Tap
"Hmmm…..what song to play…."
Tap, Tap, Tap
"Walk This Way? No. Slow Ride? Hmmmm…no. American Idiot? Doesn't sound very nice. Thunderstruck? …...I'll listen to it on the plane. Oh! How about this one?"
Tap
"(radio connection noises before a repeating piano note plays)
Morning, today's forecast calls for blue skies!
Sun is shinin' in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped rainin' everybody's in the play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day, hey hey
Runnin' down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly in the city
On the streets where once was pity
Mr. Blue Sky is living here today, hey hey
Mr. Blue Sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
Mr. Blue Sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
Hey you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race
A celebration, Mr. Blue Sky's up there waitin'
And today is the day we've waited for…"
Eri was sitting at the kitchen table with headphones on listening to the current with Laura sitting across from her as the older girl was looking through her newly acquired phone. A bamf brought it over yesterday and said it was from Bruce as a way to stay in touch.
Whilst listening to music, Eri watched as Midoriya was in a rush to get ready with Inko helping him because his alarm didn't go off. According to Inko, they are running late. They were supposed to leave at 7 AM. It's 7:25 AM now. Overslept by 25 minutes. Eri loved this music playing thingamajig.
"Oh Mr. Blue Sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?
Hey there Mr. Blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Everybody smiles at you…"
Eri was walking downstairs with Laura in front of her carrying their stuff in a suitcase. Laura got tired of waiting for Midoriya, and Peter and All Might were already here in a limousine. Eri got into the limo as Laura put the stuff in the trunk and sat next to her. Laura put a seatbelt over Eri as the two waited with All Might and Peter wondering what was taking them so long.
"Hey there Mr. Blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Everybody smiles at you..."
Midoriya used his Quirk to quickly get downstairs and threw his stuff into the trunk before getting inside the taxi on the other side of Eri. Eri didn't look up, but she felt the glare of annoyance Laura gave to Midoriya and could barely hear Peter and All Might questioning why he was late. Poor Midoriya.
"Mr. Blue, you did it right
But soon comes Mr. Night creepin' over
Now his hand is on your shoulder
Never mind I'll remember you this
I'll remember you this way…"
When they got to the airport, Laura carried the small girl to keep her from getting left behind in the rush, and to help calm down Eri because Eri was getting a panic attack from the horde of people in front of her. The trio got their stuff and made a break to the plane they were going to miss. And they did miss it. However, because of All Might's name, the airport let them use a private jet that was already ready to go because someone had ordered it but canceled at the last second. Lucky them.
"Mr. Blue Sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long (so long)
Where did we go wrong?"
With everyone on board and all the luggage boarded onto the jet, the jet took off with Eri being given a seat next to the window. Eri was amazed at how the jet was in the air and not falling, and began to ask Laura questions about how the jet was doing it. Laura answered them as best she could to where Eri would understand them.
"Hey there Mr. Blue (sky)
We're so pleased to be with you (sky)
Look around see what you do (blue)
Everybody smiles at you."
It's been a few hours now since they arrived on the plane. On the left side of the jet was Laura and Eri, and on the right side near the emergency door was Peter, Midoriya, and All Might. The flight attendants offered the heroes and child breakfast, which they happily accepted. An hour after eating, Laura and All Might passed out, Peter was telling Deku stories of his superhero life in New York, and Eri was gazing outside the window taking in the beauty of the ocean with music playing through her headphones.
"So there is more than one Spider-Man?" Deku asked curiously.
"Oh yeah there are many from what I am told," Peter replied, "There's Spider-Man, of course, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Girl, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Woman, Silk, Superior Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, Spiderling, and Spider-Ham. There's a lot more, but I think you get the gist of it."
"Spider-Ham?" Deku questioned.
"Uhhh….think of me, but I'm a pig with the powers of a spider," Peter answered with a chuckle.
Deku was visibly confused. How does a pig gain the abilities of a spider? What would that make him, Peter Porker or Porker Parker? Deku doesn't understand this, but then again, he never knew about alternate worlds until Peter said so in class.
