Chapter 21: Rage
A cacophony of laughter had awakened him from his trance. He pushed onward, peeking into the classroom to determine what caused the commotion, and immediately felt the tense atmosphere.
He stepped across the threshold and entered the infamous detective mode. Peter Parker was picking his textbooks up from the ground; they were scattered in a way that denoted them being tossed, and his discarded book bag emphasized that notion.
Harry hadn't gotten up from his desk. It always seemed odd that Harry had never done much to help his friend. Cole shook his head, not letting that scum of a person settle into his mind.
Flash and his cronies held smug appearances, arms folded as they coldly stared at the more petite teen picking up his textbooks.
Cole's steel-grey eyes roamed around, taking in the snickering students before landing back on Flash, who had finally turned to the entrance and made eye contact with him.
Cole frowned but nodded his head slowly. He moved toward his seat but decided to help at the last minute and moved further ahead. Peter wasn't near him during this period. He reached toward a textbook just as Gwen's hand appeared on the same textbook. Their hands touched, and he jerked back as static shocked them both. Cole had frozen briefly, regarding his hand offendedly as if it wasn't his. How had he felt that minuscule shock?
He handed it to Gwen, not making eye contact. This was insane, he thought. He had to get this silly child crush too?
"Here," Cole meeked out before quickly turning to take his seat, heart pounding.
'Jeremy, dammit.' He cursed the relics left behind by the previous owners.
"Thank you, Jeremy," Gwen said offhandedly. He looked up but regretted it immediately. She didn't even look at him. Her eyes were roaming over Peter, who was stuffing his bookbag.
"She doesn't put out bitch boy." Flash Thompson rumbled, causing the much fuller class to erupt in another bout of laughter that only teenagers could accomplish.
"Flash, what's your deal?" Gwen hissed, whirling around on him.
"Stop it, Flash. You're embarrassing me." Mary chimed in, but her eyes fastened onto Gwen's.
"Control him, Mary, or someone will," Gwen said matter of factly.
"Who will that be, you?" Mary Jane taunted.
Flash Thompson smiled as the two beautiful women tore into one another. He was a piece of work. I couldn't believe he was fated to be the best Venom host. He winked at me and leaned further back into his desk.
Mary gave me a once-over but didn't acknowledge me. I couldn't be bothered with all of this. Flash and Peter's three ways were becoming a problem and affecting everyone.
The class continued, but the air was still palpable. Something would occur, and he was dead in the middle of the coming storm.
The period hadn't even begun, and an oppressive air was circulating. The class continued to fill, and students whispered into huddled groups and alerted the latecomers, and eyes turned between Peter and Flash.
He did something out of character and surprised a few people, namely Mary, who also occasionally looked on with concern at Peter, to the chagrin of Flash.
"Peter, everything is good. I'm getting a bad vibe here." He said under his breath, but they were still a few seats from each other.
Peter didn't turn toward Cole but slowly shook his head, which offered nothing.
"Mind your business," Osborn ordered. His spine must have returned. Cole's eyes landed on him, and the boy jumped before turning back around.
Cole sighed and decided to do it the hard way. He was ignoring the nutcase Osborn outright. If Flash was a problem, Osborn was a big nope on his insane index.
He turned around and tossed a note toward Liz; by fate or luck, the ballad note somehow caught in a drift that he would swear came out of nowhere and landed squarely on Mary's desk.
Cole looked on in abject acuteness. He pointed toward Liz, indicating the supposed recipient, but he was surprised at the sudden boldness of Mary Jane.
Understanding the situation, Liz reached out for the note. Mary completely ignored Liz, much to the blonde's chagrin. Nevertheless, her eyes showed clear understanding, but her stare at him was all he needed to know she wouldn't indulge him in his inquiry.
Mary read a text on her phone and looked back at a steaming Flash, his considerable corn-fed bulk pressed forward on the desk, his eyes bearing down on another, on me.
Cole's eyes squinted, but the clues clicked into place, and Mary lowered her head and silently mumbled something before shaking her head in irritation.
'Homecoming! Peter must have asked her out. Did she turn him down? That's not how it was supposed to have happened. What about Gwen?
And this feeling, it's like continuity is shifting.'
