[April 22nd: 2.am]
CLICK!
"Hi, this is Taeko. I'm still settling into my new digs, so I'm either working, out foraging for food, or doing Spider-Man stuff that got me covered in a pile of debris. I'll get back to you when the dust settles"
"Hey Taeko it's me, I woke up early but I didn't see you in bed, just letting you know we've got our appointment at 11, please don't miss it. I don't think Ms. Oze would want to reschedule, again. Love you, and please don't do anything stupid, again."
Into the ashen night sky, Taeko swung past buildings with nothing but his suit and phone. As of recently, he liked to swing around during the early parts of the morning when he could be left alone with his thoughts. Amid the starry night, Taeko moved above quiet streets without any destination in mind, only needing to get up and out to ease his restless mind. Ever since he started living with his new family, there was an itch in his mind that he couldn't scratch. Every day a new invisible stressor arose, whether it came from his life as Spider-Man or Taeko, there seemed to be fewer moments to breathe. As Taeko swung past a vacant bridge, he took a watch the moonlight glistening down on the lake beneath, smiling at how peaceful the world could be.
"Just...out. I don't even care where I go. I just want to go...out. And I'm not gonna stop until I get tired" Taeko thought, allowing unadulterated dialogue to privately roam his mind and get to the root of developing feelings. He gripped one hand on a single webline while the other held secured small earbuds into his ears, thus allowing calming jazz to accompany his journey.
Before embarking on this impromptu stroll, Taeko spent hours trying to fall asleep, however, nothing worked. His day prior wasn't particularly eventful, but that didn't mean it was easy either. "Unfortunately, it takes a real lot to make me tired. by that time I could be in Yokohama. Do I even know anyone there?"
"And there's one other thing..." Taeko continued to think while struggling to secure his phone inside a makeshift backpack made from his webs. "When I designed this suit, why the heck didn't I design it with pockets? Anything I carry, I gotta carry it in a web pouch. I bet Deku has pockets. Amajiki's pockets alone are huge. But that's because he has to keep a bunch of food with him. Or maybe he's just real happy to see his girlfriend..."
Taeko noticed a large building near the end of a shopping district blocked off by yellow tape and cones. He stuck his boots onto the side of a building before strolling toward a cracked window, peering inside before crawling in. The interior was completely trashed and nearly empty of any signs of life or care, making it the perfect place for Taeko to let loose.
"'Course if I had pockets, stuff would fall out of them every time I did this. Okay, so maybe I could have pockets with zippers. Velcro maybe. Yeah, that'd work... I'd be creeping up behind someone and have to get something out then...zzzzzzzzzip!" Taeko sighed, tapping his foot against the floor in order to feel for the structural foundation, upon finding the most hollow point, he plotted what to do next.
"What's that smear on the wall mommy?" Taeko thought while trying his best to mimic a young girl with the voice in his head.
"That used to be Spider-Man, honey."
"What killed him?
"A zipper. Some said it was velcro, but the Daily Directive said it was a zipper. And I believe the Directive."
"Wow, he musta been real stupid, huh?"
"Yes honey, he was."
Taeko sighed, reeling back his past as he approached a brick wall near the west staircase of the building. He swung it forward it a considerable amount of strength, shattering the entire plating and bursting his hand into the frigid air outside. "And why the heck am I thinking about pockets anyway? because it's easier than thinking about my own life? and why should that bother you, Taeko?" He asked himself, tightening his fists and slamming them at the floor below, breaking it and causing it to fall down below. He leaped upward and stuck onto the ceiling above, containing his rampage on the defenseless building.
"But why? I've got a good life. Found my mom after like fifteen years, I'm not hated by the city... as much... Kaina is back and we have a family together! so why can't I feel safe? Why do I feel like it's all going to fall apart?"
Taeko kicked another support beam, before jumping backward and avoiding another ceiling from collapsing over him. "Everything's fine. Everything's just ducky. Except that whenever I'm really bugged about something and I really need to go pound a bad guy, there's never a bad guy around. But whenever I'm in a really good mood--yeah, which is getting rarer these days-- there's always like four or five guys... or a Sinister Six, or seven-- or nineteen waiting to bust my chops and ruin my day and..."