"I can tell you're questioning the idea of a pig with spider powers. I find it hilarious and awesome personally." Peter laid back in his seat, "It just goes to show how much we don't know about alternate realities and how DNA works. I mean, look at me! I got bit by a spider and now I can stick to walls, have a radar sense, super strength, and even a slow healing factor." Peter crossed his arms and looked at them, "If there are two things I'm glad that I didn't gain from that spider it would be extra limbs and eyes." Peter shivered, "I can't fathom the idea of having eight eyes or six arms or both."
Deku nodded his head and was about to change the subject until they both overheard Eri singing something to herself.
"Oh, I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you
Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time
I'm having a ball
Don't stop me now…"
"She really loves that music player you gave her," Deku smiled.
"I'm glad she enjoys it." Peter smiled as well as the two listened to Eri sing to herself unbeknownst that Peter and Deku were listening in. "We should introduce her to Jiro. I bet they hit it off."
"I think so too." Deku stared at the girl for a moment before turning to Peter. "Are you surprised that X-23 is the one looking after her?"
"Not really." Peter turned to Deku, "At first glance, you would think either Kurt or I would be the ones to watch over her, but X-23 is the one sane person who can relate to her. The other would be Wade, but that's not a sane person."
"Banner isn't a bad choice either, but it's when something makes him angry that's the problem. And believe me, there is always something around to make him angry." X-23 suddenly spoke from her slumber, making both the boys jolt in surprise. Both Peter and Deku hummed in acknowledgment before the intercom's dinged.
"Good day everyone, we hope we've been able to satisfy all your needs during this flight. Currently, if you look out the right side of the windows, you will see I-Island in all its beauty."
Peter looked out the window as Deku woke up All Might to get him to see the island. X-23 and Eri walked over and looked out a different window as they all saw the giant island.
"I was right," X-23 said, "It does look like Disney World if it was a city."
Deku chimed in, "I looked up how many acres Disney World is, and it's bigger than some towns, but not a city. Los Angeles puts Disney World's size to shame, and that's not a massive city compared to others around the world."
"It's still big," X-23 responded.
"Please take a seat and buckle up. We'll land shortly."
"Young Midoriya, Peter, put on your hero suits." All Might said, "X-23, that's optional for you."
"Yeeeeeeeees sir," Peter said as he, Deku, and X-23 took turns using the restroom to change into their hero outfits. When they were done, All Might took his turn and changed into a custom made outfit that resembled his hero costume since he couldn't fit into his original one.
Eri approached All Might with her headphones sitting around her neck, "Ummm…Mr. All Might?"
All Might smiled down at Eri, "Yes, Eri?"
"What is Disney World?" Eri asked.
All Might chuckled, "Let me tell you about Disney first."
"Holy shit!"
"Language!"
"Sorry!"
The group of five was stunned by the sight in front of them. When they unboarded the plane and walked through the check-in station they were met with a spectacular sight of the top of the line technology. The buildings, the floor, the architecture, agriculture, all of it was colorful, bright, and beautiful. Giant mountains spewed out water and the water moved on its own to create a 'welcome sign', bubbles were in the air carrying people overhead to allow them to see the expo, a massive neon glowing harp was strumming its cords with colorful music notes coming from it, and much more.
"Huh," X-23 and Spider-Man said, "And I thought Stark Expo was advanced."
All Might let out a laugh of amazement, "I can't believe so many people are here even before it's opened to the public officially!"
"This place," Deku shouted, "Seeing it in person just shows you how amazing it is!"
"This place is Disneyland for Hatsume," Spider-Man imagined Hatsume being as giddy and happy as a kid if she were here.
"No kidding," Deku replied.
"Who's Hatsume?" X-23 asked, lifting Eri into her arms.
All Might turn to the three teens, "Unlike Japan, people are allowed to use their Quirks here. From what I have heard, many of the attractions use Quirks. You should go visit them."
"I'm allowed to use my Quirk?!" Spider-Man's heart skipped a beat, "Yeeeeeeeeeeessssssssss! I've been waiting to use my Quirk again!" Spider-Man blinked, "Now I'm calling my powers 'Quirk.' Guess the word is rubbing off on me."
