Chapter 7: The Spider and The Cat
"Quite the spectacle you two caused. I mean, before the Festival was interrupted by such unpleasantries and we had to cancel without declaring our champions, I mean," Nezu said playfully as he sat on the chair of his office. "It's no secret that the reality of the Sports Festival focuses solely on the students of the Hero Course. After all, this university was founded to create future Heroes, and thus these students are the ones who SHOULD have all the attention. That said, the UA Staff is not blind to the potential for dismissal among those who remain in the General Course. You are all runner-ups after all, and the chance to join the spotlight is available to you; you have to strive for it and prove that you do have the will of a Hero."
Also in his office, sitting across from the Dean, are two students from 1-C, Ochaco Uraraka and Hitoshi Shinso, both of whom showed promise in the Sports Festival, unlike the rest of their peers who were overwhelmed by 1-A and 1-B.
"General Course Students still attend UA despite their initial failure in the Entrance Exam because there is always a second chance to join the Hero Course, and thus far, only you two have proven to have the promise we in UA expect in our students."
"I-I-It's not like I'm special in any way," Ochaco muttered sheepishly. She was nervous. Hearing that the Dean of UA was expecting her at his office made her almost have a heart attack, fearing that she had done something wrong. She felt fortunate that her homeroom teacher, Midnight, was a patient woman with expertise in panic attacks and calmed her down without having to resort to her Somnambulist.
She ended up being thirty minutes late to the office, but Nezu wasn't bothered by it. Hitoshi certainly was, as he wanted to get this over with because of how anxious he was feeling underneath.
"Not that the praise isn't appreciated. But I think I'm right in saying that despite our performance, it still isn't enough for us to join the Hero Course," Hitoshi stated.
"Straight to the point. Exactly what I expect of one suited to be an Underground Hero," Nezu mused.
"Not like I would want the damn press hounding me 24/7," The young man said gruffly.
'Oh my. It would seem that Mic might have been on to something when he joked about Aizawa having a son behind our backs,' Nezu chuckled to himself.
"You are very astute, Mr. Shinso. Yes, while the two of you have done beautifully in the Sports Festival, I'm afraid that simply isn't enough for the two of you to be transferred into the Hero Course. But that's why you're here, to rectify this discrepancy," Nezu explained. "Your Quirks are very special. To be able to command gravity and the minds of others is a very dangerous ability, and in the hands of Heroes, there is so much good you can accomplish for this country, or the world, if you manage to go international."
Hitoshi didn't show it, but hearing that his Quirk could be a force for good by the Dean of UA, the university he had waited so long to join, lifted a huge weight in his heart. It's been so long since he felt so light that he couldn't help but place a hand on his chest.
"That said, and I know this may be controversial in this day and age, but the truth is that Quirks aren't enough to make one a Hero. If you rely on them too much, what will you do when they're unsuited against the Villain you're fighting or for rescuing a civilian in need? That's why Support Gears were invented. Of course, relying on equipment could also make you obsolete at any moment, which is why all Heroes should be jacks of all trades. At least that's how I see it," Nezu offered words of wisdom. "Take, for example, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, Shota Aizawa, Lockdown. I'm not exaggerating when I say he's the greatest Underground Hero in Japan, but he, too, failed the Entrance Exam when he attended UA and had to win the Sports Festival to join the Hero Course. Do you know why?"
"Because his Quirk is only effective against other Quirks," Ochaco responded, recalling everything she learned from Izuku.
"Correct! Erasure lets him shut down the Quirks of anyone he looks upon with his eyes but if he blinks or looks away, his Erasure will wear off, and it doesn't work on Heteromorphs, hence why he had to train his body, becoming a skilled fighter who could take down criminals without his Quirk and his successes make whatever failures he's made forgettable in comparison," Nezu continued. "I know what you and the rest of the General Course are thinking. Why must the Entrance Exam be for only those whose Quirks are suited for combat? Because at the end of the day, a Hero's duties are to protect the innocent and defeat villains, and primarily, to accomplish both feats, you must be strong! And no, All Might is not who you should look for as an example, but rather Lockdown as proof of this reality, since he is technically a Quirkless with a loophole. Skill is more than just power, after all. You must also accumulate an abundance of knowledge."
