Chapter 7Chapter Text
"He what!?!"
Peter slinked further into his seat, hoping beyond hope that the cushions would overtake him and protect him from the angry face of his guardian. Sadly, that's not how life or physics worked, and he was left looking at Yu's wide and livid eyes. The anger died slightly as she popped another sushi roll in, but it remained.
After he got home, Yu demanded that she and Peter go out as a celebration for him having finished his first day. And when he said demanded, Yu demanded like a terrorist holding hostages.
She even glared at him when he mentioned the cost and muttered something about needing to treat himself. So when she asked him where he wanted to go, he chose the local sushi bar a few blocks from the apartment. Good food on the cheap. It was what he was used to, even after living in this new world for under a year.
Though Yu didn't look too happy about it. He had no clue why; he was saving her a good chunk of change. Trying to turn the conversation away from money, he went over the day's events. Which included the quirk assessment test, which led to this.
"He was trying to get us to go all out, he wasn't going to expel any of us," Peter said in defense of his teacher, "And it worked. You should've seen them Yu, they're powers are amazing!"
He smiled, poking at his food as he remembered all of them. A tail straight off of a monster kangaroo, a belly button laser, turning into the hulk by eating cake of all things and the raw power of Izuku's throw! Of course, there were some bad apples. Bakugo was a jerk, and that's one of the kinder words Peter could use to describe him. But at the same time, there's Mina, exotic, exuberant, creative with her acid. And Momo. Smart, cute, an awesome power, kind…
"Peter, you're blushing~."
Peter jerked up from his thought, biting his lower inner lip. Yu blinked, then something sparkled, and suddenly Peter really didn't like that look in her eyes as her smirk turned predatory.
"So…" Yu said, a wry smile spreading over her.
Panic raced through Peter faster than any bullet. He knew that look. It was the same look that Aunt May had when he so much as mentioned Liz back home. He inched back, but the booth refused to bend yet again. Yu giggled at the attempt, soaking up his embarrassment for all that it was worth.
"Meet any cute girls?"
"No!" Peter said on reflex, only to feel a pang of guilt when he remembered Momo, Ochako, and Mina. "W-well," he stammered, "There's a few in my class."
"Oooooh," Yu purred, eyes practically glowing with interest as she ate another sushi roll, "Any of them stand out?"
Peter nodded, "Well... M-Momo-san is really nice."
Yu was taken aback. She probably meant it as a joke. Teenage boys fawning over the cute girl in their class just to get some fun. Given how he was in the hero course, Peter was bound to run into someone that checked his boxes. So why with the surprise?
"... you're already on a first name basis?" Yu pressed.
A knowing smile split her face, and Peter felt his face heat up. His hand was on his chopsticks instantly.
"This is really nice sushi, can we talk about that?"
Impossibly, Yu's grin was like the Cheshire Cat now, and Peter looked on in desperation.
"Please?" Peter begged.
Yu eyed her little ward. Seconds stretched to minutes. Until finally, Yu cracked. She guffawed, eating up the teenager's embarrassment with a tear in her eye. Peter felt his shoulders slump.
"You're mean."
Yu waved him off, trying desperately to compose herself.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" she stopped and took a long drink of water, "It's just," she sniggered, "you can crush robots, but no, girls are what get you. Boys, they never change!"
Peter felt the table call to him, begging him to smash his face upon its surface. It might hurt now, but it would save him from this. Yu wasn't saying anything new, after all, MJ pegged him and Ned as losers almost every day(although looking back is was almost endearing). Hearing Yu say it made him wonder what caused girls like Liz to say yes to him asking her out in the first place. And why MJ seemed to talk a lot and send playful insults, as if she was a cat.
Was she flirting with him and he didn't notice?
Was he cursed? Was that it?
"How's Pony doing?"
Peter perked up at that. Finally, a conversation that wouldn't end with him making a fool of himself.
"Oh! She's great, she got into her class, 1-B I think."
Yu frowned a little but nodded along, "Good for her," she said taking a bite of sushi, "She'll do great."
"I hope so, according to her, all their teacher did was put them through an obstacle course for training." The no expulsion caveat went unsaid.
"Yeah, that's what happens. You get the wrong homeroom teacher, and life can be hell." Yu explained. "Heard a lot of bad rumors, so she lucked out."
No surprise there, Peter thought. With his quirk and the capture weapon around his neck, Aizawa basically had the entire class under control at a literal glance. Class B probably had Quirks that didn't need a Quirk-Nullification ability on hand in case problem children went awry.
Like Bakugo. And... maybe himself? Well.. he doesn't consider himself a problem child! At least, maybe?
"But that's behind you. Just focus on studying, do your best, and you'll make it out fine and dandy. And then, you'll be a Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man slinging with me side by side daily." She took a sip of sake, downing the saucer in one sip.
Peter nodded, yeah, that's all he needed to do.
"And don't forget to get those girl's numbers."
Peter spat out his drink and snapped to Yu.
"Why?!" She let out a snort.
"So I can see that face more often," Yu snickered.
At that moment, Peter lost the battle, and let his head fall to the waiting table below to the sound of Yu's witch-like cackle filling the booth. Some patrons gave them an odd look, but Mt. Lady could give less of a hoot.
(X)
Coming back to the door's of U.A. was far less nerve-wracking the second time through. Even being a superhero school, at the end of the day, it was still just high school. The bus ride was quick and forgettable with his music in hand. Apparently, certain classical bands were the same, the old songs that Aunt May loved listening to like Lynyrd Skynyrd. So when Peter pushed open the doors, there's nothing. A small spring in his step, but a familiar one.
He's back.
No aliens, no space donuts, just him and high school. All of its simple problems, stupid homework, and silly drama. That last one was going to be a pain back home, but at the end of the day, it was safe. A few seconds of embarrassment was better, it just was. And even if it felt like it wasn't, a single fact kept the spring in his step.
He could use his powers! He still couldn't get over that. Months of hiding it, and then suddenly he's top of the food chain. How did that happen, and to him of all people? He had no clue, but he might as well get used to it. As much as the praise got to him, it was the new normal.
A better normal… and he liked the sound of that.
Well, at least normal in the day is good. At night though...
Onto better things!
The second he thought that he turned the corner, and immediately jumped out of the way of a green haired girl. Unfortunately, she wasn't nearly as fast and stumbled forward, yelping in surprise. She caught herself at the last minute as her hair seemed to move, catching her fall, but sadly, her books fell to the floor. Peter caught her sigh as she bent down.
"Hey let me get those," he said, putting his bag aside.
His hands moved on autopilot, grabbing all the books, stacking them and handing them back so fast she only got one back in her hands. Now that he could get a good look at her, Peter had to admit she was kind of cute with how her hair was branded like a hundred vines. And she had a soft face, elegant and without impurity. If Momo was the top model and Ochako the girl-next-door, then this girl was like a choir girl.
"Thank you," she said in gratitude, her voice soft and melodic.
"Hey it's kind of my fault," Peter chuckled nervously handing back the books. "I wasn't paying attention and caught you by surprise." When he was sure she had a handle on them, he smiled, "I'm Peter Parker by the way."
"Shiozaki Ibara, and I am from Class B," Shiozaki answered, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Parker-san."
Peter hid his surprise by reaching for his bag, "Eh? You know about me?"
"Yes, your friend Pony is in my class, she speaks very highly of you in what small interactions we have had, or when I am in her proximity."
