Most teachers didn't like Izuku. Not really. His presence reminded them of how society would always be teeming with imperfection. A Quirkless kid dreaming about heroism was like a blind man dreaming of flying—admirable in theory, annoying in practice. But a few tolerated him… and even respected his intellect.
It wasn't until high school, though, that real doors began to open. But long before any teacher acknowledged his talent or opened a path, Izuku began training himself—not his body, but his mind.
It started with a broken TV. He dismantled the whole thing on a whim when he was twelve. Wires, glass, the motherboard — everything reduced to scattered parts across his bedroom floor like the aftermath of a science-themed murder scene. He didn't even know why he was doing it, just that he needed to understand how it worked. And more importantly, could he put it back together?
It took him seven months.
Seven months of failures, sparks, shocks, burns, and frustration.
But eventually… the screen flickered back to life.
He missed his thirteenth birthday in the process—completely forgot it. His mother hadn't. She cried when she realized he hadn't come out of his room all day. But Izuku didn't care. Not at the time. That glowing screen was proof he wasn't useless. That he could build something real.
After that, it escalated fast.
He taught himself how to hack old phones and refurbished laptops. He pirated software that he shouldn't have had access to. He used bootleg tutorials that only had half the screen translated into Japanese. The more he learned, the deeper he fell. It wasn't just a hobby anymore—it was a need. A hunger.
He once joked to himself: "I have a passion for this that could only belong to a Villain."
And speaking of villains…
Being Webjack came with its perks.
Most of the thugs he took down were junkies with blades or knockoff Stain masks, but every so often, he'd fight someone with real gear—stolen support tech, jury-rigged Quirk enhancers, black market scrap from the underworld. And sometimes… he took it. Not proudly. Never proudly. But what choice did he have?
He didn't have a lab. He didn't have a corporate sponsor. He didn't even have a support team.
Just junk, scavenged parts, and desperation.
But it all paid off, just like his time in Kajiya High and now in Kogane Academy. Everything finally clicked. The studying, the practice, the blueprints—they all coalesced into something meaningful. His first year in the Support Course wasn't just productive—it was transformative.
He never dared make support gears for Webjack using the equipment in either institute to not incriminate them as potential accomplices of his Vigilantism, and implemented their teaching in dumpster diving instead.
He met Power Loader from UA. The Excavation Hero himself reviewed and approved multiple designs Izuku had submitted. The Dean of Kogane even told him personally—apparently, Power Loader didn't just approve them; he was impressed. And when someone like him is impressed… you've done something right.
Of course, the Dean was a greedy bastard. But even so, he wasn't heartless. He gave Izuku a share of the yen UA paid out for the schematics. Not much—but enough to fund a few upgrades. Enough to get serious.
Izuku began selling his All Might merchandise—once sacred treasures now sealed in airtight boxes and auctioned off to the highest bidder among All Might zealots online. The irony wasn't lost on him. Using that very image of the man he worships to fund his rebellion.
And the first thing he bought?
Stress balls.
Hundreds of them.
He needed to regulate his strength. Test himself. Recalibrate. He'd squeeze them, one by one — measuring pressure, tracking damage, keeping notes. He crushed sixty-eight before he figured out how to hold one without destroying it.
Then came the real test: cars and refrigerators scavenged from the beach. He'd punch them. Tap them. Slam into them. Not to destroy. To learn restraint. To ensure that when he touched something—or someone—he wouldn't leave a dent. Or worse.
Eventually, he got himself a grip strength meter—one of those analog hand-held devices that measured force in kilograms.
The first one shattered like glass. The second one survived—barely. He started gripping at around 800 kilograms, and over the course of weeks, he lowered it. Gradually. Meticulously. Day by day. Until finally he reached the adequate result of 56 kilograms.
That was the magic number. That was the grip strength of an average adult man. Nothing threatening. Nothing harmful.
It was the number that let him hug his mother again without fear.
And to Izuku Midoriya, that mattered more than any villain takedown or online headline.
He made his way toward the former manager's office, now his personal haven. It wasn't glamorous, but it was his. A beat-up mini-fridge sat humming in the corner beside a small, dusty TV, a scuffed desk with a hand-me-down computer, and a police radio crackling quietly from time to time. The centerpiece was a big, padded computer chair—worn but still comfortable, especially after long nights.
Izuku walked over to the fridge, opened it, and grabbed a cold soda. The hiss of the tab snapping open echoed in the room, cutting through the silence. With his drink in hand, he reached beside the fridge for a black storage box, carried it carefully to the workshop table, and set it down with reverence.
He flipped the lid open, revealing a neatly folded, unfinished Webjack costume—sleek, clean, and more advanced than anything he'd worn before. Mark II.
Only one piece remained before it was complete.
"Just one last component and you'll be ready to go," Izuku muttered with a grin, picking up the mask, new, sharp, and radiating potential.
From the drawer beneath the worktable, he pulled out a smaller white box and opened it to reveal a pair of Smart Glasses—sleek, high-end, and loaded with possibilities. He set them on the table, the lenses catching the faint light, and rolled up his sleeves.
Disassembling the Smart Glasses took patience, but he moved with the steady rhythm of someone who had spent years learning how things ticked—how to take them apart, rework them, and make them better. Piece by piece, he laid the components out like a digital puzzle: microchips, sensors, fiber optic strands, and the delicate core processor.
His mind whirred faster than his hands.
The processor was the heart—it would become the brain of his custom-built HUD. The tiny, high-resolution display unit would serve as the visual interface, mounted just behind the lenses of the mask. Izuku picked it up and held it to the light, imagining the lines of code it would soon be running.
He worked through the connectivity modules next: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a secure, encrypted local link that could connect to his phone, his laptop, even his tapped-in police scanner. He soldered the delicate wiring with surgical precision, barely blinking as the circuits fused.
The battery system came next. Izuku selected a compact, high-capacity cell—lightweight and long-lasting—and installed it into the reinforced inner lining of the mask. Power management, he reminded himself, was everything. No juice? No HUD. No tracking. No communication.
Finally, he integrated a micro-microphone. Tiny, nearly invisible, but vital. With voice recognition software installed, he could command the HUD hands-free, issuing instructions mid-fight, in the air, or while bound to a wall.
When it was done, he leaned back and admired the inside of the mask—now a full Heads-Up Display, sleek and responsive, tailored perfectly for Webjack.
"It's done," He breathed, eyes glowing. "Now to try it out."
Excitement surged through him, but he paused.
It didn't feel right to just slap the mask on. Not without the rest of it.
With a breath, he began to strip off his casual clothes, revealing the old Mark I suit beneath—green, worn, slightly frayed at the wrist holes where his Psi-Webs had burned through during longer fights. He slowly peeled it off, exposing his body beneath—lean, muscular, strong. The faintest of heat still radiated from his skin, a side effect of the psionic energy that pulsed just beneath the surface.
He held the Mark I suit in his hands for a moment longer. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't advanced, but it had carried him through everything. His first night. His first victories. His first near-death experience.
"It's been a blast, Mark I," He whispered, a pang of reluctant sentiment in his voice. "But we all have to move on eventually."
He folded it gently and set it aside.
Then, with reverence, he reached for Mark II.
The new era was about to begin.
He unveiled Mark II fully, possessing more life and energy, while still possessing the color green, slightly brighter than before. It is accompanied by black.
The body, head, outer arms, upper hip, and knee-high boots are electric green while the inner arms, upper legs, and outer torso are jet-black. The eye lenses are black on the outline and white in the middle. They are also wide.