"bugged."
"Spider-Man."
"Heh. I made a funny."
Taeko gripped all his fingers around a large metal beam and swung it against the final standing support beams, immediately bringing out a muffled rumbling to echo within as the building shook. Taeko took this as a sign to leave and jumped out of the window, looking back at the newly gathered group of construction workers and all their equipment.
"ALL RIGHT, GET THAT CRANE OVER HERE, WE GOT SIX HOURS TO TEAR THIS PLACE DOWN--" The construction stood in attendance and listened to their boss as he explained the agenda for the day. The city hired them last week to tear down this rusted building to make way for new and affordable apartments. Their attention then shifted to the crumbling building, not noticing Spider-Man slip out and swing away in the distance. As concrete and metal clashed to crash against the ground, the boss simply lit a cigarette and placed it between his teeth. "ALRIGHT, THAT'S LUNCH!"
Taeko continued to move above the rooftops through the creeping morning, now noticing that the sun was slowly peeking its head to the surface. He wished there would be a simple fight or robbery to take his mind off internal contemplation, but as minutes slipped by, his requests weren't answered. Anxious thoughts were akin to driving Taeko into hourless patrols and thinking sessions, as he didn't want to burden anyone else with his potential turmoils.
These fears began to arise after Ohta Octavious forcefully revealed Taeko's identity to the world, in turn opening up a troublesome bottle for the former vigilante. Media outlets stood outside his door twenty-four-seven, he and his family had to move to a safer location after a low-level villain tried to break in, but more importantly, his true enemies were still out there. The thought of all of his enemies one day breaking down his door to get to him and his family remained a creeping thought that never left, even on a good day.
He hung onto a short flagpole positioned just above a familiar building from his past, sparking a sudden desire to walk through a lane of nostalgia. Taeko moved behind one of the large ventilation units and changed into normal clothes he brought for emergencies, mostly if he wanted to hide in public and avoid a barrage of fans. One aspect of the Pro hero life that he wasn't used to came from the near-celebrity status it brought, there were very few quiet moments when the city loved Spider-Man.
Taeko fastened a large baseball cap over his hair before dropping down and moving with the crowd completely unrecognizable, which was what he needed at this time. Taeko smiled with slight disbelief as he now stood in front of his old High School, Musutafa General High, a place where Taeko spent his teenage years trying to hide his double life and balance his education at once.
"The first few years I came here, I was just the same as everyone else," Thought Taeko, allowing reminiscence to recreate old memories as if he were present with moving pictures of the past. He saw himself as a fourteen-year-old timidly walking up the stairs of the main entrance, bringing the present version to smile and shake his head at the sight of old and oversized glasses. "Just one more High School student trying not to be noticed, not look weird, worried he'd never fit in, and trying to grasp the concept of dead parents, man."
Taeko moved to the side as real-life students pushed and shoved them to enter the main entrance of the building, forcing him to blink and erase the conjured past back into the distance. He began to turn around and walk away until he noticed a group of kids surrounding one in a small circle, relentlessly teasing and pushing their victim. The kid being picked on wore large near-sided glasses very close to the ones Taeko once wore, messy hair, and a bright yellow jacket, which grew more wrinkled as he struggled to retrieve the containments of his open backpack.
"Next time watch where you're going, nerd!" One bully leered as he aggressively shook one of the kid's notebooks and spilled his notes all over the sidewalk.
"Look... just cut it out, please? I didn't do anything to you guys." The targeted student whispered with his head hanging low, too ashamed to look up at the smiling faces. For a moment, Taeko was reminded of his past experiences, now seeing his old self as an unfortunate target of Uday's mission of shame and misery.
"Yeah, but now we're gonna do something to you, you stupid--"
"I wouldn't advise that, guys." Taeko spoke, now bringing the group of students' attention onto him, he hoped they'd recognize him and listen, but the look in their eyes and blank expressions that morphed into confused scowls told otherwise.
"that so? what're YOU gonna do?" Questioned on student, clearly unafraid to antagonize the supposed stranger.
