15

Chapter Text

That morning

Within the confines of his bedroom, Izuku took a deep breath.

He conjured One for All, feeling the surge of power as he pictured the image in his head.

Every morning, every evening, every night; in his room, or in a bathroom stall at U.A.; he had carried out this ritual. He could have used the Battle Centres at U.A.; but he wanted this to be a surprise.

First a simple workout; pushups and pullups, and some situps, his body glowing green with the exertion. This done, he pulled on his running fatigues. It was 05:00, and with the start of the Sports Festival at noon, the First Year class was not due on campus until 09:00. That left him a good hour before breakfast.

Izuku slipped out of the apartment, quietly so as not to wake his mother, and headed for Dagoba Beach. The beach was deserted, as it usually was so early in the morning; the lifeguard towers marking his morning run.

Izuku dropped into a starting crouch. He felt his power wash over him, the red lines surging and fading as green lightning crackled over him.

He can do this!

"One for All… Five Percent!"

He took off in a run, a sandstorm erupting behind his pounding feet. He had mastered it! He was moving!

He tripped on some sand, and fell, rolling over and over until he halted in a tangled heap.

Izuku's head popped out of the dune. He coughed, spitting out sand.

"Okay…" He stood up, groaning as he patted himself, getting the sand off of him. The boy took a deep breath and channelled his power.

It's like learning how to ride a bike. Just got to get used to it.

(X)

"What do you mean I have to be outside security!?" Yu shrieked.

Then she faltered, glancing at the door of her room. Two inches of wood wasn't much to block the sound, and she just promised Peter that she was going to be quiet so he could finish his speech.

She was looking forward to it. Peter was getting to throw out an awesome opening statement for the world to hear! And Shinji thought that Peter wasn't going anywhere until he was at least a second year. HA!

Speaking of her wood-using colleague, Yu heard a groan from the other end of the line.

"We've been over this Yu," Shinji sighed, "These are direct orders from the U.A faculty and the chief of police. The decision has been made."

"It's a stupid decision! And I'm calling you to correct it! Put Fukuda on the line!"

There was a bang on the other end of the line, no doubt Shinji finally giving into Yu's demands!

"No."

Or not.

Yu pouted, even though the man couldn't see it.

"Can I at least have a break when Peter comes on?"

"I don't know, maybe," Shinji said, "You'll have to take it up with Death Arms, he's the one in charge of your unit."

Yu hummed, "So you're saying there's a chance."

"... goodbye Takeyama."

"No wait!" Yu shrieked, but the line cut off.

Yu glared at the phone in her hand. That jerk! Just one small favor, was that too much to ask? Oh well, it's not all lost. There was still Death Arms.

Who she's never really gotten the chance to talk to… oh boy.

Well, Yu will deal with that when she gets to the arena. Speaking of that, she'd better get moving. Last thing she needed to be was late, even if it was the worst job there.

"Peter," Yu called, "Are you all set?"

There was a pause, and Yu could've swore she heard something fall from the other room.

"Y-Yeah!"

Yu frowned, that didn't sound too confident.

"You have your uniform?" She asked, slipping her mask over her eyes.

"I'm wearing it," Peter replied, wearing his red, white and blue U.A. PE suit.

Smartass.

"Your web shooters?" Yu pushed, even as she checked her makeup in the mirror. She'd need to get new eyeliner soon, this fade was not working for her anymore.

"I'm getting those at the arena!"

Yu blinked, "why?"

"Something about no last minute changes," Peter replied.

Huh, makes sense. Taking one last look, Yu figured she was at least passable if not above average for the reporters there. Even if everyone's attention should be on the kids, a little shot here and there wouldn't be too much to ask.

"Well you should finish up we're about to…" her voice trailed off as she actually got a look at Peter.

The boy was nose deep in a script that had been sitting on the kitchen table for days now.

As the student with the highest score in the practical, Peter was obligated to represent the first years in the opening ceremony. At first, Yu had winced at the news. Peter never struck her as the speech-giving type, and in front of pretty much every able bodied person in Japan watching, it would only make it worse.

Instead he seemed… oddly okay with it. Sure he was shaking up a storm when he got the news, but after the initial shock wore off, he started writing. Apparently he had some idea what he should say.

Which was good, because Yu hadn't a clue.

"You okay Peter?" she asked.

