Ultra Responsibility (My Hero Academia X Spider-Man Reader)

Issue 37 - The People v. Spider-Man Part 1

The room smelled like cold coffee, bleach, and that weird metallic tang you only notice when you have been bleeding recently.

I was mostly healed. That was the cruel part. Recovery Girl, real doctors, stitches, tape, whatever miracle cocktail the pros keep behind locked doors. My body had been dragged back into the shape it is supposed to be in, but it still hurt like hell anyway. The kind of ache that sits in your bones and refuses to pay rent.

My forehead was on the table. My cheek pressed into the cheap wood. Every breath felt like it scraped something tender on the way in.

The door opened.

Footsteps. Two sets. Confident. Annoyed. The sort of walk that says you are about to become a problem.

I did not lift my head. I did not have the energy to pretend I was fine.

A cup hit the table with a hard thunk.

Coffee sloshed. Hot. It splashed my wrist and I jolted so fast the cuffs bit into my skin.

"Hah," I hissed, pulling my hand back. It was not a serious burn, not compared to everything else, but it was enough to wake my nervous system up like someone had flicked a switch.

My head lolled up. The room spun in a slow circle. I blinked hard until it stopped.

Across from me sat two detectives. Plain clothes, tired eyes, matching expressions like they had both agreed to hate me in the car on the way here.

One of them leaned forward. "Just so we are clear, kid. You are not going anywhere."

He tapped the cuff chain with one finger like he was checking it was real.

"Those dampen quirks," he added, voice flat. "So does this entire room. You can try whatever little spider tricks you want. Nothing is happening."

I stared at him. My mouth tasted like pennies and regret.

The other detective did not bother with the dramatic pause. He just started in like he had been itching to say it all day.

"Vigilantism is a serious crime. You have racked up property damage, injuries, interference with pro hero operations, public endangerment, and that is before we even touch the little circus you dragged across Hosu and the stunt you pulled at the Bugle."

He pointed at me like I was a chart on a wall.

"And now," he continued, "because you decided you were above the law, everyone has an opinion. The public is split, the press is foaming at the mouth, and the heroes are furious. There is no heroic exit from this room. Understand?"

I swallowed. My throat hurt.

I did understand. That was the problem.

I let my head fall back a little, eyes half closed, and muttered, "Could have fooled me."

"What was that?" the first detective snapped.

I breathed in. Breathed out. My voice came out rougher than I meant it to.

"I said I did a better job than you."

Silence.

For half a second I thought he might actually laugh. Like it was so ridiculous it looped back around to funny.

He did not laugh.

His chair scraped as he stood. He leaned down, face close, breath smelling like coffee and irritation. "Oh. We have a wise mouth. You want to keep talking like that, we can give you reasons to shut up."