Chapter Three: Newfound Classmates or Newfound Allies?
As classes resumed and another new week was about to finish in Midtown High, news were circulated that students from a prestigious school have arrived to visit like some sort of group of exchange students, which caused a small gossiping commotion among the crowds of students.
"Hey, did you hear? There's a guy coming over who is a cutie!" says one female student in Midtown High.
"Hope one of 'em newcomers would be a cute girl!" says one of the football jocks.
Few minutes go by and a bus stops at the designated point, a pair of students with personal bags step down the ladder, unconsciously blocking the path for others that are about to go down.
"Whoa, this is the school?" says the suave Bobby. "Seems kinda small compared to the institute."
"Aw c'mon Bobby, first time for everything! Today's our first class in New York City!" Kitty cheers.
"U-um, pardon us please?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry," Bobby looked over, to see Peter and moved out of the way for Peter and Gwen to get out of the bus.
"Thanks. Um, are you guys perhaps here for Midtown High too?" Peter asked.
"Yeah! Are you a student here too?!" Kitty asks.
"Uh, yeah. You guys seem to be my age, so I guess we might be classmates," Peter guessed. "I'm Peter, and you?"
"I'm Robert Drake, but you can call me Bobby," Bobby introduced and shook Peter's hand.
"And I'm Katherine Pryde! As in the word pride, but replacing the "i" with a "y"! You can call me Kitty though!" Kitty introduced gleefully as she shook his hand.
"Th-thanks," Peter stuttered from her gleeful and vibrant personality. "Ehehehe, ahem, anyways, let me help show you guys around before classes begin. You guys fine with that?"
"First day in school and now a free tour? I'm in!" Bobby replied.
"Sign me up!" Kitty replied.
"But um, with all that load over your shoulders, won't it tire you out?" Peter pointed out, referring to the luggage that the trio brought with them.
"Oh it's fine, we got it covered," Bobby assures.
"Yeah, no biggie!" Kitty replied.
"Um, no, let me help," Peter offers. "Here, let me help hold on to one of them."
As Peter carries one of the heavy sporting bags, he shocks the suave Bobby at how he's able to carry it over his shoulder with ease. "H-how!? What!?"
"Guess this is why we should never judge a book by its cover," Kitty said in awe of his strength.
Now, the pair enters the school premises with Peter showing them around.
"Trust me, you're going to love it here. We got almost everything including—ow," Peter grunted from Flash blocking his path.
"Hey! Puny Parker! What's up with your new friends? Trying to fit in?" Flash stupidly remarked.
"Including bullies?" Bobby deadpans.
"Yeah, that too," Peter replied.
"Hey buster, no need to get so rough okay," Kitty shields Peter from Flash's rambling.
"Oh yeah? Or what?" Flash taunted.
"Guys, calm down, please," Peter pleaded, trying to mediate the situation.
"Hmph, could've sworn the 'geekette' is one of your pals, Pete," Flash huffed before walking away. "Whatever."
Peter sighs in relief from the sudden confrontation until...
"Petey," Liz called, getting his attention.
"Liz! Hey!" Peter replied back.
"Hey hey, 'Petey', who's the girl?" Bobby wonders, giving Peter a roughly playful noogie. "Didn't expect a guy like you to—"
"No! Not right now Bobby," Peter begged, shoving Bobby off of him.
"Okay okay, sorry 'bout that," Bobby answered back, thinking that he might've done something wrong or gotten the wrong idea.
Suddenly, the bell rings, indicating that classes are starting with all the students running over to their respective classrooms.
"There goes the bell! We should hurry!" Peter says, helping the trio going into their biology classroom, leaving Liz speechless and alone.
"Oh," Liz sighed, feeling a tap on her shoulder from Mary Jane.
"C'mon girlfriend, classes are starting," Mary Jane says, going with Liz inside.
Inside the classroom, where everyone sat in their usual seats, Prof. Aaron enters the classroom.
