The sun hung low in the sky as Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, rushed through his morning routine. With a hasty breakfast and an even quicker glance at his homework, he knew today would require all of his focus. Balancing high school was hard enough—being Spider-Man just made things more complicated.
With the school day fast approaching, Peter decided to get in some swing time before heading to class. Vaulting out of his window, he felt the familiar rush of wind as he soared between buildings. The city beneath him was waking up, and Peter reveled in the freedom of the sky—until something below caught his eye.
A kid on a skateboard—about Peter's age—was gliding through the street, earbuds in, oblivious to the two cars barreling toward him from opposite directions. Peter's heart leaped into his throat. Without a second to spare, he launched himself forward, adrenaline flooding his senses. The cars honked, tires screeched.
*Too close.*
Peter shot a web, yanking the skateboarder out of the danger zone just as the cars collided in a near-miss behind him. The kid stumbled, still off balance, and Peter swung low, using a second web to catch him before he could hit the pavement.
"Whoa!" the kid gasped, wide-eyed, as he regained his footing.
Peter was about to breathe easy when the kid's backpack flew open from the momentum, spilling its contents. A shiny, gold object—what looked like a medieval helmet—rolled out, bouncing toward the street, directly in line with a passing truck. Peter's reflexes kicked in, shooting another web to snatch the helmet just before it was crushed under the wheels. He pulled the kid, the helmet, and his skateboard safely to the sidewalk.
Peter let out a breath. "Hey, you alright?"
The kid, his messy brown hair sticking out in all directions, grinned sheepishly at Peter, seemingly unphased by the near-death experience. "Yeah, man. Thanks. That was close!"
Peter handed him the helmet, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting... you into medieval stuff or something?"
"Sort of," the kid replied, shoving the helmet back into his bag. "It's a long story." He zipped up the bag with extra care this time. "I'm Kade, by the way."
Peter's eyes narrowed. Kade had this weirdly familiar energy, like they'd met before, but Peter couldn't place it. Before he could figure it out, Kade's grin widened. "And you're Spider-Man! I've seen you around! Man, that was amazing! You totally saved me back there!"
"Just part of the job," Peter said with a casual shrug. "But maybe keep your eyes on the road next time."
Kade laughed, clearly unfazed. "Yeah, no kidding. I'll watch where I'm going from now on."
Peter gave him a small wave and shot another web, swinging back into the skyline. He figured that was the last he'd see of Kade.
But as the day wore on, Peter would soon realize his near-miss with Kade wasn't just a random encounter.
By the time Peter reached Midtown High, the morning rush had settled into its usual rhythm. He landed in a quiet alley a block away from the school and quickly changed back into his civilian clothes. With his backpack slung over his shoulder, he jogged through the school gates, arriving just in time for first period.
The day started off uneventful—English class, then math, followed by history—but something in Peter's mind kept circling back to Kade. That helmet… there was something weird about it. It didn't look like a cheap replica or some cosplay piece. It was old, and the way Kade had brushed off the topic made Peter's spider-sense tingle in the back of his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the kid than met the eye.
Peter was in the middle of lunch when the answer practically walked up to him.
"Hey, mind if I sit here?"
Peter looked up, mildly startled. A boy with messy brown hair, a skateboard under one arm, and an easygoing grin stood there, tray in hand. He looked completely at ease, like they were old friends. Peter blinked. It took him a second to recognize the kid—_the same kid with the helmet_.
"Uh... sure," Peter said, scooting over on the bench, his mind suddenly racing. He had no idea who this guy was, and yet he was standing there like it was no big deal. Was this a coincidence, or was there more to it?
The kid plopped down next to him, setting his tray on the table. "Thanks, man. I'm Kade, by the way," he said with a grin. "New transfer. I think I've seen you around this morning."
Peter raised an eyebrow, the dots still not quite connecting. "Oh, right. Uh, Peter," he introduced himself. "New here, huh?"
Kade nodded, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Yeah, just moved in. Crazy morning, though," he added casually, as if almost getting hit by two cars wasn't that big a deal. "But hey, first days are always like that, right?"
