Chapter 42: To Crush A Bug!
Danger!
Izuku felt his head scream at him, the teen leaping off the platform just as the giant hands clapped, crunching the platform he had been standing on. The sound of metal crushing rang out at this, Izuku firing a webline upward. It instantly hit the warehouse's ceiling, yanking him back up as he glanced back at the giant hands, only to see them suddenly get consumed in a pillar of smoke.
"Huh?" Izuku muttered before looking down, now seeing the buildings below him. It looked like a cross between a carnival, a circus, and a collection of movie props. 'What the heck?! What is this place?!' he thought, only for a booming sound to ring out. He glanced back up and saw a plume of smoke that transformed into the giant Mysterio from before.
"Surprised?!" the villain cackled, "And now, I shall show you just how insignificant you really are!" The giant swung his arms at this, about to clap them into the vigilante again. Izuku let go of the webline at this, dropping just as the hands slammed into each other.
Izuku flipped once before landing, the teen glancing down and seeing he was now on a wooden rooftop. He took a small breath as his mind said, 'Okay, how did he do that? He turned into a giant...was it a solid illusion? My spider sense did warn me of-'
His thoughts were cut short as he saw the giant from before turn into a smoke cloud. And as this happened, ten smaller smoke puffs appeared around the teen, all soon revealing ten Mysterios. "And now, let us do battle!" all ten said in unison before the one in front of Izuku ran up and threw a punch at the teen. Spider sense yelling at him, Izuku reflexively tilted his head, evading the jab before responding with his own punch. The blow instantly knocked the Mysterio off its feet, only for two more to charge at Izuku. And as they tried to hit him, Izuku sidestepped both punches from them just as the one that was knocked down turned into a puff of smoke.
'That's an illusion too.' Izuku thought before kicking one of the two, only for the other to punch his face. The blow just pushed him slightly back, the punch feeling like a love tap more than anything. 'I felt that.'
Izuku responded with a punch to that Mysterio's gut, knocking it back before it exploded into smoke. This was followed by three more of them, all throwing jabs at the teen. The vigilante ducked under them all, quickly doing a leg sweep. The trio flopped over at this, turning into puffs of smoke instantly. But as this happened, Izuku saw the five Mysterios that were left all just stood in front of him.
The teen braced himself at this, only for all five villains to speak up in unison, "Well done. But you will not win this, for you are outnumbered a hundred to one!"
"Uh...you do realize there's only five of you now, right Fishbowl-Head?"
"My name is Mysterio!" the villain barked back, only for five puffs of smoke appear behind the original five, five more Mysterios now appearing. All ten pointed at him at this, "And now, the battle will continue!"
"Great..." Izuku muttered as he ducked under a punch from one of the Mysterios, 'So he can make a bunch of smaller solid, tangible illusions.' He punched the Mysterio back, knocking it back before it turned into a puff of smoke. This was followed by Izuku's spider sense ringing out, the teen quickly spinning around with a kick, smacking two away as they all turned into smoke. But as the puffs dissipated, three more Mysterios appeared in new small pillars of smoke. 'And he can make as many as he wants.'
That thought made Izuku grimace, his eyes glancing around as he noticed he was in the middle of the rooftop, 'I gotta get out of here.' He evaded two more punches at this, seeing now the illusions were very slow. Probably the slowest punches he had seen since he started as Spider-Man. As such, he kicked another Mysterio, the clone turning into smoke before he cut into a sprint. The other nine began to chase after him, only to see the vigilante leap off the rooftop.
'Gotta catch my breath.' he thought as he landed. But as his feet touched the ground, a giant puff of smoke appeared before him, making the teen glance up and see the giant Mysterio again. "Uh-oh."
"You will not escape me, bug!" the giant roared as it raised its foot, the teen jumping away as the stomp came a second later. He fired a webline upward at this, yanking himself away. His eyes darted around at the same time, now seeing all the buildings.
'A carnival? He put a carnival inside a warehouse?! How did he-'
Danger!
Glancing back, Izuku saw a giant hand about to swat him, the teen gasping before letting go of the line, falling to the ground as the hand swung over him. Rolling on the floor for a second, he spun around to see a giant foot raise up, ready to try and stomp the teen again. 'I can't sit still. Gotta move!' he thought before glancing over to the building that he had just leapt off of. It looked like a saloon from the Old West, the sight making him blink before firing two weblines, slingshotting him inside.
But as he did this, the giant Mysterio vanished in a pillar of smoke as the teen slid into the building. There, the vigilante saw he was in an old-style western bar, which was soon consumed in puffs of smoke...only to for five Mysterios to appear, four sitting around tables while a fifth was behind the bar. The four were all in cowboy outfits, complete with spurs and stetsons, though their head were still looked like fishbowls while the fifth as in a waiter-like outfit while still wearing the fishbowl helmet, along with a big fake mustache on the bowl.
"Howdy! Ready for a good ol' shooting up?" The Mysterio from behind the bar asked.
"Huh?" was all Izuku could say before the other four Mysterios reached under the tables and pulled out pairs of revolvers.
"Get 'em boys!" the bar-tending Mysterio yelled as they all took aim at the vigilante.
Danger!
"Eep!" Izuku yelped as he fired two weblines into the ceiling, yanking himself a split-second before four bullets flew across the room. Dodging them all, Izuku did a small flip in the air before aiming his wrists at the four, firing a barrage of webbing. Trusting his spider sense, webbing struck every gun before he yanked them away, the teen grabbing all of them a second later. Izuku quickly shot out a glob of webbing at this, wrapping the weapons up before firing the blob of guns into the ceiling, sticking it in a webbed mess.
"Impressive." The Mysterio behind the bar commented, "But we're not done yet." He snapped his fingers and four more Mysterios appeared in puffs of smoke, these in the normal Mysterio outfits rather than the cowboy ones.
"That's kinda disappointing. You couldn't do them all in outfits, Fishbowl-Head?"
"Shut up!" the bartender one yelled, "Get 'em! And we're Mysterio, not Fishbowl-Head!"
They all charged at Izuku at this, one in a cowboy outfit throwing the first punch. The teen responded by ducking under it, his spider sense blaring as two more punches came his way. Izuku started to backpedal at this, evading both before throwing a punch, knocking one of the cowboy ones off his feet and into a table. As this happened, one of the ones that wasn't wearing a cowboy outfit grabbed a wooden chair and raised it up high, only for Izuku to fire a webline on the chair and yank it, sending the chair straight into the Mysterio's head.
Crash!
