Yu snapped awake, leaping out of bed as an almighty crash reverberated through the walls.
She was not a light sleeper by any standard. Even after going through a hero course, heavy sleeping was never a habit that she ever shook off. Which is why she invested far too much Yen into an alarm clock guaranteed to wake even her up. Hero work was exhausting after all, and some days, she hit the hay harder than her old classmates hit the bar.
Nevertheless, the day before was a good day. No major outbreaks and the only thing to tire her out was Shinji's ranting over… something, she forgot.
Maybe that's why the sound of something shattering against the living room wall shot her straight out of bed. Was it a burglar? In her apartment? Home invasions weren't uncommon, but there was nothing she had that was worth-
"PETER!" She cried.
Adrenaline woke her up faster than any coffee could have managed. She was out of her room in a flash, slamming on the lights, eyes darting straight to the door, the window.
Nothing. Nothing was open, no one had gotten in.
But there was Peter, on his knees, the shattered remains of his dingy little alarm clock cracking the drywall. He gasped for air, cold sweat dripping down his face.
Then he saw Yu.
Whatever color was left in him vanished, his eyes wide and red.
"Y-Yu, I-I'm s-so,"
He stopped as Yu swooped down upon him, wrapping him in her arms. Peter flinched in surprise, but as the moments passed, he relaxed into her embrace.
"Sorry for waking you," Peter whispered in English.
Yu shook her head, "Hey hey hey... It's alright."
She pulled away, holding the boy at arm's length, smiling tremulously. She tried to smile, hiding her disquiet. His clothes were clammy with sweat. What had happened to him?
Peter shivered, eyes dropping to the floor and Yu forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat.
"Do you want some tea?" she asked, forcing the smile back.
Fragile as the offer was, it snapped Peter into looking at her. And Peter, ever the kind boy, waved his hands nervously, "Y-you don't have to do that."
"But you're still cold," he wasn't, he felt like he was on fire. But Yu didn't let that show, "You're getting tea."
"But-"
"No buts," Yu said, her voice filled with an authority that she didn't know she had.
If Peter's wide eyes were anything to go by, he was just as surprised. Knowing better than to argue, he picked himself off the floor and followed Yu to the kitchen. He sat at the kitchen counter as Yu got to work on the teapot. He didn't say anything, his usual quippy mouth dry for what had to be a long time.
Problem? Definitely, but what was she supposed to say?
She's supposed to ask what's going on, right? Or did that just make it worse? She tapped the edge of the pot nervously, stealing glances at Peter. He ran a hand through his hair, staring at the table. No, couldn't get much worse than this. She shook her head, what was she thinking? All Might talked and smiled all the time. She just needed to do that and it'll all be better.
Right?
"So…" Yu started, her commanding manner gone. "How's school?"
A beat passed before he answered.
"It's ah... fine."
Yu nodded, "That's good, that's good."
She tapped the pot, and when she glanced back, Peter still hadn't looked up. Okay… so what now? Was she doing this wrong?
What was she saying, of course she was. Just be like All Might? Fat chance. If just smiling and talking was all that she needed to do, she'd be the number one hero by now.
God why didn't she pay attention in class? They had to have something on talking to people in distress. A big smile wouldn't do everything, but that's all she had. She gripped the handle of the pot till her knuckles went white.
'Get a grip Yu, you can do this, you said you could do this.'
The words only made her shoulders slump, something that she was grateful that Peter didn't notice. Silly thought. He'd seen her walk into the apartment drained of everything she had, flopping on her couch looking like a wreck. He'd seen her mess up on making eggs in the morning.
And looking unsupportive worried her.
The pot steamed, and Yu nearly jumped out her skin. She stifled a yelp and did her best to finish up the drink while Peter kept staring down at the dingy counter. He only looked up when she finally sat down, tea mugs in hand. He gingerly took his drink when Yu offered, and sipped at it, cringing a little at the taste.
The blonde tried not to feel too offended, this was her best tea after all.
"Still not a tea drinker?" Yu asked with a slight smile.
Peter shook his head, chuckling nervously, "Not really a tea guy I guess."
"You'll grow into it," Yu waved it off.
