Midtown Science High School.
The place where the story of nearly every single version of Spider-Man begins.
So, it was expected that this particular flavor of insanity wrapped in the skin of Peter Parker in this universe would also start his legend here.
Walking into the school with the same energy that a man sentenced to be hanged would have while walking to the noose, Peter Parker walked into its walls, grumbling all the way as the other teenagers around him pushed and shoved past him.
"I'd take getting stuck in an infinite void battling the Hiss's attempts at corrupting me for another eternity than handle teenage drama and school again."
His muttering went unheard within the cacophony of the students moving about, doing what they do best. Fool around before class.
Soon, he felt a basketball hit him in the back, making him stumble a bit before turning around with annoyance.
Peter's annoyance quickly turned into irritation as he spotted the culprit snickering with his goons.
Eugene Thompson, preferring to be called Flash for some reason.
"Sorry, Parker. I didn't see you there."
At the snickering bully, Peter just gave a flat stare and spoke out with an equally flat tone.
"Real mature, Flash. Now, if you don't mind, I have places to be."
"You mean those trash pics you take with that camera of yours? That can wait for a bit, right?"
Peter just shrugged and moved on.
While he was missing a lot of memories from his past life, he did remember that the best thing to do when dealing with bullies is not to give them the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of him.
That, or knock their teeth in, and possibly take the chance to cripple them, enough to make them piss in terror the moment your name is spoken.
From his experience, both methods worked, but for convenience's sake, he chose the former method for today.
Seeing his usual victim not giving any reaction to his provocations, Flash moved on.
What he did not see was the mischievous glint in Peter's eyes, along with a small curl of his index finger.
Strange energies that would be called Paranatural energies in another reality caught Flash's shoe right when he was climbing the stairs, making him tumble down comically in front of the entire school population.
Grinning at the successful prank and comeback, Peter left the scene, leaving Flash fuming in the midst of laughing students.
———————————————————————-
'Man, that was fun!'
I could not help but chuckle to myself as I recalled that idiot's face when he tumbled down the stairs.
He looked like a pig that suddenly realized that the ground beneath it had disappeared before being reduced to a smear on the walls. (And this is not a metaphorical scenario either. It was an AWE incident I took part in as a new hire back in the FBC, a couple of years before Jesse walked through the doors.)
While I was not as strong as Jesse after she bound herself to several OOPs through the help of the Board and Polaris, I was still a strong Parautilitarian that could use Psychic abilities, such as telekinesis and telepathy. They were the reason why I could keep up with Jesse as her companion throughout our journey together.
In fact, I was so strong that Darling even recommended me as P8, Prime Candidate 8, to Trench, just like Jesse was labeled P7 and her brother, Dylan, was P6. But he was rejected since the Director was already spiralling into darkness by that point and getting consumed by increasing paranoia.
From what I can feel within me, these abilities have remained unchanged within me despite the System throwing me into this world and in a new body like this.
No. I need to stop calling this a new body.
Differentiating my 'self' from the 'body' will do no good to my already fractured mind.
For all intents and purposes, I am Peter Parker. For better or for worse.
Anyways, as I was saying. I still have my Paranatural abilities with me. That was how I made Flash fall down like that.
A simple tug on his shoe with my Telekinesis, and he tumbled like a building without a foundation.
Moving through the corridors, I could not help but hum a nonsensical tune happily as I fully let myself go.
In my first life, I was far too preoccupied with getting good grades, then I was occupied with building a good career, and then I was worried about making good money.
By the time my life came to an abrupt end because of some spoiled underaged brat driving his dad's Porsche (I saw the brat peel off in the morning in my neighborhood. Never expected him to be my grim reaper that same evening), I could barely remember a few minutes in my entire life where I was truly happy and free.
My second life was equally bad, or maybe even worse, given that I had to deal with literal SCPs day in and day out.
That is why I have decided. In this life, I will have no restrictions. I will not tolerate any obstructions to my freedom and happiness.
Within reason, of course. I can't end up in a prison, or worse, give that this is the Marvel universe, end up on some dissection table in this new life I got.