That made Peter pause for a second. Oh right, she and Pony were in the same class. That made more sense. What was a little strange was what she actually said. It took a second, but it finally clocked. Pony spoke highly of him? That's really nice of her. It brought a grin to Peter as he adjusted his bag.
"Yeah, she's pretty great. Knew her when we both came here to Japan to brush up on our Japanese, or for me, learn from scratch."
"She seems rather fond of you, if I do say."
Peter blinked. "S-she's a really good friend, I wouldn't have improved on my Japanese as much if it hadn't been for her teaching me some of the harder stuff...." At this point, his head doing it's best impression of a bobblehead. However, that stopped when he felt a tingle behind him.
"Yes, best have it keep it that way, Parker-san. We don't appreciate the advances to our class since we are rivals."
Peter turned around to see a platinum blond blue eyed boy with a soft smile accompanied by yet another cute girl with flowing black-green hair and sweet little fang popping out of a big smile. Behind both of them is a massive guy with silver hair and grit that made it looked like he was flexing with every step. Thankfully, the final group was an orange haired girl that looked incredibly girl-next-door. She had a firm hand on the blonde's shoulder, something that he was blissfully unaware of. A quick tug from her made the blond stumble back a little.
"Be nice," the orangette demanded with a soft but terse tone. The blond laughed it off, shrugging and holding his hands in surrender. Seriously, what's with Peter and blond guys these days.
"My Kendo-"
The girl, Kendo apparently, pulled a little harder.
"Don't you Kendo-chan me," she said, "You don't go around speaking for all of us. Who knows, he could be a nice guy." She looked up to Peter, "You are a nice guy right?"
Peter slowly nodded.
"Well... why wouldn't I be?"
A reptilian smile spread over the girl next to her as she sniggered. She stalked towards him, eyeing every inch and sending a few thousand warning bells through Peter's head. It was like an exaggerated toe-drag step as she prowled towards him.
Why they were telling him to watch her hands, he didn't know. And he didn't want to. She stopped her impromptu search of his face, and the smirk only widened.
"Gotta say, they make them real nice where you come from don't they?"
… come again?
"What?"
Kendo and the silver guy shared his question, throwing the girl strange looks. The blonde boy looked aghast like she'd just offered to kick a puppy.
The girl ignored them all giggled at his apparent misfortune, "Shishishishi I'm just messing with ya, lighten up!" She gave him a soft elbow before offering her hand. "Tokage Setsuna," she said. "Class B. Finally got the pleasure to meetcha in person!"
"Oh well, it's nice to meet you," Peter said quickly. "I'm Peter, but... I think you already know me. Well, the American boy that is."
"Who doesn't? Rumor spread about ya quick how you got in first on the Practical." Setsuna winked and pointing to the blonde, "This bundle of envy and resentment right there-"
"Excuse you!" the blond yelled in defiance.
"Is Monoma Nieto." Setsuna finished, earning a gasp of betrayal from the blonde. "He's a decent guy, but his pride and desire to be on top can be a bit gratin'." Moving on, her finger turned towards Kendo, "As you probably guessed, his handler is Kendo Itsuka, Class B's resident Onee-san!" the orange-haired in question girl waved.
"Hello there, Peter." Itsuka said in accented English, making Peter let out a small laugh of relief.
"Big sister of the class? You just... accepting it?" He replied back in his native tongue.
"Someone's got to." Itsuka smiled, eyes closed with a bashful toothy grin. "I hope you do the same for Class A, okay? We are all here to become heroes after all."
"I picked up Class A and Become Heroes. Did I miss anything?" The steel haired guy asked. Setsuna shrugged.
"Nah, you're..." She let out a snort, giving him an elbow. "Solid." And she sniggered a ton. Itsuka puffed out her cheeks in a suppressed laugh, Neito snorted while the taller boy just looked confused. Ibara, who had been silent tilted her head.
"Is this a joke that went over my head."
Setsuna took the entire thing in stride glancing back to the final member of their party.
"And finally, the big guy is-"
"MY NAME IS TETSUTETSU TETSUTETSU OF CLASS 1B! HEARD A LOT ABOUT YA PARKER! NICE TO MEET YA!"
Peter and everyone around him winced slightly at the volume. Did this guy have any idea of volume control? If he did, everyone else hadn't seen it, because they shook it off like it was nothing. Neito took the chance to step forward with a sly smile and a glint in his eye.
"As my good friend said, we are the star students of Class 1B, and we know all about you, Peter Parker. Or, Class 1A's Ace... or the First Year Phenom."
Setsuna rolled her eyes. "Course he says that with Honenuki not around..." Who is that?
He stepped forward, and Peter felt like there was supposed to be dramatic music playing in the background. This guy was so... extra with his advance. On the plus side, he wasn't a massive jerk about it.
Still is... acting like a small jerk though.
"Er, Pony talked about me, I heard," Peter said. "And can tell..." She... may have to put a lid on it. So many people are knowing about him now! First all that paise yesterday and now this?
"But did you hear about what she said about you!?" Neito asked, cocky grin overtaking him as he had a hand on his head, "She said you were the top of the Practical Exam!" Itsuka rolled her eyes and looked at Neito with the deadest of deadpan stares. "Be that as it may, know this," Nieto continued, "just because you got in first, Doesn't mean that you'll remain on top forever! As the old saying goes: no king rules forever! Your position as Ace is but temporary, a spot one of your classmates, nay someone OTHER than your class not to just become ace, but the best of all First Years! Maybe even a student from Class 1B!"
"He is a ranter." Setsuna intoned.
"Does he... breathe or pause?" Peter asked with a quirked eyebrow. Where are these nicknames coming from. He gave no approval on that!
"I don't think he has a pause button inside him."
"Yes! Soon!" Neito continued, grinning like a lunatic. "A student will rise from 1B to take that spot away from you and drag you down to the rest of the mas-GAWK!"
The boy's eyes went white, and he slouched forward, falling face first in front of Peter, out like a light. He slowly looked up to see Itsuka frowning at the prone boy, lowering her hand.
"Theeere's the pause button." Setsuna snapped her finger at the orangette with a grin. And Peter felt... a jolt through him.
Why.
Why did he feel... sick at the sound of a snap?
"Note to self, catch him next time," Itsuka whispered. "Well, we'll see you around Parker-kun. Take care and excuse Monoma-kun for his theatrics. If you'll excuse me." Without a word, she threw Neito over her shoulder like a bag of flower. And if that wasn't enough, she just started walking. Setsuna snorted, and Tetsutetsu gritted his teeth.
"Damnit! One hit, and he's out again! Guys' got to work on his endurance!"
Peter felt a bead of sweat run down his neck. Again?
"Is he going to be ok?" Peter asked.
Itsuka stopped glancing at the prone form on her shoulder.
"Probably?" she guessed.
Peter raised a finger, "That's…" he started, only to drop his finger, "Not very helpful."
"Don't sweat it," Setsuna said, throwing off the hero's concerns, "He's a hero, he's got to get used to taking the L's sometime, might as well start early."
"That's not why we're here," Shiozaki said from the back. She really was a woman of few word-
Wait Ibara is still here?! He'd completely forgotten about her. She'd just stood there with her books with the most straightlaced expression that Peter had ever seen. Didn't look like anything in the past few minutes phased her. Speaking of her, what the hell is up with all the girls here? Was there a meeting that everyone had to be cute or a bombshell? Japan was filled with them so far!