Peter snorted, giving her a wry look, "Trying to convert me?"
"Japan is trying to convert you," Yu corrected, "I'm just her humble servant in a noble quest~."
Peter pursed his lips, "You're ah… gonna be here a while then."
"I can wait," she said. For anything.
Peter nodded, a little bit of that light coming back to him.
"Sorry about the clock. Freaked out..."
"About what?" Yu asked on reflex.
Peter recoiled, sinking into his chair, that little light snuffed out. Yu wanted to punch herself. Why did she have to be here? Anyone would've been better! Shinji could handle this better!
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she said quickly, "I mean, everyone's got their secrets. I mean, this one time I-"
"Yu..." Peter whispered.
She could barely hear him, but that one word stopped her dead. He looked up, a sad smile that didn't belong on his face, but was there regardless. It looked too old for someone like him, and the sight of it almost brought Yu to tears.
"This… isn't the first time I've woken up like this," he admitted.
Yu gripped her cup, shifting once again. "C-Can I help?" she asked.
Peter looked at her for a moment before shaking his head and looking down.
"I don't think you can."
A knife twisted in Yu's chest. She steeled herself and leaned in, causing the boy to blink in mute surprise.
"I can try," she promised.
She reached over, taking one of his hands in hers. She gave it a soft squeeze and waited. He stared down at the hand. Something flashed through his mind, and he wiped something out of his eyes.
"What is it?" she asked.
Peter didn't meet her gaze. He shook his head.
"It's nothing. Just… before I… got to Japan, I was in a fight," he stopped, and a bark of mirthless laughter escaped him, "And I couldn't do anything."
He pulled away, and ran a hand through his hair again. Yu bit her inner cheek... she remembered back at the station, eavesdropping in and listening through the interview Botan was having with Peter. Spaceships. Quirkless worlds yet had technology that put this world to shame. Wizards. Aliens. Magical rocks formed from the Big Bang. It was still impossible to comprehend, even now nearly a year later.
"We could've won, we were so close. We had everything: Dr. Strange, Mr. Stark, the Guardians, we were holding him back. Everytime he pulled something we came right back, and we almost won, but then everything fell apart," he said cryptically, "I put my all into it, I did everything I could, and then I…. I…"
He shook, and when he looked up, Yu gasped at the tears on his face.
"I can still feel him winning. Choking me and..."
Yu was petrified. What on earth had he been through? Who were these people he described? And who or what had they been fighting?
She jumped out of her chair and stalked over. She gripped both her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her.
"Peter, listen to me, whatever it is, he won't come. And even if he did, we'll deal with him. "
He clearly didn't believe her. His eyes were old, burned-out, their light drowned by a horror he could not describe. She gripped a little harder, hiding her doubts, forcing her voice not to crack.
"You're here, and whatever he is, we'll deal with him. Every pro will stop him from coming back. Me, Kamui Woods, your teachers, All Might, everyone."
She forward, pulling him into the tightest hug she'd ever given him.
"No one is going to hurt you, I promise."
Peter stiffened in her grasp, and for a second, he didn't move only to nod resolutely into her shoulder. She patted once and jerked her head back to the couch.
"Get some sleep, okay?"
...
"Alright... thanks Yu."
"Don't mention it buddy..."
Peter shrugged but followed her advice. He wobbled over to the couch and threw the covers over himself. Yu cleaned the cups and went straight to her own bed. She dropped and sighed for all she was worth.
Now she felt so much older. She was going to be a mess when she woke up. An extra cup of coffee would have to do. This was worth it.
All the while, Peter lay awake, gripping his pillow, trying not to remember that last battle, and that face.
Insect.
(X)
Peter left early the next morning, yawning like it was going out of style. Another bad night, another hard morning. Except this one hit.. maybe the hardest he's ever had.
He ate some MgRonalds en route to the bus stop along with sipping some tea. Once aboard, he stared out of the window, barely noticing the city beyond. The tea didn't help like before. Not even close.
He saw his reflection, with the red, bleary eyes. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, giving himself a quick slap to wake up. It lasted a second before the urge to yawn came right back.
The bus came to a complete stop, and the students began to file out. Peter followed on, using the bars to pull himself up as he got off. The world was blurry, unfocused, as Peter took long deep breaths through his nose.
