HEROES OF TOMORROW

Issue #32: Eri

Wade was in a bad mood. He'd been in a bad mood since he had to leave Eri for the sake of the mission, and Nighteye told him not to think so highly of himself that he thought recusing her would be the right thing. Ending his day on a sour note, as he was told to stand down and not dive into the darkness for the girl who cried out for help. The sick feeling in his hero-bond heart would grow whenever he thought of that little girl sacrificing herself to the darkness.

He was upset at All Might, Nighteye, and Mirio, but he hated himself the most. You are your worst enemy, and Wade's decision led to Eri's being taken back. His pent-up frustrations got worse as the next day went on. Spider-Man couldn't concentrate in class, and his friends and teachers took notice. Knowing this couldn't continue on, Wade had to end one mystery.

To end the mystery, he waited on a dirt track, where Midnight told him All Might would jog down every day. It was good to see the heroine again, and she seemed so much happier. The two of them promised to talk about Daniel at a later date, but Wade had to talk to his mentor.

It didn't take long for his mentor to come slowly jogging down the path, seemingly enjoying his run, despite the fact that he could be enjoying his training and he would cough once in a while.

"Your sidekick's a real piece of work," Wade said.

"Ah!" All Might yelped and jumped back in fright. "A ghost!"

"Oh, right." Wade appeared again, dropping his camouflage. He was leaning back against a tree, glaring at All Might with his arms crossed.

"Young Walker? How did you even know where I was," All Might asked.

"Midnight said that you've been jogging at the end of every day," Wade said, pushing himself away from the tree. "But I'm not here to join you."

All Might looked at his protege, the skeletal face now a permanent fixture. "I take it this is about Sir Nighteye," he said, having come to dread this conversation.

"You knew what I was walking into, didn't you," Wade said, walking up to All Might. "Nighteye told me how he wanted you to pass One for All to Mirio, not me. You knew that I was going to find out eventually, so why didn't you tell me about it?"

All Might looked at the young man with sadness and shame. "I didn't think it was my place to tell you," he said.

"That's BS, and you know it!" Wade yelled, unable to fathom what could have led All Might to that thought. "I could have been told this sooner instead of learning it all at once and being rejected by him. Nighteye wants me to give up the power to Mirio. That's why he took me on. Did you even know that?"

All Might adverted his gaze. "I had a feeling it was the primary reason," he admitted.

Wade looked at All Might with shock and disbelief. "Unbelievable…How many more secrets have you been keeping from me?" Spider-Man yelled at the man he looked to for guidance and help. "All Might, I'm your successor. The guy that's supposed to go out into the world and take your place. How can I do that if I don't know what's going on?"

For a moment, the two of them stood in suffocating silence. Wade desperately waited for an answer. All Might held that answer like a locked safe that was slowly being picked, as the wind blew through the area.

"I didn't think knowing this information would help your development, but if you really want the truth…"

"Please," Wade said. "I deserve to know."

"You may regret it."

Wade sighed. "I regret a lot of things. What's one more?"

All Might took in a deep breath and said, "Okay. So, Nighteye had always been a fan of mine."

"Yeah, his office gave that away."

"Walker."

"Sorry, continue."

"It was my policy not to take on sidekicks, but eventually, I gave in and let him be my number two. We worked together for years. He was the brains of my operations, and contrary to what you may think, we worked great together. But then, six years ago, we dissolved our partnership because of my injuries. As it turned out, we have different values…"

The pain that All Might felt after his first battle with All for One was immense. As a hero who was always on the front lines of battle, All Might knew that being a Pro-Hero was a painful cheer, but it was one he took with pride. For what could be more invigorating and fulfilling than being a hero that places smiles on everyone you save's faces? It was a feeling that even the most cynical people you know in your life would love and cherish.

And now, that purpose, that calling in life, that sense of duty that you held was on the verge of collapsing when you were still in your prime. Before you choose your successor.

It was a reality that All Might couldn't live with, and he fought against that reality as he leaned against the hospital wall, fighting back against his weakened body as his sidekick, master, Nezu, and Recovery Girl tried to stop him from fulfilling his duty.

"This is reckless, All Might," Nigheye said. "It's time for you to step down."

Toshinori coughed blood as he struggled to keep going. He had to go. "But everyone's looking to me, for my help," he struggled to say. "If there are frightened citizens, then I have to go to them."

"Keep doing hero work in that body, and the entire world is going to suffer," said his sidekick, desperate but composed. "If you wish for enduring peace, then retire while you're a legend."

"If you're looking for a successor, why not search at UA?" Nezu suggested to his former student. "You've put in your dues and more, All Might."

"Imagine your future—a comfortable life. Just find a cheerful and strong replacement and entrust your role in society to them," said Nighteye. It's time."

All Might, however, rejected it. "And who will be the Symbol until I find something like that," he asked. "Even if All for One is beaten, another villain will replace him."

"I know the importance of the Symbol!" Nighteye exclaimed as he ran over and tried to hold back his idol, his friend, from going forward. For how could one not try and not stop their friend's destructive decision? "I revere its function, but please, All Might. You can't even smile right now. I'll say it again: You must retire."

All Might pulled away from him and tried again.

"If you continue your hero activities like this, I won't support you," Nighteye said. "I won't. I can't."

That gave the hero pause. What was he talking about? Not support you? But he always has. But Nighteye has always been by your side. No matter how reckless or insane it was. And it was at that moment that a realization took over All Might.

"You saw it, didn't you?" All Might looked over his shoulder to look back at Nighteye. "I told you never to use your Foresight on me."

"If you step away now, another Number One will appear," Nighteye said. "Things might be rough now, but we'll survive. We'll find a way through it together."

"And while we're figuring out all that, how many people will you let die or live in fear?"

All Might turned away and tried walking away again. This time, he felt the strength in his legs returning.

"Listen to us!"

"Besides, your Foresight is never wrong, so why fight this?"

"There just hasn't been any precedent for it!" Nighteye yelled. "But I think…I can change the future! At this rate, events will play out as I've seen. That can't happen! Don't you see!? I'm here because I want to do something to help you! Please, All Might!"

All Might stopped struggling and said, "I'm sorry, but for the sake of the world, I have to be able to say I am still here."

"Please! Stop!" Nighteye yelled in one last desperate attempt to stop the man who'd inspired him and so many more. "If you continue like this, you'll face off against a villain and die an unspeakably gruesome death!"

"...You…You're going to die?" The words felt so cold in Wade's throat. His windpipe froze over as his voice fell. All Might was going to die. It was a reality that was too painful and impossible to imagine. And it's that moment that it hits him.

Death.

He knew something bad was coming and that death was a natural part of living. But it's the moments that you hear someone saying that they'll die that are the hardest when they hit.

All Might nodded. "The two of us parted ways after that argument," he said, continuing the story. "We couldn't agree about my future. Principal Nezu recommended Young Togata to me, but before I could meet him, I ended up running into you."

Wade felt his heart sank. "So, all this time…I wasn't supposed to have it?"

"After we met, and I decided to pass my power onto you, I told Nighteye of my decision. But he was so opposed to the idea, and the rift between us grew even deeper," All Might further explained. "He couldn't accept that I wanted someone else, a Quirkless middle school student with a strange power not from this dimension, to have One for All. He thought I was an idiot, throwing away my power."

"And that's why he started training Mirio," Wade said, becoming even more upset with how Nighteye saw Mirio. "But wait, what about his vision? How far in the future was it?"

"Six or seven years," All Might said. "The further into the further he sees, the harder it is to know exactly when something will happen. But his Foresight has never been wrong."

Wade did the calculations in his head. "That's this or next year," he said in dread. "…You can't be serious, right? There's no way that can happen!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to tell you any of this," All Might said.

"Then why," Wade asked.

"Because…Because you're my friend, Wade."

With that, All Might's conversation with his friend ended, leaving Wade in a state of shock. Wade stood there and wanted to say something to All Might, but he didn't even get the chance to say anything when his phone started buzzing in his pocket.

Pulling out his phone, he hit the answer button and placed the phone to his ear. "Walker here."

"Even the way you answer your phone is subpar," Sir Nighteye said on the other side of the line.

