Zaru
Beyond Prophecy
What draws that conclusion for you
-
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Friendly Foreign Exchange Student Spiderman! (My Hero Academia x MCU)
- Thread starter IKnowNothing
- Start date
- Crossover
What draws that conclusion for you
...
This chapter was like designed to foreshadow Bakugo's "inevitable" victory.
This chapter was like designed to foreshadow Bakugo's "inevitable" victory.
- Location
- Europe
He's taking it test of a lifetime seriously, which it is, and is aware that others also are as serious, except for Peter.
- Location
- Leeds
I don't know if I should be upset because there is no Greek warrior I've ever heard of using a flail or concerned because Peter seems to be getting into the +Ultra spirit.
Oh boy, Bakugo really doesn't get what sort of buttons he's pressing right now or how dangerous this is.
Winchester
Buzzzzzkill
- Location
- Creeping towards your ear
I believe he's going to get the idea that "heroes don't lose" beaten out of him quite empathically. Heroes do lose. They lose badly. They lose horrendously sometimes, more than they could ever imagine ever losing. And then they *get up*, and then they *keep fighting*, for as long as there is *anything* left in them or left to fight for.
I'm sure the huge chapter of Bakugo and Peter fighting will be thrilling and all, but I'm kinda disappointed this didn't end with Peter just one-hit KO'ing Bakugo the instant the fight began, leaving everyone speechless at the anticlimax.
EDIT: And this isn't from a POV of what would enrage and humiliate Bakugo, but just a sort of...you pissed off a guy who's dozens of times stronger and faster than you - this is the natural consequence, sort of thing.
EDIT: And this isn't from a POV of what would enrage and humiliate Bakugo, but just a sort of...you pissed off a guy who's dozens of times stronger and faster than you - this is the natural consequence, sort of thing.
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And if there was ever a hero who knows loss it's Spidey.
I'm expecting an amazing 'this is why you suck' speech from Peter, a hero who knows what true heroism is.
It's funny, your response reminded me of Tony Stark's talk with Loki in the first Avengers movie, talking about how there isn't a win scenario for Loki and that even if they can't save the Earth.
They'll make that they'll Avenge it.
Artemis
What's a pirate's least favourite letter?
- Location
- The Seven Seas
A lovely new chapter, and that fight scene was excellently done!
I do admit that this quoted part puts me off a tad. Parker really hasn't prepared any more of his formula? Which should only take him a few minutes of work, given the appropriate tools and materials? Doesn't feel quite on, going into what everyone can agree is *the* fight we've been waiting for, with Parker not quite prepared.
I still have confidence in Parker, and eagerly await the next chapter.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
looking forward to next chapter.
silent and focused peter parker has always been a bloody terror to anyone who met with him.
silent and focused peter parker has always been a bloody terror to anyone who met with him.
- Location
- United States
I hope Bakugo loses in the most humiliating way possible. He's nothing more than a thug who should have been expelled from the school by now. And his "victory at all costs" mentality is not suited for a superhero, it's anti-hero at best, straight up villain at worst. Here it's straight-up villain because he doesn't even have a worthy objective to work toward, just his own ego.
Man, I know how Bakugo means it, but of course Peter isn't going to take it that way. You know, if I were to bet on how this was going to go, I'd say that Bakugo says something about his definition of victory that helps Peter let go of his hate, which results in Bakugo thinking he is not giving his all, so he gets the Canon "win". Of course, there should still be a "reason you suck" speech somewhere.
- Location
- Earth
While Bakugo is right that the festival is more than just a game, at this point in the canon story, he was still just an asshole. He didn't start to be less of one until after he got captured and failed the license exam. So I'm hoping Spidey wins, because while I'm still not a Bakugo fan even after his development, if King Explosion loses, he'll be forced to grow as a person.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
or fall into more of a pit of hate because some how the "extra"(goddamm to i hate that he calls other that) beat him. the "extra"must have cheated somehow right..
Tiypo
Forever Phone Posting
No, a one shot loss is too good for Bakugo. He needs to be humiliated to the extreme, and made to look like a fool for everyone watching.
Winchester
Buzzzzzkill
- Location
- Creeping towards your ear
I have so many ideas for how this fight would play out...
One of them is that Peter keeps a running tally of every time Bakugo commits a crime during the fight. "Verbal assault. Death threat. Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Attempted murder. Attempted murder." Either he does it out loud so Bakugo (and everyone else) can hear him, or he just dumps the whole tally on him at the end once he's immobilized as his "The reason you suck" speech. Bakugo's mouth alone is enough to get him into serious trouble even without the explosions.
Another idea is that Peter flat out tells him the only reason Bakugo is still in the school is because the staff are terrified he'd go villain if he got kicked out. Because that's exactly what he's behaving like.
Oh, and it's not just Bakugo who needs a kick in the ass, the staff needs one too for not even attempting to curb Bakugo's attitude. Bakugo is the *antithesis* of what they really want in a hero, why hasn't anyone *told* him this and made it sink in. The staff appears to spend more time ragging on Midoriya for being reckless with his quirk and damaging himself than they do on Bakugo who seems intent on damaging everything around him and has the impulse control of a four year old and the temper of a two year old.
One of them is that Peter keeps a running tally of every time Bakugo commits a crime during the fight. "Verbal assault. Death threat. Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Attempted murder. Attempted murder." Either he does it out loud so Bakugo (and everyone else) can hear him, or he just dumps the whole tally on him at the end once he's immobilized as his "The reason you suck" speech. Bakugo's mouth alone is enough to get him into serious trouble even without the explosions.
Another idea is that Peter flat out tells him the only reason Bakugo is still in the school is because the staff are terrified he'd go villain if he got kicked out. Because that's exactly what he's behaving like.
Oh, and it's not just Bakugo who needs a kick in the ass, the staff needs one too for not even attempting to curb Bakugo's attitude. Bakugo is the *antithesis* of what they really want in a hero, why hasn't anyone *told* him this and made it sink in. The staff appears to spend more time ragging on Midoriya for being reckless with his quirk and damaging himself than they do on Bakugo who seems intent on damaging everything around him and has the impulse control of a four year old and the temper of a two year old.
Chapter 24
IKnowNothing
....What?
- Location
- I got lost so.....Where are we?
He was the Hero that smiled.
That's what they'd called him in the years before he became known throughout the world as the Symbol of Peace.
Because a smile brought hope in this world. Those who smiled in the face of adversity, were the ones who were the strongest.
Nana had told him that, and he'd lived by those words.
But he knew that sometimes, even he, could lose the smile. That even he had his limits.
And when he reached those limits, he was dangerous.
So it was, when he saw his two students making their way to the arena... he knew something was wrong.
To others they would perhaps see little more than steely determination. Perhaps the drive to win.
That wasn't what he saw.
Bakugo had drive. Bakugo wanted to win.
Parker wanted something else.
"Stop the match."
His words were quiet, almost quiet enough that he hadn't even realized he'd spoken aloud until Snipe turned his head, looking at him.
"What was that?"
Yagi remained still in his seat, staring at the camera feed with a closeup to the arena.
"Stop the match," He repeated.
Snipe looked towards Vlad, both teachers looking at each other as though Yagi had lost his mind.
"Any particular reason?"
"This won't end well." He answered, with a calm he didn't wholly feel. "Give whatever reason you have to, just call the match."
"You know we can't do that."
He was right. They couldn't.
Not yet…
(X)
The opening bell sounded, and the two fighters charged. Katsuki with his Turbo Speed firing a massive blast behind him, and Parker kicking up dust and debris from his low leap forward. Their eyes were locked, and Katsuki reared back his right hand, as did Parker.
Just need to get in a good lick up close, beat Parker at his own game and send him flying! That'll teach him!
"Die!" Katsuki roared, seeing Parker's followthrough… and on instinct, tilted his head to the side as he thrust his right hand towards Parker's face.
Parker's fist flew through where his head had been located only a moment before. Katsuki's palm snaked past Parker's head as an Explosion rocked behind him while a small jetstream surged past the blonde's hair.
'This power… it's just like…!' He remembered, back at the Battle Trial. It wasn't as powerful as Deku's arm-shattering uppercut.
But it was dangerous nonetheless. It was then that Bakugo remembered Birdbrain's words back at that battle trial.
"First strike wins..."
For Parker that is.
His own blast roared past the American, whose stone face flinched as the underside of his right arm got singed and burnt.
Okay, scratch going in close for an Explosion. Too risky. Katsuki backed off.
Right in time as he used Turbo to retreat and successfully avoided a left hook, using his blasts to stun Parker's head as he ducked under the strike. His left arm lashed out like a snake and he blasted forward, catching the American as he was rearing a leg back to kick. He saw Parker yell out before landing, getting back up near-instantaneously with an animalistic growl and charging forth towards the retreating Katsuki. The blonde roared as he activated his quirk again to continue creating space, the brown-haired boy relentless as he yelled through the Explosion…
He landed low, hands raised as the smoke cleared, finally creating some room. Parker stood there, singed and bruised, but his teeth bared in discomfort as he breathed, staggering lightly as his cold glare became hot. With a yell like an animal, he charged forward with a leap. 'Here he comes!'
Parker came down with a spinning punch to the ground that Katsuki sidestepped while raising both hands. The punch cracked the cement beneath their feet, cratering it while also causing dust and debris to erupt into the air like a missile had landed instead of a fist. With a yell, the blonde fired, but Parker sidestepped the explosion and came in on a backfoot leap, back turned as he lunged with a backhand of an… iron pipe!? With cement attached like some kind of axe?! 'Give me some damn room!' The blonde bomber ducked, feeling Parker's pipe catch his hair as Katsuki came in with a blast from his left. He needed to create space. He was barely dodging by the skin of his teeth!
He caught Parker dead in the chest and blasted him, landing twenty meters away due to the detonation. With an angry grunt, he got back up, seeing Parker who stumbled several meters, his shirt burnt. He twirled back to his feet, hand to the ground and pipe behind him with his free hand the moment Katsuki got to his feet, hands raised. Parker was seething, nostrils flaring.
Katsuki finally exhaled, and the crowd roared due to the eight second display of opening combat. 'Good, that had to hurt'. He thought to himself.
Parker took off with a yell, dust flying behind him as Katsuki gritted his teeth and brought his hands together before he fired. "Stun Grenade!" The bright flash was right in Parker's path and Katsuki went low, avoiding a diving slash.
'Idiot!' Katsuki, with his back to the ground raised his hands and aimed. Parker was right overhead even if he was close to the ground, one full Gauntlet-level blast… and he could ring him out!
He roared, firing and was promptly blasted backwards along the concrete, using smaller explosions to bring him to his feet. The adrenaline did its job in blocking out the pain in his forearms, Parker had been caught! So he wi-
Katsuki saw him land where he once was and gasped, seeing a distorted and superheated iron pipe land out of bounds. He had used it to propel himself over his Explosion?! Parker rose up, shirt and pants in tatters, skin singed and peeling…
Parker roared like a berserker and reared back his fist, charging once more. The blonde felt his heart skip a beat and instinct willed him to dodge, his body going sideways and avoiding the giant cratering punch that impacted the arena as if a grenade had detonated there. The Explosion user landed a good deal away near the Arena's edge. On instinct, Katsuki took to the skies with his Explosions, and he avoided something thrown. After flying thirty meters into the air, his head turned to glance behind him and he saw the thrown metal pipe crumpled against a stone wall. He turned back towards Parker who stood in the arena, gazing up at him with a glare, panting as his arms returned back to a neutral position from his throwing motion.
"WHAT AN INCREDIBLE HALF A MINUTE OF OPENING ACTION! BAKUGO HAS TAKEN TO THE SKIES! LOOKS LIKE PARKER IS WITHOUT THOSE WEB SHOOTERS FROM THE PREVIOUS ROUND! WHAT WILL HE DO NOW, FOLKS? HE ISN'T LOOKING SO HOT RIGHT NOW!"
Katsuki finally let out a breath of relief. Now…
'I need to do my best to dodge if I ever get close, but for now I need to rely on my Explosions. Getting in close is a death sentence.' Katsuki thought as he glared down at Parker, who leapt backwards, backflipping and landing near the crater he had created with the previous punch.
'I need to use the arena, get into a favorable spot… then blast him with everything I've got! He may be tough, but…' Katsuki grinned. 'I can go Plus Ultra! He won't be able to survive a Gauntlet-level blast! I will be greater than All Might! You're strong Parker! Stronger than anyone in my class, but my will to win, is better than yours!' "Can't reach me without your toys, huh?" He goaded. "Those blasts had to hurt too!"
Parker remained stoic, before a small smirk formed on his features through his pained breathing, He began to brush off his shoulder to get some scraps of clothing and debris off. Once. Twice.