The boy glanced up, his free hand gripping the table for support.

"I'm good, I'm good," Peter said, "Just… trying to get the words down."

"Nervous?" Yu asked.

Peter nodded, his head shaking like a bobble head.

"Yeah but it's not like it'll be that bad. I'm just messing up in front of… everyone… oh boy."

"Don't worry about it!" Yu said quickly, "Just ah, take a deep breath before you start! Yeah, deep breath."

Peter glanced up, giving her a questioning look that made the heroine wilt.

"I don't know," she admitted, "They didn't have speech class when I was in school ok!"

"They didn't have it when I was going through either," Peter pointed out.

Yu felt her smile dip, "But you're fine."

Peter chuckled nervously, but he clearly didn't believe her. Pouting a little, she walked up and gave his hair a quick rough shake. He reacted instantly, almost before her hand even touched his hair. Yu smirked, and attacked with her other hand, forcing Peter to go on the defensive. He could've shoved her back, she knew that, but Peter just tried to swat her hands aside, barely containing a stupid laugh as he did so.

"Knock it off," Peter chuckled lightly.

"Only when you stop being a sourpuss," Yu responded, reaching for his head once more.

She couldn't get it, and when she finally stopped, she winked at him.

"It's just a little speech. Barely take a minute, and hey, you can just imagine you're All Might."

"All Might?" Peter repeated.

"Yeah, you know, all smiles, puffed up chest, just look confident and you'll make it work," Yu said.

She jerked her head, "Now come on, I gotta be there early for security so your heading over soon too."

"Ok ok I'm coming," Peter grumbled, but even as he rolled his eyes, he couldn't stop the smirk spreading across his face.

And that's what Yu was hoping for. A big old smile from the best in class 1 A. That's what Peter needed to be today.

It's what he was going to be.

"Just remember to knock um dead Peter," Yu reminded.

"I ah, don't think I should."

"Well, not with that attitude."

(X)

Everyone in the locker room was on edge. Peter could sense it as he walked in. His web shooters, approved by the Evaluation Committee, were waiting for him. Tenya was trying to get everyone ready, but no one was listening. Enjiro and Ojiro were stretching, readying themselves for the trials to come. Izuku muttered to himself as he flipped through a notebook.

As much as Peter felt sorry for Tenya, he still had to get ready himself. Now, where was that locker?

He scanned the walls till he found locker number 19. Opening up, Peter couldn't help but smile at the box waiting for him, and that grin only grew when he saw the twin set of launchers underneath.

Clasping them over his wrist, Peter flicked the activation switch, sending a few test shots of webbing into the locker. So far so good.

"Ready for the big show there Ace?"

Peter rolled his eyes for show, grinning at the brawler as he approached with Mina by his side.

"Ah… sort of," Peter said, holding up a hand.

Eijiro high fived him before Mina could even get a word in. The pinkette pouted for a moment before brightening up.

"I can't wait! This is going to be the best day ever!" Mina declared, gripping her fists and almost bouncing on her feet.

Peter laughed nervously, what he wouldn't give to have her confidence.

"It certainly will be memorable," Momo said. She looked pretty shaken herself, but she kept up a small grin to boost her confidence.

"Yeah, let's do our best, right Midoriya?" Eijiro asked, blinking when he saw the state of the poor boy.

His eyes scanned through the pages of his notebook, flipping through the pages at an increasingly fast rate. He was still mumbling to himself too...

"Does he even stop to breath?" Peter asked, watching the stream of mumbles coming out of the green haired boy.

"Uh, Midoriya," Ejiro said, shaking him.

Midoriya shrieked, nearly dropping his notebook.

"Oh, Kirishima," Midoriya chirped, fumbling his notebook behind him.

"You okay man?" Peter asked.

"Me? Oh yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You look like Parker," Mina said.

Said American blinked. "Wait, what do I look like?"

Mina paused, thrown by the retort.

"You look like you're late to Mr Aizawa's class," she said, a megawatt grin spreading across her face. She shot Peter at thumbs up.

"I…didn't think it was that bad," commented Peter sourly.

"You're not," Momo pointed out, "This is a stressful situation for everyone."

"Y-yeah," Peter said, "Just listen to Momo, Midoriya, you're not the only-"

"Midoriya."

Peter stopped, watching as Shoto approached, glaring down at Izuku. The room fell silent, all eyes upon him as he passed. He shot Peter a scathing look, which only made the American blink.

