Chapter 2 : A not so normal life after all

Two weeks after what will become the most humiliating day of my life, I started to 'acclimated' myself in this new environment. But for some strange reason I keep getting late to my classes just to pick up the books required that from what I saw my classmates don't take it to the class (did they learned it by heart?).

And so being late like right now became my daily life. Which is why when I was trying to enter in the class like a thief to not cause to much disturbance while the other were watching a documentary on Doctor Olivia Octavius, that's wasn't part of my professor plan. After just a few step in the dark she stop the video while stating the obvious.

"Mister Morales, moving in the dark. You're late. Again."

While I wanted to play it sarcastically at first, I remembered that it was actually my fault if I was late so...

'Let's joke and hope it's work'

"Well, Einstein said time was relative right? Maybe I'm not late. Maybe you guys are early."

For some reason silence followed the culmination of my research on time. That was sad, until a dirty blonde (Hey, how come I never saw that girl?) girl chuckle in that silent room, earning the gaze of everyone on the room on her. Which made her feel the need to justify herself.

"What? It-It's just it was so quiet, I couldn't help it."

She said while keeping a smile, which made me smile too.

'Unknown girl, you don't need justification. I know you loved my joke'

I thought as I smiled back at her. Which was a little stupid because I was now looking like that who thought his joke was really funny when it wasn't in front of the whole class. Which is why Ms. Martin told me to sit down. Which I promptly did by sitting next to that mysterious cute girl.

"Thanks for laughing at my joke earlier. It would have been way too awkward otherwise."

I murmured to which she chuckle softly at that.

"Well you seems like you needed a good help, and your joke was a little funny."

I smiled at that. 'Hah, I knew you liked it'

"Was it?"

"Well it wasn't really funny, but it was smart. Which made it funny, so I laughed at it."

I don't know why but when I heard her trying to explain I saw a bit of myself there. I then said with an exaggerated face of relief.

"Well glad you liked it because I thought about it on the fly. And honestly when I said it I almost thought it was my dad saying that joke."

Between a chuckle and a laugh she tried to quiet down before replying.

"Well then your dad seems like an intelligent man."

"Well thanks but don't tell him, I don't his ego can support more. By the way I never saw you before, are you new?"

And I never had the answer to that question because Ms. Martin passed between us while trying to tell us that the screen was more interesting than each other faces (or maybe I'm the only one thinking that her face is more interesting? No way.).

And so, unfortunately we didn't get the chance to talk more (I mean I didn't even know her name), and I didn't saw her the rest of the day, which put a damper on my mood because I was thinking 'finally something that will help me survive this hell'. But reality show up again and told me, that that was a dream.

When I came back to my room in the dormitory, I was so tired that I caught myself thinking of something that I haven't thought about since a long time ago: superhero. Don't get me wrong, in a world with real superhero, it really hard to not to talk about it let alone thinking. But I think about it is a little different from the people here.

For the people born in this earth, the thinking about becoming a superhero is like ''Hey, it would be cool if could become like him, maybe I should ask him how he became a super hero!''. But for me who was first born in a different earth, my thinking are different because I saw the everyday life of those super hero in movies, comics, Mangas and animations. And the truth is, it's quite horrible : the most fortunate just lost their powers, other watch their family die, and became orphans other are framed to save the world or have to sacrificed to do it. Some even died just to be resurrect multiple times without memory of it while losing ever in the process and be hated but still expected to save the world again.

All in all being a super hero just means that there is big chance that you won't end up well. And everyone in my first world knew it. But at the same time, almost everyone has dreamed of becoming a Super hero, or at least have super powers or magic. And the worst for me is that I already knew where to go to learn magic. Or where to go to learn Chi. But I knew that like in every movie every time someone start to learn those stuff. Even if it's just to make the mood in a party, that person will still be taken to the supernatural side.

I mean look at Spider-Man! When he played the hero for the first time it's just to stop some car thieves and help some grandma crossing the road. Then not even a week after he was almost forced to fight some super lizard, goblin, octopus, rhino and volture! Most of the time it wasn't even his fault.