Two spider insignias have been placed on the suit; the one on the back is green, resembling a traditional spider. The insignia on the front is black, nearly identical to the other, but with the legs forming a more triangular shape. The boots are slightly below the knee, with black outlining covering them and the feet. The black outlining in particular resembles a spider's web, especially on the mask area and the torso. These outlines split the suit into rectangular segments, which are especially visible on the torso, neck, and shoulders.
Furthermore, Izuku created this suit using his own DNA, having studied Geno-Fibers enough to make it himself, so now the suit itself is one with his body while he wears it, allowing him to unleash his Psi-Webs without needing to make holes anywhere, leaving very little open space, apart from taking the suit off.
The sewing skills that he learned from his Mother when he told her about him becoming interested in Support Gears, something she was more than eager to teach him, have finally paid off because the suit almost looks like it was made by a real Support Gear Inventor.
Once he put the new Costume on, Izuku felt emboldened; the suit felt better than anything he'd experienced before.
He tested out his HUD, and as he calculated, it's working gloriously. He's already connecting to the Police network and checking for more recent crimes. Nothing that the police themselves or local heroes can't handle, so no need for him to get worked up. It took a lot of effort to ensure that his hacking wouldn't be traced, and so far, no one has taken notice of his meddling with the Police Force.
"Wonderful. What's next?" Izuku contemplated before he came up with a new idea. "That's right. With these new improvements, maybe it's time for the tracer to be more helpful."
He reached for the utility belt he kept hidden within the previous suit and now the new one and picked up a small green device, bigger than a coin, shaped like a spider, the same as the spider on his back.
The Spider-Tracer. He made this during his sixth month as Webjack as a way to track down runaway criminals and keep a lock on them if they managed to get away, and he could surprise them once he found where they were hiding, but he couldn't give it enough range to be useful.
At best, it could only go as far as sixty meters before he lost the signal, but now he could make it better to be tracked down for more than a few miles with his improvements.
"This can work a lot better now," He mumbled to himself, fingers dancing across the compact gadget.
He started working and meticulously upgrading the signal transmission system of the Spider-Tracers. Drawing on the improved connectivity knowledge he gained from his HUD project, he boosted the range to a few miles. Now, tracking a target from a distance would be a breeze. And the Spider-Tracers are also designed to attach to any surface like a spider, so it doesn't matter where he shoots.
The real challenge lay in making them deployable while on the move. He conceptualized and crafted white angular wraps to be put on his forearms. These are the Spider-Shooters. These devices are compact, fitting snugly against his suit.
A key breakthrough was the swinging deployment mechanism. Izuku integrated a precision trigger into the Spider-Shooter, allowing him to shoot a tracer while swinging effortlessly. Mimicking the agility and style he harbors as Webjack, the shooter should fire with the same speed as a handgun, but with none of the force, so no one he shoots at should be harmed by it.
Izuku tested the device's functionality with a few experimental swings in his makeshift workshop. So much time firing Web Bullets at opponents made him a natural, and all he had to do was give commands from the HUD when released.
To elevate his tracking game, he added multi-tracking capabilities. The HUD could now display real-time data from multiple Spider-Tracers simultaneously, providing a comprehensive view of the locations he marked. It was a considerable leap from his initial attempts.
As he admired the refined Spider-Tracers and tested the shooting mechanism, a sense of accomplishment washed over Izuku. These weren't just gadgets; they were tools that would enhance his effectiveness as a vigilante.
"Alright! I can cover more ground and keep a closer eye on the city with these," He mused, the thought of improving his crime-fighting capabilities fueling his determination to evolve as Webjack. Of course, he has to be careful not to lose these little tracers since he has only made two thus far.
"Now, it is high time I complete it. My magnum opus," Izuku mused, impatient to create his greatest invention yet.
His work is sadly cut short when an alarm came from his HUD, reporting a Villain Attack that he was quick to respond to.
"All Units be advised. Villain Attack on Fukuma Street. Villain Name: Gusthawk. Wanted for the murder of seven police officers. Only one Hero at the scene, Backdraft!"
"Backdraft? Oh man, Rescue Heroes can't catch a break this year," Izuku uttered, not seeing a good outcome, and decided to go and help. He picks up the Spider-Tracers and places each one into his Spider-Shooters, followed by putting on his Spider-Cord and running off at lightning speed.
The battle happening was a grueling one, as the masked, Fireman-themed Hero with hose spigots that he has in place of hands and a thin cannon strapped to his left shoulder is the only one engaging in battle against a truly vile villain with psychotic tendencies.
Gusthawk is a tall man with a muscular physique and long, wavy light-colored hair, and has a marking under his right eye. His attire consists of a tight-fitting shirt, white hakama pants with black trimming, a white sash, and black arm warmers. Gusthawk also has metal bands around his biceps and neck.
His Quirk, Wind Master, gives him command over wind and creates strong tornadoes that he used to tear down most of Fukuma Street. The windows of every building shattered, doors and walls torn from the ground and sent flying, and more.
The people caught in the attack were lucky due to Backdraft using his Water Pump to release tangible water that he used to shield as many as he could, though this left himself wide open to take most of the damage.
"Pitiable Hero. Is this the best this city can do? Sending in someone who's never been in a fight before," Gusthawk mocked the Rescue Hero while he floated above him with a tornado he made.
"Fiend! You'll never get away with this," Backdraft swore, though he could hardly back up his claim since he sustained damage.
"Quit the bravado. If you had just let me walk away freely, none of this would have happened," Gusthawk sneered.
This fight was instigated because while on patrol, Backdraft noticed Gusthawk while he was disguised, covered head to toe in black, including a hood, but the Hero caught a glimpse of his face and recognized him.
Knowing he wasn't cut out to fight, Backdraft was going to contact Heroes with more fighting experience, but Gusthawk also took notice, and all hell broke loose.
Recognizing the need for a more aggressive approach, Backdraft channeled his Water Pump into powerful streams, aiming to strike Gusthawk directly.
Gusthawk, however, proved to be a formidable opponent. With a swift motion of his hand, he manipulated the winds to create a defensive barrier that repelled Backdraft's water attacks. The gusts of wind carried a chilling presence, making it clear that Gusthawk was reveling in the fight.
Backdraft persisted, determined to protect the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. He unleashed torrents of water with increased intensity, attempting to wear down Gusthawk's defenses. Yet, the villain's control over the wind allowed him to effortlessly maneuver around the onslaught.
As the battle unfolded, Backdraft strategically utilized his environment. He directed the water streams to create mist, momentarily obscuring Gusthawk's vision. Seizing the opportunity, Backdraft lunged forward, aiming a precise water blast at Gusthawk. The attack connected, causing Gusthawk to stagger backward.
Emboldened by his momentary success, Backdraft pressed his advantage. He manipulated water into whips, striking with increased speed and precision. Gusthawk, caught off guard by the sudden shift in momentum, struggled to counter Backdraft's relentless assault.
However, Gusthawk's sadistic grin soon returned. With a malicious laugh, he summoned a massive tornado that engulfed both combatants. Backdraft fought against the winds, desperately maintaining his water-based attacks. The tornado's intensity could have escalated, but in the struggle, the two canceled each other out and got blown apart.
Backdraft crashed and landed on the street, groaning from the pain, but Gusthawk received less damage, remaining airborne.
"It's high time we finished this," Gusthawk declared, using his wind to levitate three cars from the ground and, without hesitation, threw them straight into Backdraft.
The Rescue Hero did not have time to use his water for defense and had to run, but he hesitated when he noticed two kids nearby, lying on the ground, scared that they were going to be smashed by the incoming cars as well, not that Gusthawk cared.
Realizing he only had time to save himself or them, and no in between, he raised his right arm at the kids and released a watery blast that pushed the kids out of the way with no harm to them. That might've been the last act he'd done in life as he braced himself for the aerial blow that should surely end his life.