Two puffs of smoke appeared next, making those two Mysterios disappear as two of the others leapt at Izuku, trying to tackle him. Spider sense flaring, the teen side-stepped them both, only to dodge another punch before hitting one of the cowboy ones back, turning it into a puff of smoke. "You guys aren't that tough, are you?" He remarked as he then kicked the other cowboy Mysterio, its form smashing into a table, splitting the furniture in half before the Mysterio disappeared in another puff of smoke.
"Maybe so." The bartender replied, "But we prefer quantity over quality."
Four Mysterios appeared in a fog of smoke at this, all charging as the other two got back up. Izuku leapt up at this, hopping over the group before spinning around and firing a blast of webbing, sticking them all together. But as he landed, smoke consumed them, only for six new Mysterios to appear out of the smoke, the sight making Izuku growl, "Oh, come on-"
Danger!
Smash!
"Augh!" Izuku yelled as a thick glass bottle hit his head, making him glance back to see it was the bartender. He pointed his wrist at him, only for spider sense to scream at him again. This was followed by one of the new Mysterios grabbing a nearby chair and slamming it into the teen's back, the wooden frame breaking to pieces as Izuku felt pain surge through him. A punch to the vigilante's face followed this, though the blow wasn't as strong as the previous hits. As such, as the punching Mysterio tried a second jab, Izuku's reflexes kicked in, causing him to swing a leg upward, smacking the Mysterio away.
A puff of smoke followed, only for two more Mysterios to throw a pair of punches at him, spider sense making Izuku duck under both before hitting them back with two thrusting blows. And as they were knocked back, another bottle flew through the air, spider sense screaming at the teen as he raised his hand and caught the bottle. "What?!" The bartender Mysterio yelped, only for Izuku to fling the bottle right back at him, the glass container hitting the bartender's head before he turned into a cloud of smoke.
"That's it!" Izuku yelled as he kicked another Mysterio, turning it into smoke before firing two weblines to the sides of the front door of the saloon. "I'm outta here!"
And with a tug, the vigilante slingshotted through the doors, flinging out of the building. He landed with a slight slide, his eyes darting back at the building, ready to see if the fake Mysterios followed him...only to find they were gone. The saloon looked suddenly empty, making the teen blink before the corner of his eyes caught another sight. It was a giant puff of smoke, making him turn to see the giant Mysterio from before.
"Couldn't take the saloon, could you bug?!" The giant laughed, "Very well! Then I shall give you the honor of being squashed by-hey! Get back here!"
"Nope." Izuku commented as he fired a webline and yanked himself away, 'Come on Izuku, think this through. There's got to be a way-'
Danger!
The teen glanced back and saw two hands about to clap him. Going wide-eyed, he pulled as hard as he could on the webline, yanking himself away just in time. This was followed by the giant thrusting a punch straight for the vigilante, Izuku letting go of the webline, ducking right under the fist. However, this made the teen hit the ground a second later, Izuku feeling his body roll on the floor.
"Ow ow ow!" He yelped as he scrambled to his feet, only for his spider sense to scream at him. Not looking back this time, he pushed his spider strength into his legs and leapt as far as he could, just avoiding a giant foot slamming into the ground. A slight booming sound followed this, Izuku glancing back to see the giant Mysterio marching after him. He looked back at what was in front of him, only to see what looked like a circus tent to his right. And as he went through the entrance, the teen rolled on the ground before glancing back out, only to see the giant Mysterio was now gone.
'That giant version of Fishbowl-Head keeps disappearing when I go into a building.' the teen thought before taking a deep breath. He put his hand to his chest before sighing, 'Okay Izuku, you-'
"So, you wish to try my house of mirrors bug?!" exclaimed a voice, interrupting the teen's thoughts. He turned to see a whole hall of mirrors before him, all with a bunch of...Spider-Men in them.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Izuku moaned, only to see the Spider-Men in the mirrors start to literally walk out of the mirrors. "What the-"
"Seems you still don't understand." One of them said, only for a loud noise to sound out behind Izuku. He glanced back and saw that a large metal door was now covering the entrance he had just went through. The sight made him blink before looking back at the mirrors, now seeing five of himself standing with crossed arms.
"Great..." Izuku sighed as the fake Spider-Men charge at him. He easily punched the first two, both turning into puffs of smoke before a third hit Izuku in the chest. This was followed by a fourth running around the teen, trying to punch his back, only for the vigilante's spider sense to yell at him. This was followed by Izuku putting every bit of strength into his legs before hopping, flipping in the air before landing on all fours on the ceiling. Seeing this, the fakes all stared up at him, two more now appearing from puffs of smoke.
A few seconds passed at this, Izuku seeing that they weren't trying to attack him. "What's the matter? Can't climb up here like me?"
"Uh..." one of them replied before they all glanced at each other, only for it to look back up at Izuku and shake its fist at him. "Come down here and fight us like a man!"
"Oh yeah?! Why don't you come up here and fight me like a spider?!" Izuku quipped back, "You're all supposed to be me, aren't you?" The fakes began to hop up and down at this, only to find that the teen was just out of reach. Blinking at this, Izuku's mind hummed to itself, 'Hey, that was a pretty good quip! I'm glad I wrote that down a while back. I should come up with more spider-based things...'
"Grrr...come down here this instant!"
"No." Izuku replied before closing his eyes, trusting his spider sense to warn him as he began to think. 'Okay, I got a second now. Think this through Izuku...he keeps switching illusions on me. He either has that giant version of himself or a bunch of smaller ones. That means he probably can't do both, but both are still very real. That's such a cool quirk. I wonder if he could-no! Don't nerd out! Think! You have to-'
Danger!
He opened his eyes to see one of the fakes now wielding a chair before throwing it at the teen. Firing a webline, Izuku yanked himself away at the last second, only to land on the floor a few feet away from the fake Spider-Men. Spinning around at this, he heard one of them yell, "Get him!" before they all charged at the teen.
'Gotta get out of here.' He thought before standing up and cutting into a sprint into the house of mirrors. The teen took a left and a right, his eyes darting back and forth as he saw nothing but reflections. 'Come on, there's got to be-'
"You can't run from me!" exclaimed a voice, only for Izuku to see five new fakes come out of mirrors in front of the teen. Skidding to a stop, Izuku took another left, only to see two more fakes appear, this time from puffs of smoke. Spider sense screaming at this, the vigilante quickly switching into a slide, zipping right under both, hitting their legs and knocking them to the floor, causing both to turn into puffs of smoke.