"This place is so bright it actually hurts my eyes," X-23 said, "What do you think, Eri?"
Eri's face was memorized by the expo. She was taking everything in. Never in her life has she seen something so colorful and filled with so much happiness. From the laughter of people to the smiles of those eating food, to the surprise and excitement of those who are experiencing new things, to the pure pleasure of making new memories that'll last forever and bring exuberance when they recall them.
Too focused on what is in front of her, Eri let the music player slip from her hands. Eri snapped back into reality and attempted to grab the music player, but X-23 had caught it before it could hit the ground. "Oops…" Eri mumbled.
X-23 gave Eri the music player and patted Eri's head, "I know you're enjoying the view, but hang onto that. We only have that one.."
Eri held onto the music player tightly in her hands, "Are we going in there?"
"Yeah, we are." X-23 readjusted Eri in her arms, "Excited?"
Eri nodded her head, "Yeah." Eri's voice matched her answer. She was excited.
"I'm getting close to breaking that barrier." X-23 thought to herself, "Just a little more."
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"What are you doing?! Get down from there!"
"Damn it, Wade!"
The five looked to the left as X-23 and Spider-Man gave off a large sigh of disappointment and annoyance. They saw Deadpool in the air riding a bubble on the outside as it was taking him away with a group inside of it looking at him curiously. Nightcrawler then appeared next to him and teleported him back to the ground where Midnight and Dr. Banner were waiting for them.
"I wanted to see what happens if I popped it," Deadpool grumbled.
"Why am I the babysitter to you? You're an adult!" Nightcrawler shot at the merc.
"Don't look at me!" Deadpool raised his hands, "Look at her, she put you in charge!" Deadpool pointed to Midnight.
"And I'm quite entertained," Midnight laughed.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Nightcrawler snickered.
"Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe~" Midnight teased.
In the midst of all of it, Dr. Banner was silent with a smile on his face.
The five walked up to the group of four as Dr. Banner turned and waved to them. "Hello guys," Dr. Banner greeted them.
Deadpool, Nightcrawler, and Midnight turned to the five as Nightcrawler teleported next to X-23 and Eri. "How do you do, my little Schätzchen?" Nightcrawler said to Eri as he booped her on the nose with his tail. Eri let out a small noise that almost sounded like a giggle, but it was choked back. "Ahhhh so you can laugh!" Nightcrawler chortled, "I was beginning to wonder if you could or not."
"My little Schätzchen?" Deadpool said, "Stop speaking gibberish to the little girl! She doesn't know German!"
"Schätzchen," Eri pronounced perfectly, "It can mean different things, but Kurt is using it to say 'sweetie.'" Everyone looked surprised at how Eri knew that but for Spider-Man, X-23, and Nightcrawler, they were stunned by Eri recalling Nightcrawler's words precisely.
Deadpool slumped his body to show he was stumped, "...Okay, she doesn't know more than that." Deadpool turned his head to X-23, "So Laura when were you going to tell me you had a child with you?"
"In due time," X-23 responded, "Right now, I just want her to have fun here."
"Have you figured out if she has a Quirk yet?" Dr. Banner asked. X-23 shook her head no. "Hmmmmm…" Dr. Banner looked to Midnight, "Is there a way we can tell without waiting?"
"Take her to a doctor and get an x-ray." Midnight said, "I'd say go to Recovery Girl if that'll be the little angel's first time seeing a doctor."
"She's such a smol bean," Deadpool said as he pinched Eri's cheeks much to the little girl's discontent as she pulled her head away. Deadpool released her and rubbed her cheeks, "You're so precious!" Deadpool sounded like he was talking to a dog.
"Wade, you're making her uncomfortable." X-23 stepped away from the merc as Eri rested her head on X-23's shoulder.
"So…." Dr. Banner clapped his hands together, "Where is the hotel? I'd rather put my stuff down right now."
"Oh!" All Might pulled out a map, "It's a minute or two away from here. It's the only hotel that rooms people who are attending the expo and who are not. Follow me, everyone." All Might took the lead and walked in the direction of the hotel as everyone followed him.
