- The days following the California incident went by relatively quickly. Aunt May was of course glad to have me back sooner than planned, especially after news broke over Magneto's attack. I had to downplay my own personal involvement so she'd be less freaked out.
Mr. Stark wasn't able to talk much, being busy with managing repairs of the compound on top of running his multi-billion dollar company. But I sent him the occasional text message so he'd stay updated on my progress.
I kept in touch with my classmates via the group chat until classes were set to start for the second half of the term. But Pietro and Wanda weren't as active in communicating, unsurprising given the bombshell that was dropped on their lives. Of the members in our classroom, I was the only one who knew the truth, and I sure as hell wasn't gonna spill the beans on them.
Having a bit of free time, I began to get back into dumpster diving. With the post-holiday purging most families would have, I'd often get lucky finding bits of undamaged hardware that I could use to suit my own purposes. My latest project was the tracer I wanted to link to my web shooters, so finding bits of electronics was essential toward finishing the prototype.
I also redoubled my efforts when it came to training. Sure, my Quirk enhanced my body and gave me a bit of muscle, but it was still up to me to maintain it. I would go to Fogwell's Gym and use the equipment there. Usually, I'd head down in the evening after the regular crowd had left, leaving me free to use my Quirk in a limited capacity.
Still, it wasn't all work and no play. I made it a point to visit the cemetery where Uncle Ben was buried. I made a bit of small talk, mostly letting him know that Aunt May was alright, and that I was doing well in school. It felt a bit awkward at first, but it helped me feel a bit closer to him.
There was another motive, of course. I'd check on the grave of Wanda's grandparents, hoping to see her. But there was no sign of fresh flowers, or anything to suggest that she'd come to visit. Until finally, one night, she did. -
It was late on New Year's Eve. The snow was falling, the air was cool, and the city gleamed brightly against the grey January sky. In a cemetery, a few miles outside of Queens, young Peter Parker was cleaning off a headstone with a car brush.
That should do it, he thought, clearing a bit of snow out of the engraved letters. Just then, a voice spoke up.
"Peter?"
He turned to see Wanda Maximoff, wearing a red winter coat and scarf. Her trademark red ribbon was covered by a black knit hat. She carried a modest bouquet of flowers in her arms.
"Wanda, hey!" The boy smiled, standing upright.
"What're you doing here?" She asked, a little puzzled.
"Visiting my Uncle," Peter replied, nodding toward another cleaned off headstone. "And after last summer, I thought I'd return the favor you did for me." Stepping aside, he revealed the stone belonging to Wanda's grandparents, now free of snow.
The redhead could feel her heart squeeze slightly at the boy's kindness. The first bit of emotion she'd felt in days that wasn't sadness or anger. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"It's no problem, I was here," He said. "How've you been? I tried calling and texting, but I haven't heard from you or your brother since... California."
"We've been... coping, I guess," Wanda said. "Had a long talk with mom when we got back, we both wanted to hear it from her personally."
"...And?" Peter asked hesitantly.
"...It's true. All of it..." Wanda finally replied, setting the bouquet down at her grandparent's grave. "That man... He's our father. Hearing her say it finally made it real..."
Peter exhaled slightly, the gravity of the knowledge somewhat heavier now that it was confirmed.
"It was hard... I mean, I get why mom kept it a secret," Wanda went on as the pair walked down the trail. "But it doesn't take away from how hurt I'm feeling..."
Peter nodded, wishing he could take away his friend's pain, if only for a moment. "What about your brother?" He asked.
"Pietro's been a bit... bitter since we got back," Wanda admitted, sitting down on a bench. "Of the two of us, he was the one who always wanted to know more about our father. Who he was, what he was like, things like that. Mom let him build up this mental image over the years to sort of placate him. And then it was just... shattered overnight."
She breathed deeply, perhaps letting go of her own preconceived childhood notions. "But yeah, neither of us were in a place where we were ready to talk to anybody," Wanda said. "That's why you didn't hear from us... I hope we didn't make you worry..."
Peter gently took the girl's hand, holding it in his own. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I mean yeah, I was worried about you guys, but it's not my place to be poking my nose in or anything. I just... wanted to make sure you were ok is all..."
Wanda smiled a bit, "Thank you, Peter." The boy nodded, before realizing he was now holding hands with his classmate.
"U-Um, sorry Wanda," he stammered, taking his hand back and looking away. "I didn't realize I was doing that..."
"Could you... keep doing that?" Wanda asked, blushing slightly. "J-Just for a minute!! I forgot my gloves, and... your hands are warm."
Peter's face blushed to match the girl's, but he nodded. Bringing his hands up to his mouth, he exhaled slightly, warming them up before carefully placing them around Wanda's.
The girl seemed to visibly relax, leaning slightly against her classmate. For a while, the two said nothing, just huddled together for warmth and comfort in their quiet surroundings.
"Sorry my Quirk isn't fire breathing," Peter chuckled. "It'd probably come in handy this time of year."
"That's ok," Wanda replied, her cheek against the boy's shoulder. "I like you the way you are."
Peter's eyes glanced down at his friend, his heart skipping a beat. "Don't think I've ever heard anyone say that to me," he said. "Not outside my Aunt or Uncle, I mean. I was always the 'Quirkless loser' back in elementary school."
"Beats being labeled the 'creepy weirdo', or the 'red freak'," Wanda shrugged, her eyes giving a slight roll. "Kids love their labels, don't they?"
"Well now we get to make our own, 'Scarlet Witch'," he grinned, lightly nudging Wanda with his shoulder. "But I'm kinda surprised anyone would think you're 'weird' or 'creepy'. You're one of the most outgoing people I know!"
