The following day came, and Peter was woken up by the sound of the alarm on his phone going off. Sitting up in his bed, he pressed the on-screen button to make it stop.

Just as he was about to get up and prepare for the day, Peter stopped and looked at his desk. Full of anticipation, he quickly walked over and picked up a sheet of paper. It was filled with several different variations of an adhesive formula, along with equations and portion estimates for varying chemical compounds.

Finally it was time to experiment, and he intended to do so at the Support Lab. If Spider-Man was going to keep having webs, he'd have to get started immediately. As it happened, Peter would have more time to work than he initially thought, as he would discover that morning in class.

"Right, let's get straight to it," Mr. Murdock informed his students. "I believe I mentioned this already, but your main focus for the camp was training to obtain your Provisional Hero licenses."

"Yes, sir!" They collectively replied.

"Oh, yeah!" Sam spoke up, "That's what we were there for."

"So much happened, it completely slipped my mind too," added Nico, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Don't take this lightly," the instructor said, tilting his head in the pair's direction. "A Hero License means that you're responsible for human lives. As you might imagine, the exam to receive one is extremely difficult. Only 50 percent of students pass the tests required for these permits each year."

Hearing the statistics unnerved Kei, "It's that hard to get a Provisional License?"

Murdock nodded in response, "Ordinarily, hero academies across the country don't send their Freshmen crops out to licensing exams so soon. Even Sophomore is pushing it. But, given your experience battling villains, not to mention the progress you've already made in your internships, I believe you all deserve a shot to move ahead of the pack."

He extended his cane, pointing it out the window toward the part of the school campus where the upper classes were held. "That being said, you would primarily be competing against Juniors and Seniors, who have as much if not more experience as you do," the teacher warned.

The students collectively gulped nervously at the statement. Taking on kids their own age was one thing, but this...

"So to give you an edge, I've devised a plan to help you even the playing field," Murdock concluded. He lowered his cane, tapping the floor twice. Right on cue, the door to the classroom opened, and the kids turned their heads in that direction. To their surprise, it was Emma Frost. Just behind were her fellow teachers Vision and Hawkeye.

"Starting today, you will each work on developing an Ultimate Move," said Professor Frost.

"An 'Ultimate Move'?" Asked a confused Sam.

"When we say 'ultimate', we mean a move that will ensure greater odds of victory against your opponent," Vision stated, floating in front of the class with his colleagues.

"An action so unique to your identity that no other person can hope to copy it," added Hawkeye. "Put simpler, you've gotta learn to lean into your strengths."

"Your moves represent who you are. These days, most Pro Heroes have an Ultimate Move or two of some kind. Those who don't are fools," concluded Professor Frost.

"I know this sounds a bit abstract, but I'll explain more as the day goes on," Murdock informed the class. "For now, change into your costumes and meet in Gym Gamma."


With their costumes on, the students were ready for action. They followed the teachers outside and up a trail that led them away from the main building.

They entered Gym Gamma, which was already big on the outside, but somehow seemed even larger on the inside. It was as tall as a six-story building and as long as a football field, with enough space for the class to train together without interference.

"Welcome to Gym Gamma," Murdock stood before his students, his hands atop the handle of his cane. "This facility was constructed by both Vision and Danger as a more secure alternative to the EDR. Within this area, we can prepare unique terrains and obstacles for each student here based on your powers."

As if on cue, Vision raised his hands and closed his eyes. The golden gem in his forehead began to glow, and reformed the floor into a small pillar with multiple layers going up.

Azari instantly raised his hand high. "Please allow me a question. What is the advantage of having Ultimate Moves for our Provisional Exam? May we please know your reasoning?!" He questioned the teachers intensely.

"Dude, that's two questions," Peter deadpanned to his friend.

Mr. Murdock directed his attention to the young Prince. "The job of a Hero is to save people from all sorts of dangers," he explained. "Crime, accidents, and natural or man-made disasters. Of course, the Licensing Exam analyzes how well you can deal with such things. It won't just be fighting. How well you communicate, cooperate, and lead others will also be taken into consideration. Every year, a new test is used to evaluate these qualities."

"The Hero Public Safety Commission will judge your ability to gather information and make decisions," Emma Frost put in, stepping forward to take over for the blind instructor. "So this is especially important. If you want to be a Pro Hero, you must be able to prevail in battle. If you're prepared, you won't have to worry. And those of you with an Ultimate Move tend to have stronger results."

"Your circumstances should not dictate the results of future battles," Vision added. "Learn to be consistent, and you will be a great asset on the front lines."

"Your Ultimate Move doesn't necessarily have to be an attack," said Professor Frost. "Take Pietro's Mercury Acceleration, for example. This sort of temporary boost in speed is valuable enough that it falls into the category of excellence we're looking for."

Pietro was taken slightly aback by the revelation, "Wait, I've been doing an Ultimate Move all along? Cool!!"

"So, it's like our secret weapon. Something that gives us an edge no matter who or what we're facing," Ava summed up.

