chest. "Who cares about the work studies anyway? First-years like us will just get stuck running errands and paperwork all day," he said, still pervertedly leering at the voluptuous young woman's body.

"Speaking from experience, Mineta," Wade asked, grinning.

"Don't remind me of my disgraceful past!"

"The only disgraceful thing is how you're looking at my girlfriend!" Wade yelled at him. "Cut it out before I turn you into grape juice!"

The next day marked the beginning of Wade's work study. As he stood in front of Nighteye's desk, he was accompanied by Mirio and Bubble Girl. All three of them wore their hero customs.

In his hero costume, Mirio clad himself in a white skin-tight top with the number "1000000" stamped across his chest in a bold, yellow font. The trimming on the top and shoulder pads was made in a matching fashion. On his waist, two green lines acted as a belt, along with some lines of similar appearance on his shoulders, which dipped in places to form two V's. Mirio also wore baggy dark blue pants and white knee-high boots. He wore a red cape as well as thick gloves of matching color. To top it off, the young man wore a white visor with yellow lenses.

"Today, we'll be doing patrols and surveillance," Nighteye said, placing a file he'd been looking at on the table. "We'll split up into two teams. I'll take Bubble Girl. Mirio, you're with Walker."

"Surveillance, huh?" Wade said, looking confused.

Bubble Girl provided context for him. "The Nighteye Agency is currently working on a secret investigation."

Looking back at the folder that was placed on the table, Wade saw that it had multiple pages with news articles cut out and pasted to them. However, one thing stood out: a single photo of a man.

This man, who wore a black dress shirt with matching dress pants and a pale gray tie around his neck, was a pale young man of a narrow build with short, shaggy, auburn hair parted to the right. His eyes were thin, irises small and gold, with relatively long lower eyelashes and small eyebrows, and he had three piercings in his left ear.

However, what stood out in the grainy, slightly blurred photo was his plague doctor's mask over his mouth. It was magenta in color and was tipped and embroidered with gold.

"What's with the freaky mask," Wade asked, picking up the picture.

"That plague mask is the trademark of Kai Chisaki, the young head of Shie Hassaikai," said the Pro Hero, turning the folder around to show Wade. "They're a small organized crime syndicate, and as its second-in-command, he's been behaving strangely lately."

"I didn't even think organized crime existed anymore," Wade said, looking up from the photo at Sir Nighteye. "Don't the police know who they are and monitor their movements?"

Bubble Girl jumped in to explain. "It's been that way since the big groups broke up, but this Chisaki guy is starting to gather them together again, though we don't know why. The details are unclear, but we do know that he made contact with the League of Villains recently."

Wade's eyes widened. So, once again, the battle between Spider-Man and the League begins again.

"Unfortunately, we don't have solid proof linking him to anything criminal yet," Nighteye said. "

"And linking up with the League isn't a crime," Wade said, tossing the photo back on the desk inside the folder. "Come on, we should be taking these guys down now!"

Nighteye shut him down with a sharp glare. "I will not allow your arrogance and bravado to jeopardize all that we're trying to accomplish," he said. "I don't care how strong you are, you will follow my lead to the letter."

Wade gulped and nodded.

"Just because they did meet with the League doesn't mean that they're in league with them," Nighteye said. "Hassaikai operates in a legal gray area that's close to black. We can't treat them like villains. Our objective is to tail them and find out what they're up to. Be careful not to arouse any suspicion."

And just like that, Wade and Mirio were set loose on the streets. As the two of them walked together, Wade let out a sigh and said, "Well, so much for taking down a crime syndicate."

"Ah, come, don't think like that," Mirio said, still with that same smile on his face. "Right now, we're just waiting for when Sir gives us the go-ahead."

"I know, but if these guys are with the League, then that puts them on my list of people I need to punch!" Wade declared, punching his palm.

Mirio laughed and patted his back. "That must be quite a list! That's exactly why you need some patrol time. We get to find villains and beat them up," he said.