"Really? You're even rating how I greet the phone?" Wade groaned. He looked to All Might, and from the look in his eyes, he knew who the caller was.

All Might watched as Wade took the call and replied to everything Nighteye told him, feeling out of place as he listened.

"Alright, thanks," Wade said, before hanging up. "Night patrol. Nighteye wants me to go out there and assist Fatgum and Ryukyu's teams with keeping the gang violence under control."

The moment Wade got off the train and was about to go to meet up with Kirishima, he was already thrust into action when a car sped past the train station. Gang thugs hanging out the windows and firing at a police car chasing them.

"Fuck! We're in deep shit now, man!" The driver yelled as he drove through the streets of the city, weaving between the vehicles in his way.

"Knock it off!" the group leader, sitting in the passenger seat, yelled. "Damnit! This isn't how it was supposed to go! Who ratted on us!?"

The thug that was shooting at the police cruiser quickly pulled himself back inside and started to reload his bullpup rifle. "I bet you it was—"

The conversation came to an abrupt halt when something landed on their roof. The thugs looked at one another. There's no way that could have been a hero, right?

Wade ended that hope when he peeped his head upside down through the open window. "License and registration, please."

The gang members yelled in shock as Wade pulled his head back up. Having arrived at the city already in costume, he slipped on his mask just before the gunman in the back seat pulled himself back out to try and shoot him. However, Spider-Man pulled his gun out of his hands, nearly pulling the man out of the speeding car, too.

Thankfully for him, Wade caught him in his webbing when he shot him in the chest with a quick blast. He then fired the end of the webbing at a lamp post. Causing the captured man to be pulled out and hung upside down over the street.

"Damn you, hero!" yelled the leader as he pulled himself through the window to shoot at Wade with his pistol. However, his entire gun and hand ended up being covered in webbing. Wade then did the same to him as the last guy, but this time, he pulled him out, fired a web net between a street lamp and a stop sign, and threw him at it. Safely capturing the villain.

Wade then knocked on the driver's window. The driver rolled down the window, allowing Wade to say, "So, how do you want to do this? The easy way or the hard way?"

Luckily, the driver pulled the car over and surrendered without a fight. A moment later, a cop car pulled up, and the man was placed in handcuffs.

"Welp, that's one crisis down," Wade said, duffing off his hands.

STOMP!

Suddenly, a foot from a villain with a gigantification Quirk stomped down on the road behind Wade. With an exasperated sigh, the young hero turned around and was shocked to see that villain running up to another one with a monstrous head, hitting it with a punch that sent spit everywhere.

"Holy cow," Wade said, looking at the two beasts in shock. "I…might need some help."

That help came flying in from up in the sky, soaring through the night on waves of energy coming from her feet.

Wade looked up and was shocked to see it was Nejire in her royal blue skin-tight bodysuit with a high black collar and pale mint green markings that covered her torso from over her shoulders to between her legs, framed with turquoise and a matching stripe of the same two colors around both of her upper arms. On her feet, she wore a pair of knee-high boots, a thinning flap buttoned on each thigh, with turquoise spirals around her ankles, matching the thicker ones above her yellow gauntlets and wrist guards. She had a black strap around the top of each thigh, two small satchels attached, and two spiraling horns of hair protruding from behind her ears that were shaped to reference her powers.

"Full charge, output level 30," she said with that bright smile she always had. "Spiraling Surge! Nejire Wave!"

From her hands, two massive blasts of her Quirk came out spiraling and slammed into the two villains, knocking them both down onto the streets as civilians ran for their lives.

Wade stared at the two villains who had just been taken down in wide-eyed shock. Then he looked back up at Nejire, who was suspended in the air with her Wave Motion ability.

"Hey now, why are you two fighting? Is it cause you have the same Quirk?" Nejire asked, wanting to strike up a conversation with the villains. "That's weird."

'The only one weird is you,' Wade thought.

"Get ready! You're up!" Nejire said, calling out to both Tsuyu and Ochaco as they flew across the sky on one of many large pieces of debris. Thanks to the Quirk of his girlfriend, Wade watched as they brought the rubble to the now-frightened villains.

Ochaco released her Quirk. "Ultimate…"

"...Move!" Tsuyu lashed out her tongue and used it like a bat to hit the debris down on the villains

"Metero Fafrotskies!"

That ultimate combo attack did its job and knocked out the two giant villains. Police quickly surrounded the villains. Wade ran over to meet the girls, and they landed together on the ground.

"Girls, that was amazing!" Wade exclaimed as he picked up Ochaco and twirled her around, making the brunette squeal and laugh. He then set her down, pulled up his mask, and kissed her on the cheek. "Where'd you two learn to do that?"

"Ochaco and I have been discussing this move for a while now," Tsuyu said, not wanting to feel like the third wheel in the couple's presence. "It was actually Ochaco's idea."

Ochaco, still blushing, said, "Yeah, I wanted to combine my meteor shower with Tsu's attack for a more precise attack. I'm just glad we pulled it off."

"And it was so cool!" Nejire exclaimed cheerfully as she landed on the ground. "You didn't look nervous at all!"

"Ribbit, ribbit, I was calmer than I thought I'd be," Tsuyu said.

"Nejire wouldn't have recommended you if you couldn't have gotten the job done," said a woman's voice, as the girl's mentor walked over to them. "And you've been working on your attack timing. It's much better."

That woman was the Dragoon Hero: Ryukyu, the No. 9 Pro Hero.

A beautiful woman in her late 20s with chin-length blonde hair and a long fringe over the right side of her face, covering her right eye. She had thin, yellow, inward-tilting eyes with slit pupils and notably sharp teeth.

Her hero costume consisted of a dark red, traditional Chinese qipao with a pale green scale trim around her shoulders, which seemed only to be slit on the left side, with yellow claw patterns on the bottom and smaller ones around her neck. She wore knee-high boots, a strap around her exposed thigh, and long, almost sleeve-like white gloves that nearly reached her shoulders, with higher tabs on the outer sides, and they exposed her hands from the wrist. She wore a matching green headband with four large, pale purple claws attached, covering the right side of her face, and a set of small black dragon wings protruded from the back of her head, with gold spiked cartilage piercings decorating her left ear.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to take us on!" Ochaco and Tsu bowed their heads.

"It's my pleasure," Ryukyu said with a smile as she turned to Wade. "And I'm assuming that you're the new young man that Nighteye took under your wing, am I right?"

"Yep, that's me. The name's Wade, hero name: Spider-Man," he said, shaking the woman's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with her eyes closed and a kind smile. "We've got this situation under control. Go ahead and head out to Fatgum."

"Right, thank you." He then kissed his girlfriend. "Love you, Ochaco!" Wade exclaimed as he pulled his mask back over his head and started web-swinging across the city to get to where he needed to go.

Ryukyu looked at Ochaco, smirking as she saw how flustered she looked. "He seems nice," she said.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Wade said as he landed in front of Kirishima and Tamaki, scaring the poor boy. The two heroes were waiting out a seafood restaurant, as indicated by the giant fake crab over the sign.

Tamaki's hero costume consisted of a black bodysuit decorated with gold plating around the arms and shoulders, a white tunic, a matching cape, and a hood with more gold layering on top. The cape connected to a scarf-like collar with a silver front mask. Tamaki also sported a purple mask over his face and a matching purple carrier vest with red straps.

And he was oddly barefoot.

"Hey, Wade, glad you made it!" Kirishima greeted him, and the two friends grabbed their hands and pulled each other into a brief hug.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. What'd I miss," Wade asked.

"Not much, actually," Kirishima said with his usual smile on his face. "Just waiting for Fatgum to get his dinner."

"And here I am," said a voice behind the group. "Sorry it took so long; the place was pretty busy when I got in."

Wade turned around and saw the fat form of none other than Fatgum. Living up to his name, he was a large, round man, easily towering over other adults. His mouth was wide, and his nose was smaller, which gave him an odd look alongside his odd body proportions. His hero costume consisted of black pants and an orange, zippered hood, which had the initials of his alias on the front, written with a clear F, G, and an inverted F. Alongside them, he also wore gloves, metallic boots, and a mask that went around his eyes and over his forehead.

"Well, good to finally meet you, Walker," said Fatgum, holding a tray of food that he was currently eating. "You were so awesome during that whole thing at Kamino and the Sports Festival."