"Smart lady," Hawkeye nodded, before snapping out his custom recurve bow. "Another good example is proficiency with a tool or weapon. In the hands of a master, they can open up a world of possibilities, letting you adjust on the fly depending on the situation, and create moves unique to the user."

He turned toward Peter, "Parker's web shooters fall into that category, as does Minoru's Staff of the One, given their uniques versatilities."

Peter and Nico smiled humbly, although on the inside they were screaming with joy over a former Avenger giving him praise.

"We were going to develop our moves at the Training Camp, right?" Wanda inquired.

"Yes," Murdock nodded. "But while it was cut short, the practice you attained for the development of your Quirk was part of the process needed to create these defining abilities. Now that you're caught up, you'll be working hard to develop powerful moves of your own."

The blind hero pointed his cane toward the students. "Additionally, you should consider how you can improve your costumes, especially now that you have a better understanding of your Quirks," he said. "I won't lie, this is going to be extremely demanding both physically and mentally. But if you stick it out, I know you'll come away with a Provisional License, and be that much closer to being a Pro. Do you have it in you?"

"Yes sir!!!" The amped up class replied.

"The exam will take place two months from now, just before the end of term after Final Exams," Murdock went on. "So any time not used during classroom lectures will be spent doing everything possible to hone your skills. Now get to work!"


Across the gym, Class 1-A began their grueling training. While the camp had improved the more physical aspects of their bodies, it was now up to the individual to take those improvements and forge them into something useful.

Thankfully, the trio of teachers Mr. Murdock had brought in helped to make things easier, offering advice and encouragement to those who needed it. Already the results from camp were paying dividends.

Nico's reaction time had improved, and was quicker to fire off spells. Her body was adjusting to the unique power that allowed her to cast spells, able to rely less on the Staff of One as a conduit. Wordless casting of magical barriers and minor telekinesis was now possible, finally allowing her to repeat certain magical spells.

Pietro had gained better control of his speed, and was able to curve tighter than before without wiping out. He debating using his new skill to create a tornado as an Ultimate Move. But Vision warned him that once released, the speedster would have no actual control over it, meaning it was more trouble than it was worth. So he was encouraged to think more practically.

Kamala was lifting weights while switching the sizes of her hands, getting herself used to the strain of having enlarged limbs for more than a few seconds without getting too tired.

Sam did target practice, shooting concentrated beams of power on moving objects set up by Hawkeye.

Tyrone and Gwen were racing around the perimeter, popping up in designated spots to improve the speed and accuracy of the teleportation aspects of their Quirks.

Wanda was floating in a meditative state, attempting to get used to using her telekinesis without feeling drained. Professor Frost used her own telekinetic abilities to push against Wanda's mind, mentally teaching her the fundamentals of mental manipulation without damaging the user or target.

Flash was sparring against Amadeus, both working to keep their respective angers in check as they attempted more finesse within their typically brute force approach to fighting

These and other activities were being performed by the students of Class 1-A, and the air filled with the sounds of their individual efforts. All in all, a loud albeit productive workspace. Yet Peter Parker required something a bit different, as he informed his homeroom teacher.

As the teen waited for Murdock to receive word from Professor Foster, he did a bit of fitness training alongside Luke, Danny, and Ava. Presently, they were discussing the possibilities of their Ultimate Moves.

"So... Ava's got the thing where she uses that amulet to boost her powers," Luke grunted, mid push-up. "Danny's got a few books worth of kung fu moves he can choose from... Me? I'm mostly just bulletproof. Not sure how I improve on that."

"A mind at peace, centered, is stronger than any physical force in the universe," Danny replied. He was balanced atop Luke's back on one leg, doing Tai Chi poses.

Luke turned his head to glance up at his friend, his face a mixture of confusion and exasperation.

"Danny, nngh, speak English please," Ava commented, in the midst of her own exercise. Using her claws, she was sticking to the wall and doing horizontal leg raises.

Peter was doing the same next to her, only he was upside down and hanging above his classmate. "Yeah man, afraid we don't speak 'ancient philosopher'," he added.

Danny sighed and hopped off of Luke's back, "My Sensei told me that once, and I believe it applies to you."

Luke stopped doing push-ups and turned to look at the young martial artist.

"From what I've personally witnessed, your body is only showing a fraction of what it's truly capable of," Danny went on. "You can stop bullets, yes. And you can stop blades. But what about fire? Or a missile? The physical foundation is already there, if the mental fortitude built to match, then nothing will be able to hurt you. And then my friend, you would truly become unbreakable."

"'Unbreakable'..." Luke repeated before nodding. "I like the sound of that! You think maybe you can teach me some of that meditation stuff?"

Danny smiled, pleased that his words seemed to have had an impact. "It would be my pleasure," he replied, reaching down to help pull his friend up to his feet. "But I warn you, it's not easy for beginners."

"Well, that at least gives me something to shoot for," the young Harlemite grinned, before turning to his other two classmates. "How about you, Pete? Got any ideas for yourself?"