'Oh you fucker.' Katsuki hissed mentally as he bared his teeth, explosions popping as he narrowed his eyes. Parker thought he could mock his amazing Quirk and be able to walk for a week!? Fuck no! 'No, he's taunting me! I just need to hold up here, wait for him to lose patience! He's been yelling like an animal here! Without those web line launchers of his, he can't get me unless he jumps. And with my view of the arena...' He thought, seeing how Peter was on one side of the arena, and him on the other. 'All I have to do is pull off a quick dodge, and fire another Gauntlet-level blast towards the wall, and I win!'
Parker continued to stare at him, eyes set as he continued to breathe hard and Katsuki couldn't help but smirk lightly. Seems like the fight with Vinegirl may be starting to take its toll.
He saw his eyes move around, and he remembered the previous match as he saw Parker eye one of the remaining brazier's that he didn't destroy earlier. Then he sprinted towards it.
"I don't think so!" Katsuki flew off in pursuit. All he had to do was keep a healthy distance and try to fire a full power blast. And prevent him from having a giant flaming bowl to throw.
Except Parker stopped in his sprint towards the brazier, backflipping towards one of the craters he'd made in the arena as Katsuki averted his flightpath towards the brazier. He saw his opponent get low, hand go under the crater, and with a roar… lifted up a giant concrete tile with his forward scooping motion. Grabbing onto it, he twirled it and threw the SUV-sized chunk right at him!
All he had to do was dodge to the side, avoid the projectile, and-
The sound of cracking rock filled the air. By instinct alone, Katsuki yelled as he brought his hands to the side and fired an explosive blast to veer out of the way as he twirled in the air, avoiding the first giant jagged rock piece.
And he saw Parker kicking other smalling chunks his way like a football forward practicing shots on goal. Right his way as the rocks were destroyed upon contact… and sprays of debris surged out.
He felt many a pebble surge past him, destroyed rock chunks flying out like buckshot. He felt his ear get nicked and Katsuki felt a clang on one of the soles of his iron-toed boots.
If he hadn't dodged…
"You're mine!" He yelled, shaking the morbid thought, flying fast and around as he did his best to circle his opponent. Parker kept an eye on him as he brought up another chunk of concrete like a hacky-sack and kicked, buckshot spraying out as Katsuki aimed upward, avoiding the giant chunk and some debris.
Full power blasts to get a ring out. That was his only option now! Although a Stun Grenade to surprise him may be his opening. Twirling in the air after dodging another chunk of cement tossed from Parker like a shot-put, the blonde brought his hands together. "Stun Grenade!" He flashed, bathing the arena in light as he surged forward a little, throwing both hands into Turbo. Katsuki then twirled his body into a corkscrew as he began to use his Explosions to propel his movement. Faster, stronger, his arms began to mildly ache but he didn't care.
Time to end this!
"HOWIZTEEER!" The world was like a blur as fire and fury laced around Katsuki.
"IMPAAACT!"
With a roar, he landed again as fire and brimstone lanced out onto Parker's position, the blast as large as a house. Katsuki gritted his bared teeth… yet his smile never left him, even through all the pain in his forearms and his bleeding ear.
He saw movement in the smoke, and close too! That Explosion hadn't finished him off?!
Fine! Time to go Plus Ultra!
"Again!" He fired, a house-sized explosion departing from his arms as he felt wind and heat wash over him by the time he landed on the ground. "Again!" Katsuki fired once more, the fire and fury surging forward.
He finally exhaled, falling to his knees and panting as he winced. God… it fucking hurt. But this was the pinnacle, the final battle. As the old saying goes, no pain no gain!
Smoke covered the other side of the stone arena, and Katsuki could make out that Cementoss was on the edge of his seat. No need to worry, this fight was ov-
Movement in the smoke.
Parker emerged, without his shirt, pants in tatters as he waved his arm sideways and hard. The black smoke cloud parted like the Red Sea as the blonde felt his stomach fall out under him and his red eyes widened. Parker was panting, bare chest heaving, arms peeling, as was his face… but that glare was still there.
But how!? He'd been so close to the arena's edge! He should be out of-
Beside Parker's position was raised cement, stone, and a large depression in the floor. That sound from before!
He'd punched the arena to make a foxhole, and made an arena tile lift up to make a makeshift shield!
Parker let out an exhale and in Katsuki's world, that step of his foot sounded like a thunderclap as he took a step forward, body coiled as if ready to charge right at him. His muscles tensed for one giant leap, right at him.
Katsuki roared at the top of his lungs, eyes wide with fear and desperation as he fired again, conjuring an even larger Explosion, one larger than the one he'd used on the other American girl when he was down on the ground, far larger, as fire and wind gusted forth.
He panted, arms screaming.
"DIE!" He yelled, more fire and fury lacing out as his arms screamed. "DIE!" Another, and another! "PLUUUUUS!" Another explosion. "ULLTRRRAAAA!" Fall Parker! Fall damn you! "DAMNIT! GOD-FUCKING!" And again! "DAMNIIIIIIT!"
More explosions surged out, and the entire side of the arena that Parker was on was covered in smoke and debris.
Katsuki coughed, seething as he got back to his feet. No foxhole would have been able to handle that barrage! And at that distance, even if grabbing on for dear life and suffering through the burns and heat, any man would have been sent flying. "He has to be… out of the ring by now…" He panted as he walked forward. His chest heaved, his adrenaline trying its utmost to stifle the pain even as it almost consumed his senses.
Yet it didn't compare to the rampant jubilee as Katsuki rose up to his full height amongst the dust and smoke.
"There… I'm the one… who is the one closest to All Might!" He exclaimed, smiling bright and proudly. "Not you! You lost before! Back then when you got yourself caught! You brought trouble for everyone back then! Deku fucked up his body! Yaoyorozu got blood on her hands! Redhair became a fucking wimp! But me?! I've only lost by some stupid rules back against Deku in that stupid battle! People got in my damn way during the race and you all ganged up on me during the War!" Katsuki raved, furious as he grinned like the devil. "But now! Everyone knows that I will be the greatest! The strongest! I'm going to be the Ace here! Not you!" He turned to his right, towards where Cementoss was sitting on the edge of his throne. "Teach! Call it!"
Yet his eyes were...
He caught movement in his peripheral vision. Bakugo felt his heart stutter in his chest as he snapped his head to the side, lightning-quick only for an upwards sledgehammer to land solidly in his midsection, directly under the ribs.
His air exploded from his lungs, he could taste copper at the back of his throat as his whole body was lifted off the ground, pain exploded across his body as sparks flew from his hands in reflexive bursts.
Parker was there, leg extended in the form of a kick as he caught Katsuki straight in the gut, eyes wide and filled with a pure unbridled hate, teeth bared in a silent snarl.
He could feel the vertigo, the inertia, the force of the kick and Bakugo struggled to keep his head on straight, struggled to figure out how to halt his body's momentum with blasts before he fell out of bounds.
But before he'd even started to think on how to do that Parker's hand snaked out, in a blur of motion too fast for him to fully see. He only felt the brutal, bone-crushing grip on his wrist and the red-hot pain of something snapping.
All his momentum ceased in an instant, and the full weight of his body was jerked forward with a grinding crunch of a dislocated shoulder. All while he still didn't have the air to scream in pain from the initial kick.
His vision swam and lurched as Parker tossed him towards the center of the arena, broken wrist and injured arm scraping along the ground, sending barbed wire between the sinews of muscle there as Katsuki howled and yelled in agony.
But still, he could think, even now piecing it together... replaying the fight in his mind and determining where it went wrong.
He'd blinded himself.
His blasts were so large that he couldn't see...
So Parker just jumped over the blasts... high enough and at the right angle and speed to avoid the shockwaves… so high and so strong that his explosions didn't even faze him.
Just like… Deku against Icy-Hot...
The whole time... the whole time he could have moved like this... done this...
He'd been playing him… from the opening bell.
'I never… Stood a chance…'
No...
NO!
He grit his teeth, forcing himself onto his knees through the mind-flaying pain that lit his whole side on fire. He could sense Parker's footsteps as he looked up, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Real heroes... don't lose." He wheezed.
In an instant, he saw Parker's face twist, a rictus of pure, absolute fury, teeth bared, before he let out a bestial avenging roar, his blazing eyes covered by his brown locks. Then, he shot forward like a bullet as he shattered the concrete under the force of his foot, leaving dust and debris in his wake.
And then all Katsuki saw was yellow a second before he heard a sound like two cars crashing together. Wind rushed over him and the now silent arena as all the dust and debris moved thanks to the speed and power of the two figures before him.
"Ha-ha! I understand that you want to go Plus Ultra and win Young Parker, but I believe Young Bakugo is too injured to continue!"
What.
Katsuki felt his eyes widen, red irises trailing upwards to see the unmistakable form of All Might in his yellow pinstripe suit standing directly in front of him, right in front of a rabid and seething Parker.
The Symbol of Peace turned his head to smile kindly over his shoulder. "It's alright now Young Bakugo. You did your best."
He felt sick. His stomach heaved and he felt the strength literally drain from his body.
He...
He hadn't lost…
He'd needed to be rescued! Just like…
Back then… at the creek with fucking Deku so many years ago…
He'd needed to be rescued! AGAIN!
(X)
It was a delicate balance he was attempting to strike here, Toshinori knew.
The world could not know of this. They could not realize how close this had come to tragedy as he saw it play out in his mind's eye on what would have occurred if he was a second too late.
Parker would have been ruined, as would U.A. and all involved would remember this day with great regret and sadness. The U.S.J. was bad enough. A student maimed on National TV would have destroyed this institution.
He did not know how the situation had deteriorated so much between these two so quickly... that was his failing and he would accept responsibility for that.
But he could see it in Parker's eyes, in his face as the blinding fury left him and he fully realized the implications of what he'd almost done. The rage left him as he looked hollow, deflating like a balloon.
The blow was strong. Strong enough that even he felt it when he caught it. Even if it wouldn't have killed Bakugo... it would have injured him severely. Permanently maybe.
Toshinori looked down at Parker, brown eyes meeting dark blue. He held the boy's clenched fist firmly, but as gently as he could, still smiling towards him.
Not for the crowd, not for the cameras around them.
He smiled directly at the boy, with something that was pleading, understanding and warning all at once.
He felt and saw as the fight drained out of the prospective hero. Midnight smiled as she raised her flag, calling the victor, though the tension in her body and how Cementoss eased himself slowly back into his chair from his half-raised position told him they both recognized the strength behind that blow and how they'd both nearly fallen asleep on it.
"B-Bakugo is unable to continue! The winner is… Parker!" Midnight stammered out.
He heard the crowd roar in approval. Oblivious to all that had just transpired as Present Mic began to hype up how Peter Parker was now the Champion of the First Year Group of the U.A. Sports Festival.
All Might's hand landed on the American's shoulder, turning him towards Cementoss and Midnight where the victory podium was rising under the stadium. He would need to talk to him after the ceremony, catch him in the locker room.
"Come on Young Parker, let's get ready for the ceremony. You'll need to check in with Recovery Girl, what with those burns and all," All Might said, smile still on his face, but his heart felt disturbed as he looked back.
Bakugo was on the stretcher, an arm over his face as his chest wheezed. All Might could make out the tears coming down from his eyes, a hand stifling the screams and yells of agony and despair. Recovery Girl was at the mouth of the tunnel, ready to smooch him to start his recovery.
"Sure." Parker replied, his tone hollow as they walked together towards the diminutive nurse, the chants of "All Might!" and "Parker!" continuing to fill the air.
(X)
Holy shit.
There were no two words that better described what went on down there, Shouta's jaw unhinged as he couldn't so much as offer one bit of commentary. What could have happened down there? Mic was pulling a speech out of his ass for how good the match was, and thankfully, the crowd was eating it up like they always did.
Shouta couldn't see everything from within the commentators booth, but he could see enough. He saw Bakugo, one of the strongest students in his class be defeated by an opponent that in one match solidified his so-called nickname as the next All Might.
The motions were acrobatic, the blows flashy for the camera.
But those were the ones that didn't matter.
The ones that did…
Shouta knew that Peter was strong, there was no denying that. His ball pitch spoke for itself, as did his other showings during the physical examination. Except, they were exactly what he expected after witnessing the Battle Trial, the race, and the War of the Flags.
The tip of the iceberg, and for once, Shouta wished he'd seen the signs before now.
That final blow, the one that All Might blocked, caused the larger hero to flinch. It was slight, but Shouta could see it. Years of experience ruled out any other possibility. He hoped that no one else other than Midnight and Cementoss noticed. The audience seemed too distracted by All Might's sudden appearance to make the connection.
Parker had moved him, the man that Shouta had seen shrugging off buildings falling on top of him and bombs detonating in his face.
And that wasn't the worst of it.
No quips, no jokes or clown antics.
For five minutes, he saw Peter Parker more focused than he'd ever been in homeroom or any of the lessons the school employed. It was a dream come true for Shouta in any other situation, seeing his best student give it one hundred percent.