'They're so fragile.' he commented in his head, 'But they can overwhelm me. I need to-wait! That's it!' He came to a stop at this as he saw he was in another hallway of mirrors. His eyes darted back and forth, staring at the reflective surfaces surrounding him.
A second later, two fakes appeared in front of him from inside the mirrors, only for two more to appear out of puffs of smoke behind them. Seeing this, one fake asked, "Tired of running?"
But as the fake asked this, Izuku just shook his head, "Nope. Just realized something."
"And what's that?!"
"That only some of you come out of mirrors." Izuku replied before turning to one of them, "And if you guys fall apart from one punch," He pulled back a fist, "Maybe the mirrors you come out of are the same!"
The fakes all flinched before yelling, "No, wait!"
SMASH!
Izuku's fist hit the mirror one of the fakes had just come out of, only for it to turn into smoke. And as the fog dissipated instantly, the teen now seeing an open tunnel beyond the mirrors. "Bingo!"
"No! Come back here!" the fakes yelled as Izuku rushed inside, huffing as he kept running.
'Keep moving Izuku.' the teen thought as continued to make his way down the hallway. 'You just need a second to think.' And as he thought this, his eyes saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel. 'I hope there's nothing crazy beyond this.' A second later, the vigilante had come to a stop as he saw a new sight. 'You have got to be kidding me. I really gotta stop asking that.'
The teen had just found that he had ran inside a circus tent. Granted, Izuku had never gone to the circus before, as most stopped existing due to the rise of quirks and the idea of…questionable practices. However, this one was a complete tent with a surrounding yet empty seating area and a circle in the middle with long trapeze towers. Granted, there was no cannon, performers, but the teen quickly found out there was one circus thing here: Animals.
"RAWR!"
The middle of the circus suddenly shifted into a pile of sand, only for a certain animal's head Izuku recognized to appear…and blast out of the sand. "Oh great. Of course he brought you back." The teen deadpanned as a giant snake began to slither up from the center of the tent. Izuku felt himself backpedal at the sight, only to see the snake's head turn to glare at him.
Danger!
"RAWR!" the snake roared as it thrust its head at the teen, Izuku instantly firing two weblines into the ceiling and yanking on them. The snake head slammed into the tent's floor as Izuku flew above it, dodging it in a split second. He then fired another webline, swinging himself across the tent.
"I gotta get out of here." Izuku whispered as he landed on a trapeze platform. Another roar rang out at this, making him glance back to see the giant snake raised itself again. It then tilted sideways before thrusting its head with mouth opened, fangs ready to chomp the vigilante. Leaping off the trapeze, the snake head slamming into the pole as Izuku firing another webline, swinging to the other trapeze platform. He looked back at this, his eyes staring at the previous platform's pole as it contorted from the snake's fangs before letting go and glaring at him again.
The sight made him suck in a breath, his mind going into overdrive. 'If this is like the last time, its pointless to fight the snake…but this might be a good time to collect my thoughts.' The snake then leapt at him again, Izuku firing some more webbing as he swung around the tent. Letting his spider sense take over, he reflexively dodged the beast as he began to think, 'Come on Izuku, think! How do I beat him?'
And as he evaded the snake again, his mind went to a single thought: His first encounter with the villain at the bank.
"That's it!" Izuku exclaimed, only to see the snake head appear right in front of him. "Eep!" The snake opened his mouth and tried to chomp him, Izuku firing another webline and yanking away. "I'm leaving. Now." He then fired two lines into the ceiling before tugging again, the vigilante flinging himself upward. Thrusting a leg, he shot through the top of the circus tent, ripping through the building's fabric.
It was here that the teen saw he was right back in the warehouse, complete with the assortment of buildings from earlier. And as he flew out of the tent and fired another webline, zipping himself on top of a tiny building's rooftop, a giant pillar of smoke suddenly appeared before him.
"Well, well, well…seems you escaped our old friend!" a giant Mysterio declared as the smoke dissipated.
"Yeah. I'll admit, I didn't like seeing him again." Izuku quipped as he stared up at the massive villain, "Though to be fair, at least he doesn't wear a fishbowl."
"I do not wear a fishbowl! This is a helmet!" the giant barked back before pointing at the teen. "And do you not see what you're wearing?!"
"Oh yeah?! At least my costume's colors go together, unlike yours! You look like you should be some aquarium's mascot, you giant bubblehead!" Izuku replied, about to shake his fist at the giant before stopping himself, 'Huh. That's weird. I've never been able to quip like that before. Is it because I'm fighting him?!'
"Why you little…"
Izuku ignored the next few words, shaking his head before pointing at the massive villain, "Alright, listen here fishbowl-"
"Do not call me that! I am Mysterio, Master of the Arcane Arts!" Mysterio roared, making Izuku almost flinch.
"Oookay. Well, listen here anyways." Izuku responded before taking a deep breath, "I'm done playing your game. I know your quirk's weakness, and these illusions of yours aren't going to beat me. Show me where you are so we can finish this."
"WHAT?!" Mysterio exclaimed, "How dare you! My quirk has no weaknesses!" He then raised his arms out, "I am the greatest illusionist the world has ever seen! My quirk is perfect!" He pointed at Izuku again, "And you will not defeat me!"
Izuku shook his head again, "No. You're wrong. I've seen a perfect quirk...and it isn't yours."
And as he said that, Izuku closed his eyes, his mind going into the library of memories inside his head. The memories of the explosions, beatings, and bruises. Of days of being shown what a true quirk is. One that beat him over and over, day in and day out, explosion after explosion.
It was a true quirk. A quirk where you could accomplish all your dreams, and show that everyone else had no right to their dreams. A quirk that Izuku so wished he had...but was instead given this. A quirk from a spider bite.
'I'm weak. I'm still so weak.' Izuku thought as he opened his eyes, now staring at the giant villain in front of him. His mind was clear now. He could still feel the sting of those explosions from the past, but a new thought entered his head: 'But that doesn't mean I can't try. That doesn't mean I can't win this fight.'
"Your quirk isn't perfect." Izuku repeated, the giant almost flinching as he added, "I've figured it all out."
"What was that?!"
"You heard me." Izuku instantly replied, "Your illusions can only make certain things solid. You either have one to two big things, like the snake at the bank when I first encountered you or those giant hands, or a bunch of smaller things. I believe you can make up to ten or so smaller solid illusions. The rest are all fakes, just props you have around here. You also can't disrupt my senses, as you've never changed anything around me this whole time unlike at the bank. That means you have to be up close and personal for that part of your illusions to work."
"You...you little-"
"I'm right, aren't I?" Izuku replied as he slowly stood up.
