Today wasn't the weekend.
Peter, Ned, and MJ were all in school.
Life was very different for Blaine—a high school student with a particularly colorful existence.
Meanwhile, our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man was still in a rough developmental phase. At this stage, Peter had few extracurriculars beyond wearing his not-so-fashionable suit and patrolling the city in the name of justice.
His life mostly alternated between trying to strike up conversations with MJ or building LEGO sets with Ned.
Blaine's life, by contrast, was full of surprises. Compared to him, Peter felt like his own routine barely registered.
Still, everyone copes in their own way. And although Peter was naturally talkative and eager to impress, he knew how to keep secrets—at least, most of the time. That is, until Tony Stark caught him red-handed.
This particular visit from Blaine wasn't about leisure or skipping class.
Now was not the time to relax.
"Peter!"
Blaine stood at the door of the classroom, calling out loudly.
It was the middle of class, and his voice immediately drew the attention of both the students and the teacher.
The class was being taught by a middle-aged woman who clearly recognized Blaine.
After all, he'd made quite a name for himself at the school—not for academics, but for the massive donation he'd made during his last visit.
The principal had practically bent over backward to thank him, and his reputation among the faculty had only grown since.
Everyone knew Blaine was ridiculously rich. And in a capitalist society, that kind of money made you practically untouchable.
Even the teachers, wary of upsetting the school's mysterious benefactor, mostly turned a blind eye to his antics.
To be fair, Blaine wasn't disruptive—he just didn't show up often. And when he did, he wasn't the type to pick fights or bully others. He simply... existed on a different wavelength.
"You called me?"
Peter stiffened at the sound of his name. He glanced toward the door, puzzled to see Blaine standing there so boldly.
"I need to talk to you. Come out—now," Blaine waved him over.
"What the—?"
Peter looked at the teacher, clearly confused. Who just storms into a classroom like that?
The teacher, already familiar with Blaine's presence (and bank account), pretended not to notice. She continued her lesson as if nothing had happened.
With everyone watching, Peter hesitated, then stood up and jogged toward the door.
As he passed Ned, he saw him give a discreet thumbs-up with a grin, impressed by Peter's apparent boldness.
Skipping class like that, in front of everyone? Legendary.
Peter could only roll his eyes and push Ned's thumb down in exasperation.
"Blaine, what do you want?" he asked, shutting the door behind him. "I've still got class, and MJ might not like it if I just ditch out. Oh—wait—how many days is it? I haven't seen you around. Why show up now?"
Peter kept talking, his usual chatterbox mode fully activated. "Also, I saw you at that fast food place the other day—were you with a girl? Looked like a date..."
He rambled on, not waiting for a response, words pouring out like water from a fire hydrant.
Blaine frowned and finally interrupted, "Peter. Can you stop talking for two seconds so I can say what I want?"
"Uh... sure, no problem," Peter said with a sheepish grin. "Go ahead. Talk away."
"Run," Blaine said flatly. "Right now. Get Ned, MJ, and your Aunt May, and get as far away from Manhattan as you can. Head in the opposite direction. Don't look back."
He hadn't come here to socialize. He came to warn Peter.
The movie didn't say whether the invasion spread beyond Manhattan—but Blaine wasn't about to take chances.
The Chitauri might not be the most elite army in the galaxy, but their sheer numbers made them devastating. If the invasion started in Manhattan, it could easily spill into Brooklyn, Queens, even the Bronx.
This wasn't just a Manhattan problem. It was a New York problem.
And if Peter didn't get out now, people he loved might not survive.
Even the original Avengers had struggled to hold the Chitauri back. They were like a swarm of locusts—indiscriminate, unstoppable, and destructive.
"Escape? Got it!" Peter said quickly, turning toward the classroom—then paused.
He turned back, frowning. "Wait—why are we running? What is it? Earthquake? Biological threat? Supervillain? Alien invasion?!"
"You actually nailed it," Blaine muttered, twitching slightly at Peter's absurdly accurate guess. "It's aliens. Chitauris are about to attack Manhattan. Take MJ, Ned, and May, and get the hell out of here."
If Peter weren't his friend, Blaine wouldn't have bothered warning him.
But if even one of those people—MJ, Ned, or Aunt May—got hurt, Peter would never forgive himself. Worse, it might push him down a darker path.
A path toward becoming a bitter, broken Spider-Man.
"OK!"
Peter flashed an "OK" sign, a look of realization crossing his face.
No wonder his spider-sense had been buzzing since this morning. It had been faint, but persistent, warning him that something was wrong in the direction of Manhattan.
An alien invasion? Yeah, that tracked.
Honestly, even if it weren't aliens, Peter would've found some excuse to ditch school and protect his friends.
Still… how did Blaine know?
Peter furrowed his brow but shook off the question. Now wasn't the time.
"Ned! MJ! Let's go!"
He stood at the door and mimicked Blaine's earlier shout, calling out their names.
Once again, all eyes turned.
Ned and MJ blinked in confusion, then slowly stood and made their way to the door.
"Dude, that was so cool," Ned whispered, barely able to contain his excitement. "Are we skipping class?! This is my first time skipping class!"
"Peter, what's going on?" MJ asked, frowning slightly. "If it's nothing important, I'd rather not miss calculus."
"No time to explain. Just come with me!"
Peter didn't have a good excuse ready. He was a talker, not a liar, and yelling about an alien invasion would just sound insane.
So instead, he grabbed them both by the elbows and started pulling them down the hallway.
"Peter—seriously, what are you—"
"Trust me!" Peter cut MJ off. "Just this once, okay?"
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