"Thanks, it's good to meet you, too," Wade said, smiling at the big hero in front of him. "So, what's on today's agenda?"

"Well, we've got idiots fighting nonstop on the streets these days," Fatgum said, leading the group of boys down the street. As he spoke, he continued to eat his food with a toothpick. "I can't eat enough to keep up. Anyway, the agencies around here have been wanting close-combat types. You're just what the doctor ordered, Red Riot. And Nighteye was kind enough to lend you when I requested the assistance, Walker."

Kirishima punched his fists together. "Couldn't have asked for a better pair of fighters," he said with a smile.

"Hell yeah!" Wade said with his own grin. He then turned to Kirishima. "Surprised you didn't sign up for Fourth Kind's agency."

"Nah, he doesn't take on work study students, so I've been grateful that Fatgum was willing to take me on," the redhead said as they walked beside Tamaki.

Tamaki groaned in misery. "If only Mirio'd been around."

"Geez, thanks," Wade said. "I didn't know I was unwelcomed."

The shy young man instantly flinched and moved to the other side of Fatgum. "I didn't mean it like that!" he said in a panic. "I just…don't feel…comfortable. Your friend's persistence was terrifying."

"We're gonna work on those delicate nerves of yours, Tamaki, and then you'll be worth your weight in gold," Fatgum said, knowing just how bad the boy's social anxiety is.

The thought of Fatgum making him do things outside of his comfort zone had Tamaki groaning and grabbing his chest. "Your expectations only drag me down deeper in despair," he said, covering his eyes. "It's always like this! I swear, the man scouted me so that he'd have someone to torment. I wanna go home!"

Wade and Kirishima looked at him strangely as the redhead said, "Maybe he's trying to encourage you."

"Yeah, that's what a mentor does," Wade added.

Tamaki sighed and pulled his hands away from his face, looking as miserable as ever. "I'm not like you, Kirishima, or Mirio. Positivity's not my strong suit."

"Hey, man, I know how it is," Kirishima said. "Sometimes, when things get crazy, I feel useless, too. There's a gap between me and my classmates that's only getting wider. But I'm doin' my best to close that gap so I can fight beside them!"

"That's the spirit!" Wade said with a big grin under his mask.

"That, right there," Tamaki mumbled. "That's called positivity."

"Deal with it!"

The four of them continued walking together but were stopped when a citizen yelled out from the crowd behind them. "They're fighting! Someone, help!"

Fatgum sighed and placed his tray of food on the ground. "Welp, at it again," he said, as Wade and the others turned around and saw a group of villains running in their direction.

Moving quicker than a man of his size should have been able to, Fatgum burst in front of the goons. Some of them ran into his body, before the Hero was able to grab them and hold them tightly against him.

"Mr. Fat's got a little hug for ya!"

"What the hell!?" yelled one of the two goons who stopped just in time, watching as their comrades were being held in the crushing hold. He was then grabbed by a web that pulled him up into the air. No thanks to Wade catching him while crouching on a street light.

"Hey, where's the fire? Why not hang around," Wade quipped.

"That was a terrible joke!"

The remaining goon pulled out his gun to kill the hero-in-training. But was then grabbed by a set of tentacles. Wade looked in the direction they came from and saw that they were Tamaki's fingers.

"Tentacles?!" the goon yelped. "Who's this freak?!

That depressed Tamaki. "That's just cruel."

"Oh, grow a backbone!" Wade yelled.

"The guy's a dirtbag loser," Kirishima yelled as well. "Don't let him get to you!"

With that in mind, Tamaki pulled the criminal towards him and transformed his other hand into a…clam? With his clam hand, he smacked the man across the face as hard as possible, knocking him out and then dropping him on the ground. Then, the young man placed his foot on the man's back, that foot having been turned into a bird's talon. There was even a wing growing out of his back.

"Clams are good for offense or defense. They're very handy, so I try to incorporate them into my diet every day," Tamati told the villain.

Wade landed on the ground and walked up to the shiest member of the Big Three. "Whoa! That's awesome, man," he said with a smile under his mask. "What kind of power do you have?"

"It…It's called Manifest," he said shyly. "Anything I eat can enhance my body."

Wade looked at the tentacles. "Takoyaki?"

"Yeah."

"Clam preserves?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Chicken nuggets?"

"U-Uh, fried chicken, actually," Tamaki said with embarrassment. "Was that okay? It felt so wrong."

Kirishima grinned and tried to pump up the guy's spirits. "You are kidding?! You're so fast, and you've got great control of your Quirk!"

"Yeah, out Suneater's got some serious talent," Fatgum said as the police took over handcuffing the criminals he caught. "His mental game needs work, but he's as strong as a Pro, right?" He turned to the crowd of people who had gathered to watch the heroes in action. All of them cheered for Tamaki, causing him further embarrassment and anxiety.

"Oh, come on, they love you…" Wade trailed off as he felt his senses going off. He looked into the crowd to see where it was coming from. But there were so many people. Where was it coming from, and what was the danger?

That's when he saw the glinting of metal, the end of a dark barrel, and his finger pulling on the trigger.

"Gun!" Wade yelled, jumping back just as the gun fired.

But he wasn't the target.

The bullet hit Tamaki in the shoulder.

"Tamaki!" Wade and Kirishima yelled in shock and horror. No blood was coming out of him, but he was still shot, and was going down. Spider-Man gritted his teeth and looked in the direction the shot came from.

"Take that, Heroes!" The villain yelled as he fired again. He was wearing Shie Hassaikai's mask.

"No, you don't!" Kirishima yelled as he hardened his skin. Allowing the bullet to bounce off the redhead's face.

"It bounced off?!" The villain exclaimed in a gruff voice. "Interesting.

"You're going down!" Wade yelled as he landed on the ground and ran towards the villain. With lightning-fast speeds, he was in front of the villain and kicked his gun out of his hands. "Eat this!"

GRAB!

Wade's fist was grabbed the moment he threw it at the man's fast. For a moment, the two of them stood there, allowing Wade to take in just how massive the man was under his trench coat.

"Not bad," the criminal said.

Wade grinned under his mask. "Big mistake!" he yelled, charging an electric blast.

However, the villain kicked him in the chest and sent him flying back past the other heroes before coming to a stop. Groaning in pain, Wade sat up and looked at the stranger in shock.

"What are you?"

"I am a hunter, and you are my prey," the man said before running off at speeds that no normal human could reach.

"Hold it!" Spider-Man yelled before rushing off after him. "Come on, Kirishima!"

"Right!" Kirishima nodded, ready to kick ass, as he jumped on Wade's back before the web-slinger jumped up and started web-swinging after the criminal. Ignoring Fatgum yelling at them to stay put.

It didn't take the two of them long to catch up to the villain, who stopped a few blocks down the street in a less crowded area of the city. There were still civilians around, but they quickly started to step away from the man. From the sky, Kirishima jumped off Wade's back and landed on the ground a few meters in front of the man, cracking the ground, as Wade landed behind him.

"Finally stopped running, huh?" Wade quipped.

"You should at least save your buddies, shouldn't you," Kirishima asked the oddly silent criminal.

"That's what you're mad about?!"

"What?! He shot someone, then ran off to save his own skin," Kirishima said, turning back to the villain with a glare. "Not much of a man, are you?"

The villain scoffed as he reached up and grabbed his mask.

"You can say that," he said, revealing the head of a wolf under his mask and hood. "Those street punks were only to bring you, Spider-Man."

Wade and Kirishima looked at the man with wide eyes as he stripped off his coat. They were shocked to see that this man had not only the head of a wolf. He was a fully anthropomorphic wolf with light blue fur and a white underbelly. Built for combat, his body was lean yet muscular, with big hands and sharp claws that would rip a person apart in one strike. And his jaws could crush a skull with one bite. He still wore clothes, but only black pants and black combat boots. No shirt meant his hideous scar was on full display.

"About time I got that mask off," he said, crushing it under his foot. "Can barely smell anything with that."

"Who are you?" Wade demanded to know.

The wolfman grinned. "The name's Feral, Hero-Hunter: Feral," he said with a vicious grin. "And I've got a contract to hunt you down."