"Around the time my Quirk manifested, I had trouble controlling it," she explained. "Given its nature, I was so worried about hurting someone accidentally. So, I avoided everyone except my brother. At least he was fast enough to avoid my power if something bad happened. But it led to some... less than savory rumors about us."
"...Gross," Peter cringed.
"You're telling me," Wanda sighed. "Still, no matter how volatile my Quirk can be, I feel like I can do a lot of good with it once I have it mastered."
She raised a freed hand and began to wiggle her fingers watching the red energy circle in-between them. "Things might be a bit tense between mom and I, but my goal's still to make enough money so she can stop working so hard..." Wanda relaxed her fingers, allowing the light to dissipate.
"Well for what it's worth, I would've liked you the way you are too, Wanda," Peter smiled. "I wish I could've known you back then. I think we both could've benefited from being friends. You'd be more open, and I'd probably be less of a mouthy smartass."
Wanda smirked, "It's part of your charm. But what matters is life brought us to this point, and we still got to become friends."
The boy nodded in response, his mind going to moments he'd shared with his classmate, capping off with the time she'd kissed him on the cheek in the M.A. infirmary.
"Yeah..." He said noncommittally. There'd been something growing within Peter ever since he'd met Wanda. A feeling he couldn't shake and one he hoped may be reciprocated. But the timing had never been right to speak with her about it, especially now after the emotional turmoil she and her brother had been put through.
Through the night air, the two could hear cheering and loud music echoing in the near distance. "Sounds like someone's having a good time," said Wanda.
"The pub a block over's got a New Year's party going," replied Peter. "They started up about a half hour before you got here."
"Everbody's having fun," Wanda sighed. "I'll bet Times Square is packed right now."
"Heh, you'll never catch me in that tourist trap," Peter remarked. "Especially not tonight of all nights."
"About that, why aren't you home celebrating with your Aunt?" Wanda asked.
"She volunteered to cover a shift at the hospital tonight," he replied. "But really, I think she's trying to forget it's her first New Year without Uncle Ben..."
The redhead nodded understandingly, "I see."
Peter looked down at Wanda, "And honestly, I was hoping I'd run into you here."
Wanda turned to face the boy, "You were? How come?"
"Well a couple reasons. First, I was worried about you," Peter hesitated, "I noticed you hadn't visited your grandparent's grave, so I took a chance in guessing you'd be here tonight on a holiday."
Wanda blushed slightly, squirming a bit so Peter couldn't see her now reddened face. "A-And the other reason?" She asked, nervously.
"...I didn't want to spend New Years alone..." He replied, his own face blushing. "...And I didn't want you to either."
Wanda didn't think her face could get any redder, but it was now matching the ribbon in her auburn hair. Almost haltingly, she turned her head and stared into the boy's brown eyes.
"Peter...?" She leaned slightly forward.
"Wanda...?" The boy in turn moved closer.
Their breaths mixed visibly in the cool air, as the distance between the two slowly lessened.
Suddenly, a ringtone cut the tension like a knife, make the two teens jump in surprise. It was a high pitched, sped up version of the song Itsy-Bitsy Spider.
Peter groaned, recognizing the embarrassing ringtone his Aunt had set for herself the moment she learned his chosen hero name.
"E-Excuse me..." The boy said, trying to regain his now lost dignity as he took out his cellphone. Wanda, to her credit, didn't laugh. But it was very difficult for her not to.
"Hi May, what's up?" Peter asked, phone to his ear. "Already? But I thought you were-" He paused to listen a bit. "Uh huh... Uh huh... It is!?" The boy looked at his phone screen, as if checking the time. "Jeez, I had no idea..."
He listened to his Aunt speak a bit more as he glanced at the now standing Wanda, an amused expression on her face. "Ok. But, I'm kinda in the middle of something here..." Peter muttered into the speaker before listening again. "Alright, I'll be back soon..." He sighed as he hung up his phone.
"I guess I lost track of time," Peter said, regretfully. "It's past my curfew and my Aunt's already home..."
"You should go," said Wanda, her smile was gentle and understanding. "You don't wanna get grounded or anything."
"Are you sure? I don't wanna leave you here all alone," he replied.
"I'm not alone," Wanda indicated her grandparent's headstone. "And you've done more than enough to help me feel better tonight... Thank you."
Peter sighed quietly before nodding, "Alright then. I guess I'll... see you in class?"
"Of course!" She replied brightly.
Putting his hands in his pockets, he turned away as if to leave. But then, gathering his courage, he twisted back around and leaned forward, and kissed Wanda gently on the cheek. The girl gasped quietly at this action.
"H-Happy New Year!" Peter said hurriedly, before running off.
Wanda was momentarily stunned, before her hand moved up to her face. Watching her classmate leave, she lightly touched her cheek, and smiled.
"Ahhh, it's good to be back!" Said Gwen, a few days later. Class was back in session and the students were slowly making their way in that morning.
"You're telling me," put in Seol, stretching her arms to stave off the morning stiffness and fatigue. "I spent my entire break in the studio, catching up on recording sessions I'd been putting off. As crazy as it seems, hero school's a lot less stressful than that."
"I spent my break visiting family in Arizona," Sam said. "Mom was real happy to see me, and I got to practice my flying over an empty desert. But honestly aside from doing that, I was bored out of my mind. I'm ready for the new semester to start! I feel like I can take anything this school throws at me!"
"Unless someone knocks your helmet off your head," teased Luke, much to the boy's chagrin. He gave a fist bump to Danny, who'd just walked into the classroom.
"Tyrone and I visited our families," said Tandy, getting the conversation back on track. "I went back to Cleveland, while mister tall, dark, and gloomy here traveled home to Boston." She lightly nudged her best friend with her elbow.
"Revelry in the darkness," Tyrone said, ominously.