A blow that never came, as in the last second, Webjack swung into the scene, standing in front of Backdraft, and effortlessly caught the car with his arms raised, rescuing the Hero.
"What's up, Danger!" The Vigilante quipped, the urgency of the situation tempered by his usual humor.
"Jackie?" Backdraft uttered, catching his breath before nodding in gratitude.
"Webjack," Gusthawk huffed, annoyed by the new arrival but also apprehensive because he knew that the Vigilante would put up more of a fight than Backdraft.
To make matters worse, he can see at a short distance that more Heroes are finally showing up. He grits his teeth, knowing that things are no longer in his favor, and decides to flee, flying away before anyone can stop him.
"He's fast, but he won't get away," Webjack vowed, but first he turned back to Backdraft and helped him up to his feet.
"Fukuma is in ruins, but the people were spared from any more harm. I've got to round everyone up until medics get here," Backdraft said, needing to work fast.
"Alright. The others should be able to help with that. In the meantime, Gusthawk is mine," Webjack declared, taking to the air.
The Villain flew and quickly reached the south edge of Musutafu, where he felt safe to slow down, confident that no one could've spotted him with how fast he flew, and he was skilled enough with his Quirk that he could avoid making any sounds while he flew at top speed.
He took shelter in an abandoned warehouse, a place where many villains in Musutafu felt confident in hiding out when the heat was high. It was pretty spacious with not many options to hide, but that did little to hide the fact that Gusthawk felt safe here.
He just has to lie low for the rest of the day and make a run for it to another city. He may be powerful, but All Might is currently taking residence in Musutafu, so he has to be cautious and not be too stupid like the other villains.
That said, by this time, All Might should be teaching classes in UA, so there is also no need to be overcautious.
He couldn't help but snicker a little. Many speculated what All Might was doing, wasting his time training the next generation of Heroes, and among the villains, only one answer received validation.
The Symbol of Peace would soon retire from hero work. The thought alone released waves of sick giggles across the underworld, but despite everyone agreeing to this, there were still those who believed All Might was invincible, and thus, this theory never made it out of the underworld and into the public ear. Gusthawk is not among these few.
All Might's time in the sun was ending. Gusthawk can feel it; it's why he's in UA. Trying to find someone who can carry his torch. He is sure that UA is full of powerful students who will grow into even more annoying heroes, but he is confident that none of them will ever be as successful as All Might, so very soon, he and the rest of the Villains will have nothing to fear.
A new dusk is descending on Japan, and he can't wait for that—
"What the—" Gusthawk's thoughts of excitement were interrupted when he felt something on his right butt cheek while scratching an itch he had, something that he's sure shouldn't be there, and pulled it off to examine.
To his surprise, it is a small device resembling a green spider.
"What the devil is this?" Gusthawk uttered, getting a bad feeling. One proven true as a green webline is shot out from one of the windows above the warehouse that hits the little spider and pulls it off his hand, and gets repossessed by its owner.
"Hey now! That was a close call. Can't have this little guy get broken," Webjack cheered, thankful that he arrived in time and fearing that Gusthawk might break the Spider-Tracer, he risked the element of surprise to save it.
"Webjack!" Gusthawk gasped in shock, not believing that anyone besides All Might could have followed him at the velocity he went to get here.
"That's me," Jackie quipped. Right before Gusthawk made his escape, the Vigilante aimed one of his Spider-Shooters at him and fired a Spider-Tracer the moment he turned his back from everyone, intentionally aiming for Gusthawk's butt cheek, and as he hoped, the tracer's signal range could now be tracked far from the receiver in his Mask's HUD.
His hard work truly paid off.
"You know, I heard a rumor that folks like you would hang out here to play hide and seek with the heroes, but like everyone else, I didn't pay much attention," Izuku joked, glad that the rumor was true and that he found the villain's safe zone. "Sorry about ruining your secret hiding spot."
"YOU BASTARD!" Gusthawk howled, unleashing a great tornado at Webjack that destroyed the warehouse's rooftop and seemingly blew Webjack into the sky with significant damage.
In reality, Webjack leaped away in time, landing on the floor just as the roof was destroyed. Next, with all his might, he ran, smashing his way through the warehouse's wall, leaving a hole in his wake, catching the villain off guard again before he could retaliate. Webjack shot another web at his foot and pulled, causing the Villain to hit his head on the floor.
"It's over now!" Webjack declared, jumping above Gusthawk with his left hand extended to the air, and he released more webbing from it, and like in his fight against the Nomu, Izuku used his Psi-Webs to create a new construct, a massive hammer, to Gusthawk's horror, who had no time to react.
"SPIDER'S SLAM!" He yelled, bashing Gusthawk with great force, creating a crater where the Villain was lying.
Gusthawk gasped in anguish before completely collapsing, out for the count but still alive.
"I admit it's not a flashy name, but look on the bright side. At least it wasn't a lame attempt to mimic a Smash," Izuku snickered.
All things considered, today is a pretty good one, and he doesn't feel his luck is running out yet.
"CONGRATULATIONS, STUDENTS! You all passed!" All Might cheered with great strength in his lungs, his hands held up high, wearing his Silver Age Costume and praising the Students of Class 1-A. "You've made me proud. Your improvements are simply remarkable."
As the Foundational Hero Studies Teacher for the First-Year Students of the Hero Course, All Might had to test the students' resolve in handling simulations of real-life crises resulting from the conflict between Heroes and Villains, or natural disasters.
Unlike Class 1-B, who have real synergy and work well together despite only knowing each other for hardly a month, 1-A does not exhibit the same camaraderie and tends to get in each other's way, but today the Symbol of Peace has seen improvements.
The test this time was to rescue citizens (training dummies) trapped in buildings moments from collapsing. These buildings are located in UA's Ground Beta, one of the training areas that emulates a standard urban area, with streets and buildings. Several of its buildings also contain monitoring rooms where indoor exercises can be observed.
Whatever damage is done to it is of little concern, so the students can go all out as much as they please.
The class was divided into teams of three. That's six in total, and they had barely ten minutes to accomplish their tasks and save as many of the citizens as possible. If anything were to go wrong, All Might would rush in and save them easily.
Most of the students were hesitant to do this test since the one doing the demolishing of their respective collapsing buildings was All Might himself, so entering the damaged buildings was a death sentence.
In spite of this and previous missteps among them, they all managed to pull through this time. They made many errors, of course, the way they rescued the dummies if they were real people could have proven fatal, but they were quick to acknowledge their lapses in judgment and believed themselves worthy of failure. That said, All Might took these acknowledgments as a sign that they are developing real foresight that they'll need when they do take on real Rescue Missions.
The one that impressed All Might the most was Bakugo. The only one he considers a problem child, as Aizawa likes to call his students, because of the unhinged behavior that he can't deny, is better suited for a Villain. Endeavor could be a fiend at times, but even he never displayed such anger and arrogance while out on duty. But this time he acted more like a team player, or more accurately, forced himself into the leader position and made adequate split-second decisions that ensured that the citizen his team was rescuing would be truly safe upon rescue.
So there may be a true hero underneath all that mindless anger and bloodlust for combat. How to let this light side out is the real challenge, and Toshinori feels he may not be the one who can accomplish this before it's too late.
Regardless, he considers today's lesson a success.
"You have made me proud, future heroes," All Might continued with his praises, making Class 1-A feel good about themselves, more than they have felt since joining UA. "But don't be complacent. If these were real citizens who needed rescuing, things might not have been alright, but that is why you are here. To learn. Improve yourselves. So that each of you can carry the torch I and the rest of the Pros have been holding on to for the good of the World."