"Yeah! you're not a teacher and you're not a cop, you can't do squat, mister... You even touch me and I'll scream for a cop to come over and haul your ass to jail, so just take off, buddy!" Sneered the group leader, before waving for his friends to follow him inside. Taeko briefly sighed before walking over and extending his hand outwards to the fallen student, who looked at Taeko with a near-infuriated expression, taking the incognito hero by surprise.
"You okay?" Asked Taeko, helping him up and assisting in retrieving the scattered books beside their shoes.
"No. I'm not okay... because now they're just going to get me twice as bad later." Replied the student, hastily shoving all his belongings back into his torn bag, not caring if it was organized neatly or orderly. "And I hate them. I hate this school. I hate my life. And now you made everything worse by helping me... I gotta get to class." He sighed, quickly leaving Taeko with somber steps marching him into an inevitable battle for self-respect in an environment seemingly made to strip it away at any moment.
"I...I mean...I'm sorry..." Taeko mumbled. A sudden pressure comprised of guilt swelled throughout his body, leaving him frozen in place and stuttering over his words.
"I saw what you tried to do there, buddy." Called out a voice behind Taeko, revealing an older man with purple skin and a neatly kept mustache. Wrinkles were slowly starting to appear on his face and wrists, showing that the years were slowly catching up. However, his youthful and confident green eyes showed he was ready to tackle anything. "Nobu Sone, I teach P.E. here. Look, I understand your feelings but it won't do that kid any good to try and help him like that. I tell 'em all the same thing, that the only way to get by is to stand on your own two feet. Nobody gets a free ride."
"Isn't it kinda hard to stand when someone kicks your legs out from under you?" Asked Taeko, unable to truly understand the idea of not helping someone, as if it was hardwired into his brain. He could see the point of finding the moment to stand up for yourself to make consequently change, however, Taeko wasn't someone who could just stand by and watch, which sometimes came as a fault.
"Buddy, there's always somebody trying to kick your feet out from under you. You just gotta kick first, and these kids gotta learn that for themselves. Evolve or die, you know? Especially in a dump like this, it used to be quite nice, but some things change I guess." Nobu finished, before parting ways and entering the building. Taeko took another look at the building, now fully noticing the wear and tear this old school had withstood. Graphitti replaced simple paint coatings while cracks and splinters continued to invade the once smooth and pristine design. Once again a younger Taeko could be seen walking toward the building with a group of friends, head held high and a bright smile plastered on his face, as if nothing could hurt him.
"He's right. Some things change. But some things never change." Taeko thought to himself, tightening his cap against his head before walking down the street, blending in with the crowd that passed by. "Unless somebody makes them."
[Eleven A.M]
"You're sure you're comfortable with doing this?" Asked Kaina, clicking the car clicker and locking the car behind them. She and Taeko stood in front of a small building in the middle of various small-owned businesses within a nearby downtown district.
"Hey, Tsuyu and Tokiyami recommended we try it out, could be worth a shot after all we've been through," Taeko replied, staring at the indented black font on the door that read "Oze Therapy Counseling" Neither admitted it, but there was a small unease of trying therapy, even if it was highly recommended to help overcome a past issue or present conflicts. Hitomi initially suggested the idea after hearing a lot about what the past ten years of their lives were like, and their struggle to adjust to less chaotic lives. From the looks on the outside, it appeared different from what they imagined, instead of cold and uninviting gray, the building was textured in a nice mix of purple and golden brown paint, giving it a better sense of welcoming patients.
"I'm worried we'll be too much for her to handle, there's just so much to talk about." Kaina said, trailing off into memories of her time as an agent of the Safety Commissions and a begrudgingly loyal subject to Eclipse.
"Don't worry about any of that, whatever baggage we've got to unpack she'll be fine, or we get our money back." Taeko reassured before the two nodded to proceed and move forward. They entered inside to find the reception area empty, the Bi-han's looked around for any signs of life but found no one else. The next moment they almost started when they noticed a purple swirl of mist slide out from under the door across from them, before constructing a short individual formed of the same mist. She held onto a black notebook while smiling at the couple, still changing their expectation by the open hostility.