"Dude, you know it's creepy when you say stuff like that, right?" Asked Kei, sitting down at his desk.
Tyrone merely smirked in response, unnerving the shorter boy further.
"I am Groot," put in the trenant teen.
"You played video games?" Kei turned to his classmate, "That's it?"
"I am Groot?" He shrugged nonchalantly.
"I'd cut down on that if I were you," the shorter boy warned. "Too much staring at those tiny screens'll rot your brain."
This only caused Groot to roll his eyes as he took out his handheld game console. He stuck his wooden tongue out at his friend.
"Whatever, it's on you," Kei muttered, as he began to doodle in his book.
"I'm sort of in the same boat," Nico admitted. "It was nice not having to focus on my spell-craft for a while. So I mostly vegged out on my couch and watched tv."
"Samesies!" Kamala grinned, raising her hand before turning to Ava and Laura "Got all caught up on my manga. But I'm totally jealous of some of you guys. Sunny San Francisco instead of snowy New York sounds like a much better alternative! That Expo must've been so much fun!"
"You mean aside from the villain attack?" Laura eyed her classmate, who seemed to have momentarily forgotten that little tidbit.
"O-oh, right..." Kamala muttered, having realized her blunder.
"Still, the time we spent before all of that was fun," put in Ava. "And educational, if nothing else."
"Oh, quit downplaying everything!" Interrupted Sam. "You guys made headlines all over the country because of what happened! I wish a villain would've crashed into my house so I could get in on the action!"
"Be careful what you wish for," said Amadeus, walking in with Azari. Roberto silently following just behind them. "Otherwise, you're just tempting the universe to throw a curveball."
"Eh, so what?" The cocky boy shrugged, "We're heroes in training, we can roll with the punches! Speaking of, I wanna hear more about the fights!! You barely talked about it in the group chat! What was it like trading blows against Magneto?? And you guys, did he talk to you at all when he kidnapped you?"
He'd turned to the already seated Pietro and Wanda. The siblings looked uncomfortable with Sam's badgering, with Pietro in particular becoming increasingly agitated.
"Did he threaten you? Or maybe he tried to spread some ideology from his heyday? Oh! What abo- mmph!?"
A small burst of webbing covered the boy's mouth, much to his surprise. Several of the other students turned to see Peter standing in the doorway, lowering the arm which just activated his web shooter.
"That's enough, Sam," he said. "It was a rough experience and not all of us wanna talk about it."
Pietro looked up at Peter, and nodded in thanks. The young speedster looked exhausted, as if he wasn't getting enough sleep. Wanda on the other hand couldn't look at Peter without blushing. The boy similarly attempted to avoid direct eye contact with her.
"While I concur with your sentiment, I must ask you to refrain from using your Support Items during homeroom assembly," Azari chimed in. "We do not wish to damage any of the property used by our honored predecessors! Let us start the New Year by walking the correct path!!"
"Not this crap again..." Flash muttered, overhearing Azari as he stood behind Peter to get in. "Move it, nerd."
"Yeah yeah, keep your shirt on," Peter replied, walking into the room. He watched Sam struggle to pull the webbing off his mouth. "And Sam, relax. It'll dissolve in a bit."
The boy folded his arms and sat down hard at his desk, his grumbling muffled by the web. Gwen leaned over, poking Sam in the cheek as he simmered.
That afternoon, the class assembled outside in their red gym outfits for Hero Training. They were led by Mr. Murdock into Gym Gamma, where Iron Man stood waiting.
The armor he wore this time was an even earlier model. Colored silver and crimson, with shoulder pads and a storage pack built into his back.
"Ooh, going for a retro look today, teach?" Asked Kamala.
"I've been feeling a bit nostalgic lately, Ms. Khan," the hero answered, raising his visor to reveal his face. "Thought I'd dust off the ol' Silver Centurion and take her for a spin."
Peter, recognizing the 6th creation of his idol, swallowed nervously at Tony's statement. For him to bring out an armor this old, it must've meant he was still feeling the strain following his battle against Magneto. Odds were, the time Tony could spend in his main armor was significantly shortened, so Peter couldn't help but worry.
"Right, everyone line up and let's get down to business!" He said jovially. The students got into position and all chatter ceased as the hero was given their undivided attention.
"As you all know, in a few day's time, you'll participate in a training camp for the next three weeks," he began. "I can't give any details about it, because Murdock's a killjoy and likes to keep you in suspense."
Tony glanced over towards the blind teacher, who merely shrugged in response.
"What I can say, however, is that you'll be using your Quirks in a public environment," he continued. "As such, it's imperative that you learn the full limits of your power and how to properly restrain it for the sake of others. With that in mind, we've prepared a different sort of activity for the afternoon."
As if on cue. the various levels of the gym sunk into the ground until it a rectangular zone was completely flat. A white border with a line through the center was now visible.
"What is this? A basketball court?" Asked Luke, looking around intrigued. "That's pretty normal as far as this school's concerned."
"Not quite, Mr. Cage," Tony grinned. "What I have in mind is an exercise that requires teamwork, focus, and the ability to react quickly. But it'll also beat the hell out of you if you're not careful."
Raising a metal gauntlet, the hero snapped his fingers and a series of bright red balls rose from the ground, sitting perfectly centered on the line.
"Yeessss..." Flash grinned darkly, realizing the implication.
"That's right!" Tony exclaimed, "We're playing dodgeball!!"
Several of the students went pale, while others cheered in excitement. Mr. Murdock blew a shrill whistle from his lips, briefly utilizing his Quirk to get his students back under control. They swiftly went quiet and stood at attention.
"Yup, I'm sure some of you have fond memories of this game back in elementary school," the hero continued. "Others, maybe not so much. But back then, you were probably hampered by the fact that you were unable to use your Quirks during gameplay..."
