Metropolis. The City of Tomorrow. Home to Superman, the greatest hero in the world. And me? I'm Peter Parker. Sixteen, living with my aunt and uncle. And don't tell anyone, but I'm Spider-Man. Also… don't tell anyone I forgot to finish my English essay yesterday. Had to do it during lunch at school.
The bell rang, and Metropolis High students spilled out into the streets. The afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the sidewalk as clusters of kids laughed, shouted, and scrolled on their phones. School buses lined the curb, engines rumbling, while others drifted toward the subway or corner stores.
In the middle of the crowd, Peter Parker moved with his backpack slung tight over one shoulder. He looked like any other sixteen-year-old: messy brown hair, sneakers worn at the edges, slightly oversized hoodie. But his eyes weren't on his phone or the buses. They flicked instead to the alley across the street.
Peter waited for a gap in the crowd, then ducked into the alley. The smell of garbage and damp brick hit him, but it was quiet, hidden from prying eyes. He dropped his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a neatly folded red-and-blue suit.
"Okay, Parker. Quick change, like ripping off a Band-Aid," he muttered as he wriggled out of his jeans.
Minutes later, his street clothes were stuffed back into the bag, and Spider-Man stared back from the reflection in a grimy window. He tugged his mask down, zipped the bag shut, slung it onto his back, and fired a webline skyward. With a flick of his wrist and a whoosh of air, he launched into the sky.
I used to dump my bag at home first. Then Aunt May started wondering why my backpack was sitting in my room when I hadn't even walked in the door yet.she ended up thinking I had forgotten to take my bag to school That earned me one of her lectures about responsibility. So now? Plan B. Suit up after school, swing home, stash the bag in my "locker," and then it's patrol time.
The "locker" was a reinforced box Peter had bolted under the fire escape outside his bedroom window. When on patrol, he stashed his school bag there, and after patrol, he stored the suit there so Aunt May wouldn't stumble across it while in his room.
As he swung through familiar streets, the wind tugged at his suit. The city blurred below in streaks of glass and concrete. A final arc brought him to his apartment building. Landing lightly on the fire escape, Peter crouched, slid the backpack into the hidden box, and snapped the lock shut.
"Safe and sound," he said, tugging his mask tight. "Now for the fun part."
Metropolis gleamed in the afternoon sun as Spider-Man swung between towering buildings. The Daily Planet globe sparkled in the distance, reminding him of his upcoming interview. A part-time photographer job could help bring in some money, maybe enough to speed up development on his web-shooters and suit upgrades.
His patrol was routine, but he liked it that way. He landed on a crosswalk, holding up a hand to halt traffic while helping an elderly woman cross the road. He dropped into a tree to retrieve a meowing cat and handed it back to a grateful little girl. After that, he comforted a boy who'd been separated from his parents at the park, then guided him back to his relieved mom.
As they hugged, the mother prompted the boy to say thank you. Shy but determined, the boy held out a small packet of cookies toward Spider-Man.
Peter tilted his head under the mask, chuckling softly. He plucked one cookie from the packet and held it up like a prize.
"No thanks needed buddy, I'm just your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man," he said warmly, then added with a grin, "Now accepting cookies as tips."
The boy giggled, his mom smiling as Peter lifted his mask just enough to take a quick bite. "Best patrol snack ever," he mumbled.
As he was swinging away, ready to call it a day, a sharp screech ripped through the air. Peter's head snapped around.
At an intersection, a car had jumped the curb. The driver wrestled the wheel in panic, but the vehicle was out of control, barreling straight toward a yellow school bus that had just pulled up to the curb to drop kids off.
Peter's stomach dropped.
"Not today!"
He swung hard, firing a webline that snagged the tow bar at the rear of the car and anchored it to a sturdy bollard just behind. Landing on the asphalt behind the vehicle, he fired two more lines, braced his legs, and clung to the ground. The webbing stretched tight, his arms and shoulders screaming with effort as the car dragged forward.
For a second, he thought the asphalt might give way. But then, with the smell of burning rubber and the screech of tortured brakes, the car shuddered to a halt, less than a foot from the school bus bumper.
Peter exhaled in relief, then realized too late that he'd let go of the ground while still holding the taut webbing.
"Uh oh."
The slingshot effect yanked him forward like a rubber band. He flipped wildly through the air, barely managing to twist into a front flip before landing squarely on top of the bus. Thud. The roof dented under his weight, the whole bus rocking slightly.
The children inside pressed their faces to the windows, eyes wide. Then, one by one, they erupted into cheers.
Spider-Man scrambled to his feet, brushing stray cookie crumbs from his gloves. He crouched, pressed both palms flat against the dented roof, and tugged until the metal popped back into shape.
"Sorry about that," he muttered sheepishly.
Hopping down from the bus, he glanced at the driver. The man had his head out the window, face flushed with embarrassment but flashing a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, Spider-Man!" he shouted.
Peter jogged to the back of the car and unclipped a small spray bottle from the utility belt sewn into his suit. He gave the tow bar a quick mist, then sprayed the bollard as well. Within seconds, the webbing began to bubble and dissolve.
"Web formula Mark II," he explained to no one in particular, tucking the bottle back into place. "Now with easy cleanup."
With that, he turned back to the bus. The kids were still cheering, waving through the windows. Spider-Man grinned under the mask, raised his hand, and gave them a final goofy wave and a two-finger salute.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he fired a webline and swung high into the sky, leaving the bus free to continue its journey.
A few blocks later, he landed on a rooftop near a billboard, crouching as his heart slowed. Relief washed over him.
"Okay," he muttered. "That… was pretty good. Not bad for a Tuesday."
"That was a nice save."
Peter froze. The voice was deep, calm, and familiar enough to make his stomach flip. Slowly, he turned.
Hovering just above the rooftop, cape rippling in the afternoon breeze, was Superman.
The Superman.
Peter almost tripped backward. "Oh wow. Uh, hi. Mr. Superman. Sir. I'm, wow. I'm a huge fan. Big fan. I mean, you probably guessed that by my suit. The red, the blue? Totally inspired by you. I even tried a cape once, but swinging with it was like doing gymnastics in a laundry sheet. It kept smacking me in the face. I did try Velcro to hold it down to sit on my back better, but then it turned into a parachute and slowed me down like crazy, so I ditched it. But it did give me this cool wingsuit idea, which actually works great for gliding, except it makes me kinda nervous being all floaty, plus I glided straight into a billboard last week, so I guess I still need practice—"
He stopped, realizing he was babbling. Superman's mouth twitched in amusement.
"Quite the talker, huh?"
Peter rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry. Talking helps me not think about how nervous I am. Which I definitely am. Because you're… y'know. You."
Superman lowered to the rooftop, landing softly. He placed a steady hand on Peter's shoulder, his tone gentle but firm.
"You did good today. Metropolis is safer with people like you around. Keep it up, Spider-Man."
And with that, he lifted back into the sky, cape snapping behind him, vanishing into the clouds as effortlessly as a breath.
Peter stared after him, stunned. Then, slowly, a grin spread under his mask.
"Best. Day. Ever."
Sorry the chapter is only short
I know it's not much to review but feedback is welcome and if enough people are interested in this work I will happily continue writing it, this chapter is short (1.4K words) if I were to continue this I would be aiming for 3-4k chapter length.