"Say, Midnight," Spider-Man said.
"Yes?" Midnight replied.
"How did you, Deadpool, Dr. Banner, and Nightcrawler get here?"
Midnight grabbed at her chin, "Oh, a few top scientists here owed me a few favors and I cashed them in to attend the Expo. I brought them here because Dr. Banner's a scientist, and Kurt's been a good boy and deserves a reward."
"Okay, but why Deadpool?" Spider-Man asked again.
Midnight grinned, "I hate being alone in hotels; it's so boring~. I brought him to act as my roommate."
Spider-Man nodded his head slowly, "Riiiiiiiiiight…" Spider-Man shook his head and followed the group in silence.
After everyone checked into the hotel, they were split into roommates of two or three. Deku and Spider-Man, X-23, Eri, and Nightcrawler, All Might and Dr. Banner, and Midnight and Deadpool. Everyone wasn't surprised by the last group of roommates, but they all had the same thought.
"I'm glad for soundproof rooms."
After everyone was done getting settled in, they went downstairs to the lobby and bumped into other familiar faces.
"Hi, guys!" Uraraka greeted them, dressed in her hero outfit. Behind her was Jiro, Yaoyorozu, Mina, Hagakure, Kirishima, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Tsu.
"Uraraka!" Deku greeted gleefully and with surprise, "Jiro, Kacchan, Todoroki! Everyone! You're all in this hotel too?"
"No shit, Deku," Bakugo growled, "This is the best hotel on the island, and I don't do second rate stay-ins."
"Also it's the only hotel that has a pool area," Mina said happily, "Which mind you, is 18 acres big!"
Nightcrawler stared at Mina in shock, "How did I miss that?! I looked everywhere here!"
Mina laughed a little, "Not good enough, devil boy."
"So, Spider-Man," Tsu said, also in her outfit, "What are you doing?"
"Oh you know, just attending the Expo," Spider-Man replied, "What about you guys?"
"Some of us aren't!" Mina screeched, "Yaoyorozu had extra tickets, and Jiro and Uraraka won them, while Tsu got invited from Todoroki!"
"Todoroki?" Spider-Man looked at the fire-iced teen.
Todoroki stared blankly at the hero, "My father received the ticket and gave it to me. Said he didn't want to go to some, 'stupid island', as he put it. So I chose to bring Tsu because you were going."
"Oh?" Spider-Man sounded confused but passed it off, "Well thanks?"
"You're welcome," Todoroki blankly said.
"Okay, so who isn't going to the Expo? If you are, raise your hand, if not, keep them down." All Might said to everyone. Everyone except Mina, Hagakure, Deadpool, and Nightcrawler kept them down.
Midnight looked at the two X-Men in surprise, "Neither of you is attending?!"
Deadpool shrugged his shoulders, "It's not my thing. I don't care for fancy tech. Stuff bores me if I can't mess around with it. I will; however, attend that party. I love parties!"
"For me, I'd rather look through the city. It looks so lively and very entertaining. I don't know I'm more drawn to the city than the Expo." Nightcrawler said.
Midnight huffed, "I shouldn't have given the Expo tickets to you two then! What a waste! I can't give them to anyone else now since they are registered to your identities!"
"Sorry," Both male X-Men replied.
Midnight sighed and looked to Dr. Banner, "Can you at least keep me company?"
"Sure," Dr. Banner replied with a smile, "This Expo fascinates me. I wanna see how their technology compares to my world."
"At least someone's ticket is being used," Midnight mumbled.
"Uncle!"
Everyone's head turned to the sound of the voice as All Might's eyes widened in the realization of who that was. Several feet away, a figure was skating towards the group at high speeds. When she got near, she stopped right in front of All Might. "Uncle Might!"
"Uncle?!" Everyone shouted in complete shock. Standing in front of the former number one hero was a lady that was as tall as most students with long blonde hair, aqua blue eyes with oval-framed glasses over them, and a wristwatch. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt with plaid cuffs, a large plaid bow at her neck, and a dark raspberry pink waistcoat. She also sported pale gray capri pants paired with plaid pink socks as well as a pair of heeled brown boots.