"Yeah?" Wade asked, trying to hide his nervousness. "And who would want to put a bounty on little old me?"

"Some little creep that wanted you brought to them," Feral said.

"Dead or alive?"

"Bingo," Feral said with a vicious grin. "Paid a lot of good money, too. But I didn't care about it."

"Really?" Kirishima was even shocked. "You gave up being rich?"

"Fuck no, I took the money," the wolf man said. "But that's not why we Hero-Hunters do this."

He deployed his sharp claws.

"We do it for the THRILL!" Feral shouted as he shot towards Wade like a bullet, his mouth wide open and his claws ready to cut down the Spider-Man.

"I've got you, man!" Kirishima rushed out in front of Wade and put up his arms in an X.

Wade yelled, "Don't!"

SLASH!

"AAAAH!" Kirishima screamed as he lifted off the ground and sent flying over Wade, blood spilling from the redhead's arms as three large gauses were left. Something that shouldn't be possible!

"Kirishima!"

"Don't take your eyes off me!" Feral yelled as he slashed at Wade. Spider-Man dodged the attack and punched him in the side with a venom punch, electrocuting him and sending him back a few meters.

"Kirishima, are you already?!" Wade called back to his friend.

Kirishima panted as he got back up, looking at his hardened arms in a mixture of shock and confusion. "He…He actually cut through me," he asked.

Feral's growl got their attention, and they turned back to see him standing back up. "That tingled," he said.

Wade's sessions only had a tenth of a second to warn him to x his arms in front of his chest, before Feral appeared out of nowhere and punched him. Making Wade yell out loud in pain as he was sent flying into the air. The strength of this man was unbelievable, the same as the UJS Nomu.

Wade quickly activated Battle Focus, stopped himself by shooting two web-lines at the buildings on both sides, and slingshot himself back into the fight.

"Sit, boy!" Wade yelled as he kicked the villain across the face, making him spin around and stumble back a bit.

That's when Kirishima came charging in and tracked the wolf down to the ground.

"It's clobberin' time!" Kirishima yelled as he hardened his skin again and unleashed a fury of punches on Feral's face. Causing him pain, but not enough to put him down.

Eventually, Feral grabbed both of his fists and held them in a tight grip. "Yes, yes! This is truly an excellent hunt!" he yelled before pulling his legs back and kicking Kirishima in the chest with enormous force, sending him flying up into the air.

Kirishima screamed as he flew up. That was until he felt one of Wade's web-lines catching him.

"Kirishima!" Wade yelled as he swung him down. "Wrecking Ball!"

Hearing their combo move, Kirishima grinned and hardened himself again as he curled up into a ball. But he couldn't just harden himself the way he normally would. He had to go further than that. And so, it was time to pull out his Ultimate Move.

Feral looked up and grinned as he watched Kirishima come down on him at rapid speeds. Watching as the young man reached his maximum hardening level. Going beyond the limitation of his quirk, and turning his entire body extremely hard and rugged, giving him a monstrous appearance.

"Red Riot: Unbreakable!"

Feral wasn't ready to test that title, and jumped back just in the nick of time, his back smashing through the glass display of a mall. At the same time, Kirishima smashed into the ground, creating a crater and an explosion of smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Kirishima stood up again, panting. Then he let the ultimate move go, reverting back to his normal hardened form. He can only keep Unbreakable up for 40 seconds, and the fight is far from over.

"Come on!" Wade yelled as he ran past him. "Let's get in there!"

"Right!" Kirishima said, running after Wade as they ran into the building, as civilians were running away from the battle.

There, in the clothes section, was Feral, waiting for his prey to come in after him. He was smiling when he saw the boys stand ready to fight.

"Sorry, sir, but no dogs are allowed in the building," Wade quipped. "I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Only if you come with me," Feral said, before charging at him, "in pieces!"

Kirishima got in front of Wade and reactivated his Quirk. Absorbing the powerful punch, which chipped and broke his skin. However, it gave Wade the chance to jump over his friend and kick the villain in the head, sending him flying back a few meters. Landing on the floor with a crouch, Wade watched as Feral rolled over and got back up on all fours.

"Split!" Wade yelled as he ran to the left, and Kirishima ran to the right.

Feral watched as they ran in a U-formation around him. He glanced at Kirihima as he hardened himself again, then at Wade in his Battle Focus. It's been a while since he'd been tag-teamed. This will be fun.

Wade stopped a few meters away from Feral's right side and fired a web-line at him. Feral dodged it and ran at Wade, his jaws opened and his claws ready to cut him down.

However, that's when Wade yanked back on the line, pulling Kirihima across the sales floor by his chest.

The young man landed on Feral's back and got him in a headlock as he started punching Feral's snout. "How do you like this manly combo!?" he yelled, as Feral growled in pain.

Wade's spider legs then deployed and thrust at Feral's chest, zapping him with bursts of electricity that sent him flying back. Kirishima got off of him and landed on the ground before rushing at the downed villain.

"Don't get too cocky!" Feral yelled, grabbing Kirishima's face and smashing him into the ground with enough force to crack the tile. Luckily, the redhead hardened the back of his head just in time to protect it, but it didn't stop the wolfman from breaking his defense. "Get out of my way."

Wade watched in shock as Feral threw him away like a rag doll. His body tumbled across the floor until it was in the floor court.

"What are you gonna do now without your friend," Feral asked Spider-Man.

With his eyes blazing behind his mask, Wade turned back to Feral and yelled, "Take you down!"

Spider-Man and Feral rushed at one another. Feral jumped and slashed at Wade with his claws, but the young hero got down and slid across the floor. Going under the villain as he passed over him as he placed a Suspension Matrix on the ground.

The villain became trapped in the air in the gravity field as Wade quickly got back up on his feet and turned around to face his back. He then threw a Web Bomb at Feral, which exploded into a massive mass of webbing, covering the villain in the substance before grabbing his tail.

With all his might, Wade swung Feral around and threw him in the same direction he sent Kirishima. The wolfman crashed into a column in the food court, cracking it.

Feral growled in fury as he broke the webbing. He knew that this brat was strong and crafty. The heroes he had killed in the past weren't even this crafty, using raw force and relying on their Quirks in their fights with him. However, it was nothing that he couldn't handle.

However, there was one thing that he wasn't counting on, and that was Kirishima coming back into the fight. The redhead jumped down from the second-floor balcony walkway and tried to punch him in the head. However, sensing the threat, Feral jumped out of the way just in time, causing Kirishima to punch the floor instead.

"Don't think a man's out of the fight until you know he stays down!" Kirishima yelled as he rushed at Feral and started throwing a barrage of powerful punches at the villain. Forcing Feral to block the attacks with his arms.

"Then I'll make sure you stay dead!" Feral yelled as he slashed at Kirishima, only for the young man to duck down and kick him in the leg. "Gah! You'll pay for—"

Wade came flying in, and Venom Punched Feral in the side, making the wolfman howl in pain. Kirishima then increased the hardening of his right arm and punched Feral's face. But the villain wasn't going down that easy. He grabbed both boys and slammed them against each other, causing great pain before biting down on Wade's right shoulder.

"GAAAAAH!" Wade yelled in agony as the powerful bite through his skin, and started to crush his bones.

Kirishima saw this and knew he had to do something—and fast. But as he tried to break Feral's grip on him, the more the Hero Hunter squeezed his throat. The grip caused him to lose his concentration, making his skin soften and causing him to be close to having his throat crushed. Soon, he'll be back to his normal form—back to being weak and pathetic, just like he was before he came to UA.

It was that thought that pushed him to stay concise and not give up. No way he was going back to being like that. Not when he was still able to fight. Because that's what Wade would do, it's what a real hero would do. It's what a real man would do.

And so, five minutes after he activated his Ultimate Move, Kirishima unleashed his Unbreakable ability. The sharp edges of his skin made Feral let him go, as they cut into his skin.

Kirishima then punched the man in the back of the legs, forcing Feral down on his knees and to let go of Wade. The redhead then looped his arms around his shoulders and grabbed the villain by the back of the head. Locking the Hero Hunter in a Nelson Hold while standing on the back of his legs.

"Real men hug!" he yelled with a grin as Feral thrashed and struggled to get out of the stone grip he had on him. Kirishima looked up and saw Wade getting back up and holding his bloody arm.