Peter cringed internally, having been the unwilling target in many a game due to his lack of athleticism and depth perception.
"But this version's gonna be a bit different," Tony held up a ball. "For one thing, these little beauties have been enhanced to take the kind of punishment you can dish out. So now, you'll be allowed to play at full power!"
"Whoo! Now that's what I'm talking about!!" Exclaimed Cho.
The class began to get excited again, things just got a bit more interesting.
"However..." Tony warned, raising his index finger as the students began to quiet down. "There's limitations. As heroes serving the public, you need to be mindful of when and how you're utilizing your power. Lose control, let a fight get out of hand, and you could hurt the very citizens you're sworn to protect."
With his other hand, Tony lightly tossed the ball into the air, before blasting it with his repulser. It shot forward like a red blur and bounced off the wall, only for the hero to catch it with both hands upon its return. To the class's collective shock, the ball was undamaged.
"So, for the purposes of this exercise, you will use your Quirks on the balls, not directly against other players," he explained, setting the ball back in place.
"Those of you without a direct power enhancement, I'll let you use your Quirks to avoid direct strikes. But no flying, no swinging, and no using Support Gear that doesn't directly affect your Quirk. Apart from that, it's standard dodgeball rules: you're hit, you're out. You catch it, they're out. Any questions?"
"What about stretching?" Asked Kamala, hand in the air.
"Or my speed?" Put in Pietro.
"Pietro, you're good as long as you don't cross over the lines," the hero replied. "And Kamala, stretch to throw, not to grow. Capish?"
Pietro nodded while Kamala flashed an "Okay" symbol with her left hand, grinning as she did.
"And don't even think about trying to cheat," Mr. Murdock warned. "I'll know." His red glasses flashed briefly as a glint of light went across.
"Alright then!" Tony held up his fist, an assortment of straws was in his grip. "Everyone come up and draw a lot. There's 20 of them, and the hidden color at the bottom will determine your team."
One by one, the students stepped forward and drew one of the straws, randomly getting either a red or gold color. Flash drew a red straw, groaning when he saw Peter pull one as well.
"Ugh, feels like kindergarten all over again," he glared at the boy. "Except now, I'm stuck on a team with the human target!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Eugene," Peter retorted. "Back then, things were different. But now with my Quirk, I can give as I get!"
"You're forgetting they can use theirs too," Flash said, as black tendrils wriggled on his shoulders. Peter gulped nervously at the prospect.
Eventually, the two sides became organized. The Red Team consisted of Peter, Kei, Azari, Seol, Danny, Gwen, Flash, Groot, Tandy, and Sam.
Whereas the Gold Team included Tyrone, Roberto, Luke, Ava, Pietro, Wanda, Amadeus, Kamala, Nico, and Laura.
Finally, it was time, as both teams stood on opposite ends of the gym. Fingers lightly touched the walls, while the prepared to rush towards the center once given the signal.
"Are both teams ready!?" Iron Man called out, his voice enhanced like a sporting official's microphone.
"Yes!!" Azari yelled, acting as captain for his team.
"Bring it!!" Flash responded in kind, itching to go.
"Get set..." Iron Man suddenly chopped the air with his arm, "DODGEBALL!!!"
Both sides charged toward the middle of the arena, everyone seeking to grab a ball. However in a survival of the fittest, sometimes it's the fastest who survive.
"Ha!!" Pietro exclaimed triumphantly, red ball in his hands as he moved away. "You guys don't stand a chance. With my Quirk, I'm the fastest guy in the room!"
"Phrasing, Pietro..." Tandy grinned. The speedster blushed slightly as got into a throwing position.
"Now, which one should we throw it to first?" Asked Luke. With Pietro armed and ready to throw, most of the players on the Red Team slowed down or began to fall back, leaving most of the balls available for the Gold Team to grab.
The silver haired boy glanced at the retreating opposing team as he scouted out a target. "Hmmm, definitely not Parker," he muttered. "That sixth sense of his makes him a master at evasion..."
"Right, better take out someone easier first," Laura added, having overheard and walked over.
"The hell's taking so long!? Flash yelled over, "Hurry up and throw the damn ball already!"
"What about the loudmouth?" Suggested Pietro.
"Not yet," Luke replied. "He's too on guard right now. But if we get him angry enough, he'll get sloppy."
"Easy pickings," Laura smirked. "We'll let him stew a bit before we take him on. If we act like we're ignoring him, it'll screw with his head."
"In that case, why don't we start smaller?" Asked Luke, nodding at the diminutive Kei, frantically scribbling for all he's worth in his book.
Pietro grinned, "Perfect..." He reared back the ball and vibrated his arm, preparing a very hard throw.
But before he could release it, Kei threw a piece of paper to the ground. A flash of blinding light threw off Pietro's aim as it hurtled towards the target.
A furry, red hand emerged from the light, clutching the ball. As it subsided, the monster known to the class as Fireclaw stared menacingly at the opposing team. Kei sat on his creation's shoulders, looking down gleefully at Pietro.
"Mr. Maximoff, you're out!" Declared Iron Man.
"What!?" The speedster exclaimed, unable to comprehend what'd just happened. "How am I out already!?"
"See? That's what happens when you underestimate us little guys," Kei smirked, petting Fireclaw on the head. Pietro grumbled bitterly under his breath as he left the arena.
General play resumed, as Fireclaw smirked at the exiting boy. "Lemme tell ya something, ya skinny, white haired, shrimp!!" The monster declared in his usual manner, "Yer not gonna be alone on those sidelines for long!!" He picked up a ball handed to him by Danny, now clutching one in each hand.
"Do it, Fireclaw!!" Kei encouraged, as his creation took aim with the balls.
