Chapter 260: School on Fire

[Third Person's PoV] 

In the middle of class, Peter rested his head on his desk, a bored expression on his face. Suddenly, his phone started buzzing inexplicably.

Without drawing attention, he reached into his bag, pulled out his glasses, and slipped them on. He tapped the side, ensuring he wouldn't get caught using his phone and because it might be related to his secret identity.

To anyone else, nothing changed, but in Peter's vision, digital tabs appeared, and a familiar face popped up—Aria. She looked slightly annoyed.

"We have a situation," she said.

'When don't we?' Peter thought, exasperated.

"Sorry, but it's serious," Aria replied.

Peter tensed before remembering that his glasses had a neural sensor near the handles, which had likely picked up his thoughts.

'What's the situation?' he asked.

"A school is on fire," Aria informed him, though her tone lacked urgency.

'What?! Is it being attacked?' Peter's mind raced.

"No, but the fire was man-made… the result of an idiot showing off." Aria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Peter muttered under his breath, "Johnny…"

"Bingo," Aria said, conjuring a virtual Bingo stamp and pressing it onto the screen.

'Inform Gwen. She'll be useful,' Peter instructed, sighing before standing up and grabbing his backpack.

The teacher, noticing his movement, frowned. "Is something the matter, Mr. Parker?"

"A business issue came up, and I need to personally handle it. Sorry for the interruption," Peter said sheepishly.

He shot Gwen a look. She immediately understood, grabbing her bag and standing up to follow him.

"I don't recall inviting you to leave as well, Ms. Stacy," the history teacher said dryly.

"We're business partners…" Gwen replied awkwardly.

Harry, MJ, and Felicia had different classes at the moment, but Liz gave Peter a questioning look, silently asking if she should come along.

He shook his head.

The teacher sighed. "Whatever. Just don't get caught doing anything you're not supposed to."

A few students chuckled at that. Gwen, slightly embarrassed, quickly followed Peter out of the classroom.

As soon as they were in the hallway, Peter leaned over and whispered, "Johnny set fire to the school."

Gwen groaned. "Is he perhaps a child?" Her exasperation mirrored Aria's.

"How the hell does someone accidentally set a school on fire? What was he even doing?!" she gritted out.

Peter smirked. "Wanna bet on what dumb stunt he pulled?"

"No," Gwen said, already picking up her pace. "Let's just make sure no one gets hurt."

With that, they took off running down the hall.

…

Spider-Man and Ghost-Spider swung through the city, the distant wail of firetruck sirens growing louder as they neared Johnny's school.

Gliding past skyscrapers, they aimed for the roof of a lower building. Their webs latched onto the outer ledge, and with a strong pull, they landed in a crouch, peering down across the street.

Below them stood a large, prestigious school, its towering pillars connected to the main building. A well-maintained patch of green grass surrounded the front entrance, where bold lettering spelled out the school's name.

The streets were bustling with firefighters and emergency vehicles. On the sidewalk where Spider-Man and Ghost-Spider were perched, rows of students stood with their phones out, recording and snapping pictures.

Thick smoke billowed from several windows.

Spider-Man shot a web toward one of the fire trucks, swinging down and landing on top of it. He crouched, looking down at the firefighter barking out orders.

"So, what's the situation, Captain? Need a hand?" Spider-Man asked.

The fire captain glanced up, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Unless you can instantly stop and control this fire, that'd be much appreciated."

Gwen landed smoothly beside them. "That would be my job. Leave it to me."

"But first," Spider-Man interjected, "have you confirmed that everyone is accounted for?"

A firefighter stepped forward. "We followed standard fire drill protocol. According to the teachers, all students should be outside."

Just then, shouting erupted from the crowd.

They turned to see a female student struggling against the firefighters, desperately trying to push past them.

Another firefighter ran up, slightly out of breath. "Captain, we've got a problem—this student says her friend was still in the bathroom before the alarm went off."

Spider-Man exchanged a glance with Gwen. "You should go find her," he said. "I might be faster, but you'll be able to safely escort her out—and anyone else still inside. I'll stay here and help secure a way out for you."

Gwen nodded. "Have the ambulances ready. If she's been in there this long, she'll probably need immediate medical attention."

One of the female firefighters approached. "Do you need a mask? Not sure if yours is filtered for this kind of smoke."

