Katsuki Bakugo was angry. Granted, that was his normal mindset; he was rarely anything but angry, but he was really angry right now. The UA Sports Festival, something he had watched for years, imagining himself on that podium, being cheered on and worshipped as he deserved… only to finally be a part of the festival, and found it was filled with nothing but weaklings.
They were all trash! Worthless pebbles that weren't even worthy of being a piece of a stepping stone! The first round was a dumb obstacle course, the second round was a stupid cavalry battle where he had to cooperate with his annoying classmates, and this final round was the most worthless of them all.
The first two fights he had in the tournament round were the biggest disappointments of the day. His first opponent was some student from 1-B, a metalhead who could harden his body like Kirishima, but by turning his skin into Steel. Bakugo will admit that he was resilient against his explosions, but the recoil from each blow easily rectified the metalhead's futile defiance and sent him crashing helplessly to the wall.
The next weakling, that orange ponytail chick, he beat without trying. All he had to do was push through her worthless giant hands, grab the top of her head, and slam his explosive quirk in her face a few times. She was knocked out almost instantly, only for Midnight to say he had to stop or be disqualified for being "too rough." What a load of garbage! If she were that weak, she shouldn't be here!
He was so livid right now. He came here to show off his skills against what he hoped would be opponents that could help him show his full might. He didn't expect anyone to beat him. That was impossible in his mind, but they should have at least tried to put up a good show; instead, they made him wish he had never attended UA. The disappointment was worse than anything Katsuki had ever felt.
His palms kept crackling, popping every second as he stared out at the stadium. In each fight he did, they kept booing him after he won. Why are they booing?! He's the greatest! He's the best there is! They should be worshipping him, Katsuki Bakugo, the next #1 Hero! He was already better than All Might!
They were especially loud during his semi-final round against some purple-haired gen-ed noodle-looking garbage who had everyone mesmerized by making his previous opponents walk out of the stadium just by engaging in conversation with him.
They looked at him, confused about what that guy's quirk was. It was so obvious! It was a villain's quirk! Why is everyone so stupid?!
"Worthless extras," He growled, recalling how he had taken down Shinso harshly before the student of 1-C had a chance to speak and use his obvious brainwashing quirk.
"And now for the semi-finals! This will be a big match!" Announced Present Mic as the audience sat back down once more.
At last, it was time for the final match that would signal an end to the Festival. Everyone has been waiting for this particular fight since the beginning. They just wish half of the spectacle wasn't littered with explosive violence that was unwanted on so many levels, courtesy of Bakugo.
"And here they come! He's been practically unstoppable as well as untouchable! He's got the blood of the #2 Hero, he's got the power to back it up! All his matches today have left his opponents and the audience frozen, the former literally, while the latter figuratively! From the Hero Course of Class 1-A, Shoto Todoroki!"
Shoto stepped out into the sunlight as pillars of fire burned brightly to signify his entrance.
"On the other hand, this opponent's no joke either! He's blown all his opponents away and hasn't gotten a scratch either! He fired off the challenge, now can he back it up against this opponent!? Also from the Hero Course and 1-A, Katsuki Bakugo!"
As Katsuki walked up the stairs onto the arena, his arms crackled with small explosives, and his impatience for this fight was plain for all to see.
The two aces of 1-A have been dominating everything so far; even if Shoto always ended up in second place against Katsuki, it was clear that the two were neck to neck, always on the edge of defeating the other.
Their classmates, especially, are eager to see who will win it all, and all of them, minus Kirishima, are rooting for Shoto.
Shoto, for his part, doesn't truly care about winning the Sports Festival, only seeing it as a means to an end to finally show his father that he doesn't need the left side of his Quirk to be a Hero. Endeavor only agreed to come to see the festival up close to hound his youngest son about finally accepting his heritage and using his flames combined with his ice. Half Cold Half Hot is truly unique, and most would call it a god-tier Quirk.
Tragically, it came at the cost of Shoto growing up in a dysfunctional family, courtesy of his father's blind ambition. But that's why he is eager to win it all, half-baked.
Still, a part of him was glad that he didn't have to fight his classmates to get this far. They were too loud and obnoxious, but it was hard not to grow fond of them.
The Obstacle Race and Cavalry Battle were unavoidable, but with the Tournament Bracket, he didn't have to face up against anyone from 1-A. Like Bakugo, he fought against 1-B students who were persistent; he'll give them that, but ultimately fell in the end. Togaru Kamakiri and Ibara Shiozaki possess Quirks that he somewhat prefers over his own, but it was inevitable that they wouldn't last long against him.
The other members of 1-A didn't fare so well since Kirishima and Iida, as well as Aoyama and Tokoyami, lost to students from 1-C. Ashido lost to Tokoyami, and Iida only made it to the second round of the tournament because his opponent, some crazy girl from the Support Course, was using him to show off the Support Gears she invented to the audience.
Shoto imagines that his homeroom teacher, Aizawa, was not pleased. He may have told the whole class upfront that he hates the Sports Festival, but he has to have some level of pride in his students showing their worth to the whole world, and the fact that only his two aces made it this far has got to sting.
1-C earned more prestige from the audience, and they aren't even from the Hero Course, at least until they went up against Shoto and Katsuki, and were soundly defeated.
"Those two from 1-C will be joining my class," Shota said upfront to his best friend (not that he would ever admit it to anyone), Hizashi.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Hizashi grinned with amusement. "That Uraraka is my favorite in 1-C, and Shinso kind of looks like your secret love child. Is there something you neglected to tell me?"