"So before we can join, we have to undergo… brutal training if we are to have a real chance to be Heroes," Ochaco concluded.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean the transfer is put on hold until you show a large improvement in your physical prowess, only a minor one, enough to prove that you can keep up with the rest of 1-A, who have a large edge right now," Nezu stated. "As such, like 1-A and 1-B, the two of you will undergo the Hero Agency Internships, intern under Pro-Heroes who specialize in armed combat, learn from them, and if they acknowledge your potential, you're in."
"R-Really?" Ochaco almost couldn't believe what she was being offered.
"While I know this is something you both want, it is a lot to consider. Don't rush into anything, take the time to think this over, there is still time before the Internships begin after all," Nezu advised.
Ochaco and Hitoshi left the Dean's office shortly after, just as it was time for lunch, and so they went to get food from Lunch Rush.
"I can't believe this is happening. I mean, this is what I wanted, but…" Ochaco was lost for words, unsure of what to say or think about this grand opportunity.
"About time, if you ask me," Hitoshi said more smugly.
"I'm jealous of your optimism. Everything is happening so fast that my emotions are all over the place," Ochaco uttered.
"I just focus my heart and mind on what I'm striving for; the more I do it, the clearer everything becomes," Hitoshi said boastfully. "Or maybe, my vision becomes like a tunnel, which makes it easier for me to neglect all the red flags. The Dean did tell us to take the time to think it over."
"Why do we need time to think it over? Becoming Heroes is the whole point of coming to UA?"
"Think. What is happening with Hero Society right now?" Hitoshi elucidated, and Ochaco takes a moment to think it over some more, and the only thing she can come up with is the conflict between the Pros and Vigilantes.
"Webjack," She realized.
"Exactly. Right now, things aren't looking good for anyone who wants to be the next shining star in the Pro-League. Too many are being outshone by the Web-Slinger. The bad rep is hard to watch, so that anyone would think that this profession is turning into a dead-end job," Hitoshi explained. "Webjack may be a decent guy picking up the slack of lesser Heroes, but the longer he keeps at it, the more Pros don't want to go near him and risk getting a worse rep, and don't even get me started on that maniac Hero Killer."
Ochaco gulped at the mention of Stain. She might not keep up with the news all that much, but she's heard the rumors and overheard a lot of bogeyman stories about him and the fear he invokes.
"And after what just happened in the Sports Festival, many Hero Course students have doubts about continuing their training. I've overheard some from 3-B say that they're planning to go as far west in Japan once they graduate, where Webjack has yet to set foot on to ensure their future careers don't end up in shambles."
"That's a little drastic, don't you think?" She said, concerned.
"Not for those who are serious about making the Hero Life a permanent gig,"
"It's not like Vigilantes get to stick around forever. Sooner or later, Webjack will get caught," She assured.
"At this point, only All Might should go after Jackie while everyone else is cannon fodder," Hitoshi shrugged before developing a fierce determination. "Doesn't change anything for me, though. I've come too far and waited too long for this opportunity to let it go just because some punk who can climb walls with his bear skin thinks he knows better than the Pros."
"Yeah, I guess you have a point," Ochaco said, feeling touched by Hitoshi's determination, which seemed to be unwavering, and couldn't help but ask. "Why is it that you want to be a Hero?"
His response was swift, resolute, and gentle. "To prove to everyone whom I once called my friends that I wasn't meant to be a Villain because of my Quirk."
Webjack is seen again in the daylight. Noon approaches and everyone is up and about, including the Pro-Heroes who have been more active since the disaster that is now being called by the media the Festival of Stain, due to the conflict between Webjack and the Pro-Heroes in the Sports Festival beginning in Hosu City when the Vigilante went after the Hero Killer, followed by the League of Villains, Stain's alleged allies, massacring the Heroes of Hosu and leaving the city in ruins.
A dark mark on Hero Society's history.
Still, despite Webjack being held responsible to an extent for the Festival of Stain, a lot of the Pros have steered away from him, knowing that none of them can fight him, and the Pros that can, like Hawks and Best Jeanist, are remaining in their respective cities, while Endeavor remains in the hospital and All Might continues to prioritize the safety of the UA students.
Izuku swung by, his mind solely focused on his primary goal which is to find the ones he seeks, all the while doing his best not to engage in combat with anyone who would want to challenge him but thankfully the majority of Police know better than to try and what Pro-Heroes he does swing by pretend to not notice him, creating an air of awkwardness that Webjack is not used to but is oddly welcoming. It feels as though a fantasy of his has become a reality, where the heroes have accepted him as one of them. Of course, Webjack has long since been able to tell the difference between reality and fantasy, and reality has taught him to keep his expectations low so he will never be disappointed.
