"I'm so proud of you. If Uncle Ben were here, he would be crazy about you too."
Peter hugged Aunt May back tightly, unable to hide his excitement.
Aunt May let go of him, looking up and down at the nephew she had always treated like a child.
"Still, I'm curious." She began to imagine the future.
"What superpower will you awaken after you enroll? Maybe you'll become invulnerable like Homelander?"
Seeing Aunt May's expectant gaze, Peter suddenly scratched the back of his head sheepishly and gave a shy smile.
"Hehe... actually, Aunt May. About that... I might not need to wait for the academy to help me awaken."
"What do you mean?" Aunt May raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Peter took two steps back, bent his legs slightly, and suddenly jumped upward.
With a single hand, he slapped onto the ceiling with a "smack."
He hung there by one arm, grinning at Aunt May.
Under May's shocked gaze, Peter broke the laws of physics, his hands and feet sticking to the wall as if he were walking on flat ground.
"Surprise." Peter flipped lightly back to the floor.
Aunt May's mouth hung wide open: "You... how could you..."
Peter smiled without saying a word, reaching out to unbutton his shirt.
The shirt swung open, revealing a red and blue skin-tight suit underneath, with a black spider emblem printed on the chest.
Aunt May stared at the suit Peter had made himself, her eyes widening further as she suddenly thought of something.
Recently, an urban legend about a "Masked Pajama Guy" had been circulating on the streets of New York.
Someone had filmed that masked man swinging between buildings with white ropes, helping an old lady find her cat one day, tying a car thief to a lamppost the next, and even stopping a gang shootout.
The video had high view counts on YouTube and even caught the attention of the NYPD.
"It's you?" Aunt May pointed at Peter, her voice rising.
"That Masked Pajama Guy swinging around the streets and fighting those gangs lately was actually you?!"
Peter smiled sheepishly and admitted, "Uh... actually, I call myself Spider-Man. And I wasn't exactly fighting them; I just confiscated their guns and tied them up with Webbing..."
"Are you crazy, Peter!" Aunt May grabbed his shoulders, her tone stern, yet the concern in her eyes was impossible to hide.
"You're still a minor! When you encounter people with guns, instead of running away, you rush in? What if you got hurt? What if..."
"I won't get hurt, Aunt May. My reaction speed is faster than a bullet," Peter explained hurriedly.
"And I'm very strong; I can lift a truck with one hand."
"What on earth happened? How did you become like this?" Aunt May pulled Peter to sit on the edge of the bed, staring intently at him.
"About a month ago," Peter answered truthfully.
"During a school field trip, I was bitten by a spider. I felt a bit dizzy at the time, and after I went home and slept, I became like this."
Aunt May took a few deep breaths, trying to process the information.
The worry in her heart was gradually replaced by understanding.
She knew Peter's personality very well; this boy was kind and had a sense of justice to his core.
More importantly, ever since Peter had sneaked off to see Homelander years ago and even got an autograph, his room had been covered in Homelander posters.
He collected every newspaper clipping about Vought and watched videos of every rescue the heroes made.
Joining Vought and becoming a Superhero to save others—that was this boy's lifelong dream.
"Peter." Aunt May reached out to touch his hair, her eyes full of affection. "I'm happy for you. You've gained power, and you're using it in the right way."
"I'll contact Midtown High School to handle your withdrawal, my future Superhero," she said, standing up.
"That's great! Thank you, Aunt May, I'll love you forever!"
Peter jumped up in joy, performing three consecutive backflips in the air before landing steadily.
Aunt May walked to the door, hand on the doorknob, and suddenly stopped.
"However, Peter."
Peter stopped his movements and looked at Aunt May expectantly. "What is it, Aunt May?"
Looking at the celebrating Peter, she tossed out a sentence casually.
"You're still a student at Midtown High School for now. Pack your bag and go to class."
The smile on Peter's face froze instantly.
His raised hands stiffened in mid-air.
Aunt May looked at the yawning Peter and shook her head helplessly.
"Good luck, Spider-Man."
With that, Aunt May closed the door and left.
...
Midtown High School.
Peter Parker carried his schoolbag, walking through the school hallways.
This was his last day at school.
Aunt May had already spoken with the principal; today he just needed to finish the paperwork and pack up his locker.
The hallway was buzzing with noise.
Students were all talking about the same thing: Vought Vanguard Hero Academy.
"I signed up, but I was cut in the initial screening! James said it's because I posted disrespectful comments about Homelander on Twitter. Damn it, that was just a Homelander blowing air meme I posted three years ago!" A boy slammed his locker in frustration.
"Oh, come on, I think the real reason is that you need to look in a mirror," his companion joked.
Peter walked silently to his locker, opened the door, and saw a few science posters stuck inside.
He packed his personal belongings into his backpack bit by bit.
A scent of perfume drifted by.
Michelle Jones came up beside him.
"Hey, Peter. I heard you're dropping out?"
Peter's hand froze in mid-air. He turned his head and looked at her brown cheeks; his heart couldn't help but race.
"Uh... yeah. MJ," Peter stammered. "I'm going to school somewhere else."
"Vought Vanguard Academy, right?" Michelle leaned against the locker next to him.
Peter nodded.
A complex emotion flashed in Michelle's eyes. There was envy, but also a bit of loss.
"Congratulations, nerd," she forced a smile.
"You'll be a big shot from now on. A big hero, probably won't have time for us ordinary people anymore."
"No! That's not it!" Peter waved his hands hurriedly.
"I'll never forget you guys. You... if you're ever in danger, I'll definitely show up right away. I promise!"
Michelle looked at his anxious expression and suddenly laughed.
"I'm just kidding, Peter."
"Take care of yourself there. I look forward to seeing you in uniform on TV."
With that, she turned and walked toward the classroom.
Peter stood there dazed for a moment, then slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the school gates.
Looking at the towering Vought Tower in the distance, he smiled slightly.
...
Meanwhile, in Homelander's office in Vought Tower.
Skynet was reporting the research progress he had been longing for to Homelander.