"Don't go starting any rumors that would further deprive me of sleep," Shota warned.
"C'mon! You can tell me," Hizashi pleaded, leaning closer and wrapping an arm around Shota's shoulders. "If Fukukado hears about this, she might lose interest, believing that you're seeing someone else."
"That will backfire hard on me like a full-powered punch from Yagi to the face, and you're an asshole,"
"Hey, Icyhot! Before we begin, I have one thing to say:" Bakugo raised his voice yet again once he reached the stadium with Shoto right in front of him.
Todoroki made no response to this, and he prefers not to talk at all.
"If you dare hold back in this fight as you did in the Battle Trials against me, I'll kill you!" Bakugo warned, both of them completely ignoring the chief referee, Midnight. "If you thought you were doing a stellar job hiding the fact that your Quirk not only lets you conjure ice but fire as well, like your old man, then you're dumber than Racoon Eyes and Spark Plug."
Upon hearing that, half of Todoroki's composure dropped, now expressing a face of venomous wrath. If he was hoping to intimidate Bakugo, then he failed because the explosive boy now harbors a demonic grin, glad he at least got the reaction he wanted from the only one in UA worthy of being his rival.
"I like that look on your face. Like father, like son," Bakugo half-praised.
That caused another reaction in Shoto, now feeling shocked that despite rejecting Endeavor's Fire, people still see him as his son and not his own person.
"Now let's see how hot you can burn. Always thought Ice powers were for a special kind of loser anyway,"
"Okay, okay! If you're going to be this aggressive, at least settle things with your Quirks," Nemuri raised her voice to ensure the two wouldn't implode instantly before the final match could begin.
"Fine by me," Bakugo snorted, but still satisfied.
The two combatants take a few steps from each other, awaiting the start of their match.
"ALRIGHT! I HOPE YOU'RE AS EXCITED AS I AM, FOLKS, BECAUSE THIS IS IT!" Present Mic roared for all to hear. Aizawa, while accustomed to his loud noises, wishes his ears had imploded years ago to make the agony stop.
Everyone was watching with anticipation, even those who lost to the two combatants were eager to see the two show their full might against each other. None more so than the Pro-Heroes, who are always looking to see the worth of promising youths that they could hopefully take under their wing in internships, especially Endeavor, who is hoping that this fight will finally push his son to accept himself.
"Are you looking forward to seeing who will win?" Nezu asked Toshinori as they both sat in the special booth reserved for the UA Staff.
"More looking forward to this ending. This year's festival is a real mess," The Symbol of Peace said, more disturbed by the violence brought upon by the students. He didn't like Bakugo from the moment he saw him, but he'd hoped that events like the festival would show him real humility, but instead, it had the opposite effect. The wound to his pride he sustained from Webjack has seemingly healed, putting him back to square one.
"That is a pity, not that I can blame anyone for it," The Dean frowned. "Still, there is no denying that this year's students do show promise."
"That's true. The rest of 1-A, as well as 1-B, are truly gifted. Young Kirishima reminds me a lot of Crimson Riot, the same as Young Kaminari of Elecplant back in America. And those two from 1-C deserve to be in the Hero Course," Toshinori said with a lighter expression.
"Oh, I already have things planned out for Ms. Uraraka and Mr. Shinso," Nezu mused. "But concerning who among them is worthy of One For All?"
"That's where things get icy," Toshinori said with a troubled expression. "I think almost any of them can live up to the mantle as my successor. Choosing one feels like I'm condemning the rest. Honestly, I think it would be fair to just do what you and Mirai want and go talk to Young Togata."
"Which you hadn't because you wanted to see if there was another golden goose among the first years. I agree with that reasoning," Nezu nodded.
"And instead I landed in a gargantuan crossroad with too many golden gooses," Toshinori muttered.
'I can practically hear All For One laughing at me from Hell, watching me struggle to pass on the torch and how this is affecting me,'
If he only knew…
"Alright, combatants!" Midnight raised her voice louder, about to declare the start of the match. "BE—"
Instead, everyone froze as a fog of darkness suddenly formed in the center of the arena, a few feet from the ground.
"What the fuck!" Bakugo shouted in surprise, same with Todoroki, who recognized this darkness.
"It can't be!" Shota cursed, also recognizing the work of Kurogiri.
"Oh no!" Mina cried out as memories of what the Villain put her through started to resurface in her mind. All of 1-A is in a state of paralyzing shock, fearing a repeat of the USJ.
"They've come back!" Toshinori howled, instantly assuming his heroic form as All Might, the same anger that consumed him that day plastered on his face.
All the Pros were up and alert, already prepared for a battle, and with plans to evacuate the citizens and students having been set in motion before the start of the Festival.
However, what came out of the Warp Gate were not villains but the Vigilante Webjack and the Pro-Hero Ingenium, falling into the stadium.
"What…" Shoto mumbled in confusion.
"BROTHER?!" Tenya raised his voice with both concern and bewilderment, recognizing Tensei the instant he came out of the portal.
"Tenya?" Tensei muttered, his bewilderment at what just happened increased as to how he was hearing the voice of his younger brother.
"Jackie?" Mount Lady snapped, watching the Vigilante showing up on the jumbotron that the Pros outside of the festival arena are watching from, and how everyone got more up and arms than if it were a Villain.
"Where are we no—" Webjack uttered, not fully grasping his new situation yet until he got a better look at his surroundings. "Oh no… no-no-no-no! No-NO! This is not happening!"