Something that doesn't disappoint him, and a part of him finds it disturbing, is the sight of Heroes and Villains engaging in combat. Every time he swings by three or four city blocks, he comes across one fight after another as the Villains are getting bolder.
They've been inspired by the Festival of Stain. Tomura's speech has lit the fires, and everyone who has been cast down into the Underworld of Hero Society is finally crawling out like tiny devils, but thus far, none of them have proven too difficult to handle, at least for the Heroes of Musutafu.
All Might's presence ensured that Japan's crime rate was the lowest in the world, but that did not mean that the number of villains living in this country was just as small. They just never had the right push to brave the surface and rise against their oppressors. And now they do, and it ain't pretty.
Webjack feels guilty for all of this, but his Will has toughened after doing this for nearly a year; he knows how to replace his shame with an iron resolve, at least momentarily. And sadly, this increase in crime is just what he may need to find who he's looking for. They have to be among the Villains causing chaos.
So far, he hasn't had to interfere in any of the fights yet, with the Heroes pulling their weight spectacularly, but deep down, he knew that his search would be halted to fight the unwanted Villains.
As Webjack continued with his search, he swung over two figures walking down the street. One was a man in a long brown trench coat while holding a white cane, and the other was a small red-haired woman wearing a large white hat and a light purple coat.
The woman glanced up at the man and asked. "Musutafu has seen better days, Gentle. You think it's a good idea to act now while the whole city is on fire?"
"I share your concern, my dear La Brava, but have faith. Today will not be our downfall but another chance to make our mark on this sad and fragile society," Gentle replied, radiating confidence that is like a melody to his partner.
"Oh, Gentle, you always know what to say," La Brava swooned, enamored by his every word. "So, what is the plan for today?"
"Why, but to find a new act to submit myself to history!" Gentle laughed as he scratched the facemask covering his face. "But first, we must go to our destination!"
"And that is?"
"Today, we will go to Bronze-Mart! They have been recently hiding the fact that their so-called "sales" are nothing but lies! Recently, they started selling a new product that says it's half off when, in actuality, that "half off" price is the real price!"
"How ungentlemanly!" La Brava gasped, "How should we punish them?!"
"Why, we'll be making a video, of course. But first, we must go and grab ourselves a spot of tea. Perhaps some Royal Honey brand?"
"Sounds wonderful!" La Brava gushed and swooned at this. "That's my Gentle!"
La Brava next pulled out her phone, "Hmm… looks like there's a place nearby that serves that tea."
"Wonderful! Off we go then!"
As he feared, Webjack stopped his search, landing on the top of a building nearest to a bank. Down below, he watches a fight between four heroes and seven villains, the latter just robbed the bank of all its money, and it seems that the four heroes are unable to stop them and will be overwhelmed very soon.
"Well, you can pick friends, but you can't pick your enemies," Webjack sighed, ready to jump down and help.
"Oh! Did I make it just in time to join the fun?" Toga asked cheerfully as she had been chasing after Webjack all day and finally caught up.
"You know if you're tired already, you could've asked me to slow down," He reminded her.
"Nah, I love a chase, and I know my way around rooftops like back alleys," She mused. "And besides, it's about time I get the chance to test out my sexy new look."
"You know what would've been the perfect time to test it out? Back in the hotel when we reunited," Webjack whined. "I put a lot of effort into making that Costume for you, and not seeing you wear it back then was offensive. Geno-Fibers are painful to make with my primitive workshop."
"Aww, I'm sorry, baby. If it makes you feel any better, I'll say my debut today will make it the perfect chance to show off just how inventive you can be when the world sees the new me," Toga smirked, now standing beside Webjack, having donned a new appearance to mark her new beginning.
Himiko now wears a black catsuit, one that provides a sleek and form-fitting silhouette that allows for freedom of movement. The material Izuku used to make it is tough and durable, offering protection against physical harm while still allowing complete flexibility.
To enhance her protection in combat, the costume incorporates light armor plating strategically positioned to shield vital areas such as the chest, shoulders, and knees. It is subtle and streamlined, seamlessly integrated into the design of the catsuit to maintain agility and mobility.
The costume also includes white accents that add visual interest in the form of trim, piping, or detailing along the seams and edges of the catsuit, creating a striking contrast against the black fabric and emphasizing Toga's agility and grace.
