Thief’s Curiosity

What're you reading?" Peter leaned over Ned's shoulder, trying to peek at the pages Ned was glued to.

"New manga," Ned muttered, handing it to Peter without even looking up. "Dark. Bloody. Totally sick."

Peter arched a brow as he flipped through it. "Where the hell'd you even find this around here? Last I checked, Queens isn't exactly anime central."

"Comic shop near my house," Ned said, finally glancing at him. "Dropped last Saturday. Only two shops have it. The rest thought it was too hardcore for kids or something."

Peter snorted as he skimmed a few pages. "Man-eating monsters? Yeah, totally bedtime material for toddlers. Just hope MJ doesn't start craving my blood ."

"Who's craving blood?" a voice cut in from behind, making Peter nearly fumble the manga.

Both of them whipped around to see Gwen standing there, arms crossed, eyebrow raised like she just caught them sneaking out of class.

"Ghouls," Ned blurted, holding up the manga like it was some kind of evidence. "Man-eating creatures. It's in the story, not, like, real life."

Gwen tilted her head, unimpressed. "You're reading Tokyo Ghoul," she said, like it was common knowledge.

Peter blinked. "You know manga?" He didn't mean to sound so shocked, but Gwen? Manga? Didn't add up.

"My little brother's into it," she said with a shrug. "Mom wouldn't let him read it, so I figured I'd see what the fuss was about. It's… alright."

"So you liked it?" Ned asked, curious.

Gwen shrugged again. "Didn't finish it yet. Hard to judge from a few chapters."

"Same," Ned muttered, nodding like she just validated him. "Gonna ask the shop when the next volume drops."

Peter handed the manga back, shaking his head. "Man-eating monsters, and suddenly everyone's a fan."

Before anyone could respond, the teacher clapped their hands, calling out, "Alright, class! We're leaving soon! Don't lose your IDs, and stay with the group!"

Today was the big trip to Oscorp. Peter, for one, wasn't complaining. Field trips beat math class every day of the week.

Stephen, standing off to the side, took a deep breath. He wasn't totally sure what role he'd end up playing in all this hero, villain, something in between but for now, he was just gonna enjoy what he had. One thing at a time.

Sitting inside the bus as they traveled, he observed how everyone appeared happy, or at least that's what they were showing. Who knew what dark thoughts they were hiding or what problems they were facing?

"You don't talk much, huh?"

Stephen glanced at the girl next to him without fully turning his head. "The less you talk, the more your words matter."

The girl, Felicia Hardy, raised an eyebrow. Her presence alone was enough to draw curious stares from the rest of the bus. Stephen wasn't surprised she wasn't just beautiful, but her father's history added to her notoriety.

From past memories, he knew that after her father's past was revealed, she was treated as an outcast. Though many tried to get close to her, only a few succeeded.

He could feel how she was stronger than she appeared. The Juuzou template had sharpened his senses, allowing him to discern who was really harmless and who was pretending to be.

"You're not interested in being my friend?" she asked, leaning a little closer. Her tone wasn't teasing it was curious.

She remembered that the boy beside her had little presence in her class, which had reduced even more significantly a month ago after his father's death.

Since Max's business had taken a loss, it had affected him mentally, and his son too.

All of this had resulted in Stephan's decreased social life. He tried to focus on studying to get good grades, although he couldn't quite reach the level of Peter or Gwen.

He looked back out the window. "Why would I be?"

"Well, many want to, don't you...?" she trailed off.

He interrupted her, "I'm not one of those many. And it's not about friendship anyway."

Turning around, he added, "Look around."

Felicia followed his line of sight, noticing the stares she'd grown used to. As soon as she met their eyes, they all turned away like they hadn't been caught gawking.

Maybe I'm wrong," Stephen said, his voice even, "but I don't think they're after friendship."

"Why do you think they want to have any relation with me?" she asked, leaning in, her curiosity piqued.

He glanced at her briefly before looking away. "The simple answer? You're beautiful."

She tilted her head, not fully satisfied. "And the complicated one?"

He smirked faintly, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery. "You already know the answer to that."

She looked at him and muttered, "Yes, I do," her voice low, but he caught it clearly.

"I didn't know you were this perceptive," she said after a pause, her curiosity growing.

"Many are," he replied calmly, his tone unreadable. "They just don't want to step out of their little imaginary worlds."

The bus came to a halt as they reached their destination. Stephen's gaze shifted to the towering building outside, its vertical logo gleaming in the sunlight.

Felicia stood to leave, but as she moved, she felt a tug on her wrist. Startled, she looked down to see Stephen holding her hand.

"Ms. Hardy," he said, his tone calm, "my watch."

Her eyes widened in surprise, pausing mid-step. For a moment, she hesitated, unsure how to react.

"Which one?" she asked, tilting her head with an innocent expression.

"The one I asked you to keep in your pocket," he replied with a faint smile, his tone light but pointed.

Felicia raised an eyebrow but played along. "Oh, right," she said smoothly, pulling the watch from her pocket and holding it out. "The one you totally gave me to hold."

Stephen took it, sliding it back onto his wrist. "Thanks," he said, his voice still calm. "Let's go. Mr. Smith's already glaring, and I don't think he's the patient type."

As she followed him off the bus, Felicia's smirk lingered, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

Stephen adjusted his watch as they walked. Maybe her training's not over yet, he thought, the faintest hint of amusement crossing his face.