"Hello class, I'm fairly sure that you heard about how we are getting visiting students all the way from Massachusetts, to come here for a few months to learn with you," Prof. Aaron announces then turns to Bobby. "Young man, please introduce yourself to your new classmates."
"Hey guys! My name's Robert Drake! But you can call me Bobby! Pleasure to meet you!" Bobby introduced.
"Young lady, would you mind?" Prof. Aaron asks.
"Hi! I'm Katherine Pryde, like the word pride, except the "i" is replaced with a "y"! You can call me Kitty!" Kitty introduced.
"Man, a ponytail girl huh? That's something new—ow!" Flash reacted from Sha Shan hitting him at his side for his insensitive comment.
"Alright alright, the two of you may settle down in those two vacant seats here," Prof. Aaron suggests before taking out his textbook. "Now then, let us begin…."
—
Somewhere in the Manhattan Police Department's prison ward, where Scorpion's been recently imprisoned…
"Hey pal, um, you're free to go," Sgt. Carter calls out, opening Scorpion's cell.
"Is this some kind of a joke?" Scorpion grunted.
"No it is not, because somebody bailed you out. You'll meet him outside," Sgt. Carter replied, guiding Scorpion out of the police station to see a black limo parked outside.
"Is that it?" Scorpion deadpans.
"Yes, that's it," Sgt. Carter replied before uncuffing his hands and a binding device restraining his tail. "Take care."
Without saying another word, Scorpion reluctantly stopped by the black limo, which automatically welcomes him with an open door.
"Can't you get a bigger door?" Scorpion grunted, entering the limo and taking his seat with great difficulty because of his tail.
Inside the limo, he's greeted by a thick-skulled man in a dark suit and a skinny man in a lab coat.
"Greetings, Mr. Scorpion, hope you had a good time in the slammer," Hammerhead deadpans.
"Hmph, boring in a tight place when I could just go and catch that spider!" Scorpion huffed with a hint of fury.
"Now, now, cool your tail. Let me introduce a friend that may help you: meet Phineas, the Tinkerer," Hammerhead introduced.
"I heard about your feats the other day, and I was hoping that you would cooperate with us," Tinkerer points out with his hands clasped, waiting for a response.
"Don't care, as long as I get to squash that bug Spider-man," Scorpion growls with his tail twitching from the thought.
"Not to worry, you will get your chance, but I have the tools that can prove to be useful to you. That is...if you're interested in cooperating with us," TInkerer offered.
"Whatever, as long as I get to bash that bug and peel the flesh off from his bones," Scorpion growls.
"Excellent, we shall meet with a companion that will join you back at headquarters so—"
"Whoa hey! You didn't tell me that I'd get a babysitter when I'll fight!? That ain't in the deal!" Scorpion barked in frustration.
"Well, your ally has had a run-in with the Wall-crawler, and I had promised him the same offer I've given you. He accepted immediately, so what about you, Mr. Gargan," Tinkerer jeered.
"Don't...call me that. I am Mac Gargan no more…! I am...Scorpion…!" Scorpion hissed.
"Okay okay, sorry, my bad. So, do we have ourselves a deal?" Tinkerer clarifies.
"Grrrgh, fine! I'll do yer dirty work and meet whoever gonna fight with me. But whatever happens, I get to deal the first blood on the bug!" Scorpion barked in defeat.
"Great! You will see soon enough," Tinkerer laughed in amusement with that in mind.
—
"Say, Kitty? What do you usually like doing?" asked one male classmate.
"Yeah! And what's your secret to like, looking so cute!?" shrieked one female classmate.
"Hey, Bobby, are you still single?" asked another female classmate.
Shortly after classes ended and lunch hour's commenced, there was a crowd of students surrounding the two new classmates for whatever reasons they have in trying to engage with them.
"Looks like the newcomers are all the attention in school for now," Mary Jane points out while sitting next to Peter, sipping on a milk carton.
"I'll say," Peter nervously replied.