Some will be arguing that there are so many villain that if you don't strengthen yourself you could end up dying by meeting one at a corner on the street. But I want to say to them, indeed, but if you have powers, that mean you will end up fighting them every single day! That sound so exhausting.

But even if all the things I thought above are true, from time to time like right now I ask myself what if? And that's why I didn't feel right. So I snuck out to go to the only place except my house where I can loose myself : Uncle Aaron' house.

Fortunately the train to Benson Avenue was quick and near enough so it didn't take long to arrived.

#####

Looking at my uncle feeling soo comfortable from the window, it almost looks like he was posing for his couch. I couldn't help but making him notice with a znap. After a quick look at it, he threw his eyes at the window, noting his favorite nephew waving at him.

"Hey, Uncle Aaron!"

I started to move with exaggeration to make him understand that I didn't want to stay in the cold all night, making him laugh at me.

#####

BAMM BAM

BAM BAMM

"So, how's your new school?"

I was currently trying uncle Aaron's new punching bag as I replied sarcastically.

"it's great! I still didn't greet my roommate until now and I just noticed that we have most of our class together. And I still don't know a single name of my classmates. So yeah, I'm doing great."

I replied sarcastically

"Haha, that bad huh? But ain't no friends? No big deal it will come naturally. Focus on the girls first. 'heard that place 'supposed full of bombing nerdy girls? I thought that was your type."

That actually made me stop and think.

"My type? I didn't even I got a type. Where did you get that coming from?"

Looking at me he laughed and started to teased me.

"No way Miles, you really wanna try to fool your uncle like that? If it wasn't because you got no game to ask Phin out, I bet you'll already be a thing 'long time ago!"

That actually caught me off guard. I stopped punching and started to walk aimlessly. And embarrassed, I replied clumsily.

"W-what are you talking about? Me and Phin? Pffft! We're just friends and I got game! 'Proof is that new girl who crashed at school today. We talked, and she's kinda into me right now! You should've seen her, I mean it."

Not believing me at all but fake as if it was the case he asked with a mocking smile.

"Oh a new girl, in a day? Okay Miles, you're right, got it. So, what's her name?"

'Now I think about it I don't know her name at! Damn it Ms. Martin!'

Trying to think of something I hesitantly talk.

"Well, actually...You know, we're layin' the groundwork right now. We don't want to take it too fast you know?"

At that he just laughed it for at least a minute, making me embarrassed a little as he sat down on couch with me to catch his breath. Which finally made me stare at him hard.

"No, no, don't misunderstand, I totally agree if you want it to last you gotta take it slow..."

I look at him skeptically as he said that seriously, before laughing again making me deadpan at him.

"Hahaha but do you need to take it that slow?! Are you sure your my nephew?"

'Next time start by asking the name Miles.'

I continue to deadpan stare at him for a while until he finally calm down but his smile just wouldn't went away.

"Man, I gotta save you, or I can't look at you and say' you're my nephew. You know about the shoulder touch?"

'Is that a thing?'

" 'Course I do huh." I said with confidence.

"But, hum, tell me anyway."

Smiling Uncle Aaron grabbed my left shoulder and said.

"hah. Tomorrow, find that girl, you walk up to her and be like: "Hey."."

...

I couldn't help myself and laugh.

"You're serious uncle Aaron?"

"Hey, don't laugh man, that's serious science"

Well this is marvel, so I can believe that. Trying to imitate him I asked for confirmation.

"So walk up to her and be like : "hey."."

"No no no. Like : "Hey."."

And then we started to loose it as we were 'training' on his shoulder touch. Until Uncle Aaron saw the new graph on my book. He started to inspect it

"Did you throw these up yet?"

With a disappointed face I replied by the negative. Even if the idea would've been tempting.

"well, you know my dad. With him that's impossible."

Stopping hearing me after the no, he stood up throw me my coat and said.

"Come on. I got a spot you ain't gon' believe."

I was starting to see the similarities between him and my dad when it comes to talking to me. But I got to say that was very tempting. So I started to try and persuade myself more than himself.