"What is the meaning of this?" Midnight demanded while she rushed over to Ingenium and inspected to see if he was alright.
"Midnight? I… I was in a battle with the Hero Killer. Fought as hard as I could, but I fell victim to his Quirk," Tensei said shamefully.
"And Jackie was involved in this, how?" Midnight asked. "Did he really decide to go after the Hero Killer as soon as word got out that he was in Hosu?"
"Guess so. And no offense, but it's not like you guys in Musutafu were going to lend us a hand,"
It stung to hear him tell her that, but it's the truth. Granted, almost everyone in the Staff wanted to help the Heroes of Hosu with Stain, but the Hero Public Safety Commission is a constant shadow in their lives.
"YOU!" Bakugo roared, his eyes glued to Webjack, his interest in Todoroki completely gone, and switching to a more important prey. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Not again," Izuku muttered, unable to believe all of this was happening. Even still, his mind was still racing, and his body was still pumped with adrenaline from the intense battle he had just had; the Vigilante was not yet in a vulnerable condition, nor was he in the mood to put up with anyone's tantrums like back in grade school.
Bakugo, fueled by pure rage, charged forward like an explosive missile, a fiery determination etched across his face. The audience collectively held its breath, expecting a clash of titans. However, Webjack had no intention of engaging in a brawl.
Without even looking at him, Webjack's reflexes kicked in. Swiftly, he shot webbing at Katsuki's face, creating a temporary blindfold of silk that left the destructive trainee momentarily disoriented. It was a move that was as strategic as it was agile.
In a split second, Webjack executed a masterful spinning kick aimed precisely at Bakugo's feet. The impact was like a dance move, causing the Hero in Training to rotate harshly as though he was pinned to a roulette. The audience watched in stunned silence, their collective gasps audible over the commotion.
As Bakugo struggled to regain his bearings while upside down, Webjack wasn't done. In a finale that bordered on artistic, the Vigilante fired another well-aimed shot of psi-webbing, knocking Bakugo into the wall behind him. The webbing cocooned him, leaving him hanging in the air like a defeated arachnid stuck in its trap.
The sudden hush in the arena was broken by a mix of gasps, exclamations, and a few nervous chuckles. The unexpected turn of events left everyone bewildered, including the Pros and students alike. The explosive combatant, who had earned disdain for his aggressive behavior, had been soundly defeated without Webjack breaking a sweat.
Bakugo dangled upside down, caught in the sticky embrace of Webjack's web, his fiery disposition momentarily snuffed out. The silence lingered, amplifying the embarrassment of the explosive hero. As the realization of what had just transpired settled in, the audience erupted into a cacophony of reactions, ranging from disbelief to amusement.
Some spectators found the situation so ludicrous that laughter bubbled forth uncontrollably. Others exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of how to process the unexpected outcome. And amid the chaos, Webjack remained standing at the center of the stadium, a masked enigma whose unpredictable actions had once again stolen the spotlight.
"If he wasn't an ocean of raging magma before, he certainly is now," Shoto muttered, the most unsure of what to make of this. On one hand, he wanted to be the one to crush Bakugo once and for all and snuff out his pride by freezing it entirely, like he knows Aizawa wanted him to do, but on the other, he has developed a new emotion that he has not felt in a long time.
Pity.
He just knows that the latest reaction from the audience will have the biggest negative effect on Katsuki, which will be more damaging to his confidence than necessary.
"Well… there goes our chances of Bakubro ever being a happy camper," Kirishima said with sadness, with a similar thought as Shoto.
"I don't know, I kind of like seeing him like this," Mina replied, struggling with every fiber of her strength not to join the crowd in Bakugo's humiliation.
Bakugo was too much in a state of shock to listen to everyone, the world momentarily going numb; he couldn't believe that yet again, the Vigilante struck him down without him putting up even a sliver of a fight.
It was worse than before because he didn't need to see him for Katsuki to know that the Spider was looking at him with annoyance. Not awe. Not envy. Not respect. Only boredom and annoyance. And that caused the fire in him to reignite, but not enough to try and fight again.
"JACKIE, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE…" This was the beginning of the most colorful language anyone had ever heard in the history of UA. It was so strong that mothers covered their children's ears to make sure that they didn't hear him. A member of 1-B, Setsuna Tokage, with her Quirk's ability to split her body apart, even disassembled her hands to cover Ibara's ears to protect the religious girl from his words. "…OF SHIT YOU ARE!"
Everyone looked at him, shocked, except for the boy behind the spider mask, who had long since grown accustomed to such vulgarity, even though he had not seen the angry pomeranian for three years now.
"That guy is seriously messed up. How did he ever manage to enter the hero course? He's more a villain than a hero at this point," Togaru hissed with venom and disgust. He held nothing against Shoto for soundly defeating him and almost giving him frostbite, but that didn't mean that his low opinion of his sister class wasn't already a bad one.
"No kidding," Kendo nodded, somewhat agreeing with him.
"Jeez. This kid's future doesn't look so good," Fat Gum said, disturbed.
"Any chance you'll take him up in the Internships?" Hawks asked Endeavor.
"I'd rather consent to letting my daughter go out on dates," The Flame Hero sneered.
"WEBJACK!"
A thunderous roar echoed across the stadium as the crowd turned to the skies. From the VIP stands, a white blur shot into the air like a missile.
"IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU SHOWED UP, YOU BASTARD!"
"W-Wait… M-MIRKO?!" Izuku yelped.