Yet in those five minutes, Parker dodged. He roared, and when the timing seemed right, he dismantled Bakugo in two moves.
From the angle, the blonde bomber's shoulder was no doubt dislocated, and the blow to his side more than likely cracked ribs if the force was anything similar to the final blow. Both were moves that, on their own, would've secured Parker the win if Bakugo wasn't such a prideful fool. Except, Bakugo was who he was, and whatever happened before this match and after the Shiozaki fight put Parker on a warpath.
Hell, he was even yelling and roaring like Bakugo at times during his bout, while it was Bakugo who talked the most. As if the two were emulating each other unintentionally.
Nevertheless the American wasn't going to stop with that blow to the side, the dislocated shoulder only happened because Parker wanted to keep his opponent in the ring. One hit with that kind of strength against All Might was all that was needed to secure the win. Instead, he held himself back like he usually did.
But instead of wanting to make sure he subdued someone as quickly as possible, Parker had wanted this fight to last.
He'd wanted to make a point.
What that point was, Shouta could only guess. The two students had butted heads against one another since they arrived in his class. At first, it was standard from what Shouta could see. Parker ignored Bakugo, and Bakugo pushed himself harder because of it. It was standard practice for U.A. to allow rivalries to form because some students required that kind of drive to become the best heroes they could be. Admittedly, it was one-sided, but still, it begged the question.
What turned it into this?
Questions would have to wait, for now, Shouta had to make some calls. The event had been broadcasted live, but Shouta had to make sure that only certain moments went into the highlight reel. All Might's interference could be chalked up to him being him, anything else the school could handle with ease.
For now, the footage was the priority, if his students were to continue. If all went well, he could destroy that minute of footage.
(X)
There were a lot of things that Shinji, Kamui Woods, could get used to. The constant grind of patrolling, the mountains of paperwork that came with being in a hero agency, and Takeyama gushing about her ward every second that she had the chance. So when the break came and everyone was cheering and hollering as the champion of the festival was crowned, Shinji couldn't help but notice one voice not adding to the chorus.
Mount Lady had barely moved since the start of the match, her face still a sheen of scared surprise throughout every action. As the minutes dragged on, she only became even more reserved until she didn't even notice that Shinji had stopped next to her.
As the highlight reels rolled and the break table exploded into commotion as dozens of heroes pulled out their phones to call their agencies in response to the last match, Shinji elbowed Takeyama in the side, snapping her out of her stupor.
"Oh, Kamui, what's up?"
"You haven't said a thing in five minutes," Shinji pointed out, "Was wondering if you were okay."
"Me?" Takeyama asked before giving off a light laugh. "How could I not be fine? Did you see Peter out there?!"
Deflection, standard tactic. One that she played off with her carefree grin and exaggerated hand motions. Might have worked, if Shinji hadn't seen it before.
Even so, he played along.
"I did, so did every other hero in the country."
A fact that couldn't be more true. The hero sites crashed halfway through the fight with all the traffic going through them. By the time that the sites were back up, chances were the Top Ten would have their pick of the finalists while the rest of them had to do their best with those they could mentor.
"Yeah, he's got to have like, a hundred different emails filling up his mailbox."
"I'm sure he does," Shinji said.
"He's come so far. I mean, did you see how he jumped over those explosions? Anyone else would've been knocked out, but not him. Then there was those hits I mean, one and bang-and-the-boom kid is down!"
And there she goes, her mouth going a mile a minute, saying so much without going into anything meaningful.
Truth be told, he'd have enough.
"Takeyama," Shinji said, cutting her off, "What's wrong?"
Mount Lady stopped her spiel, and her smile faltered. It became sadder, concerned as she turned back to the highlight reel.
"I just… I've never seen him like that."
Shinji crossed his arms and quirked his eye, "Focused? Determined?"
"No... angry."
(X)
"Now then, onto the Awards Ceremony!" Midnight declared with a raised hand as she gestured to the podium.
Momo however, couldn't get that image out of her head.
The blinding fury Peter had on his face, and that roar as he came forth with all the speed and power of a missile. The rest of the crowd was singing his praises and the social media feed was ablaze.
Yet… they didn't notice how their Champion was truly feeling.
"Yaoyorozu-san…" Spoke Todoroki as she turned, seeing the bandaged boy looking at her with concern. "You've said nothing during the match… and... "
"Yes… I was too engrossed." She replied as the cameras panned to the victory podium, where two spots were currently filled.
"OUR THIRD PLACE WINNERS ARE SHIOZAKI IBARA OF CLASS 1-B AND MIDORIYA IZUKU OF CLASS 1-A! EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR THE BEAUTIFUL AND DEADLY MOTHER OF NATURE AND THE GREEN LIGHTNING FLASH HIMSELF!" Mic-sensei hyped up as the green-haired girl stood on the number three platform, looking rather bashful and waving. Right beside her, a bandaged Midoriya waved with his good non-broken hand.
"I'm so happy for Deku! He's made it so far!" Uraraka asked, smiling at her green haired friend.
"To be fair he only fought one fight though, and that was against Todoroki here." Kirishima pointed out. "Not that I'm making light of your abilities though, Todoroki! Just saying that... well-"
"It's fine. He deserved it." Todoroki cut him off, focusing on the stadium before him. "He beat me fair and square."
"Well, coming from you that's saying a lot." Kaminari stated. "Right, Koda?" He asked, looking up towards the dinosaur-esque boy who perked up but smiled softly, nodding.
"Still, Midoriya did get to you because he didn't get to fight against Iida. Where is he anyway?" Jirou mused as she sat beside Momo.
"Yeah, we never saw him come back, and he isn't answering his calls either." Kaminari added with a wave of his phone. "What's up with that I wonder?"
"AND DUE TO HIS CURRENT STATUS AND BEING TREATED FOR INJURIES, SECOND PLACE WINNER BAKUGO KATSUKI WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE CEREMONY! BUT NOOOW! WE HAVE OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER!" Yet Momo knew all of that was secondary as she gazed out at her Deputy. "PETER PARKEEEEER!"
Peter was standing at the top, healed yet looking absolutely drained. He was smiling but even Momo can tell that it was a bad smile, one that was incredibly forced.
After Pony's defeat at Bakugo's hand, Peter's attitude had become a bit more curt than usual… He'd displayed a ferocity in battle against Shiozaki that she had never seen in him.
And then he one-upped himself in the fight against Bakugo. Peter usually talked a lot when engaging in some form of combat. She knew that firsthand.
He quipped a little during the Shiozaki fight yet against Bakugo…
He was quiet, save for the yells and roars he had unleashed. Hell, with the look on his face and his yelling, it was like he was emulating Bakugo himself.
That last moment though…
She looked back up at Midoriya, as he too looked uneasy and worried as he turned towards his friend on the higher podium and towards the empty second place platform. Was it for Parker or for Bakugo? He and Bakugo were apparently friends back in middle school, at least that was what she had heard. The blonde bomber did nothing to back up those claims with his attitude towards the green-haired boy on the other hand.
Her arm rubbed her own as she saw All Might wave to the crowd, laughing as the robot came forth with the medals.
"Congratulations Young Shiozaki! Your performance throughout the festival was nothing short of sensational!" He beamed, the vine-haired beauty lowering her head to let him place the bronze medal around her neck. "However, relying on just your quirk alone isn't enough to overcome a bad situation. Focus on your innate strength young lady, and the sky is your limit." The Symbol of Peace declared to the mics present on the stage.
"Thank you very kindly, All Might sir. I'll take that advice to heart." She said with a bow, looking at her medal, but Momo could see on the feed that her eyes were looking towards her past opponent.
The Number One Hero then turned towards a beaming and smiling Midoriya, who also bowed to take the bronze medal.
"You did well, Young Midoriya. You've come a long way from when the school year started." All Might rose to his full height, grinning down at him. "You have surprised many people here, helping them as you progressed, and I know that without a doubt your path towards herodom will be a bright one." Midoriya wanted to cry in joy, the waterworks brimming.
"You are truly Plus Ultra, and you have truly declared to the whole world." He waved his hand out to the crowd who roared. "That you are here."
And the tears came like geysers as the green-haired boy wept in utter delight. The crowd laughed good-naturedly, as did All Might who stepped back, shaking his head but smiling wryly.
"Well, someone's happy to be up there." Sero jested with crossed arms.
"You can say that again." Sato added.
"Alright, time for the Ace and his reward!" Kirishima beamed, and Momo looked to Peter, who still smiled… but his eyes just looked far off.
All Might took his steps towards the sullen-looking Peter, his hands in his pockets as he looked to be deep in thought. "Young Parker." He stated with pride as the American boy raised his head, and the gold medal came down. "Congratulations."
"Thank you." He uttered, his voice tired and hoarse.
"The feats you accomplished today were nothing short of spectacular." He said, with his hands on his hips. "You are at a level that perhaps not even myself was at when I walked on these grounds at your age." All Might placed a hand on his shoulder. Midoriya bit his lip, looking away at that statement. "I hope you can take pride, as you lived up to your opening speech of going further beyond."
"Yeah. I did." Peter sighed, "Didn't I…"
Momo couldn't see much, but she did see All Might bring him in for a short hug, much to the crowd's approval and Shiozaki clapping her hands. Yet why did Peter look… so sad? He did the best of any student here! This was supposed to be a Sports Festival! Where everyone was doing their best and putting their best feet forward!
Midoriya himself frowned, gazing at Peter who continued to smile and wave besides the Symbol of Peace.
"Now then!" All Might turned, letting go of Peter and standing before the crowd. "Everyone here today has the potential to reach the top, as you all witnessed!" He shouted, hands on his hips. "It is through competition and encouragement that helps us thrive! To reach bigger and better heights! For the seedlings you have seen today," his hand was outstretched, as if offering it to the world. "Will grow into great mighty oaks of tomorrow, heroes that will go above and beyond! Now then, in that spirit!" He reeled his hand back in. "One final cheer! Everyone with me! One, two!"
The entire crowd along with many homes in Japan and out on the streets, save for the Class 1-A suite, a dark domicile above a seedy bar, and a young heroine patrolling the empty vendor grounds.
"PLUS ULTRAAAAAA!" The chants of it were palpable as All Might had his fist in the air, the yelling deafening. "Plus Ultra! Plus Ultra! Plus Ultra!"
Yet all Momo could think about was the boy who helped her get this far not say a word, gazing down at the medal with all the countenance of someone who was in a car accident, unfazed by the constant cheers. Her friend had helped her ever since they first met at that race track on the first day. In more ways than one.
It was her duty as Class Representative to help her Depu- No, this wasn't about her position.
She had to talk to him. Soon.
(X)
"How could the situation have deteriorated to this point?"
Principal Nezu's voice was soft, and still largely placid as the teachers spoke in the athletes' hallway, his paws behind his back.
"This is an extremely recent development, probably as recent as the fight Bakugo had with the American girl or even sooner. While the dislike has always been there, it was never this bad, certainly not on Parker's end." Aizawa's voice answered dryly. "The drive Bakugo feels to surpass Parker did benefit his training but... regardless, I've clearly let this escalate much too far." The dark-haired mummy bowed, eyes closed. "I take full responsibility."
"Tossing blame around will get us nowhere." The mouse-bear Principal shook his head. "Even in the conflict in the War of the Flags I did not observe this kind of deep animosity, so I suspect your hypothesis to be somewhat correct, what we need to focus on now is where we go from here."
"Disciplinary action should be taken. Quietly" Aizawa stated. "He didn't succeed in his attempt due to All Might's presence and... acute observations. Nevertheless, we can't let this action go unpunished."
"I find myself forced to agree but we all lack enough data to determine how severe this punishment should be on Mr. Parker wh-"
"Wait."
All Might's voice echoed through the halls for the first time since the conversation began.
The two turned to see the massive Number One Hero bow at the waist towards Principal Nezu.
"As the teacher who stopped the attack, I ask that you grant me a favor. Allow me to speak to Young Parker, and then be the one to determine his punishment."
"Whilst he did stop that attack, I have to disagree. No offense to you All Might, but you're hardly a disciplinarian at heart." Aizawa rebutted calmly with narrowed eyes. "I'm his Homeroom Teacher, and I admit that I let Bakugo and Parker's distaste for each other fester so that they can push each other. It's on me. Not you."
The Number One hero stood back to his full height, looking towards the Eraser Hero with a gleaming dark-blue eye. "He is my student too, Aizawa."
"I'll allow it." Nezu said, bringing both teachers' attention back to him, Aizawa's expression being neutral. "But I have a condition of my own, whatever you discuss and whatever punishment you decide on must be discussed and subsequently cleared with me first. We avoided a bullet that would have destroyed U.A. I'd rather not be laissez-faire about this. Do you understand?"
The Symbol of Peace offered a single, firm nod before turning away from his colleagues and marching towards the locker rooms.