"I mean, I've been trying out new settings with my shooters, like my Net Webs," Peter said thoughtfully, setting himself down. "But I dunno if I'd classify them as 'Ultimate Moves'."

"What about that time you made yourself a human slingshot and took down the 0-Pointer?" Ava suggested, "Seemed pretty 'Ultimate' to me."

"Perhaps..." Danny considered, "But from what I can tell, the way Peter fights is fairly instinct driven. You use your Sense to guide your actions, as well as the influence of your surroundings. Overall, it's very movement oriented, relying on quick counter attacks and using your opponent's power against them."

"Hit the nail on the head there," Peter nodded before taking a swig from his water bottle.

"That being the case, I'd suggest studying fighters who fit a similar mold to your own," Danny suggested. "And then incorporating what feels the most natural into a single, free flowing technique."

Peter turned his head, "What, like make up my own fighting style?"

"In a sense," Danny brought his hand to his chin. "You might do well studying Capoeira for example. Or Brazilian Jujitsu, I think would be a good fit."

"Huh..." Peter began to consider the idea, before a sudden tingle went up his spine. "Uh Luke, step left real quick please?"

The muscular teen looked at him in confusion, but obliged. And on cue, a pink portal opened and an exhausted Gwen collapsed out of the opening, falling bridal style into Luke's waiting arms.

"Damn, that Spidey Sense does come in clutch though," Luke grinned, nodding in thanks to Peter.

"Phew... Oh, hey guys," Gwen said, turning toward the others before realizing her position. "Thanks for the catch! My hero..." She said as cheekily to Luke, who blushed slightly before setting her down and clearing his throat. "Man, all that teleporting seriously wears a girl out. So, what's going on over here?"

"We're coming up with new ways for Peter to fight," Ava replied, hopping down off the wall.

"Oh yeah?" The blonde haired girl in pink was intrigued by the prospect. "In that case, I've got just the thing!"

She pulled out her cellphone and typed in something before showing it to her friends. Moments later, video of wrestling match was being shown before a sold out crowd.

"Wait, seriously?" Luke blinked, "You think Peter should learn to fight by watching 'rasslin'?"

"More specifically, Lucha Libre," Gwen replied, pointing to the masked combatant. "This guy, El Muerto, watch how he moves."

She indicated a fighter wearing sleeveless white and gray jumpsuit with a black and white luchador mask. He dodged a powerful strike that hit the ring floor and shook the arena. El Muerto managed to dodge with a reverse backflip, landing on the top ropes and leaping high into the air, tackling his opponent.

"It's a bit showy, but efficient without wasting energy," Danny noted.

"Right??" Gwen placed the phone in Peter's hands, "Looks kinda familiar, doesn't it?"

Upon watching the masked wrestler's movements, the teen couldn't help but agree. It was like looking in an older, but well polished mirror.

"Imagine doing something like that when you're swinging after a bad guy!" Gwen exclaimed, watching as El Muerto caught his opponent in a flying clothesline attack. "If you wanna make it as a Pro, it's not enough to just take down the villains. You've gotta be flashy when you do it!! And I think this is the way to go."

The teen considered the advice of his friends, "It's definitely something to think about."

"Parker, you're good!"

Peter turned toward the voice. It was Mr. Murdock, who held up his phone and gave a thumbs up. It was the go-ahead he'd been waiting for.

"But I can't focus on it now. I've gotta get over to the Support Lab," Peter said, giving the phone back to Gwen.

"Is Riri making some upgrades made for your suit?" Asked Ava, "I've been meaning to ask if she could do something for mine."

"Well yeah, but I also wanna do some experimenting," said Peter. "I've been trying for the past week to reverse engineer my web fluid. I've got a small amount saved for traininf, but it won't last."

He glanced down at his scarred wrist, "Since I can't produce it naturally anymore, I've gotta figure out how to recreate it fast. Or else I'll be at a huge disadvantage once the Exam comes around..."


And so it was, after a quick shower and change of clothes, that Peter walked excitedly down the hall toward the Support Course's Research and Development Lab. The familiar metal doors stood closed but waiting to him to enter. Peter could already hear the sounds of machinery processing and practically smelled the different lubricants used to make it all work.

Most of all, however, he was looking forward to seeing Riri again. Peter hadn't a chance to speak with her since his return home, and she hadn't been answering his texts for a while, which had him a little nervous. He patted his pocket, which held the sheet of formulas from his bedroom as the teen drew ever closer to the doors.

"Hey Peter!"

Hearing the voice of his classmate, Peter turned to see Pietro and Wanda making their way over, with Azari and Laura following close behind.

"What's up?" Wanda began to jog over, waving her hand with a smile. "You here for costume improvements, too?"

"No running in the hall!" Azari yelled at her.

"Yeah, running's supposed to by my thing!" Pietro tacked on.

Peter smiled, "Hey, guys! Yeah I-" He trailed off when his senses triggered, "Look out!"

He quickly dove toward Wanda and wrapped his arms around her, tackling her to the ground before an explosion blew the doors of the Development Studio off their hinges. It flew across the hallways and into the wall, nearly breaking the glass of a nearby window as black smoke began to pour out of the laboratory.

