The day went quickly enough, he had most of his classes with either Ned or MJ, finding himself strangely looking forward to his classes with the latter. Finally, the last period came around and he and Ned took their seats in Miss. Watsons class room. She was on time today, early in fact. Having placed work sheets on the tables prior to everyone having arrived.
"Good after noon class." She greeted once all were seated. "I hope you've all had a good day so far. If you were one of the teams who lost yesterday's challenge, please have your homework on your desk and I will come around and check it while you work on the sheet that I've already placed on your tables."
The room was filled with students rummaging through notebooks for the homework sheet that had been handed out the previous day.
Peter flinched as something hit his face. Looking down at his desk he saw a crumpled note. Opening it, he read: 'Sucks to suck, Penis.'
He rolled his eyes and crumpled the notes up again, ignoring Flash's triumphant smirk and the absence of homework on his desk.
"What's this?"
He whipped his head up. He had not noticed Miss. Watson standing in front of his desk, having made her over to him and Ned to check their homework.
"It's, uh, nothing!" He responded, almost pleading that she would not make a scene.
She frowned slightly, obviously not believing him, and held out her hand.
He sighed, and placed the crumpled note in her outstretched hand. She un-crumpled the note, a small flash on her face as she read it. He sat tensely, hoping that she would not say anything. She simply sighed and put the note in her pocket.
"I'm sorry Peter." She said so softly that he wasn't sure she had even spoken.
She simply picked up his homework and moved on. He let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding. He watched her carefully in class, noticing that she still did not hesitate to discipline Flash when he spoke over her. In fact, she treated him the exact same way she treated other students. With kindness and respect, but not allowing herself to be walked upon, setting boundaries that Flash seemed determined to push at any chance. Finally, class came to an end, and while picking up his books, he heard her call him.
"Peter. Please come and see me for a second."
He looked over at Ned, a confused look on his face, before shrugging and walking over.
"Um, what's up Miss. Watson." He asked, not feeling awkward, but unsure as to why he was held back. He stood in front of her desk.
"Grab a seat Peter, I want to chat with you for a minute or two if that's okay."
He nodded and sat down in the closest desk. She came and sat in the one across from him, neatly folding her hands on the top. She looked at him for a second.
"Has Flash always bothered you?" She asked.
He felt taken aback by that questions. Most teachers simply ignored Flash's remarks, or purposefully turned a blind eye, knowing that his Father made several donations to the school.
"Um, uh, no." He lied. "But it's not that bad, really!"
She looked at him, a sad smile on her face.
"Peter. It's not okay. Would you like me to speak with him?"
"No!" He answered quickly. "No, no. Not that I don't appreciate it, Miss. Watson. I just, uh, I just think that it might make it worse."
She frowned. But before she could say anything further, there was a quick rap at the door before it burst open, revealing a well dressed man carrying flowers.
His reaction was instant. The hairs on his arm stood up. Alarm bells rang in his head. His spidey-sense was off the charts. He looked over at Miss. Watson, ready to jump out and defend her.
But she did the opposite of what he expected. She stood up and greeted the man with a smile.
"Hey, Dev!" Her smile taking over her face.
The man saw Peter, and smiled at him. A calculated smile that made Peters blood run cold. But he sat there, frozen, uncertain of what to do. He recognised the man of course, he was one of Mr. Starks least favourite people, but he had never met him or been near him, he had always attributed the bad sense he'd gotten when hearing about him or seeing him on T.V to his knowledge that Mr. Stark dis-liked the man. Dev Marton was an up and coming in the tech industry, and although he seemed to be making his millions, he was of no threat to Mr. Stark or the company.
"Sorry babe, I didn't realise you still had a kid in here. I just wanted to surprise you during your first week!"
Miss. Watson gave Peter a quick apologetic smile.
"I'll be one second hun. Why don't you sit at my desk while I finish with Peter?"
"Sounds great." He turned and sat down at Miss Watson's desk.
She came back and sat across from him. But he could barely register what she was saying, his spidey senses were too strong to ignore.
"You okay Peter?" She asked as he finally zoned back in.
"Wha- oh, uh, yeah. Thanks Miss. Watson but I should be fine. Besides I need to be getting home before Aunt May worries." He said standing up and backing out of the room and all put running through the hall way, his senses returning to normal out of the presence of that man. He stopped and took a deep breath. He'd never felt something that strong before. That man was trouble, but he couldn't attack a man for bring is girlfriend flowers!
He stood still for a second, wondering if he should call Mr. Stark.
"No, no. Don't be silly." He said to himself. And walked quickly down the hall, sparing quick glances over his shoulder, a large part of him wanting to go back and pull Miss. Watson out as well. But he knew he had to make his train, May would worry if he didn't make it home on time.