Toshinori stood in front of the door, steeling his nerves with a slow, deep breath before reaching forward and opening it with a creak of its hinges.
Parker was sitting on a bench in one of the locker rooms, and Toshinori could see that the youth's eyes were puffy and red from crying, still wet tear tracks on his cheeks, nose red. He didn't turn his head, even as his chest was heaving up and down.
"I really messed up huh?" He asked in English, too distraught to speak Japanese.
"You did at that, Young Parker." All Might responded back in kind, his English as crisp as a native American speaker. He didn't mince words, now wasn't the time for it. And the young man in front of him was smart enough to know he'd have been lying if he said any different.
All Might closed the door behind him, marching forward to sit beside the youth on the bench, the titanic hero next to a slimmer and much shorter hero in training. It would have been an amusing sight if not for the situation.
There was silence between them for a time.
Finally, All Might broke it.
"What happened Par-Peter. Why such anger? I… I don't recall ever seeing such rage from you." Toshinori spoke, turning towards the American boy.
Peter raised his head to the ceiling, blinking away the tears as he took a deep breath and let out a rattling exhale. "He just... we talked, before the match and he just…" He paused, puffing his lips before seething. "He said something... and I..." He closed his eyes, lowering his head. "Doesn't matter... no matter what he said, I took it too far. And if you hadn't stopped me I... I'm not sure I'd have stopped."
All Might nodded once, hands clasped together as he leaned his elbows on his knees. "It's good that you recognize that... but you haven't answered my question. Why? What made you so angry?"
"The reason doesn't matter. No matter what he said, it's just…" Peter glared at the ground. "fucking words from a jackass." He spat out in a curse.
"I think it does matter." He argued calmly, but firmly. He would let him vent. He needed it.
They descended into silence again, it dragged on for a good, long while before, finally, Parker seemed to gather the strength to speak.
"Do you know how I got here... All Might?"
"You're an exchange student Pe-"
"I got here by losing All Might." He whispered, staring straight at him as he turned towards him, right in the eye. "I lost everything. My aunt, my best friends, my classmates, the girl I liked, Mr. Stark. I lost everything. We lost. We tried so hard but we still lost. They're all gone and I couldn't do a fucking thing. Do you have any idea what that's like?"
All Might's face turned to stone as his heart skipped a beat. Those eyes of his…
He knew them. He remembered seeing them in the mirror every day in the days following that one fateful day. He remembered that time clearly.
"Now... it's your turn." The exhausted yet energetic words of the woman who was both his mentor and mother resounded in his head.
"I got here because I lost everything and everyone I ever loved. And then he," Peter's face turned into bitter anger as snarled. "fucking comes in here and says that 'Real heroes don't lose'" He said that in Japanese. "That the people who lose can't be called heroes and I just..." The young man shrugged, returning back to his native tongue. "Then he said it again, even after I proved a point and broke his arm to the point of the match almost being ready to be called and… and…" Peter gasped, closing his eyes and shuddering as the tears started up again. "I just saw red. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make that little shitface motherfucker suffer. I wanted him to feel that kind of moment." Peter paused, breathing hard, speaking as slow as he can, and he's never looked so hollow. "For him to feel so desperately that he was right, only to lose, all the same. Just…" He gulped, wiping his eyes with a towel. "Like me."
Toshinori tried to place himself in the young man's shoes. Tried to think as to how he would have reacted if someone like Endeavor had said something similar so soon after Nana's death.
He would not have reacted well.
"Young Bakugo's ideas-" He began "-are flawed bu-"
"He isn't a Hero, All Might." Parker sniffed, wiping at his eyes. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with everyone, why everyone just keeps... looking the other way but the guy's a thug... he doesn't deserve to be a Hero and neither do I apparently."
"And why is that?"
"Because I messed up!" Peter snapped, head in his hands. "I was this close to being a murderer! And I…" He broke down, letting out a strangled sob.
Toshinori shook his head, placing a hand on the shuddering boy's shoulder. "Young Parker. If every hero simply ceased to be upon the first mistake... this world would be very short indeed on heroes."
He turned, looking to the boy, allowing his smile to return a bit to his face as Peter faced him.
"Bakugo's ideas are flawed. Heroes do fail. They fail every day." Toshinori spoke in English, as slow as possible. "They fail to save someone, they fail to stop someone, perhaps they fail to make time for the loved ones that mean the most to them. But failure or success is not the mark of a hero, it's their willingness to keep trying even after they fail. If one keeps trying, then one has not given up." His hand gave Peter's shoulder a soft squeeze. "And what determines the strength of a Hero is his inability to give up. You have made a mistake, a grave one, and Young Bakugo's ideas are flawed and destructive, but you cannot give up on yourself, in the same manner we should not give up on him." Toshinori kept his dark-blue gaze locked in on Peter, as he remembered that fateful day over a year ago, that started on a rooftop, and ended on that one day in the street before the sunset. "Because I nearly did make that mistake once. I nearly gave up, and told someone who has proven me wrong time and time again that he could not be a Hero. I failed that young man that day. But I keep trying to do better by his example. Now, I ask you to ask yourself. What would that mentor of yours do, what would your Hero say to you? You know in your heart of hearts that it would not be to simply give up." All Might gave a bright and wide smile, remembering Nana's creed to always smile for those in distress. "After all, this Mr. Stark you talk about seems like quite the hero to you."
Parker's eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment, gazing into a spot on the floor.
Toshinori heard his words, whispered as they were.
"I wanted you to be better." Parker sniffed, reaching up to wipe at his eyes again. "Wh-where do we go from here, All Might?"
The Symbol of Peace stood, moving to stand in front of the boy as he placed his hands on Peter's shoulders.
"I will not lie to you young Parker, your actions were grave, and must be handled appropriately. But... You can become a Hero. You've only fallen down, but here you can stand back up, knowing your mistake. And for every step of the way," he looked down at him as Peter gazed up at him, eyes wide as he looked like he had found God. "Know that, I will be there to help you become the best hero you can be."
Peter bit his lip, and he lept up, embracing the titanic hero, burying his head in his chest as he squeezed. He continued to sob, nodding. "Thank you… I...I'll accept anything… my way…"
All Might nodded, hands allowing him to let it all out. Besides, he had countless yellow pinstripe suits. Tears didn't usually stain. "That's good. Just let it all out. Whenever you're ready, I will tell you of your punishment, alright?"
The American nodded his head, letting out a "Mhmm" as he continued to embrace him, letting out the last sobs out.
(X)
"Haaaa, what a Sports Festival! That sure was exciting!" An old man stated as he got off his sofa in his nice cozy house, walking over as he grabbed his cane. "Still… that American boy is a strong one, if he was able to make Toshinori flinch like that." He got to the fridge, opening it and jumping up, higher than his small height to grab one of the dozens of Taiyaki pastry boxes. "Time for dinner!"
Sorahiko got out his frozen custard fish-waffles and placed them in the microwave as he began to wait for them to cook and thaw. In his head, he began to ponder if he would take in an intern this year.
Peter Parker was the dazzling star that the media were gushing over, if his experience watching prior Sports Festivals at U.A. was of any indication. The attention this time was on the Freshmen, especially on the group who survived the villain attack on the campus and seeing how they would react under the bright lights. Safe to say, Sorahiko could tell that a good many of that Class 1-A group would someday become exceptional Pros. Even a scant few from Class 1-B had a darn good showing, the vine and horse-looking girl in particular. That war game they'd had was super fun too!
"Heh, makes me wish they had that back in my day." The Pro Hero known as Gran Torino chortled to himself as he swayed in his seat, watching the seconds go by on the microwave. He looked out the window, seeing that the sun was beginning to set. For heroes to form teams at random and to respond to a given situation with planning, it was no wonder that the Red Team was able to force a tie using lesser quirks against superior firepower.
However, as much as Sorahiko would love to think about how the media's silly comparisons of Parker to Toshinori were, he had his eye on one student. Toshi's successor: Midoriya Izuku.
'Toshi said that Midoriya didn't have much control last we spoke. Guess the brat got it handled.' He heard the microwave ping. 'Still, he seemed to be on the verge of winning his sole fight against Endeavor's boy. Why did he push him to use his fire, I wonder? Either way, he can use some of Toshi's full power in certain limbs, but at a cost. If he trains with me, we'll need to have him strengthen his core and overall muscle' Once a teacher, always a teacher. He got up and collected the hot plate of nice warmed-up Taiyaki, taking it to the table as he blew on it to help it cool. He was grateful that his gloves also acted as oven mitts. They allowed him to grab his treats whenever they were done! Now they would cool faster on a cool dinner sur-
His phone began to ring and Sorahiko blinked. "Hmmm? Who could that be?" His phone was usually reserved for a select few government agents, Toshinori and his liaison. He walked over to the coffee table near the couch and grabbed his smartphone, answering it while also putting it on speaker. "Hello?"
"Hello? Gran Torino-san?" It was Tsukauichi Naomasa!
"Ahh Tsukauichi! Good evening! How are you?" He asked, grinning.
"Gran Torino-san, I… I have important news."
"Hmmm? What could be important that you have to call me? You got that dummy Toshinori," he reached for a Taiyaki on his plate, getting ready to bite. "To call and-"
"It's about Shimura Nana, sir."
The sound of broken china resounded in the room, along with several flopping Taiyaki onto the floor. Sorahiko froze, his eyes turning towards the phone.
He clenched his jaw, breathing hard through his nose. Tsukauichi has never messed around from the times he'd known him. There was a reason he was Toshi's best friend and most loyal confidant. "What about?" His cheery tone was gone.
"Gran Torino-san, let me give you the background on how this connects to Yagi's predecessor." The dwarf didn't plop onto his couch, crossing his arms as he glared at the phone, his attention undivided. "Me and my team finished up with forensics at the U.S.J. over a week ago, combing the entire facility to ensure that no stone was left unturned. One major thing of note was a certain item worn by the leader of the so-called League of Villains: Shigaraki Tomura."
"Toshi told me. They crafted some monster who was designed to kill him in combat." Sorahiko mused.
"Yes, but this is not about the Noumu, although the fact that we found multiple blood types and how each finger on the beast was different could be a link to him. To your's and All Might's nemesis." Tsukauichi replied.
"How is all that connected to Nana? Get to the point." Sorahiko asked, remembering those old days. God, it must be a lifetime ago that he remembered her and her smile. Her cheery disposition. He breathed softly, doing his best to push back the nostalgia and regrets.
"Well, the item was… a hand. It was used as a mask, and according to eyewitness reports from the other students…" Sorahiko's blood became cold as his eyes widened, fearing and wishing that the direction Tsukauichi was going for was a farce. "The villain had hands all around his arms, neck and hands. Shigaraki was thwarted in a hostage rescue courtesy of All Might's student, Midoriya Izuku. He destroyed the mask that was on Shigaraki's face when he saved Peter Parker, then the hostage. We collected the remnants of the mask, finding most of the hand destroyed… except for the fingerprints.
"Sorahiko… we ran tests and prints from past files of missing persons. The hand that was on the face of Shigaraki Tomura… belonged to Shimura Kotarou, Nana's son."
Sorahiko walked away, hands on his face as he breathed, doing his best to calm down his heart as this revelation dawned on him.
"How. How do you know of this?" He hissed, bearing down at the phone as if it was an eyesore. "You could be mistaken for all you know."
"Gran Torino-san, the fact of the matter is that Shimura Kotarou was killed fifteen years ago, along with his entire family."
Sorahiko fell onto his backside, and suddenly the usually pepper and chipper Pro Hero… felt old. So very old.
"What."
"I found Shimura's file in a cold case, sir. He was murdered fifteen years ago, along with his wife, her parents, and his children at his house. The police at the time dubbed it a homicide, and the media around Kashiki Ward was in a frenzy upon thinking that a brutal serial killer was on the loose. There was bodies but… they were hunks of meat and flesh, sir." Tsukauichi spoke, his tone haunting. "Scalps and flesh and bones everywhere. We only had identification via dental records to fall back on."
The old Pro held his face in his hands, covering it up as he did his utmost to stop the tears.
Nana…
Her wish after the death of her husband was to put her son Kotarou in the foster care system and distance herself from him. She was a great hero then, one with many allies… and twice as many enemies back then. There were too many villains back when All for One was Japan's shadow king. All she wanted was to protect him…
And he was… murdered! With his family! His wife! His children too! Nana's grandchildren! Her family! Murdered!
"Dear god…" Sorahiko muttered, looking to the floor. "Nana…"
"Sir? Are you there?"
"Yes yes I'm here." He waved, coughing as he grabbed a nearby washcloth and dabbed his face. "So… do we know who did it?"
"We don't know. The file states how his house was destroyed, along with the deaths of his family. But, there is something of note here. The file wrote off the youngest child as murdered or kidnapped, but there was no body for the former."