But still, I will live exactly how Peter Parker should have led his life.
With happiness and contentment.
With that thought, I walked further into the building. (Funny how the mood of a teenager can change so quickly, huh? Or is it just my insanity talking? whatever)
Then, as I crossed through the courtyard of the school, I saw a scene that made me feel exasperated.
A large group of my peers was gathered around the tall figure of my usual bully.
Dear old Flash was at it again. But this time, his prey had changed.
Pushing my way through the crowd to the front, I finally spotted the new victim.
It was some guy from the Junior Year. Flash held him up upside down with his head buried in a tray while the others were chanting 'Eat!' 'Eat!'
'What an exemplary display of the cruelty that humanity is capable of.'
For a moment, I wanted to intervene. But decided against it, given that this does not concern me.
With a shrug, I prepared to leave.
Yeah, Uncle Ben will be disappointed that I did nothing in such a situation, given how he feels about such things, but this isn't my problem, and I ain't no hero.
Compared to the shit I've seen in my short career as an Agent of the FBC, this is nothing.
'.....Actually, why am I even justifying all of this? Let's just go.'
But just as I was about to turn away, I heard Flash's gleeful voice.
"Hey! Parker! Come on. Get a picture of this!"
The hell? My camera ain't for taking pictures of stupid shit like this.
"No. I'm not gonna take a picture of it."
Looking at the boy called Gordon, I could see how embarrassed and depressed he looked.
Yeah, I won't blink an eye if someday this kid walks into the school with a suspiciously shaped bag and celebrates an early Fourth of July for all of us.
That being said, the kid really does look miserable.
I felt a bit of pity for him, so I decided to intervene after all.
"Put him down, Flash."
"Take the picture, Parker."
....Ok, what's with that tone? You think you can walk all over me just cause I was ignoring you and not taking action for your idiocy?
I felt anger rise within me at the way he talked down to me.
Is it unfair to feel like this because of what a teenager like him said just now? Yes. But do I care? No.
I am also a teenager now, and insane to boot, so I think it is justified for me to crash out a bit.
I glared back at him and spoke out slowly but loudly enough for all the kids around us to fall silent.
"Put. Him. Down. Eugene Thomson."
I saw it coming the moment he swung. A right cross aimed straight at my face.
For a regular teenager, that would have been a really strong blow and far too fast to avoid, given Flash's build and his physical activities.
But to me? It was barely worth mentioning. Especially compared to the brutal training I underwent during my time in the FBC.
Seriously, the agents of FBC can legitimately be categorized as superhumans for their agility, reflexes, quick thinking, and ungodly training. Even more so for Astralnauts who are regularly doused their bodies with paranormal energies through their dives into the Astral Plane and other such realities beyond our own.
It was one of the reasons why fighting the Hiss corrupted agents and Astralnauts in the Oldest House was such a damned pain for Jesse and I. Those guys are a legitimate existential threat to basically any human on the planet, even without getting amped up by an extradimensional entity.
'Actually, how about having a bit more fun with this guy's ego?'
I felt a bit of that familiar mischief within my heart and could not help but grin a little.
I slightly pivoted on my heels, just enough to barely dodge the blow. Unfortunately, the guy behind me was not so lucky.
The blow landed straight on his eye.
As the guy stumbled, I used telekinesis to make him fall on a nearby girl in a rather compromising way, while her bag flew into the face of a nearby guy with the force of a boxer's attack, under my influence, of course. He fell on one of Flash's goons and got a good smooch. This one was not strategic, just plain fun on my part.
"Flash! What the hell!?"
"James! Where the hell do you think your hands are going!?"
"Dude! Not cool!"
"What the hell!? I don't swing that way!!"
"It was not on purpose! I swear! Damnit Flash! You are ruining my rep here!"
In a matter of seconds, the two guys, who were publicly humiliated, their friends, the boyfriend of the girl and his friends, the two guys who were Naruto/Sasuke'd, and a bunch of the kids who were affected by all of this were on Flash and his goons.