They continued to walk together, and Wade said, "Strangely, this is my first time actually doing patrol." The first time he was supposed to go on patrol was back during the incident with Stain. He didn't even get to the actual patrolling part. "I feel like I would be better at this if I was swinging around the city."

"True, but I can't swing like you do, or fly."

"Right, can't leave you behind."

"Well, since Sir and Bubble are the ones actually watching the target today, I can teach you the basics of patrol duty," he said, flashing Wade a thumbs-up. Then he started…dancing? Even this author isn't sure what he's doing swinging his arms around and pumping his fists. "Just watch and learn, my friend!"

"You're just as bad as Iida!" Wade yelled. He calmed down and smiled at the bigger boy. "So, you already know me as Spider-Man, but what's your hero name?"

At first, Mirio was confused. But then he realized that he hadn't even told Wade his hero name. "You're right! Well, Spider-Man, I'm Lemillion."

Now it was Wade's turn to be confused. "Le…what," he asked, wondering if it was French for something.

"It's the number of people I'll save. You know, can't save 'em all. But I can at least shoot for saving 1,000,000 instead, so that's what I'm doing!" Mirio explained proudly.

"Okay, but what happens when you reach a million people?"

"Then I'll reach for two million!" Mirio exclaimed, shooting up his fist. "When we put on our costumes and start hittin' the streets, that's when we become heroes! So don't let your guard down, Spider-Man."

Spider-Man nodded, until his attention was caught by the sounds of crying and angry voices. Turning his head, he looked down the street and saw what appeared to be an elderly man and his young daughter being thrown out of a tea shop by three thugs.

"Ready to add to that number," he asked with a grin. Mirio saw what he was talking about and adopted the same determination. Together, they started walking over, with Wade putting on his mask.

"You were told a very simple task!" The led thug yelled as he grabbed the old man's daughter by the wrist. "Paid for protection, or your daughter gets hurt!"

"Papa!" cried out the young woman, with tears in her eyes as she watched her father being kicked in the stomach by one of the goons. "Please, don't hurt him!"

"Well, I could be persuaded to…" the leader leered at the young woman, as he tried to pull her in for a kiss, much to the young woman's disgust as she tried to pull away from him.

"Whoa, and I thought Mineta was a perv," said a voice behind the man.

Annoyed that someone was interrupting him, the thug turned around with a glare. "Huh—"

His answer came in the form of Wade's fist punching him in the face and sending him flying back. His body tumbled across the ground before coming to a stop, having been knocked unconscious.

The thugs who were beating up the old man were stunned that their boss had just been taken out so easily. They turned back to Wade, as one of them, the one with the bull horns on his head, charged at him. "Why you little!"

Wade didn't move; he just stood there and crossed his arms. And then, just as the goon was mere inches away from him, Mirio's fist appeared from Spider-Man's face and punched the bull thug in the face, knocking him out.

Wade stepped aside, showing that Lemillion was right behind him.

The last thug, frightened by how fast his friends had just been taken out, tried to turn and make a run for it.

Spider-Man, however, shot a web-line at him. Catching him in the back, Wade gave the man a shock, and he fell to the ground.

"Huh, nice!" Mirio said, patting Wade on the shoulder.

A moment later, the police arrived, and the thugs were thrown into the back of an armored car. No thanks to their friend having a dangerous bull Quirk. At the same time, the father and daughter of the tea shop were thanking Wade and Mirio with all the gratitude that could offer.

"Thank you so much for saving my Jin," the old man said, gently holding his daughter's hand. "The next time you come to my tea shop, it's on the house!"

"Thank you, we'll definitely take you up on that offer," Mirio said as he and Wade turned around and resumed their patrol. They walked a block down the street, yet the older boy felt completely full of energy. "Wow! What a takedown! Did you see how we took down that bull guy? That was the best part of the fight!"

"I know, right? We definitely need to do more tag teaming like that," Wade said.

"Oh, man, I've got so many ideas!" Mirio said as he started to ramble on about what his ideas were. "So, I was thinking that we…"

As much as he wanted to strategize with his new friend, Wade looked away, conflicted. It still didn't make any sense. Why would All Might not inform him about Nighteye? Nighteye was so set on not accepting Wade as his successor. Could that be why the former hero didn't want to deal with him? Something big must have gone down between the two of them.