"Overkill Buster!!!" Fireclaw roared as he sent them careening through the air at high speed towards Wanda.
However, the red haired girl was ready, as she raised a glowing hand. The balls froze in mid air, surrounded by red energy. She grinned darkly at the dumbstruck creature.
"Uh-oh," it murmured, as Wanda thrust her arm forward, her index and middle fingers pointed at Fireclaw as the balls surged forward.
"Whoa!!" Fireclaw leapt out of the way, nearly dropping Kei as he dodged one of the balls.
"Yikes!" Sam yelled, using his Quirk to head skyward and avoid getting hit.
Less fortunate, however, was Seol Hee, who created a barrier of ice to try and protect herself. But Wanda had put too much power on the return attack, and the ball blasted through the ice. It made contact with one of Seol's outstretched hands, bouncing off her palm.
"(씨발년) Ssi-Bal-Nyeon!!" The Korean girl cursed, realizing she'd been struck out.
"Ms. Hee, off the field please," Iron Man said.
Murdock turned in Sam's direction, "Alexander, watch that power output. One of the rules was 'no flying'."
"I'm not flying!" Sam argued, landing on the ground. "I'm 'jumping with a boost'."
"Regardless, consider yourself warned," the teacher remarked. "Resume play!!"
But as the students regrouped to start again, they noticed something important was missing.
"Wait, where'd my ball go!?" Asked Tandy, looking around in vain.
"Decipher the laws of nature, hide my target and confuse my enemies!!" Called a voice. There was Nico Minoru, magical staff in hand, pointing it at a levitating clutch red ball. It suddenly appeared to glitch, before reforming into a dozen identical balls. With a twirl of her staff, they flew towards the opposing team.
"Take cover!!" Called Gwen, now wearing an old army helmet.
"Watch it!!!" Peter warned, narrowly avoiding another, as well as trying not to knock into Danny. The latter appeared to be trying to focus his chi, but to limited success with the added chaos.
A third ball zoomed towards Azari, who brought up his arms to catch it. However, it phased through the young Prince's body, as if it wasn't there to begin with.
"They're illusions!!" He yelled out to his teammates, watching as the ball still bounced off the floor and onto the gym walls, the momentum not slowing at all.
"Which one's real!?" Flash yelled, trying to grab another, only for it to phase through his arms as well.
Finally, the real ball hit someone: Groot. The trenant teen groaned as a piece of bark was knocked off his head.
"Oops!!" Minoru cringed, "Sorry Groot!!!"
But Groot seemed indifferent, as he shrugged and walked off before Iron Man even had to call him. The piece of bark had begun to grow back in place as he approached the team's bench. Sitting down, Groot pulled out his gaming console from the pouch he wore around his waist.
"Eyes on your classmates," Mr. Murdoch scolded, head facing toward his student. Groot scoffed quietly, but obediently put away his device.
By this point, Wanda had another ball enveloped with her Hex and was looking for a fresh target. When a voice got her attention.
"Hey Wanda!" It was Sam Alexander, a cheeky look on his helmeted face. "I noticed you and Parker could barely look at each other all day! Did something happen between you two during the break?"
At this, the girl went beet red and on impulse, covered her face with her hands in embarrassment, releasing her hold on the ball.
"N-None of your business, Sa-"
Bonk!!
She was cut off by a sudden impact. Her momentary distraction was enough for Tandy to throw a ball at Wanda, striking her in the forearms.
"Ms. Maximoff, you're out!!" Iron Man declared.
Wanda simmered angrily, realizing she'd been had as she marched off the field. The girl was still slightly embarrassed over the question Sam had asked, but at that moment, the only emotion stronger than that was her irritation. "I'll get you for that!" said the redhead.
Laura stabbed at a flying ball, trying to impale it on her claws. "Don't worry Wanda," she called over. "We'll get him back for you!"
"Heh, seems all the ladies want me," Sam grinned.
"Want you out is more accurate," seethed Laura. She stabbed a ball with her claws and flung it at the boy, only for him to use his Quirk for another 'boosted jump'. Unfortunately for him, another student was waiting for this.
"Gum-Gum..." Kamala leaned back, one leg raised as her arm stretched backwards, almost to her end of the barrier. She clenched her slightly enlarged fist as she volleyed a ball with her other hand. "PISTOL!!!" At this, her fist snapped back and punched the airborne ball.
It shot forward like a cannonball and flew smack into Sam's helmet. The boy was seeing stars as he fell back to the ground in a daze as Kamala turned back to her team. She held up a peace sign and grinned broadly, "Damn, I've been wanting to try that."
"Alexander, you're out!!" Iron Man said. The boy shakily got to his feet and walked out. He flopped down on the team bench next to Groot as Iron Man made his way over. "Are you alright, young man?" He asked.
The boy glanced up, his now dented helmet askew on his head, and eyes slightly crossed. "I humbly accept my nomination to head of the Nova Corps..."
"Yeah, I'm just gonna call Claire," Tony raised his fingers to the ear piece of his helmet and began to transmit to the Nurse's Office.
Back on the field, Kamala was celebrating. "Whoo, that was awesome!!" She exclaimed, heading over to a smirking Laura. "Five me, girl!!" But the moment the girl's palms made contact, a series of balls struck them both.
"Kinney and Khan, out!!" Murdock called over.
Girls looked around wildly until they saw who hit them. Flash Thompson grinned darkly, lightly tossing another ball up in the air and catching it with one hand. "Never celebrate til the job's done," he said.
"Are you serious!?" Laura exclaimed, popping her claws in anger.
"He has a point," her teacher replied, hands over the top of his cane. "The game was still in play, it's your own fault for not paying attention."
Kamala groaned in despair as Laura stomped angrily off the court. Meanwhile, an increasingly agitated Fireclaw was swiping at balls, only for them to pass through his now flaming claws as Nico's spell was still in effect.