"No man, I can't, I can't, I can't go there.

#####

And obviously I couldn't resist (damn you weak will of mine)! Which is how uncle Aaron and I were now in a subway tunnel leading to an unknown dark corridor with a door in a wire mesh. I have to admit, that kind of secret hideout like vibe was awesome.

"How'd you know 'bout this place Uncle Aaron?"

"Did an engineering job down here."

What I like about uncle Aaron is that when you talk about job to him it feels like he did all the jobs in the world. Honestly sometimes I wonder if he's not some kind of agent from the S.H.I.E.L.D. I mean he got to many jobs, being really good in the pay or not.

After climbing the fence in a classy way (I did parkour in my previous life) and not ashaming our family, it didn't take long before we reach our destination: a big and open space looking like a ballroom with Gothic a architectural ceiling. The room was filled with contenrai. And I gotta say with a big cleaning and furniture that place could actually be amazing.

Without talking to much and a bit of music, we went to the work. And I have to say, that was the first day in days that I've felt that relaxed. No more thinking to much about my studies or New York's future. That was really the night I needed.

But while I was drawing, I didn't notice that translucent spider that was going to change my life, crawling to me.

After finishing painting, finding the result cool, I took a picture of it, when suddenly I noticed a spider on the back of my hand. Not having the time to react that it bite me without caring. I have to say for a moment I that scared of dying because of how I heard about spider bites and their mortals venom. So I quickly slap the arachnids to the ground while staring at where it bite me, trying to see with the wound if I was going to die or not but there wasn't a trace of it.

It wasn't until my uncle talked to me that I wake up.

"Why are you starin' at your hand Miles? Is it cooler than that art we throw up or your uncle?"

''It's nothing, it's just something that bite me.''

His mocking answer gave me a fright.

''Well then let's hope it's just a mosquito and not a lizard. Cause Alchemax threw a lot of the rest of their test subjects here. I don't wanna take you back as a lizardman or with electric eels tails hahaha. or you might even transform into a mosquito and become mosquito-man the sewer super hero."

Saying that, uncle Aaron started to laugh at me as he saw that it made me more and more pale.

"Uncle Aaron, please stop talking! That's not funny!"

"Hahaha! I'm just kidding Miles, just kidding ! There ain't change of that happening. That guy Spider-Man is already a miracle, don't go thinkin' things like that happen every day man."

His words didn't comfort me at all, on the contrary.

'You didn't watch the spectacular Spider-Man and the MCU then. Because that kind of thing happen everyday!'

Thinking about the fact that Peter Parker was the only Spider-Man, I started to think about batman and Man-Bat.

'Am I a guy destined to be a Spider-Man vilain ? Aargh why I didn't watch ultimate Spider-Man? Maybe that new vilain was in it! That could've helped me!'

Exasperated for having seen more comics and the like in my previous life I wanted to call it a day, so I just said to uncle Aaron that I was tired, and I didn't even need to fake it, because I was. So without any need to convince him, he just took me away without a problem.

I didn't remember how I went back to to the dormitory and avoid the security. But the moment I arrived in my room, I collapsed on my bed and slept directly without changing my clothes. Forgetting to even salute my roommate.

#####

At the start of the day, many strange things happened: first of all, I woke up with to much energy not even a bit tiered, which never happened before. Then I noticed that my pants and Shirt were too short. Like 2 size short. If it was another day, I would have thought nothing about it and just think this is puberty, but one thing happens yesterday night, and with Aaron 'explanation' I started to think of the worst.

In a hurried manner, I started to check my hands first, then verify if I still had two legs and one head before sighing of relief.

'Fiou, I'm normal. So that was a non venomous spider and uncle Aaron was just talking nonsense like ALWAYS.'

"Well, 'seems like it's just hit puberty."

Relieved that it wasn't some weird mutation caused by that normal spider, I went out to go to my first class.

While walking it become more obvious that my pants weren't fitting anymore.

'I GOTTA GET NEW PANTS.'

suddenly something became weird.

'WAIT. WHY IS THE VOICE IN MY HEAD SO LOUD?'