However, seeing his best chance to take down the Hero Hunter, Wade started to move his left hand in a circle, generating all the electricity he could muster in his fingers. "Kirishima, I don't want to hurt you!"

"I can take it!" Kirishima yelled.

"But—"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Venom Beam!" Wade shouted, unleashing a beam of lightning upon his friend and the Hero Hunter. All the lights in the mall flickered, and those closest to the fight exploded from the electricity being generated.

Kirishima's Unbearable allowed him to take the punishment, but Feral screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through his body. But he was still not down, meaning the villain was still able to fight. Kirishima saw this, and knew he could end the fight.

"It's clobbin' time!" Kirishima yelled as he pulled his right arm back, and then, with a fist stronger than stone, punched the villain in the back of his head with the force of a truck. "RED GAUNTLET!"

That finally did the trick. Feral's head crashed down on the mall floor, cracking the floor tiles underneath him and finally knocking him unconscious. With the threat gone and the villain subdued, Kirishima got off Feral and walked around to stand next to Wade. Both boys powered off their abilities and looked at their handy work, panting in exhaustion. They saw steam coming off of the redhead's body. All around them, civilians started emerging from their hiding places.

"How're you feeling," Kirishima asked.

Wade tossed a Web Bomb on Feral's body, covering the villain in webbing. "Other than getting my shoulder used as a chew toy, I'll be fine," Wade said, knowing his healing powers were already at work. A good night's rest was all he needed. He then looked at Kirishima and smiled. "But good job, man! You really did great."

"I don't know about that," his friend said, rubbing the back of his head. "I gave it my all, and I was still barely holding my ground. You could have done better than I did."

"Hey, don't you go knocking on your own success," Wade said, placing his hand on the redhead's shoulder. "If it were for you, I'd still have the mutt chewing on my shoulder."

Kirishima grinned. "Thanks, man."

"And thank you both," said a man's voice from behind the two heroes. They turned around and saw the civilians standing behind them, looking at the boys with such admiration. "You were incredible!"

"The way you held the villain in a hold while your friend zapped him was insane!" a woman said.

"I've been watching Heroes for a long time now, and most would be scared of a guy like that," said an older man. "You saved a lot of lives today! Please, tell us your hero names."

Wade smiled under his mask and pointed his thumb at himself. "I'm your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man," he said.

Kirishima grinned at him and introduced himself to the crowd. "And I'm Red Riot!"

"Well, you can bet those are names we won't soon forget," the man said. The crowd all cheered in agreement, owing their support and thanks to the two heroes in training.

Kirishima bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you!"

However, he thought back to a time when he was so much weaker and felt helpless to do anything. And yet, despite his heart saying to go and do something about a villain threatening the lives of innocent people, it was another person who actually did what he could not.

Maybe now he could be the hero he wanted to be.

"Did you say he was a Hero-Hunter?" Fatgum looked at the boys in shock when they told him about the villain being taken away into custody. It was only seconds after the fight ended that Fatgum and Tamaki arrived at the scene. Seeing that Feral was taken down, they immediately called the police to have them arrest the wolf man.

"You know about them," Wade asked.

"I've only heard of them once, but it was enough to make me remember them," Fatgum said with a grimace. "They were super-powered hitmen who only took contracts to hunt down heroes. Feral could have just been one of their lower-ranking members."

"Really? Because that guy wasn't so easy to beat," Kirishima said, grasping his shoulder.

"You should count yourselves luck. They were led by Hero-Hunter: Beast, and it said that he was the second person to ever come close to killing All Might. "

This shocked the boys.

"After his defeat, the hunters went into hiding and have rarely been seen, yet are still linked to the death of heroes that were targeted," the Pro-Hero said. "But with All Might gone, they might be trying to make a comeback. There is no telling how much more powerful the organization is now."

"Wow, you know a lot about this," Kirishima said with an impressed smile.

Fatgum bashfully smiled and said, "Yeah, I used to work with the cops to catch drug smugglers back in the day, and there were plenty of hits on guys like me."

"Fat!" One of the police officers ran up to the hero. "I've got some info on the gun the villain used." The officer held the evidence bag that contained the broken pieces of the weapon. "It got smashed up in all the chaos, but it definitely wasn't a normal weapon. I'll keep investigating and see what I can find."

"Interesting. Thanks for letting me know," Fatgum said to the officer.

Wade looked at Tamaki with a worried expression. That bullet Feral fired at him wasn't a ballistic bullet, like a 9mm or a 45 acp. It was a small capsule with a small needle that punctured his costume and into his skin. The drug in the capsule had done the unthinkable, and took away his powers. There was no telling if the effect was permanent or temporary, and that was the main concern for both first years.

"So, uh, how are you holding up," Kirishima asked his fellow work study colleague.

Tamaki pulled his hood down over his face. "Awful."

"I just can't believe it," Wade said, looking down with his fists shaking. "To take your Quirk away. It's like taking away a part of your identity."

"That's not all," Tamaki said. "Kirishima, you protected me back there. Both of you are just like Mirio. You shine so bright like the sun."

"You're the same way!" Kirishima said. "I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't gotten me this work study!"

"There you go again. So much positivity."

Wade looked to Fatgum. "What now?"

"We'll stop by the agency and then head to the hospital so you three can get checked out," the fat hero said. "There are a couple of things I want to look into as well."

"Okay," the boys said.

But Fatgum was far from being completely convinced the battle was over. The Hero-Hunters showing back up was one thing, but a drug that takes people's Quirks? The only drugs that he knew of with that kind of potential were booster drugs, like Trigger. They were made to enhance weak Quirks. But to take a person's power away completely was unheard of. It was bad news, and it opened up a whole new chapter of crime if it ever got out on the streets. A super-sized problem that was waiting to hatch.

A week later, Wade had healed completely from his wounds. However, when he woke up, there was a message from Nighteye with a set of instructions. He said to come to work, but he was to report to a location that was someplace different from the HQ. Wade didn't follow understand why, but it must be for something special going on. Either way, the sun was out, and it gave Wade the opportunity to leave the campus. One of the many perks of being in a work study.

Walking out of the dorm, he was about to begin the walk to the train station but stopped. In front of the dorm's walkway were Kirishima, his girlfriend Ochaco, and Tsuyu.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Wade asked as he approached the three of them, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.

"Hey, we're going out to our work studies," Kirishima said.

"Really? Same," Wade said as he grabbed Ochaco's hand. "It's been forever, honestly. Though I'm surprised they told us not to wear our costumes.

"Really? It's the same for use, ribbit," said Tsuyu. "Let's all go together."

"Okay, let's go!" Kirishima yelled with a grin, with Wade nodded in agreement. And so, together, they set off.

During the walk, they ran into two other heroes. Both of them were going to the same train station. So, they decided to link up with Wade and his friends and walk to the station together. The situation got weirder when Wade realized they were all getting on the same train, going to the same station. Once they were off, they walked in the same direction. Even turning at the same corner.

"Heyo!" Mirio greeted them. He was standing in front of the same building where they were all meeting. With him were the other Big Three, Nejire and Tamaki.

Wade's mind raced as he entered the building with them. What in the world was going on?

The mystery only amplified when they opened the door to the room they were meeting in. There, they were greeted by a massive crowd of Pro Heroes. From big-shot pros to more minor, local heroes. Some of them were familiar, but most were unknown. Among the familiar were Gran Torino, Bubble Girl, Eraserhead, Ryukyu, and Fatgum.

Still holding Ochaco's hand, Wade walked up to Gran Torino and Aizawa.

"Hey, old man," Wade greeted Gran Torino. "Didn't think you'd be here."

"We were called in at the last minute for this thing," Gran Torino said.

"I think I've got a rough idea of what's going on," Aizawa said.

"And you should, too, girls," Ryukyu told Ochaco and Tsuyu. "Remember what I told you?"

Tsuyu placed a finger on her chin. "You mean the new case that came up," she asked.

Ryukyu nodded and turned to the front of the meeting room. There, Bubble Girl was standing with Sir Nighteye and another one of his sidekicks, Centipeder. Just as his name suggested, he was a tall, thin man with the face of a brown centipede. He wore a black tuxedo and a scarf that looked like a centipede wrapped around his neck.