"This is ridiculous!!!" The monster roared, grabbing for another. Kei was now having trouble holding onto it, and was now gripping its back.
"Fireclaw, settle down!!" The short boy said, attempting to climb back in place. "There's plenty of real balls in play. We just need to-"
"Pipe down, pipsqueak!!" Fireclaw snapped at Kei, much to the latter's concern. "I wanna win this thing!! And I'm gonna crush that muscle bound jerk while I'm at it!!!"
"You talking about me, Garfield!?" An agitated Amadeus Cho called across the arena.
"Lemme tell ya somethin', ya big green piece 'a garbage!" Fireclaw directed his anger at the young Hulk. "You and the stupid goo guy were makin' fun of my new finishing move last week!! I'm not the butt of anyone's jokes!! The only butt here is yours! That's why I'm gonna kick it straight to Manhattan!!!"
"What the hell'd you call me!?" Flash roared from just outside the arena.
"You wanna go, ya damn furry!?" Cho's muscles began to flex as the teen grew even angrier. "I'll turn you into a rug!!!"
"Fireclaw, stop!!" Kai pleaded in vain.
"Bring it on, ya jolly green jerk!!" Yelled the creation, ignoring his creator as it charged toward the middle of the arena, ball raised to throw. Kei jumped off, not wanting to be caught in the coming fracas.
"Rrraaauuugghhh!!!!!!" Amadeus roared, stomping his foot on the gym floor. A mini earthquake shook everyone off balance and several of the students fell over. Consequently, the 5 fake red balls faded as Nico lost her concentration.
"There's one!!" Peter called, still airborne from the shockwaves. Shooting out a web line, it stuck to the ball as the boy yanked it back to himself, catching it in both hands. "Got it!!!"
"Alright, Pete!!" Luke cheered.
"Way to go!" Tandy added on.
"Cho, you're out!!" Mr. Murdock scolded. "Improper use of your Quirk and a lack of control in unacceptable!"
"He started it..." Cho muttered, shrinking to his normal size and began to walk off.
"Don't blame me!" Kei retorted. "It doesn't take much to set off Fireclaw, and you of all people should know about anger management."
"Mr. Kiwade, you're out too," announced Iron Man, gesturing to Fireclaw. "Your monster there stepped over the line trying to throw a ball at young Cho."
Fireclaw looked down, his foot was indeed over the barrier. Kei smacked his face in irritation as his creature faded into nothing, "Back to the drawing board, I guess..."
Peter looked out over the field, debating who to throw the ball at. "Nico and Wanda can use their magic, meaning they can catch or repel without even touching it. Better avoid them for now. Azari's got great agility and reflexes, but if I can use that against him, then I-"
Suddenly, his muttering was interrupted when the ball was snatched out of his hands by Flash, "You're overthinking this, nerd!!! If you're not gonna throw the ball, I will!!"
Peter was about to retort, but seeing the hot headed boy already eyeing a seemingly disinterested Roberto on the other team gave him pause. So, he decided to just step back and watch the proceedings.
"I don't like it," Flash muttered aloud, glaring at the inheritor of the Ghost Rider mantle. "Ever since that damn Festival, he's been acting like he's better than everyone."
"Well he did win it, you know," Peter quipped.
"SHUT UP, WALL-CRAWLER!!!" The boy roared, black tendrils wiggled dangerously around his body as his arms and chest became covered with the goo. A portion went around Flash's head, giving the appearance of a football helmet. His slightly hands held the ball tightly and sharpened fingers gripped the material.
"If Hothead thinks he can sit comfortably at the top, he's got another thing coming!!" Rearing back his hand and taking aim like a professional quarterback, Flash hurtled the ball at Roberto.
Looking up, the Latino boy proceeded to lash out a chain and wrap it around the projectile. Swinging it around his body like a rope dart, Roberto snapped it out as flames jutted off the very end, giving the ball a slight boost.
Flash went to catch it, but the fire seemed to be affecting his Quirk, as it receded back into his body. "Wait, wha-!?" But it was too late. The ball struck him dead center in his stomach. He was knocked backward, stunned by the sudden revelation that powerful Quirk had failed him.
"Mr. Thompson, out!" Iron Man pointed outside the arena.
"HUH!?!?" Flash was a mix of anger and shock, "What the hell just happened!?"
"Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!" Peter grinned.
If looks could kill, then Flash Thompson's eyes would've been shooting daggers at the boy. Nevertheless, he stomped off the field and sat on his team's bench. Laura grinned smugly at him. "Don't you say a goddamn word..." Flash warned her as he crossed his arms.
Peter stared at the red ball as the flames seemed to extinguish themselves. "I guess Flash's Quirk has a weakness after all..." he muttered.
"'Don't worry Flash, I'll avenge you!!!" Gwen yelled, picking up the ball and charging toward Roberto. She threw it, and the Latino boy caught it effortlessly with one hand.
"Ms. Poole, good lord..." Iron Man groaned, his metal hand covering his face in exasperation.
The game went on for a while in that fashion. Azari lead his team well, using his agility to great effect, avoiding balls and taking out Nico while she was in the middle of chanting another spell.
He in turn would eventually be struck out when Tyrone teleported a ball over his head. The conjurer of darkness would use the same trick on Luke, taking him out as well, but not before Luke was able to strike out Tandy.
Danny was able to use a chi infused ball to cancel out Tyrone's power and take him out, but would later be tagged by Ava Ayala.
Peter was able to keep up with Ava, dodging and managed to make her slip up and accidentally step offsides when she became too caught up in the game. A few well timed cat jokes helped to distract her as well.