With the conversation that he and Yu had last night, not that he was complaining-Nooooope he's going to stop right there!
He fought off the blush going to him. Think of anything else, don't be an idiot, make friends, don't embarrass yourself by thinking of-
"Yo Pony-chan" Itsuka smiled.
Peter choked again. He turned and saw his friend standing at the edge of the stairs. She looked just as confused at Neito and Itsuka as Peter did. Ignoring them, her face lit up when she saw Peter.
"Oh! Hey Peter!"
"H-Hey Pony, Good morning..." Peter stammered trying to get a handle on his thoughts.
Pony's own smile, however, stayed strong, beaming like a warm spring day.
"Are you excited for our first day?"
"Yeah," Peter nodded, "It's... probably going to be really interesting."
Pony beamed, "Totally, it's going to be so fucking awesome!"
Peter blanched, and Itsuka looked horrified. Neito's body convsuled, and a snort came out from his unconcious self. A snort of laughter.
"Pony-chan!" she called.
"My word, such vulgarity!" Ibara added.
Tetsutetsu just blinked. "Well... what's wrong with an awesome day that's... flipping awesome?" He asked, censoring himself.
With everyone's stares on her, Pony's smile faltered, her ears drooping. She seemingly shrunk back, her confidence shattering in an instant.
"D-did I say something wrong?"
Peter's chest lurched, she sounded so sad. Ohhhh god it feels like he just slapped a puppy. When they graduated from Language School did she pick up some bad habits or phrases?
"No no no," he said quickly in English, "It's just, we're not supposed to talk like that, we have to be super polite."
"Really?" Pony asked back in her native tongue, "I was told it was a good way to start the day though!"
Itsuka's eyes narrowed, "Who told you that?" She was able to pick up on the conversation. Setsuna stood cross armed with an amused smirk, while the gray haired boy and vine-haired girl stood looking confused.
"Neito did, he gave me some pointers on how to speak some easy slang," Pony pointed at the blond over her shoulder.
As one, four pairs of eyes locked on the prone form over Itsuka's shoulder. They all caught 'Neito' in that foreign sentence. A second passed, then two, and suddenly, Peter felt the urge to run away from the orange haired girl. She smiled a sickeningly sweet smile. She let out a soft sigh.
"It's nice to meet you Parker-kun, but if you'll excuse me, Tetsutetsu-kun and I need to fix something."
The big silver haired brute blinked, scratching his head.
"We do?"
"Yes," Itsuka reinforced, making it clear it was a command and not a request. "We do."
Peter could see the gears turning in Tetsutetsu's head. Then, like a lightbulb went off, everything fell into place.
"Oh, yeah, alright," he said. "Sure."
"Excellent," Itsuka added with a bright grin.
And with that, she walked off, her assistant right behind her. "If you'll excuse me. Have a good day at school Parker-san, and thank you for the assistance." Ibara bowed lightly and followed. The dark green haired lizard eyed girl turned towards Peter and walked around him.
"Welp, that's enough for one day. See you around cutey," Setsuna winked. Pony's eyebrows rose up and her mouth dropped. Before she can say anything, the lizard-eyed girl reached out and grabbed the Texan blonde before she could object. Poor girl nearly tripped in her grip and quickly managed to turn and wave down the hall.
"I'll see you at lunch Peter!" Pony called with a wave.
And just like that, Peter was alone in the hallway with absolutely no idea what the heck just happened. He shook his head, it's nothing special. It was only one thing. He needed to focus on class and everything that comes with it.
He opened the door and-
"Get your feet off the desk!"
"Oh fuck off!"
-this is what met him.
Peter tried not to sigh. Yep, just like high school.
Good.
And he felt all eyes on him as he entered. Bakugo glowered and glared, while Tenya raised a hand.
"Ah! Good morning Parker!"
"Morning Iida." Peter walked past with a light nod as he eyed his desk. Time to settle in. He-
Noticed a lot of people looking his way, and he did his best to ignore them as he sat behind Momo. "Morning Yaoyorozu."
"Good morning, Parker-san." Momo stated with a nod as the rest of the students began to file in for the day. Peter looked out to his class, seeing them mingle a little before the day began. Someone from here must have leaked out how he got first in the Practical. He doubted Neito saw him and Ochako and the camera when he tried to give Izuku points after the Practical, so that must mean someone must have told another and then that person told another and like a virus it began to circulate. He took a deep breath and looked at his school supplies.
Just... make it through. At his prior high school he lied under the radar, now the spotlight was on him, all for having fun at that.
Mr. Stark was always in the spotlight, got to adapt and-
"Yo Parker-kun!" Mina bounded over. "Or do you prefer Peter? I know in America you get called by your first name a lot instead of surname, so, what do you feel most comfortable with?"
"Oh uh." Well that is sudden. "Peter's fine. Do you like Mina or Ashido?" Mina offered a big grin.
"Call me Mina!"
"Getting awfully cozy with others lately, haven't you?" Smirked Eijirou who sat close by. "Then again, that's how you've always been I guess. And you can call me whatever ya want." He pointed his thumb at his chest. "A guy like you deserves it after all."
"Well uhh... thanks for the accommodations, I guess. Ummm..." Peter looked down at the syllabus. "So... we have Homeroom to start to basically prepare us for the day, then English, Math, Japanese, Lunch and then Hero Classes." Really is a school, guess they want to make sure a kid is educated here first in case the Hero profession doesn't work out.
"Yeaaah... it sucks." Mina pouted. "I wanted to do more hero training, but that's only for after lunch."
"I understand how you feel," Momo elaborated behind Peter. "But, U.A. is only doing it's job in ensuring we are educated in matters outside of heroism. Who knows, there can be some skills we can learn, as English is a viable asset to learn."
"Yeah, but our Ace here can handle a-okay." Eijirou smirked. "He is from America, English might be so boring you might pass out!" Again with the Ace thing... first Class B was calling him something like that, now this.
"Sharp minds enable great cunning." Tokoyami cut in, arms crossed and... brooding as usual. He must have been agreeing with Momo.
Peter laughed, looking up. "Well... Like, I know English just fine, but the pronouns and adjectives and all that complex stuff can be a bit complicated..." That's his worst subject after all. Math and Science are like second nature to him. Sentence structure and verbs and all that junk? He and Ned had a rough time with it back home.
"Ahhh so it's like Advanced Japanese for us then? And how to write in differing characters and dialects?" Oh god the Katakana-Hiragana stuff. He and Pony crammed hard on this back in Foreign Exchange Class... Peter nodded at Mina's assertion, making the pinkette give an affirmative "Hmm".
"Well, if you need any help, I would be happy to assist and correct you." Momo stated as Peter looked back. "I'm sure you will handle a lot of English to start, but if you need assistance on any of the nuances and complexities I can help as best as I can." The brown haired boy felt his cheeks warm up and looked away.
"Y-Yeah, thanks. I'll do my best to help too if you guys need any help with English and speaking it." Eijirou offered a big grin and a thumbs up. Peter saw a bouncing shirt walk across.
"Oh oh! I could use the help in English! I wasn't very good at it back in Middle School!" Hagakure chirped as her gloves were fisted up, but in excitement as she seemed to bounce on the balls of her feet.
"I could use some pointers as well, if only to improve." The bird headed boy stated as he looked over at Peter. He looked cross and menacing, but he didn't sound like it. Only brooding. And he felt eyes on him... and on Momo too due to the English advice.