Disturbed by that new high volume voice in my head, I was to distracted to be aware of surrounding and so, inevitably hit someone.

"Oh, sorry my bad I wasn't loo.."

'OW IT'S THAT GIRL! DON'T BE SO LOud inside voice please'

"Oh it's okay I wasn't paying attention too..."

As I watched her talk I unconsciously started to check myself before replying back, when I saw that suddenly without any warning I started to sweat like no tomorrow.

'WAIT, WHy am I so sweaty?'

"Why are you so sweaty?"

The girl asked, taking notice of my sudden situation too.

'Think of something fast miles.'

"It's a puberty thing."

Just after I said that I wanted to slap myself.

'Why DID I SAID THat? Why NOt I juST JOGGED or something?'

Regretting what I said, I tried to save the ship... but I didn't know how to navigate.

"I don't know why I said, I'm not going through puberty. I mean I did, but I'm done."

Seeing her skeptical face, it just gave me the feeling of wanting to explain more.

"I am. Really. Done."

'Oh maN, JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE!'

Feeling the need to change the conversation I cough up a little.

"So, you're new right? I'm new too, I'm kinda new too what a coincidence right?"

Even the girl in face saw that it was awkward, so she just replied awkwardly 'Yeah' before being being silence again.

'Miles be smart! Don't forget about thE NAME!'

"So, what's your name? I'm Miles by the way."

"I'm Gwe...an... Da!"

'Why aren't you sure about your name? Wait is that the name of a country or a city?'

"So your name is Gwanda?"

Seeming more assured of her name, she replied affirmatively.

"Yeah I'm Gwanda. It an africain name. I'm from south africa. I mean, parents are from South africa but I..."

Not hearing the rest, Miles was thinking about other things.

'Well... that wasn't bad miles. Now lets the conversation going on. But it has to be smarter than that miles!'

ZRRIIING

Just as I was thinking about it, I suddenly feel like something was ringing in my head and travel to my hole body. It wasn't a headache, it was more like an illusionary ring bell that was trying to tell me something. Something that was harmful to me was approaching me. Something...

'...BEHIND ME!'

I quickly turned my body to see the danger, and I I saw a grey ball rapidly coming toward me.

'Is that...A PETANQUE BALL!?!'

Not at all expecting that someone was dumb enough to throw a petanque ball in a hall, in the school (is that even how you play that game?) I panicked a little as I saw it less than 30 centimeters away from my head. Until I noticed that I didn't when, but my surrounding suddenly started to walk at a slow-motion time.

'What the f*ck is happening?'

I didn't have the time to dwell on it, as I noticed that the ball was coming quicker to my face and for some reason, I had a problem in moving quickly. It was like my body too was in the slow-motion mode, which was why my right hand was so slow when I raised it to catch the petanque ball. But fortunately I did catch it, and again, I didn't have the time to process, that the 'time' returned to normal again.

Not expecting it, even though I caught the ball it still accelerated making me bumped into (Gwanda right?). Fortunately it was still in my hand, and stopped right after, not hurting me, but greatly startling me.

"Hey, you! Can you throw it back to me?"

Hearing the voice of the guy who threw the petanque ball to me, I looked at him very pissed at the balls of that guy.

"Are you serious?! You almost killed me!!"

But hearing the non-caring tone of his apology almost made me explode and kill him with his ball.

"Yeah well, sorry I guess? Wait, what are... What the hell, why did you do that?!"

In fit of anger and just to pissed him off a little, I made his petanque ball roll over the other side of hall. Which unexpectedly enter a corridor miraculously avoiding the students and disappearing from our sights.

The face he was showing gave me a grand satisfaction, but it made me realize that I forgot something.

"Hum, Miles ?"

Turning my face to see who was talking to me, I saw Gwanda awkwardly standing in front of me with my hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, oh. Sorry sorry I...?"

I tried to pull out my hand, but for some reason, it was stuck on her shoulder.