Eventually, as a ball rolled to Roberto's foot, he realized it was down to just him and Peter. The other balls were off the field, leaving his as the sole remaining one. It was sudden death dodgeball.
I was so focused on avoiding all those shots, I didn't realize I was the last one standing, Peter thought.
Reyes's eyes narrowed at his competition. So, I'm up against HIM of all people...
"Man, Peter's been really hard to hit," remarked Tandy.
"I'd expect nothing less from him," added Azari. "But will it be enough this time?"
"Get him, Reyes!!" Called Amadeus, cheering for his teammate.
"Kick his butt, Parker!" Seol cheered in response.
One of the louder students was notably silent, however.
"Aww, what's wrong, Flashy?" Laura teased, lightly elbowing the blond boy in his side. "Jealous you're not the one fighting instead?"
Flash, for once, said nothing in response. He just stared intently at the game with his arms folded across his chest. The sensation of his Quirk's reaction to Roberto's attack was still fresh on his mind. He'd never felt that before, it was a chink in his armor. Flash's mind raced, he had to find a way to compensate for it at some point.
But first thing's first, he was adamant about finding a weakness in Roberto himself. He was going to get him back at some point, and take his ranking as the strongest in the class. You'd better not screw this up, Wall-Crawler... Flash thought, hoping the boy would stay in long enough to show him something useful.
"Hey, you know what I just realized?" Kei said to Gwen, "This is basically a rematch from the Sports Festival!"
"Ooh, you're right!!" She said excitedly. "And they've both gotten a lot stronger since then! I wonder if the results will be any different?"
"I expect we're about to find out," Azari replied.
"You're good at reading fighters, what do you think's gonna happen?" Luke asked, glancing down to Danny, who stood at his side. "You think Parker has a chance this time?"
The young martial artist thought for a moment. "Peter is strong, there's no denying that," he said. "And he's got an intellect to match. The best chance he has is to keep his distance and try to counter the incoming attacks."
"You fought him in the Sports Festival too, didn't you?" Ava recalled the brief, but intense fight between her two classmates. "You and Tyrone, in the semi's and finals."
Danny nodded, "His technique is nothing special, but Roberto makes up for that with sheer brute force. He was holding back when we fought and waited to find an opening before he let me have it."
"From what I heard, he'd barely used his flames before the Festival, so he beat us using an unrefined attack," put in Tyrone. "Now he has better control over it, and he's definitely grown stronger. Either way, going against kind of power head on is not a good idea. I should know..."
Out in the field, the two boys stared at each other intently. "Fate works in strange ways, doesn't it, Araña?" Reyes asked his opponent.
"Whatever it is, it clearly has a twisted sense of humor," replied Peter, limbering up a bit. "But honestly, I'm glad this is how it worked out. You're the best in the class, hell, in the entire grade! If I want to get stronger as a hero, then I've gotta see how I measure up right now."
"Then know I won't be holding back," Roberto said, as smoke began rise from parts of his body. "You once helped me see past my own limitations, and I became stronger for it. I never did properly give my thanks..."
Flames suddenly engulfed the boy, a wave of heat blasting all around that caught the other students off guard. Peter strained to see through the fire as it gradually died down. There was Roberto, stepping forward with skeletal hands and a flaming skull in place of his head.
"So I will meet full strength with full strength, and give this everything I have!!" He yelled in his hoarse, distorted voice.
Peter braced himself, ready for action, "Bring it on!!!"
Iron Man stood at the ready, in case their fight escalated to the extent of their previous one. Mr. Murdock listened intently, his skin feeling the sensation of the nearby fire dancing in excitement on the Latino boy. The smell of burning fabric hit his nose as parts of Roberto's uniform began to burn.
The young Ghost Rider walked forward, leaving footprints of fire in his wake. He raised his right hand to his side, just under shoulder level, and the ball burst into flames in his bone hand.
He's definitely gotten serious, Peter thought. His presence alone is intimidating!
Suddenly, Roberto charged forward, the flames getting larger and hotter. With an unearthly roar, he threw the ball at Parker. A flame trail followed like a comet, with speed to match. Peter's eyes narrowed as he charged toward the incoming projectile.
"What th-!? Are you serious!?" Danny yelled in shock.
"Don't!! You'll die!!!" Tyrone's eyes widened as he looked on in horror.
Finally Peter thrusts his hands forwards and braced himself for impact. The ball hit his palms hard, the flames singing his skin and the heat making it hard to breathe. The force of the strike was enough to push him backwards.
T-This is his full power!? Peter thought as he tried to stop himself, but to no avail. Looking back, he could see the offsides barrier rapidly approaching. It's too strong, I can't stop!!
His eyes widened as an idea struck his brain, If I can't stop... Peter spun with the ball, using the momentum to redirect it. Leaping high into the air, he continued to spin, as though Peter was the center of an inverted tornado of flames. Roberto was stunned by the tactic, as his opponent took aim.
...Then I'll THROW IT BACK!!! With his own strength added to already powerful momentum, Peter hurled the ball back to its sender. His aim was slightly off, but he managed to strike Roberto on his shoulder, the sound of impact filling the air.
Iron Man set off an air horn from his armor, "Game over!!" He announced. "The winner is the Red Team!!
"...W-We won??" Peter struggled to catch his breath. But still, he couldn't believe it when he heard it, "I won!?!?"
Both teams cheered over the climactic ending to the intense game and rushed onto the field. "That was so cool!!" Exclaimed Kei, leading the charge next to Gwen.
"Right!? He was all whoosh!!! And then you were all kaboom!!!" Gwen cheered, making exaggerated motions with her hands.
"That was well fought, my friend," Azari said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and nodding his approval.
Peter smiled back sheepishly, not used to getting so much praise, especially not all at once.
