Midtown High was as lively as ever.
High school is a delicate stage, where young boys and girls can fully express their hormonal energy without the scheming found in adult society.
So, their displays of love and hate are often straightforward.
In the hallway by the lockers, a crowd of students was getting ready for class, exchanging their personal items for textbooks.
When they saw Eugene "Flash" Thompson, with a face that read "The world owes me," walking towards Peter, the crowd instantly parted, revealing amused expressions.
"Hey, Peter! Don't say I never gave you a chance to prove you're a real man! How about a match in the ring after school? Or if you're scared, you can wear full protective gear." Flash had had a grudge against Peter for ages. He was the kind of person who either really hated or really admired someone.
"Whoa! Eugene's at it again," someone muttered, and the crowd immediately started egging them on.
Students loved drama, the more the better.
Everyone expected the skinny Peter to politely decline, as usual, but instead, he only hesitated for a second before flashing a mysterious smile. "Sure! See you after school."
"Refuse, right? No surprise, you're such a cow—wait, what? You agreed?" Flash had been smugly rambling, only to realize that Peter, the usual target of his scorn, had actually agreed.
The confusion on Flash's face brought a gleam of satisfaction to Peter's eyes.
Peter spread his arms wide and said confidently, "Yep! I agreed. And everyone here is a witness."
"Oooooooh!" The crowd erupted. This was going to be big!
Flash, always true to character, declared, "Alright, Peter! Don't run away after class! You'd better be there!"
Not far away, Gwen covered her face with her hand, unsure of what to say. She could only mentally offer three seconds of silence for Flash.
After all, if they were having a real match in the ring, it wasn't a back-alley brawl. At least it would have a bit more class.
News of the showdown spread through the school like wildfire.
Students were so excited they couldn't focus in class, whispering nonstop.
When the bell finally rang, they swarmed to the gym, cheering and calling out the names of both contestants.
"Eugene! Eugene! Eugene!"
"Peter! Peter! Peter!"
Truth be told, Peter wasn't particularly popular at school. He was good at academics, but not especially noticeable in other areas.
But many students didn't like Flash, so Peter got a surprising amount of support.
Gwen was shocked to see that even Mr. Atreus was there. He was seated next to the principal, with his secretary and bodyguard behind him.
Gwen hesitated before approaching to say hello. "Mr. Atreus, what brings you here?"
Atreus gave a knowing smile, though he didn't explain. **How could I tell you that in the Marvel Zombies universe, zombie Peter was live-streaming himself biting people? Of course, I'm keeping an eye on this Peter.**
"Oh, Miss Stacy, do you know each other? Wonderful!" the principal said warmly. "Mr. Atreus is considering joining our board of trustees and is evaluating the school. Miss Stacy, would you mind showing him around?"
Atreus flashed a brilliant smile. "I'm just planning to invest a small fortune."
Gwen: "..."
Whether public or private, schools in America often rely on government funding and private donations for academic research. Either type of benefactor is someone the principal needs to please.
With Atreus entering the school so openly, Gwen had no choice but to elegantly sit beside him.
Just then, a wave of screams erupted from around the ring.
Listening carefully, you'd realize that 99% of the screams were from excited female students.
Why? Because Peter had taken off his shirt!
He stood there, bare-chested, wearing loose boxing shorts—the standard attire for male fighters.
Everyone already knew Flash was muscular.
What surprised them was that Peter's body was also covered in lean, toned muscles. He was the embodiment of "slim in clothes, muscular without!"
No wonder the girls were screaming.
Ah, youth! Hormones were everywhere!
Just as boys like beautiful girls, girls love handsome, fit guys too.
Peter was already good-looking, but with those muscles, his score in the girls' eyes shot through the roof.
In an instant, the cheers for Peter completely drowned out the support for Flash.
At this unfortunate moment, Flash caught sight of Atreus in the crowd.
