MIDTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
"Peter, over here!" Ned called out, spotting Peter at the school entrance.
Peter looked up and saw him, quickly making his way over. But he froze mid-step when he noticed his crush, Mary Jane, chatting with some girls whose names he couldn't even remember.
Snapping out of it, he shook his head and hurried toward Ned.
"You should ask her out," Ned said immediately as Peter reached him, clearly knowing what was on his friend's mind.
"Shhh!" Peter hissed, covering Ned's mouth and glancing around nervously to make sure no one heard. Letting go, he added, "Don't say stuff like that in public."
As they continued walking, Ned shrugged. "Doesn't matter. If you don't, someone else will. You know Flash has been asking her out for a while."
"Flash is asking MJ out too?" Peter shook his head."I don't think she's going to give him a chance."
"True. Everyone knows he asked Gwen too, but she rejected him," Ned admitted, just as he bumped into someone. The collision made both of them stagger.
"Sorry," Ned said quickly, not even looking at who it was, clearly wanting to avoid a scene this early in the morning.
The boy turned around, his eyes widening for a brief moment before he regained his composure. "It's fine, just watch where you're going," he said calmly before walking off.
"I think that's the first time I've heard him speak in a month," Ned commented, wa usetching the boy leave.
"Yeah," Peter nodded. "After his dad died, he completely faded into the background."
Yeah, the boy they were talking about was Stephen. He had shown up at school, trying to blend in and play his part.
Even though he had the system, he wasn't untouchable yet, so skipping school wasn't an option not yet anyway. Besides, he was in the same class as Peter Parker, so staying here had its perks.
He didn't expect to bump into Peter on his first day back, though, let alone before even stepping into the classroom.
Stephen had already started working on his manga. It was going to take a while, but at least the system gave him some insane drawing skills. Good thing, too, since his old self couldn't draw a stick figure to save his life.
But still, creating the artwork was just the first step. He'd need to get everything finished before heading to the printing press to make the copies and wrap it all up with a solid cover design. A lot of work, but he'd get it done.
Talking the last seat he thought about Peter.
Taking the last seat, Stephen thought to himself, Peter looks so different from the MCU versions, but Ned? He's exactly the same.
As he glanced around at his classmates, he couldn't help but wonder which of them would end up playing a key role in Peter's life if he became Spider-Man. Felicia, Jessica, Flash, Gwen, Harry... Maybe it'll be Gwen who gets bitten by the spider, though. Who knows?
"Stephen."
"Present," he said, giving his attendance before drifting back into his thoughts.
Iron Man, Hulk, and the Fantastic Four were already active. I needed to be ready for any tragedy that might happen. Who knew if the Chitauri invasion could happen tomorrow?
The thought sent chills down his spine.
"Listen up, students," the teacher began, catching everyone's attention. "The school has arranged a field trip to Oscorp Laboratories for the week after next. Interested students can apply."
The room immediately filled with murmurs, and more than a few eyes darted toward Harry, who just shrugged like it was no big deal.
Great. Just great, Stephen thought, barely holding back the urge to curse. A trip to Oscorp? He could already feel the chaos brewing.
The birth of Spider-Man was only the start. Where Spider-Man went, villains followed Doc Ock, the Lizard, Green Goblin, and an endless list of troublemakers. This was just the beginning of the madness.
Sighing, he leaned back in his seat, already feeling the weight of what was coming. What a way to kick things off.
His eyes shifted toward Harry, who seemed completely unfazed by all the attention he was getting.
Determined to speed things up, he resolved to dedicate more time to finishing the manga later. For now, he needed to focus on class.
"Alright, let's pick up where we left off," the teacher said simply, cutting through the noise with ease.