What did he do?

"What is it Todoroki?"

Shoto focused back on Midoriya, causing the boy to shrink under his gaze.

"Objectively speaking, I'm better than you."

Peter blinked, and he glanced at Momo who looked just as confused. What had brought all this on?

"However," Todoroki stressed, "All Might's got his eye on you. I don't know why, but I don't care. Doesn't matter that you have his attention," he stopped, his stare switching to Peter for a second, "Or whatever bumbling fool is distracting everyone else, because I will beat you."

The room went silent, everyone staring at Shoto in varying degrees of disbelief. Denki was the first to break the silence.

"Holy crap, we throwing out declarations of war!?"

"Hey man, what's the big deal?" Eijiro said, putting a hand on Shoto's shoulder, "Why're you picking a figh-"

Shoto shrugged him off, throwing the brawler a glare.

"I don't care," Shoto said, his words as cold as his quirk, "I'm here to be the best, not to make friends."

"You feel like that all you want man," Peter said, "But you think you could spread your quirk and chill out a little?"

Next to him, Mina stifled a laugh, and Momo sighed. The pale-haired boy narrowed his eyes as he focused on Peter.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Parker," Shoto retorted, "But this is serious."

Peter stepped back, holding up his hands to placate Shoto, smiling uneasily.

"Sorry, I have a bad habit of making jokes in tense situations."

The ice-user lightly rolled his eyes.

"Todoroki."

It was Izuku. Shoto turned towards him, the rest of the class doing likewise. Izuku's hands were shaking, and his eyes were glued to the floor.

"I don't know why you felt the need to say that. You're clearly better than me, and I can't really compare to most people here."

His eyes darted upwards, taking nervous glances at Shoto, Bakugo sitting in the background, and even Peter.

"But, I'm not going to just stand here and let you take the top," Izuku declared, looking up and staring down one of the strongest in their class.

And he wasn't shaking.

"I'm not gonna hold back. I'm going for the top too."

Shoto's eyes narrowed, and he answered with the slightest of nods. The two boys stared each other down, the air so thick that Peter had to swallow the block of ice that found its way into his throat.

"This is getting really intense," Peter whispered.

Next to him, Momo shifted, but she nodded her agreement.

"No kidding, and it's almost time to go out," Mina said.

Peter grimaced slightly at the reminder and looked down at the speech folded up in his hand.

"Okay everyone, let's look alive! Let's act as professional and hero-like as can be!" Tenya shouted as he waved his arms, relieving the tension in the locker room.

Peter stood up, pocketing his speech and walking over to Momo. "You ready?"

The black haired girl nodded and turned towards the class.

"Everyone remember the walkthrough this morning. We line up based on our seating chart. The world is watching us, let's put our best foot forward!" Momo stated, hands on her hips. She gave a light smile.

"Alright, just breath easy, smile and wave to the crowd." Peter laughed, shaking his shoulders. "Helps when dealing with lots of people looking at you." He would know, as he would do that back in Queens when doing Spider-Man things. Now? Doesn't have the mask. He gestured with his hand, and he and Momo began walking towards the door.

"Taking charge? As expected of our Class Reps!" declared Eijiro with a grin, as he and the rest of the class followed suit, leaving their lockers and following the American out of the room. Momo and Izuku walked by his side. Tenya marched to the left, while Bakugo and Todoroki were in the rear with the rest of the students following behind the two leaders.

They strode out of the locker room, everyone silent as they began to get prepare for the roar of the audience within the massive stadium.

"You okay?" Peter asked under his breath in English, looking towards Momo. The girl noticed and the boy blushed. "Sorry, fell into English."

"It's alright, I'm a little nervous too but…"

She paused, and looked away, a strange awkwardness coming over her.

"Let's do our best to support each other and win." She forced herself to look at him, and smiled. The American blinked and grinned a little back.

"Yeah. You said it." He felt a tapping on his shoulder, and glanced back to see Izuku there. He wasn't eavesdropping was he?

"Yeah Midori?" Peter asked in Japanese.

"Parker-san...." Izuku replied. "Thank you again for helping, but... "

A daredevil smiled flashed across his face.

"If we're meant to go against each other, I'm not gonna hold back, even if you did help get my power under control."

Momo smiled back, confidence bouncing off her as Peter turned towards her.

