Am I (Not) a Hero?

[Peter Parker's POV]

Surprisingly, I overslept on the bus today. 

I knew that Peter's habit would pass on to me sooner or later, but this was just mean. 

I shouldn't have stayed up late in the lab. 

That was a mistake.

I got ready almost instantly and gulped down a cheese toast, nearly choking under Aunt May's disapproving grumbling. 

I didn't want to wait for the next bus and be late for my first class. 

So, I took off towards school at a speed slightly above average. 

My bag, swinging on my arm, hit someone on the head, but that didn't matter. 

Seriously, it didn't even knock him over, and he'd survive.

Just before I reached the school, I slowed down, blending into the crowd of teenagers slowly making their way to the first lesson living nearby.

Upon entering the school, I scanned the corridor with a hawk-like gaze, searching for Flash. 

He was standing outside a classroom with his buddies and Harry, discussing something with a sour expression. 

He was pointedly ignoring me. I listened in and heard Kong telling Junior Osborn about something.

"Just ask him yourself; you talk to him. He went off like a devil. He turned into a real monster and knocked Flash down, spitting out some drool. Almost started crying."

"No way?" 

Harry scoffed.

"Yeah, seriously. You don't believe me?" 

Kong replied.

Flash delivered a solid smack to his friend's head, making his cheeks jiggle and his head jerk.

"That never happened. You're just talking nonsense, but I'm telling you, he was on some drugs yesterday. His pupils were dilating and constricting; I saw it myself. Parker wasn't himself since the morning, even when he knocked Kong down to the ground." 

Flash put his hand on his stomach and frowned. 

"I thought my guts were going to spill out when he stepped on me. And he was grinning like a lunatic. I always knew that smartass was a freak; maybe he's a mutant or something…"

"A mutant would've killed you right there, Flash; you really deserved it." 

Harry shook his head as I walked past them into the classroom.

"Maybe you should leave him alone? He's probably been secretly training this whole time just to get back at you… This is like the plot of the movie Flash. You'll push him too far, and he'll bring a shotgun to school. I wouldn't even blame him; it's a rational escalation, considering you're not even fazed by getting beaten up."

Harry began to talk about my deeds. 

As I entered the classroom, I was greeted by two strange, faint smells...

They were unfamiliar to me, but my heart raced from them, pumping blood through my body or more accurately from just one of them. 

The scent felt something close and… suitable for reproduction…

I shook my head and noted the oddity of my body with strange irony.

'No, I know I have problems in my head… People usually change after death, but I've never been turned on by a smell. This isn't some cooking anime…'

Snorting to shake off the barely noticeable scents, I scanned the classroom. 

There were no obvious sources of the smell… Surprisingly, that was the case. 

I decided to push that feeling out of my mind and walked to my desk, nodding at Cindy who had come to school today. 

Gwen sat a few desks away from her, and they both seemed a bit nervous, glancing around. And… were they sniffing too?

'Strange… I've never heard of Oz's formula, which we got from Osborn's spider, enhancing the sense of smell so much. I'll need to study this.'

By the way, I needed to figure out what to do with them since I had created two more spider people without any clones by some ridiculous accident… 

Should I leave them to their own life or keep them close and watch over them? 

What if they didn't want to be heroes and started causing trouble? 

Should I then just take them out with my claws, or what? 

Just kidding, of course… it's unlikely that they would start a massacre in the style of Carnage in the middle of New York.

"Hey, Peter. What's with the face? Solving the fate of the world?"

Jessica asked playfully.

"So now my face doesn't inspire any deep sighs? I'll remember that." 

I replied, receiving a jab in the ribs. 

It didn't bother me, but she shook her hand and hissed.

"Actually… it seems I accidentally made a big mistake, and either it will shoot me in the foot soon, or I'll end up in the plus. And while this situation is uncertain, my own state is quite… dangerous."

"Mmm… Are you talking about Flash?"

She asked.

"Pfft, Flash is a minor issue. He doesn't even look my way anymore. There's a bigger problem." 

I leaned my head onto the desk, thinking about what to do.

"Can I help you in any way?"

"I don't think it's a problem that can be solved. Unless with some radical methods, like "No man, no problem." But no, I just need to wait…" 

I shook my head. 

Jessie would become a super too, just like us, but I wouldn't tell her the truth for now.

"Peter, this isn't what I think it is… is it?" 

I looked at her suspicious face.

"Sorry, but I'm not genius enough to know what women are thinking." 

I shook my head.

"It's easier with Professor Octavius, but even then, not always."

"… you're not getting some girl pregnant, are you?" 

Jessie asked in a whisper.