"Well, they are both new, and seem popular for some other reason," Liz nervously adds.
"How can they be even more popular than us!?" Sally screamed.
From the table afar where the "popular squad" sits, the loud Sally Avril nonsensically rambles about the newcomers taking all the attention, all the while Liz would rather sit at Peter's table, who was completely okay with having her around.
"S-some lunch hour, right?" Peter nervously jokes.
"Mm yeah, but it's like any other lunch hour," Mary Jane plainly stated.
"What!?"
Suddenly from afar, Kitty, followed by Bobby, dashes over to Peter's table with brightness and excitement in her eyes.
"Are you Peter Parker!? The photographer of Spider-man!?" Kitty clarifies upon realisation from earlier talk with other students.
"U-um, yeah?" Peter reluctantly answered.
"I am such a huge fan! Of Spider-man!" Kitty exclaimed as she jumped with joy like some fangirl, which had Liz uneasy.
"Wait, what?" Peter asked, wondering what she meant.
"She watches the news sometimes then comes across news on Spider-man, a hero around New York. She was ecstatic to hear more about that guy, especially on the way coming here," Bobby playfully adds.
"Bobby!" Kitty barked as she elbows Bobby's side, not knowing that Peter himself is Spider-man.
"Th-that's great," Peter nervously replied.
"What do you mean just great!? This is awesome! I really hope I get to see Spidey in action! Oh! Would you mind if I come see you take photos?" Kitty nervously asks.
"U-um, well, I…" Peter was left speechless from her request, knowing full well that he can't fulfill that since he is Spider-man.
"I think that is taking things too far, Kitty. It is a job, not like some part-time deal, am I right?" Bobby guesses.
"Yeah, thanks Bobby," Peter replied.
"It's alright bro," Bobby answered.
'Bro,' Peter mumbled to himself with a depressed look, recalling the time Eddie had to be sent to Ravencroft, after separating from the Symbiote.
"What's wrong?" Bobby asked upon looking at his sad face.
"Petey…" Liz muttered as she placed an assuring hand over his arm.
"Hey! What ya'll up to!?" Flash exclaims as he barges between Bobby and Kitty. "By the way, this coming weekend, we're planning to head to Coney Island for another huge hang-out! Are you two interested?"
"You're kidding right? We just got here and now you're inviting us?" Bobby asks in an almost hysterical manner, turning his head around. "'Cause I am!"
"Sounds like fun!" Kitty exclaimed. "What about you Peter?"
"Me? I um...I don't know," Peter trailed off, recalling the past event between Liz and Flash, along with the time Doc Ock had to ruin the fun.
"We'd love to," Mary Jane answered before Peter or Liz could say anything.
"Awesome!" Kitty exclaimed.
"This is gonna be a blast!" Bobby exclaimed.
'MJ!' Peter whispered hysterically.
"What? It's going to be fun," Mary Jane plainly put.
"Greaaaat," Peter and Liz groaned.
Upon overhearing from the sidelines, Gwen gripped on her forearm hard, trying to contain her intense feelings of jealousy and sadness, knowing well that Harry implicitly does not want her to go as he won't.
—
Meanwhile, in the headquarters that formerly belonged to the Big Man, aka Tombstone…
"C'mon, try letting loose buddy," Beetle taunted, flying around Scorpion in his new armor, patterned with red and silver parts.
"Grrrrgh," Scorpion, now in new dark-greenish armored exoskeleton-like suit, growls before getting down on all fours with his newly accessorized acid-laced tail pointed towards Beetle and shoots out acidic plasma projectiles towards Beetle.
"Whoa!" Beetle exclaimed, but reacted swiftly as he activated an energy shield that easily blocked the plasma blast, causing it to fall and corrode its landing spot.
He then proceeds to use dual mounted energy guns on his gauntlets and points them at Scorpion then fires swift bullets at him. "Now these are some wicked upgrades."
"Hrrgh!" Scorpion huffed as he tried to avoid the energy bullets before whacking one of them with the armored elongated shaft of his tail, deflecting it back to Beetle until he dodged it.