"We're all here, Nighteye," the blonde woman said. "Let's get started."

Gran Torino looked at Spider-Man and asked, "I take the first meeting didn't go great?"

"What do you think?" Wade retorted.

"Uh-huh."

Addressing the room full of heroes, Nighteyes said, "Thanks to the information provided by all of you, our investigation has progressed substantially. We've invited you all here for a joint conference to share the intel we've acquired regarding the yakuza group Shie Hassaikai and what we believe they might be planning."

Kirishima turned to Fatgum and Tamaki. "Hold on, I feel like I'm missing something really important here," he said. "Shie H'what now?"

"Some bad guys are planning to do some bad things," the large hero said. "And they've called a meeting so we can talk it all out."

He looked at Tamaki.

"Trust me, you two are very much involved."

A moment later, everyone at the meeting, with the expectation of Bubble Girl and Centipeder, was sitting down at an O-shaped desk. At the head of the table was Nighteye, who was leading the meeting, while his sidekicks were in charge of the presentation.

"Alright, let's begin at the beginning," Bubble Girl said, holding a tablet that contained all of the information on the case. "For the past couple of weeks, we at the Nighteye Agency have been investigating Shie Hassaikai, a small but organized group of criminals."

"What prompted this?" asked Kesagiri Man.

"An accident involving a gang of thieves called the Reservoir Dogs."

"Like the movie," Wade asked. A little uninspiring, but at least they had good taste.

"The police thought the whole thing was an accident, but a number of details didn't add up, so we began tailing them."

Centipeder took it from there and said, "In my capacity as a Nighteyes Agency sidekick, I began following leads to see what I could uncover. I found that, in the past year, the members of Shie Hassaikai have had increased contact with those outside of their organization. Including other groups whose business dealings are less than reputable.

"Their aim seemed to be expanding their organization and enriching its coffers. Shortly after our investigation began, they made contact with a member of the League of Villains," he said, as a photo taken was then displayed on the large screen behind him, Nigheye, and Bubble Girl.

It showed Chisaki next to a car with Twice, who was on the phone with someone.

"Twice?" Wade gasped.

Centipeder nodded, standing like a butler would. "Indeed. I forgot that you were taken prisoner by them, Walker. His real name is Jin Bubaigawara, but you know him as Twice. They were wary of being tailed, so I was unable to follow them, but with the help of the police, I confirmed that an altercation had occurred between the two groups. Evidence at the crime scene showed one of the League's members was killed," Centipeder said, pulling up the file and data of the now-dead villain.

Standing up from his chair, Wade's eyes widened when he saw who it was. "Hold on. Magne's dead," he asked, looking at the photo of the muscular woman in shock. There was also a photo of what was nothing more than a massive blood splatter on the floor.

"Correct. Magne, also known as Kenji Hikiishi, had her body completely destroyed, with only her blood found at the scene," Centipeder said, as Wade sat back in his chair, looking down sadly.

But why would you be sad for someone who hurt you and your friends? Was it because even if they were a villain, the death she got didn't fit the crime? Or was it because she was still a person?

"I'm surprised you would be sad, given what the villains did to you," said another hero at the conference, Mr. Brave.

"Villain or not, Magne shouldn't have died like that," Wade said.

Gran Torino said, "It's because of the League's involvement that Nighteye contacted Tsukacuchi and me. Figured we'd be able to assist."

"Where is he," Kesagiri Man asked.

"Follow-ups with some other eyewitnesses. Y'know, cop stuff." Gran Torino looked to Wade. "Sorry, kid. I didn't see something like this coming. Now, I fear that things are about to get ugly."

Mirio looked at Wade and asked, "Hold up, you know him?"

"Yeah, Gran Torino was the hero I did my internship with," Wade explained.

That's when another hero opened his mouth. "Does anyone wanna tell me why a bunch of high school kids were invited to this conference?" asked Rock Lock, glancing at Wade with a disapproving side glance. "I don't care if they are from UA. If we have to keep stopping to explain this stuff, we'll never get to the actual plan."

Fatgum, indignant that Rock Lock would even say that, stood up and gestured to both Tamaki, Kirishima, and Wade. "Don't say that," he yelled. "These three have important information to pass along!"

Tamaki became nervous, while Wade and Kirishima just looked confused.

"We do," the redhead asked.

"I wanna go home," the older teenager moaned.

Taking back control of the conversation, Sir Nighteye continued with the meeting. "Hassaikai's movements are hard to trace, but we suspect one of their sources of income is illegal drug sales," he said, gaining the attention of certain heroes. "So I requested help from heroes who have some experience in narcotics."

Wade looked at Fatgum, remembering how the hero said he took down drug smugglers.

"Yup, I've brought in my fair share of drug dealers back in the day, and at Spider-Man and Red Riot's tag team fight, they proved they can, too!" Fatgum said to the room, pulling out a couple of hard candies from his pocket and crushing them in his hands. "Tamaki was shot, and the bullet contained some kinda drug I've never even heard of before."

He then let go of the powdered candy.

"One that destroys Quirks."

This news shellshocked everyone in the room who didn't already know the details of the bullet. Even Wade was in stunned silence. The young hero knew that it took away Tamaki's Quirk, but to actually destroy his power? It was a hero's worst nightmare—like taking away a part of yourself, like an arm or a leg.

"Whoa, what?!" Mirio exclaimed as he stood up from his chair and looked at his friend in shock. "Tamaki, are you okay?"

Tamaki nodded. "Yeah, the stuff wore off while I slept. Here, look," he said, lifting up his right arm, which had been turned into a cow hoof.

"Guess we know what you had for breakfast!" Mirio said, relieved that the other young man was fine. Even if he was suffering from being around so many people.

Wade sighed and leaned back in his chair. Happy to hear that Tamaki still had his Quirk. "So, the effects aren't permanent. That's a good thing to hear," he said. "So, this shit doesn't zap a Quirk for good."

"No," Nighteye said, adjusting his glasses. "But Eraserhead has some further insight."

Aizawa nodded and said, "It doesn't seem to function exactly like my Erasure does, since I'm not actually attacking the Quirk directly. Quirks are extraordinary additions to an ordinary human body thanks to 'Quirk genes.' I can shield those genes and temporarily block their expression, but I don't actually damage them."

Fatgum grew a serious frown. "Tamaki's Quirk genes did sustain damage, but fortunately, they seemed to have healed on their own. Now he's back to normal."

"What do we know about the substance he was shot with," asked Nighteye.

"Whatever the Hero-Hunter shot him with, it didn't do harm to his body. Nothing but his Quirk was impaired in any way. However, Feral's not saying a word, and the round that hit Tamaki was totally spent," Fatgum said, before looking at Red Riot with a grin. "However, Kirishima bravely defended Tamaki from a bullet, which then bounced off his own body and should now provide us with a viable sample."

Shocked that his brave action helped the investigation in a big way, Kirishima pointed to himself and exclaimed, "Whoa, I did that?! Really? That's crazy!" He had no idea what was going on. He lost the plot a long time ago.

Fatgum continued, but it was obvious that the hero was holding a lot of anger. "When analyzing the substance from the bullet, we discovered something that made me sick to my stomach," he told the room. "It contained human blood and cells."

Wade's eyes widened, as he felt sick just hearing that. "Human…blood," he asked. Even the other kids in the room were shocked to discover this fact.

"Sounds like something out of a scary movie," said Tsuyu. "But why would someone do that?"

"It's obvious that the blood came from a person with the power to destroy Quirks," Ryukyu explained. "But how would this be related to Hassaikai?"

Fatgum went further into the details.

"Someone wanted Feral to capture Wade, so he was hired. Who hired him? We don't know if it was the League or Hassaikai. But what we do know is that he used those goons we took down as unknowing bait. One of them was carrying an illegal drug to boost his Quirk. Similar to Trigger. The distribution channels of that stuff are complex. Although things shrunk since the old days, drugs still pass through various people and organizations before reaching the end user. There's no concrete evidence that Hassaikai handled the drug, but we know for a fact that they interacted with one of the middlemen responsible for moving it."

"That's all," one hero asked.