Before he could blink, the Rabbit Hero herself descended like a warhead, leg raised, fury in her eyes. The moment she was directly above him, she launched her signature move
"Luna Fall!" A devastating axe kick aimed squarely at her favorite prey.
"OH SHIT!" Midnight cursed, springing into action as she yanked both Ingenium and Todoroki out of the blast zone.
With a BOOM, the Sports Festival arena shattered. Concrete ruptured. Debris blasted into the air. The shockwave rocked the stadium as everyone froze, wide-eyed at yet another disaster no one could've predicted.
Thankfully, Webjack had leapt clear at the last possible second, vaulting high above the chaos, thirty meters into the air. His leg strength didn't match Mirko's brute power, but it had gotten him out of a direct hit… for now.
"Don't even think of running away this time!" Mirko shouted, already crouching low for another leap.
"Sorry, Bunny Babe!" Webjack yelled as he spun in the air. "But my mom needs me alive this week!"
"Oh no, you don't!" She barked, launching after him with the fury of a woman wronged, and she felt as such. "You stood me up twice already!"
Izuku hit the stadium steps and took off in a sprint, wincing slightly from the blood loss he still hadn't fully recovered from. The stands erupted in screams as panicked civilians scrambled to flee the madness. Pushing through the pain, he launched himself toward the edge of the stadium and fired a webline to slingshot himself higher.
Just as he soared above the outer ring, his Spider-Sense screamed.
"Not now, Kamui!" He growled.
From the edge of the stadium wall, Kamui Woods unleashed thick wooden branches, trying to ensnare him. Izuku's right arm lit up with psionic energy as he activated one of his newest Super Moves. The Psi-Webbing over his arm pulsed with vibrating force.
"Shockfang!" With a forward thrust, he unleashed a compressed sonic burst—like a cannon made of air. The wave shredded through Kamui's branches and knocked the arboreal hero off balance.
Before Kamui could react, Webjack shot two weblines at his back and yanked himself forward, swinging in fast and delivering a brutal dropkick to Kamui's torso. The impact cracked part of the stadium wall and sent the Hero tumbling into unconsciousness. Without hesitation, Webjack webbed him to the wall to keep him out of the fight.
"Bastard!" Death Arms roared, leaping from the stands with his fists clenched and ready to flatten the vigilante.
But the Spider-Sense was already ahead of him.
Izuku spun in mid-air, dodging the punch by inches. He grabbed Death Arms by his right arm, twisting and swinging him around. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mirko coming in again—like a jet-powered missile.
"Perfect timing," Izuku muttered.
He spun Death Arms directly into Mirko's flight path. The Bunny Hero's eyes widened. "Tch—dammit!"
She twisted in the air and halted her descent to avoid flattening her fellow Hero, giving Izuku the chance he needed.
In one swift motion, he shot a webline at Mirko's leg and hurled her downwards. The landing was rough—rough enough to knock the wind from her lungs.
Webjack wasn't done.
He spun back around and hurled Death Arms after her like a sack of potatoes. Mirko's instincts kicked in just in time—she flipped out of the way as the muscular Hero smashed into the concrete where she'd just been. Seconds later, Izuku stuck him down with another cobweb.
Landing beside the stunned Mirko, he gave her a wink.
"Fighting addicts isn't my type," He quipped.
With that, he leapt again, shooting a web to a nearby tree and swinging himself out of reach.
"FUUUCK!" Mirko howled, slamming her fist into the arena floor. "I'm not done with you!"
Dozens of Pro-Heroes converged on the scene. From the stands, Endeavor, Hawks, and others leaped into action. In the sky, Mirko gave chase again. The crowd was in full panic, heroes mobilizing to capture the vigilante.
"What the fuck is going on?!" Someone in the audience cried out, and not a single one of them was able to pick up on what was happening. There is no way to keep up with anything anymore.
"Everyone, please stay calm. I know the situation seems out of control, but I promise you that everything will be alright," Present Mic spoke up, sounding more serious and professional.
"To all students, remain quiet and on standby. Don't even think of interfering and leave everything to the Pros," Shota added, with more focus on making sure none of the students do anything stupid that could potentially worsen things. That being Bakugo, who was left trapped in the web and seems incapable, or rather unwilling, to break free himself.
The attention of the two turned upwards upon noticing a white helicopter with pink stripes amid UA's skies.
"Whose helicopter is that?" Hizashi asked. "There shouldn't be any to keep a lookout when we have robots for that."
"More trouble," Shota hissed with narrowed eyes.
"What just happened?" Ochaco asked, just as lost about everything as the rest of her class, who sat together in their selective booth.
"A whole lot of shit and something tells me the worst is yet to come," Hitoshi said, with burns all over his body because of Bakugo, and he, more than anyone, can't hide the grin he gained when Webjack bested him so embarrassingly.
"Tensei!" Tenya shouted as he ran straight for his brother, who remained with Midnight and Shoto.
"Tenya," The Turbo Hero said softly, now freed from Stain's Quirk, and took off his helmet to see his little brother face-to-face.
"Are you alright? What happened to you?" Tenya asked, and the concern and even fear in him were evident. This was the first time he had ever seen his brother in a defeated state. Lying down on the floor, not showing any sort of response, was like living a nightmare that was cleansed only when he saw his face and that he was alright.
"No. I'm pretty far from alright," Tensei admitted shamefully. It was just his luck that the one person he never wanted to witness him in a vulnerable position would be standing right before him now. He was so ashamed.
"And that is why I am here," All Might declared as he stepped into the ruined arena, his smile back on his face.