Not wanting to pass for some strange guy, I tried to pull harder, but all it did was to pull Gwanda to me. But then by some miracle, my hand stopped sticking to her shoulder, but because of the pull, Gwanda's head touched my hand inadvertently and so her hair got stuck with my hand.

"huhhh... Sorry I don't know why hand is sticking like that, but don't worry I'll fixed this."

And so like a second ago I tried to pull harder but this time it didn't work and I had furious girl and in pain glaring dangerously at me.

"Aïe, Miles you're hurting me..! Whatch out for my hair, aïe Miles!"

"Wait calm down, I'm trying."

While saying that I myself wasn't calm at all, as I try harder to out my hand which didn't please Gwanda at all.

"Stop pulling Miles it doesn't work! Just calm down and..."

"Don't worry I now what I'm doing!"

I had absolutely no idea of what was going on or what I was doing.

"You don't know what you are doing!"

Said Gwanda affirming my thoughts.

'If my hand doesn't want to stopped sticking the soft way, then I'll do it the hard way!'

"Gwenda I have an idea, I will pull as hard as I can at three..."

"This is a really bad idea!"

She refute, but I didn't listen to her.

"One.."

"No no no no Miles!"

"Two..."

"Don't do that!"

"Thr...!"

I didn't had the time to understand what was happening that my head hurt the floor hard, making me a little bit dizzy. Until Gwandans face appeared in the field of my vision.

"We'll do it my way."

'did you have to do a judo grip on me to make a point?' I complain internally.

#####

ZZZZzzt

After the razor finished its work and separate my hand from her head, I got to see the result: a giant hand as gradient style on the shaved part of her hair.

Know at her face that she didn't want to see me again as look at her new terrible hairstyle in the mirror, I stood and prepared to walk away from the medic room. But I still didn't want our ''first''meeting to end up like that so I awkwardly said.

"So, nice to meet you?"

"Sure. Total pleasure."

She replied with a deadpan expression without even looking at me.

When I went out of the school infirmary as I stare at my right hand still full of Gwanda's hair, with a perplex expression of what had happened earlier, until I noticed a more urgent problem : the students looking at me weirdly. Embarrassed, I started to walked away quickly from here.

'It's okay, they didn't know, they were just wierd out of the fact that I was looking at my hand for so long. Nobody knows. No.Body!'

But as walk through the corridor and feel their gaze and the mocking expression of some, I knew.

'WHO AM I KIDDING, EVERYBODY KNOWS!'

'HE KNOWS, SHE KNOWS! WOAH SHE'S SUPER TALL.'

As shame was creeping in me, my five senses suddenly became more sensitive and I could practically discern every one of their conversations.

"It's him."

"He's the guy that..."

'WHAT CAN I DO? AM I THE WEIRDO KNOW?'

"He's that weirdo!"

Not really thinking about what they were saying to me, I was more concerned about those sense that became more and more sensitive, to the point were I could even hear a fly fifteen meters from my position rubbing it's front pat as if it was near my ear, all above those discussions in the corridor.

'WHY IS HAPPENING TO ME? WHY IS THAT SMILING AND WHY ARE MY THOUGHTS SO LOUD???'

Trying to make all those noises go away, I missed the person in front of me and stumbled upon him. I wanted to apologize, but he beat me in talking and he wasn't friendly in subjects of discussion.

"Hey, I know you snucks out last night Morales."

Taking a look at the security chief suit he was wearing, I knew immediately who he was without even looking at his stupid beard: the head of security, Mr.Salas.

He was said to be cruel to everyone who broke the rule of the academy A.K.A calling your parents. And I clearly didn't need that right now so with a blank face I replied to him.

'Play dumb Miles.'

"Who's Morales?"

...

'Not that dumb, stupid!'

But I still did one more stupid thing, I bypass Mr. Salas and runaway from him.

"Hey comeback here Morales!"

'Now that I have started running? No way in hell!'

Not knowing were to hid when I couldn't possibly do it in the first place, I still chose a room at random who was fortunately not closed after avoiding a wave of students in the corridor. After hurrying in closing the door I started to take my breath against the door as I tried to self-hypnotized myself.