"Good afternoon, Taeko and Kaina Bi-han! thank you so much for signing up for sessions today, we can go ahead and get started whenever you're ready." Oze greeted, knowing that it was better to get to the ideal area of counseling before getting into the bulk of greetings and conversation. They both nodded and watched as Oze split into two versions of herself, with the copy appearing near identical if not for the green shade of mist for her body.
"Be careful, divide and conquer is a good tactic to beat us." Taeko joked, whispering to Kaina before splitting off and entering a room opposite to her. Kaina found herself walking into a dimly lit office space with nothing but a desk, two sofa couches, and random items scattered along bookshelves. She took a seat on one of the gray couches and immediately felt the ultra-cushioned comforting fabric accept her body to lean back and sink in.
"Thank you for agreeing to these sessions, as you know I'm here to listen and help provide whatever tools you may need to succeed and deal with whatever you wish to share. All of the information you tell me is confidential and won't be shared with anyone unless you want me to or you tell me something that's deemed illegal or a danger to yourself or others. So, where would you like to begin?" Oze spoke.
Kaina initially felt a small sense of annoyance at the notion of her being a danger to others, mainly when considering the troubled past as a villain. Instead, Kaina blinked twice to remove those thoughts and reassure herself it was just a standard precaution Oze must've told every first patient.
"Well... I don't know... where should I start?"
"Let's start by talking about your week. Was it good?"
"Yeah, as good as a normal week could be. Flooded with work and trying to manage such a large family can be a lot, but it's worth it in the end." Kaina replied, smiling at the memory of Taeko, Hideo, Akemi, and Katori all passed out on the floor with blankets and a very loud western cowboy movie playing in the background.
"That's good, and about work, I hear on the news that you're the head of the Public Safety Commission Agency." Oze grinned, writing down small notes while keeping her attention on Kaina.
"It's been retitled as the Beyond Agency. We're working to help provide more heroes with lesser opportunities and troubled pasts to become pros on their own level, but... it's a lot of work, especially for me."
"How so?" Inquired Oze, unknowingly bringing a short sigh out from the purple-haired hero.
"For one, it's not easy trying to convince the country to let you take control over hero public safety when you once killed the director and helped launch a worldwide insurrection," Kaina answered, looking back at the many courtroom and press conference hearings that tried to wear her down and condemn her for previous actions.
With the help of Taeko and other heroes, they convinced the country to pardon Kaina of her crimes as a result of her aid in stopping Eclipse, however, there were strings attached. Kaina was not allowed her Quirk, Rifle, for six years, and even then it couldn't be used for lethal capacities. There were also very few places she could go outside of the country, as other leaders deemed her a threat and didn't care if she helped stop the World Federation. "There's also this... annoying stigma that I see everywhere I go... like everyone is expecting me to snap and pull the trigger."
"I see, and does Taeko or the rest of your family feel the same way?"
"No! Not at all, he's one of the few people that don't look at me like some unhinged weapon." Kaina answered, smiling fondly at the many reassuring conversations they had about how she was more than just a weapon to be used and discarded by higher powers. "Hideo and Akemi don't seem so either, I know Hitomi has forgiven me for shooting Taeko... I think."
"I'm glad to hear that, so let me ask you this, Kaina, do you forgive yourself?"
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"You seem, distracted, Taeko." Oze pointed out. For the past few minutes, she watched as Taeko spun around on the swivel chair while tossing a stress ball up and down without even looking at it.
"Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind that I'm trying to sort out." Taeko apologized, spinning around once more while Oze tilted her head to the side.
"Isn't that what you're here for? anything you want to share I'm all ears."
"Hmm, I guess... I'm a little nervous about tonight? It's my first hero billboard event where I'm not hiding as a photographer or watching from home. " Taeko uneasily answered, feeling the same as Kaina on being stuck and unable to find a good point to jump off at. "Gonna have the whole world watching me in my red and blues, so I'm worried about what to wear. And if I swing there then I gotta worry about chaffing and I'll be nervous and sweaty and all that... so yeah..."
"That's not really what's on your mind, is it?" Asked Oze, clearly seeing through his jokes and quips to a more obscure issue planted deep in his mind. He wasn't the first patient she had that would try to mask their worries or thoughts with comedy, nor was she a stranger to dealing with it. "What's going on with the injury on your right arm, if you don't mind me asking."