"You helped him?" she asked in English. Peter shrugged with a wry smile.

"When you got a friend in need…" he mused in his native tongue, then turned back to Izuku.

"If you say that, then I guess I won't pull my punches either."

Peter winked. Izuku grinned, nodding.

They entered the tunnel, the roar of the crowd dulled by the concrete and steel, the bright light of the stadium floor dead ahead. The ex-Avenger took a deep breath.

"Alright." Peter patted his cheeks, "Let's do this."

They walked out, the roar of the crowd hitting Peter like a hammer as he stepped into the sunlight.

"WELCOME EVERYONE ONE AND ALL TO THE U.A. SPORTS FESTIVAL, WHERE ONCE A YEAR YOU GET TO SEE OUR HEROES IN TRAINING DUKE IT OUT FOR FAME, GLORY, AND A CHANCE TO IMPRESS THE BEST OF THE REST!"

Peter looked around and gulped lightly, biting his tongue. Good lord… there was so many people! He'd seen big crowds in Manhattan, but never like this! This had to be what superstar athletes felt like.

"Be cool… act like LeBron... Be chill like Steph…" Peter muttered to himself in English. Momo quirked an eyebrow over his way.

"I'm sorry, but what was that?" She asked. The brown haired boy perked up and laughed.

"Oh! Just some role models I know back home. Hehe." Peter rubbed the back of his head before coughing into his hand. "Okay, gameface now."

"FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME I AM YOUR HOST AND MC OF THE FIRST YEAR CIRCUIT, PRESENT MIC! JOINING ME FOR COLOR COMMENTARY IS MUMMYZAWA! ALSO KNOWN AS ERASERHEAD!"

"Why did I come here…" muttered the voice of Aizawa. Peter looked back, and he saw Denki, Mina, and Sero fighting to stifle their laughter.

"THIS YEAR'S FIRST YEAR CROP OF HERO PROSPECTS MIGHT BE THE BEST IN A LONG WHILE! YOU KNOW'EM, YOU LOVE'EM! THEY FOUGHT THE BAD GUYS AND DEFENDED OUR CAMPUS! GIVE IT UP FOR THE HERO COURSE'S CLASS 1-A!!!"

The cheers somehow got even louder; a deafening cry that made Peter wince. He'd seen plenty of loud crowds in stadiums back home, but this was ridiculous.

"Man, talk about Mic-sensei being a hype man." Denki stated, looking off bashfully. Peter nodded, this was getting overboard for his liking.

Though, Todoroki didn't seem to mind it, and Eijiro grinned confidently.

"I'm getting pumped up now!" the brawler declared.

"To think all these people and news outlets are more interested in us for what we went through. It's kind of messed up…" Ojiro said awkwardly.

"It's like with being in a rock band, the more controversy, the more eyeballs." Kyoka answered as she glanced from side to side, inspecting the crowds.

"So many people…" Izuku stammered, biting his lip as he waved. Peter took a deep breath, focusing dead ahead as he tried to focus. He had to look strong and cool for his classmates.

"Don't worry about it Midoriya, Ace here is taking it in stride." Eijiro patted the green haired boy on the back, pointing at Peter. Peter looked back, waving as he let out a nervous smile.

"Or he's just as nervous as the rest of us." Jirou muttered. Peter closed his eyes and turned forward.

Dangit! So much for acting like a cool and chill NBA Superstar! He felt Momo pat him on the shoulder in assurance.

"AND HERE ARE THE REST OF THE FIRST YEAR CLASSES! FROM THE HERO COURSE, CLASS B!"

Peter turned, and saw yet more students advance from the tunnels. The nearst was Class 1-B, with Pony in the lead; glancing around in clear awe. Setsuna was grinning and noticed, waving back at him; he returned the favor. He saw Kendo and Tetsutetsu, and Monoma as well, who seemed to give him a sly sideways glance.

"FOLLOWING UP ARE CLASSES C, D, AND E FROM GENERAL EDUCATION!"

Peter saw the larger group of students walking forth, and from the crowd he spotted that purple haired boy who made his declaration of war the other day. It didn't help matters that Bakugo seemed to throw gasoline into the fire. But Bakugo was beyond saving anyway.

"NEXT FROM THE SUPPORT COURSE, ARE CLASSES F, G, AND H!"