Chloe stood from the desk, a quizzical expression on her face as she watched Peter all but run from the classroom. She looked over at Dev who looked completely relaxed sitting at her desk and scrolling through his phone.
As if sensing she was watching, he looked up at her, and then at the door where he had secretly watched the kid flee.
"That was weird, right?" She asked him.
He shrugged, "Teen agers are weird." And shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Sorry for interrupting. I honestly didn't realise you had a kid in here."
She waved her hand at him, brushing off his apology.
"Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known."
"Everything okay? Was there a reason you needed to chat with him?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
She smiled at his apparent concern for the boy.
"I worry about that boy. I've only had two classes with him but already I've heard so much about him."
She stood and came to sit on the edge of her desk, legs brushing against dev's.
"Apparently, his parents and uncle died in the invasion, so now he lives with his aunt. But people are saying that he keeps claiming to have some internship with Stark Industries and that he knows Spiderman. He's a nice kid, but I wonder if he's just so desperate for more friends that he's making up stuff to get attention."
Dev listened, grimacing slightly as she mentioned Stark. She noticed this and chuckled slightly.
"I know that you two don't get along in a board room, but what is it about him that you don't like?"
He rolled his eyes.
"Stark is outdated. I know that he has done amazing things for the city, even the world, but it's time for him to step aside, let someone else come up with the ideas!" He whined.
Chloe placed a comforting hand on his arm.
"Your time will come." She assured him. "You have great ideas, and the new phone line will definitely be something to challenge him!"
"Poor kid." Dev said.
Chloe tilted her head quizzically.
"If he really knew Tony Stark he'd know what a piece of crap the guys is."
"May, I'm home!" Peter called out, pulling an ear phone out as he walked through the small kitchen.
May walked looked up from where she was folding laundry with a smile, a tired smiled, Peter noted.
"How was school today?"
Peter flinched, thinking of his encounter with Dev Marton, but quickly brushed it off, not wanting to worry his aunt.
"Yeah, it was alright. Just the normal." He said walking to his room, already pulling his Spiderman suit from his closet.
Holding it in his hands he walked out so he could see May while he spoke.
"Is it okay if I just go on a quick patrol before dinner?" He asked, wide eyed, hoping she would say yes.
She looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
"Of course. Just make sure you don't take on anything too big."
"Thanks May!" He exclaimed, jumping over and planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Make sure you call Tony if you get stuck!" She called after him as he headed back to his room to change.
"Okay!" He called back.
"And make sure you're back for dinner!"
"Okay, May!"
He quickly changed into the suit and slipped out of the window, then, making sure no one was watching and that his backpack was secure, swung off down the street.
He had a particular destination in mind tonight, but he knew he had to be careful because he would need to go right past Stark tower to get there, and Mr. Stark had been so over protective lately, he didn't want raise alarm bells, even though he worshipped the man. Ever so carefully, he hoped on the roof of a train that would take him close to his destination, and when he was three blocks off, he jumped off at the station, drawing odd looks and surprised faces as he walked through. This wasn't going to work, he needed to be inconspicuous. Here he was basically asking for attention. He darted off once outside the station getting to the top of a four storey building and threw his clothes on top of the suit, removing the mask, and carefully making his way back to the alley below without being seen.
Feeling better, he walked back out onto the street, and continued forward. Before him stood Stark tower, still a few blocks away, but close enough that he felt antsy. About one block from the tower, he turned and made his way toward a smaller high rise, the home of Marton Tech. inc. He stood before the building, but he felt no sense of danger. What was it that he had sensed before then? Perhaps it was the man himself who posed a threat to Peter. He decided the best course of action was to watch the building, and so, finding himself and hidden spot, he watched the door.
It felt like hours that he watched, the sun had started to go down and he knew he would have to go home soon, but he knew it, he just knew that there was something fishy going on. Just as he was about to give up, a black limousine pulled up. Something in Peter was suddenly on edge. He knew it, Dev Marton was in the limousine. The door opened, and there he stood. He looked about him as he stepped out onto the side walk, adjusting his suit as he did. He looked about him, as though he knew he was being watched. He looked annoyed, like a man who had been denied something he truly wanted, but was used to receiving anything he asked for. He pulled out his phone, and apparently whoever had messaged him changed his mood, for he began to laugh lightly at whatever he read.
Shoving his phone in his pocket, he grinned as he walked into his building.
Peter took a moment to recover. Even from this distance he felt the impact of the man's presence. He briefly considered calling Mr. Stark once again, but knew that in doing so he would face a lecture. Rather, he stood, brushed himself off and headed home to May.