All Might laughed in pure happiness as he and the female hugged tightly, "Melissa, it's been so long! You've grown the last time I saw you!"
"And you lost a loooooooot of weight!" Melissa laughed back as All Might bellowed.
"Taking a jab at my real form vs my hero form? And I thought you were a nice girl." All Might replied in good fun.
Melissa and All Might separated as everyone was eyeing the girl in front of them, who is probably the niece of All Might.
"Bet you can't pick me up now!" Melissa said, "I'm seventeen now, so I'm a lot heavier now than back then!"
"Well back then I was still going around kicking bad-guy butt!" All Might smiled peacefully, "Now, I'm retired and teaching at U.A."
Melissa looked stunned, "Really?" Melissa then looked to everyone else, "Are these your students?"
"Yes, they are!" All Might looked to his students, "Everyone, this is Melissa. The daughter of a dear friend of mine."
"Hello everyone," Melissa bowed to them, "Pleased to meet you all!"
"Likewise," Mostly everyone said.
When Melissa looked back up, she spotted Spider-Man and her face grew brighter, "Spider-Man!"
"At your service," Spider-Man replied with suave.
Melissa ran up to the hero and took his hands into hers, "It's a pleasure to meet you in person!" Melissa said, "You were amazing on TV! Your debut was spectacular!"
"Thank you, Ms. Melissa," Spider-Man said and got a little nervous. She was beautiful after all and she wasn't letting go of his hands. Although skin through skin contact wasn't there, Melissa's hands were very soft yet somehow had this undeniable grip. "But I wouldn't have won if it weren't for your uncle," Spider-Man had to admit 'Uncle Might' played a far bigger role in the defeat of Hulk.
Melissa paused for a moment and giggled before looking at All Might, "I'm already catching on, but All Might isn't my actual uncle. I call him that because of how close I am to him."
"Oooooooooh." Everyone exclaimed.
"So, you're all here for the Expo?" Melissa asked, still holding onto Spider-Man's hands and not realizing the slight, ever growing discomfort coming from Tsu.
"Not everyone," All Might answered, "Just some of us."
"Okay!" Melissa released Spider-Man's hands and eyed everyone, "I would offer to be a guide to everyone here, but I want to take All Might to my father first if you don't mind. It's been so long since they've seen each other."
"It's alright," Uraraka said, "I hear there is this really good restaurant here that is run by Lunch Rush's father, Foodstuff!"
"And I hear there are places where I can test my Quirk's power in competition," Bakugo grinned, "And I wanna go there to show everyone my power!"
Melissa looked between the two and kept her smile on, "Well if you go to the left past the aerospace section, the restaurant will be there and the battlegrounds is a whole section of its own. It's a little further down past the restaurant."
With that being said, Bakugo took off immediately with Kirishima and Todoroki following him while Uraraka, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu went together.
"So…how were her hands?" Tsu asked Spider-Man with a side look.
Spider-Man rubbed the back of his head and chuckled a bit nervously, "Um…soft yet strong? Kind of like yours."
Tsu rolled her eyes and gripped Spider-Man's hand to the surprise of Melissa, "'Kind of like mine?' Was that supposed to make me feel special?" Tsu said with a note of sarcasm.
"Was that sarcasm?" Spider-Man asked as the duo began to walk away with Tsu taking the lead.
"I'm brusque, not blunt," Tsu responded with the couple now out of hearing range.
Nightcrawler snickered while Mina commented for the both of them, "I think someone's jelly of the new girl."
"So pathetic," X-23 mumbled to herself, took Eri's hand, and the two walked in their direction.
"Bye." Eri waved bye to them as they left.
"Okay, I guess Dr. Banner and I will walk around." Midnight said as she wrapped her arms around Dr. Banner's arm, making the man stiffen, "Won't we, darling~?"
"Uhhh….." Dr. Banner's face reddened with embarrassment and confusion, "Yes?"
"Great!" Midnight laughed as she took Dr. Banner away from them.