"Oh, this? just got cut by some villains yesterday during a patrol, nothing unusual." Taeko shrugged, he then looked over at both his arms to find various scars and healing wounds scattered around, something he never really noticed until this moment. "Spider healing needs to kick in faster. I thought it could help with my chest too."
"What's going on with your chest?"
"I've got tightness in my chest and my arm feels stiff, the doctor said I'm healthy, but I think he's lying. They said it could be Depression, Anxiety, or Panic Attacks. But I don't know why it'd be any of those."
"You should listen to your body, it's smarter than you think." Oze commented as she wrote down everything on notes, as she knew they'd be important for future sessions.
"Yeah, but anxiety for what? my life is good, I'm happy and sure, yeah, it's dangerous but that's what being a hero is, you know? Being Spider-Man is tough I can't lie about that, but no matter how many times I get knocked down, I get back up."
"That's great," Oze nodded. "How's life outside of being Spider-Man, where does Taeko get his chance?"
For a moment, Taeko didn't have an answer and he could only tap his foot against the floor. When thinking about his life outside of being a hero, he started to realize there wasn't too much. He wouldn't discredit being a father by any means, nor would he trade that for anything, however, outside of this small sphere, he didn't do too much else. His days were busy with fighting crime, looking after Katori, and helping Hideo. Taeko's eyes drifted back down onto his scars where he blankly stared at them as they ran down his skin without saying a word, which was something Oze keenly caught onto.
"I...I don't know."
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"That one, Mommy!" Exclaimed a young girl, eagerly jumping up and down as she pointed at a small white and brown dog sitting inside a metal cage. One of its eyes was scratched out and the partially healed scar ran across its face as evidence of its former life as a stray dog on the streets. The mother and daughter both stood inside a local pet store that sold pets and any necessities they would need, it was a small business but beloved by the community.
"Are you sure?" Asked her mother, pulling out her wallet to complete the transaction. The pet store owner shared the young girl's smile as he carefully handed her the puppy, as he was glad that the puppy could finally find a good home.
"It's a good dog." He commented, before noticing two men enter the building concealed by oversized trench coats and colorful fedoras, however, their masks were very clear and visible. The most recognizable was a yellow padded mask with two small white eyes, and multiple diamond sculpts going all around the mask. the trio quickly recognized him as Heisuke, widely known as Shocker.
"Sure is." Replied the other not-so-incognito villain, stepping forward with both hands inside his pockets, this one had a black mask and a red visor that covered his entire head but left his mouth open to talk. "Y'know, I had a dog just like that when I was your age. Called him Skippy. We'd go everywhere together, everywhere I'd go, I'd be like, "C'mon Skippy" and there we'd go. Miss that damn dog. Well, one day mommy sold him for drugs."
"Dude..." Shocker whispered, not wanting to scare the little girl.
"What too dark?" Asked the villain, giving Shocker a side-eye, before turning back to the girl. "But--hey, maybe you could name your dog Skippy too?"
"Uh... no thanks mister, his name is Inspector." The little girl replied, earning a sly grin and low snicker from the coated villain.
"Inspector... come on kid, that's a stupid name for a dog, lik-"
"You're stupid!" Retorted the girl, now shouting and stunning the villain with her sudden aggression and defense against his insult. He took a step back and pressed his hand against his chest, gasping as if he was physically hurt.
"I'm--?! No, YOU'RE stupid!" He shouted back, leaning forward to sort his claim and stomping his foot to make his point sound scarier. Upon holding a few seconds of scowling, he relented and shook his head. "Well fine, okay, maybe I am, but guess what? I'm also the stupid guy who's robbing you!" The villain tore off his luxury disguise to reveal he was in fact Speed Demon.
"You serious?" Asked the owner.
"Oh. yeah. He's--uh--he's serious." Shocker replied, but was still just as surprised as everyone else was, seeing as they were originally here to buy what they needed.
"That's right! @#$%&^*! Now, gimme everything in the register!" Speed Demon shouted.
"Oh, and..." Shocker began to speak, while digging his hand into his pocket and retrieving a crumbled piece of paper from within. "Uh, can we get the--hold on-- the Yone Farm Organic No Mess Bird Seed? the bulk bag, please."