"Man, today was so awesome!" Kirishima smirked, finding enjoyment in their test despite the minor close call and tense atmosphere.
"I know. My heart was pumping so hard, but I wasn't scared at all," Rikido Sato said, massaging his muscular arms on reflex since he had to act fast.
"Probably because of all the sugar also pumping in your veins," Sero mused.
"Who cares? This was an easy assignment," Bakugo sneered. His ego is ever a problem, and the worst part is that it is greatly earned since he is at the top of the class in terms of skill, and his intelligence makes him more of a problem.
"I wish my ears could agree," Momo uttered as she was among those who teamed up with Bakugo, and all his screaming and explosions were bad for her hearing.
"Can it!" He threatened. No one has yet taken his threats seriously since they know as well as he does that Katsuki can't get away with making good on them in UA, especially when they are all standing in the presence of All Might.
All attention turned to the now visible Toru as her phone started ringing.
"Oops. Sorry, everyone, I forgot to mute my phone, and I had it inform me of any news about Pro-Heroes," She said, a bit nervous.
"No need for apologies, Young Hagakure, class is over anyway," All Might insisted, also giving her a thumbs up of approval for further reassurance. As if they didn't have any more reasons to favor him over Aizawa for a teacher.
"How can you carry anything in that thing?" Ojiro asked as Hagakure's new costume doesn't look like it can be used to hold anything for her since it is designed like a bikini, both colored in a green and yellow pattern that she wears alongside her pair of simple light blue gloves decorated by pale pink lines and light brownish-gray lace-up shoes.
"Oh, there is plenty of space for my phone and other essentials," Toru mused.
"Anything worth our notice, kero?" Tsuyu asked Hagakure.
"Oh man, it looks like there was a pretty nasty fight in Nukuma Street because of a Villain attack. Place was totally trashed, and the first Pro on the scene was Backdraft," Toru informed, a bit troubled by this, and so was everyone else, All Might most of all, who flinched so much, his perpetual smile dropped for a bit.
"Backdraft? That one of those lame ass heroes who's only good for extracting people instead of kicking villain ass," Bakugo said, not having the best opinion of Rescue Heroes, who normally can't put up a fight.
"You're the only ass here," Jiro hissed at him, one of the few not afraid to talk back to him.
"Who's the Villain he was fighting?" Kirishima asked.
"Some creep who calls himself Gusthawk," Toru replied, clearly having never heard of this villain before. All Might's smile briefly drops, now because of dread.
'Gusthawk? That's the madman who killed seven policemen, among them was a late friend of Naomasa,'The Symbol of Peace thought with concern for Backdraft and the people caught in the crossfire.
"Seems Backdraft put up a decent fight before help arrived at the nick of time. And the first to offer aid was Webjack, who saved Backdraft's life," Toru continued reading the recent news, lightening the mood for most of them, except Bakugo, whose temper reached its boiling point.
"WHAT?!" He growled in outrage.
"And then what? And then what?" Mina demanded, invading Toru's personal space to see the article for herself, noticing a picture of Webjack lifting a car in the air with his barehands meant to crush the Rescue Hero.
"Seems that while the Pros stayed behind to tend to the wounded, Webjack chased after the Villain, who ran as soon as he arrived and somehow managed to chase him down to a warehouse south of Musutafu, where he took him down in said warehouse," Toru continued to read the article, not minding Mina's eagerness.
"And afterward, Webjack returned to Nukuma and helped the Pros with tending to the wounded, and they seem to have accepted his help," Mina said with glee.
"AREN'T THEY SUPPOSED TO ARREST THAT FREAK!" Now, Bakugo truly exploded with the news that felt like an insult directed at him.
Meanwhile, All Might was feeling better, glad to know that things turned out right, at least as alright as things can be when there's a Villain attack.
"It is quite surprising, but I guess the local heroes must've gotten used to his presence by now, and so the less stubborn ones appreciate the support, kero," Asui said.
"Seems like it. If I got it right, one of the first people Webjack saved from danger was my dad's best friend, and he's been grateful ever since," Jiro commented.
"Even if he is a Vigilante, he's been doing a lot with minimal screw-ups," Shoji claimed.
"That's true. As far as we know, the only bad thing he's done is being an unlicensed hero," Sato added.
"And knowing the media, they wouldn't hesitate to point out any of his screw-ups, so the guy's legit," Sero said.
"Hey, his costume is different. Guess he went and gave himself a makeover," Toru said, paying better attention to detail and noticing all the differences in Webjack's new costume.
"You're right, it looks like he had an upgrade," Mina said, reaching for her phone to search the article there. "He's even better now. I bet it smells like a new car."
"He added black with two spiders into his getup," Shoto said, doing the same with his phone.
"I must admit, he's so easy on the eyes now that he deserves praise," Aoyama commented, liking the new look.
"If he's wearing a bit less green, then it must mean that he isn't so "green" anymore," Kirishima added, but quickly backtracked because of how lame that sounded. "Wow, yeah. That sounded a lot better in my head."
Luckily for him, nobody commented on it.
"Cease this at once, Classmates!" Tenya demanded while doing his typical chopping motion with his hands. "I haven't forgotten the debt we owe him either, but lest you forget that we are here to become "Licensed" Heroes and thus we cannot be praising those who are against the Law."
Another reason for his reprimanding is that he took notice of Bakugo's escalating anger and would prefer to defuse the looming danger.
Also, seeing this, All Might decides to step up and say more. Bakugo may still lash out verbally in his presence, but at least he isn't above rejecting what he has to say.
"Simmer down, students. There's nothing wrong with having any sort of opinion; everyone needs constructive criticism."
"The only constructive criticism I'll ever give to Vigilantes is to turn themselves in and become productive members of society," Tenya argued.
"I would prefer to put them in a body bag," Bakugo sneered.
"Hey, All Might, what's your opinion on Webjack and Vigilantes in general?" Denki asked the teacher.
"Given the role they played in Hero Society when Quirks started appearing, it is questionable why the teachers do not mention them," Tokoyami said, also wondering the same thing.
"Ah… so they no longer give lessons about this topic anymore. Typical Lockdown, always taking shortcuts to rush back to sleep," All Might shook his head, but it was said lightheartedly, and some of the students laughed since they knew it was true for the most part.
"Right. You should know that when it comes to the Law, Vigilantes are those who operate against it, dispensing their own sense of justice, spurning the hard work and effort of law enforcement and the like. It's why Licensed Heroes like myself exist to ensure true justice prevails despite those who reject it," The Symbol of Peace explained sagely. "That said, being a vigilante doesn't put you in the same league as a villain. Villains inflict harm on others for their self-gain, while vigilantes still help others regardless of their disillusionment with the law. This is a clear difference that is constantly brushed off in favor of justifying cramming them together to hunt them both."
"Sir! Does that mean that Vigilantes shouldn't be punished for their lack of conduct and respect for the authorities, and the Pros who became Heroes the right way?" Tenya questioned, not getting the meaning of what his teacher was trying to say.
"You mustn't be so tense and too quick to respond, Young Iida. Take the time to look at the picture being presented to you with clarity," All Might replied kindly and patiently. "You all know where I stand in this argument, same as where all of you are training to be on as well."
"Hey, I talked it over with Midnight Sensei, and she said that Vigilantes can be pardoned for their misconduct and be accepted as Licensed Heroes," Mina spoke up next, sounding hopeful about something that most of them knew what that would be.
"Yes, it's true. Though it's rare here in Japan, many of the other countries' Hero Public Safety Commissions have deemed certain Vigilantes too competent and efficient to be put away for their offenses, and thus a system was made to "reform" them, which we call the Reclamation Initiative."