"What do you mean, Tsukauichi?"
"The Kashiki PD wrote off Shimura Tenko, a five year old at the time, as a potential kidnapped child, and he's been in the system since then but there's been no sign. We can only assume that he was murdered either at the scene and his body was taken, or he was kidnapped and… god knows whatever else."
Shimura Tenko not amongst the confirmed dead. Sorahiko breathed hard, not wanting to dwell on the ramifications of a kidnapped child, just barely a toddler too.
"So… Why tell me and not All Might this?" Sorahiko asked, crossing his arms as he did his best to remain as calm as possible.
"I fear All Might's reaction… if he learned of this, I don't know what he would do… You seem more evenly keeled, Gran Torino-san. The fact is, Shigaraki Tomura has some connection with Shimura Kotarou, who in turn has a connection with a monster who has multiple Quirks."
As Tsukauichi spelled it out for him, Sorahiko narrowed his eyes, the gears turning in his head. Yes. He could see what his student would assume, who he would think was responsible for the grisly murder of his Master's child and his family.
"You think All for One is involved?"
"It is possible. All Might seems so… relieved to be teaching. Happy to have found his successor. If I told him this, All Might may drop being a teacher and focus entirely on finding the League of Villains, who haven't made a peep since the U.S.J. attack." Tsukauichi stated. "He tends to lead with emotion more often than not. You think more with your head, sir."
"Hnnn, you got a good head on your shoulders." Sorahiko rubbed his eyes. "So, need me to help with your investigation then? If you need anything, just ask."
"I appreciate it sir, but me and the team have it under control. We'll continue combing through the evidence. I just wanted to let you know, Gran Torino-san... "
"Thanks." Sorahiko's eyes looked to the floor, seeing his spilt taiyaki and shattered plate. "Take care."
"You too sir." The phone hung up and the old pro sauntered over to behind his fridge, collecting his personal broom and dustpan as he walked back over and began to clean up his mess, tears dropping to the floor past his beard.
"Nana… I'm sorry…" Gran Torino shook his head as he continued to clean. "I'm so… so sorry…"
"And with that, the Sports Festival for U.A.'s freshmen is over! Our coverage of the U.A.'s prestigious event will go on into the night along with your nightly news!" The TV news anchor droned in the background of the sullen-looking residence. "Back to you, Toyotomi!"
That's what they'd called him in the years before he became known throughout the world as the Symbol of Peace.
Because a smile brought hope in this world. Those who smiled in the face of adversity, were the ones who were the strongest.
Nana had told him that, and he'd lived by those words.
But he knew that sometimes, even he, could lose the smile. That even he had his limits.
And when he reached those limits, he was dangerous.
So it was, when he saw his two students making their way to the arena... he knew something was wrong.
To others they would perhaps see little more than steely determination. Perhaps the drive to win.
That wasn't what he saw.
Bakugo had drive. Bakugo wanted to win.
Parker wanted something else.
"Stop the match."
His words were quiet, almost quiet enough that he hadn't even realized he'd spoken aloud until Snipe turned his head, looking at him.
"What was that?"
Yagi remained still in his seat, staring at the camera feed with a closeup to the arena.
"Stop the match," He repeated.
Snipe looked towards Vlad, both teachers looking at each other as though Yagi had lost his mind.
"Any particular reason?"
"This won't end well." He answered, with a calm he didn't wholly feel. "Give whatever reason you have to, just call the match."
"You know we can't do that."
He was right. They couldn't.
Not yet…
(X)
The opening bell sounded, and the two fighters charged. Katsuki with his Turbo Speed firing a massive blast behind him, and Parker kicking up dust and debris from his low leap forward. Their eyes were locked, and Katsuki reared back his right hand, as did Parker.
Just need to get in a good lick up close, beat Parker at his own game and send him flying! That'll teach him!
"Die!" Katsuki roared, seeing Parker's followthrough… and on instinct, tilted his head to the side as he thrust his right hand towards Parker's face.
Parker's fist flew through where his head had been located only a moment before. Katsuki's palm snaked past Parker's head as an Explosion rocked behind him while a small jetstream surged past the blonde's hair.
'This power… it's just like…!' He remembered, back at the Battle Trial. It wasn't as powerful as Deku's arm-shattering uppercut.
But it was dangerous nonetheless. It was then that Bakugo remembered Birdbrain's words back at that battle trial.
"First strike wins..."
For Parker that is.
His own blast roared past the American, whose stone face flinched as the underside of his right arm got singed and burnt.
Okay, scratch going in close for an Explosion. Too risky. Katsuki backed off.
Right in time as he used Turbo to retreat and successfully avoided a left hook, using his blasts to stun Parker's head as he ducked under the strike. His left arm lashed out like a snake and he blasted forward, catching the American as he was rearing a leg back to kick. He saw Parker yell out before landing, getting back up near-instantaneously with an animalistic growl and charging forth towards the retreating Katsuki. The blonde roared as he activated his quirk again to continue creating space, the brown-haired boy relentless as he yelled through the Explosion…
He landed low, hands raised as the smoke cleared, finally creating some room. Parker stood there, singed and bruised, but his teeth bared in discomfort as he breathed, staggering lightly as his cold glare became hot. With a yell like an animal, he charged forward with a leap. 'Here he comes!'
Parker came down with a spinning punch to the ground that Katsuki sidestepped while raising both hands. The punch cracked the cement beneath their feet, cratering it while also causing dust and debris to erupt into the air like a missile had landed instead of a fist. With a yell, the blonde fired, but Parker sidestepped the explosion and came in on a backfoot leap, back turned as he lunged with a backhand of an… iron pipe!? With cement attached like some kind of axe?! 'Give me some damn room!' The blonde bomber ducked, feeling Parker's pipe catch his hair as Katsuki came in with a blast from his left. He needed to create space. He was barely dodging by the skin of his teeth!
He caught Parker dead in the chest and blasted him, landing twenty meters away due to the detonation. With an angry grunt, he got back up, seeing Parker who stumbled several meters, his shirt burnt. He twirled back to his feet, hand to the ground and pipe behind him with his free hand the moment Katsuki got to his feet, hands raised. Parker was seething, nostrils flaring.
Katsuki finally exhaled, and the crowd roared due to the eight second display of opening combat. 'Good, that had to hurt'. He thought to himself.
Parker took off with a yell, dust flying behind him as Katsuki gritted his teeth and brought his hands together before he fired. "Stun Grenade!" The bright flash was right in Parker's path and Katsuki went low, avoiding a diving slash.
'Idiot!' Katsuki, with his back to the ground raised his hands and aimed. Parker was right overhead even if he was close to the ground, one full Gauntlet-level blast… and he could ring him out!
He roared, firing and was promptly blasted backwards along the concrete, using smaller explosions to bring him to his feet. The adrenaline did its job in blocking out the pain in his forearms, Parker had been caught! So he wi-
Katsuki saw him land where he once was and gasped, seeing a distorted and superheated iron pipe land out of bounds. He had used it to propel himself over his Explosion?! Parker rose up, shirt and pants in tatters, skin singed and peeling…
Parker roared like a berserker and reared back his fist, charging once more. The blonde felt his heart skip a beat and instinct willed him to dodge, his body going sideways and avoiding the giant cratering punch that impacted the arena as if a grenade had detonated there. The Explosion user landed a good deal away near the Arena's edge. On instinct, Katsuki took to the skies with his Explosions, and he avoided something thrown. After flying thirty meters into the air, his head turned to glance behind him and he saw the thrown metal pipe crumpled against a stone wall. He turned back towards Parker who stood in the arena, gazing up at him with a glare, panting as his arms returned back to a neutral position from his throwing motion.
"WHAT AN INCREDIBLE HALF A MINUTE OF OPENING ACTION! BAKUGO HAS TAKEN TO THE SKIES! LOOKS LIKE PARKER IS WITHOUT THOSE WEB SHOOTERS FROM THE PREVIOUS ROUND! WHAT WILL HE DO NOW, FOLKS? HE ISN'T LOOKING SO HOT RIGHT NOW!"
Katsuki finally let out a breath of relief. Now…
'I need to do my best to dodge if I ever get close, but for now I need to rely on my Explosions. Getting in close is a death sentence.' Katsuki thought as he glared down at Parker, who leapt backwards, backflipping and landing near the crater he had created with the previous punch.
'I need to use the arena, get into a favorable spot… then blast him with everything I've got! He may be tough, but…' Katsuki grinned. 'I can go Plus Ultra! He won't be able to survive a Gauntlet-level blast! I will be greater than All Might! You're strong Parker! Stronger than anyone in my class, but my will to win, is better than yours!' "Can't reach me without your toys, huh?" He goaded. "Those blasts had to hurt too!"
Parker remained stoic, before a small smirk formed on his features through his pained breathing, He began to brush off his shoulder to get some scraps of clothing and debris off. Once. Twice.
'Oh you fucker.' Katsuki hissed mentally as he bared his teeth, explosions popping as he narrowed his eyes. Parker thought he could mock his amazing Quirk and be able to walk for a week!? Fuck no! 'No, he's taunting me! I just need to hold up here, wait for him to lose patience! He's been yelling like an animal here! Without those web line launchers of his, he can't get me unless he jumps. And with my view of the arena...' He thought, seeing how Peter was on one side of the arena, and him on the other. 'All I have to do is pull off a quick dodge, and fire another Gauntlet-level blast towards the wall, and I win!'
Parker continued to stare at him, eyes set as he continued to breathe hard and Katsuki couldn't help but smirk lightly. Seems like the fight with Vinegirl may be starting to take its toll.
He saw his eyes move around, and he remembered the previous match as he saw Parker eye one of the remaining brazier's that he didn't destroy earlier. Then he sprinted towards it.
"I don't think so!" Katsuki flew off in pursuit. All he had to do was keep a healthy distance and try to fire a full power blast. And prevent him from having a giant flaming bowl to throw.
Except Parker stopped in his sprint towards the brazier, backflipping towards one of the craters he'd made in the arena as Katsuki averted his flightpath towards the brazier. He saw his opponent get low, hand go under the crater, and with a roar… lifted up a giant concrete tile with his forward scooping motion. Grabbing onto it, he twirled it and threw the SUV-sized chunk right at him!
All he had to do was dodge to the side, avoid the projectile, and-
The sound of cracking rock filled the air. By instinct alone, Katsuki yelled as he brought his hands to the side and fired an explosive blast to veer out of the way as he twirled in the air, avoiding the first giant jagged rock piece.
And he saw Parker kicking other smalling chunks his way like a football forward practicing shots on goal. Right his way as the rocks were destroyed upon contact… and sprays of debris surged out.
He felt many a pebble surge past him, destroyed rock chunks flying out like buckshot. He felt his ear get nicked and Katsuki felt a clang on one of the soles of his iron-toed boots.
If he hadn't dodged…
"You're mine!" He yelled, shaking the morbid thought, flying fast and around as he did his best to circle his opponent. Parker kept an eye on him as he brought up another chunk of concrete like a hacky-sack and kicked, buckshot spraying out as Katsuki aimed upward, avoiding the giant chunk and some debris.
Full power blasts to get a ring out. That was his only option now! Although a Stun Grenade to surprise him may be his opening. Twirling in the air after dodging another chunk of cement tossed from Parker like a shot-put, the blonde brought his hands together. "Stun Grenade!" He flashed, bathing the arena in light as he surged forward a little, throwing both hands into Turbo. Katsuki then twirled his body into a corkscrew as he began to use his Explosions to propel his movement. Faster, stronger, his arms began to mildly ache but he didn't care.
Time to end this!
"HOWIZTEEER!" The world was like a blur as fire and fury laced around Katsuki.
"IMPAAACT!"
With a roar, he landed again as fire and brimstone lanced out onto Parker's position, the blast as large as a house. Katsuki gritted his bared teeth… yet his smile never left him, even through all the pain in his forearms and his bleeding ear.
He saw movement in the smoke, and close too! That Explosion hadn't finished him off?!
Fine! Time to go Plus Ultra!
"Again!" He fired, a house-sized explosion departing from his arms as he felt wind and heat wash over him by the time he landed on the ground. "Again!" Katsuki fired once more, the fire and fury surging forward.
He finally exhaled, falling to his knees and panting as he winced. God… it fucking hurt. But this was the pinnacle, the final battle. As the old saying goes, no pain no gain!
Smoke covered the other side of the stone arena, and Katsuki could make out that Cementoss was on the edge of his seat. No need to worry, this fight was ov-
Movement in the smoke.
Parker emerged, without his shirt, pants in tatters as he waved his arm sideways and hard. The black smoke cloud parted like the Red Sea as the blonde felt his stomach fall out under him and his red eyes widened. Parker was panting, bare chest heaving, arms peeling, as was his face… but that glare was still there.
But how!? He'd been so close to the arena's edge! He should be out of-
Beside Parker's position was raised cement, stone, and a large depression in the floor. That sound from before!