"I got that in the back." Sighed the owner, begrudgingly walking to the back aisle of the store to get their demand. As he did so, Speed Demon turned back to face the mother and daughter and pointed at their new furry companion.
"And the dog." He spoke.
"Oh come on!" Sighed the mother, hoping to appeal to his rational senses.
"Nope, she's gotta learn." Speed Demon retorted, using his Quirk to quickly walk over and snatch the dog from her hands. Once they were handed their bag of bird seeds, the two villains put their disguises back on and exited the store, with Shocker taking an extra minute to profusely apologize to the trio inside.
They both got into a run-down car that belonged to Shocker that barely drove past twenty-five miles. After a couple of miles, they arrived at an apartment complex within the rundown part of the city, where heroes and police rarely passed by. It was perfect for lowlives and thieves to hide and it was even better for high their villains to recruit for their groups. Both exited the car and started making their way up to the highest floor.
"Dude, Inspector, stop--Seriously." Speed Demon Groaned, having to constantly pull the dog away from biting his mask every second. "This dog is a #$%^&#$% man. I might take him back." He said, continuing to complain while Shocker huffed and struggled to walk up countless stairs while carrying a large and heavy bag of bird seeds.
"Unff--why...does...fff...someone live so high up? It's crazy." Shocker said, before reaching the final set of stairs and stepping onto the floor of their destination. He took a moment to lean against a nearby wall and fan himself with his hat, but it didn't do too much to help with his padding suit and insulated heat. "You got the keys?"
"What?" Speed Demon blankly asked, his head completely oblivious. He and Shocker stared at each other waiting for the other to answer. "I thought you had the keys? Oh, wait... yeah that was me... yelp, now what?" Speed Deom questioned, not entirely admitting to his mistake and trying to find another solution to move away from blaming him.
"Run and go get it?" Shocker suggested.
"Run to Mustuafa in this traffic? nooo," Speed Demon replied, shaking his head and rapidly tapping his foot to come up with another idea. "why don't we just leave it by the door, who's honestly going to steal birdseed?" Upon saying that they both looked down as Inspector tried to chew his way into the bag. "Fine, I guess I'll go and run back all the way."
With a sudden gust of dust left behind, Speed Demon ran all the way to the shop and back, before appearing right beside Shocker holding the keys and hunched over panting out of breath.
"Hey, it's unlocked!" Shocker gasped, after pulling the handle and watching the tattered door slide open. The two entered the apartment and placed the bag on the floor, before hearing the door to the bathroom click and open, this revealed a short but sturdy man standing there as he wiped his hands on a rag towel. He wore a dark navy blue tuxedo with lined stirps going up and down the entire set, their eyes were drawn toward his large forehead and out of style-slicked back mobster haircut. "Well, ain't you boys the punctual type."
"Hammerhead, sir--" Shocker gasped, not expecting to find their former employer inside the apartment of their current boss. The apartment room belonged to another low-level villain named Boomerang, who was currently in city jail for a few more hours for petty theft.
"You forgot to flush the toilet." Speed Demond pointed out.
"Yeah, it'll smell like crud in there when your pal gets out, heh." Hammerhead chuckled. The righthand man to another larger villain, Hammerhead, aka Jurou Leach was highly known as an influential voice and enforcer within the underground villain community. "Enough crap talk, I've got some words for you boys. Your boy owes the Big Man a lot of money after his last botched job, so when he gets out tell him he's got two weeks otherwise we're gonna have one messy bill to pay."
"You couldn't have told him yourself? he's getting out in like five hours."
"Nope, gots a big meeting with all the big crime bosses tonight, we're taking back this city gentlemen."
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[8:45 PM]
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to this year's Japanese Billboard Chart!"
By now it was evening, and most of the city had tuned in to watch the events. Millions of people watched from the comforts of their homes or traveled to attend the large gathering. The Billboard Charts JP was an annual event, which ranked the highest-rated heroes in the country. Every year All Might held the number one title until his sudden retirement came.