After the explosion, Peter lifted himself off Wanda. "Are you okay?" He asked, worry in his voice.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks," Wanda replied. "That could've been messy."

"Smooth move, Parker," Laura grinned, while Pietro snapped a picture on his phone at super speed.

It was at that moment Peter and Wanda realized their positioning and both teens blushed furiously before leaping away from each other.

"So anyways..." Laura looked curiously at the smoke, said, "What the heck just happened? Did something blow up in there?"

"Should we alert the faculty?" Asked Azari.

"Nah, I recognize this handiwork anywhere," Peter replied, a smile on his face. The others watched him in confusion as he walked over and called into the smoke. "Hey Riri! You ok in there??"

A slight coughing was heard as a young girl's voice yelled back in response, "All good! Just gimme a sec!" Following an audible click, the smoke was sucked away into some sort of vacuum. It was then that the smiling form of Riri Williams came into view.

"Peter!" She exclaimed, rushing over to hug the teen, much to his surprise. Peter's classmates were equally caught off guard. While they'd gotten to know the young inventor better following the events of the Training Camp, none of their prior interactions led them to believe that she was the touchy-feely type.

"I'm so glad you're alright!!" Riri finally released her friend to look him in the eyes, "Sorry I couldn't see you before now, things have been crazy busy since the camp ended." She looked her friend over, "Nothing broken, yeah?"

Peter flexed a bicep, "All good! Night Nurse is the best at healing!!"

"Glad to hear it! Hmm? Oh hey guys!" She said, finally taking notice of the Peter's classmates. "Let's see if I remember... You're Shuri's nephew. Azari, right?"

The Prince bowed slightly, "You are correct."

"Then there's Laura, you had the bone claws," Riri recalled. Laura grinned and popped a set from her left hand to verify her identity.

Finally, the young inventor acknowledged the other two, "And the twins! The redhead's Wanda and the other is... Petrol?"

Wanda snorted as she barely suppressed her laughter while her brother looked exasperated. "It's Pietro," he said. "My Quirk doesn't revolve around cars, thank you very much."

As the other students laughed over the speedster's indignation, Professor Foster made his way over to chastise his star pupil.

"Riri, what'd I tell you about warning me before you start testing?" He asked. "And did you seriously destroy another door!?"

"Ummm... Technically it was the blaster that did the destroying," Riri sheepishly replied, holding up the weapon she'd been working on. "I thought I had it set to 'Stun' mode, but I guess it applies more force than needed. Gonna have to mess around a bit it more to dial it back," she scribbled something down on a post-it note, then stuck it to the blaster before setting it down on a workbench.

"Regardless, you're only allowed back in the lab because I needed the help," the teacher said. "Were that not the case, I'd have you banned for an another month!"

"Is... this a bad time?" Asked Azari, watching the interaction with some fascination.

"Believe it or not, this is a normal interaction between those two," Peter murmured to his friend.

"Hello there! Please excuse the mess," Professor Foster made his way over to welcome the newcomers. "I'll have it cleaned up in a second."

He snapped his fingers to Riri, "Get to it. I warned you what would happen if you broke the door again."

Riri rolled her eyes and threw on a pair of oversized green gloves, heading over to the metal doors.

"Hello Peter, good to have you back," Professor Foster shook the teen's hand and smiled. "I think Riri was starting to get lonely without you."

"I was not!" The girl retorted, pressing a button on the gloves and activating a wheeled robot from inside. It rolled over to the doors and began to help her move them back into place. "I just miss having another set of hands around here," she elaborated, shoving the metal slabs over with some effort.

Peter glanced at his friend in confusion, "What're you talking about? You hate having outsiders collaborate on your projects! Hell a few weeks ago, you were saying that you could get a lot more done with an empty laboratory!"

"Yeah well, it seems the universe was listening to me that day," Riri deadpanned, breathing slightly heavily from her effort. "Because then a group of supervillains raided your Training Camp and roughly a quarter of the students were pulled from school! A good chunk of them were in Support, resulting in the mess inside."

Her job done, she led the group inside and Peter's jaw dropped at the literal pile of gadgets and costume parts by her work station. Even Professor Foster's more advanced setup appeared ready to burst at the seams.

"Yikes..." Peter sympathized.

"Mm-hmm. With fewer classmates to shoulder the load, I've been SWAMPED with requests and backlogged repairs ranging from Hero students to General Education," she gestured to a stack of papers sitting on her desk. "I keep busy, but it's so boring!! I don't get to flex my creativity, and I haven't even gotten time to work on my armor! It'd be nice if the Support got some support for a change!"

"Well I'm not Support, but if you want some help I'm game," the boy offered. "I'll be up here anyways to work on my new web formula."

Riri beamed with relief, "That'd be fantastic!" A sudden thought struck, as if she remembered something important, "Oh-oh! Professor Foster! Can I show him the thing??"