"You're wrong!" Mysterio exclaimed, "My quirk is perfect! It is the greatest illusion quirk of them all!"
Izuku just shook his head at this, "No...no, its not. I've seen a perfect quirk...and its not this."
"You...you...you..." the villain repeated, his giant form shaking as it stood there. Despite not being able to show any emotions due to the giant helmet on its head, Izuku knew there was a look of pure frustration on the villain's face. That is, till he let out a roar, "That's it! I'm crushing you right now!"
Izuku flashed his palms at this, "Now hang on-"
"NO!" Mysterio screeched, "I'm ending this now! I am proud to be a villain, and I shall show the world my greatest feat right now! I will show the world the death of the Spider-Man!"
'Guess I gotta do this the hard way.' Izuku thought as he took a deep breath before crouching down, getting into his usual fighting stance. And as he did this, his idea he had at the start reentered his head as the teen spoke up, "Fine. If that's the way you want it." Izuku felt himself smirk at his next words, "Let's go, Fishbowl Head!"
"MY NAME IS NOT FISHBOWL HEAD! IT IS MYSTERIO!" the giant screamed, his voice echoing through the whole building. And as it did this, Izuku turned his head to the left. Before his eyes was several low buildings, some looking obviously fake while others had some structure to them.
But that wasn't what Izuku was looking at. Rather, he was staring at the wall beyond the buildings. 'That's it!' he mentally grinned as he pointed his wrists toward the wall, 'Got ya!'
Thwip!
Two weblines hit the wall instantly, the villain seeing this as Izuku began to pull. "What the-what are you doing?!"
"Ending this." Izuku replied as he lifted his legs up, only to instantly slingshot away.
"NO!" Mysterio yelled as he turned into a giant puff of smoke. A second later, he reappeared in a massive pillar of fog in front of the vigilante, his giant form swinging both arms at the teen. But as the hands came down to crush the bug, Izuku let go of the weblines, his body flying before firing another webline, this one wrapping around the giant's right arm. With a tug, he swung under the arm, only for his spider sense to ring out. Firing another web, he pulled himself away just as the giant spun around, trying to swat the vigilante, only to miss.
And as this happened, Izuku fired two more weblines and pulled, soon slingshotting himself right into the warehouse's wall.
SMASH!
His form instantly burst through the wall as if it was made of cardboard. Granted, he had a feeling it was something stronger, but it was nothing against Izuku's spider strength. Instead, the teen saw he had just slammed through a wall of painted over lumber, which had been made to look like a brick wall. And beyond that wall was an empty part of the warehouse...except a tiny room on the side of the warehouse's real wall. One that had a big glass window on its side.
SMASH!
"Hi there!" Izuku laughed as he slammed his feet into the glass window, shattering it to pieces. The villain inside turned to the sudden intruder as the vigilante commented, "So, will the real fishbowl head stand up?"
"What?!" Mysterio screamed, only for Izuku to point both wrists at him, webbing instantly wrapping him to his chair a second later. "What the-how?!"
Izuku's hand stretched over and grabbed the villain's helmet, yanking it off with a single pull. It revealed a basic looking man, Izuku leaning down and pinching his cheek, "Are you the real one?"
"Ow!" the man yelped.
"Yup. The real deal." Izuku chuckled, "And that means you lose."
"Wha-No! NO!" the villain yelled as he began to squirm in his chair, "How did you-what is-how did you find me?!"
The teen shrugged at this before glancing around at the room as he decided to not answer the question just yet. He saw it was a fully fitted security camera room just like what you would see in television shows and movies. "Nice room you got here. A full security camera setup? Let me guess, you had cameras in every bit of this place so you could easily use your illusions on me. I bet they're specially made for your quirk and everything."
Mysterio growled at this, "You...how did you figure out where I was?!"
"Simple." Izuku replied before pointing at him, "You told me."
"Me?!"
"Yup." Izuku leaned down while shining a grin under his mask, "After all, I knew I couldn't find you normally. I went through your whole carnival/circus/movie prop thing and didn't find a trace of you. But I knew you had to be nearby, or your quirk probably wouldn't work. That meant you had to be somewhere in the warehouse, probably behind something fake...like a false wall."
"You..." Mysterio hissed.
"After that, all I had to do is make you angry." Izuku chuckled, "So angry your yell became an echo in this giant warehouse. Following that sound, I knew you had to be behind this wall."
"You...this isn't over!" Mysterio roared, "I will escape this and-"
ZAP!
"Ugh..." The villain moaned before slumping over.
"No more monologues. No more tricks." Izuku commented as he lifted his two fingers off of the villain's shoulder, electricity sparking off of him. "You're done, and I'm going home." And as he said that, he felt a crick in his back, "YEOW!" He tried to reach around his back and groaned, "And maybe I can finally do that vacation..."
Pointing his wrists, he fired some more webbing over the chair just in case before hopping down and walking out of the room, only to spin around. "Hmm?" He lifted up the fishbowl head Mysterio had been wearing, his eyes squinting at the sight. On the seemingly glass bowl were tiny little circuits on the bottom edges. 'Whoa. Now that's cool. His helmet has a kind of OS skeleton to it.' Izuku glanced back at the knocked-out villain, 'For a nutjob, he might be smarter than he looks...and that sounded really mean. I shouldn't go that far.'
The teen glanced back at the helmet, humming to himself, 'Hmm...wonder if I could add this to my suit. Maybe my mask? I did want to do a customization to my mask's eye lens.' he spun the helmet around, 'Better not take the whole thing though. The police will probably need this for evidence.' He put two of his fingers to the edge of the helmet and twisted it, breaking off a piece. 'There. They won't miss that.'
He put the piece in his hoodie and pulled out a small notecard that he wrote on saying: This is Fishbowl-Head, a crazy bank robber. Please put him away in the least coziest cell you can find. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
"There we go." Izuku chuckled as he put the notecard on the webbed up villain's lap before exiting the room. Doing a quick stretch, (Which made his back crick in pain again) he slowly walked out of the building, easily finding an exit before webswinging into the city.
"Time to go place an anonymous call to the police, then go home and take a long sleep. Here's hoping that's all I'm gonna have to deal with for like...the next week."
Chapter 43: The Day It All Began to Fall Apart
Aizawa had fought plenty of ice quirk wielding villains, but he had never felt this cold. The reason for this was quite simple. His boss, Nezu, had been staring at a screen showing the vigilante he had been searching for so long fighting an absolutely ridiculous villain. To be fair, the villain did seem to have an advanced illusion quirk, but his posturing and gesturing showed a lost mind, one that could never use the quirk to its true potential. At least, in Aizawa's mind.