It was utter chaos, which I used as my opertunity to escape, dragging Gordon along with me since he was in the way.
From the outside, I watched as the situation quickly escalated into a brawl while Flash looked plain confused about how things became like this, wearing the same dumb face he had when I tripped him up on the stairs.
'Man! I wish I had some popcorn-Oh! Jackpot!'
From the nearby table, I grabbed a fresh, unattended popcorn bucket and munched on it. (Who the hell got popcorn for breakfast anyway? Can't complain though since it came in clutch at the moment. Blame Synchronicity or whatever else those guys back home were experimenting on about manipulating fate and reality through perception.)
'This is life. Watching some quality entertainment with something good to eat.'
Of course, good things can't last long. Soon, some teachers showed up and gave out some judicious punishments all around.
Gordon and I got off scot-free, of course, since we were a good distance away from everything that was happening.
It was only when the entire group was dragged away that my eyes fell on the silent observer who had been watching me for some time. (Again, don't underestimate the awareness of an FBC field agent.)
Gwen Stacy. That is her name. A girl with blond hair and blue eyes.
She looked identical to the actress from my original life, with a few differences here and there. That, and her personality was also rather pleasant according to my memories of this life. Things that I knew because of how my past self seemed to always gravitate around her for one reason or another ever since the Freshman year, but could not bring himself to talk to her straight (Stalker much? old Pete?)
The important thing here is that she has been observing me since the moment Flash singled me out in the crowd.
I guess she too does not like Flash's ways? I can't remember much about her from the movies aside from the fact that she was the original Peter's girlfriend and died in the second movie.
Which is a shame, really. Based on my memories of this life, she is ridiculously intelligent and could have had a really good life.
Then again, that is what happens when you get involved with Spider-Man, right? Like I said, to be Spider-Man is to suffer, and that suffering often extends to his loved ones as well.
Seeing how she was staring at me in the same way Dr. Darling used to do when he was studying my powers back then, I got down from the table that I was perched on and walked towards her.
"Sup. I'm Peter. Peter Parker."
"....Gwen Stacy. You do know that Flash will come back for you after this, right?"
I just shrugged at her words with a grin.
Clever girl seems to have figured out that I dodged Flash's attack in a deliberate way. As for the cascade event? I doubt she thinks I caused all of that. She probably blames bad luck for that.
I could use Telepathy to try and see what she is thinking, but I can't be bothered with something like that at the moment.
Whatever she thinks is her business and has nothing to do with me.
"Don't really care. I treat him as background noise these days. I learned that ignoring people like him is the best way to shut them up."
I did not mention plan B, aka plan 'knock his teeth in', to her since that did not seem like an appropriate thing to say at a proper first meeting.
The way her eyes lit up at my words showed that my guess was right.
"That's a rather mature way of doing things."
"Thanks. But don't get used to it. Maturity and rationality are rare commodities for me."
She chuckled at my words, making me grin a bit.
'Yup. This is what life is. Making friends. Goofing around without a care in the world. Enjoying life to its fullest.'
"I'll remember that. Come. I remember you are in my class, right?"
"Yup."
It was fun talking to her. And surprisingly insightful.
For one, I learned a lot about things I did not know about this school, things that even my past self did not know.
Did you know there is an honest to god official study group for top-scorers here? I did not!
Granted, I don't need that kind of help anymore, given the kind of memorization training I received from the FBC, which means Grades are no longer an issue for me. But still, the way she described what they do there kind of sounded fun.
Just a bunch of guys and gals gathered in a room, helping out each other with homework and using the leisure time to read a book or play games. Sounds like my kind of people. (Yes, I am just as much of a nerd as the old Peter was, but in a different way)
'New Goal. Ace the tests from now on so that I can get into that club. I need to mingle with my kind of people and rekindle that old spark of nerding out over stupid things.'
Soon, we arrived in class and took our seats.
The rest of the day went by in a breeze as I immersed myself in the mundane life of a teenager.
All in all, it was a pretty good first day.
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