Well, we're here. The final chapter of the prologue. After this I can finally get started on the really long chapters. That means updates will be farther apart, but don't worry. I just started Winter break, so I've got plenty of free time. For the next 2 weeks, you can expect at least one chapter every day.

"Well, that took way longer than I thought it would." Peter thought to himself. Once he had figured out what was happening, he planned to knock out the heroes and leave. But then he'd gotten frustrated and started preaching to the reporters. In his hurry to get out of there, he forgot to web the heroes up.

"At least they aren't all bad." Peter said aloud. He wasn't lying when he said he'd seen Mirko helping with mundane tasks. She did little things, same as him, from giving directions to helping people get around. It was nice to know there were other heroes who looked out for the little guy.

"Whoops, I'm here."

Peter had arrived at his familiar 'home.' It was made up of an alleyway and the rooftop of the building next to it. In the alleyway were assorted things he had found while dumpster diving, such as broken radios and old phones. He was still an inventor at heart and needed parts for his creations. On the nearby rooftop rested a few flattened boxes and a torn apart blanket with many holes he had found earlier this morning. It would probably be better than newspapers.

The sad thing was that the combined space was bigger than the apartment he had shared with Aunt May.

Despite his long day, Peter was relatively happy. He had removed a small piece of the Iron Spider suit and studied it's nanotechnology. He was confident he could replicate it to replace all the nanotech that had already been used to repair the suit. The only problem was that his 'materials' were nothing more than broken phones and scrapped technology.

"Whatever. I just want to rest."

He tapped the chest plate of the Iron Spider and all the nanotech retreated into it, gathering in a small device on his chest. [1]

Zipping up his jacket (which was also found in the trash) to hide the compartment, Peter walked out of the alley. Today was the day to treat himself. He had spent plenty of time over the last few days scouring the street for random coins people had dropped. Finally, he had gathered enough to buy himself some proper food. He didn't care what it was as long as it didn't come from a trash can.

Peter wandered for a while, keeping his head low, pulling the hood over his eyes. He hadn't bothered hiding his identity as Spider-Man anymore. This place wasn't his home, he knew that. Everybody had strange powers to start with. Nobody knew about Thanos, nobody had been dusted, and nobody knew about Mr. Stark or the Avengers. Forget being on a different planet, Thanos had dusted everybody. The only way nobody knew about any of this was if he traveled to another dimension.

It wasn't too hard to believe, considering it happened courtesy of the infinity stones. Still, it was scary at first. How could it not be? He didn't know anybody here, and nobody knew him. His family and friends were all somewhere he couldn't reach, worse, they thought he was dead. It did come with some small amount of relief though. He had no family to protect and heroes were common here, so there was no reason to hide his identity.

"Kind of weird not to have to hide though. I've gotten pretty used to it since I became Spider-Man."

Walking into an American fast food place, Peter ordered the one meal he knew he could always trust. A burger, fries, and a milkshake. He took his food to a park and settled down before tearing into it. He must have looked a bit odd, wearing a jacket and pants covered in holes and stains and eating his food as though he were starving. Honestly though, he kind of was. It was hard to stay fed when you have to dig through the trash.

As he walked back to his 'home,' Peter felt his spider-sense go off. It alerted him to somebody watching him from a nearby rooftop.

"Come on man! It's late, I'm in a good mood, and I just want to go home and sleep!"

Peter groaned silently.

He couldn't do this here, not with people everywhere. He pretended to not notice the person watching him and continued walking. He eventually reached a wide alley, empty of people. He felt the stranger settle above, so Peter decided to choose now to call him out.

"So what is it this time? Is it illegal for me to buy myself food? Do I need to get a hero to do that for me too?"

The stranger seemed to be surprised that he had been caught, but took it in stride. He jumped off the building and landed heavily in front of Peter, who didn't flinch and still had his hands in his pockets.

The man was large, almost as big as the Hulk. He wore a red, blue, and yellow bodysuit and had wild blonde hair in the most ridiculous style Peter had ever seen.

"Impressive. You figured out I was following you a while ago, didn't you young man?"

"Yes. You weren't being very quiet. I could hear you jumping around."

The big man deflated at Peter's words, but he quickly recovered and laughed happily.

"You're an astute person. That's a good quality to ha- "

"Listen man, can we just get this over with? I already had to fight a bunch of heroes today. I finally ate a decent meal and I'm in a pretty good mood. I'd prefer if you just left, but if you want to fight, can you just make it fast so I can go home?"