But that wasn't the reason why he felt so cold. It was because he was staring at something he hadn't seen in a long time: An angry Nezu. The last time he had seen this was an unfortunate accident involving a case that brought up the stoat's past, including his...history with other humans.
The footage had only gone on for a minute, the villain having done a long speech before turning into a giant thanks to his illusion quirk, and then began to fight Spider-Man. Aizawa could tell Nezu was conflicted, part of him wanting to watch the footage while the other was wanting to take some kind of action. And that second part soon won as Nezu pulled out his phone, a snarl on his face as he said, "Blast it. I hope I'm not too late."
Tapping a few buttons, he put the phone to his ear and waited. Seconds slowly ticked by as Nezu watched the screen, the footage now showing Spider-Man leap off a platform to avoid the giant villain's hands before landing on a rooftop. Smoke appeared around the vigilante at this, soon more villains appearing within those puffs of smoke. What followed was a fist fight, Nezu watching each second before a voice rang out through his phone.
"Don't bother rat." responded the person on the other side of the line, the hero commission president.
"Now hold on-"
"Forget it." the hero commission president interrupted in a low tone. "I've already sent the order."
"Miss President-" Nezu started to say, but the commission president wasn't listening.
"You're no longer part of the Spider-Man case. I've sent in an order to put him in the villain registry." She let out a long sigh at this, "I can't put him any higher than B rank due to the fact he hasn't killed or committed any truly atrocious crimes, but due to his actions of stopping the gang fight outside of the sports festival, the hero killer, and now this fully broadcasted event that is currently across the country, and yes, my operatives are telling me this is being broadcast all over the country, which means I now have to take action. The hero commission hereby deems that Spider-Man no longer has the right to run free."
She paused for a moment, making Nezu speak up, "Listen, if you do this, it will only make things worse. Allow me to catch him. I can guarantee-"
"No." She spat, "You had your chance. The police department are being blamed for this failure, along with you. From this moment on, Spider-Man is a hero commission only problem. If you or the police department interfere in any way, you will be arrested for law interference."
"You can not just-"
CLICK!
The sound of the president hanging up rang out at this, Nezu's words instantly coming to a stop. Aizawa and Naomasa stared at the stoat, seeing him clench his paws around the phone. The detective gulped at the sight while Aizawa hid a smirk under his scarf. However, he didn't make a remark as he saw Nezu sigh before putting away his phone.
"It seems a new plan will need to be arranged." Nezu hissed as he spun around, his back now to the duo. "Give me one minute to think."
The two shared a glance, a worried frown on Naomasa's face while Aizawa's switched to his usual tired expression. And as a minute passed, silence consumed the room. Not a sound was heard, just pure utter silence.
That is, till the stoat picked up a remote and switched the footage back to Spider-Man fighting Mysterio. All three watched as the teen was now in a fake saloon, beating up illusions. "I want that." Nezu commented, making them glance back at the principal. "But it seems others want to get in my way."
He pressed a button, pausing the footage. "I have an idea." He glanced back at the two, "Let's talk tomorrow gentlemen, as I have a lot to prepare. And Aizawa?" The teacher squinted his eyes at the stoat, "Until I resolve this, the third years will have to wait. Understood?"
They shared one last glance, Aizawa nodding before Naomasa chimed in, "Uh...Nezu?" The stoat turned to him, "Um...should we be worried if that villain beats Spider-Man?"
The two beady eyes of the stoat blinked for a second before replying, "No. He won't beat Spider-Man. I can 100 percent guarantee it."
Fuyumi Todoroki had never seen her youngest brother act like this. And that was saying something, as her little brother rarely acted like anything. But that was not today, as her brother Shoto Todoroki was now staring at the television they had in their dining room. On the screen was a vigilante called Spider-Man, someone she had heard about during some office talk at her job, but nothing more.
But that wasn't what surprised her. It was her brother's reaction. He looked like he was in a trance, watching the vigilante fight an over-the-top villain wearing a fishbowl on his head. The sight was almost as baffling as her brother, and she thought her life was starting to become more normal recently, was just...watching something with bated breath. Sighing at this, she continued to eat her food at the dinner table, staring at her brother as he watched the screen.
And after a few more seconds, she spoke up, "Does dad know?"
Shoto turned to her, raising an eyebrow, "Know what?"
"That you uh..." She glanced over at the television, "That you're a fan of this...Spider-Man guy?"
"No." He instantly responded.
"Oh." She almost whispered, Shoto's eyes going back at the screen, "Does uh...does dad not like that guy?"
"No. He hates Spider-Man."
She let out a small hum, "I figured." She then saw her brother turn to stare at her, the woman doing a small shrug, "Don't worry, I won't tell him."
Shoto did a small nod and said, "Thanks." before glancing back at the screen, now watching Spider-Man escape the fake saloon, "Amazing..."
"Wow." Himiko commented as she stared at the Midoriya household's television. It was now showing Izuku in the mirror house, the teen punching illusion versions of himself. "Izuku's really good."
"He is." Inko replied as she sat down beside her, giving the girl a bottle, "Here."
Himiko took it and sniffed the top, only to smile as she recognized the smell of blood, "Mmm." She hummed as she began to drink. And as she did this, she glanced over and saw the big frown on Inko's face, "You okay?"
"Hmm?" Inko responded before turning to her, "Oh, uh..." She did a small shrug, "I don't know."
"What's wrong?"
Inko took a deep breath before replying, "I...I don't know why, but I'm still trying to get used to Izuku going out and...and..."
"Fighting stuff like that?"
She did a small nod, "Yes." She slumped back into the couch at this, "Its just so...different. I've never seen him so happy, and yet all I do is worry." The woman put a hand to her face, rubbing as she shook her head, "I just wish I could do more for him."
Himiko stared at the lady for a long moment of silence, only to glance back and now see Izuku evading what looked like to be a giant snake. The sight made her blink before turning back to Inko, "You know, I don't think you give yourself enough credit."
Inko turned to her, "What?"
"I don't think you give yourself enough credit." She repeated, "Like...you care about him, don't you?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then...do you believe in him to do his own thing? Or do you not want to do that?"
Inko blinked at Himiko's question, the very statement entering her brain as she realized what the girl meant. It was what her parents had done to her, rejecting her for not letting her be herself. And with a deep breath, the woman replied, "I...don't know. I want him to do his own thing, but..." She teared up at this, whispering out, "I'm scared."