The older man chuckled, gesturing with his hand, "Go ahead, I'll speak with these four about their upgrades until you get back."

With that, Riri pulled Peter over to a workspace typically reserved for students in the Support Course. It was decked out with tools, wires, a magnifier, soldering board, and other necessities. But what stood out was the nameplate atop the desk: 'Parker', with a stylized spider web etched into the top right corner.

"Ta-dah!!!" She exclaimed, "Welcome to the 'Parker Zone'."

"The what??" He asked.

"Well you're in here often enough, we consider you an honorary member of the Support Class," Riri grinned. "And Mr. Daredevil said you needed space to figure out your web situation, so Professor Foster and I had this area set up for you. Nobody's was using it anyhow, not with the number of students gone..."

He noticed the bit of faltering in his friend's voice, sympathizing with her position. "I promise to earn my keep!" Peter declared, "And if you really do need another pair of hands, you've got them."

"Thanks, Pete," the girl smiled, glad to have found potential backup. "But it hasn't been all work and no play in here. I managed to come up with some great ideas during my rare bits of free time, and I think I've got a couple of winners for ya!"

"Oh yeah?" Peter asked, intrigued.

"Of course! You're my number one client, and I wanna keep you happy!" Riri said, going to her workspace and bringing back a cardboard box. The first item she removed was a helmet covered in what almost looked like round camera lenses.

"So this little baby was inspired by an actual spider," she began. "Despite what people think, they don't have great vision even though they've got the 8 eyes. I know you had trouble focusing your vision when overloaded with stimuli, which is why your mask has the auto adjusting lenses. But with this, you can see all around you without having to turn your head!"

"That's amazing!" Peter whistled, looking the helmet over.

"I came up with it as a failsafe in case something ever goes wrong with your Spider Sense," Riri said proudly. "You probably won't have use for it right now, but it's always good to have contingencies. Speaking of your Sense, that actually brings me to my next baby here."

She pulled out a set of folded fabrics, colored red and blue respectively and handed one of them to Peter.

"Now it's not so much tech as it is a base for a costume," said Riri. "While a spider's eyes aren't very good, their sense of touch is astounding! After you explained how your Quirk works, I hypothesized that your Spider Sense was derived more from your skin detecting the air around you, kind of like a spider's does. So with that in mind, I developed a super thin but durable fabric! It won't rip easily and you'll be able to feel everything around you."

"Nice!!" The teen was impressed by the amount of thought his inventor friend had put into it.

The only problem is you'll need to take time to adjust to wearing it," she warned. "Just like how a computer can be overloaded, so can a brain. If what I guessed about your Sense is true, you'll be taking in constant stream of information. It'll be up to you to sift through what's important and what's not."

"Lucky for me, I've got two months to get used to it," Peter smiled, setting the fabric back down in the box. "To be honest, my old costume was getting worn out and I was gonna ask about a replacement."

He noticed one last device within, a goldish colored pack with shoulder straps. "What about this last one? Is it a backpack? I mean I could use the storage, but-"

"Oh, nononono," Riri grinned. "Try it on! I'll show you what it does! But... stand over there in the open space. I don't wanna piss off Professor Foster if something else gets knocked over."

Shrugging, Peter did as he was told. Riri pulled out a remote she had sitting in the box and pressed a button. Four large spider-like legs sprouted from the backpack, each with a blue tip at the end. The sudden development got the attention Peter's classmates, who came over to take a look.

"Whoa!! Check you out, Peter!!!" Wanda exclaimed.

"Most impressive," commented Azari, looking over the gold colored limbs from a safe distance.

"This is Baby Number 17; I also call 'em the Long Legs!" Riri proclaimed, proudly watching her client get a feel for her tech as his friends watched in awe. "An A.l. controls the limbs and anticipates how they can help you, including in active combat. The pincers at the end even have built in tasers for quick suppression of larger groups."

"Plus, they fit the spider aesthetic: now you've got 8 legs!" Pietro said, indicating the somewhat obvious.

"Technically, he has 6 legs," Azari put in. "Two of his limbs are arms-"

"Oh, let him have this," Laura muttered to the Class President.

"It's definitely cool," Peter said, looking over his shoulders at the pincer ends. "They don't make me look like a villain, do they?" He asked, recalling the metal tentacles used by Doctor Octavius.

"Nah, you look great! Program start!" Riri pressed another button on the remote.

The limbs turned on, rising up and getting into a ready position. The sudden movement of the robotic arms startled Peter for a moment before he looked at the pincers. "Huh, this is pretty- OW!"

He cried out in pain when one of the pincers suddenly hit him in the stomach, giving him a sudden shock of electricity. "Dammit! Why didn't my Sense warn me about tha- OW!!!"

"Peter!" Wanda activated her Quirk, preventing a leg from attacking him again. Pietro similarly rushed over with Laura and grabbed another limb as all 4 started trying to attack the wearer. Peter stopped another of the legs, while Azari had to grab the last one.