"Uhhhh... it's a dat-I mean, plan then." He looked over at Momo. "We could help together?" The black haired girl seemed to beam at the prospect of helping.
"Of course! Me and Peter-san would be happy to help and-Oh!" her face turned bright red as she caught herself. "I mean, uh, Parker-san, would be glad to assist, if you wish of course." Suddenly Peter felt nostalgic while Mina barked out a laugh and Hagakure emitted an "Oooh~" in a teasing nature. He could only nod dumbly as Eijirou scoffed out a smirk.
"Totally sweet!" He said in English, heavily accented. "Now, we should head back to our desks." The red head stated back in Japanese. "Class is about to start any minute now."
And everyone got back to their seats, and Peter looked to the window, seeing Momo's eyes there. And then they met.
And back to their desks their eyesights were locked, Peter rolling his pencil up and down his desk as he did his best to calm down his heartbeat.
Todoroki gazing at him a ton didn't help either. Just say something dude. You're looking creepy.
(X)
And class began, with Aizawa not present and Present Mic taking over and going over the day, which was elaborated in the syllabus. First was English, in which he playfulled called on Peter a lot to state out sentences for everyone to repeat at first, and then others were called upon.
Izuku was surprisingly fluent, with Bakugo being decent when he spoke in the tongue of America. Tokoyami, Sato, and Mina had rougher times, with the latter muttering 'song lyrics were easier'. The best were surprisingly Aoyama and Jirou, with Todoroki being very eligible.
Listening to Momo, Mina, and Ochako talk in English was a sliding scale of down-right angelic to darn cute. Although Peter can sense an aura of boredom descending upon the classroom.
(X)
Classes continued. Math was a breeze, Japanese was rough but Momo made it incredibly bearable with her assistance, and lunch came around. Apparently U.A. hired a... cooking hero to make some of the finest cuisine. Or at least be in charge. Although his face looked... super mechanical, Lunch Rush seemed super friendly. He even had a photo of his wife and four children by the register!
Well... Good for him!
Before Peter had to spend food for the cheap for, well, cheap food, now he can get the best in town? Talk about a deal.
And lunch was a fun affair, eating with Eijirou, Mina, and Denki who seemed to have moved on from the locker room despair fest. Must have went through the five stages of... was it grief or death? Peter wasn't sure. Kaminari Denki did seem friendly, even if a bit envious as Pony joined them for eating, eating plenty of cooked greens as she is a vegetarian. And here Peter thought there was no vegetarians from Texas but... she is part horse.
When Peter would go for seconds, Setsuna would be prowling around grinning at him with playful eyes, but not of the friends-to-all-things aura that Mina had or the social butterfly Hagakure was. Rather... she seemed to gaze on him like a cat does with a mouse. Wanting to... play around. Yet observant too. Kinda of like MJ minus the stone face snark. He always had the feeling he was being watched while he had lunch with the others, but he chalked that up to the fact that the First Year Phenom rumors were going about. Oh, and that he was an American at a Japanese Hero High School.
Well... Setsuna was friendly at least. Pony speaks very highly of her, Ibara, Itsuka, and some Honenuki Juzo guy and a Kanbara dude. Maybe he should hang with her more. She has a unique vibe about her considering her lizard-like eyes.
Alas, all good things come to an end, with lunch ending and Peter satisfied for the coming hours ahead. Because now... was Hero Training!
(X)
"I have coooooome!" Yelled a boisterous, mighty voice that made the entire class perk up at the sight. He heard Izuku glean down in front of him. "He's heeere!" he whispered.
"Through the door totally normal!" Declared All Might as he arrived to the door, dressed in his Silver Age red body costume with a blue cape. Everyone in the class was excited. Peter let out a laugh of awe.
What he knew of All Might was only from the news, the articles written about him. How he saved hundreds if not thousands of lives during many disasters not just in Japan, but all over the world in safety and relief. He who was responsible for Japan's gigantic plunge in crime rate. The one who helped negotiate peace treaties and agreements between many countries as a mediator and arbitrator. And he did it all with a smile on his face, as if it was glued on.
The Symbol of Peace: All Might.
Peter's smile was wide. "Oh my god it's really him." He knew he was teaching here, what with his holo projector but still... this was amazing!
"He really is teaching here at U.A.! This is gonna be rad!" Eijirou pumped his fist.
"Hero Basic Training, also called Heroing 101! That will be the class that will define you into the heroes you wish to be!" The blonde haired titan of a man posed, reaching into... something. "Be prepared, for today we will be going into a crucial element of Hero training!" And he pulled out a card with the words 'battle' being inscribed on there. "Battle Training!"
"Battle...!" Peter heard Bakugo mutter that out, almost in utter glee and excitement. Izuku was... not as enthusiastic. "Training?" He finished.
"Indeed! and for that, you'll need these!" And to the wall beside him, compartments began to open up with numbers as all the students was chatting and twittering with joy and glee. "The Support Department created these in accordance to your requests and to the Quirk Registry Forms you signed before applying here to U.A.! You will need to wear these!"
"Costumes alright!" Mina yelled, and everyone was shouting in agreement and with exuberation. All Might seemed to revel in it as all the students got up one at a time. Peter couldn't contain his grin as he saw them all stand up and get in line towards the numbered compartments to get their costumes.
All Might twirled his cape as he prepared to depart. "Prepare to change into these and meet me in Battle Center B! I'll see you the-"
"Mr. All Might!" The blond man stopped, seeing Tenya, who was standing in line as Mina and Aoyama got their belongings, raising his hand. "I see contents within each box of the twenty compartments for our seatins, but yet, for Compartment 19 I do not see anything! I fear the Support Department must have forgotten about one of my fellow peers!"
"Oh, Box 19? No need young Iida, though your concern and observational skills are noted!" All Might waved his hand. "Young Peter Parker's equipment was already cleared and he already has it on his person!" Peter felt eyes on him. He... was the only one in his seat after all.
"Wait, Parker has equipment?" Sato asked.
"It can't be homemade, U.A. has some of the best costume making services around right?" Asui mused with a big finger to her chin.
"Oh he has one alright! And it's super cool!" Ochako beamed out. Peter stood up in his chair, feeling nervous as he knew what was coming.
"Uhhh, Ochako-san? I-"
"He can fire webbing and sprout like, totally rad metal legs from his back! It fits his spider-motif too! He rocked it when he went into the Practical Exam with me, Deku-kun, and Iida-kun!" Ochako looked at him, and Peter blanched as again he felt all eyes on him.
"He has his own gear?" Bakugo growled as he looked at him.
"Of course... how silly of me, I forgot." Tenya uttered.
Todoroki remained silent, but he didn't look surprised.
"I wonder who made his gear..." Hanta mused.
"But the Support Department gave it the a-okay, so in any case, I'll see you all at the Battle Center! So long!" And All Might as gone, leaving Peter to fidget around with his backpack.
"Yeah." He stated, smiling awkwardly as he shrugged, seeing his classmates get their boxes. "I... am already good so... no need to worry about me!" The brown haired wall crawler got up and shouldered his backpack and walked outside. Anything to get away from the stares! He remembered the location of the Battle Center and he decided to go there first... but he didn't want to leave his friends behind.
Peter waited, taking a big sigh. "Mr. Stark was always looked at... be like him. Be better than him." He muttered to himself lightly. Easier said than done...
(X)
So... that must have been how he got first on the Practical.
