My Marvel Academia S1 (On Hold)

5 - Just like my uncle

I woke up, still dazed, on the floor of the lab. All around me were the professors, my friends, even Dr. Connors. As soon as he saw that I was awake, he asked me

"Are you okay, Peter? Can you hear me?"

"Ugh...d-dr. Connors, what happened to me?"

"You passed out for a couple of minutes and, thank God, you're awake. Don't worry, we're calling your aunt and uncle."

"Wha...no, no they would worry too much. I'm fine, look."

I got up and, to my surprise, I was actually fine. So I made up an excuse

"It's just really hot in here, I think I need some fresh air."

I hurried out of the lab to avoid being asked any more questions. As I walked out of the A.A. gate I began to feel strange, I had a slight migraine and without realizing it I began to cross the street. After that I felt something, some kind of...impulse, the hairs on my arms stood up and, without thinking twice, I jumped.

It wasn't until later that I realized that I had just dodged a car coming towards me. Something was wrong...I didn't understand why I was observing the scene from above and not falling...so I turned my gaze forward and...I couldn't believe what I was seeing: I was stuck to the wall, just like that, in a totally natural way!

I began to climb the wall and within seconds I was at the top. I tried to grab a pipe to help me up onto the roof, so I grabbed it and strengthened the grip but...I squeezed it in the palm of my hand! I remember thinking to myself

*I can't believe it... I FINALLY HAVE MY QUIRK! It must have been the bite from that spider! Hey, wait...superhuman agility and reflexes, extraordinary strength, the ability to climb a wall...I HAVE THE SAME QUIRK AS UNCLE BEN! Okay, let's see if...*

I tried to get the cobwebs out of my wrists, I did the same move Ben did: middle and little finger pressing on the palm of my hand; I tried and tried again, shouting things like

"GO SPIDERWEB!... SHAZAM!... GO COBWEB GO!!!"

But nothing...strange that I had the same quirk as uncle Ben, but couldn't make spider webs like him, but suddenly I had a brilliant idea....

I decided to run to the station and take the train home to tell uncle and aunt the fantastic news, then I remembered that it wouldn't be passing by until the end of the school day: that is, in an hour. I wasn't going to wait an hour, so I had a crazy idea: jump from rooftop to rooftop.

I'm sure you're thinking I was crazy right now, but what can you do: I was euphoric as hell.

I took a running start from the building I had just climbed, started running and gave myself the momentum with my legs, as hard as I could!

"WOOOHHOOOOO!!!"

A moment later I was in the air. A few seconds later I had passed an entire city block, I could see farther than I ever had, it was wonderful...then I started to fall and realized I hadn't thought about this part of the jump.

"AAAAAAAHHH!!!"

The fall was quick: I slammed into a lamppost and fell to the sidewalk. The fall should have killed me, instead it just left me with a big bruise and a terrible backache. I decided that, until I had made up for the lack of cobwebs, I would avoid throwing myself randomly from the buildings.

It was a long ride, and as I walked, the bruises began to fade and my back hurt less and less: quick healing! It was really going to work for me. I was a couple of blocks away from home and I wasn't feeling any more pain: in an hour and a half I had already healed from the bad fall!

I arrived at the front door and rang the doorbell, Aunt May opened the door with a look of terror and relief and, hugging me, said

"PETER, THANK GOD! The school called us and said you got out of the lab, they didn't know where you were!" then she broke off "How could you even think of doing something like that!"

I was so excited that I didn't think about them, how worried they would be....

"I'm sorry aunt May, but I had to run to you right away! Something happened."

"What else happened?" asked uncle Ben.

"This!"

So, with a leap, I attached myself to the ceiling. They were so shocked they didn't know what to say. I explained what had happened: the field trip, the experiment, the spider bite, my new abilities....

"...The only thing I can't do is spider webs. So uncle Ben, what do you think? Now I get to be just like you!"

"Oh Pete, I'm very happy for you, but we'd better take it slow. Let's take it one step at a time."

"Will you teach me, uncle Ben? Please teach me!"

"All right, all right son. But there's one problem: you said you can't shoot the cobwebs off your wrists?"

"Yes...but I think I can do something about it!"

"Very well. In the meantime, starting tomorrow we'll train in combat..."

"Yay!"

"...after school."

"Aaahh! But what's the use? Now I can become a hero, what do I need school for?"

"You go: school is important regardless of powers. On the other hand...you don't want your secret identity to be discovered, do you?"

"Oh, right!"

I ran upstairs: I had an idea and needed to write down the specifics before I forgot.

While I was jotting down my ideas someone knocked on my bedroom window, it was Wanda. I immediately ran to open it and she walked in.

"Where have you been?" she asked

"I'm sorry, it's just that the strangest thing happened..."

"Do you know how much you made me...you made US worry?!"

"I'm sorry, I don't..."

Without giving me time to say anything else she squeezed me in a hug. How could I have made her worry so much! How could I have been so selfish!

"I'm so sorry, Wanda."

"Forget it, I'm just glad you're okay. So what happened that was so strange?"

So I told her everything that had happened. She listened from beginning to end, then said.

"Can I see?"

"Oh...sure."

I climbed up to the ceiling and looked at her upside down. It was strange: I should have been confused, the blood should have rushed to my head, but instead I was totally at ease, orienting myself just fine, even in that position.

"Wow!" was the only thing Wanda could say.

Then I broke away from there and landed comfortably on my feet, then Wanda asked me.

"What were you writing there?"

"Oh, I had an idea for cobwebs and thought I'd put it all down on paper."

She took the papers with my notes and specifics and said

"Hmm...that sounds very complex, but I'm sure you'll be able to make them."

"Yes: I must be able to."