Chapter 7: Trying To Be Normal

Earth-933: Hiding in Plain Sight

The buzzing excitement filled the hallways of Midtown High as students gathered in clusters, their eyes glued to their phones. The news was spreading like wildfire—videos and pictures of a mysterious hero stopping a bank robbery in Seattle. The figure in the footage was blurred, a streak of blue lightning crackling around his body as he took down the thugs.

Thorin-933 walked down the hall, his heart racing as he heard snippets of conversation.

"Did you see that? He flew in like a freaking thunderbolt!"

"Yeah, and he took out those robbers like it was nothing!"

"Who is he? Some new Avenger?"

Thorin forced himself to keep walking, his hands gripping his backpack straps tightly. Keep it cool, Thorin... act normal... just a regular kid... He did his best to look uninterested, his face neutral as he passed by a group watching the video on loop.

A jock laughed, nudging his friend. "Man, this dude's insane! Who even wears a lightning bolt on their chest?"

His friend shrugged. "I dunno, but he looks pretty badass. Hope he sticks around."

Thorin's chest swelled with pride, a small smile threatening to break through. He quickly bit his lip, forcing his face back to neutral. No smiling... no excitement... just act normal...

As he turned the corner, he nearly ran into Gwen-933. She looked up, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Hey, Thorin!"

His heart skipped a beat, his face turning bright red. "O-Oh! H-Hey, Gwen!"

She tilted her head, her expression playful. "You seem... jumpy today." Her eyes narrowed, her voice lowering. "You hear about that hero in Seattle?"

Thorin's stomach flipped, his mind racing. Oh no... she's onto me... He did his best to sound casual, forcing a laugh. "Oh, uh... y-yeah... crazy stuff, huh? W-Who'd wear a lightning bolt like that?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a teasing smile. "Yeah... crazy." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Almost as crazy as someone in a Jedi suit with a Darth Vader mask flying into a plane."

Thorin's heart stopped, his face turning pale. "I-I don't... I-I mean... uh..."

She winked, her laughter soft and musical. "Relax, Thorin. I don't think you are that Thunderbolt." She walked off, her hair swaying behind her. "See you in Phys Ed!"

Thorin stood there, frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. She knows... she totally knows, not sure.. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to move. Just play it cool... just be normal...

He headed to the gym, his nerves still on edge. It was time for the dreaded physical exam, a routine check-up that included height and weight measurements. Thorin tried to steady his breathing, reminding himself to hold back his strength and act human.

He reached the front of the line, standing before the male examiner, a grumpy-looking man with a clipboard. The examiner looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow. "Name?"

Thorin hesitated. "Uh... Thorin."

The examiner glanced at his list, frowning. "Last name?"

Thorin's heart skipped a beat. Oh... right... humans have those. He panicked, his mind racing. He quickly looked around the gym, his eyes landing on a poster for the school's football team—'Go, McDonell Mustangs!'

"Uh... McDonell. Thorin McDonell."

The examiner scribbled it down, mumbling, "Alright, McDonell. Stand straight." He pulled out the measuring tape, his eyes narrowing as he examined Thorin. "Height... 5'10." He moved to the scale, watching the needle balance. "Weight... 165 pounds. Average build... normal."

Thorin exhaled in relief, his shoulders relaxing. Okay... okay... I'm blending in... just a normal, average kid...

The examiner glanced at him, his eyes lingering a moment longer. "Hmm... you look pretty fit. You play any sports?"

Thorin froze. "Uh... n-nope. Just... just good genes, I guess."

The man shrugged. "Alright, you're done. Next!"

Thorin quickly moved out of the way, his heart still racing. That was close...

As he walked toward the lockers, he felt a presence behind him. He turned, his eyes widening as he saw Gwen leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and a playful smirk on her face.

"So... Thorin McDonell, huh?" She teased, her eyes twinkling. "Didn't know you had a last name."

Thorin gulped, his face flushing. "Y-Yeah... j-just... didn't come up before..."

Gwen's smile widened, her voice dripping with mischief. "Right... well, see you around... Thorin." She winked before walking away, her laughter echoing through the hallway.

Thorin leaned against the lockers, his head spinning. Whaa... Does she know? But despite his panic, he couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. 

He looked down at his hands, a faint spark of electricity dancing across his fingers. I can do this... I can be a hero... just gotta learn how to lie better first.

Unexpected Feelings

Gwen-933 walked down the hallway, her heart racing, her face burning with embarrassment. She replayed the scene in her mind over and over again—Did I just... wink at him?

Her cheeks turned bright red, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh my god... I did!" she whispered to herself, covering her mouth with her hand. She ducked behind a row of lockers, her back pressed against the cold metal as she tried to calm herself down.

Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Why did I do that? I was just teasing him... it was just playful banter... right? She closed her eyes, remembering the way his brown hair fell messily over his eyes, his panicked stammering, his awkward attempt to play it cool. It was... cute.

Her heart skipped a beat, her face growing even hotter. "No... no, no, no... I do not think Thorin is cute..." She groaned, slapping her forehead. "He's just some weird, clumsy guy... who may or may not be a superpowered hero... who makes me laugh..."

She bit her lip, her fingers curling into fists. What is wrong with me? She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Okay... let's be logical here. She began pacing behind the lockers, her arms crossed as she argued with herself.

"Maybe I winked because... I was just being playful... yeah, that's it. Just messing with him... nothing more." But then she remembered the look on his face, that adorable, wide-eyed panic as she walked away. Her heart did a little flip, and she stopped in her tracks, hugging her books closer to her chest.

"Oh god... I think I like him..."

She leaned her back against the lockers, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, her head in her hands. This is bad... this is really, really bad...

She was Spider-Woman. She fought bad guys, saved lives, and swung across the city on a daily basis. She faced danger head-on without a second thought. But this... this was terrifying. I can't like him... I can't get distracted...

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get his goofy smile out of her head. Or the way his silver eyes sparkled when he got excited. Or the way his hair looked so soft and messy, like he had just woken up.

She groaned, burying her face in her knees. "I am so doomed..."

From around the corner, she heard a familiar voice. "Hey, Gwen! You coming to gym class?"

It was Mary Jane, waving at her with a bright smile. Gwen quickly stood up, trying to hide her blush. "Y-Yeah! Coming!" She took a deep breath, steeling herself. Get it together, Stacy... you're a superhero... you can handle this...

She walked out from behind the lockers, her head held high. But as she passed by Thorin's classroom, she couldn't help but glance through the door window, her heart skipping a beat when she saw him laughing with his classmates, his face lit up with joy.

She quickly turned away, her face burning again. Nope... definitely not handling this...