The more he thought about it, the more distracted he became, and the more he started to fall behind.

And that's when it happened. Out of a dark alley to his right, someone small ran and crashed into Wade's body. Bouncing off him and falling back.

As he turned around to see who it was, Spider-Man's eyes widened in complete shock to see a small, six-year-old girl with bluish, off-white hair, messy and unkempt, which was parted in the middle of her forehead, almost reaching down to her waist. She had very wide, innocent-looking eyes, which were bright red. Poking out from the right side of her forehead was a small, brown horn. Her only clothing was a plain, short-sleeved dress, which was a dirty, pale tan color.

The girl hit the ground as she let out a pained yelp. Hearing that, Wade instantly reacted and knelt down to her.

"Whoa, hey, are you okay," he asked. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to—"

When he reached out to touch her, the young girl flinched and trembled. This made Wade pause for a moment.

"Oh! I get it," he said, pulling up his mask and giving her a friendly smile. "See, I'm not so scary…" The young hero trailed off as he noticed something very troubling.

Bandages were wrapped around both her arms and legs, stopping at her wrists and ankles.

"Hey, are you okay," he asked, instantly showing great concern for the girl's well-being. "Hang on, let me get you up."

Wade grabbed her under her armpits and attempted to pick her up. However, he felt her trembling.

"Are you…cold?" No, that can't be it. Her shaking was in fear.

Not of him, but something else. And it was something that Wade's sense alerted him to. He wasn't in immediate danger, but it was enough to put him on the knife's edge of acting without thinking.

"You should be more careful," said a new, muffled voice. Wade looked up, gasping in shock and horror at the man who had stepped out of the shadows.

Like a raven from the dark depths of hell, Kai Chisaki stepped out of the shadows in his mask.

He looked exactly like he did in the photo, only this time he was wearing a dark olive-green bomber jacket with a thick purple fur collar, white lace-up sneakers with tan soles, and no socks. He also strangely had white surgical gloves on his hands.

"We don't wanna cause trouble for the heroes," he said.

The moment Wade and Mirio saw him, they instantly went on high alert. This was him—the same man they were looking for, the man they were warned not to arouse any suspicions for. And now, fate had brought Chisaki right to them.

"I hope you'll forgive my daughter, hero," Chisaki said, looking at Wade with cool eyes. "I don't know what to do with her. She's always playing rough, bumping into things."

Wade didn't even have time to react when Mirio pulled his mask back over his face. "Agh! Hey!"

"Whoopsie-daisy, can't let the public see you without your mask, buddy," Mirio said, trying to act like his usual self. However, even Wade knew he was scared too, when the older boy turned to Chisaki and smiled at him. "I'm so sorry about that. It was our fault, too."

Wade realized what he was doing and mentally knelt himself for not staying calm. If Chisaki saw him getting scared, the villain would get suspicious and put the entire plan in jeopardy.

"I know that mask!" Mirio said. "You must be from the Hassaikai, right? You guys are famous around here."

"Yeah, please don't mind the mask," the syndicate said politely. "It keeps the filth out. I don't believe I've seen you two in the area before."

"You can say we're new around here," Wade said, adjusting his mask to fit properly.

"Yep, and we should get going. Come on, partner!" Mirio said to Wade, knowing that Chisaki's guard was already up. He can't know Sir's name.

"So, what agency are you two in?" Chisaki asked, engaging the two in a bout of small talk.

Mirio raised his hands and waved them. "We're only students! Far too low to claim association with an agency," he said. "We're just using our internships to get some experience. Speaking of which, we need to finish patrolling this division by lunch. Let's go, partner."

Wade kept his eyes on Chisaki as he tried to stand up. However, a pair of tiny hands grabbed onto his custom and wouldn't let go. Looking down, he gasped. This little girl, who couldn't have been older than six, was crying as she held onto Wade with a look of absolute fear.