'Okay, okay, it's okay. He'll never gonna find m... WHY AM I SO UNLUCKY?!'

In front of me stood a desk and on it showing in a prominent way, a laptop, a sign and a photo frame. I could read on the sign 'C. Salas Head of security' and on the photo were three man laughing including the one in middle who looked like what Mr. Salas would looked if he was younger. Conclusion? I was in his office and there was no way in hell that he couldn't find me. And sure enough as I was quickly thinking of a solution someone suddenly knocked out at the door loudly and screamed.

"what are you doing in my office Morales?!"

Startled I tried to back away from the door, but my hand suddenly stuck to it like earlier making me fall due to the momentum but with my hand still stuck.

I then tried to take my hand off the door with my foot on it for more strength, and it worked, but a bit to well because I then stumbled to the desk messing many things on the way losing my shoes and also put play on a spider-song on Salas laptop unwillingly. And worst part is that my hands then stuck to clothes pulling them up and making me blind as I started to desperate.

'WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME??'

Unknowingly, I reach the ceiling of the room as I tried to take off my top. It was only when I partially succeeded that I noticed that I wasn't on the floor anymore.

"Oh my God, stop! Sticking!"

Boom boom boom

"Morales, open up! What are you doing?!"

Miraculously my body finally listened to me and stopped sticking... While I was still stuck on the ceiling. And so without a surprise I fall of with my top off too, but luckily landed on the wheelchair which rolled up to the open window while dizzy I was trying to get support on something. Which leads me by mistake as my hand had support n nothing to cross the other side of the window which was more than sixty meter before the ground.

Fortunately one of foot stuck to the wall, but I was feeling that it was starting to peel off the wall quickly, which made me panicked and so I hurriedly took my other hanging foot and tried to get it stuck to wall.

"No no no, keep sticking Miles!"

My body listening to me again (Twice in a minute was a record today) it stuck to the wall, making relived but not for long, because I didn't know how long it would take for my body to stop sticking.

I then tentatively tried to walk on the wall (it's really weird when I say it) and it worked. So I tried to get to a window not near here as quickly as possible. But I didn't do six steps that A flock of pigeons collided with me, making me impossible to see anything. And because of that, when they went away, two birds stuck to my hands.

After the initial confusion, they tried to peck at me to forced me to let them go, but obviously it didn't work.

"Stupid birds, aïe! If I knew how to free you, do you think that I would be in this position?!" I shout with frustration.

Not knowing if they understood me or not, they stopped pecking but started to fly in dormitory direction, dragging me in process as I tried as I could to keep sticking to the wall.

Honestly even if only two minutes passed since I almost fall from Salas' office, with the constant dread of death, looming upon me each second, it feels like an eternity. Fortunately by some miracle, after hitting many windows (literally), those birds stumble upon the ones of my room. I quickly forced them to go to the open one and went inside without wasting any time.

The second after, my hand stopped sticking to them making them free birds again.

And as if to make a point they started shamble my room as they could while I was trying to regain my bearing, I mean all those things that happened was to crazy for me.

The birds finally got enough and went away through the window but not before throwing me one the comics I started to read in this new life on my face.

I instinctively reach it with my hand to put it away, until I notice the hero on that comic: Spider-Man.

The comics was the first volume which describe how 'Parker Peterson' became Spider-Man. By coincidence the page that I was watching right now was a scenario that was extremely familiar to me.

" 'Why is this happening to me?'...! 'Stop ticking'?! 'Continue sticki...' ?!!"

That scenario was something I just lived through and luckily survived but because those scenarios were practically the same, it means...

"Wait wait wait, this can't be happening! Why? This... How can there be two Spider-Man? How can there be a Spider-Man other than Peter Parker?! That's impossible! It can't be! There can't be someone other than him, especially not a normal guy like me!! "

But as I looked at the drawing of the Spider-Man, I didn't know why but that belief that I thought to be the truth grew weaker.

"...Can there?"

Just after asking that question, another one to which I desperately need an answer but didn't dare to voice it aloud.

'Can I still live a normal life after that?'