The hero rankings was an event that ranked the highest heroes in Japan, this happens only once every year. Ever since All Might's retirement and class 1A's graduation, the event became much more engaging. The former symbol of peace had always taken the top spot, but now it allowed almost any hero to be fresh in the spotlight. The top 500 heroes were present at this event, allowing time for all their adoring fans to meet them.
Despite countless tests to the foundation of Hero Society as a whole, those who continued to fight against all the odds weren't without devotion and pride to be a pro. Each pro hero was excited to see where they placed alongside their teammates, as this was always an exciting day for them. There hadn't been much villain activity thanks to the top ten heroes, which slowly began to phase out as new aspiring heroes filled their mantle.
However, nowadays, it was much different with hundreds of unique and motivated heroes tirelessly working hard to claim the number one spot, while others were simply content wherever they were placed. The JP Chart was comprised of three large buildings, filled with yellow lights that shined through the glass. Stairs led to the main entrance, where dozens of heroes stood outside to take photos and talk with fans. The attendees were mainly composed of screaming hero enthusiasts, and photographers having a field day.
A statue was erected of All Might outside of the building, as he was the former #1 hero for nearly two decades. A majority of the new pro-heroes couldn't attend the event, as only six of the top ten heroes were present.
Taeko sat upside down on the ceiling with his head in his hands, uncharacteristically silent and avoiding social contact. The session with Oze today stuck with him for hours without giving him a moment to breathe or clear his head, those who saw Spider-Man simply believed he was sick or needed time to himself.
"What does Taeko do?"
Silently pondering where his second life took the reigns. The mere thought of it all reminded him how long he'd worn the suit for the day, showing that he practically lived in it most days. He was oblivious to the cameras pointed upwards and broadcasting his isolation within the event, even the chattering in his direction fell on deaf ears. A buzz from his pocket brought him to pull out his phone and read a short text from Hitomi.
"Go socialize."
The rest of his family all sat crowded at Taeko's house since the guest policies for these events became increasingly more limited as the years went by.
"Hey, web-head, what're you doing up there?" Ejiro Kirishima shouted, flagging down the webbed hero was an eager shout and a heavy wave. Taeko noticed and dropped down, landing with a graceful thud, and embraced the crimson-haired hero in a tough hug. The two had become extremely close during the Eclipse events, as sharing a cell block and reuniting to fight alongside many times helped solidify a strong bond between the heroic men.
"Kiri! sorry, I just needed a moment to clear my head is all." Taeko replied, exiting the hug and starting up their signature handshake, which involved many shakes and bumps, oftentimes resulting in bruised knuckles from either due to their strength.
"Nervous for tonight? I've heard that you're gonna get pretty high up! potentially number 2!" Kirishima whispered, but his enthusiasm leaked into his words and ended up becoming a loud statement, prompting others to look at the duo.
"Yeah..." Taeko lightly chuckled, deciding not to reveal his true worries. He grinned and hoped to erase these grey thoughts from his mind and allow the celebration of the evening to take place instead. He joined Kirishima in mingling with other heroes, all discussing recent exciting battles and taking Neverending photos with ecstatic fans.
Taeko gave his signature poses for fans requesting photos and answered countless questions about his hero life, which mainly revolved around how his exact powers worked. He liked to keep all of his abilities a mystery for the public to try to speculate and to avoid his enemies learning how to counter or prepare to stagger them, which has been proven true in the past.
As the clock ticked closer and closer to the main event, the heroes in selection for the top ten all gathered up on the main stage. These ten were both survivors and symbols of strength for the new world order. They carried torches of victory within the very suits they wore and the smiles they adorned to show that the motivation of a hero hadn't died and wouldn't be shaken so easily. Lights and cameras never left their sight to endlessly feed the adoring crowds all the glamor they desired, which were now simply ways of life for pro heroes in this age.
"Alright! Let's start off with the number 6 hero, the Mysterious Moon Knight!"
Standing in line now illuminated a hero dressed in a large white and black cloak that extended from his shoulders down to his legs. Two sharp white eyes behind a pitch-black mask stared out into the crowd while he crossed his arms, seemingly unimpressed with the whole event. Still operating as a street-level vigilante, Masahi Specter protected travelers of the night with brutal but effective methods. His Quirk named Midnight Son didn't provide too much except for revival, allowing him to be reborn after death with the help of an ancient being Masahi claims to exist. In truth, he didn't even know about his nomination for the pro heroes until he found an envelope within his residence at the Midnight Mansion. He decided to attend the event to indulge the country with their wishes, as there was no real downside to being ranked high as a pro, and it proved effective in striking more fear into the hearts of criminals.