As they left, Melissa turned to All Might and grabbed at his shoulder, "Alright, let's take you to dad!" Melissa tugged at All Might's hand as she flicked her other hand and her rollerblades glowed. The rollerblades transformed into a string of light and disappeared into her pockets.
"Okay, okay, let's go then." All Might and Melissa left with Deku following them.
"You seriously want to see the city more so than the Expo?" Mina asked Nightcrawler.
"No," Nightcrawler said with a sly smile, "I'd rather go to a place where the pretty girls are at." Nightcrawler then wrapped his arms around Mina and Hagakure's shoulders in a friendly manner, "So where are we going, schöne Damen (beautiful ladies)?" Nightcrawler asked as the three of them left, leaving Deadpool alone.
"Huh," Deadpool looked around, "Guess it's just me and my voices now."
"You got that right! Let's find a strip club!"
"This is a highly secure facility filled with top of the line scientists. It was built to be a place of research for bettering the world's future, and to show off their genius by constructing an enjoyable theme park to not bore the populace who wish to learn what the future holds. The probability of them having such a vulgar place is highly unlikely."
"Don't be such a spoilsport! There's bound to be hot babes willing to do so in private because this man is as handsome and sexy as Ryan Reynolds!"
"Why do I share the same head with you?"
"So this is I-Island?" Taskmaster was looking through a window from an executive building with a view that showed him everything, "I wonder how much everything here is worth. If I take one of the more lucrative things back to my Earth I could retire with a bank bigger than Stark's." Taskmaster looked behind him as a multitude of guards were knocked out, "Hey, you guys done?"
"Almost ready, Taskmaster," A rough voice spoke out down a hallway, "We're unloading the trucks to sneak more of our guys in here."
"Good," Taskmaster gripped his hands, "And the doctor; where is he?"
"He should be here in a minute," The voice answered, "He has just finished talking to our client about what to do when the invasion begins."
"Good," Taskmaster crossed his arms, "If everything goes according to plan, we'll be out of here just fine with the prize." Taskmaster huffed, "And maybe even rid that damn spider." A door opened behind the villains as Taskmaster turned his body and laughed at the sight in front of him. "Well, I'll be damned! I didn't think it would be you!"
"I was forced here; I have no choice. …I have a family to protect," The doctor says solemnly and looks at Taskmaster in his shallow eyes, "What's next?"
"Blend in, keep an eye out on everyone that's targeted." Taskmaster said and handed the doctor a list of everyone's names and photos. "We haven't hacked into the security systems yet, and that's why you are performing this little job."
The doctor looks at the list and fumbles with it a bit, "But what if I get caught? What if Spider-Man sees me?"
"Don't worry about that; worry about what will happen to your wife and son if you fail." Taskmaster retorts, "Now, when it's night time, make sure those kids are guided to this evening's event by the time the plan is executed. This whole operation falls on you, Dr. Conners."
Melissa had taken Deku and All Might to meet her father, David Shield, the man behind the operations and construction of I-Island.
When they arrived at David's quarters, Deku and All Might were met with two men inside.
A tall man of average build, with wrinkles on his forehead; small sky-blue eyes and short, unruly honey brown hair with two tufts curving outwards from the top of his forehead, a short goatee on his chin and square glasses on his face. He wore a plain dark blue shirt with a single breast pocket; the two top buttons left casually undone and the sleeve-cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up to just below his elbows, a pair of pale gray-blue jeans, a dark belt with a silver buckle and navy blue sneakers with white soles with a red stripe near the toe.
This was David Shield.
The other was Samuel Abraham, an assistant to David Shield. Sam was an older, heavier man with short blond hair and blue eyes, which were usually kept closed. He wore the typical business attire; a suit and tie outfit with slacks, suspenders, and shoes.
After some introductions, a touching reunion, and a fanboyism from Deku, David asked for some alone time with All Might and for the other three to leave. When they did, David quickly led All Might to his lab nearby. David's lab resembled a hospital room, but this room was meant to see the 'lifeforce' of a quirk. Despite All Might saying he was indeed unable to uphold his form past a few seconds, David persisted he'd be tested. After running tests and proving All Might was right, David's world shattered.