Time to take the stairs. Oh. He's already inside. That was fast.
He took step by step, looking down as he gripped the stair rail. Why was he feeling so drained? Why couldn't he get any sleep?
It was those nightmares, of course. They had been getting worse and worse, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could go without sleep. He'd hoped not to bother Yu at least, but that ship had sailed, and she had seen a side of him he had hoped to keep hidden for months.
He hated that. She had enough on her plate being a pro hero without his issues.
Peter tripped, missing a step and stumbling before catching himself. He shook his head. This was getting beyond a joke.
"Peter!"
Peter jumped, eyes wide as he looked around. There behind him was a the blonde and blue eyed Pony, pouting in evident annoyance.
"I was calling for you for over a minute!" she complained in English. "What was-oh jeez, are you okay?" Her annoyance turned to worry as she saw the state he was in.
"I'm fine. Just... didn't sleep well, last night." More like over the last year.
"I can tell, you're looking a little like that scary Mr. Aizawa."
"Hey he's not that scary," Peter said, then he grimaced remembering the Quirk Tests, and Pony raised an accusing eyebrow. ".. okay, he's a little scary."
"Little scary? Have you heard the rumors?" Pony was incredulous. "They say he's a secret ninja that stalks his targets, learning everything about them before bam! He strikes!"
Peter stared at his friend's… enthusiasm. Mr. Aizawa, a secret ninja? Mr. Aizawa, who only got out of his sleeping bag when he absolutely had to?
His eyes fluttered shut, forcing him to bite his cheek to stay awake. Geeze, just thinking about a nap made him tired.
"Wow, you're really are tired. You wanna... go out sometime another day? Maybe on Sunday?"
"Oh uhhh, the taiyaki, right?" Peter shook his head a little. "I think I could do it, yeah. Maybe they can have... maybe green tea or an expresso ice cream, or something. I dunno."
"You sure you wanna go after school?" She tilted her head.
"Maybe we can bring some friends... if that works" Peter offered.
"Like me?" said a new voice in accented English. Both Pony and Peter looked up the stairs to see a smirking Setsuna leaning against the rail. "Yo, Parker. Pony." She reverted back to her native tongue. Pony puffed her cheeks.
"You can't just invite yourself Tokage." The horned girl reprimanded, the lizard-eyed girl didn't seem to mind as she focused on Peter.
"Must have been cramming for last night or something, Parker?" She asked, picking up on his haggard eyes.
"Uhhh... yeah." Peter lied. "Worked on calligraphy. Still gotta brush up on characters."
"Tell me about it. But, I can see on roping in some other students in Class 1-B in and maybe we can make this a nice social outing." She put her hands on her hips. "Vlad-Sensei wants us to compete with Class 1-A to outdo, since last semester 1-B's freshman didn't do so hot. But nothing wrong with being friends with competition." She put her arm around Pony, smiling widely. "Riiight?" Pony's ears fluffed up and she looked away.
"I guess... I have a feeling you'll just come along anyway." The greenette giggled, poking Pony on the nose.
"Only a few days and ya know me well Tsunotori. And Parker, I recommend getting some scented candles or listening to music or sounds of the ocean. That helps lure me to sleep." She waved her hand. "In any case, we should head to class Pony, we're doing hero courses early."
"Oh yeah that's right, we're doing the thing!" Pony perked up. "Well, we'll catch each other later Peter? My schedule is a bit off since we're doing hero courses first and then all of our normal classes later."
"Yeah, Class A usually has its hero class after lunch," replied Peter as the two climbed to the top of the stairs and walked down the hallway towards their rooms. "We'll be busy all day, all of us."
"Can't wait to get some redbean taiyaki. Heck I can go for some right now!" Setsuna chirped, and the blonde Texan girl looked back at the boy from Queens and smiled.
"I can go for some vanilla myself." Pony sighed. Then the morning bell sounded, and Setsuna clicked her tongue.
"Whelp, see ya around Parker. Vlad-Sensei likes us being punctual. We gotta surpass Class A after all." She winked. Pony gave her a glare before softening on Peter.