"It wasn't just Fatgum's team that took down one of these local gangs," Sir Nighteye told the attending heroes. "During the same night, Spider-Man took down a pursued vehicle, and Ryukyu's team broke up a fight between two giants. Both were connected to two villain groups. One of those was the intermediary organization that Fatgum mentioned."

"One of the two giants had been given an inferior drug that didn't last long," Ryukyu said.

Kesagiri Man groaned and crossed his arms. "There have been a rash of gang-related crimes recently, and most could have been connected to the Hassaikai if you tried hard enough."

"Which is what it seems like you're doing: trying to make them guilty," said another hero. "Don't you have anything that implicates them more clearly?"

"In fact, we do," Sir Nighteye said, as the surveillance photo of Chisaki appeared on the screen behind him. "Their young head, Chisaki: Quirk, Overhaul. This is a power that grants him the ability to disassemble things and then reassemble them. A Quirk that allows him to completely break down matter, and a bullet that can break down a Quirk. The blood and cells were enough to allow us to know very few details about the person in the bullet. There are no records or details about their birth, but it allowed us to determine their gender and an estimate of their age."

"So, who was it," Wade asked.

For a moment, Nighteye looked at Wade and Mirio. It was hard to tell what was going through the man's head. From the moment he met him, Wade has only seen a look of disdain for his very existence. And now, it was as if the information was so horrible, that Nighteye didn't want to tell them.

It was, but Nighteye knew it had to be said.

"Walker, Mirio, your report said that his daughter had bandages on her arms and legs, right?"

Both boy's eyes widened.

No. No, it couldn't have been.

"Whose blood was it, Nighteye," Wade asked in growing dread. A spark flickered from his arm, as he barely kept himself together. "Tell it wasn't her. Tell me it wasn't Eri in those bullets!"

Silence descended on the room.

"Based on the evidence of the blood coming from a girl around 6 years old. I'm afraid that it's true, Walker," Nighteye said, revealing the horrible truth to the room, as some of the adults and kids were stunned and shocked. "We believe that Chisaki is breaking down his daughter's body to make bullets and selling those bullets on the black market."

The words froze colder than Todoroki's frost during their fight. The coldness that Wade felt, which made his body tremble, would have to be at a level so great it would have frozen hell. And it was the same coldness that Mirio felt. But at that moment, Wade didn't even notice him. The world shut down around him, as his mind bombarded him.

No, no, it's not possible!

You made a promise to her. You had her in your arms. You could have turned and run from that alley, and you could have gotten Eri as far away from Chisaki as you could.

But you didn't.

You let her go, Wade.

You let her go because she was protecting you, when that duty never should have been put on her shoulders. You were told by Mirio to let her go. That it was for the good of the mission. And then, when you told Nighteye about the abuse she was likely under, you were told to stand down, that you were arrogant for wanting to save a little girl, and put all that he was working towards in jeopardy.

You let her go, Spider-Man.

You let her go back to the monster that she escaped from. The darkness took her back, because of you, Wade Walker. You allowed her to go back and be broken down. Be turned into bullets for a madman, when you could have been saving her.

In this blazing moment, Wade felt his anger about the situation intensified. Tears welled up in his eyes, and fury burned in his heart.

Eri was kind, innocent, and a victim.

You let her go.

Some Spider-Man you're turning out to be, Wade Walker.

Outside the world of burning emotions whirling around in Wade's heart, the conversation continued. "Could he really do something so horrific," Ryukyu asked. The thought of what Chisaki was doing sickened her.

Gran Torino sighed and looked down. "Unfortunately, yes. In a world of superhumans, if you can dream it, you can do it."

"To be clear, we aren't certain that he's actually selling the bullets. At this point, their efficacy appears to be questionable," said Sir Nighteye. "It's possible that they're still in the testing phase, and he's giving them out as samples to rally more people to his cause. We have no hard evidence, but we do know he's gathering allies and funds from across the nation. If the completed drug allows him to annihilate someone's Quirk entirely, imagine the devastation he could cause."

Fatgum gritted his teeth and growled, "Just talking about it is enough to make my blood boil. Let's go get this monster!"

Rock Lock scoffed and gave Wade and Mirio a side glance. "Would have saved us a lot of trouble if these two amateurs had just gotten the girl away from him."

Wade snapped.

"YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT?!" he screamed with all the burning hate in his heart as he shot up from his chair, knocking it over, and glared at the black man in absolute fury.

This shocked Rock Lock and all of the other attendees at the meeting. Mirio stood up and tried to calm him down. "Wade—!"

"You shut up!" Wade slapped his hand away and turned to glare at him. "She was right there, Mirio! She hugged me and begged for my help! And what did you and Nighteye tell me to do?! Nothing! I was told to do nothing! Well, congratulations! Look at where it got her!" Wade stopped to choke back to sobs. "I…I could have done something. I could have gotten her away. Instead, I let that monster take her away when I could've stopped him from hurting Eri!"

"That's enough, Walker." Nighteye's soft voice shocked Wade, as did his soft look in his eyes. "Please, calm down."

The man's sympathy towards the young hero was paradoxical. Not too long ago, he wanted Wade to feel like he wasn't worthy of the power he was given by All Might. But the situation had changed things. Wade looked at him for a moment, breathing heavily. He then turned away and looked down at the table. His hair shadowing over his eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" he said with trembling shoulders, not just to Nighteye and the people in the office. He said it to Eri as well.

It was a hard sight to see for those who knew Wade, as they looked at him with worried and sad expressions.

"Ah, man," Kirishima whispered.

"Oh, Wade," said Ochaco, holding back from running over and hugging her boyfriend.

Mirio looked down at the table as well. His friend's words cut deep. But he was right. He made Wade let Eri go back into the arms of Chisaki. Server her on a silver platter. Save a million people? What's the point of giving yourself that kind of goal if you can't even save a little girl?

"Please, don't be mad at Walker or Mirio," said Nighteye with his hands together. "I take full responsibility. The blame shouldn't fall on them. Even without knowing the whole story, they acted to save the child, each in their own way. Walker was willing to bear the risk of taking her then, while Mirio chose to wait for another opportunity when success would be more likely. As Walker had shown, no one in this room is more frustrated than they are."

Wade's fire returned, stronger than ever, as he looked up at Nighteye with determination in his eyes. "Where is Shie Hassaikai?!" he yelled, pointing to himself with a thumb. "I made a promise to Eri that I would protect her, and I intend to keep that promise! Send me right now, and I'll save her!"

"He's right!" Mirio said, looking just as determined. "We'll protect her!"

"Indeed," Nighteye said, sharing that determination. "That's precisely what we've come here to discuss."

Once again, Rock Lock scoffed. "You kids wanna talk big, that's fine. But if what Nighteye is saying is for real, that little girl is at the center of Hassaikai's entire underground drug operation," he said to the boys. "She may have managed to get away from Overhaul for a few minutes, but she got herself seen by a couple of heroes. You think he's still gonna keep her at home after that? Hell, I know I sure wouldn't. And if we go bustin' into their headquarters and she's not there, they're gonna know that we're onto them. We gotta be sure of where he's hidin' her."

Ryukyu sighed and nodded. "He has a point," she said, looking at Nighteye. "Do you have a plan for that, Nighteye?

"That's our conundrum. Since we don't currently know how far they've taken their plans, the success of our initial strike is crucial," the man in the suit said. The screen pulled up a map of Japan, divided into the regions that made up the country. Nine positions appeared with the Hassaikai symbol on them. "To that end, we've made a thorough list of groups with connections to Hassaikai and properties owned by the organization. This is our starting point. I would like you all to investigate each coordinate on this map. It is the most logical way to narrow down our targets."

Mr. Brave looked down and said, "So, that's why you asked minor heroes like us to join you."

"What do you mean," the hero next to him asked.

"Take a look around," he said. "The heroes here all operate in one of those locations. We know the areas better than most."

Fatgum frowned at Nighteye. "I didn't expect someone who worked with All Might for so long to be such a careful planner," he said, frustrated and shaking his fists. "Let's just go bring them down! While we're taking our sweet time, that abused girl's out there crying somewhere!"

"We can't do this like All Might would," Nighteye said. "That's why we must be meticulous about our strategies and predictions from the outset. That way, we have the highest chance of saving her."

