My Hero Academia X Male Spider-Man

Ch. 22: The Cranky Journalist

Italics = Thoughts

(F/N's POV)

The U.A. sports festival was in two weeks and in that time the teachers gave us more free time to prepare. We were given less homework and were allowed access to facilities, such as the gym and the training grounds, including the USJ itself, which was now secure once again. I spent some time training with Flash, practicing mid-air maneuvering and binding things, me using web shooters and him using Venom to form webs of his own.

He tended to mimic his moves off of my own, which I thought was strange considering the shapeshifting abilities of Venom. I also spent some time with Tsu, climbing and searching for targets in USJ disaster zones. However, unlike my peers I also had to balance my time with working in the lab like usual, which cut into some of my time training, but I was happy to help Otto and visit Dr. Connors.

About halfway through the first week of training, I received a text message from Betty at the Daily Bugle. She told me that Jonah's birthday was going to be tomorrow and they were going to have a small celebration at the Bugle. It also happened to be close to the date of the Bugle's founding, so it would also be a celebration of the Bugle's anniversary. She asked me if I wanted to stop by for a little bit to celebrate with them. I spoke to Aunt May about it when I got home.

F/N: "I want to go at least for Betty and Robbie. They looked out for me a lot when I was there. But then there's Jonah..."

May: "Now, F/N, I understand why you may have some issues with the man, but he did give you a job after all."

F/N: "Well, yeah. But he's also my biggest critic. When I was a vigilante, he acted as if everything I did was wrong. I understand why he would be opposed to vigilantes, but couldn't he have at least seen my heart was in the right place. Instead, he acted as if I was working with the villains to set up a scene to make myself look good."

May: "I'm not saying he might go off the handle at times and I'm not saying I agree with everything he says. But you have to remember that he doesn't know it was you or your circumstances. The same goes for you. You don't know about his past experiences that has made him think like this. Just give it a try, stay for a little bit to say hi to everyone, congratulate him and thank him for the past work, then you can leave."

F/N: "All right. I'll go."

---

I went about the next day as usual. I went through my classes then spent some time after to train once again. I got home by 3:15 and got into the shower and changed. I put some clothes on and jumped on the train heading to the Daily Bugle. I got there before long and took the elevator up to the correct floor. When I got out, the office was as busy as usual, only instead the Bugle being in a an frantic uproar with everyone running around to the printer and to other desks, they were all more relaxed and chatting among themselves, a snack or drink in their hands. Betty noticed me walk in and came over to me.

Betty: "Heya, F/N! Glad you could stop by."

F/N: "It's the least I can do. Thanks for extending an invite."

Betty: "Not a problem. I know you've been out of the photographer game for a little while, but you gave us some killer shots in those many months. You've more than earned your place here."

F/N: "I appreciate that, but most of the time Jonah said my photos were crap."

Betty: "That's just how he is. I've enjoyed working here, but it is hard to hear Jonah give a genuine compliment. From what I can tell, when he calls something crap nonchalantly it means he actually kinda likes it. But he'll never admit it. Why do you think he still puts those photos on the front page?"