Flash's face darkened, muttering curses in his mind. **Damn you, Peter Parker! I'll show you that I'm the second strongest man alive!**
He shouted, "Peter! This time, no one's going to protect you. Need a boxing helmet? Or maybe a woman's skirt as a shield?"
Flash's insults reached a new level.
Peter responded coldly, "No need!"
With a light push against the ropes, Peter effortlessly leaped into the ring with a graceful flip.
The girls screamed even louder.
Since this was a legitimate boxing match, everything was official.
A beautiful Black girl holding a "Round 1" sign circled the ring, while a teacher acting as the referee pulled both fighters over to review the rules.
Atreus instinctively glanced at the girl. He had to admit, despite her dark skin, she was stunning, with delicate features, elegant demeanor, and a slender figure.
The noise was so loud that Gwen had to lean in to speak. "What? Interested? Her name's Liz Toomes."
Atreus was taken aback. **Liz Toomes!?** He quickly scanned the crowd and sure enough, there was another girl—Michelle Jones.
Just last night, he'd heard that Mary Jane had reappeared. Now, two more girls? Historically, they were all Peter's love interests!
This wasn't just a boxing match. It was Spider-Man's romantic battlefield!
Atreus, usually composed, couldn't help but laugh.
"Pfft!"
Gwen shot him a strange look before following his gaze to the wavy-haired Black girl, Michelle. She was puzzled. If Atreus were some kind of womanizer, his reaction wouldn't make sense.
"Sorry, Miss Stacy. I lost my composure. I just thought of something funny and couldn't help it." Then, he leaned in and whispered, "They're not on my hunting list."
The bell rang, signaling the start of the match.
Fueled by rage, Flash came out swinging with a ferocious right hook, the punch cutting through the air with an impressive whoosh.
The crowd gasped. "Wow!"
They couldn't imagine what would happen if that punch landed on Peter's face.
But in the next second, Peter easily dodged it.
To the audience, it was a close call.
To Gwen and Atreus, they saw how Peter was clearly **playing** with Flash.
Compared to Peter's agile movements, Flash looked like a clumsy bear, powerful but slow.
What good is strength if you can't land a punch?
Flash roared in frustration, no longer underestimating Peter, and launched a series of quick jabs to test his opponent.
Flash wasn't a pro, but he had some skill.
Unfortunately, as they say, speed is the key to victory.
Despite Flash's flurry of punches, Peter dodged every single one. Eventually, Peter dropped his guard, letting his hands fall naturally by his sides, dodging only with his upper body.
This sent the girls into a frenzy of screams.
To rely solely on reactions and movement to dodge attacks, without even using footwork, was a feat reminiscent of Muhammad Ali in his prime.
Peter was on that level now.
Enraged, Flash finally let his guard down, preparing to deliver a final, crushing blow to Peter.
But before he could, Peter's swift uppercut landed perfectly on his chin, and Flash collapsed to the ground.
KO!
"Ooooooh!" The students' cheers soared as if they were about to blow the roof off the gym.
Peter raised his arms, like a true fighter, basking in the adoration of his peers.
On the sidelines, Atreus and Gwen clapped politely.
Even though they knew how it would end, the dramatic turn of events was still worth watching.
Then, an even more exciting scene unfolded, causing the onlookers to become even more animated.
As Peter proudly walked down from the ring, Liz Allan, who had just been the round girl, suddenly rushed up to him and planted a strong kiss on his lips.
"Ahhh!" The crowd erupted into ecstatic screams.
The pairing of a hero and a beautiful girl was an age-old, never-boring trope.
Almost everyone was screaming with excitement, except for Mary Jane, who had been watching through the gym window, as well as Gwen and Michelle, who were inside.
Their subtle expressions didn't escape Atreus's notice, turning the moment into a classic "love triangle" scene. He couldn't help but recall a moment from the comics when another woman involved with Spider-Man, Betty, had run into both Liz and Mary Jane.
Perhaps this was the infamous "Spider-Man and His Messy Love Life."
(End of chapter)