Peter POV:
The gates of Visions academy were the same as ever. Same brick walls, same noisy courtyard, same clusters of kids who thought they ruled the place. But for me, it was new. For the first time in months, I wasn't rolling through doors in a chair. I was walking. Every step was equal parts miracle and quiet rebellion against the universe.
The faint orange glow of the Sandevistan hummed on my back. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't subtle either. Neon orange light slipped through the fabric of my T-shirt like the world's most conspicuous neon sign and I could feel the stares already.
"Holy crap, is that Peter Parker?"
"No way. He was literally paralyzed last semester."
"Look at his back… is that, like… alien tech?"
I kept my stride steady, Gwen pacing beside me in her leather jacket and jeans. Her hand brushed mine, a silent "I got you" as whispers followed us down the hall.
"You okay?" She murmured under her breath.
"Yeah," I said. "It's just… a lot."
She smirked. "You're glowing like a radioactive lava lamp, Pete. Of course people are going to stare."
And right on cue, Ned Leeds voice boomed above the chatter.
"Well, well, look who decided to upgrade from wheels to legs!" Smirked the walking pile of shit, tossing a football between his hands. "What's up, robo-nerd? Stark Industries run out of test monkeys?"
Students paused. Phones angled toward us. Gwen folded her arms, clearly restraining herself as she learned that always defending me turned me into an even bigger target.
"Morning, Leeds." I said, keeping my voice calm.
Ned sneered, cocking his arm back. "Think fast, Parker!"
The football whistled toward the back of my head while I turned away from him.
I didn't even look. My hand shot up, catching it mid-air like it was nothing. Gasps filled the hall. I spun the ball once on my finger, then snapped it back across the hallway, slamming it into Ned's stomach. He doubled over with a groan. My movement is too fast for anyone's eyes except Gwen's to register.
"Nice arm." I said mildly. "But terrible aim."
The crowd erupted. Laughter, cheers, a few stunned curses. Gwen smirked proudly. Flash glared daggers but stumbled off, muttering something about "cheaters."
Cafeteria:
If the hallway was bad, the cafeteria was a circus. Gwen and I barely made it to a corner table before a crowd swarmed us like moths to a neon orange flame.
"Dude, is that like… cybernetics?" One kid asked, leaning too close.
"Can you lift a car?" another blurted.
"Does Stark know about this?"
"Wait—are you in some vigilante group?"
"Let me touch it!"
"Back up!" Gwen barked, holding her tray like a shield. "He's not a science fair project, he's a person."
Didn't matter. The questions kept coming.
"So, is it alien?"
"Military prototype?"
"Bro, are you like… RoboCop?"
I sighed. "No, no, and… absolutely not. It's a medical device. Helps me walk and compensates for my damaged spine. That's it."
"Medical device my ass." Muttered a jock. "It's glowing, Parker. Medical devices don't glow."
"Yeah, well, neither do glow sticks, but people still trust them at concerts."
That got a laugh. Gwen grinned, proud of me.
Someone else leaned in. "So, like… can you run super fast?"
"Not yet." I admitted. "Walking's already a win. I'll stick with that before I break a track record."
Another voice: "Can you feel pain? Or are you, like, invincible now?"
"Still very breakable." I said dryly. "Please don't test it."
Gwen chimed in with a smirk. "Yeah, unless you want me to web your mouth shut."
"Wait, what?" A kid blinked.
"She's joking." I said quickly, giving her a look. Gwen just sipped her soda, fighting a smile.
Phones clicked. Pictures spread. Every so often, more kids glanced at the faint glow pulsing under my T-shirt. Heads kept turning from across the cafeteria.
I muttered under my breath, "I used to dream of being noticed. Now I want to be invisible again."
Gwen nudged me with her shoulder. "Hey. You're not invisible anymore. Own it."
"Yeah," I said, staring at the sea of curious faces. "Guess so."
The bell rang eventually, scattering the crowd. But the whispers stayed. "Parker can walk again." "Parker's a cyborg." "Parker's hiding something."
And as Gwen and I walked out together, heads turning with every faint glow of the Sandevistan, I realized something. My secret life wasn't so secret anymore. And Midtown High? It would never look at me the same way again.
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