"I'll see you around Pony. I'll treat for the taiyaki, if we get around to it." He waved, and the girl beamed, trotting back to class with a skip in her step. Peter had a soft smile, taking a deep breath... and felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as he looked at the Class A door.
Whelp! Time to get on with the day.
(X)
Nothing.
No light, no screams, not even a wind.
But there was a hand. It reached forward. The skinny hand turned... massive, golden, with jewels on its knuckles. Thumb and finger came together, and...
Snap
Peter jerked up with a gasp. His hand snapped out in reflex, grabbing at the hand, trying to....
"Holy crap that was fast! Ah... and hard too... Ow..."
Peter blinked away the black spots and looked around, taking deep breaths. A few of his classmates were looking back at him, or more specifically, his hand which was wrapped around Eijirou's hand in a vice-like grip. Peter slinked his hand back, letting the red haired boy shake it out.
"Sorry about that. Spooked me. You okay?"
"Hey don't sweat it, I was seein' if you were really out like a light." Ejirou rubbed his wrist a little, "Man, math really took it out of you."
Math? Oh, right, Math class. Boring, very boring. From the look everyone was giving him, he missed the entire thing and since everyone was here…
"Did I sleep through lunch?"
"Yes," Tokoyami muttered from the side, arms crossed.
Peter sighed, damnit, he missed his chance to work on Karen. Well, he'd find a way, text Hatsume that he was late. Wait, he didn't have her number. Crapbaskets.
"Parker-san, I have a spare bento if you're hungry." Momo said behind him as he looked back, her face softening with worry.
"Thanks, but I've got my own." Peter grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Still though, I hadn't pegged you for a sleeper," Sato said, the ever quite Koda nodding next to him.
"Indeed, such actions wouldn't be deplorable, but as you are the Deputy Representative I must stress that these actions are inexcusable!" Tenya declared with moving arms.
"Sorry... had trouble sleeping." Peter… couldn't argue with that. He was the Deputy, he probably had to keep up appearances and such. The door opened up and Mr. Aizawa slunk in.
"Settle down, it's time for class."
"Yes sir!' Tenya shouted, all but jumping back into his seat.
The sleepy teacher sighed at the enthusiasm and cleared his throat.
"Alright, today's training is going to be a little different. You're going to be having three instructors. Myself, All Might, and another hero will be keeping tabs on you."
A wave of surprise swept through the class. Three heros for their class? Seemed a bit overkill to Peter, but there was that break in.
"Sir," Sero says, raising a hand, "What kind of training are we doing today?"
Yeah, that was the big question wasn't it? Aizawa took out a card from his pocket and displayed it to the class.
"Rescue. Natural disasters, shipwrecks, and stuff like that."
Rescue? Excited murmurs filled the class, but Peter couldn't join them. He was still groggy, drained.
"Guys settle down, I'm not finished," Aizawa muttered, annoyance lacing every word.
He barely raised his voice, but immediately the talking stopped.
"What you wear in this exercise is up to you. Anything you can bring to the table is allowed," his gaze paused on Peter for a second before looking at Bakugo, "I know you like your costumes, but keep in mind you haven't gotten used to them yet and they might hamper your growth, in the end though it's up to you on that front."
At that, everyone glanced at Peter, they weren't even subtle about it. Aizawa rolled his eyes, pulling out a remote and causing the numbed storage vaults to come out, the nineteen box filled. He blinked, did Power Loader finish that scan he was talking about? He can see his own box, labeled 19, come out and have his suit and the Iron Spider Module. He must have put the suit back together in time for him.
"The facility is off campus, so meet out front for the bus dressed up. We leave in fifteen minutes, dismissed."
(X)
Small miracles, Peter loved them.
With there being a ride to the facility, Peter had plenty of time to chow down on his premade lunch. Aizawa gave him a tired look but didn't say anything about it.
Peter saw one look at the inside of the bus and just climbed aboard, much to Tenya's dismay. The guy had a whistle and a seating chart planned already. What did the guy do in his spare time?