Gwen shook her head. "Don't worry, it is. We also have portable masks in our belts for rescues." She then took off, a burst of frost mist trailing behind her as she ran into the burning building.

Spider-Man hopped down from the truck, rubbing the back of his head. "So, uh… can I wear one of your helmets?"

Captain Grant eyed him for a moment before sighing. "Someone get this guy a helmet! He's one of us for today!"

A firefighter pulled an extra helmet from the truck and tossed it to Spider-Man, who caught it eagerly and secured it on his head.

With a grin, he saluted. "Reporting for duty, Captain…?"

"Grant," the man grumbled. "Everyone here calls me Captain Grant."

…

A few minutes later…

Gwen burst out of the front doors of the burning school, carrying two students—a boy and a girl—in her arms, while a third, a woman, clung desperately to her neck. All three wore small breathable masks covering their mouths and noses, with tiny air canisters attached to the sides.

A trail of ice and cold mist followed in Gwen's wake, slightly taming the flames behind her but failing to extinguish them completely.

Looking ahead, she spotted Spider-Man standing with a group of firefighters, all gripping a fire hose aimed at the windows. When they saw Gwen emerge safely, they erupted into cheers, high-fiving and clapping each other on the back.

Suppressing a chuckle, Gwen hurried over and carefully placed the rescued individuals onto waiting stretchers. "No physical injuries," she informed the paramedics. "But they inhaled a lot of smoke. I found them unconscious, so they'll still need immediate medical attention."

"What!?" Captain Grant's voice boomed in frustration as he noticed there were more people than previously mentioned. He turned a sharp glare toward the teachers. "There were still people inside!?"

"Not inside," Gwen corrected. "On the rooftop. They were skipping class. The smoke made it impossible to see them from the ground." She paused before adding, "I scanned the entire school. These three were the only ones left."

With the rescued individuals now in the care of the paramedics, Gwen turned on her heel and skated back toward the inferno.

She moved directly into the heart of the flames, completely unfazed by the heat. Kneeling, she pressed her hand against the scorched ground, expelling an icy mist from her palm.

The fire around her sputtered and died, a swirling cold spreading outward in a widening circle. Then, with a sharp inhale, Gwen slammed her palm flat against the floor.

A wave of freezing air exploded from her in a powerful shockwave.

The frigid blast rushed through the hallways, engulfing every floor and corridor, snuffing out the fire instantly. The entire building was left coated in a thin layer of ice.

Gwen exhaled, her breath visible in the suddenly chilled air. She glanced down at the frost-covered floor, momentarily lost in thought.

Outside, Captain Grant and his team of firefighters stood stunned. The cold shockwave had even brushed past them.

Grant let out a low whistle. "At this rate, you're gonna put us out of business."

Spider-Man laughed, his mask barely hiding his grin. "Never. This city's way too big—it needs all the help it can get. It's a team effort, after all."

The firefighters chuckled, looking at Spider-Man with newfound appreciation. Grant patted him on the back. "You and your partner are always welcome with us in the 35th district."

Spider-Man saluted. "Thank you, Captain! It's an honor!"

As Gwen stepped out of the building, her icy trail still lingering behind her, a wave of applause erupted from the crowd of students and teachers.

She walked over to Spider-Man, and he handed the borrowed helmet back to its rightful owner.

Captain Grant, ever observant, immediately picked up on the subtle shift in their demeanor.

Then Spider-Man spoke, his tone more serious. "Now, if you'd be so kind, could you lead us to the perpetrator?"

Grant gave a knowing nod and led them through the maze of fire trucks.

At the front of the leading fire truck sat a blond-haired, blue-eyed Johnny Storm, his hands bound behind his back, his gaze fixed on the pavement.

A shadow stretched over him, blocking out the sun. Two pairs of shoes—one blue, one white—stepped into view.

He slowly looked up, meeting the unimpressed gazes of Spider-Man and Ghost-Spider.

Spider-Man stood with his arms crossed. Gwen had both hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently.

Johnny gave them a sheepish smile. "Okay, look—it's not my fault, I swear…"

"Oh, so it's my fault?" Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"..."

Johnny sighed in defeat. "Please, I beg you—don't tell my sister… She'll kill me."

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