"Well, Tinkerer, I think you outdone yourself this time," Hammerhead commented, impressed from the two villains' incredible upgrades.
"I believe so. What do you think, sir?" Tinkerer wonders, paying his respect to a man in the shadows.
"Hmmm, seems alright enough, now we shall let the show begin, with these two as our performers against Spider-man," says the man behind the shadows.
—
"Haha! Got it!" Kitty exclaimed, winning another match of water-gun spraying and collecting another prize.
"Well, that's just great," Bobby sighed.
The next afternoon on Saturday, at the amusement park near the beach called Coney Island, everyone came to hang-out together for the newcomers as if it were some informal acquaintance party. It is supposedly fun for others, but not all were showing some smiling faces. Peter sat alone at a nearby bench, watching everyone else having fun before noticing Liz, who was standing out like a sore thumb among their happy friends with a sad look on her face.
'Maybe this was a bad idea, I shouldn't be here,' Peter thought to himself before standing up from the bench and walks over to the group until Kitty went over to him.
"Hey! Look at the prizes we just got!" Kitty playfully exclaimed, showing the few stuffed animals that she and Bobby went to earn-to-play by the booths.
"Agh, I, need, to catch my breath," Bobby pants from exhaustion as he fans himself with his hand.
"Hey, you guys just made history. To have the juice to play that many games," Randy pointed out, impressed by their stamina.
"Yeah, who would've thought that a girl could—ow!" Flash yelped from another elbow by Sha Shan.
"W-well, that's great! I, better get going now," Peter trailed off.
"What? Why? We were just having fun, right?" Kitty wonders.
"N-no, that's not really the problem, but I don't wanna talk about it," Peter replied.
"Bro, c'mon, just stick around. Don't leave us," Bobby suggested in a pleading manner.
"Alright, alright," Peter gave in.
However, the fun atmosphere around Peter was disrupted by his Spider Sense, coming down over Bobby and Kitty. WIthout hesitation, he immediately pushes the two of them into a tackle to avoid a loud crashing slam over them. Out of the crash site, a huge greenish arm grabs over the edge of the crater, revealing an all-new Scorpion, covered in dark-greenish armor over his green skin and his tail much deadlier thanks to Tinkerer's upgrades. Beside him was the Beetle, hovering down from the sky in his new armor.
"Parrkerrrr!" Scorpion roared, causing panic all over the amusement park of Coney Island. "Where are youuu!?"
"Not really the plan, but what the heck," Beetle thought out loud before activating his dual gauntlet-mounted plasma guns.
'What!? Scorpion and Beetle!? Again!? This is bad! This is even worse than fighting against Ock back in the day,' Peter thought to himself before turning to Bobby and Kitty. "You two get out of here! It's too dangerous!"
"Wait! What about you!?" Kitty asked hysterically with worry.
"I-I'll—"
Suddenly, Bobby taps on Peter's shoulder, which somehow calmed him down—too quickly—from the sudden chilling over his hand.
"Bro, they're after you. I may not know why, but you got your reasons. And don't worry. I got your back," Bobby assures.
"Wait, what do you mean!?" Peter asked hysterically.
"Kitty, take everyone and Peter as far away as possible," Bobby orders before transforming his whole body underneath his clothes into translucent ice, shocking everyone in the group.
"B-Bobby!? Y-you're—"
"A mutant? Yeah, thought you'd have this reaction, now go!" Bobby orders.
"No! I'm not leaving you alone!" Kitty holds onto Bobby's arm.
"Wait! What are you—"
"We'll fight them, together! I'm not leaving you!" Kitty protested.
"Agh, fine, but be careful!" Bobby orders.
It was a momentary standoff between the two young mutants and two of Spider-man's defeated enemies, with Peter left at a loss for words his own classmates are trying to protect the one who defeated the two villains.
"Petey! What are you standing around for!?" Liz grabs Peter by his arm from behind.