From the other throng of students, Peter could just barely make out Hatsume walking out in her gear and couldn't help but grin. He couldn't wait to see her gadgets in action! He tuned out the rest of the Business Course as he got to the allotted station for Class A, all the students forming up based on seating chart. He stood by Izuku, Momo, Todoroki and Bakugo.

(X)

On the edge of the audience, the Flame Hero Endeavor looked down as he saw the foreign brat lead Class A. He narrowed his eyes.

"So that's him. The Spider" he muttered, arms crossed. Shoto had better surpass him and use his gift. If he failed, he should at the very least do so utilizing his firepower.

This was his first shot. To declare to the world that the Son of Endeavor was to be the pinnacle of this grade class, no, the peak of this generation. To be the one who would surpass All Might and knock him from his mountain. No king rules forever, as the old saying goes.

Shoto would have to change. He would have to abandon his foolish pride, and stop squandering his gifts, the gifts he had given him. A fine mind, a heart of steel, and a thousand and one ways to use his ice. If only he would put the same effort into his fire! Third years with work-study experience would be as nothing!

For some… no-name nobody from nowhere to beat Shoto…

Enji shook his head. No need for bad memories. His youngest son had been fighting with one hand tied behind his back. On purpose.

His crossed arms tightened as he glared down at his rebellious son. The son who was everything he had ever dreamed of, yet seemed so bent on defying him. Today it would end. It had to end.

The Todoroki Family had no room for fools who deluded themselves.

(X)

"Alright, are we nice and comfy boys and girls!" Midnight declared as she swung her pom-pom… whip… thingy around. The R-Rated Hero beamed under the lights as many students, mostly those of the unfair sex, gawked in awe and lust.

"Why's Midnight still in her hero costume?" asked Peter, his cheeks almost the colour of his old costume. He turned, seeing Momo looking at him.

"Sorry it's-"

He expected her to snap at him, or roll her eyes. Instead she laughed.

"It's alright. That's our confident sensei."

Did Momo not get it? Or was she viewing this from a different angle?

Peter blinked and shrugged. Kayama Nemuri was a good friend of Yu's. His guardian had told him of how she helped her through school, and took her on as an intern. What she did at Midnight's firm, Yu had not said. Peter got the impression it was something best left unsaid.

She was a good Art teacher though. A bit too… teasing for one. Sero had a hard time focusing in that class.

"Last year it was Snipe. Guess they change it up…" Izuku nodded awkwardly.

"Is it even okay for a teacher to wear that in a school event?" Tokoyami asked.

"Silence!" demanded Midnight, cracking her whip. The students snapped to attention.

"Now, the Grade Representative to give the Student Pledge for the First Years is Peter Parker! Come on up!"

Peter took a deep breath, exhaling deeply as he felt his heart clench. His speech was in his pocket? He patted it. Good, still there.

"Wait how did the Red Shirt get the pledge?!" Bakugo barked.

"Parker got first on the Entrance Exam in total score in our grade." Todoroki stated, looking over at the blonde. "So he's our rep." Bakugo scoffed and looked away.

Peter walked up the steps, and time seemed to slow down as he tried to remember his speech. How he got here to this point, what had to happened to get here…

He drew in a long, slow breath, and then another, slowing his hammering heart, as he strode to the centre of the stage. Midnight offered him the mic.

"Go on ahead," she said, smiling warmly as she stepped aside. Peter took up position, and the entire stadium seemed to focus on him; thousands of eyes staring down at that one single spot.

The envious and disillusioned stares from General Education Department. His Hero Course peers. The Support Course eager to hear from the Mad Witch's bestie.

Peter looked down, closed his eyes and took one more deep breath.

"All right, here we go…" He spoke in Japanese, thinking each word through. The world was watching. Like Mr. Aizawa said, make this opportunity count.

"So, where do we begin?" Peter asked. He took a breath, looking down and remembering everything that led him here. The good times with Yu and his new friends…

Yet he came here because of how he died.

There is so much attention because he was in an incident where he almost died. Again. He reopened his eyes.

"There have been a lot of rumors about our year out there from the news, from within U.A." Peter said, his voice ringing with a confidence he barely felt. He was just trying to remember the speech, remember the next word.

"Whatever you heard, the truth is that we're not here just for ourselves. Every one of us has a mentor that they look up to, a parent, or a friend. We're here to make them proud, and to show that it wasn't just favours or talents that got us here."