"HIM A PRO? You have got to be kidding me!" Bakugo snapped, refusing to accept this outcome.
'Definitely shouldn't tell him that the staff and I are considering trying to convince the boy and the commission to put him through the Initiative,'
"Now I know what maybe some of you are thinking. How is it fair for someone who acted against the Law to still become a Pro when you had to attend Hero Academies to do the same? I say this to you. Do not lose heart. Don't see this as an insult to your hard work. Take this as inspiration to be better. The difference between Vigilante-like Heroes and Heroes in Training is that you have Pros like us showing you the ropes. No matter the rivals before you, there will be people who will depend on you once you graduate, and even before that, once you get your Provisional License. Focus on the kind of heroes you want to be, and it won't matter who else became one through other means."
This seemed to do the trick since Tenya relented, now having a grateful smile, and Bakugo, while still livid, also bore a smile, but… not a heroic one. All Might doesn't want to compare him to a villain again, so the best and nicest way he can put it is that it is the smile of a predator who has found a worthy challenge that he can't wait to hunt down.
He has his work cut out for him.
In a dark room, locked away tight and untraceable to the ever-present eyes of those who call themselves Heroes, was a man born from the Darkness, sitting alone for the moment in a chair, surrounded by life support, his face horribly deformed after surviving an attack that should have blown away his head, his eyes long gone and yet he could still "see" the monitors before him due to the many stolen powers he has taken for himself.
This is All For One. The Symbol of Evil. Demon King of Japan's Criminal Underworld, and true leader of the League of Villains. Or, as he is uncommonly known by his true name, Zen Shigaraki.
Zen has always been adept at playing the waiting game, making sure he stayed obscured from the public eye, making everyone believe he was just a fairytale, even when his control over the country was absolute. He was always careful not to be spotted unless he wished to. That remains concrete, especially now, ever since his defeat at the hands of All Might more than five years ago.
While Zen desires revenge on All Might, he is not in a hurry to do so. Though he would enjoy watching him suffer greatly, like when Zen finally gets the chance to tell All Might the truth about his apprentice and ward, Tomura Shigaraki. That would surely drive the Symbol of Peace mad with grief.
However, Zen is more concerned with preserving his power and influence, and to do that, he has to make every possible preparation needed against anyone else who could prove a potential threat in the future if or when he would need to step out of the shadows once again.
And thus far, the only one that has given him concerns aside from All Might is the Vigilante, Webjack. Yes, there are many vigilantes throughout Japan. Many people who have seen the truth about Hero Society for what a sham it is, but have not yet lost faith in justice, and thus took it upon themselves to see it through their way, like Knuckleduster. That one still irritates the Symbol of Evil when he thinks about the man who dared to insult him the way he did.
But none of these true heroes, as All For One feels confident in calling, have been as bold or successful as the Web-Slinger. For a child who should be a first-year student in a Hero Academy, he certainly grew up fast. His prowess and abilities evolve considerably faster to the point that it almost feels like it's actually been almost a decade since his debut. His triumph in the USJ made it apparent that he needs to be taken as seriously as All Might, and a lot of citizens and Villains know this as well. Many among the latter are convinced that whoever can take the boy down will no longer have anything to fear from the majority of Pros.
"It's not just his power but his ingenuity that has also evolved at a rapid pace," All For One commented as he watched the latest article about Izuku.
Just then, a door to the dark room opened up, and in came a fairly old man of a portly and short stature. He is completely bald and has a very large and bushy mustache. He wears a rather peculiar set of goggles that are shaped somewhat like gears, along with a white, buttoned-up lab coat.
"You called for me, Master," The Old Man spoke with the utmost respect for the Dark Lord he had sold his soul to and obeys with blind devotion.
"Thank you for arriving at such short notice, Doctor,"Zen greeted. "Tell me, what's the status of the Nomu that was sent to invade the USJ?"
"Once these "Psi-Webs" were removed from him, the Nomu restored itself just fine. Removing that darn mess was the true challenge. Unless Webjack does away with them himself, his energy constructs will endure for a whole week. I had to create a brand new Quirk to remove it, which was especially exhausting," The Doctor informed, visibly irritated over the stressful few days he's had. "Do you require it again?"
"I do, old friend. And it concerns our arachnid problem," Zen said, returning his attention to his monitors. "I understand your reluctance to send him against the boy again, but it's not him that the Nomu would be fighting against, just anyone else that would dare interfere."
"You plan on capturing the boy?" The Doctor asked.
"Not yet. I want to let him run wild for a while longer. If the reports you brought me recently are accurate, as they always are, the Commission is preparing to put up a bounty for the Spider's head,"
"I'm surprised they didn't do it sooner, given how insecure those fools are about their precious Hero Society showing the slightest cracks of incompetence to the ignorant public," The Doctor mused.
"Their misplaced faith in the Pros handling him was always a recipe for disaster. What I want right now is to try to get at least a sample of him. It's been bothering me for months, but I can't help but suspect that his powers aren't natural to the point that it doesn't feel right calling them Quirks," Zen frowned.
"I agree. It's hard to explain, but I have managed to extract some samples of his blood from previous battles from a hospital in Musutafu, and while everything seems pretty mundane, once I gave it a better look with my equipment, I uncovered something most peculiar. That being a concerning amount of radiation,"
"Radiation? No Psychic Quirk has ever been tied to radioactive powers. That boy should be a literal walking hazard."
"That is far from the case. If my calculations are correct, that boy has enough radiation in his body to contaminate an entire city, and yet it is not only stable, but there is zero risk of it spreading to others unless someone is stupid enough to consume his flesh or blood. Impossible to detect with standard equipment," The Doctor informed. "This shouldn't be possible, and the costume he's wearing is obviously homemade with no official Support Gear benefits. It pains me to admit that this is new territory for me, Master. Which is why I am glad that you wish to undertake this new task. With a bigger sample, I should be able to get a better understanding of the boy's power and how we can utilize it."
"Excellent. The question is, who do we send to fight him first? No one under our current employment is a match for him except maybe Kurogiri," Zen wondered.
"I… believe I may have someone who could fit the bill for us," The Doctor suggested, turning to the monitor, and turning to a different page, showing several photos of one notorious individual with long black hair, which he wears messily; it would drape over his face if not for his headband and mask. He has small red eyes with tiny irises.
The man sports a dark combat suit, plated with metal armor across his body, to holster his weapons. The torso is sleeveless, so he wrapped his arms in yellow bandages from just below his shoulders to his wrists. He also wears long black wristbands and a watch on his left arm, and his knees are protected with metal pads; black boots with steel armor and spikes complete the costume. Lastly, there's his signature blood-red scarf, matching headband, and the tattered cloth he wore around his face as a mask.
"Chizome Akaguro, better known as the Hero Killer: Stain. This is a bold choice, Doctor," Zen said, not sure if this is a good choice.
"Your disapproval is well considered, but I doubt we will find anyone else in the Underworld who can match the Spider's ever-growing power. Besides, I do not believe Stain would kill him. For the most part, Webjack seems to fit the bill of his crazy beliefs on what a Hero should be like," The Doctor countered.
"So it would seem. And if given the chance, I'm sure the boy would not hesitate to hunt him down, especially if he catches him about to kill another Pro,"Zen conceded. "Does this mean that you know where he is currently? He's surprisingly hard to find, last time I checked."
"He's a sneaky one, but our spies managed to pin down where he is heading next to kill more Pros. Hosu City,"
"Very well. Have one of our friends in the Musutafu Police Force give an anonymous tip about Stain's whereabouts. It's obvious that Webjack has hacked into both the Police and Hero Networks to stay up to date about recent crimes. He won't miss this news,"Zen instructed. "Every Pro in Hosu will be on high alert, but that's where the Nomu will come in."