Katsuki grinned. He only got through due to his toys. His power was noteworthy, but at the end of the day it was just dumb and speed, nothing his raw power of Explosion and its versatility can't match.
Shoot webbing? Spider legs? Could be a threat, but if he gets a chance to fight him... with his requested gear.
A devil's grin split his face in two as he got his box. The best outcome is to take down the American down a several dozen pegs... or to blast that snake in the face for making him look like a fool for all these years. He gave Deku a glare as he stormed past the line.
To finally stomp that ant under his boot, or defeat the strongest person in his class, and reaffirm his footing as top dog like back in his Junior High days.
Ohhhhh hohohoho today is going to be a good day. Katsuki just knows it.
(X)
And a good day it is. The sun was out as all the students began to file down the tunnel in their equipment. All Might grinned at the sight. Today was their first foray into heroism! Well... most of them, as Young Midoriya has a glimmer of experience already. And Young Parker has a vigilante report to his credit.
"Keep an eye on him," Aizawa had said to him before taking the day off to do, whatever, "He's got too many tricks up his sleeve."
His dedication to discovering his classes strengths was commendable, but All Might couldn't bring himself to agree with it. Even if Young Midoriya and Parker are in this class, he had to treat them and grade them like he would any other student, just like his teacher did before him.
Without all the scary parts of course.
Besides, Parker was instinctively saving others from hazards during the Practical Exam! It reminded him a lot of himself back when he first started here at U.A. decades ago. Aizawa is just overthinking on things as usual. Young Parker was a hero through and through!
All Might reflexively clenched a fist. Get it together Toshinori. You handle paparazzi on a daily basis. Kids should be a piece of cake! Time to teach! Go Plus Ultra!
"Looking good is important ladies and gentleman! As they say, clothes make the pros ladies and gentlemen! And behold you are the proof! Take this to heart, because from now on, you're all heroes in training!"
And the students came out, all dressed in their custom costumes. Some looked somewhat normal or plain, like Tokoyami Fumikage's dark cloak, Jirou Kyoka's punk get up with her special boots, all the way to Aoyama Yuga's armor and cape, Iida Tenya's custom armor with engine divots by his legs, and Bakugo Katsuki's combat attire with grenade gauntlets, combat boots, and dark mask.
Yet the most complex, covering himself head to toe in his costume was without a doubt Peter Parker as he came out, and everyone in the class gave him impressed looks, some even gave 'Whoa's and ahhh's at him walking past. Red with gold and blue, glowing blue eyes and lights on his palm with a bright spider insignia on his chest.
The mysterious suit. Yagi had no mind for science. He had what everyone else had. Eyes. Anyone could see that it was leagues better than anything even he could get his hands on, since he didn't file an equipment request to the Support Department, saying that he already had gear. If David could get his hands on it, he'd probably die of excitement right then and there.
Speaking of excitement, Young Parker's young peers swarmed the poor boy.
"Wow, that's Parker!" Kaminari exclaimed.
"I couldn't tell. Jeez, it looks like he's covered in metal!" Jirou added.
"He truly is shining! Tres bien, Parker!" Aoyama declared as he inspected and gazed all over Parker like an artist would a sculpture. Parker's blue eyes only quirked in confusion.
"He had some bright red body suit when I saw him enter his changing room." Tokoyami mused. "Maybe it changes color when put on?"
"Does leave little for the imagination." Asui commented, and Ashido who was busy looking over him heard the comment and brightened up, her cheeks darkening.
"I mean... it is pretty form fitting, but who else isn't? Mine is!" Sato declared.
"How did he even get it on? It's like Jirou says, he's wearing metal or something!" The invisible Hagakure said-wait invisible? That means she's-
Oh.
W-Well all fine additions! Even if he can hear Young Parker's groaning from afar. Bakugo was giving the American a sideways sneer, while Todoroki didn't seem to care, as if he already knew.
"Shall we begin, you bunch of zygotes?!" Yagi declared proudly, saving himself and Young Parker from some strange thoughts. "It's time to begin our Battle Trials! And-" He paused, as he set his eyes on his successor, the one who has inherited One for All from him. Midoriya Izuku's costume...
Green, with a utility belt, a mask with...a wide toothy smile and...
Oh god was he copying his hairstyle with those horn-ears?! Yagi didn't know if he should cringe or if he should laugh. Heck, probably both. "You're so obvious!" He muttered to himself as he sniggered in his hand. Composing himself, Yagi cleared his throat, "Now that everyone's here, it's time for combat training!"
"Sir!" Young Iida's hand shot up. The boy went for the traditional armored style of his family line. He filled the shoes well. "This is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean we'll be conducting urban battles again?"
Oh thank goodness for an easy question.
Yagi flashed a peace sign, "Not quite! We're moving two steps ahead. Most of the villain fights that you see in the news take place outdoors," and didn't he know it, barely took a few minutes before someone with a camera caught him and suddenly his face was all over the news while he was in the middle of a fight! "However, statistically speaking run-ins with the craftiest evildoers take place indoors."
Young Midoriya nods, however, Parker flinched. A subtle thing, a small switch of his fingers, but definitely a reaction. Did the boy have more experience outside of the report? Maybe Aizawa's search could have some merit. Whenever he's done with it.
But conspiracy thoughts are for later! Parker is a hero! Not a villain! There's a class to teach!
"Think about it, backroom deals, home invasions, secret layers. Truly clever villains stick to the shadows. For this training exercise, you'll be split into teams of heroes and villains and fight two on two indoor battles!"
From the front row, the green-bodysuit wearing Asui tilted her head, "Isn't this a little advanced?"
Oh boy another easy question! Yagi was on a roll today!
"The best training comes from the greatest teacher: Experience."
That adage was never truer in Hero work. Take away all the quirks and flashy moves, and when you get down to it, the one with the more experience comes out on top more times than not. The number of times where he rushed in thinking that his strength would be enough bit Yagi in the ass more times than he'd care to admit. Part of him wanted to say that, but these students needed to come to their own conclusions else the lessons would never stick.
They will fail, but he will be there to pick them up!
However, there's one point that needed to be addressed.
"But remember," Yagi continued, "you can't just punch a robot this time, you're dealing with actual people now!"
"Sir, will you be the one deciding who wins?" Yaoyorozu inquired.
"How much can we hurt the other team?" Bakugo asked, his eye twitching towards Parker.
"Do we need to worry about someone being expelled like yesterday?" Ochako asked worriedly.
"Will you be splitting us up based on chance or comparative skill?" Iida asked.
"Isn't this cape fantastic?"
Oh god too many questions! He's on a time limit here people!
"Grk, I wasn't finished talking," Yagi moaned.
Not to worry, he could work with this. After all he came prepared! He reached in and grabbed his Specially Calculated Reflexive Incident Preparation Tool.
"A notebook?" Parker tilted his head in confusion.
Moving on! Where was he? Oh yes.
"Listen up! The situation is as follows, the villains have hidden a nuclear missile in their hideout, the heroes must foil their plans. To do that, the heroes must either catch the villains or recover the weapon. Likewise, the villains win if they capture the heroes or protect their payload!"
That was a good explanation, right? An action movie set up with a simple yet productive plan perfect for the first day of Hero Training! Yagi glanced around nodding heads and calculating gazes. They're getting it, excellent!
"Time's limited, and we'll decide teams by drawing lots!" Yagi declared holding up the lot box.
"Isn't there a better way?" Iida asked.