The entire stadium went quiet, eager to listen. That was his hook.

Deep breath, and say it. He had this.

"U.A has given us the chance to help everyone we can, to serve our communities and save others from danger and misfortune, and we're not going to let any of you down. It's our responsibility, our duty, to ensure that we rise to the occasion and surpass those who came before us. At least, that's how many of us see it."

His tone turned somber.

"Because for those of us to have gotten to this point, to this stage in our lives, sacrifices had to been made." Peter paused, looking out to the crowd. "Reality…"

He bit his lower lip and rubbed his eye, trying to find the right words.

"…s not what we want most of the time." He turned his speech over, seeing how a silence has fallen over the crowd. Peter had their complete attention.

"It is easy to sail when winds and waters are kind. Life isn't fair most of the time though. Sometimes the waters are uncontrollable. Sometimes the winds too hard, or none come at all and you're stuck. The only thing you can do, is adapt, move forward, and survive." He pocketed his speech.

"We all have a responsibility to those who came before us, the ones who we admire."

He paused.

"We owe to them for helping us get here, and to not give it our all in living up to their ideals would be to let them down. That is what we must do in these rough times. Live up to the ideals of our idols. Surpass them, outdo them, go above and beyond. "

Peter leaned into the microphone.

"May the best thrive. Go beyond, Plus Ultra." He stepped back and bowed in respect. "Thank you very much."

Silence. More silence. Did they hate it? Had he just made a complete fool of himself?

Then he heard it. Clapping. Just the one, and then another, and more and more. It was coming from among the students, and then it spread. Soon the whole grade was applauding; not with wild enthusiasm, but not just forcing it either. A respectful response, to a respectable speech.

Peter bowed again. It was done, over with.

Next to him, Midnight gave a polite clap and gestured towards the grounds.

"Well said Parker." She spoke with sincerity.

Peter stepped off the stage to the awaiting claps of his peers. He offered a small smile as he got to his spot.

(X)

Well now, that was certainly something.

Shouta focused on Peter as he made his speech. The fighting clown of his class was being uncharacteristically serious.

"He's actually taking this seriously," he muttered to himself, away from the mic.

"WHAT A WAY TO KICKSTART THIS SPORTS FESTIVAL! AS EXPECTED OF THE FIRST YEAR PHENOM WHO HAS TURNED HEADS HERE! GIVE IT UP FOR PETER PARKER!

Shouta sighed, glaring at Hizashi a look. He wished he had a volume button; or failing that, a pair of ear plugs.

But no mistake, Parker had changed. He wasn't nervous, or cracking jokes. He was actually taking this seriously.

He leaned forward in his seat, watching closely.

(X)

"That… sounded a little more somber than I thought" Shinji said, with his arms crossed. He glanced at his colleague, Mt Lady. She was staring up at the screen, munching on some dango she had finagled from a nearby vendor.

Then again, her ward had been in the hospital. It must have given him some perspective.

"You gonna be alright Takeyama?" Shinji asked, and Takeyama perked up.

"Oh, uh, I'll be fine. Just, Peter's doing his best for his peers is all!" She shot him a broad smile.

"Whatever you say. Finish that up. We got a job to focus on." The mild concern in her eyes vanished as she rolled her eyes and finished her dango sticks.

"Fine fine… oh! A Meatbun stand! And the server is…"

Shinji followed her eyes, seeing some college kid serving meat buns and his hand met his helmet.

(X)

"Hnn, that was Peter Parker huh?" Shinso Hitoshi mused aloud as he finished clapping, standing amongst his fellow students in the General Education Department. He saw the foreigner walk back to his Class A cohorts and get back in line, hands in pockets.

He seemed focussed, more so than Shinso had expected. Maybe he wouldn't be such an easy mark after all.

That said, Parker seemed nice enough. He wasn't that blond asshat or the green haired dweeb. He did give a good speech.

Well, it was high time to make his reality how he wants it.

Hitoshi made a mental note and began to scope out his class, recalling some of the more belligerent boys. One little insult and they'd blow their top, and smooth sailing from there.

The purple haired boy couldn't help but grin.