Himiko slightly flinched at this, now seeing what her question had done. "Oh." She barely said before patting Inko's shoulder, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Inko shook her head, "Its okay. I know you didn't mean to." The woman turned to give the girl that warm smile she would always give, "Thank you Himiko."
"Huh? What for?"
"For reminding me why I do this." Inko replied before looking back at the screen, watching Izuku escape the giant snake, "Let's keep watching, shall we?"
"What an idiot." The Tinkerer growled as she watched Spider-Man now talk back to a giant Mysterio. "To think he would waste the equipment I made for him on something this stupid."
"No kidding." chimed in a second voice, Phineas glancing back to see her fellow classmate, Robert Farrell. "That guy has to be a real nut to wear something like that and broadcast it."
"Yeah, well...he's always been a nut." Phineas grumbled as she looked back at the screen, now seeing Spider-Man run away from the giant Mysterio. And as this happened, the footage suddenly stopped, the main screen of the broadcast just sitting on a single frame. What followed was audio only, mainly between Spider-Man and Mysterio, as it sounded like the vigilante had just found and defeated the villain.
"Guess that's that." She sighed as she turned off the screen. The girl spun around at this, only to be greeted by a big grin on Farrell's face. "What?"
"You ready to do the big heist?"
She glared back at him, "No."
"WHAT?! Why not?!" he yelped, his grin now vanishing.
"The equipment isn't ready." She commented as she spun around again, "Besides...I've been watching the underground the past few days. If I'm right, it would be a mistake to hop in right now."
"What do you mean?"
She sucked in a deep breath and hissed out, "What I mean is that those fake worthless heroes would interfere. Its bad enough I have to work for them to get the tech I want." Farrell could hear the anger on three of her words in particular, her voice making it sound like she had to taste bile while saying them.
Grimacing at this, he sat down beside her and said, "Alright, I get it. We'll wait." He then pulled out a small USB drive, "Want to look over some specs then? I got something here I think could help us with the gear."
She glared back at him before glancing down at the device, seeing a piece of tape on the USB that had the word 'Chance' on it. A second passed before she said, "Fine. Need to get some extra work done anyways."
Gentle Criminal stared at the small laptop screen, the video of Spider-Man beating Mysterio now ending. Beck had bet his performance on revenge, something that Gentle didn't support, but he had to admit...the performance was different. He tried to show true showmanship, making things extravagant and spectacular. But that meant nothing, as Spider-Man had won.
Spider-Man. Gentle had only met him twice, and this second encounter had the vigilante catching him...only to talk to him. It was so odd. Heroes had constantly tried to catch the villain and that was it, but not Spider-Man. Instead, he asked him why he was doing this and...Gentle couldn't stop thinking about it. The teen's words kept repeating in his head, talking about how he had given up. Those words just...itched his mind, like a small bit of nagging.
And yet, Gentle had to admit that that wasn't the only thing that made him think. When he talked to the vigilante, it was like talking to a version of himself. Spider-Man seemed uncertain, slightly aimless and hesitant, but also...caring. He acted like all he wanted to do was help, even to someone like him. A rejected hero hopeful turned villain.
"Gentle? You okay?" asked a voice, making him turn to see La Brava standing beside him with a cup of tea.
"I...do not know, La Brava." he replied before taking the cup and taking a tiny sip. A small sigh escaped his breath before putting the cup on a nearby table. The two had escaped Spider-Man's webbing for a while now, mainly due to it dissolving, though La Brava had taken some time trying to make sure no webbing stayed in their apartment. But as she found nothing, she showed Gentle the video between Spider-Man and Mysterio.
As he watched it, Gentle reached over and tapped a button, shutting down the video. Another sigh escaped his lips at this, making La Brava chime in, "Gentle? What-"
"La Brava...I believe Spider-Man is right." he interrupted, making his sidekick go wide-eyed. And before she could say anything, he turned to her with the saddest look she had ever seen him wear, "I'm going to turn myself in."
She didn't respond for a few seconds, her mouth trying to form words as she whispered, "W-w-what?! Why?! I mean, I know you promised, but-"
"Spider-Man is right." Gentle repeated as he slumped down in his seat, "I gave up on my dream and ran away." He put a hand over his head, closing his eyes, "I've wasted so much time, all in running away."
"Gentle...do you really mean it?"
He took a deep breath before reopening his eyes, "I do. But I don't regret it." He glanced back at La Brava, "I'm sorry for being so selfish La Brava, but..." he bit his lips at his next words, "Will you help me make one last video for my viewers?"
She blinked at him before showing a small smile, "Sure."
"Thank you."
The sound of a clicking keyboard rang out as man in a whitish-grayish suit kept typing. He put his right hand to his face a second later, pushing his glasses up his nose as his eyes glared at the screen. "Spider-Man…" he whispered as he stared at the footage before him.
Spider-Man had defeated Mysterio, the broadcast suddenly cutting after he had disappeared after dodging the 'giant form' of the villain. The man watching the footage glared at every frame, his fingers tapping his desk as he then closed his eyes, repeating his previous words, "Spider-Man…" He put both hands together, twiddling his fingers as he took a deep breath, "Think. What is the next move they will do?"
"Sir Nighteye?" said a voice, making him open his eyes to see a slim light blue-skinned woman wearing a skintight crop top with a visor over her face that had an air filter on it. Her hero name is Bubble Girl, and she had a small frown on her face as she added, "You called for me?"
"Yes." Mirai hissed as he laid his hands down on his desk, "Call my intern. Its time."
She let out a small gasp, "Really? But I thought you said-"
"The situation has changed. Again." Nighteye replied while pushing up his glasses again, "Thanks to Spider-Man, Trigger has been randomly moving around in the underworld. Normally, Trigger is mainly sold through the Shie Hassaikai, though due to recent uprising of Tombstone's gang, a shift happened. However…"
"Tombstone was beaten by Endeavor, right?"
"Yes." Nighteye sighed, "However, he wasn't hunting for him. He was hunting for Spider-Man, who was also connected to the Inner Demons, who were also trying to get into the Trigger drug game." He put his hand to his chin, "Something is happening. All these gangs and criminals shouldn't be moving around this much."
Bubble Girl grimaced at his expression, "So…do you think its time?"
Nighteye glared up at her, making the woman flinch before he did a small nod, "Yes. Its time to move." His eyes turned to his computer, the screen still showing an image of Spider-Man, "And I suspect this will not be easy."
The sounds of tiny gears moving rang out as a man in a lab coat readjusted his goggles. A grin that split his face could be seen as he slowly stood up from his crouched position, the goggles on his eyes twitching as he fiddled with them one more time. And after a few blinks, he fully stood up and took the goggles off, a handkerchief rubbing them a second later.