I glanced at Flash. He met my gaze with a warning glare. 'Should I handle this? No. If I interfere here, it might do unknown damage to the forming of Spiderman's resolve.
Moreover, Flash Thompson isn't remotely a threat to Parker now. I could immobilize Flash and end it now, but my figurative thumb only hovered over the trigger, lightly tapping on it, as I warred internally with the choice.
'You're not worth it, and you're not worth my mask slipping.' I turned back toward the whiteboard.
I decided I wouldn't tamper or alter the continuity in fear of fate or whatever force that controls things deems me a reason to bolster and shift burdens on a scale so significant obstacles become insurmountable. I just hoped I was making the correct choice.
I was expected to drop out. I'm sure the original York would have died in that alley, and his story and the main York bloodline would have ended.
Come to think of it, I couldn't recall York Enterprises being mentioned in the stories. I wonder, did something occur that pushed the multibillion-dollar company out of the spotlight?
Cole's prominent last name Didn't denote his pedigree or his lineage. Some teachers knew he was the son of the previous Yorks, but most didn't or couldn't place a degenerate to the once-upon-a-time heir of one of the contenders to Stark and Hammer enterprises and the leading innovative company in medical tech in America.
Cole had checked his watch. He had time. He needed to use the restroom, and quite honestly, he wanted to remove himself from class. He should ditch school for today. He stood from his desk and made his way toward the door. Today, the fates had tons of surprises in store.
Flash Thompson decided to strike. Was it misfortune? Or happenstance? He probably wouldn't know the answer, but his apathetic mask slipped at that moment.
The big oaf's foot sped out. Rarely did he allow his situational awareness to recede. Unfortunately, he had left Flash unchecked numerous times and finally decided to target him. He should have tripped, and he could have allowed it to occur, but no one would bully him.
His foot slid forward with the grace of a ballroom dancer, and his mask shifted. Cole spun back and slammed his hand down atop Flash's desk, resulting in the desk trembling and startling the quiet classroom.
The explosion of noise caused the nearest students to flinch. Flash, caught off guard, jerked back but soon realized Mary Jane was now angrily staring at him.
"Flash, stop it. Stop it! I will not attend Homecoming with you! I'm tired of your constant bullying of those smaller than you." The petite firecracker blared.
Smaller? I chuckled. And the class stared at me as I stood straight before Flash Thompson's desk. Infuriated at being embarrassed, he leaped from his desk, causing it to topple and sending students scrambling from the possible brawl.
"What? Because of them?" He roared back at Mary Jane.
"No," she hissed. "Because you can't stop picking on everyone who looks my way. I'm with you, Flash, not them."
Flash Thompson's face contorted, but he refocused on me, the apparent cause of his current relationship problems, and ignored Mary Jane. He stood almost six inches taller than Cole.
"Got a problem, bro?" He said menacingly. His pals jumped from their seats and stood up like puppets, being yanked by a ventriloquist, ready to back him up or, as usual, jump the person unlucky enough to catch the ire of Flash.
I smiled. My eyes began to track and calculate the opposition. 'I was going to enjoy this, I thought inwardly.' Cole didn't get a chance to respond or move from the staredown. Parker was next to him. It didn't go unnoticed to Cole that he missed Parker's movement. Few had the grace and agility of Spiderman
"Back off!" Peter Parker shouted, fists balled. We were now shoulder to shoulder. And my anger and violence faded. I was next to Spiderman, an Avenger, an individual who saved New York, the world, and the multiverse numerous times.
'Continuity won't be denied,' which made me its Fulcrum to its predetermined path. I bowed out, releasing them, pity that it may be, but at least they won't be crippled.
"Peter, don't do anything you'll regret." Gwen Stacy said as she stood up from her desk in worry.
"It's not worth it, Peter." Their wealthy best friend Norman threw his voice into the mix.
"Handle your boyfriend, Mary," she said to her rival. I was surprised at Mary and Gwen's fate in making this Earth's Spiderman. In this world version, Mary and Gwen are rivals; Flash dated both but ended up with Mary. Now, who gets Parker?
Mary glared at her but didn't respond before stomping toward Flash. She implemented herself between the two parties.