"All Might?" Tensei uttered. He's had the pleasure of meeting the Symbol of Peace under better circumstances, but he still felt awed whenever they would meet.
"Shouldn't you be joining the webbing party?" Midnight asked him.
"Endeavor has it handled for now. At the moment, I am more interested in figuring out everything that just happened," All Might replied, eyes focused on the Turbo Hero. "Walk me through everything, son."
"Yes, sir,"
"Dang it!" Izuku groaned as he ran faster than he had ever run, pushing his Superhuman Speed to the max without his vibration enhancement, or at least he tried while fatigued from the dance with Stain, and the Pro-Heroes were still in pursuit. He needed to turn invisible if he was to escape, but he noticed the heroine Uwabami among them, so that's a no-go.
'The one who brought me here was, without a doubt, that Villain, Kurogiri. And that little creature was the same as Nomu, so then… does that mean that the League of Villains wanted me to fight Stain? All so they could take a sample of my blood. Does that also mean that they're the ones who tipped off the police about his whereabouts?' Izuku thought, realizing all the dots too late. 'Why? Why go through all the trouble for me?'
His thoughts returned to an event that happened during his third month as a Vigilante. After defeating a gang of avian-like Heteromorphic Villains, Izuku collapsed from exhaustion as the fight was intense; he sustained a particularly bad injury that was meant for a Pro-Hero that just started his career.
He was in bad shape, but he could walk it off and hide it from his mother. But things got worse when the police turned up to apprehend the villains and himself. They placed handcuffs on him, which were designed to dampen the powers of Quirks.
The avian villains were rendered powerless once they had them on. But Izuku? He tore those handcuffs from his arms like they were made of cardboard and made a run for it while the cops were dumbfounded by what just happened, thinking that the one who placed them on him was an idiot who forgot to turn the handcuffs on, but that was not the case, and Izuku knows why.
'My Spider Powers. They're not based on a Quirk,' He concluded. 'I knew it for a while, but I just didn't want to admit it. It's one of the reasons why I was afraid of applying for UA. Because I knew that the Staff. The Commission. Someone would figure it out sooner or later, and the things they might do to me if they realized I wasn't like everybody else. That I was still dif—'
Izuku snapped himself out of these dark thoughts. He needed to remain calm and focus on the current real problem.
'The Villains—the League figured it out before everybody else. There are numerous debates online about how I could have both spider-like and psionic powers, so of course, everyone suspected that I must have more than one Quirk or something else. Only through knowing my name could people conclude that my powers are a rare mutation and evolution of my mom's Quirk. And so they started this whole mess, knowing I would not hesitate to go after a dangerous criminal despite the risk once I learned of his location. And now that they have my blood, who knows what they'll do? But why did they drag me right in the middle of the Sports Festival?' He continued to ponder his situation. 'They have to know that if captured, the Heroes would examine me and learn what they know already, unless this is some kind of twisted test. If so, then I regret to say that I can't disappoint them.'
"We can't let him escape the UA Campus," Endeavor said with a booming voice while using his Quirk Hellflame to eject flames from his back and feet to propel himself in the air to fly, and he is the one in the lead amongst his fellow Pros. "It'll be too risky if we take this chase into Musutafu. So many of us versus him could lead to collateral damage, but within UA, we have the homefield advantage and can go out as much as we please, especially since all of the students are being kept in the stadium."
"We may have him outnumbered, but that doesn't mean our dear arachnid is at a disadvantage considering his maneuverability, and UA has many terrain simulations that he has proven to excel in," Hawks said while flying beside Endeavor with his mighty red wings able to keep up. He's never directly faced Webjack despite the Commission's demands, but that's because he chose to keep a close eye and examine him before making a move, and the one thing that surprises everyone is his accelerated growth rate.
He adapts too fast to any situation, and even if he knows nothing about the campus, once he notices the training grounds, he will intend to use them for his leisure.
"I know, which is why when he does, we will tear any of the training grounds to pieces and bury him under the rubble," Endeavor declared.
"And you're sure your budget can cover the expenses? The Dean can be pretty petty and greedy when his property is threatened." Hawks' sweat dropped, not quite on board with that idea.
"You leave Nezu to me," Endeavor smirked.
"Hey, Endeavor! Don't go blurting out your stupid ideas. I already called dibs on that bug," Mirko warned.
"You know spiders aren't insects, right?" Shishido sneered.
"Fuck off, nerd!"
"You had your chance. Now it's my turn," Endeavor declared, flying faster, forcing the others to push themselves further.
"I don't like this one bit," Fat Gum said reluctantly while hitching a ride on Ryukyu, in her Dragon Form, the same as Uwabami.
"Me neither, but better to lend in support than to sit by and risk things going overboard. All Might chose to remain with the audience and students in case something else occurs, so this won't end swiftly," The Dragoon Hero said. "You still have a lock on him, Uwabami?"
"Yeah. He's a fast one, but so long as we keep up this pace, he won't be able to hide from me," Uwabami replied as her Quirk, Serpentress, gave her a trio of live snakes growing from her head that had acute senses, allowing her to locate hidden targets and disaster victims. Even if Webjack starts turning invisible again, he has fewer options as long as he is within the range of the Pros.
Webjack kept running until he reached one of UA's training grounds—Ground Beta, the mock cityscape built for advanced combat training. Without hesitation, he fired a webline toward the outer wall that separated the terrain from the rest of the campus and launched himself over it.
The simulated urban sprawl provided everything he needed: alleys to slip through, walls to crawl on, and plenty of space to swing and maneuver. Perfect ground for evasion.