"End program! End Program!" Riri hurriedly turned off the legs, relieving Peter from the barrage of zaps. The group of students stared the young inventor with deadpanned expressions, making her sweat a bit.

"Eheheh, looks like I made a mistake or two in the A.l..." She chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry, that's my bad."

"In that case, let's put it aside for now," Peter grunted, slipping off the metal pack before turning to his classmates. "Thanks guys, did Professor Foster take down your ideas?"

"Yeah, he mentioned delegating some of them to Riri here," Pietro nodded to the Support student. "But frankly, after that little display, I'm having second thoughts..."

"Oh don't be such a wuss!" Riri chided, "Mistakes are how we grow! And I've never given out a faulty product, just ask Peter!"

The speedster turned toward his classmate, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"It's true," Peter said. "While her testing process is a bit... unorthodox, I've always trusted the final results. And they've never once let me down."

Pietro sighed, "Fine... My situation is a bit more low tech anyways. I've been working on improving my speed control, which in itself isn't a problem. But if I run too fast, my costume starts to literally burn and shear off my body."

"So a full-body suit that can withstand intense friction without heating up? That's easy!" Declared Riri, handing over some blank paper. "Just write up some notes on how you want the overall design to look, maybe a sketch or two with some colors. Gimme a few days, and I'll see what I can whip up."

"Ok, I'll give it a shot," the platinum haired boy reluctantly agreed.

"Sweet!" Riri grinned, gesturing to the others. "Why don't we all talk a bit more, and I'll see what I can set you up with? Peter, you good over here?"

"Yeah, for now," he replied, taking out a pencil and a flask. "Where'd you guys move the chemistry stuff?"

"Room 2, around the corner and to the left," she said. "Compounds and powders in the third cabinet."

Peter walked in the given direction, giving a wave of thanks.

"He sure is focused," Riri noted.

"Yeah, can't really blame him though," Laura replied. "Those webs are an essential tool for him, and the clock's ticking. Speaking of which, I had a few thoughts about my costume..."


Three weeks had passed, and Peter was in the Support Lab once again, safety goggles over his eyes as he portioned out the chemicals for his latest test batch of web fluid. He'd been coming almost daily and this would be his 37th attempt at cracking the formula.

"Ok, let's try with a dose of sodium fluosilicate this time around..." He muttered, adding the aforementioned compound. Setting the beaker on a magnetic mixer, Peter turned the knob and watched as his solution came together, using the magnifier to monitor for adverse reactions.

Riri began to walk by before getting a look at Peter's progress. She saw the scrawled out notes on the teen's notepad, several formulas crossed out, altered, or scribbled in barely legible chicken scratch. The fact that the wastebasket beneath his work station was filled with crumpled papers indicates just how long Peter had been working at this.

"And they say I'm a workaholic," Riri said quietly.

"You say something?" Peter turned toward his friend, removing the earbuds he'd been using to cancel out background noise with music. He hadn't heard what she actually said, but he guessed it was probably something snarky.

"I said 'how's it going'?" The girl asked.

Peter sighed tiredly, "Honestly, I dunno. I've been trying different variations on the formula I came up with, but nothing's sticking. No pun intended this time around."

"Really? I thought you might've had something with that last batch you whipped up!" Riri encouraged.

"Nah, that was basically silk. Not sticky nor malleable enough for my applications..." Peter lamented, "It needs to be load-bearing and strong, hold with extreme amounts of tension and stress, but still have a little stretch to it."

"Hmm, mind if I see what you're using?" She asked.

"Feel free," Peter replied, gesturing to his notepad.

"Salicylic acid, toulene, methanol, carbon tetrachloride, potassium carbonate, ethyl acetate..." Riri read out the components as if they were part of a shopping list. "I see you also added sodium fluosilicate... And is that dimethyl formamide?"

"Yeah, don't want it staying forever," said Peter. "I figured adding a dissolving agent would help with that issue. But if I use too much, it causes the stuff to completely liquify and it becomes useless for capture or swinging. That's what happened with batch 23."

"Well, it took Edison over 1000 tries before he got the lightbulb," said Riri. "And who knows how long it took Dr. Erskine to crack the Super Soldier formula! The fact that you're this close is really saying something!"

"Yeah, but I've got barely a month before the Exam, and being close isn't gonna cut it!" The teen groaned, backing away from his desk and rubbing his tired eyes.

"Ok, don't panic," Riri attempted to reassure her friend. "There's still plenty of time. And you have cartridges of your original webs in reserve, right?"

Peter opened up a drawer to the workbench, showing her a number of empty canisters. Only about 4 or 5 appeared to still have fluid left in them. "Between testing the fluid's properties and training for the Exam, this is all I have left," he lamented. "It's not enough to last me another week, forget another month!"

He took a breath, trying to steady his nerves as he glanced at his scarred wrist, "I've gotta use what I have left sparingly until then. That's why it's so important that I get this right."

A timer went off, and Peter shut off the burner, allowing the milky solution to cool down. "I feel like I'm getting close, but something's missing..." He pondered, unsure what that was.