Peter's eyebrows shot up. "Crazy morning? What do you mean?" he asked, trying to sound casual but feeling a spike of curiosity. _I'm sure I had my mask on._
Kade just laughed lightly. "You know, adjusting to a new place, getting into the groove of things. It's wild, but I'll survive." He leaned back, glancing around the cafeteria. "It's nice here though, feels like I'll fit in."
Peter wasn't so sure about that. Something about Kade felt... off. Not in a bad way, but in a way that made Peter's instincts kick in. The helmet from earlier flashed in his mind again. There was no way this guy was just your average new student.
"Well, good luck," Peter said with a small smile, trying to mask his suspicion. "It can be tough getting used to a new school."
"Thanks," Kade said, still grinning. "But I've got a feeling things will turn out alright."
Later that afternoon, as Peter was wrapping up classes, the atmosphere shifted as whispers began to circulate.
"Did you hear about the strange happenings downtown?" one student asked another. "They say there are these weird creatures attacking people!"
Peter's instincts kicked in. He quickly suited up and swung out, heading toward the commotion. As he neared the scene, the situation became apparent—people were running in every direction, their faces pale with fear. From his vantage point high above, Peter could see what was causing the panic: grotesque creatures that looked like they didn't belong on this plane of existence. Their bodies were slimy, oozing with some sort of ethereal green glow, and they had too many limbs—spindly, writhing tentacles that lashed out at anything in their path.
Doctor Strange was already deep in the fight, casting spells that lit up the street as he tried to keep the creatures from coming through. Peter knew this was way bigger than the usual thugs he dealt with, but he didn't have time to think it over. He swung into the action, landing on a lamppost before shooting webs to get a better view from a nearby building.
One of the creatures saw him and let out this awful screech, charging at him with its tentacles flailing. His spider-sense kicked in, and he just barely dodged, flipping in the air to avoid getting grabbed. "Nope! I don't even want to know where you guys came from!" Peter thought as he fired webbing to tangle up the creature's limbs.
Up above, Doctor Strange hovered in his cloak, eyes locked on a tear in reality. "Spider-Man! I could use a hand here!"
"Already on it, Doc!" Peter swung down and kicked another creature in the face, landing in a crouch before webbing two more together. They squirmed and struggled, their slimy bodies sticking to each other. "Please tell me these things aren't from some alternate dimension petting zoo?"
"They're interdimensional creatures slipping through a crack in reality," Strange said, deflecting an attack with a glowing shield. "I'm working on sealing it, but they're becoming more aggressive."
Before Peter could reply, everything around them suddenly shifted. The air felt cold and heavy. A bright light flashed at the edge of the fight, and out stepped a guy in fancy robes and a gold helmet that practically glowed. His gold cloak billowed dramatically even though there wasn't any wind. Whoever he was, Peter could feel the power coming off him, like his spider-sense was in overdrive.
"Stand aside! Let Doctor Fate handle this!" the newcomer boomed, his voice echoing like thunder. He raised a hand, and a wave of blinding golden magic surged around him.
Peter blinked, completely thrown off. "Uh… who's this guy?" He didn't know much about the magical crowd, but whoever this was, he was on a whole different level.
Doctor Fate didn't wait for anyone to answer. He drew glowing symbols in the air, his moves smooth and sure. The creatures recoiled, struggling like something was yanking them back toward the portal they came from.
Reality itself seemed to warp under Fate's control. Golden arcs of light shot toward the creatures, wiping them out in an instant. Their screams were cut short, and they vanished without a trace.
Then, with a final burst of power, Doctor Fate raised both hands, and the portal began to shrink, pulling back the creatures still trying to crawl through. They let out distant howls, but the tear sealed, shutting them out for good.
Just like that, it was over. The street was quiet again, and Doctor Fate hovered above it all, barely acknowledging anyone. He glanced at Doctor Strange and Peter, then turned and floated up into the sky, his golden helmet catching the last bit of sunlight before he vanished into the clouds.
*I've seen that helmet somewhere before*, Peter thought as he watched him disappear.