Further to her transformation, Himiko conceals her distinctive ash-blonde hair and preserves her identity by wearing a white wig as part of her disguise. The wig is styled to blend seamlessly with her costume, covering her natural hair and helping to obscure her features from surveillance cameras and potential adversaries. Lastly, she wears black goggles that conceal her eyes while providing enhanced vision and protection. They feature pure white lenses that obscure her gaze, adding an air of mystery and intimidation to her appearance.
"There's no going back after this, right?" Webjack warned. "Even if you call it quits by the end of this day, they'll be gunning for you."
"Like they aren't already doing that," She shrugged, unconcerned. "At least this way I have the option of going down my way."
"Ladies first," Webjack relented. That said, he had no intention of actually letting her make the first move and took a swan dive before she could react. "Ladies that aren't kitties that is."
"Jerk!" She pouted.
The four heroes who tried to stop the bank robbery lie on the ground, bested by the villains who outnumber them and have more efficient Quirks. One among them attempts to kill the Pro nearest to him by reaching for a car and, with his Quirk, shrinks it to toy size and now carries it in his hand before tossing it above the downed hero with the intent to revert it to normal size and squash him.
It was at that exact moment that Webjack swoops in with acrobatic finesse, delivering a swift kick to the villain's face just in the nick of time. The blow sends the Villain hurtling backward, crashing into a nearby police car with a resounding thud. However, in his flailing state, the Villain inadvertently activates his Quirk on the police car, causing it to rapidly expand to twice its original size.
Meanwhile, Webjack effortlessly catches the car that was previously shrunk and hurled toward the unsuspecting hero in its normal size, preventing any harm from coming to them.
"Nice Quirk you got there, dude! Let me guess, your Villain name is Big Shrink," Webjack teased.
"Finally decided to make a move, eh, Webhead!" Another of the Villains snapped. Every Villain going on a riot today was expecting to confront Webjack today, not the slightest bit interested in the Pros since they aren't the talk of the country anymore.
That same Villain attacks the Vigilante by emitting powerful sound waves from his hands and releases them as one powerful blast that Webjack defends against by using the car he is still holding as a shield that manages to resist it.
Webjack could've taken in the blast easily, but the Hero he just saved not so much.
"We got an Echo Blaster here! You just love to see them." Again, he names the Villains he confronts since they seldom bother to introduce themselves. They always hate it, but they never bothered to rectify him and just proceeded with the killing.
"Shut up and die!" Another Villain snapped while attacking him from behind. Point proven.
He extends his palm out to touch the Vigilante, but he instead touches the lower side of the car Webjack was using as a shield. His Quirk activates, and the car begins to rapidly melt into a sludge-like substance.
"Nice touch, Slime Devil," Webjack punned before leaping out of the way, leaving "Slime Devil" to receive the full front of "Echo Blaster's" soundwave.
Normally, Webjack would refrain from using living shields or leave someone to get hit with an attack meant for him, but for this instance, he prioritized the safety of the four heroes, shooting weblines at each of them and pulling them away from the Villains, and creating a large cobweb between two buildings to keep them on for their safety.
They aren't down for the count yet, and if the Villains try to attack them again, they'll be able to defend themselves.
"Fuck! Sorry, Minamoto," Echo Blaster apologized to Slime Devil.
"Just bring him down already!" Slime Devil roared.
Another of the Villains with the ability to stretch his body with superb elasticity extends both his hands to grab Webjack by his legs and pull him back down as hard as he can. Webjack breaks free by releasing multiple Psi-Webs across his body with extreme force, forcing the Villain to release him. He lands safely while the Villain collapses for a brief moment.
"Nice try, Stretchy Snare, but I'm practically un—" His mocking is stopped when he feels something hit his face, a punch as best he could tell, but he saw no one who could have done it. Not that the punch was hard enough to hurt him anyway.
"Let me guess, you were going to say you're untouchable?" A more mocking voice spoke from behind him, and the source vanished before Webjack could even turn around.
"A Blink Bandit, or a Speedy Snatcher?" He wondered.
"Goddammit! Enough with the stupid names!" "Big Shrink"shouted, tossing several objects that he shrank like dumpsters before enlarging them to three times their normal size to fall on Webjack, who dodged them all with superb parkour while using them to stay airborne.
"But codenames are the lifeblood of heroes and villains. Without them, what are we?"
"A squashed bug, I take it!" Echo Blaster countered as he fired another sound blast at the Web-Slinger, but he missed.
