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

Issue 94 - Limo Go Boom

I was slouched so far down in my chair I was one sigh away from sliding onto the floor.

English class dragged on around me like some kind of punishment from a lesser god. Present Mic was up front writing something on the board with far too much energy for this time of day, talking about sentence structure and presentation and why communication mattered. The rest of the class was at least pretending to listen.

I wasn't.

I sat there blowing air out through my nose, tapping my pencil against the desk, waiting for the school day to finally hurry up and die.

"Yo, Parker!"

I didn't even lift my head at first.

Present Mic had turned around, marker in hand, sunglasses aimed right at me. "You look like we're keeping you from something, my guy."

That got a few eyes turning my way.

I slowly raised my head and gave him the most deadpan stare I could manage.

"No, sir. Not at all. Because there is absolutely nothing more important to becoming a hero than English class." I sat up just enough to gesture vaguely with one hand. "If one day I ever come across a villain whose quirk is reciting Shakespeare quotes, I'll be so prepared."

A few people snorted.

Present Mic didn't.

He nodded once, like he actually understood where I was coming from. "I get it. When I was your age, I thought learning the trivial stuff was pointless too." He set the marker down. "But just because you're heroes in training doesn't mean you get to lack basic skills. You're going to be looked up to. You'll be role models. That kind of attitude doesn't look good."

I stared at him for a second.

Then leaned back again.

"Since English is, like, sorta my thing," I said, dragging the words out, "I think I'm gonna tap out."

I picked my book up, dropped it over my eyes, and yawned.

"Wake me up when we do important hero crap."

The room went dead quiet.

Even I could feel it.

Present Mic set his pen down very carefully and looked around at the rest of the class. Most of them were stunned. Midoriya looked like he wanted to crawl under his desk. Mina had gone still. Kaminari was staring at me like I'd just licked a battery.

Then Present Mic looked back at me.

"Parker," he said evenly. "Step outside. This once."

I pulled the book off my face and stood up without much care.

"If I must."

I strolled out into the hallway and leaned there with my arms crossed, already bracing for the lecture. The classroom door slid shut behind him a moment later, muting the soft buzz of everyone inside pretending not to be listening.

Present Mic turned to face me, and for once his usual bigger-than-life energy had dropped. He actually looked... concerned.

"Parker, are you okay?"

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." I say with a mocking tone. "Hamlet, I know my Shakespeare."

"Look," he said, lowering his voice, "I understand how you're feeling."

I said nothing.

He kept going.

"You want to get out there. You want to prove yourself. I know that." His expression softened. "And what happened in Kamino Ward wasn't your fault. But that doesn't mean you get to skip important topics just because you want to fast-track being a pro."