"I can't believe it…" David said, somley, sitting in a chair with his back hunched over and his head down.
"I'm sorry, David," All Might sorely replied with a hand over his injury, "I'm no longer able to use my quirk longer than for a few measly seconds. Though time is little, it's not enough time to charge up a simple punch. I've tried."
When David heard the news, he couldn't believe it; not for a second, he couldn't. He wanted to call All Might and tell him to come over to the lab, but many legal restrictions stopped him from doing so, not to mention having to comfort his daughter as she couldn't believe either that All Might wasn't going to be a hero anymore.
That monster, the Hulk, retired him. The beast lost the battle, but it won the war. And to think the Hulk is still roaming around in Japan and acting as if nothing happened. David never thought he could hate a living being as much as he did now.
"David," All Might spoke as his old friend snapped out of his thoughts, "I know, I struggled too with these feelings. I still do." All Might looked to his hands, "To think it's all over. My dream, my hero's life, my original purpose, it's all over." All Might closed his hands and closed his eyes, "But life moves on, and though the journey forward will be filled with hardships and challenges only a quirkless person would understand, I am ready for them."
"You're talking as if you already prepared for this day," David spoke, still with sadness in his voice.
"I did. Since day one, David." All Might replied, "I knew the day when I had to retire from being a Pro Hero would come, and I tried my hardest to prepare myself for it. But when the day came, after I stopped Hulk's rampage and went back to my home, I realized no amount of mental training would have groomed me for that day."
"The void you left can not be filled; it will not be filled," David looked at All Might, "Hawks may be swift and an expert on improvisation, but he's not you. He's not even Endeavor."
"Endeavor…" All Might mumbled, "He was given his license back a day after the Hosu City incident. I don't think the directors gave him his license back because he served his time. They need him more than ever right now since villains seem to be on the rise, and Hero Killer Stain looks to be the one behind this surge in crime."
"If you were to take away the twisted and disturbing attributes of Stain, you could see all he wants is to bring the word 'hero' to its former glory." David said, "But as sad as it is, that's an unrealistic dream given how far hero society has evolved to accept celebrities as heroes." David shook his head. He didn't like heroes profiting off of their fame either but that's just how life is today. "How will they do it, All Might?" David asked suddenly, "How will the heroes keep crime at bay? You were the reason why villains thought twice. Now, you're gone so there is no reason for that doubt anymore."
All Might placed a hand on his chin, "We look to the future, David." All Might looked outside a nearby window. He saw a wide view of the park and everything below. "It is clear my age of heroes is coming to an end soon, and now, we must look to the future. A future filled with promise and with a class of heroes that survived villain attacks without any proper training."
"And some from other dimensions," David chuckled. All Might looked at David in shock, "I know who Spider-Man is, All Might. Who do you think the directors called to make Peter Parker's record? As well as Howlett, Wilson, and Wagner?"
"He left out Banner's name. Did they not let him do Bruce's profile?" All Might thought to himself, "It's for the best. If he were to find out Bruce is the Hulk, I fear what thoughts would plague David's mind."
All Might smiled warmly, "Who would be better? Though I am surprised. I thought someone else would have done the job."
"I was too, but I think they did it on purpose because they knew what I was already doing since the first one arrived." David grimaced.
"Right," All Might remembered the first incident of dimensional travelers. When he first met Peter, he told the young man 'anything can happen in the line of hero work.' That's what he said; that was his excuse for allowing Peter to walk away without any consequences from the law. But as experienced as he is, as much as he's seen, and the many different surprises ranging from comical to downright insane, All Might has been lying to Peter about being the first person to come into their dimension.
Peter Parker is the second person to travel through dimensions.
There was another before him; a man of pure evil who was locked away in Tartarus never to reemerge.
Ever since Peter arrived, All Might wanted to tell him the truth but the directors forbade it. Whatever the directors have in mind, All Might hopes it ends well for everyone's sake.
But knowing how the directors are, when does it end well for those involved other than themselves?