Flash's dream had always been to become a hero. Even though the two weren't exactly on good terms, Peter knew this much about him.
And it was precisely because of that dream that the latter tried his best to calm him down.
Being a hero wasn't something anyone could do just by having superpowers. Flash, Peter, and everyone else present had been allowed to attend the testing not just because they had abilities, but because they were among the few gifted people with no record of misconduct.
New York, home to LexCorp's headquarters, the Hero Association's central office, and under the watchful eyes of its president Nick Fury, had the strictest standards in the world when it came to selecting heroes.
In other American cities, and even more so abroad, there were sometimes "tainted heroes" who bought their licenses through bribes to Hero Association officials or government authorities.
But not in New York. Every hero registration here fell under Fury's scrutiny. And once he marked someone as a corrupted hero, that person could forget about ever being one again. Even if they switched nationalities or tried elsewhere, he would personally track them down and have their newly granted license revoked.
As LexCorp's appointed president of the association, he had been given such authority.
So yes, students full of fire and youth were bound to clash, and minor fights among classmates weren't considered misconduct. But the context mattered. And right now, they were in the ability testing venue, with the Flash and the Thing still inside. On top of that, Peter was practically a registered hero already. If this escalated, Flash's dream of becoming one would be ruined for good.
That was why Peter kept trying to reason with him.
But his actions only made Flash angrier. To him, seeing someone with such immense power continually hold back was even more infuriating than being mocked outright.
"Damn it! Even now, you're still backing down? Even as a hero, you're still just retreating!"
Flash roared, unleashing attack after attack. He had actual combat training, while Peter had none. Yet, under the influence of his spider-sense, the former couldn't land a single hit. Every strike missed.
"I'm not a genius! I'm just an ordinary person!"
Flash shouted between attacks, his voice shaking as he finally revealed what lay in his heart.
"I'm not like you! You had your father's shares, letting you attend LexCorp schools from elementary onward. But me? I grew up in the poorest neighborhoods of New York!"
Poverty always seemed to draw in more suffering, especially in America.
In the comics' earlier timeline, Flash lost his parents in the Middle East war. But in this world, he had never even met his father.
His mother, however, had hoped he would grow up to be the first good man in the family. When the era of heroes dawned, those heroes became Flash's idols.
For him, becoming a hero wasn't just about changing his family's fate; it was his lifelong wish.
"From the very day the Hero Association was founded… from the day Vought released their enhancement serum… I trained every single day! Even when the serum was so expensive my family could barely afford it, we never gave up! And finally, I gained my powers. With these abilities stronger than most people, and with years of persistence, I earned my place at LexTech High!"
Peter remained silent, relying on his body's instincts to dodge the attacks while listening to Flash recount his past.
He had never truly known that the confident, outspoken boy, who boldly shared his dream of becoming a hero in front of everyone, had such a history.
"And you! From the moment you were born, you were destined to become a hero. Even without your current powers, LexCorp would have found every way to make you a hero or a scientist. You were predestined to stand above all of us. Why the hell should that be fair?!"
Flash's rage boiled over, his strikes growing faster and more furious. Adrenaline surged through him, pushing his physical performance beyond what the earlier tests had recorded. Now it seems that adrenaline is the source of idealistic power in various stories.
"To become a hero, I'm willing to risk my life! To protect the neighbor's kid, I jumped through a window and faced a knife-wielding criminal! I was only twelve years old!"
Flash tore off what was left of his vest, revealing a deep scar across his abdomen.
From his words and the scar, Peter could piece it together. While he had once faltered and doubted himself over a single mistake, Flash, at the same age, had been battling real monsters.
"I've given everything for all of this! And you! Just a coward! What gives you the right to be a hero?!"
Peter flinched. Not just from the story, which hit harder than expected, but because this time Flash's strike hadn't missed. Even with his body instinctively dodging, the boy's hand still grabbed hold of his collar, yanking him mid-flip.
"Got you, damn bug."
Did Flash not realize his own limitations? That beyond raw physical ability and combat skills, there were tactical and leadership lessons to learn?
He did. But he wasn't a prodigy. Nearly all his natural gifts were focused on his body. He had worked hard, but with limited results; he lagged behind even those who had merely taken one semester of elective classes for extra credits.
Yet even so, he had his strengths.
Through endless attacks, fueled by anger, he maintained his composure, studied Peter's instinctive movements, and adapted his strikes accordingly.
And now, he had his opponent's collar in his grip.
Relying purely on instinct left gaps. Peter, who had no concept of proactive combat, had finally given Flash an opening.
With a powerful pull of his arms, Peter was pulled down from mid-air, aimed straight toward the ground. Flash had calculated that once the boy hit the floor, he could press the attack, turning stand-up combat into ground techniques, maximizing the restriction of reflexes.
But in the end, Flash's power was still nowhere near Peter's level.
Sensing the potential danger, the latter's body reacted more violently.
Instead of crashing into the floor, his body twisted in a way no normal human could, his feet sticking to the ground as if by suction. Even with his torso nearly parallel to the floor, he stood firm, then suddenly unleashed his strength.
The next instant, Flash was hurled backward, smashing through the tables and chairs in the rest area. The confrontation was over.
Despite pushing himself beyond his limits, Flash, still couldn't threaten Peter.
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