He'd punched the arena to make a foxhole, and made an arena tile lift up to make a makeshift shield!
Parker let out an exhale and in Katsuki's world, that step of his foot sounded like a thunderclap as he took a step forward, body coiled as if ready to charge right at him. His muscles tensed for one giant leap, right at him.
Katsuki roared at the top of his lungs, eyes wide with fear and desperation as he fired again, conjuring an even larger Explosion, one larger than the one he'd used on the other American girl when he was down on the ground, far larger, as fire and wind gusted forth.
He panted, arms screaming.
"DIE!" He yelled, more fire and fury lacing out as his arms screamed. "DIE!" Another, and another! "PLUUUUUS!" Another explosion. "ULLTRRRAAAA!" Fall Parker! Fall damn you! "DAMNIT! GOD-FUCKING!" And again! "DAMNIIIIIIT!"
More explosions surged out, and the entire side of the arena that Parker was on was covered in smoke and debris.
Katsuki coughed, seething as he got back to his feet. No foxhole would have been able to handle that barrage! And at that distance, even if grabbing on for dear life and suffering through the burns and heat, any man would have been sent flying. "He has to be… out of the ring by now…" He panted as he walked forward. His chest heaved, his adrenaline trying its utmost to stifle the pain even as it almost consumed his senses.
Yet it didn't compare to the rampant jubilee as Katsuki rose up to his full height amongst the dust and smoke.
"There… I'm the one… who is the one closest to All Might!" He exclaimed, smiling bright and proudly. "Not you! You lost before! Back then when you got yourself caught! You brought trouble for everyone back then! Deku fucked up his body! Yaoyorozu got blood on her hands! Redhair became a fucking wimp! But me?! I've only lost by some stupid rules back against Deku in that stupid battle! People got in my damn way during the race and you all ganged up on me during the War!" Katsuki raved, furious as he grinned like the devil. "But now! Everyone knows that I will be the greatest! The strongest! I'm going to be the Ace here! Not you!" He turned to his right, towards where Cementoss was sitting on the edge of his throne. "Teach! Call it!"
Yet his eyes were...
He caught movement in his peripheral vision. Bakugo felt his heart stutter in his chest as he snapped his head to the side, lightning-quick only for an upwards sledgehammer to land solidly in his midsection, directly under the ribs.
His air exploded from his lungs, he could taste copper at the back of his throat as his whole body was lifted off the ground, pain exploded across his body as sparks flew from his hands in reflexive bursts.
Parker was there, leg extended in the form of a kick as he caught Katsuki straight in the gut, eyes wide and filled with a pure unbridled hate, teeth bared in a silent snarl.
He could feel the vertigo, the inertia, the force of the kick and Bakugo struggled to keep his head on straight, struggled to figure out how to halt his body's momentum with blasts before he fell out of bounds.
But before he'd even started to think on how to do that Parker's hand snaked out, in a blur of motion too fast for him to fully see. He only felt the brutal, bone-crushing grip on his wrist and the red-hot pain of something snapping.
All his momentum ceased in an instant, and the full weight of his body was jerked forward with a grinding crunch of a dislocated shoulder. All while he still didn't have the air to scream in pain from the initial kick.
His vision swam and lurched as Parker tossed him towards the center of the arena, broken wrist and injured arm scraping along the ground, sending barbed wire between the sinews of muscle there as Katsuki howled and yelled in agony.
But still, he could think, even now piecing it together... replaying the fight in his mind and determining where it went wrong.
He'd blinded himself.
His blasts were so large that he couldn't see...
So Parker just jumped over the blasts... high enough and at the right angle and speed to avoid the shockwaves… so high and so strong that his explosions didn't even faze him.
Just like… Deku against Icy-Hot...
The whole time... the whole time he could have moved like this... done this...
He'd been playing him… from the opening bell.
'I never… Stood a chance…'
No...
NO!
He grit his teeth, forcing himself onto his knees through the mind-flaying pain that lit his whole side on fire. He could sense Parker's footsteps as he looked up, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Real heroes... don't lose." He wheezed.
In an instant, he saw Parker's face twist, a rictus of pure, absolute fury, teeth bared, before he let out a bestial avenging roar, his blazing eyes covered by his brown locks. Then, he shot forward like a bullet as he shattered the concrete under the force of his foot, leaving dust and debris in his wake.
And then all Katsuki saw was yellow a second before he heard a sound like two cars crashing together. Wind rushed over him and the now silent arena as all the dust and debris moved thanks to the speed and power of the two figures before him.
"Ha-ha! I understand that you want to go Plus Ultra and win Young Parker, but I believe Young Bakugo is too injured to continue!"
What.
Katsuki felt his eyes widen, red irises trailing upwards to see the unmistakable form of All Might in his yellow pinstripe suit standing directly in front of him, right in front of a rabid and seething Parker.
The Symbol of Peace turned his head to smile kindly over his shoulder. "It's alright now Young Bakugo. You did your best."
He felt sick. His stomach heaved and he felt the strength literally drain from his body.
He...
He hadn't lost…
He'd needed to be rescued! Just like…
Back then… at the creek with fucking Deku so many years ago…
He'd needed to be rescued! AGAIN!
(X)
It was a delicate balance he was attempting to strike here, Toshinori knew.
The world could not know of this. They could not realize how close this had come to tragedy as he saw it play out in his mind's eye on what would have occurred if he was a second too late.
Parker would have been ruined, as would U.A. and all involved would remember this day with great regret and sadness. The U.S.J. was bad enough. A student maimed on National TV would have destroyed this institution.
He did not know how the situation had deteriorated so much between these two so quickly... that was his failing and he would accept responsibility for that.
But he could see it in Parker's eyes, in his face as the blinding fury left him and he fully realized the implications of what he'd almost done. The rage left him as he looked hollow, deflating like a balloon.
The blow was strong. Strong enough that even he felt it when he caught it. Even if it wouldn't have killed Bakugo... it would have injured him severely. Permanently maybe.
Toshinori looked down at Parker, brown eyes meeting dark blue. He held the boy's clenched fist firmly, but as gently as he could, still smiling towards him.
Not for the crowd, not for the cameras around them.
He smiled directly at the boy, with something that was pleading, understanding and warning all at once.
He felt and saw as the fight drained out of the prospective hero. Midnight smiled as she raised her flag, calling the victor, though the tension in her body and how Cementoss eased himself slowly back into his chair from his half-raised position told him they both recognized the strength behind that blow and how they'd both nearly fallen asleep on it.
"B-Bakugo is unable to continue! The winner is… Parker!" Midnight stammered out.
He heard the crowd roar in approval. Oblivious to all that had just transpired as Present Mic began to hype up how Peter Parker was now the Champion of the First Year Group of the U.A. Sports Festival.
All Might's hand landed on the American's shoulder, turning him towards Cementoss and Midnight where the victory podium was rising under the stadium. He would need to talk to him after the ceremony, catch him in the locker room.
"Come on Young Parker, let's get ready for the ceremony. You'll need to check in with Recovery Girl, what with those burns and all," All Might said, smile still on his face, but his heart felt disturbed as he looked back.
Bakugo was on the stretcher, an arm over his face as his chest wheezed. All Might could make out the tears coming down from his eyes, a hand stifling the screams and yells of agony and despair. Recovery Girl was at the mouth of the tunnel, ready to smooch him to start his recovery.
"Sure." Parker replied, his tone hollow as they walked together towards the diminutive nurse, the chants of "All Might!" and "Parker!" continuing to fill the air.
(X)
Holy shit.
There were no two words that better described what went on down there, Shouta's jaw unhinged as he couldn't so much as offer one bit of commentary. What could have happened down there? Mic was pulling a speech out of his ass for how good the match was, and thankfully, the crowd was eating it up like they always did.
Shouta couldn't see everything from within the commentators booth, but he could see enough. He saw Bakugo, one of the strongest students in his class be defeated by an opponent that in one match solidified his so-called nickname as the next All Might.
The motions were acrobatic, the blows flashy for the camera.
But those were the ones that didn't matter.
The ones that did…
Shouta knew that Peter was strong, there was no denying that. His ball pitch spoke for itself, as did his other showings during the physical examination. Except, they were exactly what he expected after witnessing the Battle Trial, the race, and the War of the Flags.
The tip of the iceberg, and for once, Shouta wished he'd seen the signs before now.
That final blow, the one that All Might blocked, caused the larger hero to flinch. It was slight, but Shouta could see it. Years of experience ruled out any other possibility. He hoped that no one else other than Midnight and Cementoss noticed. The audience seemed too distracted by All Might's sudden appearance to make the connection.
Parker had moved him, the man that Shouta had seen shrugging off buildings falling on top of him and bombs detonating in his face.
And that wasn't the worst of it.
No quips, no jokes or clown antics.
For five minutes, he saw Peter Parker more focused than he'd ever been in homeroom or any of the lessons the school employed. It was a dream come true for Shouta in any other situation, seeing his best student give it one hundred percent.
Yet in those five minutes, Parker dodged. He roared, and when the timing seemed right, he dismantled Bakugo in two moves.
From the angle, the blonde bomber's shoulder was no doubt dislocated, and the blow to his side more than likely cracked ribs if the force was anything similar to the final blow. Both were moves that, on their own, would've secured Parker the win if Bakugo wasn't such a prideful fool. Except, Bakugo was who he was, and whatever happened before this match and after the Shiozaki fight put Parker on a warpath.
Hell, he was even yelling and roaring like Bakugo at times during his bout, while it was Bakugo who talked the most. As if the two were emulating each other unintentionally.
Nevertheless the American wasn't going to stop with that blow to the side, the dislocated shoulder only happened because Parker wanted to keep his opponent in the ring. One hit with that kind of strength against All Might was all that was needed to secure the win. Instead, he held himself back like he usually did.
But instead of wanting to make sure he subdued someone as quickly as possible, Parker had wanted this fight to last.
He'd wanted to make a point.
What that point was, Shouta could only guess. The two students had butted heads against one another since they arrived in his class. At first, it was standard from what Shouta could see. Parker ignored Bakugo, and Bakugo pushed himself harder because of it. It was standard practice for U.A. to allow rivalries to form because some students required that kind of drive to become the best heroes they could be. Admittedly, it was one-sided, but still, it begged the question.
What turned it into this?
Questions would have to wait, for now, Shouta had to make some calls. The event had been broadcasted live, but Shouta had to make sure that only certain moments went into the highlight reel. All Might's interference could be chalked up to him being him, anything else the school could handle with ease.
For now, the footage was the priority, if his students were to continue. If all went well, he could destroy that minute of footage.
(X)
There were a lot of things that Shinji, Kamui Woods, could get used to. The constant grind of patrolling, the mountains of paperwork that came with being in a hero agency, and Takeyama gushing about her ward every second that she had the chance. So when the break came and everyone was cheering and hollering as the champion of the festival was crowned, Shinji couldn't help but notice one voice not adding to the chorus.
Mount Lady had barely moved since the start of the match, her face still a sheen of scared surprise throughout every action. As the minutes dragged on, she only became even more reserved until she didn't even notice that Shinji had stopped next to her.
As the highlight reels rolled and the break table exploded into commotion as dozens of heroes pulled out their phones to call their agencies in response to the last match, Shinji elbowed Takeyama in the side, snapping her out of her stupor.
"Oh, Kamui, what's up?"
"You haven't said a thing in five minutes," Shinji pointed out, "Was wondering if you were okay."
"Me?" Takeyama asked before giving off a light laugh. "How could I not be fine? Did you see Peter out there?!"
Deflection, standard tactic. One that she played off with her carefree grin and exaggerated hand motions. Might have worked, if Shinji hadn't seen it before.
Even so, he played along.
"I did, so did every other hero in the country."
A fact that couldn't be more true. The hero sites crashed halfway through the fight with all the traffic going through them. By the time that the sites were back up, chances were the Top Ten would have their pick of the finalists while the rest of them had to do their best with those they could mentor.
"Yeah, he's got to have like, a hundred different emails filling up his mailbox."
"I'm sure he does," Shinji said.
"He's come so far. I mean, did you see how he jumped over those explosions? Anyone else would've been knocked out, but not him. Then there was those hits I mean, one and bang-and-the-boom kid is down!"
And there she goes, her mouth going a mile a minute, saying so much without going into anything meaningful.
Truth be told, he'd have enough.
"Takeyama," Shinji said, cutting her off, "What's wrong?"
Mount Lady stopped her spiel, and her smile faltered. It became sadder, concerned as she turned back to the highlight reel.
"I just… I've never seen him like that."
Shinji crossed his arms and quirked his eye, "Focused? Determined?"
"No... angry."
(X)
"Now then, onto the Awards Ceremony!" Midnight declared with a raised hand as she gestured to the podium.
Momo however, couldn't get that image out of her head.