"Let's think for a second," Riri turned Peter around in his swivel chair to face her. "You made the webs in your body, right? No additional protein or anything that it naturally creates was added to the stuff?"

"No," Peter replied. "I tested the full makeup of my web fluid months ago. You were in here for that, remember?"

"Heh, yeah," Riri smiled at the memory. "You helped me with my armor, and encouraged to go for the Hero's path despite the setbacks my Quirk presented."

Peter smiled back, "I was just saying what I'd wished someone my age would've said when they knew what I wanted to do with my life."

"Still, you believed in me. I never really got that a lot in my life either," the girl went on. "I mean sure, I always believed in myself. But it's nice to get that extra validation every once in a while. It really breathes life into dreams and helps them real, you know?"

Peter nodded, "Yeah, I-" He suddenly froze for a moment, "Wait, what was that last bit you said?"

Riri looked at the teen confused, "Um, 'it really breathes life into dreams and'-"

"THAT'S IT!!!" Peter exclaimed, leaping from his chair excitedly and grabbing Riri by the hands. "Riri, you're a genius!!!"

"W-What?" The girl blushed slightly, "I mean, I know I'm a genius, but what did I do?"

Peter hurriedly rushed into the supply closet. "'Breathing', Riri!" He said, picking up a Bunsen burner. "What's the difference between how I made this stuff and how I made my original webs?"

Riri thought for moment, "You made this stuff here in the lab, and your first webs came from your-" She paused, coming to a realization. "Your body!"

"Exactly," Peter grinned, hurrying back to his work station. "Even when I loaded the web fluid into the canisters, not once was it directly exposed to oxygen!"

Pouring the beaker's contents into a flask and lighting the burner, Peter watched as the contents began to bubble. "I can remove most of the air still in the fluid by boiling it out..."

The two students watched for roughly two minutes with bated breath as the solution finally began to steam. Peter extinguished the flame and brought out a mixing stick. "Ok, here we go," he said, hesitantly dipping it into the beaker and stirring lightly.

As he attempted to pull the stick out, however, a strand of silky white string kept it stuck it. There was slight resistance as well, as if the string had elasticity.

Peter's eyes widened, "This is it!!! I think I've got it!!!" His excitement was short lived, however, as the web fluid began to solidify and rapidly expand without the heat keeping it in check.

"Oh crap!!" The boy yelped, realizing the error as it reached over the top of the beaker and began to spill over. Riri noticed this, and quickly came up with a solution as she grabbed an empty web cartridge.

"Heat it back up, quick!!" She ordered hurriedly. Peter quickly obeyed, re-lighting the burner as the web beginning to liquify once more. It slunk back into the beaker, much to his relief.

Without explaining herself, Riri placed the tip of the rectangular container into the solution and held a small button on the end; the signal to take in the fluid. It quickly filled, and thanks to the airtight properties of canister, held the fluid in place.

She held it out to Peter, "What do you think? Moment of truth?"

He took the cartridge and rolled up his right sleeve, revealing a new web shooter prototype. Clasping it into place, Peter looked for a target. Spotting an empty soda not yet disposed of, he aimed and pressed his two fingers to the trigger in his palm, tapping it twice to fire.

Tight on cue, a thin webline shot out and hit the can square, even denting it slightly. Peter looked as giddy as can be at this, before yanking his arm back. The web pulled the can through the air, with Peter catching it in his hand.

"WOOOOHOOOO!!!" He leapt into the air, punching his fists skyward in triumph. Finally, after a month of trial and error, Spider-Man had webs once again.

Riri watched her friend revel in his triumph, proud of him for not giving up and pushing on until he made it to this point. "Congratulations, Peter!" She exclaimed, sharing in his joy. "You did it!!!"

Peter landed back on the ground, grabbing Riri by the shoulders as the two bounced around like a pair of giddy children before Professor Foster came back in.

"What the hell's going on here?" He asked, taking in the amusing albeit strange sight before him.

"Peter's got webs!!" Riri replied, taking his arm and pointing it upwards. Pressing the palm button, a strand of web shot out and hit the ceiling.

"Hey, hey! I'm glad he finally got it cracked," the teacher assured. "But don't go shooting off crap in the lab! And check on your workspace, you left the fire in your burner going!"

"Oh, right! I'd better fill the other cartridges before it goes out!" Peter hurriedly rushed back to the desk and pulled out a handful of the rectangular containers. "I'd also better take into account how many this amount can fill. I'll need to adjust the formula for larger batches of this stuff."

"In any case, I think it's time for a test run," said Riri, coming over, placing a sealed case in front of the boy. "And I mean for more than just the webs," she added with a grin.


Matthew Murdock took in his surroundings within Gym Gamma. While he of course could not see what was happening around him, his enhanced senses allowed him to detect every development with his class of aspiring heroes.

Ava's costume had darker, more pronounced stripes on her body, as well as around the yellow lenses of her mask. Her signature jade amulet was now moved from her belt to the base of her neck, looking more like a broach without a strap to keep it in place.