"He's right," Gran Torino said. "We shouldn't rush. If we show our hand and then don't end up rescuing her, then we'd just be throwing gas on a fire, like how Stain's capture was a beacon that led criminals to seek out and join the League. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they handed out those bullets to those hoodlums to increase their recruitment."

"You're thinking too dang much!" Fatgum yelled. "If we keep sitting here yappin' about it, we're never gonna get anything done!"

That's when Aizawa interjected into the conversation. "Excuse me, I've got a question," he said, looking at Nighteye. "I don't know the specifics of your Quirk, Nighteye. Feel free to correct, but from what I've heard of it, your Foresight allows you to see into the future. So, why not use it on us? That's logical, right?"

Nighteye got quiet for a moment. His lenses reflect light to make it hard for anyone to see his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot," he said.

This surprised Aizawa.

"My Foresight has some limitations. I need a full 24 hours between activations. That means I get one person, and then I'm spent for the rest of the day. Additionally, the future plays out in my mind like a flashback. Think of it like looking at a filmstrip. For one hour, I have the power to watch a person's life as a movie. Once I break eye contact, the film is cut, and I can no longer see. The issue is that everything I see is from a tight perspective on the person in question. Limiting my capacity to interpret context. "

Wade gasped. "Is that why you didn't know my next move when I turned invisible?"

"That should still provide enough information to be useful, don't you think?" asked Aizawa. "And it doesn't explain why you can't do it."

Nighteye pushed his glasses up his nose. "What if I saw imminent death in your future? Worse, what if it were a cruel, merciless death?"

Wade's eyes widened, realizing the burden the man carried with him. This was because of what happened with All Might.

"My Quirk should be employed only after we've confirmed the highest likelihood of success," Nighteye told the room. "Then it can help ensure victory. It shouldn't be relied upon when there are still too many uncertainties."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up," said Rock Lock. "Death is still information. If we know what's comin', we can survive it."

"You don't understand. It's possible what I see is unavoidable."

"Bro, that's the only excuse you have, for real?!" Rock Lock exclaimed irately, as the hero next to him tried to calm him down. "Oh, hell no! Just use it on me now! I'll show you I can beat death!"

"I can't!"

The room fell quiet again. Rock Lock finally understood the weight of seeing a person's future on Nighteye as the lean man hung his head. "Yeah, all right," he said apologetically.

After a moment of silence, Ryukyu sighed and said, "We should get started. There's a child in trouble. That's what's important here."

Nighteye stood up. "We must confirm the girl's location and take her into our protection as quickly as possible using the most accurate data," he said to everyone in the room. "I'm counting on your help—all of you."

"Some hero I'm turning out to be," Wade said.

After the meeting, the young man and his friends were brought to a breakroom on another floor of the building. This was done because the Pro Heroes needed to discuss what to do with the interns. They sat around a table, with Wade, Ochaco, and Mirio sitting on one side, Kirishima, Tsuyu, and Nejire on the other, and Tamaki sitting at the head of the table.

"This is all my fault. I should have listened to my heart and got her away from Chisaki," Wade said, clenching his fists.

"Wade, please, don't think like that," Ochaco said, kissing him and hugging her boyfriend. "We know you tried, baby."

Kirishima gritted his teeth. "Damnit, I can't imagine how frustrating that must have been," he said.

Tamaki looked at his best friend, never before seeing him so down. He knew what was going through his head, and it was that he had failed to be a hero. While he succeeded in allowing Nighteye to get all the information to make his case, he had failed to be the very thing he was striving to be.

A moment later, the elevator pinged and opened. The teenagers turned and saw that it was Aizawa entering the room.

"Is this a funeral or something?"

"Mr. Aizawa, hello, sir," Tsuyu greeted the teacher.

"Call me Eraserhead outside of school," he said, stopping in front of the table and looking at the kids. "You know, it's just my luck. Before you got involved in this, I was going to recommend that your work studies be suspended."

"What?!" Wade gasped as he stood up, just as shocked as the others at the table. "Why would you do that?"

"Need I remind you of the League's involvement? That changes things."

Gritting his teeth, Wade looked down as he pressed his knuckles against the surface of the table. Aizawa saw this and understood the whirlwind of emotions swirling in his student's heart. Wade's declaration to save Eri pretty much crushed any chances of Aizawa convincing the other heroes to leave the kids out of the mission.

"Here's the deal, Walker," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Your outburst had left the others thinking you would be better off staying out of the mission when the time comes."

Increasingly worried, Wade asked, "Do you?"

"I'd be lying if I said yes. However, if it weren't for my vote, you would be sitting out of this mission," his teacher said, greatly surprising the young man. "It's obvious that this is something you feel the need to do, and I'm positive that I tried to stop you now; you'll do something reckless and attempt to take things into your own hands."

Aizawa placed a hand on the young hero's shoulder. He then gave the most reckless student he'd ever had the most genuine expression he could muster.

"So, I'll watch you. If you're going to save the girl, you need to do it by the book. You're a smart kid, so use your brain and make sure you're the hero she needs. Understand, Wade?"

That was perhaps the first time Aizawa ever used his first name. Affecting Wade just as much as Aizawa's actions and words. He believed in his students, so much so that he went against his better judgment and allowed him to stay on the team. The words of his teacher pulled the coal on the flames of determination, and Wade knew he had to show that Aizawa's faith in him was not misplaced.

"I'll only say this once, just to give you a little piece of mind," Aizawa said, removing his hand from Wade's shoulder. "Just because you didn't hold onto her this time, doesn't mean you didn't give. Eri still has hope in you. So keep looking forward."

"I will," Wade said with a nod. "I will not fail you."

"No, don't fail Eri."

Tamaki looked to his best friend. "Mirio?"

"Yeah, I know," the blonde boy said as he stood up. He then looked to Wade, who turned to face the taller boy. "Hey, Wade. Next time, we'll both save Eri."

"Right! No matter what!" Wade said, pumping his fist.

"Don't get too carried away," Aizawa said to the students, much to their confusion. "The Big Three are one thing. They're strong enough to hold their own out there with the pros, but the rest of you will be minimally involved. Asui, Uraraka, and Kirishima, you didn't volunteer for this, and you're not obligated to participate. It's your call."

Ochaco stood up to stand with her boyfriend. "Mr.—I mean, Eraserhead! After everything that we just heard, I can't imagine not helping out my boyfriend, sir!" the bubbly girl told her teacher with determination.

"Yeah, if you're gonna let us be part of this, I'd like to pitch in however I can," Tsuyu said, putting her finger on her chin.

Tamaki, looking down, said, "The heroes asked you to be in that meeting. I didn't think they would if they didn't recognize your abilities," he said. "I mean, I've seen for myself that a first-year can shine brighter than me."

"You're gonna have to let that go at some point, ya know," Nejire said.

Kirishima stood up and punched his hardened fists together. "If I can use my power to help that girl, even a little bit, then count me in, Eraserhead!" the redhead exclaimed. "Set the time, and I'll be clobbin' those villains!"

"You really like your new catchphrase," Ochaco said.

Nevertheless, Aizawa nodded to the kids. "As long as you all understand. Our scope here is limited. For now, our goal is to rescue Eri," he told the kids. "We won't step in further than that. Given the recent altercation, neither the police nor Nighteye believe that the League of Villains and the Shie Hassaikai have formed a partnership. So the chances are relatively low that the League will be involved in this raid."

"But if they are," Wade asked.

"If the League does end up putting in an appearance, you guys are out."

"Understood, sir!" said the four students of Aizawa's class.

The mission was set. The time was limited. The Heroes of Tomorrow were determined not to fail.

AN: It took a while to make this one, but there you have it! Once again, there was action, comedy, and a bit of romance, and now we're going onto the mission to save Eri!

The Hero-Hunters was an idea that came from Kraven the Hunter, and that one hunter villain from Batman: Beyond, as well as the dead-beat dad everyone loves, Toji Fushiguro. Like how is it that there are no hero killers for hire in this world? It would have made for some interesting story arcs, like what would happen to people who are forced into that life and stuff.

Another thing that I had to make up was how long it would take Kirishima to turn back on his Unbreakable ability, and 5 minutes seemed like a generous amount of time.

Until next time!