"Common misconception. Spiders are arachnids, which are a different breed of animal from insects!" Webjack is tired of correcting this mistake. And to express his dismay, he grabs three dumpsters with his webs and tosses them at Echo Blaster, not to hurt him, but to make sure he receives a bad smell.
Echo Blaster is saved by a comrade with a Teleportation Quirk that warps him out of the stinky situation.
'And there's Blink Bandit.' He mused.
His Spider-Sense joins the party, warning him of an opponent coming in fast while using everything Big Shrink tossed as platforms. And now comes Speedy Snatcher, who Webjack successfully counters this time, catching his punch with his right hand before tossing him harshly to the ground.
"And the biggest difference is that some Spiders eat bugs," He mused, but was suddenly caught off guard when the last remaining Villain grabbed him by his right shoulder.
"Lesson learned," He mocked before the adhesive touch of his Quirk emitted a brown sticky substance from his hand, rapidly covering Webjack until he was trapped in it and rendered momentarily immobilized.
'The inconsistency of the Spider-Sense is killing me,'Webjack groaned, still unable to explain why his Spider-Sense just doesn't work sometimes. "Let me guess, Sticky Fingers?"
"Not even close, asshole," Said "Sticky Fingers" sneered, his chosen codename being the most offensive so far. His gang gathers around the seemingly defeated Vigilante.
"End of the line, Webhead," Blink Bandit boasted as they all looked like they were ready to celebrate.
"So it would seem," Webjack replied, not looking the slightest bit concerned. "Quick question: do any of you know who it was that came up with Webhead? I would like to shake their hand and give my thanks."
"If you can't shut up, then we'll do it for you!" Slime Devil growled, ready to grab him by the face to melt him, but was stopped when Himiko made her move at last, also swooping in from above. Unluckily for the Villain, her approach was more violent, slashing Slime Devil in the back with a knife, leaving a gash on him. Thankfully, she intentionally missed the spine, but it was still painful, and he screamed in agony.
"My turn!" She cheered, proceeding with a swift and brutal kick to Slime Devil's right cheek, knocking him down for the count.
"What the fuck!" Blink Bandit shouted in shock at the sudden arrival. He is also removed from the fight when Webjack breaks free from the sticky substance and sucker punches him harshly to the ground.
Forcing the Spider-Sense to be more cooperative, Webjack accurately shoots a webline at the right angle, catching the Speedster Villain before he could sneak up on Himiko and pulling him away from her, keeping his attention on him while she deals with the rest of the Villains.
"Come and play with me, naughty boys," She dared seductively while holding two sleek and elegant knives, one of them bloodied from what she did to Slime Devil.
"Oh, we'll do more than that, bitch!" Echo Blaster sneered, unleashing another soundwave at her that Toga effortlessly evaded by leaping, doing a backflip while she was at it.
As soon as she landed, she was faced with Sticky Fingers, who got close enough to grab her and immobilize her as well, but with Toga's reflexes, she evaded the hand while quickly moving behind him and kicking both of his legs, causing him to trip and crash to the floor. Toga follows up with another kick right at Sticky Fingers' neck, causing him to gasp out in pain, struggling to breathe before passing out.
"Oh shit! The bitch is brutal!" Stretchy Snare uttered in shock.
"Hey, man, he's the one who felt entitled to touch a lady with his dirty hands. Don't come crying to me for him getting his just desserts," Toga said mockingly.
This got another rise out of the remaining Villains, who became more brutal in their assault, trying to gang up on her, but Toga's speed and agility allowed her to evade most of her attacks. The only one that proved difficult to avoid was Stretchy Snare; his elastic arms moved so fast that Toga had to use a lot more effort to evade.
Big Shrink tried his luck by using a metal pipe that he enlarged as soon as he threw it while relatively close to Toga, enough that it should've hit her but the newly formed Vigilante not only evaded the enlarged pipe but landed on top of it and used it to run closer to Big Shrink to take him down but Echo Blaster struck first, hitting her with a soundwave that blew her into the air.
The sounds staggered her, but she was still okay.
She is then caught by Stretchy Snare, who can not only stretch his body but also enlarge his hands, making his right hand big enough to grab Toga whole.
"Gotcha now, slut!" He declared smugly.
"Do you, now?" Toga smirked and retaliated by using her left hand, which remained free from Stretchy Snare's grip, and unveiled another weapon to use since she had dropped her knives when she was blown away.