Her main focus throughout the training was to improve on concentration while utilizing her Quirk's enhancements to their fullest extent. She did so by sparring with the class's other feline themed hero in training, Azari.

The next Black Panther's outfit hadn't changed much, save the addition of gloves with retractable claws on his fingertips. They also contained the added feature of harnessing his electricity and shooting from his palm in a more concentrated attack. He'd been working on harnessing his electricity and spreading it around his body, gradually becoming accustomed to the feeling without exhaustion.

Laura's costume no longer had an opened midriff or exposed thighs, although her upper arms remained open, not requiring much protection from outside forces given her healing factor. Additionally, she now wore a domino mask that angled up and away at the ends, very reminiscent of her father's old mask.

Pietro's new costume was more streamlined, now a solid light blue with white gloves and reinforced footwear. A zigzagging belt looped around his waist, and a matching strap-like bolt went from his left hip to over his right shoulder and across his back.

His new move "Flashstep", had the speedster moving so fast it created mirages, making his target think they were surrounded.

His sister Wanda practiced firing her Hex Bolts at Gwen, who'd improved the speed of portal creations by leaps and bounds.

Kei was utilizing a new type of glove he'd received from the Support Department, one that kept a steady supply on ink in the collapsing pen attached to it. Similarly, his outfit had become less baggy, with his orange hoodie being made of a more durable material for added protection.

Danny was wearing a white variation of his previous costume, while retaining the gold coloring on his sash, shoes, and mask. He'd been destroying the boulders by hitting them with his fists, shifting his Chi into either hand with each strike.

Flash's outfit had altered shoulder pieces and a neck protector added onto his armor, as well as knee and elbow pads. A tactical belt had been added to carry rubber bullets for his pistols. The color scheme of his costume was still black, however his arms and legs were a slightly lighter shade. Lines of piping went up and across the sides of his torso and legs.

His new move involved shooting a piece of black goo from his body at his target's legs, keeping them in place. That accomplished, Flash drew his semi-automatic pistols and unloaded both clips.

Thankfully, his target at the time was Luke, and while the rubber bullets couldn't hurt his body anyhow, it made for good practice in taking repeated blows against his skin. He used these moments to practice meditation techniques that Danny had taught him.

Kamala, meanwhile, perfected her limb growth technique, "Embiggen," and was using it to hurtle boulders at Amadeus, without tiring out like she had before. Unfortunately, her latest throw had overcompensated a bit and flew over her partner's head.

"Flash, head's up!!" Cho called, warning his classmate.

Within a split second, the teen quickly turned and thrust his hand forward. A thick black tendril shot out from Flash's arm, both enveloping and extending his limb. The tendril latched onto the boulder and blindly hurtled it away... toward Mr. Murdock!!!

Flash's eyes widened, "Oh shit!!! Look out!!"

Mr. Murdock immediately sensed the danger and prepared to move, when suddenly-

A red and blue blur flew in overhead, arms outstretched as if flying. Turning and flicking its wrists over, a pair of web-lines shot out and attached to the boulder. Yanking himself over with a flip, the figure landed feet first onto the boulder, kicking it away into the wall where it shattered into pieces.

The figure landed in a crouched position, revealing a familiar, albeit altered costume. If one looked closely, they could see the faint outline a broad smile beneath the mask. The lenses covering his eyes moved up into the material, revealing the brown irises of Peter Parker.

While Matthew Murdock couldn't physically see his student, he knew exactly who had stepped in, or more accurately swung in and kept him safe. The hint of a smile grew more visible as he felt a deepening sense of pride in the student who'd started at rock bottom and climbed to his current position.

And with some new toys, it would seem, he thought.

Peter's new costume resembled very light armor. His chest, neck, and shoulders were covered with a layer of separated padding, allowing Peter to maintain his full range of movement.

The boots went up to just past his knees, which now had protective padding that matched his elbows. There were braces around Peter's wrists, likely to protect his web shooters from damage, with hard resin material covering his knuckles of his gloves. Lastly, a belt with red tactical pouches hung around his waist.

The overall color scheme maintained its roots with the red and blue coloring, although there were shades of darker blue mixed throughout. There wasn't as much webbing covering the chest, and the spider emblem was shaped differently. It was now smaller and somewhat more angular than the previous one, not going past his chest guard. And on the belt, there was a buckle which resembled Peter's mask.

Look out world, the teen thought triumphantly. Spider-Man's back!

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Barber's Chair

• I didn't wanna make it easy for Peter this chapter. Sure he'd been the lab experimenting with it before, but he'd never tried to reverse engineer his web fluid. So naturally it would take time and several attempts to get it right.

• The Licensing Exam I thought was done a bit too soon in my opinion, as far as timing goes in MHA. Heck, the manga is ending soon and the students are still into their first year in high school! My version is gonna stretch the time a bit so not everything is quite so fast paced. Hence, the extended time before the Exam, as well as there being time to focus on actual schoolwork.

• Peter's new costume is based on the art by DuckLordEthan, based on the debut of Deku's Gamma costume.