"Please," she pleaded. "Please don't go."

Seeing a little girl calling for help sparked the flames of righteous fury inside of Wade. He wanted to hold the young but was afraid of frightening her even more if he did so. Turning back to Chisaki, he asked, "What's with the bandages on her? Surely those can't just be from 'playing rough'."

Mirio instantly became worried, knowing that Wade was just making him more suspicious.

"Like I said, my daughter can be a hassle sometimes," Chisaki said. "Eri's an exceptionally clumsy girl."

There was no way Wade would buy it one bit. Not when Eri's body was shaking all over. Chisaki had been doing something to her. Something horrible, and Wade's mind dared not even think of what the crime lord was doing.

"Yeah? And that's supposed to pass off as normal," he asked, the eyes of his mask narrowing.

Chisaki's left eye twitched. "It's dangerous to make assumptions about what's normal for some people."

The young hero glared at the man from under his mask. "Yeah, everyone's different, am I right?" Mirio said, much to Wade's shock. Lemillion understood where Wade was coming from, and he was just as furious and suspicious as he was, but things were about to turn ugly and fast, especially since it was obvious Chisaki didn't want them prying. If the two spook him now, he'll be even less likely to show himself.

It pained him, but they had to let it go.

Wade, however, didn't. As he gently placed his hand on the back of Eri's head, his mind raced. Mirio may want him to let the girl go, but every fiber of Wade's muscles was telling him to hold her tighter and not let this villain take her away—like a robot being ordered by his master to kill him, but doing so would violate the first rule, which was to never harm a human.

And if he did let Eri go without a fight, it would make Chisaki more suspicious.

But most of all, it was a moral dilemma. As Mirio said, the moment the customs are on, they're heroes. Wade was supposed to be the hero who helped anyone in trouble—his world's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. If he let Eri go, he'd be a hypocrite for everything he stood for. What hero would abandon a frightened child?

"What have you been doing to Eri?"

Eri's grip tightened, as silence filled the air around them. Wade glared at Chisaki, as a shadow was cast over his eyes. However, his senses were buzzing in his head, warning him that something really bad was about to happen, and it was going to happen soon. But Wade didn't care, not when it meant that Eri would be kept safe.

Chisaki sighed and said, "You heroes really pick up on the subtlest things, don't you?"

"Call it a natural talent," Wade quipped.

"Very well. This situation is embarrassing, so I prefer to discuss it where we won't be overheard," Chisaki said, turning and walking back down the alley he and Eri had come from.

It was a trap. There was no way it could have been, but even so, Wade and Mirio felt that they could take him. The two boys looked at one another and nodded. There was no going back now.

Wade easily picked up Eri and carried her as he and Mirio walked together into the alley. First, Lemillion entered, and then Wade followed after him. Keeping Eri in a protective hold with one arm, so that he at least had one hand at the ready to attack.

"Eri," Wade whispered to her, making the little girl look up at him with teary eyes. "That's your name, right?"

"Y-Yes," she said, almost afraid to say anything.

"My name is Wade, but you can call me Spider-Man."

"Wade?"

"Yeah," Wade said, gently patting her head. "Eri, listen, you don't have to go with him if you don't want to. Just say the word, and I'll get you away from him."

The little girl looked at him with wide eyes, as more tears poured down her face. She nodded and hugged him again. Wade smiled softly and rubbed her back as if she was his little sister.

"Hard to admit that you can't control your own child, but lately, Eri defies me no matter what I try," Chisaki said, still leading the boys deeper into the alley.

"Parenting, man. It sounds rough," Mirio said, still trying to appease him. "That can't be easy."

The leader of Hassaikai sighed. "Yes, children are tricky."

Wade's Spidey-Senses went off when he saw Chisaki reach his right finger into his left glove.

"So determined to do whatever they want…"

Eri gasped in total fear, realizing what was about to happen. Unimaginable terror rushed into her, flooding and drowning all hope Wade had instilled in her.

"...that sometimes they just don't listen," Chisaki said as he started to turn around. His eyes locked with Eri's.