With everyone piling in, at the front of the bus were himself, Denki, Mina, and Tenya on one of the larger couches while Aoyama, Asui, Izuku, and Eijiro took the other seat. Everyone else piled into the booths leading into the back. Bakugo glared at Peter as he came in, scoffing at the American's lunch as he went by. Todoroki on the other hand didn't even look his way. Eventually, everyone got in, and the bus was underway. Being the last one in, the Tenya slumped in his seat next to Peter and Mina.
"The busses open layout ruined my boarding strategy," he sulked.
"Iida you really need to loosen up," Mina said, giving him a pat on the back.
"Well if we're pointing out the obvious, I've got something to say," Asui said, only to look at Izuku, "About you Midoriya."
The green haired boy shared his surprise, eyes shooting open and scooting back a little.
"Me? What do you mean Asui?"
"Call me Tsu," Asui deadpanned, causing the boy to deflate. "Your quirk, it's a little like All Mights."
"What? Really? You think so huh?" Izuku said, turning away nervously, "I guess I never thought about it. I guess it's similar."
"Wait a second," Eijirou jumped in, "You're forgetting All Might doesn't hurt himself Asui."
Izuku sighed in relief. Peter had his eyes half-lidded as he looked at the passing forestry outside.
"Still," Eijirou continued, "I bet it's cool to have flashy quirk, you could do some pretty cool stuff with it. Mine is pretty strong, but it's got nothing on guys like you and Parker."
Peter just put away his lunch when he heard that, "What do you mean?"
"Dude, with those moves and that costume you've got flash to spare!" Eijirou declared.
"My navel laser is the flashiest quirk here I do say~" Aoyama beamed, chin resting on his hands.
"But it doesn't do too good when it hurts your stomach sweety." Mina cheekily added. The flashy blonde flinched.
"Well if anyone here's got the loudest quirks, all we got to look at Todoroki and Bakugo." Ejirou pointed at the two mentioned in boys in the back rows. A few seats down, Bakugo simmered, glaring out the window while Todoroki was looking out the window, not paying attention to the conversation.
"True, but Todoroki is too stoic," Asui said. "And besides, Bakugo is always too angry so I don't think he'll ever be popular."
Bakugo's eyes went white and he all but jumped out of his seat.
"What did you say? I'll kick your ass!"
Asui, having more guts than Peter thought she would have just pointed at the boy, "You see?"
Peter opened his eyes now. Man he was loud.
"You know we basically just met you, so it's kind of telling that we all know your personality is basically a flaming pile of shit." Denki teased with a smirk.
Bakugo turned on him, his face a mask of rage. Peter scowled. He really wasn't in the mood for this. God he was so loud. His head was hurting. Aching.
"You're going to regret the day that you applied to this school asshole!"
"Just shut up." Peter sniped harshly under his breath.
And everyone went quiet. So much for under his breath.
He heard stomping and Peter looked up, seeing a furious Bakugo look down at him, teeth barred.
"Back off," Peter muttered, gritting his teeth in a scowl. God he was so damn tired. He didn't want to deal with this. Much less with him.
"Bakugo, Parker, enough." Aizawa growled, eyes set squarely on the two, his arms crossed. The American did just that, looking away from Bakugo.
"Tch." Bakugo stomped back to his seat. "Loser." He muttered under his breath. Peter glared back under his eyes.
'You don't deserve to be here you thug.' Peter thought darkly before looking back out to enjoy the scenery and close his eyes.
"Heh, jeez. Man of few words aren't ya Ace?" Eijirou commented. Great, he had an audience.
"Just tired. Sorry for being cranky and causing trouble." Peter uttered, rubbing his eyes again.
"I can tell... you look like you haven't slept a wink." Eijirou mused.
"Look alive people, we're here." Aizawa stated.
The bus pulled up to a massive dome which looked to be larger than any sports stadium he's seen. Maybe Jerry World in Dallas was as big? No, this was far bigger.
The dome's exterior was impressive enough. But it was nothing compared to the inside. As the students filed into the stadium behind their teacher, they saw it for themselves.
The interior was divided into six different sections; each one unique. A giant dome with fire artwork. A similar looking one with rain drops. A massive pool with a boat and slide. Another being a hill emulating a landslide. A mountainous section to round it off.