"At once, sir. But… What about the truly strong heroes like All Might? What if he decides to hunt down Stain?" The Doctor asked, to which All For One gave a sickening chuckle.
"That oaf won't be leaving Musutafu any time soon. If not for the fact that the UA Sports Festival will begin soon, it'll be because the only reason that fool decided to become a teacher at his old institute is that he's finally decided to find a successor for One For All," The Symbol of Evil correctly deduced.
"And do you think he already has found a new puppet to carry out your brother's futile resistance?"
"By now, he should have. The most probable candidates are among the senior students who will soon graduate, such as the current UA Big 3, but I would prefer to keep an eye out for the freshmen who he is teaching. The young bloods he himself is tutoring have to be the ones whose potential he should focus on, and thus making them the more likely candidates for my brother's stolen Quirk."
'Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!' Izuku was in for it now! He was totally in over his head! He knew this would have happened sooner or later, but he was totally unprepared! Completely not in control of the situation at all!
It sounded like a good idea back then! Or he, as Webjack, made it sound like a good idea on paper, but now that he was dealing with the aftermath of this choice? He felt trapped with the rope tied tightly around his neck!
"H-H-Here is the smoothie!" Izuku said with a trembling voice as he reached the table with the small tray holding two colorful smoothies on it.
"Thank you, Midoriya!" Ochaco answered with a gentle smile as she watched him move the tall glass in front of her.
"T-Think nothing of it, Uraraka," He answered, sitting stiffly in front of her.
"I am not going to eat you, relax," The girl said with an adorable giggle that drove Izuku's willpower even deeper underground.
Izuku did not have the chance to meet up with Ochaco again for a week after their first meeting, but by chance met her again once he had removed his Mark II costume after a quick crime-fighting. Some guy with rubber muscles had tried to rob a jewelry and Izuku stopped him before Kamui Woods could join the scene.
They both were waiting for the same bus since Izuku had decided not to swing after his latest fight, and the long wait for the right one somehow passed by with the two talking, especially Ochaco herself, since the boy was just too damn shy to speak proper sentences most of the time.
They started chatting after a short time apart, and when she asked where he was going, he mentioned that he was going someplace where he could work in peace, that being his Spider Sanctuary, and this was no lie.
With his newfound good mood, Izuku offered a smoothie in a nearby parlor he would pay for, and she had accepted! And now there he was, in what was pretty much a date between friends, having a date with a girl.
As Webjack, he shamelessly flirted with any girl who stayed around too long with him, but as Izuku, he can only lament that he put himself in this position. It was simply too awkward for him.
"You look so happy today. What happened?" Izuku asked, trying to defuse his own shyness.
"Nothing much! I'm just excited about the Sports Festival tomorrow. It's the opportunity I've longed for!" Ochaco answered with the smile she didn't know her companion was looking for, and that, by now, was clear, made his knees feel weak.
"Oh, that's right! Anyone from the General Course that does well in the Sports Festival will be given the chance to join the Hero Course," Izuku grew a beaming smile of his own that was a treat for Ochaco to see. "It's what you wanted. That's wonderful news, Uraraka."
"I know, and the best part is that there are two seats open in Class 1-A," Ochaco added, her hopes held high ever since she first learned about this from her current classmates.
"One of the classrooms of the Freshman Hero Course is not full? I thought Classes 1-A and B have twenty students each," Izuku got confused.
"Turns out that 1-A's homeroom teacher is super strict and doesn't hesitate to expel anyone he doesn't think is cut out to be a hero. Like the two students he expelled on the first day of university," Ochaco explained nervously, now scared of having someone like that for a teacher.
"Seriously?!" Izuku gasped in horror. "UA doesn't mess around. And… who is this guy?"
"I think his last name is Aizawa. Don't know his first name. All the teachers in UA are Pro-Heroes, and I recognized most of them, but he doesn't look like anyone familiar," She added.
"So he must be an Underground Hero. Those guys don't like to have their identities known to the public, so they're low profiled," He concluded, having run into many that were less than friendly but took their job seriously. "Any other details about him?"
"Well… he is always seen with goggles around his neck, and when he uses his Quirk, his eyes glow red, and his hair starts to float along with a scuff also wrapped around his neck," She described. "I don't know what his Quirk does, but the students that he glares at with his red eyes seem unable to do anything once they are in his sights."
The gears in Izuku's head start to work their magic, delving into the encyclopedia of Quirks until he finds the right document.
"Oh! The Erasure Hero: Lockdown. His Quirk allows him to shut down Emitter and Composite Quirks," Izuku concluded with a nerdy glee. "It doesn't do a good job against the majority of Heteromorphic Quirks due to their complexities, but a Quirk's a Quirk. Plus, he has the skills and Support Gear to overpower swarms of villains by himself. Class 1-A must have it tough."
'I wonder if this means Bakugo is in that class. If so, then maybe things could turn out badly for Uraraka if she does make it into the Hero Course,' Izuku thought with worry. 'Still, Lockdown is a hardass, even when he doesn't realize he's being stalked, so maybe there is hope for Katsuki.'
"Regardless, I have to take this chance and become a Hero, which is why I can't afford to lose in the festival," Ochaco avowed.
"I hope you'll succeed. Still, both A and B will have most of the spotlight since they're the ones training to be Heroes, especially 1-A after surviving that Villain Attack," Izuku said, hopeful for her sake.
"Yeah, and I hate to sound arrogant, but apart from another in my class, there aren't any others in the General Course with Quirks as good as mine," Ochaco said bashfully.
"Really? And this other classmate is?" He asked, intrigued.
"A purple-haired guy called Hitoshi Shinso. He's one of the quiet ones who doesn't like to socialize, and I'm still trying to figure out if his Brainwashing is cool or scary."
"There's someone in UA who can brainwash people?" Izuku asked, looking shocked at first before becoming excited again. "That's an amazing Quirk!"
"You think so?" Ochaco said curiously.
"Of course! A Hero can do more with a Quirk like that than a villain ever could. For example, he could use his Quirk to de-escalate conflicts by influencing individuals or groups to find peaceful resolutions. Help rehabilitate individuals with harmful or criminal tendencies, transforming them into law-abiding citizens. Assist individuals struggling with mental health issues by using their power to promote positive thought patterns and reduce harmful behaviors. Help people overcome addiction by rewiring their thought processes and breaking the cycle of dependency. Foster unity and understanding among diverse groups, promoting tolerance and cooperation. Influencing people's perspectives, encouraging altruistic behaviors, such as volunteering and helping others in need. Enhance learning experiences, making education more effective and accessible to a broader audience. Influence public opinion and behavior to prioritize environmental conservation, leading to increased efforts to protect the planet. Promote healthier lifestyle choices, encouraging people to exercise, eat well, and prioritize their well-being. Ensure fair and just legal outcomes, influencing jurors and judges to make decisions based on equity and morality. The possibilities are endless."
"Wow… that's… a lot," Ochaco is more amazed that she managed to record all that into her brain. "And a lot more useful than my Zero Gravity when you put it like that."
"No Quirk is useless, Uraraka. Especially yours, considering what you can do for your parents if you can get your License."
"Thanks. And I'll be sure to tell Shinso everything you said, provided I can get him to talk to me,"
"Don't tell him about me. I don't want too many people to know I'm a Quirk geek," He pleaded.
"I'll think about it, provided you tell me more about yourself," She somewhat blackmailed. "I just realized that you know more about me than I do about you."