The blinding fury Peter had on his face, and that roar as he came forth with all the speed and power of a missile. The rest of the crowd was singing his praises and the social media feed was ablaze.
Yet… they didn't notice how their Champion was truly feeling.
"Yaoyorozu-san…" Spoke Todoroki as she turned, seeing the bandaged boy looking at her with concern. "You've said nothing during the match… and... "
"Yes… I was too engrossed." She replied as the cameras panned to the victory podium, where two spots were currently filled.
"OUR THIRD PLACE WINNERS ARE SHIOZAKI IBARA OF CLASS 1-B AND MIDORIYA IZUKU OF CLASS 1-A! EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR THE BEAUTIFUL AND DEADLY MOTHER OF NATURE AND THE GREEN LIGHTNING FLASH HIMSELF!" Mic-sensei hyped up as the green-haired girl stood on the number three platform, looking rather bashful and waving. Right beside her, a bandaged Midoriya waved with his good non-broken hand.
"I'm so happy for Deku! He's made it so far!" Uraraka asked, smiling at her green haired friend.
"To be fair he only fought one fight though, and that was against Todoroki here." Kirishima pointed out. "Not that I'm making light of your abilities though, Todoroki! Just saying that... well-"
"It's fine. He deserved it." Todoroki cut him off, focusing on the stadium before him. "He beat me fair and square."
"Well, coming from you that's saying a lot." Kaminari stated. "Right, Koda?" He asked, looking up towards the dinosaur-esque boy who perked up but smiled softly, nodding.
"Still, Midoriya did get to you because he didn't get to fight against Iida. Where is he anyway?" Jirou mused as she sat beside Momo.
"Yeah, we never saw him come back, and he isn't answering his calls either." Kaminari added with a wave of his phone. "What's up with that I wonder?"
"AND DUE TO HIS CURRENT STATUS AND BEING TREATED FOR INJURIES, SECOND PLACE WINNER BAKUGO KATSUKI WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE CEREMONY! BUT NOOOW! WE HAVE OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER!" Yet Momo knew all of that was secondary as she gazed out at her Deputy. "PETER PARKEEEEER!"
Peter was standing at the top, healed yet looking absolutely drained. He was smiling but even Momo can tell that it was a bad smile, one that was incredibly forced.
After Pony's defeat at Bakugo's hand, Peter's attitude had become a bit more curt than usual… He'd displayed a ferocity in battle against Shiozaki that she had never seen in him.
And then he one-upped himself in the fight against Bakugo. Peter usually talked a lot when engaging in some form of combat. She knew that firsthand.
He quipped a little during the Shiozaki fight yet against Bakugo…
He was quiet, save for the yells and roars he had unleashed. Hell, with the look on his face and his yelling, it was like he was emulating Bakugo himself.
That last moment though…
She looked back up at Midoriya, as he too looked uneasy and worried as he turned towards his friend on the higher podium and towards the empty second place platform. Was it for Parker or for Bakugo? He and Bakugo were apparently friends back in middle school, at least that was what she had heard. The blonde bomber did nothing to back up those claims with his attitude towards the green-haired boy on the other hand.
Her arm rubbed her own as she saw All Might wave to the crowd, laughing as the robot came forth with the medals.
"Congratulations Young Shiozaki! Your performance throughout the festival was nothing short of sensational!" He beamed, the vine-haired beauty lowering her head to let him place the bronze medal around her neck. "However, relying on just your quirk alone isn't enough to overcome a bad situation. Focus on your innate strength young lady, and the sky is your limit." The Symbol of Peace declared to the mics present on the stage.
"Thank you very kindly, All Might sir. I'll take that advice to heart." She said with a bow, looking at her medal, but Momo could see on the feed that her eyes were looking towards her past opponent.
The Number One Hero then turned towards a beaming and smiling Midoriya, who also bowed to take the bronze medal.
"You did well, Young Midoriya. You've come a long way from when the school year started." All Might rose to his full height, grinning down at him. "You have surprised many people here, helping them as you progressed, and I know that without a doubt your path towards herodom will be a bright one." Midoriya wanted to cry in joy, the waterworks brimming.
"You are truly Plus Ultra, and you have truly declared to the whole world." He waved his hand out to the crowd who roared. "That you are here."
And the tears came like geysers as the green-haired boy wept in utter delight. The crowd laughed good-naturedly, as did All Might who stepped back, shaking his head but smiling wryly.
"Well, someone's happy to be up there." Sero jested with crossed arms.
"You can say that again." Sato added.
"Alright, time for the Ace and his reward!" Kirishima beamed, and Momo looked to Peter, who still smiled… but his eyes just looked far off.
All Might took his steps towards the sullen-looking Peter, his hands in his pockets as he looked to be deep in thought. "Young Parker." He stated with pride as the American boy raised his head, and the gold medal came down. "Congratulations."
"Thank you." He uttered, his voice tired and hoarse.
"The feats you accomplished today were nothing short of spectacular." He said, with his hands on his hips. "You are at a level that perhaps not even myself was at when I walked on these grounds at your age." All Might placed a hand on his shoulder. Midoriya bit his lip, looking away at that statement. "I hope you can take pride, as you lived up to your opening speech of going further beyond."
"Yeah. I did." Peter sighed, "Didn't I…"
Momo couldn't see much, but she did see All Might bring him in for a short hug, much to the crowd's approval and Shiozaki clapping her hands. Yet why did Peter look… so sad? He did the best of any student here! This was supposed to be a Sports Festival! Where everyone was doing their best and putting their best feet forward!
Midoriya himself frowned, gazing at Peter who continued to smile and wave besides the Symbol of Peace.
"Now then!" All Might turned, letting go of Peter and standing before the crowd. "Everyone here today has the potential to reach the top, as you all witnessed!" He shouted, hands on his hips. "It is through competition and encouragement that helps us thrive! To reach bigger and better heights! For the seedlings you have seen today," his hand was outstretched, as if offering it to the world. "Will grow into great mighty oaks of tomorrow, heroes that will go above and beyond! Now then, in that spirit!" He reeled his hand back in. "One final cheer! Everyone with me! One, two!"
The entire crowd along with many homes in Japan and out on the streets, save for the Class 1-A suite, a dark domicile above a seedy bar, and a young heroine patrolling the empty vendor grounds.
"PLUS ULTRAAAAAA!" The chants of it were palpable as All Might had his fist in the air, the yelling deafening. "Plus Ultra! Plus Ultra! Plus Ultra!"
Yet all Momo could think about was the boy who helped her get this far not say a word, gazing down at the medal with all the countenance of someone who was in a car accident, unfazed by the constant cheers. Her friend had helped her ever since they first met at that race track on the first day. In more ways than one.
It was her duty as Class Representative to help her Depu- No, this wasn't about her position.
She had to talk to him. Soon.
(X)
"How could the situation have deteriorated to this point?"
Principal Nezu's voice was soft, and still largely placid as the teachers spoke in the athletes' hallway, his paws behind his back.
"This is an extremely recent development, probably as recent as the fight Bakugo had with the American girl or even sooner. While the dislike has always been there, it was never this bad, certainly not on Parker's end." Aizawa's voice answered dryly. "The drive Bakugo feels to surpass Parker did benefit his training but... regardless, I've clearly let this escalate much too far." The dark-haired mummy bowed, eyes closed. "I take full responsibility."
"Tossing blame around will get us nowhere." The mouse-bear Principal shook his head. "Even in the conflict in the War of the Flags I did not observe this kind of deep animosity, so I suspect your hypothesis to be somewhat correct, what we need to focus on now is where we go from here."
"Disciplinary action should be taken. Quietly" Aizawa stated. "He didn't succeed in his attempt due to All Might's presence and... acute observations. Nevertheless, we can't let this action go unpunished."
"I find myself forced to agree but we all lack enough data to determine how severe this punishment should be on Mr. Parker wh-"
"Wait."
All Might's voice echoed through the halls for the first time since the conversation began.
The two turned to see the massive Number One Hero bow at the waist towards Principal Nezu.
"As the teacher who stopped the attack, I ask that you grant me a favor. Allow me to speak to Young Parker, and then be the one to determine his punishment."
"Whilst he did stop that attack, I have to disagree. No offense to you All Might, but you're hardly a disciplinarian at heart." Aizawa rebutted calmly with narrowed eyes. "I'm his Homeroom Teacher, and I admit that I let Bakugo and Parker's distaste for each other fester so that they can push each other. It's on me. Not you."
The Number One hero stood back to his full height, looking towards the Eraser Hero with a gleaming dark-blue eye. "He is my student too, Aizawa."
"I'll allow it." Nezu said, bringing both teachers' attention back to him, Aizawa's expression being neutral. "But I have a condition of my own, whatever you discuss and whatever punishment you decide on must be discussed and subsequently cleared with me first. We avoided a bullet that would have destroyed U.A. I'd rather not be laissez-faire about this. Do you understand?"
The Symbol of Peace offered a single, firm nod before turning away from his colleagues and marching towards the locker rooms.
Toshinori stood in front of the door, steeling his nerves with a slow, deep breath before reaching forward and opening it with a creak of its hinges.
Parker was sitting on a bench in one of the locker rooms, and Toshinori could see that the youth's eyes were puffy and red from crying, still wet tear tracks on his cheeks, nose red. He didn't turn his head, even as his chest was heaving up and down.
"I really messed up huh?" He asked in English, too distraught to speak Japanese.
"You did at that, Young Parker." All Might responded back in kind, his English as crisp as a native American speaker. He didn't mince words, now wasn't the time for it. And the young man in front of him was smart enough to know he'd have been lying if he said any different.
All Might closed the door behind him, marching forward to sit beside the youth on the bench, the titanic hero next to a slimmer and much shorter hero in training. It would have been an amusing sight if not for the situation.
There was silence between them for a time.
Finally, All Might broke it.
"What happened Par-Peter. Why such anger? I… I don't recall ever seeing such rage from you." Toshinori spoke, turning towards the American boy.
Peter raised his head to the ceiling, blinking away the tears as he took a deep breath and let out a rattling exhale. "He just... we talked, before the match and he just…" He paused, puffing his lips before seething. "He said something... and I..." He closed his eyes, lowering his head. "Doesn't matter... no matter what he said, I took it too far. And if you hadn't stopped me I... I'm not sure I'd have stopped."
All Might nodded once, hands clasped together as he leaned his elbows on his knees. "It's good that you recognize that... but you haven't answered my question. Why? What made you so angry?"
"The reason doesn't matter. No matter what he said, it's just…" Peter glared at the ground. "fucking words from a jackass." He spat out in a curse.
"I think it does matter." He argued calmly, but firmly. He would let him vent. He needed it.
They descended into silence again, it dragged on for a good, long while before, finally, Parker seemed to gather the strength to speak.
"Do you know how I got here... All Might?"
"You're an exchange student Pe-"
"I got here by losing All Might." He whispered, staring straight at him as he turned towards him, right in the eye. "I lost everything. My aunt, my best friends, my classmates, the girl I liked, Mr. Stark. I lost everything. We lost. We tried so hard but we still lost. They're all gone and I couldn't do a fucking thing. Do you have any idea what that's like?"
All Might's face turned to stone as his heart skipped a beat. Those eyes of his…
He knew them. He remembered seeing them in the mirror every day in the days following that one fateful day. He remembered that time clearly.
"Now... it's your turn." The exhausted yet energetic words of the woman who was both his mentor and mother resounded in his head.
"I got here because I lost everything and everyone I ever loved. And then he," Peter's face turned into bitter anger as snarled. "fucking comes in here and says that 'Real heroes don't lose'" He said that in Japanese. "That the people who lose can't be called heroes and I just..." The young man shrugged, returning back to his native tongue. "Then he said it again, even after I proved a point and broke his arm to the point of the match almost being ready to be called and… and…" Peter gasped, closing his eyes and shuddering as the tears started up again. "I just saw red. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make that little shitface motherfucker suffer. I wanted him to feel that kind of moment." Peter paused, breathing hard, speaking as slow as he can, and he's never looked so hollow. "For him to feel so desperately that he was right, only to lose, all the same. Just…" He gulped, wiping his eyes with a towel. "Like me."
Toshinori tried to place himself in the young man's shoes. Tried to think as to how he would have reacted if someone like Endeavor had said something similar so soon after Nana's death.
He would not have reacted well.
"Young Bakugo's ideas-" He began "-are flawed bu-"
"He isn't a Hero, All Might." Parker sniffed, wiping at his eyes. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with everyone, why everyone just keeps... looking the other way but the guy's a thug... he doesn't deserve to be a Hero and neither do I apparently."
"And why is that?"
"Because I messed up!" Peter snapped, head in his hands. "I was this close to being a murderer! And I…" He broke down, letting out a strangled sob.