I froze for a second, recalling Peter's life, and covered my mouth with my hand to keep my laughter from exploding in the classroom.

"Don't laugh, I'm serious!" 

She hissed quietly.

"Sorry, sorry." 

I said, wiping away tears.

"I thought only Aunt May could think of something like that… Whoa, that was sudden. No, Jessie, you're overestimating me. I'm not that type of teenager, you know."

She sighed in relief and snorted, looking at my mocking expression.

"Listen, I'm going to Disney World with my parents on Saturday…"

She gathered her courage and asked. 

"Would you like to come with us?"

"Oh?" 

I had never been to anything like it, so I was intrigued.

"How much does a ticket cost? I'm afraid it might be out of my budget."

"We already have four tickets for the whole family. I'm not sure I can convince my brother to go to his friends' sleepover instead of the trip… but if I can, can you give me your number so I can call you?"

"Yeah, okay. I hope we get lucky." 

I gave her my Nokia.

"I hope so too… A fan of retro?"

She twirled the flip phone, quickly dialed her number, and then pressed the call.

"No, it's just that carrying something expensive to a school with Flash around… is risky. 

I remembered how that jerk once threw Peter's things into the toilet.

'And I can't exactly tell her that I'm broke.'

She pulled out a touchscreen phone, very old by my standards but the latest here. 

I didn't even know they existed already. Apparently, I missed that in Peter's memories.

We exchanged numbers, and soon the bell rang. The classes went on as boring as ever, but I was nervous about overdoing it in the last gym class.

"Parker, I'm not expecting another miracle from you, so throw the ball and just go to the back of the line." 

The pessimistic gym teacher waved.

I threw the ball, which perfectly ricocheted off the backboard into the hoop.

I love my strength.

"Finally, I've been waiting for this moment!" 

Coach Kyle Jacoby exclaimed. 

"Throw again; maybe you've discovered a second wind."

I made five more targeted shots, two of which I deliberately missed until Mr. Kyle calmed down.

"I don't know what bit you, but take a ball from the supply room and go to a free hoop. Practice until this magic runs out." 

He shook his head in disbelief.

I took a basketball and bounced it on the floor a few times to test its strength. 

The main thing was not to break it because I didn't want to draw any more unnecessary attention. 

Besides the delightful beating of Flash and yesterday's testing marathon, I hadn't given myself away at all. 

Secondly, people didn't find anything strange; they just shouted that I was a hooligan and a crazy parkour kid.

Nevertheless, what do I see now? 

Flash was sitting on the bench today due to my actions and was now getting comfortable with MJ. 

"Hey, don't be such a prude. You're a beautiful girl and smart too; I like girls like you. What's bothering you?" 

Flash leaned in toward her, cornering her against the wall.

"I don't like your disgusting behavior, Flash." 

She pushed him who was grimacing in pain.

"You're dating Liz, or have you forgotten?"

"That girl is nothing but trouble. She's too caught up in her Queen Bitch persona." 

Flash replied with a displeased face. 

"Listen, I'm actually into you. Like, really into you." 

He leaned in again with a playful face.

"No, you listen! You think that just because she won't give it up, I'll be easier? Do me a favor and go away…"

She tried to walk away from the jock, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.

Mary Jane broke free from his grip and…

'Ladies and gentlemen, this is my cue.'

I thought as I saw him getting up.

"Hey, you should think..."

Flash's speech was interrupted by a basketball that smacked him to the ground with a loud thud.

"What the…" 

He tried to get up, holding his head but miscalculated and fell back on his butt.

'Now that was a solid hit. He's probably counting stars right now.'

"First of all, grabbing a lady by the hand is very rude, Flash. And second, I'm glad you know your place. It's right there, under my feet."

I suppressed the urge to kick him in the face and beat him until it turned to mush.

'God, Peter, how saintly you've been if you haven't killed him after all these years! At least for that time he poured soup on your head.'

He pushed himself off the floor and jumped at me.

"I'll make the mess out of you. Stay out of my business!"

I poked him in the stomach where there was likely an ugly bruise now, causing him to gasp in pain and take a step back, clutching his belly.

"Want a rematch? I'm always ready, honestly." 

I couldn't help but smile as I spoke. 

Flash's face twisted in helpless rage, and he stared at me with wild eyes. 

Suddenly, Coach Kyle arrived...

"Thompson! Parker! What's going on again?!"

"It's all this freak's fault!" 

Flash pointed at me.

"Parker, I told you to shoot for the basket, not at your classmates' heads. I'm glad you've discovered unprecedented accuracy, but that's not an excuse to injure people. Go and complete your assignment."

He scolded me, pointing at the basketball hoop.

I nodded obediently and picked up the ball.

...

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