"Think about it, pros often have to team up with heroes from other agencies on the spot, so maybe that's why we're doing it here," Midoriya said matter of fact.
"Plus at the end of the day we're out there helping people, so it doesn't matter who you work with so long as you help," Parker added. "Can't just pick and choose sadly." He finished with a shrug. "Gotta work with the cards dealt to ya..."
"I see, life is a random series of events. Excuse my rudeness." Iida apologized with a bow. Parker seemed to be looking to the side, deep in thought... but back to Iida!
… yes! That's the reason! Yagi totally didn't run out of paper in his notes. He shook it off, keeping up his signature grin.
"No sweat, let's draw!" he declared.
One by one the students came up to the lato box.
Team A: Uraraka and Midoriya.
Team B: Todoroki and Shoji.
Team C: Parker and Yaoyorozu.
Team D: Bakugo and Iida.
Team E: Aoyama and Ashido.
Team F: Sato and Koda.
Team G: Kaminari and Jirou.
Team H: Tokoyami and Asui.
Team I: Ojiro and Hagakure.
Team J: Kirishima and Sero.
Yes, the odds were in his favor. The balance of power and skill seemed evenly distributed... for the most part. How did Parker and Yaoyorozu get matched up on the same team? Must have been the algorithm. Though Young Midoriya and Parker look like they're frozen in place from their partners.
Ah, nerves of excitement for the upcoming trials!
Throwing the balls in the hero and villain boxes and giving them a good shake, Yagi pulled the balls declaring, "The first teams to be fighting are these guys!" he announced.
Teams D and A for the villains and heroes respectfully. The surprise on Young Bakugo and Midoriya's face was palpable. One looked ready to tear down the entire building while the other wanted to jump in a hole he was so despondent.
Oh dear.
"Alright, everyone knows their roles. The two teams stay here. Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch. The Villain Team has five minutes of preparatory time in their building."
"Yes sir," the class chorused.
With their orders, the heroes in training left the two teams were they stood. As he went by, Parker tapped Midoriya on the shoulder.
"Good luck," he said before walking off.
Midoriya didn't acknowledge it. His gaze was firmly on Bakugo. The explosive genius glared daggers at his middle school friend, only to jump as Midoriya held his ground. And it only served to make the blond even angrier. Yagi's successor had a look in his eyes that the Hero remembered seeing on the beach.
Determination.
(X)
"You think they're going to be okay?" Peter asked, to no one in particular. Around him, his classmates had crowded into the command centre, staring past him at the drama to come.
"Who?" Eijirou asked over his shoulder.
"Bakugo and Izuku," Peter explained, "You guys remember how Bakugo reacted to Izuku's throw, the guy flipped out."
"Didn't you try to stop Bakugo back then?" the frog-girl Asui asked.
Peter shrugged, "I did, but I can't do anything up here."
Before him stood an array of monitors, each one connected to a camera inside the building, covering the interior from every concievable angle. They showed only hallways and rooms, empty byt for the enormous fake bomb that was the focal point of the exercise.
At least, Peter hoped it was fake. This was a school that counted building-sized mecha among its training tools. He could not assume too much of its restraint, or sanity.
On one monitor, connected to the sole outside camera, they could see All Might giving instructions to the two teams.
"So taking all bets! Who's gonna win?" Denki called out. He grinned. No one else did.
"I don't think we should be betting on something like this," Momo said, cocking an eyebrow.
"Come on!" pleaded Denki, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm just trying to have some fun."
"Well my money's on Bakugo," Eijirou declared, ignoring the conversation and jumping in with a flex, "That guy's quirk packs a real punch, and Midoriya and Ochako can't do much about that."
"The difference in power is staggering," Tokoyami agreed, "That is until you remember Midoriya's quirk."
Sero's eyes lit up, "Oh yeah, all he's got to do is punch once, and it's all over."
"I don't know…" Peter murmured.
"Huh, you got something to say, Ace?" Eijirou asked.
As one, the class turned to look at Peter. Thankfully his face was hidden behind the Iron Spider, so they could not see his grimace. That nickname, it was going to stick now, wasn't it? First Neito called him a First Year Phenom, now Eijirou called him Ace?
"Well I probably shouldn't say…"
"No, please continue Parker-san," Momo placates, offering a gentle, expectant look. "I'm sure we'd all like to hear whatever insight you have."
Sure enough, he had everyone's attention. Even Todoroki was looking at him with something other than smoldering resentment as he leaned against the wall arms crossed.
Okay... how to phrase this...
"I'm just saying...don't get me wrong...Izuku's strong. I was there when he took out the Zero Pointer. He blew that thing's head off with just one punch."
"So what's the problem?" Ojiro asked, "If I remember correctly you outclassed him in everything during the tests."
"Yeah but I don't think I could blast the robot with one punch. If it was me...I probably would have used webbing to stall it or slow it down. There was Ochako to consider."
He looked back on screen, seeing the brunette talk to the green hero-trainee. When Bakugo had been chasing Izuku, he looked like he was out for blood. Now they were on opposite sides.
Peter was really starting to worry.
"But the difference is that your quirk don't hurt you like Izuku's does," Asui cut in.
Peter nodded, "Yeah, his arms and legs were beyond messed up. Sure Izuku can blow them away, but if they block it, or just jump out of the way, he's down an arm or a finger, and they're no worse for wear. It's too big a trade-off."
"You say that, but Bakugo and Iida have to get lucky upwards of ten times," Shoji said from one of his creepy mouth arms, "Midoriya only needs to be lucky once."
"Like a defensive boxer versus a knock-out artist in boxing. But he could bring the building down." Sato shrugs.
The floating set of gloves that was Hagakure gasped, "Do you think that'll happen?!"
The sugar giant shrugged, "I wouldn't put it past someone like Bakugo."
It was sad, but Peter couldn't bring himself to disagree with him. Bakugo was a loose cannon, and this entire lesson was going to give him an excuse to go all out against Izuku. They were on entirely different levels as far as power went, but Shoji was right. Izuku needed only one shot, but Bakugo could fire as many times as he liked; and even one of those was a force to be reckoned with.
Being indoors would be more of a hindrance to Izuku than Bakugo. The blonde brute was a jerk and the only one of the two that could launch an attack without breaking down a wall. From what he could see, neither of them had a tech advantage either. Unless there was something to those grenade-gauntlets that he had missed.
"You're sure taking this seriously."
"Well, it is a class," Peter said.
Jiro glanced up at him and shrugged, "If you say so, Mr. Ace." The last she said in accented english.
Peter groaned and looked at the ceiling, and he caught her smirk in the corner of his eye.
"Listen, don't sweat it. You belong here just like the rest of us." She gave a thumbs up.
"I AM HERE!"
Behind them, the door burst open, revealing the Number One hero with an actual trail of smoke behind him. How fast was he going?
"Ah Young Parker, getting the best seat in the house I see!" bellowed All Might.
"Just trying to watch."
At the order, the Iron Spider peeled his mask away. The feeling of sand washing over his face that came with the mask was replaced with heat of the climate controlled room as oohs and awws echoed through the room.
"Wow, that's so cool," Mina cooed. "It slinked back like... like... a cobra's hood!"
"Fascinating," mused Tokoyami.
"Did all of that just slink to that thingy at the back of his neck?" Asui mused aloud.
"Dude, you gotta tell me where and how you got your gear!" Denki exclaimed.