Peter was taking in everything, but had a hard time listening as the Astronaut-looking Pro Hero Thirteen began to drag on and on... it was getting harder to pay attention he... just wants to sleep. So bad.
"You sure you want to take part in this assignment Parker-san?"
Peter turned his head, and Momo was there, looking worried.
"You've been looking exhausted all day now. Could you talk to Aizawa-sensei perhaps to talk over things?"
"Oh ummm... I'll be fine Yaoyorozu-san." Peter rubbed his eyes. "Don't worry about me one bit."
"But you don't look like you're at one hundred percent."
"I am! I got some sleep okay? I did!"
For an hour. Or two hours. Peter sighed, hand over his face as he realize he didn't have the Iron Spider mask on. Feeling the metal slink over him woke him up a little.
"Sorry... snapped again..."
"It's alright, I'm just worried about you. I am Class 1-A's Rep, and you're my Deputy. It comes with the position."
"I know I know..." Peter rubbed his eyes. "I'll get a full day's sleep when I get home today." He sighed, opening them again as he heard Thirteen mention something about a 'USJ'. "Isn't that Universal Studios Japan?"
"It's... Unforeseen Simulation Joint." Momo elaborated as Peter stood up straight. Focus... Focus...
Now Thirteen was talking to Aizawa for some reason. Why were they whispering to each other?
"So I guess we're gonna be doing rescue work here?"
"Seems so. Let's partner up again." Momo smiled lightly. "You did a lot in carrying the weight back in the Battle Trials. It's only fair I return the favor."
"This again?" Peter smiled back. "I told ya, we got equal credit. Still..." He focused back on the teachers as Thirteen began to talk again.
"Okay first I need to go over some points... one... two... maybe four? Five?" The entire class seemed to roll their eyes before the Astronaut looking hero held out her hand, starting with her first point. "As some of you know, my Quirk is called Black Hole... and it can suck in anything and turn it into dust."
Peter gasped sharply, feeling his heart seize up.
"Parker-san?" Momo asked. He was breathing too hard. She would notice!
"I'm fine. I'm fine." Peter shook his head. He can feel some students turn their heads his way. He heard Thirteen mention how their Quirks could be so dangerous if handled incorrectly. "I'm fine... I'm fine."
"You don't sound fine and you didn't look fine on the bus. You looked ready to pass out, and you sound like it too." Momo sternly commended, and she put her hand on his shoulder. "When Aizawa-sensei is done with Thirteen-sensei we're going to talk to them. You're not acting yourself and you may get hurt during an exercise!"
"I'm alright!" Peter said under his breath, "I'll be..." He paused, looking down at the floor, sighing and deflating like a balloon. "Just let me get through the day."
"Is there something you'd like to share, Parker?" Thirteen asked, cutting through and Peter perked up. Now everyone's eyes were on him, and he gripped his fists. Bakugo seemed to scoff in amusement, while Aizawa just flatly stared at him. Momo looked worried.
He noticed All Might wasn't there. Wasn't he supposed to be here as Mr. Aizawa said? Odd.
"N-Nothing. I'm alright. sorry for interrupting." Peter muttered, looking down and bowing lightly. Momo sighed. "Just not, um. Having a good day, it'll get better from here," he whispered, as Thirteen elaborated how the class would be doing exercises to open new perspective on saving others. He patted his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to sound so rude."
"It's... alright." She said softly. "You don't seem like the kind of person to stay up all night all the time, so I'm sure you had a good reason for having a hard time sleeping. But you and I are Class Reps now. We have a standard to uphold, and we need to be at our best to support each other."
"I know, I know." He wished he didn't have to stay up. But it was the only way to stave them off.
He gripped his arm tightly and heard the sound of applause, with Thirteen bowing. Ah, she must have finished going through her points. He'd need to get a refresher from Eijirou.
"All right then Class." The tingly feeling racing down his spine. "First off-"
The lights went out in the dome.
Peter perked up, his fatigue vanishing as a cold thrill ran through his entire body. Goosebumps. He had felt this once before... when the Space Donut appeared over New York!
Aizawa paused, and turned around as Peter rushed to his side to get a look. Down in the central plaza of the USJ by the fountain was a black vortex, spinning and growing. A hand appeared and from it, gripping the portal...
