Peter and Ned stared in shock at the baseball in Silas's hand, then looked at him in disbelief.
"Oh my gosh! How'd you do that? So cool! Can you teach me?" Ned exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Peter, still stunned, gave Silas a grateful look. If not for Silas, that ball would've smashed into his head.
Silas lowered his arm, tossing the baseball lightly in his hand. The Shadow Kingdom didn't just let him summon ninjas—it also enhanced his physical abilities. He was now stronger than the average person, though not superhumanly so. His agility, however, was exceptional, rivaling the nimbleness of a ninja scaling walls.
"Hey, Silas! Nice catch! Wanna join the baseball team?" Thompson shouted from the lawn, waving his arm.
He'd aimed the ball at Peter on purpose, hoping to mess with him, but Silas had caught it effortlessly.
"It's those guys again," Ned muttered.
Peter nodded. He knew Thompson had it out for him, all because Peter had a crush on Liz Allan.
Silas wagged a finger at Thompson, signaling "no thanks," and tossed the ball back before the trio walked off. Thompson smirked as he watched them go.
At the School Gate
"See you tomorrow," Ned said, waving to Peter. To Silas, he added, "Have a great weekend!"
"You too," Silas replied, and they parted ways.
"So, Peter, heard you're chasing Liz?" Silas teased with a grin.
Peter's face flushed, and he shook his head frantically. "W-Who told you that?"
"Ned," Silas said, throwing his friend under the bus without hesitation.
Peter groaned. "Ugh, I knew his big mouth would spill. Please don't tell Aunt May, I'm begging you."
"Relax, my lips are sealed," Silas said, patting Peter's back.
"Heard there's an expo next weekend. You going?" Peter asked.
Silas smiled. "Of course."
That expo was a turning point for Peter—the moment he'd gain his Spider-Man powers. As a Parker, Silas shared the same DNA. If that radioactive spider bit him, he could gain those abilities too.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "You never go to stuff like that."
"What, I can't keep my brother company so you're not bored?" Silas said, slinging an arm around Peter's shoulders.
Back home, Peter shut himself in his room to study. Silas, meanwhile, sprawled on Peter's bed, playing a handheld gaming console.
The console's noise made Peter glance over. "Where'd you get the money for that?"
"Want one?" Silas dangled the console temptingly.
"Hey, you didn't answer me," Peter said, curiosity piqued. Their allowance wasn't nearly enough for something like that.
Silas dodged the question. "You want it or not?"
"No, I don't want it. I just want to know where you got the money. Did you steal it? Uncle Ben said stealing's wrong."
Peter wasn't interested in the console—he was worried his brother had done something shady.
"Steal? Nah, I just won a little cash in a raffle," Silas said, brushing it off with a vague excuse.
"How much?" Peter asked, sliding onto the bed next to him.
Silas held up one finger. "A thousand bucks."
"Whoa—" Peter's exclamation was cut off as Silas clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Shh, keep it down," Silas whispered.
"A thousand bucks…" Peter murmured, calming down. It was hard to fathom—they weren't exactly rich.
Silas pulled a box from under the bed and opened it to reveal a camera.
"Yashica Electro 35…" Peter read the brand aloud.
Silas handed it to him. "For you. Brand new."
"For me? Silas, you're the best!" Peter hugged him tightly, thrilled.
Downstairs, Aunt May frowned at the commotion. What were those boys so excited about?
"It's brand new—must've cost, like, six hundred bucks," Peter said, fiddling with the camera.
"Thanks, bro!" Peter gave Silas another quick hug before rushing to his computer to research the camera.
"Just a camera," Silas muttered, surprised by Peter's reaction. As for the money's source? Not stolen, but… robbed.
A few days ago, Silas had sent five Shadow Ninjas to rob a group of criminals. The crooks were tougher than expected—one ninja barely escaped with a stack of cash from their bag, while the other four were shot and dissolved into black mist.
That's when Silas learned the ninjas had a cooldown. When destroyed, they returned to the Shadow Kingdom to reform. Since Silas couldn't teleport, his ninjas were limited to a five-meter radius around him, both for summoning and recalling.
"Gotta let the Shadow Ninjas handle the dangerous stuff. My scrawny self can't take a bullet," Silas thought cautiously.
"Sweet! Now I can take photos at the tech expo tomorrow," Peter said, already snapping test shots.
He aimed the camera at Silas. "Hey, Silas, look here!"
Lost in thought, Silas turned instinctively. Click! The camera caught his startled expression.
"Haha, Silas, you look adorable!" Peter laughed.
Silas scowled and held out his hand. "Delete it."
"Nope!" Peter declared.
The brothers tussled playfully. Peter was no match for Silas's enhanced strength, but in the end, Peter kept the photo, claiming it was for "memories."
Weekend Morning
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Nine already?" Silas mumbled, groggily shutting off his alarm and getting dressed.
Downstairs
"Unbelievable. Did God work a miracle? You're up at nine?" Aunt May stared at Silas, wide-eyed. On a typical weekend, he'd sleep until eleven and go straight to lunch.
"I've got plans with a friend, May. I'll be back this afternoon," Silas said, adjusting his clothes.
Aunt May frowned. "Afternoon? Need money for lunch?" She reached for her purse.
Silas waved her off. "No need, my friend's treating."
"Alright, have fun." Aunt May kissed his cheek.
Silas grinned. "Oh, I will. Where'd Peter run off to so early?"
"He left to meet a friend at the tech expo," Aunt May replied.
With May watching, Silas headed out to meet his friend.
At the Park
The meetup was set for ten, and it wasn't even nine-thirty yet, so Missy Batalan hadn't arrived. Silas sat on a bench, waiting. He'd come early to avoid being late for once.
Soon, a striking figure approached.
"Hey! You're actually not late? How long you been here?" Missy said, sneaking up and patting his shoulder.
Silas, who'd sensed her coming, pretended to be startled. "Whoa! How'd you get behind me?"
Missy wore a white t-shirt under a checkered shirt, paired with jeans that hugged her stunning figure.
"Let's go!" she said, gesturing for him to follow.