"The two of them are in trouble! I can't leave them behind!" Peter protested before running away from her..
"What!? Where are you going!?" Liz hysterically asked.
"I'm going to find Spider-man!" Peter quickly answered.
"What!?" Liz reacted hysterically before being pulled back by Mary Jane.
"We have to get out of here! It's not safe!" Mary Jane pulls Liz out of the scene and runs away with her and everyone else.
Meanwhile, a double-battle commences between the two mutants and the two villains, with Kitty facing against the Beetle and Bobby going up against Scorpion.
"You're not Spider-man! I want Spider-maaaan!" Scorpion roars trying to bash his way through Bobby's walls of ice.
"Hey! Look at me! Spidey ain't here!" Bobby taunts while sliding along a stream of slippery ice and making more walls of ice to irritate Scorpion. "Man, you're really taking your time!"
On the other hand, Beetle is having a difficult time trying to shoot his plasma rounds at Kitty as she phases through the walls of various nearby game booths.
"You are starting to get irritating!" Beetle hissed, popping out some empty cartridges before diving down with his laser-lined shortsword equipped. "Now you die!"
"Agh!" Kitty trips onto a loose wooden plank then notices Beetle coming at her with his sword before bracing herself for the impact.
"Whoa there!"
Suddenly, Spider-man swings into the booth before Beetle could reach Kitty and kicks him out of the game booth.
"Whew! Are you alright? Looks like you could use a hand," Spider-man jokes.
"Ohmigosh ohmigosh, Spider-man!? The—mmph!?" Kitty sat in awe of his sudden appearance until he asked her to be quiet.
From afar, they notice Bobby currently giving the Scorpion a hard time. That was until Bobby wasn't paying too much attention that his stream of ice hit a metal pole, which caused him to be knocked off of his feet and land on the pavement.
"Ugh ow, ow, and ow," Bobby grunts before being taken down and restrained by his neck from Scorpion's strong grip. "You, ugh, don't seem, ugh, like any mutant, that I ever met."
But before Scorpion could use his tail to impale Bobby, Spider-man slinged himself to Scorpion and knocked him over to the nearest game booth.
"Hey! You alright?" Spider-man asks, lending a hand.
"Y-you're here!?" Bobby yelled in shock. "Wait, that voice, Pe—"
"Graaaaaargh!"
Suddenly, Scorpion easily got back on his feet, followed by Beetle, who flew and regrouped with Scorpion with his mounted guns ready.
"Finally, your time has come, to die by my hands," Beetle smirked.
"No! I shall be the one to finish the bug!" Scorpion barked.
"Wait, huh?" Spider-man flinched, seeing them argue for a moment until he got a plan on how to deal with them and looked to Bobby and Kitty.
"Heya kids! So um, you guys got powers? What do I call you pal? Ice boy?" Spider-man called.
"Close, it's Iceman, maaaan," Bobby replied.
"Shadowcat," Kitty professionally answered.
"Alright then. Say, Shadowcat, can you trap the big mean-looking guy somehow?" Spider-man asked, referring to Scorpion.
"Yeah! Anytime!" Kitty, aka Shadowcat, replied confidently.
"Hey Iceman, mind distracting the other guy?" Spider-man asked, referring to Beetle.
"LIke, do you have to ask?" Bobby, aka Iceman, confidently replied.
"Then that settles it," Spider-man thought out loud. "Let's make this quick."
"I told you, I get to finish him! That was the deal!" Scorpion barked.
"You're just here as backup. I am going to be the one to finish the job," Beetle protested.
"Hey fellas? Yoohoo!" Spider-man taunted, getting their attention.
With Scorpion distracted, he didn't notice Shadowcat underneath him grabbing hold of his legs and phasing along with her down to the pavement until the floor reached his elbows.
"What!? What is this!?" Scorpion growls as he helplessly tries to squirm his way out of the floor, which startled Beetle into the air by surprise.
