High School Revolution

Chapter 63: Strider and Krystal's Playdate

Strider got to school early the next day, Wednesday, September 15th, overhearing gossip about a supposed thief and their belongings and supplies, including things he didn't care for or could afford such as Rolexes and expensive bracelets. Still that didn't mean they deserved to get robbed. But before he went to investigate further, his body was quickly lifted off the ground, falling onto the mat in the Martial Arts Club.

"You got hurt again, didn't you? It's almost like you're a pain magnet, partner."

Hanaka wasn't completely wrong. "I'm suffering from Parker luck."

"Parker luck?"

"Spider-Man stuff. Try to be a good person, end up just having life kick you down time after time again physically and mentally. Yet somehow, you keep going and your luck allows you to live and fight another day."

Raven flew by and attached it's arms to his palm and elbow, and leg respectively, splitting itself into two. Then he realized Hanaka was going to spar with him. When Mr. Kazeshiro walked in, she had him on the floor.

"Your Parker luck isn't doing you any favors." Her dad wondered what she meant as Johnny and Devin walked in, and Strider explained what he meant.

"Ahh, Supida-Man," their teacher fawned. "I remember his old show made by Toei back in the 1970s. Brings back such good memories growing up in Japan."

The light half of Harmony Pride was confused. "Spider-Man was popular in Japan?"

Strider confirmed more. "Not was, is! Him, Batman, the X-Men, Shuma Gorath, are really loved in Japan."

"Who's Shuma Gorath?"

"Uhh..Tentacles. Enemy of Doctor Strange, really powerful, wait like ten years and he'll probably show up in a movie soon."

Devin wasn't too surprised by Spider-Man's popularity. "A working class hero who faces darkness and despair at every turn, but never tempts into evil despite his adolescence and seeks the light. How could you not?"

Strider got up, only for Hanaka to almost hit him until he countered in time.

"At this point you need to be at your best when we start training again or I'll be forced to find a different partner."

Hating rejection, Strider offered to do anything to change her mind..

"Hmm. If you can defeat me in anything beyond academics once this week, I'll consider it." First she asks Raven to remove themselves, and strikes at Strider's pressure points. His joints felt more recovered than before.

"Sounds like a plan." Then Mika stuck her head into the room.

"Lil bro, have you seen Percy anywhere?"

To her disappointment, he didn't.

Later in the gym, the freshmen were going first for ultimate Frisbee and he put them on teams. Excited about playing one of the sports that made enduring the hell of some of the three years he spent there got him pumped, and Krystal and Devin were included on his team. The former two expressed joy in their partnership while Devin hoped he could do his best.

Their opposing team consisted of Eliza, Tori, and Hanaka, three people Strider could not assume would willingly work together on their own. Then again, if Hanaka had their mean streak, he could see them as a dangerous group of mean girls, but unless he ended up in some reverse dimension, that could never happen. Krystal was in more high spirits, wanting to just have a fun competition with someone else she considered a friend. Hanaka seemed to agree.

Stride route his love for the sport into action and took a long run to catch one with a diving save. Krystal joined him and the two passed it back and forth until they reached the end goal for the first time. A quick celebration aside, they worked with their teammates to outspeed them and it was working until Eliza swiped it a second as Krystal was about to touch it, not willing to be outdone by her own sister. She swung it to her teammates, but Strider ran back, and with a squat jump, smacked the frisbee down to the ground and recovered it for his team, swinging it before Tori could reach in time and worked in tandem with Krystal for another point. A few times later and they were up five to zero. There was no way they'd lose.