"That's… fair. Though there really isn't anything special about me. You know I'm Quirkless, and I'm grateful that you don't have a problem with that. My life is nothing amazing," Izuku answered, looking outside with a bitter smile.
"You say that, and yet you're attending Kogane Academy. That university is reserved for brainy folks, so don't put yourself down," She answered. "And last time I checked, no one applies for Kogane's Support Course without first studying at Kajiya High. The most popular high school in Japan."
"True. My Mom was over the moon when I told her I was invested in making Support Gears in my future, and a few of the ideas my university sent to UA were accepted to be brought to life, so I'm pretty much set," Izuku said nervously again, but is inwardly more proud of himself for being acknowledged by Power Loader.
"That's great. Though that begs the question, why didn't you apply for UA's Support Course? Both Universities are pretty much the same in offerings for the future. I got the chance to meet Power Loader, and he is more interested in brainpower than the brute force of a Quirk, to the point that I don't think he has a high opinion of students who rely too much on their Quirks," Ochaco asked, almost whispering on the last part so that no one else hears them.
"Yeah, I'm confident that the teachers of UA are more accepting of people like me than anywhere else, but I decided that Kogane would be more beneficial because its curriculum is essentially the General and Support Courses combined, more so than in UA," Izuku said.
"Oh? So you want to give yourself a bigger brain before you start playing with the big boys in a real company for Support Items like Detnerat, is that it?" Ochaco surmised.
"Pretty much,"
This was only a half-truth. Izuku had considered attending UA's Support Course, training under Power Loader to better equip himself as Webjack, but realized early on that being a Vigilante studying in a university that trains law abiding Pro-Heroes, with teachers who are also Pros no less, would ensure he gets caught quickly, and unlike Kogane, UA doesn't have online classes, which made it easy for him to swing around as Webjack without the risk of his education being hindered.
Thus far, he's managed to balance his two lives perfectly, with no one the wiser, especially since the Pros and Police are admittedly really dumb, and they have yet to check the list of Quirkless people to see if the blood samples they had of him find a match, and why would they? No one believes someone who was registered as powerless at a young age could ever become a vigilante, let alone a late bloomer who gained a Quirk in their older years.
And they don't have any more blood samples of him, ever since he made the incredibly bold decision to break into the forensic department and destroy the samples of him while making it look like an accident.
That made Izuku feel like a real criminal, but what choice did he have? His anonymity was his greatest advantage in a world against people like him. And it was an experience sorely needed. Espionage is something he rarely did, and breaking into law enforcement without being caught or leaving any evidence that he was there shows that he's capable of more than just punching and kicking his problems away.
If he were in good terms with Lockdown, Izuku would bet he would be proud of him.
"Sounds to me like you're being a bit too overcautious," Ochaco noted.
"You and my Mother both, but hey, it's not a lost cause since I earn some cash from whatever Support Gear ideas UA accepts. Ever seen Smart Glasses before?" Izuku asked a tiny bit smugly.
"No way!" She almost screamed, not believing her ears. "I couldn't afford that even if I convinced my parents to sell our house."
"Yeah… I doubt I'll ever be rich, but university life has definitely been a boon for me. Hope I can keep the hype going by the time I get hired by a Support Industry," Izuku sounded enthusiastic, but he is more confident that the life of Izuku Midoriya will take a swan dive sooner or later.
"Don't suppose I can convince you to let me sell those glasses for a quick yen," She joked, but deep down her plea was serious.
"I'll… think about it," He muttered. He did purchase a second pair of Smart Glasses at a lucky, cheap price on eBay, and there are no bugs on it, just in case he needed a new HUD, but he doesn't think he can deny Ochaco if she starts pleading for real.
Should he share the money he's earned with Ochaco? His Mother doesn't know that the Dean of Kogane has offered him some of the yen he's earned from his accepted ideas, so she won't notice all of it being gone.
Wait. No, he's not even on a first-name basis with Uraraka; he can't be that trusting yet.
The money problems aside, the rest of the evening turned out well for the two hero dreamers, and the smoothies were as delicious as Izuku had promised, but now it was time to part ways.
"Well, it's been fun, Midoriya," Ochaco said as she got up from her seat.
"Likewise. It was nice having someone to spend the day with instead of being by myself," Izuku smiled.
"Don't you have any other friends to hang out with?"
"Oh, there are plenty of people I could just stick around with forever, but they aren't available today," He mused, referring to all the Pros gunning for his masked persona. "This was honestly better than what I was planning to do. See ya."
"WAIT!" The girl said before hurriedly scribbling something on a napkin. "This is my number. C-Can we do this again?"
"Yes!" The boy shrieked in answer.
"Cool! Bye, Midoriya!" Ochaco said, hurrying out, faster than someone without a Speed Quirk should run.
"…"
"…"
"… I got her number! Talking with girls is amazing!" Izuku declared in utter awe. "Out of all my secrets, my Mom cannot find out about this."
Sadly, he would not get to enjoy this new achievement as his phone rang, but not because someone was calling him, but because he was receiving a police report from the radio he acquired for his Vigilantism.
Snapping out of his euphoria, he left the parlor and rushed into an alleyway to check the report, and what he read shocked him.
"Stain?" He mumbled in horror. The Hero Killer, responsible for the murder of dozens of Pro-Heroes, is confirmed to be heading for Hosu City. All Pro-Heroes are advised to use caution and prepare for the worst.
"They finally got a lead on that lunatic," Izuku gulped, trying to calm himself down and not panic. "Hosu is where Ingenium operates, so perhaps he will finally get caught."
This belief does little to reassure him. Stain is a ruthless monster, and any Villain that can keep his Quirk a secret without any of the victims that managed to survive his onslaught being able to explain what happened to them further solidifies that the Hero Killer isn't a foe that can be left to chance to catch.
"Alright. Straight to Hosu it is," He swore, ready to undertake this new challenge, his only regret being that he would be forced to miss the UA Sports Festival, but that can't be helped.
"Well, everyone, it's that time of the year again. The UA Sports Festival. As always, we will spare no expense in making sure this year goes smoothly for the sake of our beloved students, especially after what happened in the USJ," Nezu said as he addressed his University Staff days before they would need to begin the activities. "And precisely why we must ensure that what happened weeks prior never happens again. We have been forced to increase security by requesting Heroes from Musutafu to remain on guard for any Villains."
"Not that I'm against prioritizing the well-being of the kids and the audience, but was asking so many of them from Musutafu to attend the festival for security a good call? We're putting the rest of the city in jeopardy for the sake of this nonsense," Aizawa raised his objections as he had all week.
"Yes, yes, although our only concern should be the students, we are still Pro-Heroes, as such, we cannot risk a security breach on Musutafu, which is why I have sent in requests from a select few Heroes from other cities to volunteer for the Festival's safety. Only one or two from each city, and the majority accepted the request," Nezu informed cheerfully.
"That's good for us, but I can't help but feel some of these have an ulterior motive for accepting this request," Toshinori said, examining the files that show all the heroes who volunteered and were accepted by Nezu. "Endeavor, I get that he would want to see his son's progress. But Mirko? I don't know, Nezu. She's a wild card, and all the other times she's been to Musutafu were to hunt down Webjack."
"Forget about Jackie's messed-up harem. The Winged Hero: Hawks? The dude is cool and all, but last I heard, he has close ties with the President of the Commission, which has always been a big no-no to me," Hizashi objected. "Don't even get me started on the fact that he's Endeavor's biggest fanboy. Another big no-no."
"Half of the Pros that volunteered are dumb-asses who have a bone to pick with our lovely Web-Slinger, Nezu. They won't be keeping an eye on villains but will be hunting for him," Nemuri also expressed doubts about this decision. "And concerning Hawks, it's obvious that he's the Commission's new #1 Assassin, just like how they used Lady Nagant."