Her gloves also come equipped with retractable cat-like claws on the fingertips that she calls forth with a specific gesture, and without hesitation, she slashes the large hand keeping her trapped, leaving deep gashes that brought Stretchy Snare so much pain that he let her go.
As she falls back down, she acts fast, reaching for a spare knife and tossing it with excellent accuracy, hitting Echo Blaster in his left knee.
He too whales in agony, falling to the floor, and because of the pain and anger, he releases the violent soundwave he was going to use on Toga, accidentally hitting his remaining allies instead, who get blown away, the impact knocking them out cold.
"Over already?" Toga asked after landing gracefully on her feet. "How boring. I knew my first day on the job should've started with cutting out that ugly smirk from that slut, Mount Lady's face."
"You bitch… YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Echo Blaster had had enough and, in his berserk state, fired one last soundwave that should have killed her, with her not fast enough to evade, that is, if not for Webjack arriving in time, getting between her and forming a shield made from his Psi-Webs that successfully blocked the deadly sounds.
"This was not a good first impression for you!" Webjack protested.
"I know. These guys suck balls," Toga protested with sheer boredom in her voice. "They could never pass for appetizers in a prison bath."
"NOT WHAT I MEANT!" He cried in disgust.
Webjack next proceeds to concentrate his Psi-Web Shield and makes it vibrate at a high frequency.
"On my mark," He instructed, before he kicked his web shield from his side, sending it flying forward, charging through the sound blast, and the shield imploded, triggering a shockwave that overpowered Echo Blaster and blew him to the ground.
While on the asphalt, the Villain's anger keeps him from succumbing to injuries, and he would have gotten back up to fight, but that's when he gasps in shock, seeing both Vigilantes right above him in the air.
"Here comes another Jackpot!" Webjack declared while the two were holding hands.
"Now this is more like it!" Toga giggled as Webjack threw her down towards Echo Blaster before he could react, slamming both her feet into his stomach and delivering the finishing blow.
And just like that, the battle is over, and all of the Villains were defeated, and the citizens who were watching the showdown from a safe distance were left speechless from how things went down, and the new contender to the Vigilante roster.
"This could've gone better," Webjack moaned while rubbing his head, not liking some of the injuries the Villains sustained because of Himiko.
"You look upset. Is it because the baddies also disappointed you?" Toga asked while she went to pick up three of the combat knives that she used throughout the fight.
"When I agreed to put bladed weapons into your arsenal, I did so under the hope that you would not be so lethal, but gosh darn, you were like a wolverine," Webjack muttered.
"I wasn't lethal in the slightest. If I were, these guys wouldn't be moaning in pain; they'd be dead," Toga pouted.
"Don't say that so casually."
"Relax, baby. This kitty was only looking out for his precious spider," she purred with a meow sound in the mix. "And when you mess with what matters to me, you'll face a "Cat-astrophe" of bad luck." She said that while staring at the audience, with lots of them recording the whole thing.
"I'm so flattered," Webjack bemused, only now hearing the sound of police cars heading their way, but that's not what spurs him to make a run for it, but the phone call he is now receiving from his mother.
"Drat! Let's go!" He instructed, web-zipping back into the rooftops.
"Okay!" Toga grinned, following suit by using a special grappling hook device she keeps at her person that fires a strong and retractable cord with a sturdy hook to propel herself upwards, which helps her keep up with Webjack.
And like that, the two were off, leaving everyone on the ground stunned.
"Damn… I want her to stump on me," One of the males muttered, aroused by Toga's whole presentation.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Yu Takeyama screamed in fury as she just received the news, as soon as she returned to her Hero Agency after taking down eight Villains today.
It's all over the internet. A new vigilante has appeared, dubbed Kat-astrophe, who is Webjack's partner.
Since day one, the arachnid Vigilante/Hero has been working solo and doing pretty well on his own despite the odds, and now all of a sudden, he has gone and got himself a Sidekick and a pretty one at that.
"That bastard…" Yu seethed, looking like she was ready to go into her giant form.
"PLEASE NOT AGAIN!" Her Assistant and several others in the building pleaded with her to stay calm and not destroy her agency as she did three days after her debut as a Pro-Hero.
"A new prey has entered the fray, I see," Mirko noted, also watching the latest news on her phone after she had also stopped a bank robbery, using the pile of bodies from the sixteen Villains she took down to sit on top of. "Not into fighting addicts, he says, and yet he's okay with skanks with a knife fetish. What a picky prick."
"Yo, Endeavor. Are you seeing this?" Hawks asked after calling Todoroki.