"Great, now I gotta deal with three freaks myself," Beetle hissed as he activated his mounted missile launchers on his shoulders.
"Iceman, now!" Spider-man calls out.
"Me first!" Iceman yells as he bursts an neverending hail of ice at Beetle like flying bullets out of his body, battling against Beetle and his limited number of missiles.
"Are you kidding me now!?" Beetle curses while dodging the hail of ice before preparing to throttle out of Coney Island. "This wasn't in the information we're given!?"
"But hey! At least you tried!" Spider-man exclaimed as he slings himself up to deal a strong swift kick to his mask and cheek, denting and damaging it before making him fall on his front unconscious.
"Man, that was amazing!" Shadowcat exclaimed, hugging Spider-man by his neck.
"Yeah man! We killed it!" Iceman adds before turning his body back from his translucent ice state and gets close to Spider-man. 'Bro, I know it is you under the mask, muffled and all.'
In response to this, Spider-man merely tries to close his mouth under his mask.
"Don't worry bro, it will be our secret," Iceman, aka Bobby, says confidently before being elbowed by Kitty. "I mean 'our' secret."
"Cool, well, gotta go quick to change!" Spider-man replied before quickly swinging away.
"Hey! Spidey! Wait! Come back!"
Coming Bobby and Kitty's way was the rest of the gang in their class, worried about their safety and Peter's disappearance.
"Hey Bobby! Why didn't you stop him from leaving!? I could've gotten an autograph!" Flash exclaimed.
"Sorry man, didn't catch your drift," Bobby smirked.
"Why you—"
"Hey uh, Bobby, you did real great," Randy commented. "Cool moves out there, literally."
"Like, seriously! You totally should continue hanging out with us more often!" Sally adds.
"Really!? Sweet!" Kitty exclaimed while jumping with joy.
"Ah hey! What did I miss?" Peter wonders, appearing from behind a nearby game booth.
"You missed out on a lot bro, pretty much a lot," Bobby replied, slapping Peter on the back.
"Ehehehe, yeah, a lot," Peter nervously replied, knowing each other's secret identity.
Liz merely looks from afar, seeing Peter somewhat happy getting along with his new friends, and possibly having a soft spot for the new girl Kitty, which worries her. However, she manages to keep her cool and pay no mind to it.
"Hey Liz! Are you not gonna welcome our cool new friends!?" Sally calls out.
"N-no thanks, I'm good," Liz replied with a downcast face, catching Mary Jane's attention.
—
Later that night, back in Massachusetts, in the Xavier's Institute for gifted youngsters…
"Recent news: Mutants Among Us: Spider-man has been seen assisted by two young mutants in an effort to protect the civilians in Coney Island…" The television kept speaking on the details of the recent attack made by the ScorpIon and the Beetle that was solved by Spider-man and his so-called "allies", and not everyone that caught wind of it were too pleased with the matter.
"Charles, what'd I tell ya, those kids were too reckless that they just outright exposed themselves. Now New York will think they got more than one heroic weirdo to deal with," Logan grunts.
"Perhaps, but it can present itself to be an opportunity. This masked man, Spider-man, might be our only chance in helping those children. It would seem to be wiser to not take that away from the children," Professor suggested.
"Fine, but if things do go south eventually, I'm takin' them back. They don't know what the world truly is to mutants outside the institute," Logan huffed before leaving the room.
"Maybe so, but perhaps with a little help, it could be manageable," Professor thought out loud to himself.
—
"Sir, it appears that, due to the unexpected circumstances, Scorpion and Beetle have lost. I apologize for the carelessness I did not foresee," Tinkerer apologized.
"Don't apologize, 'cause I know I wouldn't," the man in the shadows replied, who revealed himself to be Norman Osborn, alive in blonde. "Besides, there will always be plenty of opportunities, even when they are right under our noses."
"What do you mean by that?" Tinkerer asked.
"Give time for everything, Phineas. All things come to those who wait," Norman says maniacally with a smile.
—To be continued