"I'm well aware of the setback of this decision; however, I strongly believe that Webjack won't be in Musutafu for a while, so we may have nothing to fear about these selected Pros causing a riot in the city," Nezu said confidently.
"You mean because of the report about Stain?" Snipe asked.
"Correct. While I think we can all agree that the sudden news is suspicious enough that it itself warrants investigation, it can't be ignored, and every Pro in Hosu is on high alert now, and I believe our itsy bitsy spider is bold enough to want a piece of the action." The Dean is more confident of this fact.
"Great, so I have both my students making a fool of themselves at my expense and the whining of bloodthirsty pros bitching about their wounded pride to look forward to. What a great day to be alive!" Shota cheered sarcastically, knowing with zero doubt that what was coming would be one of the worst days of his life.
While everyone was trying to gather their bearings about Nezu's plan, Toshinori was having one of his internal struggles. He wishes he could go to Hosu and be the one to stop that monster Stain once and for all, and he was preparing to go the moment he heard the news, but both Nezu and the Commission tied his hands down, stating that his presence in the Festival is too important to skip.
Something he considers complete nonsense, but his only reason for relenting is that he still feels guilty for not being there for Class 1-A when they needed him, and while there will be more heroes around to protect them, he can't fight the feeling that if he stays, he will end up making things worse again.
At last it came.
The day Ochaco Uraraka has been waiting for ever since she failed the Entrance Exam. The UA Sports Festival. The annual event held by UA University, where students from all courses have the opportunity to showcase their abilities in different competitions in order to be scouted by Pro-Heroes and Support Agencies.
If she succeeds in making an impression on the UA Staff and the Pros watching, she can finally join the Hero Course and train to be a Hero.
She does a few stretches as the rest of Class 1-C walk up to the starting line of the event. The first trial of the festival was going to be an obstacle course, the classes all staring at what was ahead.
"You seem to be more lively than usual," Commented someone who really shouldn't be talking about being lively.
Ochaco turned around to see who was talking to her, a relatively tall young man with messy, indigo-colored hair that flares out in large tufts around his head, Hitoshi Shinso.
Like her and the rest of the students participating in the Sports Festival, he is wearing the UA P.E. uniform, a pair of dark blue pants with white vertical lines going up the legs and a dark blue short-sleeved shirt with white lines that form the letters "U" and "A."
"Oh, Shinso. Yeah. It's kind of hard not to be up and about. Is there a single person here who wasn't waiting anxiously for this day to come?" Ochaco said.
"I can think of a few who have zero chances, unlike me," Hitoshi said arrogantly, but it was not aimed at her but at the rest of Class 1-C, who hadn't exhibited any confidence in themselves to pull off the festival, largely due to some of them still feeling down over failing in the Entrance Exam.
Ochaco was much the same during the first week, but after that incident in the grocery store that reached everyone in UA, making her a bit of a celebrity for being rescued, presumably by Webjack, she gained a new fire in her eyes. Fire that Hitoshi compared to his own drive to join the Hero Course.
Maybe it was the close call with death, or maybe someone gave her a much-needed pep talk; either way, Hitoshi respects her unlike the rest.
"Try not to get left behind," He advises, and that is the only word of encouragement he will offer to anyone.
"You too," She cheered, partially because of her determination and partially because this is the first and only time she actually interacted with Hitoshi, who's something of a lone wolf in Class 1-C.
"Out of the way, Extras!" Bakugo demanded, forcing his way into the front of the line, intimidating everyone to step away, earning scores of scorn and fear from every student in the immediate area.
"Bakugo! What have Aizawa Sensei and I told you about speaking that way to your fellow students?" Tenya reprimanded his classmate for being so rude to everyone. "I humbly apologize for his behavior. He does not speak for the rest of Class 1-A, or 1-B."
Tenya's pleas for forgiveness fall on deaf ears as the other classes have had it out for Class 1-A ever since the USJ Incident because of the publicity stunt that came of it.
"Who is that jerk?" Ochaco asked, offended.
"Katsuki Bakugo. The worst of the bunch in the Hero Course. If he's what UA considers a worthy candidate for a Hero, then it's no wonder monsters like Stain exist," Hitoshi said with scorn.
Shinso confronted Class 1-A before the festival started, declaring war on them to earn his place in the Hero Course, though in hindsight, the threat had little impact since they still had two open spots, so his threat of replacing one of them wasn't as intimidating.
He was satisfied all the same since most of 1-A seemed affected by being seen as an enemy to the rest of the student body.
The ones that weren't intimidated were Katsuki and Shoto, the son of Endeavor. The latter of whom Hitoshi doesn't want to mess with, but he would enjoy the opportunity to embarrass Bakugo on live television.
"Wow… that was more than a little mean," Ochaco uttered, not agreeing with Hitoshi's statement in the slightest.
Ochaco is forced out of her thoughts when she hears her phone ring and is quick to pick it up. At first, she thought it was a call or message from her parents, but it was actually Izuku, texting her.
Izuku: Hey, Uraraka. Sorry to say that I won't be watching the Sports Festival because I have an important project to work on that I can't afford to slack off on, but I'll be rooting for you all the same.
Izuku: P.S. If you happen to run into someone with anger issues with an Explosive Quirk, try to avoid him as if he were a sickly dog. Or if he does attack, watch out for his right hook.
Ochaco felt touched by his words, making her feel more invigorated to see this festival through.
"I will do my best!"
"Alright. I'll be heading out now," Izuku said, shouldering his backpack as he prepared to leave home.
"Do you really need to do this now?" Inko's concern was evident in her voice, her gaze fixed on her son. She couldn't shake the worry that tugged at her heart.
"Yes, Mom. The Dean wants me and the others to brainstorm more Support Gear ideas. I've got some blueprints to finalize," he replied, the words serving as a partial truth, a diversion to cover his other endeavors.
"I know you said that Takoba Beach was the perfect place for… your projects, but you could've chosen anywhere else for a personal clubhouse," Inko said disapprovingly.
Izuku met her eyes, understanding the unspoken concern. "Yes, and like the last few times you brought it up, the only reason I'll give it up is if a real Hero decides to clean it up to make it a proper beach again, and that's not likely to happen anytime soon."
Inko was troubled by her son's choice of words. It isn't like him to say anything negative about Heroes. Yes, Izuku has indeed changed a lot this year. He's more outgoing and free-spirited, as though the hardships and bullying no longer affect him, though she knows that's not entirely true.
Regardless, Izuku doesn't seem to have made any real friends yet; his choice to attend only online classes made it abundantly clear that he is still unable to connect with others, which is why the meeting with Ochaco felt like a blessing.
"This used to be a time of the year you looked forward to. Why the change?"
"Yeah, back when all the participants were students, I thought we were going to be amazing Heroes. Now the only thing to look forward to is watching Bakugo turn a time of joy into a massacre!" He admitted, the bitterness in his voice surprising both his mother and himself.
"Izuku…" Inko began, unsure how to respond to his unexpected outburst.
"I… I've got to go," Izuku cut her off, the tension pushing him to escape before the conversation could delve further.
"Izuku!" She called after him, but the door had already shut.
"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!" He berated himself as he ran, each step carrying him away from the raw emotions he had revealed. Trying to calm his racing thoughts, he looked at his right wrist, at the Spider-Shooter concealed by his sleeves, and the Spider-Tracer, a symbol of his new identity.
Things might not be as great for Izuku Midoriya as he tried to convince himself, but Webjack was still going strong. What lay ahead would be a defining moment for at least one part of his identity, and so he wasn't going to back down now.
"I'm coming for you, Stain."