Toshinori shook his head, placing a hand on the shuddering boy's shoulder. "Young Parker. If every hero simply ceased to be upon the first mistake... this world would be very short indeed on heroes."
He turned, looking to the boy, allowing his smile to return a bit to his face as Peter faced him.
"Bakugo's ideas are flawed. Heroes do fail. They fail every day." Toshinori spoke in English, as slow as possible. "They fail to save someone, they fail to stop someone, perhaps they fail to make time for the loved ones that mean the most to them. But failure or success is not the mark of a hero, it's their willingness to keep trying even after they fail. If one keeps trying, then one has not given up." His hand gave Peter's shoulder a soft squeeze. "And what determines the strength of a Hero is his inability to give up. You have made a mistake, a grave one, and Young Bakugo's ideas are flawed and destructive, but you cannot give up on yourself, in the same manner we should not give up on him." Toshinori kept his dark-blue gaze locked in on Peter, as he remembered that fateful day over a year ago, that started on a rooftop, and ended on that one day in the street before the sunset. "Because I nearly did make that mistake once. I nearly gave up, and told someone who has proven me wrong time and time again that he could not be a Hero. I failed that young man that day. But I keep trying to do better by his example. Now, I ask you to ask yourself. What would that mentor of yours do, what would your Hero say to you? You know in your heart of hearts that it would not be to simply give up." All Might gave a bright and wide smile, remembering Nana's creed to always smile for those in distress. "After all, this Mr. Stark you talk about seems like quite the hero to you."
Parker's eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment, gazing into a spot on the floor.
Toshinori heard his words, whispered as they were.
"I wanted you to be better." Parker sniffed, reaching up to wipe at his eyes again. "Wh-where do we go from here, All Might?"
The Symbol of Peace stood, moving to stand in front of the boy as he placed his hands on Peter's shoulders.
"I will not lie to you young Parker, your actions were grave, and must be handled appropriately. But... You can become a Hero. You've only fallen down, but here you can stand back up, knowing your mistake. And for every step of the way," he looked down at him as Peter gazed up at him, eyes wide as he looked like he had found God. "Know that, I will be there to help you become the best hero you can be."
Peter bit his lip, and he lept up, embracing the titanic hero, burying his head in his chest as he squeezed. He continued to sob, nodding. "Thank you… I...I'll accept anything… my way…"
All Might nodded, hands allowing him to let it all out. Besides, he had countless yellow pinstripe suits. Tears didn't usually stain. "That's good. Just let it all out. Whenever you're ready, I will tell you of your punishment, alright?"
The American nodded his head, letting out a "Mhmm" as he continued to embrace him, letting out the last sobs out.
(X)
"Haaaa, what a Sports Festival! That sure was exciting!" An old man stated as he got off his sofa in his nice cozy house, walking over as he grabbed his cane. "Still… that American boy is a strong one, if he was able to make Toshinori flinch like that." He got to the fridge, opening it and jumping up, higher than his small height to grab one of the dozens of Taiyaki pastry boxes. "Time for dinner!"
Sorahiko got out his frozen custard fish-waffles and placed them in the microwave as he began to wait for them to cook and thaw. In his head, he began to ponder if he would take in an intern this year.
Peter Parker was the dazzling star that the media were gushing over, if his experience watching prior Sports Festivals at U.A. was of any indication. The attention this time was on the Freshmen, especially on the group who survived the villain attack on the campus and seeing how they would react under the bright lights. Safe to say, Sorahiko could tell that a good many of that Class 1-A group would someday become exceptional Pros. Even a scant few from Class 1-B had a darn good showing, the vine and horse-looking girl in particular. That war game they'd had was super fun too!
"Heh, makes me wish they had that back in my day." The Pro Hero known as Gran Torino chortled to himself as he swayed in his seat, watching the seconds go by on the microwave. He looked out the window, seeing that the sun was beginning to set. For heroes to form teams at random and to respond to a given situation with planning, it was no wonder that the Red Team was able to force a tie using lesser quirks against superior firepower.
However, as much as Sorahiko would love to think about how the media's silly comparisons of Parker to Toshinori were, he had his eye on one student. Toshi's successor: Midoriya Izuku.
'Toshi said that Midoriya didn't have much control last we spoke. Guess the brat got it handled.' He heard the microwave ping. 'Still, he seemed to be on the verge of winning his sole fight against Endeavor's boy. Why did he push him to use his fire, I wonder? Either way, he can use some of Toshi's full power in certain limbs, but at a cost. If he trains with me, we'll need to have him strengthen his core and overall muscle' Once a teacher, always a teacher. He got up and collected the hot plate of nice warmed-up Taiyaki, taking it to the table as he blew on it to help it cool. He was grateful that his gloves also acted as oven mitts. They allowed him to grab his treats whenever they were done! Now they would cool faster on a cool dinner sur-
His phone began to ring and Sorahiko blinked. "Hmmm? Who could that be?" His phone was usually reserved for a select few government agents, Toshinori and his liaison. He walked over to the coffee table near the couch and grabbed his smartphone, answering it while also putting it on speaker. "Hello?"
"Hello? Gran Torino-san?" It was Tsukauichi Naomasa!
"Ahh Tsukauichi! Good evening! How are you?" He asked, grinning.
"Gran Torino-san, I… I have important news."
"Hmmm? What could be important that you have to call me? You got that dummy Toshinori," he reached for a Taiyaki on his plate, getting ready to bite. "To call and-"
"It's about Shimura Nana, sir."
The sound of broken china resounded in the room, along with several flopping Taiyaki onto the floor. Sorahiko froze, his eyes turning towards the phone.
He clenched his jaw, breathing hard through his nose. Tsukauichi has never messed around from the times he'd known him. There was a reason he was Toshi's best friend and most loyal confidant. "What about?" His cheery tone was gone.
"Gran Torino-san, let me give you the background on how this connects to Yagi's predecessor." The dwarf didn't plop onto his couch, crossing his arms as he glared at the phone, his attention undivided. "Me and my team finished up with forensics at the U.S.J. over a week ago, combing the entire facility to ensure that no stone was left unturned. One major thing of note was a certain item worn by the leader of the so-called League of Villains: Shigaraki Tomura."
"Toshi told me. They crafted some monster who was designed to kill him in combat." Sorahiko mused.
"Yes, but this is not about the Noumu, although the fact that we found multiple blood types and how each finger on the beast was different could be a link to him. To your's and All Might's nemesis." Tsukauichi replied.
"How is all that connected to Nana? Get to the point." Sorahiko asked, remembering those old days. God, it must be a lifetime ago that he remembered her and her smile. Her cheery disposition. He breathed softly, doing his best to push back the nostalgia and regrets.
"Well, the item was… a hand. It was used as a mask, and according to eyewitness reports from the other students…" Sorahiko's blood became cold as his eyes widened, fearing and wishing that the direction Tsukauichi was going for was a farce. "The villain had hands all around his arms, neck and hands. Shigaraki was thwarted in a hostage rescue courtesy of All Might's student, Midoriya Izuku. He destroyed the mask that was on Shigaraki's face when he saved Peter Parker, then the hostage. We collected the remnants of the mask, finding most of the hand destroyed… except for the fingerprints.
"Sorahiko… we ran tests and prints from past files of missing persons. The hand that was on the face of Shigaraki Tomura… belonged to Shimura Kotarou, Nana's son."
Sorahiko walked away, hands on his face as he breathed, doing his best to calm down his heart as this revelation dawned on him.
"How. How do you know of this?" He hissed, bearing down at the phone as if it was an eyesore. "You could be mistaken for all you know."
"Gran Torino-san, the fact of the matter is that Shimura Kotarou was killed fifteen years ago, along with his entire family."
Sorahiko fell onto his backside, and suddenly the usually pepper and chipper Pro Hero… felt old. So very old.
"What."
"I found Shimura's file in a cold case, sir. He was murdered fifteen years ago, along with his wife, her parents, and his children at his house. The police at the time dubbed it a homicide, and the media around Kashiki Ward was in a frenzy upon thinking that a brutal serial killer was on the loose. There was bodies but… they were hunks of meat and flesh, sir." Tsukauichi spoke, his tone haunting. "Scalps and flesh and bones everywhere. We only had identification via dental records to fall back on."
The old Pro held his face in his hands, covering it up as he did his utmost to stop the tears.
Nana…
Her wish after the death of her husband was to put her son Kotarou in the foster care system and distance herself from him. She was a great hero then, one with many allies… and twice as many enemies back then. There were too many villains back when All for One was Japan's shadow king. All she wanted was to protect him…
And he was… murdered! With his family! His wife! His children too! Nana's grandchildren! Her family! Murdered!
"Dear god…" Sorahiko muttered, looking to the floor. "Nana…"
"Sir? Are you there?"
"Yes yes I'm here." He waved, coughing as he grabbed a nearby washcloth and dabbed his face. "So… do we know who did it?"
"We don't know. The file states how his house was destroyed, along with the deaths of his family. But, there is something of note here. The file wrote off the youngest child as murdered or kidnapped, but there was no body for the former."
"What do you mean, Tsukauichi?"
"The Kashiki PD wrote off Shimura Tenko, a five year old at the time, as a potential kidnapped child, and he's been in the system since then but there's been no sign. We can only assume that he was murdered either at the scene and his body was taken, or he was kidnapped and… god knows whatever else."
Shimura Tenko not amongst the confirmed dead. Sorahiko breathed hard, not wanting to dwell on the ramifications of a kidnapped child, just barely a toddler too.
"So… Why tell me and not All Might this?" Sorahiko asked, crossing his arms as he did his best to remain as calm as possible.
"I fear All Might's reaction… if he learned of this, I don't know what he would do… You seem more evenly keeled, Gran Torino-san. The fact is, Shigaraki Tomura has some connection with Shimura Kotarou, who in turn has a connection with a monster who has multiple Quirks."
As Tsukauichi spelled it out for him, Sorahiko narrowed his eyes, the gears turning in his head. Yes. He could see what his student would assume, who he would think was responsible for the grisly murder of his Master's child and his family.
"You think All for One is involved?"
"It is possible. All Might seems so… relieved to be teaching. Happy to have found his successor. If I told him this, All Might may drop being a teacher and focus entirely on finding the League of Villains, who haven't made a peep since the U.S.J. attack." Tsukauichi stated. "He tends to lead with emotion more often than not. You think more with your head, sir."
"Hnnn, you got a good head on your shoulders." Sorahiko rubbed his eyes. "So, need me to help with your investigation then? If you need anything, just ask."
"I appreciate it sir, but me and the team have it under control. We'll continue combing through the evidence. I just wanted to let you know, Gran Torino-san... "
"Thanks." Sorahiko's eyes looked to the floor, seeing his spilt taiyaki and shattered plate. "Take care."
"You too sir." The phone hung up and the old pro sauntered over to behind his fridge, collecting his personal broom and dustpan as he walked back over and began to clean up his mess, tears dropping to the floor past his beard.
"Nana… I'm sorry…" Gran Torino shook his head as he continued to clean. "I'm so… so sorry…"
"And with that, the Sports Festival for U.A.'s freshmen is over! Our coverage of the U.A.'s prestigious event will go on into the night along with your nightly news!" The TV news anchor droned in the background of the sullen-looking residence. "Back to you, Toyotomi!"
- Location
- Leeds
In B4 Crisis on Infinite worlds event and we meet the All-Might-Who-Smiles.
The Batman Who Laughs - Wikipedia
Where does Peter keep finding these pipes?
Did Peter just Gon Bakugo?
I might be being dense, but I cannot find this sound being mentioned.
Peter jumped really high given that Bakugo also managed to give a short monologue before landing.
Heres one for Zaru's desperate trope collection
Gone Horribly Right - TV Tropes
You'd think the opposite of Gone Horribly Wrong would be a good thing, right? You'd be wrong. Maybe even dead wrong. Rather than have something unexpected happen that sabotages the program, the researchers have everything proceed in an orderly …
tvtropes.org
Great line, I assume it was LD's?
Really? Dinosaurs?
I don't see the resemblence...
The Harem wars begin.
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LD1449
To the last; Kill them all
- Location
- The other side of the labyrinth.
Nope. My contribution was All Might's scenes and interference.
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
Shouta: Notes to self.
- Be sure Parker always has full web shooters --he goes to fists too easily if his non-lethal attack is unavailable.
- Find out what it was Bakugo said to push his button and get to the root of it, either Parker has issues that can be used as a weakness or Bakugo needs Anger Management --or both
- Get the Gear makers working on repairing Parker's armored suit, if he was that angry over being half-naked on live TV, we will all be safer if his costume can survive that much damage.
So in the end, Mister "I Explode Everything" wins.
Not in the ring, no. But he is still seen as a hero proper, while Parker gets dem anger of the faculty.
You know what.
****. This.
Not in the ring, no. But he is still seen as a hero proper, while Parker gets dem anger of the faculty.
You know what.
****. This.
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