The subway

"Good day, citizens. It's a beautiful morning here in Los Angeles. So get out there and make yourselves happy. This is Good Morning with Jemmy Elvis. Have a great day," said the cheerful voice of the news broadcaster over the radio.

That same morning, I grabbed my bag, tossed it over my shoulder, and skated off to school as my story began.

---

So, guys, let's do a little intro.

My name is Kevin Cray. Well, some might describe me as the school's most loved student.

You know that guy everyone thinks is perfect? That's me. Maybe it's because I'm the son of Earth's mightiest hero, Crazy Clam.

But that part of my life remains a family secret. Everyone just knows my dad as Mr. Chris Cray, one of the United States' millionaires.

Some people wish they could be me. There's a weird flex attached to it. It's messed up, really.

But aside from all that, I'm gifted with the power of Quantanium—some kind of energy I can control. Nothing major… yet.

And no, I'm not a hero. Not officially. I'm still undergoing training to join the teen league known as the Young Freaks.

My dad? He just happens to be the leader of the biggest superhero team in the universe.

The team is called Young Force, and the Young Freaks? That's just the starter pack—the team for teens like me.

So for now, I'm just a student trying to get his grades right.

---

Later that day, in class, our teacher handed back the scripts from our last test.

My grade? As good as always.

"Congratulations, Kevin. You keep surprising me," said Mrs. Embra, smiling with pride.

I returned the smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Embra."

After class, I made my way to my locker when my best friend approached me.

"Thanks a lot, Kevin. I wouldn't have made those grades if it weren't for your help."

There was a long pause.

Allow me to introduce her.

This is Emily—the only girl I talk to in the entire school.

She happens to be the only person I trust.

She's just a friend. Nothing more.

Well—okay, she's my best friend.

She was probably thanking me for helping her prepare for the test. I just can't stand seeing her get bad grades.

"And also… she's beautiful. I just can't tell her that—it'd sound weird to her. She sees me as a friend, and if I try going beyond that, she snaps. It's like she's scared of having a boyfriend."

I turned to her with a smile.

"It's nothing," I said, brushing it off. "Just can't stand to see you getting those F's you used to rack up. So, how are you?"

She rolled her eyes and playfully hit me on the shoulder, half-offended.

"I'm not feeling well," she replied, folding her arms with a soft pout.

"You must be hungry," I said, grinning. "Let's go get lunch."

---

As we walked toward the food court, we passed by the subway entrance when a thunderous explosion erupted.

BOOM.

Without thinking, I threw my arms around Emily, shielding her body with mine as smoke and dust filled the air.

"Are you okay?" I asked, scanning her face.

"Yes, I am," she replied, her voice trembling. "What was that?"

I looked toward the smoke. Something was off. Without another word, I ran into the chaos.

---

Coughing, I pushed through the thick black cloud and saw seven men in black suits scattered across the subway floor, slowly getting back on their feet.

Before I could process the scene, I heard the cold snap of a gun cocking behind my head.

"Turn around and don't say a word," growled a voice. "Or I'll blow your skull open."

An eighth man, also in a black suit, stood behind me, holding a briefcase in one hand and a pistol in the other.

I turned, slowly… then smiled.

With a flick of my hand, I activated my powers. A faint glow of blue Quantanium pulsed through my palm. I grabbed the gun and squeezed—metal crumpling like paper. The man pulled the trigger in desperation, but the bullet flattened on impact with my chest.

Gasps echoed as the others watched in disbelief.

I raised my other hand and released a blast of Quantanium heat, knocking the armed man off his feet.

The briefcase flew from his grip, crashing to the floor. It popped open, revealing a glass cylinder—inside it, a spider. Strange, black, and unlike anything I'd ever seen.

The cylinder shattered.

The spider escaped.

But the suited men didn't care about the spider—they came at me.

One by one, I took them down. Punches, blasts, a shield of energy—everything I'd been trained for.

By the time I stood surrounded by unconscious bodies, I was drained, breathing heavily, my knees giving in beneath me.

---

"Kevin! Kevin! Kevin, where are you?!" I heard Emily's voice calling through the haze.

"Over here!" I shouted weakly.

She ran to me, crouched beside me, and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"My God, you're okay! What happened here? Wait… did you beat all these men?"

"The cops are on their way. We shouldn't be here. Come on, let's go," I said, trying to stand.

Just as we turned to leave, something dropped silently from the ceiling.

The spider.

It landed on the back of my neck and bit down.

"Ahh!" I cried out, slapping the spot where it stung. I crushed the spider beneath my hand, its body curling in death.

"You okay?" Emily asked, steadying me.

"I think I'm fine," I said, blinking through the dizziness. "Let's just move."

---

The police arrived minutes later, cuffing the unconscious men and loading them into vans. No one noticed the broken cylinder. No one asked about the spider.

At home, I collapsed onto my bed. My breathing was shallow. Something wasn't right.

"Lars," I muttered.

A soft female voice responded, smooth and calm.

"Yes, Kevin?"

Lars—my AI assistant. Created by Young Force's head scientist, Dr. Hetro. Gifted to me by my father five years ago so I wouldn't feel alone. She knew everything about me.

"Lars… something happened today. Ever since then, I haven't felt like myself. Can you run a full body status scan?"

"Running scan now…" she said. A few seconds passed.