"IT'S ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND EVEN THE HERO NETWORK! HOW AM I NOT SEEING THIS!" The Flame Hero yelled loud enough to be heard across the Musutafu Central Hospital, scaring off the nurse who was sent to treat him.
"Easy on the ears. I'm sensitive," The Winged Hero groaned from the sting his ears are now feeling. "It isn't anything we didn't see coming, I mean, he was bound to inspire more individuals to follow his way of handling things."
"And now I have more trash to burn away. What is that musclebound oaf doing, wasting so much time while this is happening?" Endeavor seethed and was also targeting All Might with his anger.
"Dude, take a chill pill. We can still make a workaround now that we know how capable Jackie really is, so we can make a sound strategy and kill two birds with one stone," Hawks insisted before chuckling at his own words. "See what I did there?"
"You're not funny,"
"MY LIFE IS OVER!" Mina's screams were heard all over the lunchroom as every student there saw the latest news about the new vigilante.
"Oh my god, she's FUCKING HOT!" Kaminari cheered, smiling lustfully at Kat-astrophe.
"I bet they've already had sex," Mineta groaned hungrily at the pictures of Toga. "And live together so they can have even more sex."
They're lucky that Kyoka is on the other side of the lunchroom; otherwise, she might've shut them up with her earphones.
"KAMINARI, SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kyoka shouted.
"Since when do Vigilantes take on Sidekicks?"
"She's pretty vicious with the way she handled those Villains, though."
"Who gives a shit, they got what was coming to them,"
"So does her Quirk revolve around bladed weapons or something?"
"You have got to be fucking with me," Bakugo groaned, struggling not to crush his phone with his barehands.
"No girl wants to so much as touch you," Toru mocked.
"I don't see the big deal. Haven't Vigilantes been around forever?" Shoto asked, confused by everyone's uproar.
"Yeah, but the large majority of the public is convinced that they mostly died off, or were all arrested, or called it quits, but the emergence of a brand new one means that they're making a huge comeback. Jackie was only the beginning, and this sexy cat is the next step," Sero explained.
"Oh. Now that I think about it, I did overhear some Seniors discussing going international and leaving the country as soon as they graduate. Is this also because of Webjack?" Shoto wondered.
"Yep. If the current Pros can't handle Jackie, then they might as well not do Hero Work anywhere that he is nearby. Adding a new girl into the mix only makes things worse," Nirengeki Shoda from 1-B said, sitting at the same table since both Freshman Hero Course Classes have started interacting more.
"I like this chick's style. The blades aren't too bad. I mean, Togaru is all about slice and dice, so it's okay for others to make mincemeat out of a few villains," Yosetsu commented. Beside him is Setsuna, chuckling.
"Man, I just love Jackie's choice in naming the Villains that the media eats up over their actual names. Sticky Fingers, Speedy Snatcher, Echo Blaster, Slime Devil, Blink Bandit, Stretchy Snare, and my personal favorite, Big Shrink," She grinned. "Why didn't you pick that name for yourself, Yui?"
"Rule is a good Hero Name," Kodai said, firmly defending her choice.
"I keep telling you it's boring. No one is going to take you seriously with a name like that," Lizardy argued.
"So I should use a name chosen for a villain because our Quirks are identical?"
"Babe, you're killing me."
"I bet the Pros and Commission aren't taking this well," Sato noted.
"Definitely not. Another manhunt is coming," Shoji added.
"Fat lot of good it'll do when all the others didn't go over so well," Mineta reminded.
"Never underestimate the HPSC. They're the worst kind of vultures, or at least that's what Vlad King once called them," Kosei stated. "By the way, is the Alien Queen alright over there?"
Those at the table turned to the one that had Mina in it, who'd been stone silent after her spontaneous outburst.
"Mina? Hey! Snap out of it," Kirishima said, trying to get her to respond, but nothing worked.
"We've lost her," Tsuyu noted nonchalantly.
"It's hopeless to try and help her," Setsuna said while making a hand gesture near her mouth that implied something vulgar. "Poor girl is thirsty for a certain man's taste."
This earned her an immediate karate chop to the head by Kendo.
"You're disgusting!" Itsuka reprimanded.
"It's nice to see I'm not the only one receiving the unfair treatment," Neito muttered.
"It's finally happened," Aizawa cursed under his breath while he was having lunch with his colleagues in the Teachers' Lounge.
