Morning sun bathed New York's streets, fresh from last night's rain. Russell, backpack on, rocked to earbud music, fingers tapping his strap. He hummed off-key, heading to school.
Bang!
A gunshot shattered the calm. Screams erupted. Russell yanked out his earbuds, looking toward a corner store. A white-haired grandma clutched her bag, facing a masked robber, his gun smoking.
"Old hag, let go!" the robber snarled.
"No! It's my husband's surgery money!" she pleaded, trembling.
Russell froze.
High above, May Parker sat cross-legged midair, chin propped, watching eagerly. "Wow, the test came fast!"
James, cloaked in an invisible bio-field, hovered beside her. "What'll he do?"
James's gaze locked on Russell.
Russell took a deep breath, glancing around. The crowd had scattered, no one daring to help. "Alright," he muttered. "Dad'll kill me for skipping class to fight."
He swung his backpack in a circle, eyes sharpening. The robber didn't react before Russell vaulted off a wall, airborne.
Thud!
His backpack smashed the robber's face!
"Argh!" The robber staggered, nose bleeding.
Russell landed, spinning into a roundhouse kick, toppling two knife-wielding accomplices. Clean, practiced moves.
"Kung fu?" May's eyes widened. "Holy shit! A high schooler knows this?"
James raised a brow. "Interesting."
Below, the lead robber grabbed the grandma, gun to her temple. "Fuck, don't move! I'll shoot!"
Russell froze, hands up. "Hey, man, chill! Don't do anything stupid!"
The robber's hand shook, clearly rattled. Russell's mind raced, adopting an exaggerated tone. "Seriously, man, an old lady's cash? Pennies! There's a bank nearby with shitty security. I'm a decent hacker—wanna hit it?"
The robber blinked. "What?"
"I'm for real! Watched Heat last week, learned a ton! Robbing stores is beneath you. Go for an armored truck!" Russell rambled.
May snorted midair. "This guy talks more than me!"
James's eyes glinted. "He's stalling."
Sirens wailed in the distance. The robber panicked, his hand trembling.
Bang!
A shot rang out!
The grandma shut her eyes, but no pain came. She opened them, trembling, seeing the bullet embedded in a wall.
High above, James's eyes flickered—he'd nudged the bullet's trajectory with telekinesis.
Russell didn't know why the shot missed but seized the chance. He lunged, twisting the robber's wrist. The gun clattered down. An elbow strike dropped the robber limp.
Minutes later, sirens closed in. Russell helped the grandma up, handing back her bag. "You okay?"
Tears streamed down her face as she gripped his hand. "Thank you, child. God, you saved my life!"
Russell scratched his head, sheepish. "No big deal. It's not safe here. Go before the cops need statements—that's a hassle."
He hailed her a taxi, watching it leave, then grabbed his backpack, dusted it off, and slipped away.
Midair, May swung in a circle. "James, that was awesome! He's got moves, quick thinking, and protected her privacy!"
James nodded. "His heart's in the right place."
May grinned. "Spider genes time?"
James watched Russell's retreating figure. "Not yet. Keep watching."
---
At Midtown Tech, the bell rang. Russell sprinted, vaulting the school wall. His shirt was rumpled, hair mussed from the fight, a sandwich wrapper crinkling in his arms.
"Zheng! You again!" Vice Principal Jackson blocked the hall. "Eighth tardy! Helping another grandma cross the street?"
Russell flashed a grin. "Ms. Jackson, your hair's stunning today! New curls? Those waves make you look younger!"
"No more tardies," Jackson said, her lips twitching upward before sternly adding, "Tuck in your shirt!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Russell stuffed his shirt in, shoving the sandwich in his mouth, cheeks puffed, and slipped into class.
In the back row, he slunk to his seat. His desk-mate, Lisa, slid a note: [Superhero again?]
He grinned, scribbling: [Saved a grandma's surgery money! Knocked out bad guys with my epic roundhouse…]
"Russell!" The physics teacher adjusted her glasses. "Got insights on simple harmonic motion? Solve this."
Amid class laughter, Russell trudged to the board, staring at complex formulas. His eyes lit up. "Teacher, wouldn't Fourier transforms simplify this?"
The teacher raised a brow. "That's sophomore college material. Self-taught?"
"Uh, YouTube sometimes." Russell scratched his nose, writing neat derivations.
Outside, May hung upside-down from a tree, peering through the window. "Wow, a hidden nerd?"
James floated beside her. "Focus. The test's not over. A Spider-Man who doesn't get science can't invent webs."
At lunch, Russell sat behind a water tank, munching a burrito, gesturing wildly at his phone. "Then I threw a left hook and a sweep kick! Guy's nosebleed was epic!"
On-screen, his friend Ming rolled his eyes. "Sure, last week a stray cat chased you."
"This time's real!" Russell flailed, nearly spilling his drink. "If the cops hadn't shown, I'd have taken ten more!"
"Alright, Russ," Ming lowered his voice. "Heard the new transfer, Sarah, was asking about you."
Russell choked. "Cough! Who? Cheerleader Sarah?"
-----------------------------------------
50 chapters in advance on my patreon.
Chûnin-Rank Plan: Read 20 chapters in advance + free waifu.
Jônin-Rank Plan: Read 30 chapters in advance + 10 waifu
Hokage-Rank Plan: Read 40 Chapters in advence
patreon.com/The_Fool007