"Kevin, I'm detecting irregularities. Your blood pressure has risen. Your pores have closed. You're sweating excessively. This isn't normal. You need medical assistance immediately. Kevin? Kevin, can you hear me?"

My vision blurred. The room spun. Then—darkness.

---

By the time I woke up, I was no longer in my room.

Bright lights. Metallic walls. Machines humming.

Dr. Hetro stood at the foot of my bed.

"My boy… how are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Better than before," I said, rubbing my head. "What exactly happened to me?"

"It seems your cells reacted to trauma—regenerated and evolved in a way I've never seen before," Dr. Hetro explained, studying the monitor beside him. "Kevin… you may have new abilities. Ones we don't understand yet. Tell me, what exactly happened in the subway? Did you come into contact with any chemical agent or foreign substance?"

I paused.

"I'm not sure, but... I do remember being bitten. By a spider."

As I said it, a flash of memory hit me—a vivid image of the spider, its fangs, its strange glow.

"What was that spider?" I asked. "I just saw it again in my head. I know it did something to me—I can feel it."

Dr. Hetro narrowed his eyes, typing rapidly. "Relax, Kevin. I think I know exactly what's happening to you."

---

Meanwhile, across the city, Emily paced in her room, phone in hand. She'd been trying to call me for hours.

No answer.

Her thoughts kept circling back to the subway, to the impossible fight. Kevin—her best friend—had taken out eight grown men like they were nothing. And he was still standing.

What was he?

And what exactly happened down there?

Emily couldn't shake the questions racing through her mind. The subway. The explosion. Kevin walking away without a single scratch. None of it made sense.

I need answers, she thought.

So, she decided to visit him.

---

At Dr. Hetro's Lab

Dr. Hetro stood beside a glowing monitor, analyzing Kevin's vitals in silence before speaking.

"The signature coming from your white blood cells has been enhanced by the spider bite."

Kevin, sitting upright on the med table, raised an eyebrow. "So… enhanced how?"

Dr. Hetro turned toward him, arms crossed. "From what it looks like, you were bitten by a radioactive spider. And I believe I've seen this before… just not in this universe."

Kevin's eyes narrowed. "Come again?"

"Across the galaxy," Hetro continued, "accidents—especially biological ones—tend to repeat themselves in different worlds. I have a strong feeling that this spider bite didn't just affect you... it created something new in our universe."

"Created something like what, exactly?" Kevin asked.

Dr. Hetro's voice dropped to a serious tone. "A spider-human."

Kevin laughed in disbelief. "No way. This isn't a comic book, Doc. You're saying I've turned into Spider-Man? In this world?"

"You realize I'm not a kid anymore, right? Cut the jokes and just tell me what's really going on with me."

"I'm afraid this is what's going on," Dr. Hetro replied calmly.

Kevin leaned back, still not convinced. "Okay… then let's give it time. If what you say is true, I guess we'll start seeing side effects in a week or two. But right now, I've got a project to finish at home."

Dr. Hetro nodded. "Fair enough. In the meantime, I'll keep researching. I'll call you if I find anything new."

---

On Kevin's way home, his AI assistant Lars chimed in through his earpiece.

"Kevin, you have a visitor."

When he arrived, he found Emily waiting at his doorstep.

Without a word, she ran into his arms, hugging him tight.

"I was so worried," she said softly.

Kevin smiled, unlocking the door. "Well, I'm feeling better. Recovering, actually. What about you? You okay?"

Emily stepped inside, glancing at him suspiciously. "That's the thing. You don't even look injured. Not a scratch. Kevin, what really happened in the subway yesterday?"

Kevin hesitated.

He tried brushing it off, acting casual. "I saw a bunch of grown men fighting. I tried to help… got hit, beaten up. That's it."

Emily's expression changed. She wasn't buying it. Her eyes locked onto his—serious and searching.

"Then how do you explain you walking away unharmed, while every single one of them was knocked out?"

Why is she digging so deep? Kevin thought. Why does she care so much?

"I guess I just got lucky," he said. "Emily, I just came from the hospital. I'm exhausted. Please… do you want something to drink?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry, I can serve myself. But Kevin, you have to tell me what's going on. I can't keep covering for you."

Her voice trembled with frustration.

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened. You keep running into crime scenes and coming out without a scratch. I'm not crazy—I know something's going on."

"Why do you even care?" Kevin asked, more defensive than he meant to sound.

"Because I love you!" she burst out.

Kevin froze.

Emily's eyes widened, shocked by her own confession. But she didn't take it back.

"And if I don't know what's going on in your life," she continued, "I feel like I'm being left in the dark."

"Come on… this isn't the time to joke. You can't possibly love me. We're best friends and you always—"

She cut him off with a kiss.

For a moment, the world paused. No words, no logic—just the raw energy of two hearts that had been silent for too long.

In that quiet, vulnerable space, they saw the truth in each other's eyes. Feelings neither had ever spoken. Emotions too long buried.

Their kiss deepened. And in the stillness of that room, overwhelmed by the weight of everything left unsaid, they crossed a line neither of them had planned to.

That night, they gave in—to love, to longing, to the truth they had both kept locked away.

---

And it was in that moment, in the aftermath of their first shared vulnerability, that the real question began to linger:

Will Kevin finally tell her who he really is?

---

Watch out for Chapter three.

Secrets unravel. Powers awaken. And love faces the truth.

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