"Well?" asked a voice behind the man, the lab coat man turning to see a man in a black suit.
"Its exactly as we thought." the lab coat suited man glanced back at what he was previously looking at. Before him was a giant machine surrounding a table that had a katana on it, the blade wearing blood on its tip. "It took a bit longer than I thought, but the data doesn't lie. Spider-Man...is one of ours. He was bitten by the spider that went missing over two months ago."
"I see." A smirk appeared on the suited man's face, "So, can we use it like we thought?"
"I believe we can." The lab coated man tapped a button on the machine, its screen over the katana switching to a picture of a spider with a large tattoo on its back. "I can't get a full DNA signature from the blood, but I was able to isolate it. It will work."
"That's fine." The suited man remarked, "All we need is the fact that the experiment did work."
"And that's what baffles me." the lab coat man replied, "We've done hundreds of experiments with the spiders, and every single individual they bite die within two days. We've tried every person we can find with a mutant quirk or regenerative quirk, and they all die." He tapped another button, showing an image of Spider-Man, "So how did he survive? What makes him different?"
"I don't know, or care." the suited man commented, "All I know is that this means the experiment is a success. That means we finally have results." He turned his head to a giant tube in the room, the one that still contained the Nomu they had received days ago. The creature looked even worse now, half its being falling to pieces that laid astray at the bottom of the tube. "Did you get this creature's quirk?"
"I did."
And then the suited man pointed down at another tube, this one having nothing but a puddle of black goop on the bottom of it. "What about this? Is it still not reacting?"
"Yes. Its frustrating, as I really felt the Nomu's special qualities would help with it. However, I do have an idea or two." the lab coat man replied, "So, does this mean we should begin phase two?"
"Yes." the suited man replied, "But make sure its done quietly. I don't want anyone knowing about this. I already had the man who delivered the Nomu to us...removed." He glared back at the man in the lab coat, "Understood?"
The lab coat man put his goggles back on, "Understood."
"Good." the suited man glanced back at the Nomu, now seeing its arm fully fall off. "We're so close...I can feel it."
With that, the suited man left the room, the lab coat man sighing as he turned to the Nomu. The sight made him shake his head, "Its a pity this sample is so...defective. It truly is Garaki's work, and magnificent work at that. At least we got what we wanted from it."
He glanced back at the main screen, which was showing image after image of Spider-Man. "How? How did you survive? If only I could get a true sample of you..." And as those words left his mouth, a grin appeared on his lips. "Then again, perhaps there is a way." He turned to a certain tube of goop, then back to a bloodied blade nearby. "Let's do one last test."
A lever was pulled next, buttons and switches following similiar motions as the man stood still, his body not moving an inch as he stared at the tube with the goop. One second later, the blood on the blade vanished, the red liquid now in a small vial as it went across the room before seemingly floating in front of his face. "This is the last bit of blood. Pure and natural..." The vial levitated up next, soon reaching the top of the tube as its lid opened before the vial descended down...and the drop of blood fell into the goop.
And as the liquid hit its target, the sludge inside began to react. It was a small, tiny reaction...until a single bit of black webbing hit the tube, making it shake. A second later, two more strings of black webbing shot out, rattling the glass as the lab coat man's grin began to grow.
Mera Yokumiru was not happy. His face didn't show this, though this was mainly because he was wearing his usual tired expression. However, his reason for not being happy was because he knew his boss was making a mistake...but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. The hero commission president was above him, and was having an overreaction to Spider-Man...but she had a firm grip on how the commission leads the hero society.
And that was not easy to deal with. Mera knows that better than anyone, but also knows that the president isn't completely wrong. Vigilantism is bad, but it's also something that can be used for great effect. However, it's also well known to be very hard to take advantage of or take care of. As such, he was now walking up to the president's office, biting his lip as he stared down at the folder in his right hand.
A second later, he walked into the room, not even knocking. It might be rude, but he knows the president doesn't care as he strides in. "I got the files you need." he commented as he walked up to the president's desk.
"Good." she replied without looking at him. Her eyes were glued to her computer screen, a giant frown on her face.
Mera stared at her for a second before asking, "I know I might be overstepping my boundaries here, but don't you think you're overreacting a bit?"
"I'm not." She instantly responded before tapping her desk, "I know you think I am, but I believe something is about to happen and...I don't want society to just look at Spider-Man when they shouldn't."
"What do you mean?"
"No vigilante should have power in this hero society." She said in a flat tone. "The times are too tense for something like that."
Mera took a second before doing a small nod, "I suppose. So, do you have a solution for Spider-Man?" He raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps Hawks?"
The woman shook her head, "No. He is...unfortunately on the other side of the country. That and he's our main poster boy, which is something we must not ruin." She reached behind her desk and opened a drawer, soon taking out another file. Mera glanced down at the folder, only to go wide-eyed as she added, "I've decided to try a different option. It will take a few days for her to get here, but I believe she will be exactly what we need."
"This is-" Mera tried to say as he saw the picture on the folder. It was a woman in a fully grayish-white bodysuit along with a small white belt and a white jacket. She had long white hair, and two pistols attached to her belt. A long frown was on her face, as if she had never looked happy in her entire life.
"The former apprentice of Lady Nagant." The president responded to Mera's slight stutter.
"But...to bring her in." Mera whispered before glancing back up at the president, "Ma'am, no offense, but isn't this going too far for one little vigilante?"
"No. Its not." the president firmly replied. She took a long deep breath at this, Mera feeling himself slightly shake as she then asked, "Tell me, what do you know of the Crawler?"
"The Crawler?" Mera muttered while tilting his head, "Isn't that-"
"He was a vigilante that was allowed to run wild despite the police figuring out who he was for months." Mera blinked at the name of the event, his brain remembering the files over the incident. And before he could say anything, the president added, "Because that vigilante worm was allowed to use his quirk illegally in public, what followed was-"
"I've read the file." Mera interrupted, the president turning to glare at him, "I don't see how its related to Spider-Man."
"It isn't." the president sighed, her sigh's tone sounding like she was scolding a five-year old. "Its the consequences I'm referring to."
"According to the file, that case was-"
"That doesn't matter." the president interrupted again, "What matters was the consequences. Because they let a vigilante run wild, the consequences were almost disastrous...and this vigilante will ultimately do the same. The difference this time is that unlike the Crawler, Spider-Man has been repeatedly broadcasted. That will cause society's view on vigilantes to change, even if its a minor change." Her eyes narrowed at this, "And if it continues to change and someone like that is allowed to run free..." Her expression turned into the sharpest glare, one that made Mera flinch as she said, "Death will soon follow."