'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.' Peter tried to hide his embarrassment by focusing on the screens, but that stopped with a single gruff laugh from All Might.
"Shying away from the limelight Young Parker?"
"... is it that obvious?" he asked. "I've... never been so... noticeable before."
All Might nodded, confirming Peter's fears. The fact alone was almost as embarrassing as hearing the praises to begin with. A few calls of appreciation shouldn't affect him, but they did. And he's getting them in an avalanche. He wasn't Mr. Stark. He didn't deserve their cheers, their praise.
He hadn't done anything to earn it anyway. He was just having fun in the Practical Exam and Quirk Test. He hasn't busted his hump like his peers had! He doesn't deserve it!
Peter flinched as a massive hand placed itself gently on his shoulder. The Number One hero was smiling down at him, but his smile was smaller more understanding.
"Take heart Peter Parker," The blond giant spoke softly and warmly in English. It was perfect, as if he had spoken it his whole life. "Whether you think you did or not, you've earned your spot here. That is something that objectively true. And you are hero material, just like me."
Peter… had no words. Could he hear his thoughts? The titan laughed, clapping him on the back playfully. Peter smiled back; he didn't know why hearing it from All Might made it feel... okay.
He looked back, seeing the class all smile at him... except for Todoroki, who only seemed to narrow his eyes more. Baaaack to focusing on the screens!
"Alright," All Might called into the speaker, speaking in Japanese. "Let's begin the indoor combat training. Team A, Team D, the clock starts now!"
Stepping away from the mic, All Might brought out a small notebook in pen. The goofy sight didn't do a thing to Peter's respect as the man turned back, "Pay attention students, think about what you would do in this situation."
What he would do… Peter began to think.
Well, to start, if he was a hero(which he is), Peter would do his best to find out where the bomb was being kept. If this were real, that would be the villains only real chip they could be playing unless they had hostages. Finding it would take the most time, so he'd probably swing around the building and see if he could get in through the windows using stealth and not busting a wall in to make noise. Unless they were stupid enough to put the bomb in a room with an open window, Peter would have to chance it by finding a window where he could enter the building safely. Least, that's his thinking.
On screen, Izuku shared his thought, forgoing the front door and jumping through the ground floor window with Ochako hot on his heels. The two heroes made slow going down the hallways, an issue Peter didn't see himself having with that danger feeling of his. Without it, Izuku took point, checking behind the corners for any attack.
Even so, Bakugo seemingly appeared behind one, rushing the two with a glowing fist that put a hole in the wall. Peter gasped, did Izuku and Ochako get out of the way? That blast looked like it was going to hurt!
"Sneak attacks Bakugo? What kind of man pulls cheap shit like that?" Eijirou asked through gritted teeth.
"Vile as it might seem it's a viable strategy. He's playing the part and acting like a villain." All Might confirmed.
A role that Bakugo seemed far too comfortable with in Peter's opinion. The only thing that distracted him was the sight of Izuku and Ochako standing somewhat uninjured in the smoke. The two boys rushed one another, and Peter saw some jaws hit the floor as Izuku grabbed Bakugo's arm, twisted like a dancer and slammed the explosive jerk into the floor.
"Damn Midoriya got some moves," Denki whistled.
He sure did, and the sight of them was enough to keep Bakugo from going at it again. Then he started talking to someone. There was no sound from the screen, so Peter was at a loss.
"Hey what gives, who's Bakugo talking to?" Eijirou asked, "Can we get some sound with these screens?"
"He's talking to his partner through a radio," All Might explained pointing out a small blue piece in the kids ear, "I gave it to him before the match started, as well as a floor plan of the building and some capture tape!" he declared, withdrawing a roll from the stand in front of him, "Once you've wrapped this around your opponent, you've captured them."
"Within the fifteen minute timelinie," Momo said.
"Correct!"
Mina frowned, "Then the heroes are at a huge disadvantage."
"Aren't we always?" Peter asked.
Mina cocked an eyebrow at him, and she was only the first. Suddenly he was back as the center of attention.
Don't worry, be like Mr. Stark, and it's like All Might said. He had earned his place. He took a deep breath.
"I mean uhh... well, we're reacting to whatever the villains have planned beforehand right? They're always sneaking around, planning something so they're, um, not noticed. Then ... uhhh... how do I say that... they'll always have the time to make a plan, or set up a trap in case they get caught. As for, well, us? We've got to go in blind, think on the spot and do what we can with, well, what we have. They don't have to play fair, but uhhhh..." Gosh, all these eyes on him as they listened to him. He looked to the side, bashfully. "We're the ones that are being trusted to do something, and that's saving lives. That's what heroes do."
The botched-speech earned him wide-eyed stares. Eijirou grinned while Momo flashed an appreciative smile. Peter quickly looked away, but in doing so, he saw a look different from the rest. Todoroki's eyes, on the other hand, was narrowed into slits and... was he thinking on something or just really hating his guts for some reason? What did Peter do now? All Might guffawed.
"Well said! ! Even if the odds aren't in our favor, we fight nonetheless!"
The heroes declaration was met with a chorus of smiles all around. All Might raised a fist in the air, "All together now, let's hear a Plus Ultra!"
Noise exploded into the room as everyone joined in the mantra of the school. Peter joined in as best he could, but his arm dropped.
"He's moving," he called.
All Might turn around just in time to see Bakugo rush with an explosive kick. Izuku held his own, blocking and screaming something that makes Ochako rush down the hall. The green-suited hero-in-training wrapped Bakugo's ankle in capture tape, but he abandoned that the second that Bakugo slammed an explosive fist into the wall where Izuku was. He jumped back and held his own for a second before taking off down the hallway.
That gave Peter pause. Why wasn't he using his quirk? In a hallway like that, he could end it with one punch. Peter remembered the way that the Zero Pointer went down, how ungodly amounts of force was slammed into it from one point. One punch here at the very edge of the building wouldn't bring it down, and Bakugo would be hard pressed to dodge something that powerful.
Then it clicked.
Izuku didn't want to hurt Bakugo. He wanted to win without his quirk or hurting him. Might be something else, but considering how Izuku turned tail and ran off, Peter couldn't help but think he was right even if only a little bit. Without an opponent in front of him, Bakugo roared and for the first time, Peter was thankful there wasn't any sound from the feed.
"That guy's got some serious anger issues, it's kind of scary" Sero said.
No kidding. The jerk looked like he could start giving the Hulk a run for his money in the angry screaming department. Hopefully, it didn't get too bad.
And the fight raged. Izuku dodged, but Bakugo adapted to Izuku's counter attacks, closing the gap. Peter became transfixed on the scene. Even if he was planning something, Izuku was in a bad situation.
Meanwhile, Ochako had reached the bomb room. And...she was laughing.
"Ooookay." Peter stated, taking in Tenya's posing. Momo sighed.
"I think Tenya is taking the role of 'villain' too seriously here, she mused, crossing her arms.
Bakugo had reached Izuku, and forced him to turn and fight. His face was a mask of murderous rage, and Izuku was little different. Just what had passed between them? What could Izuku have said or done to enrage Bakugo so?
"All Might he's raising his gauntlet." He pointed out. "I have a bad feeling about this."
All Might perked up.
"Wait Young Bakugo! Stop! Are you trying to kill him!?"
Peter could see the bloodthirsty grin on his face, teeth bared as he pulled in pin...and read his lips.
"He'll survive, as long he dodges!"