Unkept shaggy teal hair. The face covered by what looked like a severed human hand, and a single, blood-red eye. Two golden lights appeared from the black-purple mass above the figure as they stepped out. More and more of them; all vaguely human, but no two alike. Some clutched weapons. Some were weapons.
"Stick together now and don't move!" Aizawa barked. "Thirteen! Protect the students!"
"What is that?" Eijirou asked in confusion. "I thought this was a rescue exercise?"
Peter didn't need to know. The look in that man's eye, clearly visible through his mask, was proof enough.
These guys... were villains.
"Parker get back with the students now!" Aizawa yelled, putting on his yellow goggles. "This is real, those are villains!"
Besides the hands-man, a massive black beaked titan walked out beside him. He wore nothing but cargo-pants, and his brain was... exposed.
"But Mr. Aizawa-"
"Get back there now! You're exhausted! Follow my orders, now!" Aizawa barked in English. Peter nodded, backing away. The rest of the class stared in stunned disbelief.
"Villains! That can't be!"
"What villains would be dumb enough to sneak into U.A.?!"
"Sensei!" Momo turned towards Aizawa and Thirteen. "Why aren't the intruder sensors going off?"
"They are! The systems aren't lying! They're all green" Thirteen confirmed, looking at her watch. "Which means..."
"Someone's jamming the signal," Todoroki stepped up, looking down at the mob of thugs down by the central plaza. "A quirk, or some kind of device."
"We're far from the main campus, there's only two adults here, so they came in here with a plan." Peter added. "They had to."
"Bit over the top for us, isn't it?" Eijirou asked.
"Be that as it may," Momo said, "This too coordinated to be an ordinary sneak-attack."
"She's right, something's up." Izuku murmured.
Whatever it was, Aizawa didn't care. He stepped forward only stopping to turn to his fellow teacher.
"Thirteen, evacuate the students now, and try calling the school outside the facility!" he said, his hands moving to scarf. "One of these villains has to be using some kind of signal-jamming quirk. Kaminari!" Denki perked up. "Try using your quirk to either throw it off or call for help. I'm counting on you."
"R-Right!" The blond electric user stammered, nervous.
"But sensei, you can't fight them alone!" Izuku yelled out.
He was right. There were too many of them. His quirk only could only work if he kept his eyes open, and that's way to many for just him. He looked down, seeing the mob march towards them... they were heading closer to the stairs.
He looked at Aizawa, who was focusing solely on the villain mob.
"No hero is one trick pony..." He muttered, and he flung his scarf out. Peter felt nostalgic as the shaggy-haired man leapt into the melee.
Wow! He was amazing! None of them could even get close, and any that did got punched or kicked into next week or got caught in his scarf. But already they were surrounding him. Dozens. Maybe over fifty. Sixty!
Peter gripped his fists, and felt Momo's hand on his shoulder. "Peter-san we have to go now!"
"But-"
"Aizawa-sensei can handle himself." Momo said, "We need to go, you too Midoriya."
The green-haired boy snapped out of his stupor, almost just noticing that he was still there. He nodded his agreement and Peter… couldn't argue with her. He was a pro, and he could handle himself long enough until help arrived.
"Ok, let's go," Peter said, taking off, the sounds of battle fading behind him.
Unfortunately for everyone there, even the entrance to the USJ was long. It was two hundred meters to the door. Peter managed to get to the main group before he felt his hairs stand on end.
"Something's coming!" he warned.
Todoroki cast him a questioning glance, only to stop as another black portal appeared in front of them. Thirteen stopped dead, eyes wide as the black miasma spewed out of the ground. It grew and spread with twin glowing golden eyes staring down at them. Peter jumped forward, his spider legs at the ready. Next to him, Todoroki clenched his fist, ice spreading across his arm while the rest of the class also dropped into whatever stances they could manage.
"There is no escape," The mass spoke, a deep rumbling sound the sent a shiver down Peter's spine, "But where are my manners? Allow me to introduce ourselves. We are the League of Villains. My apologies for inviting ourselves to your little gathering unannounced."
Geeze, and people say that Peter liked to talk. Fine by him, his hud was already alight with scanners looking over this guy. Everything that could be seen was gas, but, wait a second, there was something else….
