"You might've heard about the robbery at Oscorp recently. What you probably didn't hear, is that the perpetrators were wearing masks. Horrible, demonic faces. Yet another example of the explosion in masked criminals since Spider-Man came to the scene! Let's hear your thoughts. You're on with J. Jonah Jameson."
"Yeah, hi, Mr. Jameson, this is Anya Corazon. I was there at Oscorp the day of the break in. So, I saw firsthand that Spider-Man fought and defeated those other Demon guys, all while caring more about me and the secretary, Mrs. Helen Stacy. He saved our lives. Saying that he's like them is a little prejudice, don't you think?"
"Ms. Corazon, I'm glad you and Mrs. Stacy are okay, but you couldn't be more WRONG! Prejudice means to pre-judge someone before you even know anything about them. I know all I need to about Spider-Man! He runs around causing chaos, wearing a mask so he doesn't answer for his shenanigans, and a flashy costume so he gets attention to feed his gigantic, insatiable ego! Now, if I'm a mentally unstable person and I see him getting all of this coverage, what am I going to do? It's called copycat behavior, people! And it's ruining all over Starling City!"
"Yeah, well, he saved my life, and he will always be a hero in my book because of that."
"Well, it seems we have a lost cause on our hands here folks, Jameson out!"
Peter and Mary Jane were sitting in their usual spot at Micks since they were basically shunned from their Big Belly Burger hangout. They've been spending most of the week, trying to learn anything they could about the mask Peter got off of the Demons who tried to rob Oscorp.
"So, I've been through everything, checked the library, anything and have gotten nothing out of this thing." MJ says as she hands the mask to Peter who's gotten an idea.
"I might be able to talk to Martin, he has a degree in Art History. Maybe he knows about the origins." Peter offers.
"How would you explain having it?" MJ asks.
"Just say it was something I discovered in my home." Peter quickly comes up with a lie.
"How fast can you come up with a lie?" MJ asks. "Because I have a feeling it's not healthy how fast you can do it."
"It comes with the superheroing." Peter guesses and gets up, as does MJ. Her legs have been healing perfectly well over the past few months, but the doctors say for her not to push it, but she ignores their warnings and keeps pushing herself.
"Try and keep me in the loop. I'm the only one trying to make sure you don't kill yourself." MJ reminds him.
"Of course. Want me to take you home?" Peter offers her.
"Nah, I can walk. See you at school." MJ tells him and gives him a quick hug and makes her way out.
Peter smiles and watches as MJ walks past the restaurant's giant window, happy for her.
"Ask her out, you moron." The man behind the counter tells Peter as he turns to face the owner, Stan Lee.
Peter smiles at him and would be open to a relationship with MJ, but not right now. He's got too much on his mind and plate as of now and MJ is still literally getting back on her feet.
"I'm working on it." Peter promises and makes his way out to head home with remembering to head to F.E.A.S.T. after school.
Peter made it to school and is met with yet again with some stares of sorrow, some of hatred, and some with no reaction.
"Rise and shine, Midtown Science and Technology." The school announcements play as Peter walk to their lockers through the school.
Once he got there, he looked and saw someone painted the word MURDERER on his locker. Well...it said 'MURRDERAR', but he blames that on their education.
Peter just sighs in defeat and knows he just has to soldier through it.
"So how do we calculate linear acceleration between points A and B?" The teacher asks the class while Peter was in the back, googling some videos he found on himself going around lately and a lot of conspiracies on where he came from.
Flash raises his hand to answer. "It's the product of sine of the angle and gravity divided by mass."
"Nope." The teacher informs him before noticing that Peter . "Peter, you still with us?" She asks as he's looking at a video that was taken about him.
"Yeah." Peter says before closing the computer and looks at the board. "Mass cancels out, so it's just gravity times sine."
"Right. See, Flash, being the fastest isn't always the best if you are wrong." She informs Flash who is now angry at Peter.
'You're dead.' Flash mouths to Peter who doesn't even flinch to his threats anymore.
When the bell rings, Peter was on his way out when his teacher holds him back. "Peter, can I have a word with you?"
"Yeah, sure." Peter says and walks over to her desk when a familiar sight of had dark brown flowing hair, and brown eyes.
"Peter, this is Anya." The teacher introduces them to one another, not knowing the two actually already met. You know, in a sense. "I was wondering if you would be opened to helping Anya out as she's having difficulty with some of the schoolwork that was assigned if you would be open to tutoring her."
"You sure you want me to? There's bound to be someone else more qualified." Peter said.
"Peter, you're the highest achieving student I have, and I believe you're the perfect student to be able to help." The teacher explains to Peter, and he decides he might be able to help her out.
"Yeah, I guess I can help her." Peter guesses.
"Great. Thank you, Peter." The teacher thanks as the two students leave together.
"So, you're Peter Queen, right?" Anya asks Peter.
"Yep, Peter Queen, straight A student, younger brother of Oliver Queen, and youngest sibling to the family who destroyed the Glades." Peter lists everything to her.
"Yeah, my family wasn't here for any of that, we moved here after..." Anya tried to hold back tears. "My mother was killed..."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Peter apologizes. "I know how it feels to lose someone. My father was murdered by some madman, and my brother was stuck on some island for five years because of him."
"Oh, yeah, the prodigal son." Anya remembers what the news called him.
"Yeah, so, listen, after school, I usually volunteer at this center called F.E.A.S.T. If you wanna meet me there, I will be happy to tutor you then." Peter tells her and quickly writs down the address for her to find it at.
"All right, I'll meet you there." Anya promises and takes the paper with a smile.
Peter then goes through school normally, having lunch with MJ, getting all of his schoolwork done and made his way over to F.E.A.S.T. and ran into May.
"Peter! How was school?" May asks while she's chopping up vegetables.
"Good. I took up tutoring someone, Anya Corazon, around my height, long dark hair, Latina, if she comes looking for me, I'm gonna be in the back." Peter asks of May to direct her back near Li's office.
"I'll keep an eye out for her." May promises as Peter makes his way up to Li's office.
Li was just finishing up writing a letter when Peter knocked before he came in. "Mr. Li?"
"Peter!" Li cheers, happy to see him while quickly sorting some papers. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I've got a busy day ahead of me, and I thought you could help me out with something." Peter asks of him while reaching into his bag. "I found something in my house, I had no idea what to make of it. My dad was a big collector on imported arts, and I wanted an expert opinion on what it is, and I know you have a degree-"
"And this might be the first time I actually get to use it." Li jokes. "Let's see what you have."
Peter then pulls out the mask and took notice of the quick look of shock and fear on Li's face. "Interesting."
Peter then hands him the mask as Li looks over the whole thing.
"Where did you say you found this?" Li asks him.
"It was just something I found at home." Peter lies. "Why, what is it?"
"A replica of an antique Chinese opera mask. I haven't seen one in years." Li says as he inspects the inside of it where there's a symbol where the face would go. "This symbol here roughly translate to Demon. My father read me ghost stories with this mask and symbol when I was young." He says as he faces Peter who has a very confused look. "Scared the hell out of me. Peter, listen, that mask...I wouldn't go around showing or asking others about it. I don't know where your father found it, but it could be connected to dangerous people and that's not the kind of attention you want. Especially with your mother's trial coming up."
Peter nods his head in understanding. "Yeah, I understand." He says, trying to sound convincing, but if this mask is connected to dangerous people, he needs to find them.