"You're not as clever as you think, boy!" Endeavor bellowed as he burst into view behind him. "Flashfire Fist: Jet Burn!"
Jets of fire exploded from Endeavor's fists and heels, rocketing him forward with tremendous force. But even as he closed in, he knew raw speed wouldn't be enough. He poured more power into his flames—enough to reduce a lesser man to cinders.
The resulting explosion obliterated the building Webjack had just entered, along with three neighboring structures. Concrete turned to rubble, glass to ash.
"Aww, man!" Webjack groaned mid-air, having narrowly dodged the inferno. Flaming debris whirled around him as he flipped, twisted, and stabilized himself.
"Cheeky brat!" Endeavor snarled, flying after him, gathering heat for another Flashfire strike.
"My turn to hit hard—Silk Slam!" Webjack shouted, conjuring a massive hammer out of densely packed Psi-Webs—the Super Move that had flattened Gale. He hurled it down toward the oncoming hero.
Endeavor raised his arms, both palms superheated, intending to catch and burn the construct. But the webbing didn't incinerate on contact. Psionic constructs, after all, weren't ordinary matter.
"Tch. Not burning?" Endeavor muttered, irritated by the revelation. "What the hell are these webs?"
While Endeavor wrestled with the hammer, Webjack shot a webline to his chest and yanked himself forward. Wrapping Psi-Webs thickly around his feet to resist the flames, he spun mid-air and landed a brutal double kick to Endeavor's stomach.
It hit like a wrecking ball.
If not for a lifetime of harsh training, Enji Todoroki would've blacked out instantly. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs.
But it also ignited something far worse: Rage.
Memories of their last encounter flashed before his eyes—Webjack humiliating him, kicking him into a fountain, and leaving him unconscious for two hours. Endeavor hadn't forgotten. He wanted payback.
As Izuku vaulted off his chest, Endeavor surged forward and grabbed his legs, still bound in Psi-Webs.
"I'll burn you to cinders!" He roared.
But Izuku was ready.
"Dermal Spider!" He called out.
From his suit, thin strands of Psi-Webs sprouted like vines, extending outward and vibrating rapidly. The air around him shimmered as they shaped into a protective force field against the heat. Still, the temperature was unbearable.
He had to break free. Now.
He pushed himself toward Endeavor, slamming their heads together with a sharp, concussive headbutt. The impact stunned Endeavor enough to loosen his grip, and Izuku slipped free, plummeting toward the ground below.
Dazed and fuming, Endeavor teetered in the air, held aloft by willpower alone.
"BASTARD!" He bellowed. He forged a massive flaming harpoon in his hands and hurled it down at the falling vigilante. "IGNITED ARROW!"
But Webjack reacted fast—pulling a large slab of debris toward him with a web. It served as both a temporary shield against the incoming spear and a springboard. He kicked off the rubble and dove, descending faster than the fire projectile could follow.
At the last moment, he web-zipped into the second story of a still-standing building in Ground Beta.
"This is getting out of hand!" Mount Lady shouted as the rest of the Pro-Heroes finally caught up to the battle.
"Let's see how you handle my webs. HELL SPIDER!" Endeavor roared, firing streams of flame from each fingertip. The blazing lines curved and twisted in mid-air, forming a web-like pattern of fire that whipped toward the building Izuku had just entered.
It was sliced cleanly into hundreds of smoldering fragments.
"Is he…?" Mount Lady started.
"No," Uwabami said, eyes locked on the trail. "He got out before it fell. He's heading west across Ground Beta. Slippery as ever."
"Damn brat!" Endeavor snarled, fire flaring wildly from his body. His fury was boiling over.
"Calm down, man!" Hawks called out, flapping above him with a smirk. "No need to lose your cool when we still have the edge. Let the rest of us take a crack at him for a bit."
While hiding after his even more disastrous dance with Endeavor, Izuku crouched in a shadowed alleyway, taking a moment to assess the damage. His chest rose and fell quickly, lungs burning, costume scorched in places, but still intact overall. The worst damage had come from Stain's blades, not the inferno.
"Should've activated the Dermal Spider sooner…" He muttered, wincing. "Not used to facing people who can actually pierce my enhanced durability." His words were a self-directed frustration, but he didn't dwell on it. There was no time to lick wounds. Not with Pros on his tail.
'Uwabami's with them. So much for turning invisible,' Izuku thought grimly. 'Her senses are sharper than mine, and Endeavor—damn—they're not holding back anymore. No more underestimating the kid in a mask. Every second I stay here, my odds get worse.'
But as he turned the corner to make another escape, a tall, muscle-bound silhouette blocked his path.
"This game of yours is over, kid!" Shishido growled, the Lion Hero. His golden mane bristled, and his Quirk surged to full power, giving him the ferocity and force of the jungle king.
Izuku barely had time to raise his fists. "C'mon, Shishido… Don't be a bad kitty."
The Shockfang snapped to life, sparking with psionic energy just as the lion lunged—
"Itsy Bitsy Spider~"
A melodic, mocking voice rang out, seconds before Mirko launched herself from behind, wall-running for momentum before somersaulting high overhead.
"Luna Ring!"
"Brilliant," Webjack groaned.
He acted fast, punching the ground with one Shockfang. The pavement cracked, and a sonic shockwave burst outward, knocking both Shishido and Mirko off balance. The momentary reprieve was all he needed.
Up.
Izuku shot a webline and launched himself upward, running across a nearby building's wall to escape—only for his Spider-Sense to explode with warning.