"But your hands!" Wanda gasped, looking at them. Indeed, the boy's palms were charred, skin was peeling and he was starting to blister. It was not a pretty sight.
"Yeah... Night Nurse isn't gonna like this..." Peter groaned.
"You're right, I don't," said a stern voice. The team collectively turned to see Claire Temple, the Night Nurse, walking over. She'd come down to use her Quirk on Sam.
"But still, it's not self inflicted from your webs like before," she went on, as she began to remove a blue glove. "So I won't give you a hard time, just this once."
Peter laughed nervously, "Thanks, Ms. Temple."
Over on his side, Roberto watched as the opposing team celebrated their win, his flames extinguished and his skin back to normal. "I lost..." Reyes said to himself. "That was everything I had, and he managed to best me this time..."
"Roberto!! That fireball was amazing!!!" He turned to the voice, seeing members of his own team running over.
"You were awesome!!" Exclaimed Pietro, wrapping an arm around Reyes's shoulders.
"And hey, now you and Peter are 1-1," Ava remarked. "You'll have to do a tie breaker someday!"
"I've gotta learn how to conjure fireballs like yours!!" Minoru added. "Think you can show me how you did it??"
Roberto was momentarily taken aback by the sudden show of support from his classmates, and couldn't help but smile lightly. "Sure," he said. "Your move was good as well, Hechicera. It was smart to make the illusions, you even had me convinced."
Nico blushed at this, and tried to hide her face in embarrassment as one of two of her teammates teased her in good fun. Indeed, everyone was pleased with the game.
Only Flash remained on the bench, stunned. He didn't expect Peter to actually win, just make Roberto push himself like their last match!! But now...
"Well done, everybody!" Iron Man said, hovering before the class next to Mr. Murdock. Everyone stood at attention, including a tired Peter, who'd had his hands wrapped after being treated by Night Nurse.
"First off, Mr. Parker, that was a heck of a finish," the hero said. "You realized your opponent had greater raw power and would be unable to match it with your own. So you made up for the difference by playing to your strengths without serious injury." He gave a thumbs up, "Good job!
The boy couldn't help but grin broadly, he was being praised for his efforts. And by his hero no less!!!
"However," Mr. Murdock stood before his class. "The entire class failed at this exercise."
Angry noises and retorts came from the various students. The teacher raised his hand slightly, a signal for silence. "Take a good look around you," Murdock gestured with his cane.
The entire gymnasium was completely destroyed, some parts even covered with ice and fire. The floor was busted and cracks jutted across like lines on a railroad map. The walls had craters all over from impact points. A few balls were even imbedded into them.
"Most of you still lack proper finesse with your Quirks," he went on. "Granted, you're still learning, but imagine, if you will, this was a city block. Maybe you 'saved the day', but look at all of the damage that would've been left behind. Believe me when I say the citizens won't be too grateful over their ruined businesses, wrecked cars, and what have you."
"Clearly, we all still have much to learn about the finer aspects of heroism..." Azari lamented.
"Which is why you all will be attending the special training camp next week," said Mr. Murdock. "The sooner you gain more control, the closer you'll be to the next step in your development."
"It won't be just you either, Class 1-B will be working right alongside you," Tony said. "It will be difficult work; a strain on your bodies, as well as the gear you carry. Which is why someone from the Support Course will be coming as well. They'll be around to repair any broken tech, as well as discuss upgrades to your costumes once you've hit a roadblock or two."
A few faces perked up, some intrigued, while others were less so. "Ugh. Class B?" Groaned Sam. "Why are we working with them? They hate us!"
"Eh, it's mostly that Loki guy who hates us," Peter said. "The others are pretty cool."
"Regardless, I expect you all to get along for the duration of this trip," Murdock commanded. "This is no time for petty differences. How you progress in the coming days will determine your growth for the foreseeable future."
"What do you mean, sir?" Asked Azari, raising his hand.
"All good things to those who wait," Iron Man said in place of the other instructor. "But for now, class is dismissed! I suggest you go home and prepare for the trip. You be reaching your limits, but I have every faith you'll go beyond them! So before you leave, let me hear everybody say it!!! One, two, three!!!"
"Excellsior!!!" The class exclaimed, spirits high over what was sure to be a productive outing.
- Little did we know, the world would be forever changed by the end of that week... -
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Barber's Chair
• Man, this chapter was a doozy to write! Planning out the dodgeball game was hard enough, but even more difficult was the scene between Peter and Wanda. I must've rewritten it at least 4 or 5 times, trying to get it right.
One the one hand, I wanna sort of keep the status quo as far as interpersonal relationships, at least for now. On the other, Peter and Wanda didn't really have a solid scene together in a while. Plus I didn't really have room in the last chapter for the two to talk immediately after the fight against Magneto, and I was really hoping to incorporate the fanart of Peter and Wanda hugging atop a building somewhere.
So, I figured I'd start the chapter out a few days after the events of the "movie" and let them sort of confide in each other. The ship is being built, but it hasn't set sail as of yet.
• The "less than savory rumors" Wanda referred to is a reference to her Ultimate Universe counterpart, and the less said about her relationship with her brother there, the better.
• By the way, his ringtone is the same one Peter has for Aunt May in the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series. More importantly, the two's score is also 1-1. Wanda kissed Peter's cheek in the Nurse's Office, and now Peter kissed Wanda's cheek in the cemetery.
• The inspiration for the dodgeball game came from reading the manga "Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-Kun!" There's a scene where the class of demon students uses their respective bloodline abilities to great effect. Plus, it's winter, so kinda tricky to do an outdoor pool scene!
• Bit of trivia; Kamala loves manga/anime in this Universe. I thought with her happy-go-lucky personality and given the nature of her Quirk, she could find some common ground with a certain straw hatted pirate!