Three Days Later...
A small girl covered in bandages with bluish-whitish hair and a tiny horn on her head stared at the sight before her with wide, trembling eyes. Before her on the ground was a dead body with a red puddle on their chest, their eyes open, yet lifeless. Her whole body was shaking as she sat on the ground, the girl unable to stand up as she watched two more people stand over the lifeless body.
One was a spider-costumed individual that was gripping another person by the collar. "Why?!" the one who had told her earlier was called Spider-Man yelled as he pushed the other person away from the body and into a nearby wall. "WHY?!"
"Why should I tell you anything?" the other person replied with a big grin on their face. That is, till their face began to change, the sight making Spider-Man flinch. The individual then kicked the vigilante back, the teen backpedaling as the other person's face fully changed into something else.
"What the...who are you?!" Spider-Man asked.
"Call me," the person reached into their jacket and pulled out a gun, soon pointing it at the vigilante, "The Chameleon."
Chapter 44: Izuku's Spider-Man Notes 2
Spider-Man Notebook 1: Quirk, Steps, and Quips
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Aspect 7: Healing Factor
Notes: I feel that it took me this long to insert this in my notes, as its saved my butt repeatedly as Spider-Man. I'm not sure why I forgot, but its probably because its my least noticeable part of this spider quirk. Of what I've seen between my own observations and Mom's observations, my healing factor seems to heal my entire body, though it is a slightly slow process. It heals bones and bruises, but my original scars before I got this quirk have remained.
Otherwise, its just a basic regenerative-like quirk. I wonder if it'll extend my lifespan like other regenerative quirks. Based on how slow it is, I suspect it might just extend my life a little bit.
--
Page on Quips:
(Still have no new good quips. I need to read joke books when I have the time)
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Property of Izuku Midoriya, future hero
Spider-Man Notebook 2: Villains
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Villain 3: Tombstone
Rank: A
Quirk: Unyielding Wall, mutant quirk. Gives individual an almost invulnerable body. Highly dangerous.
Notes: Had encounter with Tombstone's gang, which are a group of all animal mutant quirks. (And Fat Gum! He seemed to be really nice. I hope I didn't offend him when I ran off like that.) Putting the gang under Tombstone's file, as they all seem to be just under him as a collective. They all use something called Trigger, which I haven't been able to find information about. Need more information.
Edit: Seems Tombstone's gang is making and dealing this Trigger drug. The masked men seem to also want in on their turf, which caused me to encounter them at a warehouse.
Second edit: Masked men and the Tombstone gang had what I could only call a war on the streets of Musutafu. Both were fighting for an unknown reason. I still need more information.
Third edit: I found the Tombstone gang dealing with what looked like another group. These were suited men, along with a guy with what looked like a bird mask. They were dealing bullets that I have found to have blood injectors in them. Unknown what these things are for, as the blood has come up with nothing under analysis.
Fourth edit: I found Tombstone. He was...unstoppable. I didn't stand a chance. No matter what move I tried, nothing worked. Somehow, Endeavor found us while Tombstone was about to kill me, only to easily beat the villain. At least, I suspect he did, as I ran away. Like a coward. I'm...I'm so weak.
--
Villain 4: Fishbowl-Head (Can't remember name of villain)
Rank: Unknown, suspect it to be at least a C due to dangerous nature of quirk
Quirk: Illusion quirk, seems to be able to project a full illusion in a room. Possibly created through gas? Unknown if that's the case.
Notes: Definitely the oddest encounter so far. Fishbowl-Head seems to be able to make full illusions that withstand Pro Heroes attacks. (I met Shishido due to this! The rumors on him are correct, he really does act like an animal! Then again, he's in the top three 'heroes that act like animals', including Hound Dog and Miruko.) He seems to just be a bank robber, which could possibly make him less dangerous. Also had the craziest outfit I've ever seen for a villain, though I'm still new to this.
Edit: I encountered him again. He says his name is...is...Bowlhead Bank Robber? I can't remember. I'll look it up later and edit my notes again. Doesn't matter really. Turns out, he's completely insane. Like, he made a giant movie prop/fake carnival in a warehouse to...kill me. Why didn't he just try to kill me with a regular trap? Makes no sense. Glad I beat him though. I know I want to save villains, but I'm not sure I want to encounter him again.
--
Villain 5: Gentle Criminal
Rank: C
Quirk: Elasticity
Notes: Out of all the villains I've faced, this is the one I have the most information on. Unlike most villains, this one constantly tapes themselves and puts it on the internet. Gentle Criminal is a 'chivalrous thief' as he calls himself in his videos. His quirk is a super useful one, one that would make him a great hero. Its a shame he uses it to do stunts and criticizing corporations. I also lose my fight with him, which has made me realize I can't just hop into every fight instantly. This villain has helped teach me a good lesson...and a hurt back.
He also has a companion who is named La Brava, who videotapes him constantly according to the videos I've watched. I didn't see her do anything when I chased him, but the videos show him repeatedly get the best of other heroes. I believe Gentle Criminal must have some kind of trump card that allows him to get away. Perhaps she is the trump card? I need to encounter him again.
Edit: Gentle Criminal is doing videos again. He took a short hiatus right after I encountered him. Perhaps something spooked him? I mean, he easily beat me last time, so it couldn't have been me. I'm going to wait for the next video and see if I can catch him.
Second edit: He made another video and I was able to catch him this time. Thank goodness for those spider tracers I made. After I caught him, he told me his story and...it sounds a lot like mine in some ways. He wanted to be a hero, but an accident messed everything up. Despite this, I think I was get through to him...I hope. He did promise to leave his villain life behind if I took on...um...Fishbowl Bank Man? I guess that's his name.
--
Villain 10: Rhino
Rank: Unknown. Probably at least B due to the destruction he created
Quirk: Seems to be a Mutant Type or Transformation Type quirk. Allows individual to have super strength and a face of a rhino.
Notes: In terms of raw strength, possibly the most powerful villain I've ever faced. He hit harder than Tombstone, but doesn't seem to have Tombstone's defenses. This fact allowed me to beat him. That being said, this villain seemed to just be rampaging for no reason. Unknown why he was doing this, but I was able to stop him. I was unable to talk him down, but considering how he was acting, I didn't know how else to handle him except knocking him out. Maybe he'll learn his lesson in prison.
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Property of Izuku Midoriya, future hero