Feathers. Red, glinting, razor-sharp.
Dozens of them came from every angle, herding him mid-air. Hawks. He was herding Izuku like prey.
But Izuku was faster than instinct—his movements guided by experience and the predictive clarity of Spider-Sense. He twisted, flipped, and bent at impossible angles, evading every feather with uncanny agility. Then he shifted direction, straight at Hawks, who stood calmly at the roof's edge.
'No wasted motion. His balance is unreal. He's not just fast—he's precise. That's not reflex. That's intuition is a sixth sense,' Hawks noted silently.
Webjack closed the distance with a flying kick. Hawks dodged narrowly, but Izuku's momentum carried him across to the opposite rooftop. Hawks retaliated with another flurry of feathers—Izuku batted the first wave aside with a sweeping motion of both arms, then used the next wave like stepping stones, running across them mid-air.
The #3 Hero's eyes widened just before Izuku slammed into his chest with a double kick. Hawks tumbled backward, skidding across the rooftop. Pain flared in his ribs, but he held on.
"You're not half bad, kid," Hawks said through a cough, trying to regain his breath.
Izuku didn't buy it.
'No way I took him out. Not that easy. Is he stalling? Holding back? Why?'
Then the hairs on his neck prickled. A chill ran down his spine.
Spider-Sense. Every direction. Every escape route.
Izuku turned and froze.
The rooftops. The alleys. The skies.
They had him surrounded.
Ryukyu hovered above, flanked by three flying Heroes. On the ground, Shishido, Mirko, and Mount Lady blocked the exits. Uwabami slinked forward with predatory grace, her gaze never leaving him. And behind him—he didn't have to look to feel it—Endeavor's heat was already building.
No way out.
Izuku clenched his fists. His breathing slowed. Every option raced through his mind, but nothing obvious came up.
Nothing that would not end painlessly for anyone, that is.
He acted before they could.
His body began to tremble—first subtly, then violently—each muscle vibrating at impossible frequencies until his outline shimmered and vanished completely.
"Wow, he can turn Invisible," Hawks muttered, feathers flickering in readiness.
"There!" Uwabami shouted from above, her serpentine senses locked on like radar. "He's dropping!"
"Burn him out of the sky!" Endeavor roared. A flash of light ignited as his fire surged.
But Webjack was faster.
A nearly imperceptible thwip cut through the air. An invisible webline latched onto the street below, and Izuku yanked himself downward with punishing velocity, accelerating like a meteor.
"You leave me no choice!" Webjack howled from midair, his voice stripped of its usual sarcasm. Gone was the clown—what remained was a hunter forced into a corner.
Landing on a shattered street light post, he thrust his arms wide and fired multiple Psi-Webs in every direction. The glowing violet threads laced the battlefield across broken pavement, up collapsing buildings, even through fractured windows, creating a vast web of humming tension lines.
Then he pulled.
Izuku's entire body shuddered under the strain, his muscles howling as he poured everything—his strength, his vibration powers, and his will—into the webs. They began to pulse with seismic power, glowing faintly as the intense vibrations reached critical mass.
He let out a scream—not of pain, but of sheer exertion.
The webs snapped into visibility again, as did Izuku, glowing faintly like veins of power drawn on the city itself.
Endeavor reacted instantly.
"PROMIN—"
He never finished the name.
Webjack unleashed the full force of his vibrating web network.
Ground Beta exploded.
The quake ripped through the artificial city like divine judgment. Pavement cracked open like ice sheets. Buildings snapped at their bases and fell like dominoes. The entire arena trembled with a magnitude few had ever experienced. Dust and fire erupted into the air. It was chaos.
Heroes screamed. Some leapt. Others flew. But many were caught in the shattering ground.
"Fall back!" Ryukyu roared, grabbing two struggling Heroes in her claws as she tried to take to the air. But even with her strength, the tremors knocked her off balance.
Fat Gum barely managed to yank a fellow Pro out of the collapsing ruins before tumbling backward, rolling to protect them both.
Above it all, in a blur of motion, Izuku swung through the chaos on rebounding web lines, silent as a wraith but visible once more.
He wasn't done.
Spotting Ryukyu in the air—wings flapping unevenly—he redirected his momentum toward her and struck one of her wings with a palm-enforced chop.
She cried out, spasming midair. The mighty dragon dropped, skidding into the dirt outside Ground Beta's limit. Her breathing was shallow. Her transformation flickered.
Webjack didn't stop to finish her off. She wasn't his enemy. None of them were. However, if they continued to try to stop him, he would make them regret it.
Endeavor, scorched and enraged, emerged from a mountain of rubble, his flames burning brighter than ever.
"You're not leaving!" He shouted, rocketing toward the moving vigilante.
But Izuku had expected that, and Endeavor's relentless march is halted as he barely sees the falling debris above him.
Izuku took the chance to swing behind the remnants of a toppled tower just as Endeavor passed it and fired a hidden webline.
It latched onto Enji's leg and yanked hard.
The Pro-Hero stumbled in the air, his trajectory broken for a split second.
Just long enough.
The final tower—already leaning—collapsed with a roar.
CRASH!
It came down right on top of Endeavor. His bellow was deafening, echoing through the chaos as he vanished beneath rubble and fire.
Then silence.
Utter silence.
The Heroes that had escaped—those that could still walk or fly—had regrouped far beyond Ground Beta's edge. Ryukyu, in her human form, clutched her wing as paramedics arrived. Uwabami turned her focus away from Webjack, desperately trying to sense the trapped or wounded. Shishido and Mirko were both unconscious and being pulled from debris by rescue drones.