He pulled, and a fiery blast erupted out down the hallway! As one the class gasped. Peter clenched his fists. All Might called out to Izuku.
The past dissipated. Izulu had indeed dodgd. Peter heard All Might barked into the radio, threatening to stop the exercise if Bakugo did that again, while Eijirou asked for it to be stopped regardless.
And this kid wanted to be a hero.
That.... that... jerk!
No...
He's not a jerk. He's... despicable.
Peter gritted his teeth and balled his fists, glaring darkly at the screen.
"You...thug" Peter growled in English. He felt his classmates staring at him, doubtless wondering what venomous curse he had just snarled, for the tone could be nothing else. He paid them no mind. To do such a thing, even when pretending to be a villain, it was too much.
Bakugo continued to attack Izuku, blasting him with well-aimed counters, and using his quirk to boost his speed, tossing Izuku around like a ragdoll. Ochako was trying to secure the weapon, despite Tenya running around with it. The students, from Todoroki to Momo, were complimenting Bakugo on his strategy.
But Peter could not. He could not stop thinking about that face, that fury in his red eyes. Even Captain America and his group back in Germany had not looked at him so hatefully.
Heinous. Murderous.
That is Bakugo Katsuki.
Hero-in-training.
The thought... made Peter sick to his stomach.
Izuku and Bakugo charged, bringing their fists back. Closer and closer they came, and at the last moment Izuku dodged, taking the blast to his face, and fired his glowing arm upwards in a punch.
The cameras shook, as did the building. and the feed in the bomb room showed a massive gaping hole, gale force winds whipping around it. Ochako swung a broken column like a baseball bat, firing the debris at Tenya. Tenya dodged, and Ochako leapt across, snatching the bomb from him.
"They won!" Mina yelled. All Might's smile got a bit wider....
"The Hero Team.... wins!" he yelled. The class cheered and whooped their approval.
On the feed, Izuku collapsed, his left arm mangled and red, his whole body looking as if it had been used as a punching bag. Bakugo stared in horrified disbelief, slumping to his knees.
"The Losing team is nearly unscathed, while the winning team has been put through the wringer." Tokoyami mused. "They may have lost the battle, but they won the war."
"Even so it's not right." Peter hissed, speaking to the ground and at the Monitor. "He almost killed Midoriya! What's the deal? Why didn't you stop the fight when Bakugo used his grenade-blast thingy! That could have killed..."
But All Might wasn't there.
"...him?" he finished, bewildered. And then he saw that All Might was in the same room as Bakugo! Talking to him, and... comforting him!
He-He's a teacher yeah, so... talking to his students was par for the job... But...
That doesn't change what just happened. What had occured during this exercise.
Even if Bakugo looked like as if he saw his dog get run over in front of him... that's no excuse. None of this was. This was a school for pete's sake. There was no reason to go in with the intention to kill, even if imitating villainly. That weapon would have killed Izuku if not turned him into char had he not dodged. He gripped his fists and glared at the screen.
Bakugo wanted to surpass All Might, to be better than him.
"Yeah, I'm going to be Number One around here. The top hero, like All Might." He smirked darkly as the elevator came to a stop. "So if you don't wanna die or anything, just don't get in my way."
Peter wanted to be better than Mr. Stark. By being smarter. Stronger. Being a better hero. He would never forget that talk on the rooftop over the bay, the Statue of Liberty in the background after he helped Peter save that ferry. Mr. Stark wanted Peter to be better than him as a hero.
But this...
Bakugo Katsuki. Hero-in-goddamn-training.
"He doesn't deserve the right." He glowered in his native tongue, low and darkly, taking a deep breath as he pondered how the hell this school for heroes would let some thug into their ranks.
And ignored the look Asui Tsuyu was giving him.
(X)
Shoto noticed Parker's countenance darken even from behind all the students.
Was he close to Midoriya? Or did he have a grudge against Bakugo? He didn't seem very confrontational, and had tried to dispel all manner of conflict from before. The one exception was when he stopped Bakugo after the Ball Throw, only for Aizawa to interfere.
On the screen, medical bots were carrying Izuku away, and All Might was escorting the other three students. Uraraka looked exhausted, Bakugo looked miserable, and Lida looked depressed.
That is, until he was told that he was the MVP of the battle. Peter was still getting used to the idea that a human chin could actually hit the floor.
"I wonder why? Would anyone like to answer?" All Might asked.
Shoto rolled his eyes. Uraraka was clearly the MVP. She saw an opportunity and took it, and won the day. Iida was acting like a loon and couldn't work with Bakugo, who clearly was a lone wolf motivated by a grudge.
"It was because Uraraka's attack was dangerous," Yaoyorozu piped in. "Her flying debris might have hit the bomb and detonated it."
She had a point, Shoto supposed.
"Still." Parker cut in, "Bakugo should have been defending the bomb. If Iida had gone down on offense, his speed and power would have made it nigh impossible for Uraraka and Midoriya to counter-attack." He crossed his arms.
"A fine point indeed Parker-san," Yaoyorozu concluded with a nod, hands on her hips. "We have to work from the bottom up and support each other, otherwise we will never be top heroes!"
"Yeah, I guess so." Parker finished as he took a deep breath. "So, Mr. All Might, we gonna continue or what? And Izuku's gonna be okay right?"
"Rest assured Young Parker, he is being looked at in the infirmary as we speak. Ah yes!" The Number One Hero jogged over and grabbed the hero and villain ball boxes. "Let us move onto the next trial! The next battle will be in another building."
At his words, the camera feeds changed to a whole new location. "And next up is..." He muttered, rummaging around, pulling out two balls.
Hero Ball B. And Villain Ball C.
"Team B will be the Heroes! And Team C the villains!" All Might declared.
Shoto narrowed his eyes as Parker perked up, gazing at Yaoyorozu who glanced back at him.
"Woooow! Recommended on Recommended violence!" Kaminari whooped.
"It's more than that, this is a clash of the top ten! Yaoyorozu and Parker are literally one and two, with Todoroki on their heels and Shoji is no slouch!" added Kirishima. "Can't wait to see how ya perform Ace!"
"A Clash of the Titans... Of the Elites." Tokoyami muttered darkly.
"Anyone get the feeling we may lose another building?" Jirou asked aloud.
"Hey, we're gonna be working together." Shoji Mezo walked towards him, one of his arms speaking. "So, we're against the top two of the class eh?"
"That we are..." Shoto finished, glancing at Parker as he talked with his teammate. The dark air that hung over him was gone, and his old awkwardness had returned as he and Yaoyorozu discussed strategy.
He and her had their Recommended Exams in private rooms, os his only knowledge of her Quirk is from the Aizawa's Test. But... he knows what Parker can do. He only showed his ice ability during that test, but he's seen Parker in action, along with his suit.
Peter Parker might well be the strongest amongst them. Maybe even the fastest in reflexes. And his gear better than anything he's seen.
Nonetheless, he was another tower to climb, a trial to overcome, if Shoto was to become a hero like the beaming Symbol of Peace. He's overcome using only his ice. He will do so again.
"Let's go and plan. We'll finish his quick." Shoto turned towards his taller comrade, who nodded and they followed. He ignored the cheers and excited chittering of his peers.
'You may have me beat in many ways... but I will defeat you to become the top hero.' Todoroki Shoto thought as he remembered his oath. 'And this is just another step for me to take... using only my ice. You will be that stepping stone... Peter Parker'.