"You see, we just had to say hello, and see this famed training ground of Justice for ourselves. A fitting place for All Might to take his last breath, wouldn't you agree?"
Peter's eyes narrowed, so that's what they were here for, a chance at the number one hero. He remembered Aizawa saying that All Might was supposed to be here. A flash, and his hud centered it's pieces around something in the black mass. A set of metal plates connected to the gas, hidden from normal sight by a thick layer of whatever he was made of.
"Though I must say that I find myself deeply disappointed," the black mass mused. "The schedule said that he was supposed to be here, but there's no sign of him."
It huffed, spreading out it's thick essence like tentacles towards them.
"Ah, well, it matters not, I still have a role to play."
Next to him, Peter heard a click. Thirteen raised his hand, only to stop when Bakugo and Eijirou jumped forwards like madmen. Battle cries split the air, right before an explosion tore at the space around the black mass. Peter held up a hand to shield himself from the dust, barely catching the outlines of the two boys.
"Did you think we were just gonna stand around and let you tear up the place?" Eijiro asked, his voice filled with a confidence that Peter wished he shared.
But as the smoke cleared, even that faded away. The black mass was fine, save for a clear view on the metal brace on his neck. There, its gotta be the weak point. He wiped his hand forward, shooting a line of webbing that hit the solid bracer. A grunt of frustration echoed out of the mass. It seemed to pull away, but Peter wasn't going to let go.
"Eijiro, Bakugo, go for the bracer!" Peter shouted. "In the center!"
The two looked shocked, but both of them grinned.
"Nice eyes Ace!" Eijirou shouted.
"Out of the way meathead!" Bakugo screamed.
"Both of you, get out of the way!" Thirteen ordered.
The two paused in their charge stopped to glance back at the Astronaut hero. Peter grunted out of frustration at Thirteen. They had it under control! They-
"Ah, as expected of your school," the mass complimented.
And then the living miasma exploded, spreading the mass and covering everyone. He heard a scream, and saw Momo standing close to Jirou.
"Momo-san!" Peter yelled, jumping at them as the black miasma surged forth.
"I believe it would be best to let you meet my comrades, and your demise... now..." Black filled his vision, and Peter felt a tingling sensation rush down his spine, ordering him to run. No... he had to get to Momo and Jirou! They were closest! He got to them both, embracing them and hearing surprised gasps from the two girls. He saw nothing but darkness, but he felt the girls. They weren't dead!
"Parker?!"
"Peter-san?!"
"BEGONE!"
Peter felt the webbing go slack, and the next thing he knew, he was somewhere else. First thing that came to him was the fact he wasn't alone. Next to him, Momo blinked in confusion and Jirou was the same way as they were on their knees. They were in a rocky expanse, specially made for some sort of mountain simulation.
"What the hell?" Jirou asked, looking around.
"You guys ok?" Peter asked, his mask sliding off.
"I'm fine," Momo admitted, but she looked nervous. "You didn't have to rescue us, but I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you."
"Been better," Jirou said, "Where are we?"
"Looks like the mountain zone," Momo mused.
He scanned the boulders, only to freeze as someone started to move. One became two, two became four, and soon a ring of villains started crawling out of the woodwork. Peter's mask slid back into place, and on instinct he moved back to back with his companions. Almost all of the villains laughed maliciously as they approached, relishing the slaughter to come. Even the ones without weapons were scary in their own right, wrapped in mummy wrappings or looking like something out of Friday the Thirteenth.
A particularly big guy advanced on Peter, cracking his knuckles. Some of them licked their chops. Peter dropped low, ready to attack the second this guy got close. Momo pulled a shield out one arm, and a sword out of the other. She handed the sword to a grateful Jirou Kyoka before making another.
"How many are there?" Momo asked.
Peter looked around, his hud marking everyone in a short haze of red.
"My visor says thirty-seven."
Jirou grimaced, "This isn't going to be good."
"Stay close, we'll make it through this." Momo promised, but Peter caught the fear in her eyes. And in Jirou's.
He'll protect them both.
He willed his spider legs to spring out, "Here they come."
At that, the villains charged.