Liz drove forward and placed a soft hand on my shoulder. I turned, and she shook her head, concern and fear in her eyes.
'Oh, that stings.' She didn't have faith in her lover boy...
Flash maneuvered around Mary, who grabbed his shirt to stop him and swung on Peter Parker. Peter leaned back and swiftly forward, pushed with both hands; Flash was sent spiraling backward and into the surprised hands of his motley team of drug-fueled athletes.
"Your ass is mine bitch." Flash pushed off his friend's grasp, his face marred with humiliation, sending a sloppy telegraphed Haymaker toward the awkwardly standing Parker. I sensed it before Peter did, and I acted without conscious thought.
Gwen just had to run in front of Parker.
"Back off, Flash," she said, but her eyes enlarged at the fist near her face. In the statements given to the authorities about this incident, multiple students would swear I moved unbelievably quickly, and the video recordings would have showcased that to the world if not for the tapes vanishing.
Jeremy York had an intense crush on Gwen Stacy. The vestiges of his being remained with me; I held his memories and emotions. My lack of memories of who I was before appearing in the universe resulted in the ghost of his being outweighing me at times, especially when It came to his parents.
My hand grasps the more oversized teen fist without trouble. It barely even registered that he used force on how far I was above an average human.
I squeezed. I was angry. Jeremy was furious. My rage had pulsated to the surface. 'This fool had caused me to slip. He had almost harmed Gwen.' I increased the pressure, cracking his balled hand in my grasp like a grape, and he hollered.
Everything was tuned out. I stepped forward, forcing him to move back with me, and I locked eyes with him and his friends, who reacted the moment they heard him scream, and my ability, unrestrained by my conscious mind, was unleashed.
Name: Cole Stephens
Known Name: Jeremy York
Race: Inhuman Mutant
Alias- Red Hood
Alignment: +Neutral
System-Bank: $74,567
Minion(s) Bullseye-Coerced 21%|100%
Angelica "Angel" Jones- Contracted
Persona(s)Jason Peter Todd- Red Hood 98%|100%
Attributes
Intelligence: +Moderate Tier 2–>3
Strength: +Moderate Tier 2
Speed: Moderate Tier 2
Durability: -Moderate Tier 2
Energy Projection: +Potential Tier 3
Fighting Skills: +Advanced Tier 4
Gear-Inventory
Red Hood Costume
Batman Utility Belt
Clark Kent's Glasses
Scarecrow Gear
Orichalcum Knives
Nth-Promethium Katana
Dual Pistols [9mm rounds]
Dual Modified| Sniper Mod|M1911 [.45]
Captain Cold's Gun.
Fear Toxin
Smoke Grenade
Pocket Explosives
High Powered Taser
Bulk Medical Bag
Bulk Duffle Bag [Electronics]
Kinetic Hammer
Super-bike
Black Hawk [Damaged]
Tumbler Batmobile
Abilities
[Emerging] X-Gene
[Unexposed]Terrigenesis
[+1] Holder of the Hero-Villain System.
[+5] Criminology: Deception. Enhanced Investigation.
[0] Occultism: The Host is knowledgeable on various mystical concepts due to his training with the All-Caste.
[0] Enhanced senses: The host has supernatural senses, allowing them to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel better than an average species member.
[+3] Skilled marksman and expert tactician.
[+4] Expert martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant. Highly trained in Dim Mak.
[+3] Acute understanding and utilization of high-tech equipment, Bioengineering, and advanced weaponry.
[+4]Business Management: Wayne Enterprises, Lexcorp, Iceberg Lounge.
Computer Operations: Computer Hacking.
[+3] Enhanced strength, speed, and durability due to exposure to the Lazarus Pit and your latent mutant and inhuman metamorphosis. Chi reinforcement.
[+3] Inhuman Optimal Healing Factor: Granted by the system and reinforced by burgeoning Chi abilities, you can heal from extreme mental or bodily trauma in minutes.
Fear Inducement: Your presence has shown itself as a fragment of fear. Unraveling your presence is now a physical thing. The target's perception may be altered, causing them to see their environment as ominous and the Host as dark and foreboding or even as a monster. This is considered a mutant ability