(X)

As Parker walked past, Izuku saw him take his place. That didn't sound like the happy and encouraging Peter Parker who helped him on the beach, or the one who encouraged him. He said some serious words to help motivate the class, but for some reason, Parker was looking at the ground. His eyes were… off. As if he was looking off into a far off place, not here at this loud stadium.

He had seemed almost forlorn, as if speaking at a funeral. What could be going through his head?

Izuku gripped his fists, taking a deep breath and focusing forward at Midnight-sensei. As much as he wanted to congratulate Peter on his speech, he had to focus now.

He took a deep breath, looking up to the skyboxes far above, trying to make out All Might's yellow pinstripe suit.

It was close. It was almost time for him to make his declaration to the world.

Midoriya Izuku is here!

(X)

"Alright then! With that being said, we can proceed with the first event!" Midnight declared, twirling her whip. Behind her, a massive Holographic screen appeared; the words PRELIMINARY EVENT at the top. The middle of the screen begin to spin like a slot machine.

"The first event is what weeds out the pretenders from the contenders, so, what could it be?"

She smirked, playing it up to the audience as the screen continued spinning. Peter patted his pockets. Web shooters were still in there. Good.

"Now then, our Preliminary Event of the First Year Grade Sports Festival is!" Midnight posed, pointing towards the screen as it stopped. "This!"

OBSTACLE RACE.

Self-explanatory. A race involving an obstacle course. Peter took a deep breath, and he felt a pat on his shoulder.

"That was a good speech Parker." Momo murmured in English. "You ready?"

Peter chuckled softly. He didn't want to worry her, but it felt…good somehow.

"I'm fine. No worries." The speech had brought back memories, a lot of memories. His friends didn't need to know about them.

"Now then!" Midnight's voice made the two Class Reps pause. "As the title implies, you will be taking part in a race involving all the classes within your grade! The race is four kilometers long, taking you around the stadium and outside of the vendor grounds! You'll find many obstacles which you must overcome! Anything goes as long as long as you remain inside the race track!"

The black haired vixen grinned a confident grin.

"And no lethal moves, which goes without saying! If you get knocked off the course, you're disqualified! Students, take your places by the front gate!"

She pointed over to the side of the field. There stood a massive gate, with three red lights set overhead, leading to a tunnel heading out of the stadium. Peter fingered his webshooters as he and the other students headed for the starting position.

This was it.

"Alright then my little ones, one your marks!"

The first red light faded. Many heroes were watching. His class was here. He was their deputy rep. He had a duty to fulfil.

All of the more the reason to come out of this on top. To not leave any doubt. To never lose.

"Get set!"

One light left. Peter slapped the web shooters onto his wrists, feeling the familiar sensation of them wrapping around. He didn't hear anything as he bent down, hands on the ground as he dropped into a sprinter's crouch. The students crowded around, trying to get as close to the front line as possible.

He felt his fingers dig into the grass. His muscles tensed up as he closed his eyes. He felt the familiar goosebumps, and he lifted his head, eyes sharp as steel.

They were darker than usual. Like a spider's.

The light turned green.

"GO!"

The mob of students erupted, yelling as they charged into the tunnel. Peter leapt, flying over the crowd and flinging out his hands. He fired, his webs flashing out and hitting the walls of the tunnel. With one pull, he propelled himself over the mob and into the tunnel.

He hit the ground and ran. Never, not in all his life, had he run so fast. He could hear the students behind him, yelling in anger and frustration as the mass of bodies was stuck fast; wedged in the tunnel.

Peter saw movement up ahead; just a twitch, but it was there. Before him was the dirt track, flanked by trees. He saw the movements again, as something burst from the foliage.

"TARGET ACQUIRED. DESTROY."

Robots rolled onto the track; One, Two, and Three Pointers. Peter ducked under a One Pointer's swipe, then spun on his heel and lashed out with a kick. It tore the robot in two, and Peter landed and ran, his legs like a blur as he raced through the robot platoon.

Platforms rose ahead of him, but Peter paid them no heed. Focus on the race.

On one of the platforms stood a giant Zero Pointer Robot, its many red irises focusing in on Peter. Peter gritted his teeth, and fired his web at the head. He saw the behemoth move an arm, its fist flashing down towards him.

He heard Present Mic yell something, but Peter heard nothing as he soared towards the behemoth's head, twirling like a drill in mid-air. He punctured the giant, tearing through its mighty head and flying out the other side, in a cloud of wires and metal fragments.