That look that he gave her. It was a look she knew too well. And she knew what followed that look.

Death.

Wade saw it, too, and dropped down his free hand, as lightning coursed through it.

However, to his shock, Eri pushed herself away from Wade, landed on her feet, and ran away from him. The young hero stopped and watched as the little girl, whom he was supposed to be saving from Hassaikai's leader, ran back to Chisaki's side.

"Oh, good. Done with your temper tantrum," he asked her.

Eri didn't say anything.

"Wait!" Wade called out to the young girl. "Eri, you don't have to go with him if you don't want to."

"She does," Chisaki said. "She's always been like this. Sorry to involve you in our family drama. I'm sure you have better things to do than worrying about a disobedient little girl."

He placed his hand behind Eri's back and started pushing her away, taking her back into the darkness he had spawned from.

"Good luck with your internship," Chisaki said, bidding the boys farewell.

Wade gritted his teeth in anger as he was about to go after Eri. "Hold it—" Mirio's arm was moved in front of him, stopping Wade from going any further. "Mirio, what the fuck are you doing?"

"We can't go after them. Didn't you notice that he was ready to get violent," he asked.

"Of course I noticed! I noticed from the moment we came down this place," Wade said, punching his electric fist into his palm. "And I was going to get violent with him, too."

"Wade, don't you see? That's why she went with him," Mirio said, his visors making it hard to see his eyes. He was, however, no longer smiling. "She was trying to save us. If we kept pushing him, he was going to be even harder to catch. The only thing we can do now is report to Sir."

The rain started to pour down from the sky. Wade pulled off his mask and gritted his teeth in frustration. This wasn't supposed to be how it happened. He was supposed to save Eri from Chisaki, not let her sacrifice herself for his sake. Wade was supposed to make her feel safe, not let Eri go back to her abuser.

He was supposed to be the hero who saved people in trouble.

And in the end, Wade couldn't even save a little girl.

AN: That's how we begin the first chapter of the Overhaul Arc. While it wasn't flashy, I hope that it was enjoyable for everyone reading. It was certainly really fun to write, especially with Wade's interactions with the other characters.

Perhaps the hardest thing about this chapter to think about was how Wade and Sir Nighteye would interact. Once I figured it out, it wasn't hard to figure out the rest. I knew I wanted our hero to stand up to Nighteye and his rejection of him, and for that, I called upon Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, inspired by the moment Terry absolutely roasted the Joker in one of my favorite moments of the movie.

Wade's words are harsh, but angering and annoying his enemies is what Spider-Man does. And yet, they held truth in them. I wasn't just trying to make a funny moment between Wade and Nighteye when I brought up Kung Fu Panda, Nighteye is Shifu in this situation. All Might made his choice, and instead of supporting it, he decided that he knew better and wanted Wade/Po to give up.

Also, to anyone who's wondering where the weakness in Nighteye's Quirk comes from, that was taken from the Wiki page. It said that,

"As the nature of Foresight was completely sight-based, Mirai was unable to listen to future dialogue and thus could not fully interpret certain actions and events. Breaking eye contact with Mirai through any means prevented him from further predicting opponent moves."

That's how I came up with the weakness, and it does make sense. And it gives Wade an advantage, given that he's able to turn invisible.

Will I still get people who whine, saying that it's not canon? It's likely, but I don't care at this point. It's a good weakness that makes sense, especially when it can only be done once a day.

And then there's Wade's personality going into this part of MHA's story. After months of winning battles and becoming hardened by his experiences, this Spider-Man is more confident than he was before. At new heights in his powers, beating up people and saving the day should come easily, right?

Well, life has a way of humbling all of us, and with each new arc, Wade's commitments and ideals will be put to the test. Just like they were now. The hero who was supposed to never turn his back on anyone in trouble has had to break that one conviction all because of his new position, and it's a decision that he'll come to regret. The consequences of this will show him why no Spider-Man should ever, ever abandon a soul in need. No matter how much trouble it'll cause them.

But what do you guys think? Did you enjoy the chapter?