[Third Person Pov]
"So, I guess I'll start," Peter said, pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. "Let me ask you all this: what does a superhero need in order to be a successful hero?"
He stopped, flashed a grin beneath his mask, and pointed at the group. "Go ahead, call it out. Don't be shy."
"A strong superpower!" someone shouted.
"Wrong!" Peter replied, motioning for them to keep guessing.
"A strong moral compass!"
"You're not entirely wrong," Peter said, shaking his head, "but that's not the answer I'm looking for."
"Lots of money!"
Peter let out a short laugh. "So true—heroing is way more expensive than people think. But nope, still not it." He crossed his arms.
"An archenemy?"
"Hahaha, no," Peter laughed, strolling over to the blackboard behind him. "To be a successful superhero, you need three things: a motto, the ability to be quippy, and balance."
He turned back to the class with a proud smile, clearly enjoying the looks of confusion and bewilderment on everyone's faces—including the X-Men.
Kurt raised a hand. Peter pointed at him. "Yes, Kurt?"
"What's a motto, and why is it important?" Kurt asked, taking the lesson far more seriously than the others. He had already pulled out a notebook and pen, waiting patiently.
"I'm glad you asked, my blue furry friend," Peter said warmly. "A motto is essentially the words you live by. They become the core of who you are, both as a person and as a hero. They're the reason you get out of bed in the morning. They're why you do what you do, no questions asked."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice growing more passionate. "Now listen closely, because this is important. When you feel like you're starting to lose your path—when you're overwhelmed or forced to make a difficult decision—a strong, personal motto will help you keep your head straight. I wasn't kidding when I said it's the core of who you are."
"In essence, a motto is your center that keeps you grounded," Peter finished theatrically, clenching his fist close to his chest as he stared off into the distance dramatically.
"Woooah," they all softly exclaimed, some more amused than impressed, but still caught up in the moment.
Kurt, meanwhile, was diligently taking bullet points of everything Peter was saying, writing quickly as if he didn't want to miss a single word of what he clearly considered valuable insight.
"Oh god," Harry and the rest of Peter's closest friends all groaned at once, already recognizing exactly where this was heading and bracing themselves for it.
"That… is surprisingly good advice when you actually stop and think about it," Ororo said quietly, folding her arms as she considered his words more seriously than most. Her comment earned a small, approving nod from both Jean and Scott.
Charles only chuckled to himself, clearly entertained by everything that was unfolding in front of him and seeing no reason whatsoever to intervene or redirect the session.
"Oooh!" Jean suddenly raised her hand like an eager, participating student who didn't want to miss her chance to ask something.
"Seriously?" Scott asked from where he was casually leaning against the wall, one brow raised as he looked at her.
"What? I have a question. Are you seriously judging me for being curious?" she shot back, giving him a playful glare without any real heat behind it.
"Yes, yes I am," Scott replied with a light scoff, not even trying to hide his amusement.
Jean responded in the most mature way possible by sticking her tongue out at him before turning her attention back to the front.
"Yes, Ms. Grey?" Peter asked respectfully, straightening up slightly as he acknowledged her.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your motto then? If you don't mind sharing, that is," she asked, her curiosity clear in both her tone and expression.
"Hehe, I'm so very glad you asked that question, and no, I don't mind sharing at all," Peter said with a mischievous little giggle.
"For the love of God," Gwen, Aria, and Lizzy all mumbled under their breath, already knowing exactly what was coming next.
MJ and Felicia, on the other hand, both giggled, clearly more entertained than annoyed by his enthusiasm. "I don't know, I find it kind of cute how much he adores and looks up to those words," MJ said thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand.
"It can be endearing," Felicia added with a small nod, clearly in agreement.
Peter turned to the board and, with broad, deliberate strokes, began writing out the words, "With great power comes great responsibility," making sure each letter was clear and bold.
"That's my motto. Those are the words I live by," Peter said, and this time there was no theatrical flair, only sincerity. "Our powers and abilities are more than just gifts, they're not party tricks or shortcuts to an easy life. They're tools—dangerous ones if mishandled. As bearers of great power, we have a responsibility—a duty—to use what's been given to us wisely and with care. That responsibility doesn't just extend to others, but to ourselves as well. We owe it to ourselves to be reasonable and thoughtful in how we use our abilities."
"Using our powers wisely isn't just about saving the day. It's restraint. It's knowing when not to use them. When a situation calls for words instead of webs, or patience instead of punches. It's saying no to the easy path, even when every instinct screams to take it"
As he spoke, the room grew quieter, the students actually listening and absorbing what he was saying, many of them nodding along.
Charles had a faint grin on his lips, clearly pleased, and more than a little grateful that Peter had agreed to be a guest lecturer.
Jean suddenly started clapping, the sound drawing everyone's attention to her almost immediately. She froze when she realized she was the only one doing it and quickly grew embarrassed. "Sorry… I thought the speech was great, and I assumed we were all going to start clapping," she admitted sheepishly.
A chorus of soft laughter spread through the classroom, light and genuine, while Harry and the rest of Peter's group shared reluctant but fond smiles. Despite their earlier groans, they did care about those words. They were just tired of hearing them repeated so often. Even so, those same words had shaped who they were, just as much as they had shaped Peter.
"Now then…" Peter said, reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out a pocket watch, holding it up between his fingers. "Repeat after me."
He suddenly dropped into a low, exaggerated crouch, holding the watch out in front of him as he began to sway it side to side. "With great power comes great responsibility… with great power comes great responsibility," he repeated in a soft, almost hypnotic undertone.
"Is he seriously trying to hypnotize everyone into following his motto or whatever?" Warren, also known as Angel, asked in disbelief, staring at him.
Kitty scoffed, folding her arms. "Who would be stupid enough to actually be hypnotized by—"
"With great power comes great responsibility," Kurt droned, his voice flat and his expression completely blank, his eyes slightly unfocused.
"You have got to be kidding me," Kitty muttered, her face going completely straight as she stared at him.
"And with that, we'll transition into the next topic: the ability to quip," Peter said, standing back up and looking entirely pleased with himself. He paused for a moment before grinning. "That was a good segue, right guys?"
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