The blonde man seemed taken aback by Peter's casual comment. Did he not know who he was?

Unknown to All Might, Peter really didn't know him. He had no time to read magazines or watch TV. The only times he gathered information on this world was when he caught flashes of news reports on the big screens throughout the city as he swung around.

"Ha-ha-ha! Young man, I'm here to talk, not to fight. I came to convince you to join UA. "

"...What? Yoo-ay? What is that?"

Peter had never heard of this yoo-ay before. Was it some kind of group? Was the blonde man trying to recruit him?

"UA is a school my boy, a school for heroes. It's the most prestigious academy in all of Japan, known for producing powerful and well-known heroes. Even my fellow hero Mirko graduated from UA."

Peter seemed a bit confused, but perked up a little bit when he heard Mirko graduated from UA. That at least proved the school helped form good heroes and not just a bunch of selfish idiots.

"Okay. But...why? Why should I do that? I don't care if everybody calls me a villain, I'm used to that. I'm fine being a hero that everybody hates. Why should I go to a school just to make people like me? So I can get a plastic card? That would be like taking back everything I just said on the news and saying your society was correct."

All Might expected the boy to argue, but he wasn't expecting this. "He thought this through. He's considering everything, even his previous message."

"Young Spider-Man, if I may, what is your name? You don't appear to be from around here."

Peter eyed the man. He probably was a hero as well, and the fact that he hadn't immediately attacked meant he was likely a decent guy.

"Peter Parker. I come from Queens, New York."

"Ah, an American. I spent some time there in my youth. It's a wonderful place. But that's a conversation for later. For now, tell me young Parker, what do you think makes a hero? What sets apart people like you from licensed pros?"

Peter honestly wasn't expecting a question like this. He stared at the smiling man, trying to get a read on him, but found nothing.

"A hero is somebody who does what's right no matter what. The difference between me and the licensed pros is that they aren't real heroes. I help people because I want to, because it's something a hero would do. They help people because they want money. It's selfish. People like that don't deserve to be called heroes. They're practically mercenaries, paid to protect people."

"So the root of the problem is motivation. Young Parker, there isn't much choice. In a society such as ours, villains are everywhere. If heroes weren't paid, they would need to get other jobs. But with all the villains in the world, they simply don't have time."

"And I do? I'm homeless and hungry because I don't have time. I put others before myself and I suffer because of it, but I do it gladly. Do you know why? Because it's my responsibility as a person with the power to help others. I don't mean to brag, but I once stayed up for 3 days straight fighting crime. Two prisons near my city experienced prison breaks at the same time. Street thugs and super villains alike were released, and no other heroes were there to help. For 3 days, I fought criminals without sleeping or eating. Do you think that was fun?"

All Might stared at the boy in surprise. He may not have Tsukauchi's quirk, but he was pretty good at reading people. Peter did not appear to be lying.

"When everything was over, I felt like I was dying. I was exhausted, I had broken bones all through my body, and my arms were practically on fire from all the webs I'd used. I passed out in the street. Thankfully, somebody found me and took me to the hospital. As thanks for saving the city, they took care of me free of charge. Of course, I healed most of the damage on my own, but I still appreciated it.

"That's one mark of a hero," All Might thought. "To become a beloved icon that others want to support. If what he's saying is true, this boy is much stronger than I thought."

"Young Parker, I understand. But you have to understand, it's not just public opinion, it's the law. You may not see anything wrong with this, but we do. You're doing good, yes, but you aren't simply seen as a villain. You're breaking the law, which, in essence, legally makes you a villain. And as long as that remains true, heroes will continue to pursue you."

Peter was about to retort, but bit back his words. He was right. Public opinion was one thing, and the law was another. He was legally a criminal, despite his attempts to do good. To be fair, he was sort of a criminal back in his own world, but that was different. Most of the time, the cops were usually alright with him, and there were no super heroes chasing after him. Plus, if he would be constantly harassed by the "heroes" in this world otherwise, he may as well listen to what this guy had to say.

"Fine, I'll bite. What's UA's deal?" Peter asked begrudgingly.

"As I said, it's a school for heroes. For 3 years you will train under the best heroes Japan has to offer. By the time you've finished, you'll be a fully licensed hero and can go back to fighting crime. Legally."

Peter thought for a moment, then asked a question All Might wasn't expecting.

"You're not the man in charge, are you?"

"...Excuse me?"

"I have a few things I want to clear up, favors I want to ask, and people I want to meet. I'll consider this UA thing if you let me talk to the man in charge.