"Going to number 5, the Unbreakable Red Riot!"
Ejiro Kirishima was known as both unstoppable and immovable in both spirit and body. He saved hundreds of lives by using his body as a shield and striking back like a swift and crushing sword. People loved his incredibly open and compassionate personality, which helped boost his ranking much higher than ever.
"YEAH! THANK YOU! I PROMISE TO KEEP UP BEING A HERO WITH ALL MY MIGHT!" Kirishima bellowed while furiously bowing with both arms pinned to his sides. He looked over and gave Taeko a toothy grin and another fistbump.
"The number 4 hero, the hopping rabbit, Mirko!"
Rumi Usagiyama was another vigilante turned pro, and one who worked closely with Spider-Man with Kaina's agency. She was another hero fresh in the spotlight in recent years due to her unwavering will and her many, many online fans.
"Tsk, better than I hoped. I hope you're all ready for one hell of a show." Mirko grinned, uncrossing her arms to push the white strands of hair out of her face.
"Number 3, the explosive firecracker, Dynamight!"
Katsuki Bakugo let out two large explosions with a loud cheer, prompting a massive uproar in the crowd, as they loved her heroes putting on a spectacle.
The last two heroes on the stage were Taeko Bi-han and Aeon Bi-han. The two cousins patiently waited for their names to be called out, with one being much more expected than the other. Aeon repeatedly tapped his foot against the floor, knowing that this would finally be the year where he got the number spot.
[Read @Aviacc98 Nightfall to know more!]
"Nervous?" Taeko chuckled, patting Aeon's back to show reassurance that he didn't need to worry at all.
"Oh, yeah... just a little," Aeon replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck once he realized his younger cousins caught wind of his nervous tendency. Aeon had worked so hard for so many years to earn his way to the number one hero spot, whereas Taeko was content anywhere he placed. This was a small difference that set their view of how pro heroes operated for much of their youth, but it never detracted from how they wanted to serve their community, regardless of how high or low they were placed.
The drumrolls from the sound systems began to stir up as anticipation reached an all-time high with viewership peaking with viewers from all around the world. The final two heroes being ranked were the most popular heroes who were instrumental in overcoming the Beautification, so stakes were waged high in where they'd fit.
"And the number two hero... THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN!"
Thousands of individuals cheered at once the red and blue hero was called up for his spot. The Bi-han household erupted into a boisterous cheer so loud that nearby neighbors were startled by the booming commotion. Taeko waited for the applause to die down as he held onto a small microphone handed to him for his speech, something that was basically tradition at this point for the top two heroes. With dozens of stage lights pointed at him and the sea of countless eyes all directed at him, Taeko felt a new sense of nerve crepe up his spine.
"Uh... I wanna keep things brief..." Taeko spoke, which earned a brief uproar from his ecstatic fans. He paused for a moment, harking back to his previous conversation Oze. Taeko looked over at the large screen broadcasting him to the world, now staring back at a towering costume, but this time he smiled behind his mask, as he remembered why he even put his uniform on in the first. "Being Spider-Man is pretty great, I can't lie. I'm thankful that everyone somehow agreed that I'm good enough to be your number two and I don't plan on hanging up the old red and blues anytime soon. But, if I could do it all over again? I would not name myself after something so gross and creepy. Maybe something more adorable and less off-putting, y'know? Like Spider-puppy or something. Now can we please focus on the real Bi-han of the night, my cousin and the new number one!"
With that, Taeko tossed the microphone over to Aeon and the two hugged each other with immense strength, knowing their bodies could take it. As Aeon took center stage, Taeko walked off while snapping some pictures to commemorate the event, already knowing this would be a crucial piece in their family legacy. With the endless cheering and clapping making it hard for Taeko to hear his own thoughts only one thing was clear when his heart began to beat louder.
None of this peace could last.
[Next Chapter: Rough Hardships]