"We knew this would be the result of Webjack's prolonged activities. More Vigilantes coming out of the woodwork," Sekijiro groaned.
"I was honestly expecting more than just one," Hizashi said.
"Oh, more will definitely come knocking. It's all a matter of when," Thirteen assured.
"And even if we had caught the Webhead back in the Festival, something tells me this cat would have shown up anyway, along with whoever else comes next," Snipe added.
"Vigilante or not, I must say I like the kid's style," Nemuri mused, impressed by Kat-astrophe's aesthetic. "I bet she's a fan of mine."
"Since when do any of your fangirls have a knife kink and commit crimes?" Aizawa questioned.
"You'd be surprised, and besides, Villains may hate us, but even they can appreciate our charm."
"Charm being something that a certain someone is lacking all of a sudden," Hizashi said, turning to look at Toshinori, who froze up as soon as he saw Webjack with Kat-astrophe.
'Crap. Crap. Crap!' The Symbol uttered, more terrified by the news and its implications than anyone else. 'The situation has gotten gargantuanly worse. Villains have practically amassed an army, and the people are becoming more dependent on Vigilantes. What's next? What's next? WHAT'S NEXT?'
"Buddy, chill. We all know this is bad news, but let's not lose our marbles over it," The Voice Hero insisted.
"How can I stay calm when the city is in chaos? Heroes and Villains are fighting practically everywhere while we're all here having lunch," Toshinori argued.
"We discussed this. Every able Hero in UA's top priority is the safety of the students, and we will only engage the Villains who get near the university," Cementoss reprimanded. "And considering that Power Loader's alarms haven't gone off yet, we should remain cal—"
At that exact moment, an alarm within the lounge could not be heard anywhere else to avoid panicking the students. An alarm that's supposed to go off when a Villain or someone suspicious is near the University.
"I AM HERE!" Toshinori quickly turned into All Might and rushed out of the lounge to engage the Villain or suspicious individual.
"That guy needs to be fired," Aizawa growled, fed up with everything to do with him. "And maybe replace him with this Grand Torino person that spooks him so much."
"What are the chances that he's gonna play hooky and go after every Villain he can find in the city?" Thirteen asked. "And next proceeds to look for Jackie?"
"Abysmally high," Sekijiro sighed.
"It would seem that the Master's prediction is coming to life yet again," Kurogiri said as he and Tomura were watching the latest news concerning Webjack.
"Good for him, and probably bad for us because more Vigilantes means more trouble that we do not need right now," Tomura huffed.
"If all goes as planned, then Webjack will be mostly fighting the Heroes soon. All we have to do is focus on gaining more followers. Giran called earlier, so preparations are already on their way," Kurogiri advised.
"Fantastic. But if none of them make for good support in my game, I'm leaving them as ashes for the Heroes to find," Tomura hissed.
While Musutafu struggles to maintain order with its Heroes and Policemen doing all they can to repel the violent attacks of the insurgent Villains, several places remain untouched by the chaos, like an auto repair shop called Kuroi Tekkō, run by a very popular biker gang, being one of the best in the business, that is counted on to repair or build any vehicle they are approached with.
However, what the citizens of Musutafu don't know, including the Heroes, is that the warehouse also houses dark secrets, such as the illegal distribution of Support Gears and other items that are delivered to Villains and other Criminals, like the surviving Yakuza.
For almost a week, the Kuroi Tekkō has been closed, claiming to be going through issues that are undisclosed, but assured their usual customers that they'll reopen soon enough.
The reason for this is that the gang has been working on a big project, and it is nearing completion.
Kuroi Tekkō was a sprawling expanse of corrugated metal and concrete, nestled in the heart of an industrial district on the outskirts of Musutafu. Its exterior was nondescript, blending seamlessly into the surrounding urban landscape with its weather-beaten facade and graffiti-covered walls.
Inside, the cavernous interior of the warehouse stretched out before them like a labyrinth of metal and machinery. The air was thick with the smell of grease and motor oil, mingling with the acrid scent of welding sparks and burning metal. The sound of clanging metal and whirring machinery filled the air, punctuated by the occasional roar of an engine or the crackle of welding torches.
The warehouse was a hive of activity, with men clad in leather jackets and biker gear working tirelessly on a massive armored truck parked in the center of the space. The truck itself was a formidable sight to behold, its sleek and angular frame bristling with heavy armor plating and reinforced steel. It loomed ominously in the dim light of the warehouse, a silent sentinel of destruction waiting to be unleashed.