At UA

All Might had just finished telling principal Nezu everything he had heard from Peter, who was standing next to him. All the other heroes were also in the room, listening carefully.

"Being called a fake by a damn kid. Who does he think he is?" Snipe grumbled quietly.

"Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Mr. Cowboy," Peter responded while Snipe looked surprised. "My senses are dialed up to 11. If you don't want me to hear you, don't talk so loudly."

Snipe clearly wanted to bite back, but he was silenced by Nezu.

"Mr. Parker, you said you wanted to speak to me, so what would you like to know?"

"Well first of all, what can you teach me? I have plenty of experience and I know how to handle myself. This might sound like a lie, but I guarantee I've fought people more dangerous than anybody any of you have ever faced off against."

Nezu turned to Tsukauchi, who nodded his head. Peter wasn't lying. All Might tried to hide his shock when he heard this. It may well have been that the boy was simply overconfident, but if he was telling the truth, that meant there was a chance that he had faced a villain stronger than All For One.

"That's a bit concerning." Nezu thought. A quick look around the room told him the other heroes felt the same way.

"Well Mr. Parker, UA doesn't only teach heroics. You will be taught history, quirk laws, and anything else you need to get through life. Heroics may be the primary focus, but this is, first and foremost, a high school."

Peter nodded his head before continuing.

"Alright. Secondly, I don't want to be let in. This is a high school, so there's probably an entrance exam. I don't want you to just give me a place in UA, I'd rather earn it."

They wouldn't admit it, but the heroes and teachers were impressed by Peter's words.

"That can be arranged Mr. Parker. Anything else?"

"Yes. The media thrives on controversy. If word gets out that such a prestigious school invited me to join, it could cause all kinds of problems. And you shouldn't bother hiding it, because it WILL get out eventually. Which is why I want to personally announce my joining of UA. That way, I can make it look like I asked to join."

Nezu was a bit surprised. He wasn't expecting Peter to think that far ahead. And he was right. The media would spin the story in countless ways. If Peter told the public himself, that could be avoided.

"Alright, that can also be arranged. Will there be anything else?"

"Just one thing. Where will I stay? It's not that I don't love the setup I have, but are there dorms on the school grounds?"

"Ah yes, you did mention you were homeless. Well, as of right now we do not have dorms, but perhaps you can stay with somebody in this room."

Nezu gestured to the assembled pros, who all turned away. Some made excuses, while others remained silent, and others flat-out said no. All Might could see where this was going and was about to offer to take Peter when somebody else raised their hand.

"Sure, I'll do it." Mirko declared nonchalantly.

Nobody could hide their surprise.

"Eh? You? But you hate dealing with this kind of thing." Midnight questioned her.

"Meh, why not? I like the kid. Like I said before, I respect people who are powerful. He's tough, he's capable, and he's got nowhere to go. Of course, he can always continue living in his box or whatever." She smirked lightly.

"No, I'm alright. I'd be grateful to stay with you Ms. Mirko." Peter bowed politely.

"I told you to drop the Ms. kid."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"So, you'll join UA Mr. Parker?" Nezu confirmed.

"Yes sir," Peter straightened up. "I will join UA."

2 days later, the UA press room

Peter was standing without the Iron Spider at the head of the room, all the reporters eagerly awaiting his next words.

"I do not take back what I said 2 days ago. I stand by everything I said before. However, it's come to my attention that I'm not simply seen as a criminal, but am in actuality, a criminal. I disagree with how things are done in this society, but I don't make the laws, and I definitely don't break them. Which is why I had a meeting with principal Nezu, and he graciously made me an offer."

Peter gestured to the mousy principal next to him.

"In exchange for giving up my vigilante ways, I would be offered a place at UA at the start of the semester. I decided I'd be crazy to pass this up and took him up on his offer. I still have to take the entrance exam like any other student, but come the start of the semester, I, Spider-Man, will be joining UA."

Within an hour, every news station, newspaper, and tabloid had published a story about Spider-Man joining UA.

Well, that's it, we're finished with the prologue, finally, which means the semester at UA has started and we'll start seeing our happy little bean again. Also, that means we'll be introducing Bakugo to this story, which means the swear counter is about to go WAY up. Shield your eyes all you good Christian children, this is gonna be bad. I apologize if it seems a bit rushed, but I just don't have a lot of time today. That's the last chapter of today, so I'll see you tomorrow guys. Remember to drop a review.

[1]: Think Tony's compartment in Infinity War, only spider-shaped instead of being triangular.

Aren signing off.