As Peter fell, he could hear the robot groan and begin to topple. He fired off his web, felt it latch on something, and pulled himself towards the track.

He tumbled, landed on his feet, and broke into a sprint, his feet falling so hard that the ground erupted beneath them.

"LOOK AT HIM GO! PARKER HAS CLEARED THE ROBO INFERNO! HE'S LIKE A CHEETAH OUT THERE!" Present Mic yelled.

Peter pressed on, veering towards the left edge of the track. It was something he had picked up watching the horse races with Aunt May. Hug the wall, and cut off anyone behind you.

"BUT BE CAREFUL! THE NEXT OBSTACLE FOR PARKER IS THE FAAAALL! YOU HIT ROCK BOTTOM, YOU'RE OUT!"

Peter saw the trees part, and just beyond was a vast ravine, filled with spires and connecting cords. He let out his breath, and sprinted onward, straight towards the ravine.

"HE'S STILL GOING! IS HE GONNA JUMP!?"

Peter launched, flying over the spires and platforms, legs together and arms outstretched like an Olympic diver; or that blonde kid from that rescue mouse movie he saw as a kid.

"HE DIIIIIIID!!!" Mic howled.

Peter felt himself slowing, beginning to fall. He reached out with one arm, loosing a stream of web at one of the spires. It hit, and he fell into the swing, feeling the web pull taught as it took his weight. He could see the bottom, with its jelly and red lasers. For a moment he thought he would fall, that he had misjudged the angle.

But he hadn't. The swing was carrying him up, and up; up through the canyon, until he felt the web draw level was like being back in New York again; swinging on the Brooklyn Bridge, and through Manhattan, the wind on his masked face, and the sky bright above him.

He cut off the web, letting momentum carry him up into the sky. As he felt himself reach the apogee, he glanced down. He was two thirds of the way across the ravine. He could do this!

"HE'S BACK OUUUUUUT! THE SPIDER OF U.A. IS ON A TEAR!"

Peter exhaled, forcing down the euphoria lest it distract him. He fired his webs, this time at the trees lining the gorge. With a mighty pull he launched himself towards them, and landed in tumble amid their roots.

No time to lie around. He leapt to his feet and broke again into a sprint, not even bothering to brush away the dirt.

He inhaled, as the track curled away in a massive curve. This felt like the last leg of the race. Two obstacles? No, three since the entry gate was one…

Exhale. He could see the tree line thinning as he veered from the left edge of the track to the middle. The next obstacle was ahead.

An open dirt field.

Seriously?

Peter felt his spine tingle, and he leapt into the air. He could see the field below, and the billboards that lined it; the billboard with the huge skulls and the cartoon explosions.

A minefield.

A nonlethal one, obviously; but still troublesome for a student.

He wasn't like most students though.

Peter landed on the ground, and let out a breath. The tingling had gone. He leapt again, clearing the field. He could see the stadium ahead, hear the roar of the crowd.

He could see the tunnel!

"INCREDIBLE! PETER PARKER OF CLASS 1-A HAS BLOWN THIS RACE SO FAR IT'S LIKE LEDECKY AT THE OLYMPICS! NO ONE HAS EVEN TOUCHED THE FALL YET!"

Peter raced through, a cloud of dust behind him as he blazed through the tunnel, and out onto the field.

"AND PARKER HAS WON THE RACE! WHAT A FINISH! NOT SINCE ALL MIGHT HAS U.A. SEEN THE LIKE!"

Peter skidded to a halt. The crowd wan on its feet, screaming its approbation, the sound thundering around him like a storm.

"Phew…" he wiped his brow as he looked around, a part of him struggling to take it all in.

"What an amazing performance! Come on over here and refuel, Parker-kun!"

Midnight waved, standing over by a table piled with water bottles, Gatorade cases, and…

"Oh! Orange slices!" Peter chirped. He trotted over the table, eyes fixed on the plates of fruit slices, laid on gleaming ice, his mouth watering at the prospect. Midnight winked at him as he grabbed a piece and bit down; letting the cool, tangy juice run over his dry tongue, sending shivers down his spine.

He turned, looking up at the videoboards around the stadium. How was were the others doing?

He could see the first group of students. They were reaching the Fall. "Let's go guys."

He smiled as he took a water bottle, opening it up. He was rooting for them.

Well, most of them.

Ki