And from a distant tree, hidden beneath shadow and foliage, Webjack watched it all.
Mask half-torn. Breathing ragged. Arms limp at his sides.
'What have I done…?'
The weight of the destruction, the scale of what he'd unleashed—even if he hadn't killed anyone—it rattled him more than anything else.
He turned away, ready to vanish from UA forever.
Far away… deep underground…
Laughter echoed in a cold, metallic chamber.
All For One—surrounded by screens replaying the destruction—smiled darkly.
"You're a marvel, Webjack. I do hope we can work together again. Our story has only just begun."
What followed next was a P.R. nightmare. The press have always been vultures, but they gave it to the Pro-Heroes for not only failing to capture Webjack but also for a portion of the UA campus being destroyed in the ensuing fight. Needless to say, the Sports Festival was canceled since the priority became to ensure everyone returned home safely.
Naturally, everyone was disappointed since they couldn't get to see the long-awaited fight between Shoto and Katsuki, but it doesn't matter now.
"Oh, man. All of that seriously happened," Kaminari mumbled as he and the rest of 1-A, along with 1-B, were outside the stadium, waiting for the buses that would take them back to the main UA building.
"Hard not to believe it, considering that it's all over the web. No pun intended," Jiro said, referring to the internet as she's all over her phone, same as a few others.
"Damn, Webjack buried Endeavor and a few other Heroes alive in rubber," Sero said to Shoto as he watched the news report that Endeavor hadn't regained consciousness yet after two hours.
"He was alive and conscious when they found him, so there's little reason to worry," Shoto said dismissively to the point that everyone got the impression that he didn't care at all, and that is partially true. He is still his father, so Endeavor coming to real harm will be shocking for Shoto, but the real concern is Endeavor's humiliation over this, which'll cause problems back home.
"I knew that this Vigilante was a handful for the Pros, but today's events made it seem like he was an unstoppable force," Monoma, the loudmouth of 1-B, commented.
"That's how it looked to us back in the USJ. Most of us would've been turned to mush without him showing up as he did," Mineta said, still grateful for the save.
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that. Wasn't All Might supposed to have been there when the attack happened?" Tetsutetsu asked his 1-A counterpart.
"Well… he… got held up saving the day in the city. You know the big guy can't ignore a crime even if Musutafu has plenty of other heroes," Kirishima replied nervously. His class was instructed not to make any comments about All Might. The leaked video showing just how much danger 1-A was throughout the USJ was damaging enough for their university.
"Man, guys, the comments about today's disaster are really serious," Sato said, reading all the backlash that came about due to the latest failure to capture Webjack.
"Yeah. These are more than a little mean. The citizens are calling for a witch hunt, but not all of it is aimed at Webjack," Setsuna added.
"I can only imagine how our noble veterans are feeling because of this disaster," Ibara said, offering a silent prayer.
"If you think they feel like garbage, just look at bomb boy," Monoma said insensitively, pointing at Bakugo sitting in a corner away from everyone, looking despondent with a haunted look on his face. Now, at all times, it was best to leave him alone to soak. "I can't believe I'm saying this about him of all people, but I do feel bad for him. No way anyone's going to acknowledge him as hero material after the way he was webbed."
"Not like anyone with any real sense thought he had a chance to be a hero," Mina huffed.
"Mina, that is so not cool," Kirishima reprimanded, not wanting Bakugo to be tormented any longer.
"Jeez, makes me wonder what's the point of training to be a Pro if some Vigilante is just going to show me off," Kosei Tsuburaba said discouragingly.
That brought a pause to all the students of the Hero Course. It's been on their minds for a while now, so it was only natural that the topic would be brought up.
What good is their futures as heroes in a world where those outside of the Law will outshine them at every turn?
"Shut up, Tsuburaba! No one wants to hear crap like that," Kamakiri snarled.
"But he does have a point, kero. A lot of people are convinced that Webjack is around the same age as us, and yet not only is he already at the level of a Pro but surpasses the majority of them that only the top ten in Japan can keep up, and it hasn't been a full year since his debut," Tsuyu supported Kosei's claim. "We've always been told that those who operate outside of the law are no better than villains, even if they don't really do anything remotely evil, and yet it's not just Webjack, but there are a dozen more of them across the country that remain at large, and the Pros are still unable to catch them either."
"And unlike All Might and the rest, he didn't ignore the danger Hosu City was in because of the Hero Killer's presence," Shoto added further salt to the wound while Tenya was beside him. The youngest Iida made no retort, still silently contemplating everything that had happened.
He is happy that his big brother is alright and that no lasting harm came to him, but he remains conflicted and not for the reasons everyone thinks he may have.
"So what, should we all go to Vigilante Academia instead?" Mineta whined.
"That's not what Asui and Todoroki are trying to say," Shoji interjected.
"Regardless of who is the superior hero and their status in life, it's in our best interest to remain on the side of Law and Order, so if the current generation of Pro-Heroes is insufficient, then we must strive to be better," Tokoyami stated what everyone needs to be reminded of.
"Exactly," Shoto nodded and chose not to say anything else.
"Hey, considering that this whole mess started in Hosu, shouldn't there be more to the story if we check out any reports going on over there?" Toru suggested.
"Shoot, you're right. We completely ignored the real issue, and that is the Hero Killer," Ojiro said as everyone got into their phones to check for any news on Hosu City about Stain. And there was, and it was nothing good. Not good at all.
"Oh, Fuck…" A few of them uttered.