Monday was October 31, Halloween.
Peter went downstairs for breakfast, only to be startled by the sight before him. Uncle Ben wore glasses with a huge fake nose and an exaggerated fake mustache, while Aunt May wore a pair of enormous Mickey Mouse ears.
"So, are we going for an immersive holiday experience this year?" Peter pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Peter, why aren't you dressed up?" Aunt May asked with a smile. "It's Halloween!"
"Aunt May, aren't I past the age of wearing ridiculous costumes?"
"You should never let age make you give up your inner child," Uncle Ben said with affected gravity.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Have you been possessed by Gandalf?"
"No, I just can't keep my mouth shut." Uncle Ben grinned.
Aunt May urged him on, saying Halloween had been Peter's favorite as a child. Peter helplessly explained that he hadn't prepared a costume at all. Uncle Ben patted his shoulder and told him to use his imagination.
Peter shrugged. Fine, then. Time to use some ready-made imagination.
When he walked into school, every eye in the hallway instantly focused on him. He walked with a casual stride, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly beneath his mask. He had indeed worn a costume-his very own suit.
"Spider-Man?!" Flash exclaimed. The guy was actually wearing a shoddy homemade Spider-Man costume himself.
"Not quite." Peter chuckled and tugged off his mask, revealing a face that left Flash bitterly disappointed. "Like it? I sewed it myself."
"You don't deserve to wear that!" Flash said through gritted teeth.
"I don't think I care what you think." Peter rolled his eyes and walked straight past him.
"Spider-Man's a hero! He's brave and incredible, and you'll never be either!" Flash shouted behind him.
Peter stopped and looked back at him. "Come on, Flash. Since when were you a Spider-Man fan?"
"I always have been!" Flash's face flushed as more and more students gathered around. "He saved a friend of mine and took down a gang in our neighborhood. He's a real hero, and you're just a loser!"
Peter was a little surprised. Flash lived in a neighborhood with crime that bad? He shrugged. "Still, for someone who idolizes an anti-bullying hero, you're doing a pretty good job of making bullying your classmates a full-time occupation. Think Spider-Man would like a lackey like you?"
Flash instantly fell silent, blushing all the way down to his neck. He stammered out a curse and turned away. Peter paid him no further attention and headed for the classroom.
Their first class was history. Liz had dressed as an angel, Mary Jane was a sexy little devil, and Harry had gone for an eighties biker look.
Peter entered the classroom and took off his mask to say hello. Liz rolled her eyes, while Mary Jane blushed and complimented his look. Peter took the opportunity to call her a "hot little devil," making her face turn as red as her hair.
Felicia walked in just as the bell rang. Spotting Peter, she went straight over and sat beside him.
"No costume?" Peter asked.
"I'm past the age of playing dress-up." Felicia gave him a wicked smile. "My costume is 'muscleman Peter.' Nice physique. Made it yourself?"
"One hundred percent genuine."
Harry chimed in from behind them. "Felicia, you'd actually make a great Black Cat!"
Flash immediately added some sleazy details about Black Cat's revealing bodysuit, earning a smack on the back of his head from Liz. Felicia couldn't be bothered with him and turned to stare at Peter. "Take your jacket off. It's pretty hot in here."
Peter did as she said, unzipping his jacket and taking it off.
The classroom instantly fell silent. Underneath, he wore a tight muscle shirt. His spider-enhanced body wasn't excessively bulky, but his muscles were sharply defined, as if carved with a blade, and brimming with explosive power.
"I'm just going to call you muscleman." Felicia stared wide-eyed, openly looking him up and down. "Hiding a body like that under loose clothes is such a waste."
A male classmate beside them couldn't help whistling, too. Somewhat embarrassed, Peter shot Felicia a glare. This woman was definitely teasing him on purpose.
Peter spent the entire day enduring stares from every direction. Mary Jane was quite composed-she had already seen him shirtless, after all-but Liz's worldview had clearly suffered quite a shock.
After school, the trio went to the café to study as usual. Peter put his jacket back on, and Felicia sighed at length, complaining that he was wasting nature's gifts.
Mary Jane agreed that Peter had a great body and ought to show it off more. Peter immediately countered by teasing Mary Jane about the time she had peeked at him changing.
Far from getting embarrassed, Mary Jane openly gave him a flirtatious wink. "I wouldn't mind another look, Little Tiger."
"Little Tiger?" Felicia said. "That's a nice nickname. I like it too, Little Tiger."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "You both want a look? Buy me dinner if you want to see. Otherwise, no deal."
"So all we have to do is buy you dinner?" Felicia wore a faint, knowing smile.
Mary Jane simply closed her book. "Come on. We're going on a date. Right now."
Before Peter could react, Felicia had already stood up. "Trying to ditch me? No chance."
Peter opened and closed his mouth like a fish gasping for air, then could only accept his fate, grab his bag, and follow. Sandwiched between two gorgeous women, he inwardly grumbled that his luck was a mixed bag, but having both of them really did have its perks.
At the restaurant, Peter looked at the menu and silently mourned for his wallet. His first month's pay from the Fantastic Four hadn't arrived yet, so he had to budget carefully. Still, a date with two beautiful women made the expense reasonable enough.
After they ordered, Peter leaned back in his chair and asked Mary Jane why she had suddenly wanted a date. Mary Jane matter-of-factly said that since he had told them they couldn't look unless they bought him dinner, she had simply acted on it.
Felicia teased Mary Jane from the side, saying she didn't act aloof at all once she was away from her circle of girlfriends. Peter wholeheartedly agreed, taking the opportunity to complain that Liz was a drama queen, Flash was a hypocrite, and Harry was an overgrown baby.
Mary Jane sighed helplessly, while Felicia cheerfully watched the show, occasionally sneaking looks at Mary Jane's figure.
The date was going well when Peter checked his watch and prepared to slip away, using his self-defense class as an excuse.
They hadn't gone far from the restaurant when a shrill burst of sirens pierced the clamor of the street. Peter turned to see a sixteen-wheeler barreling onto Interstate 278, with four police cars racing after it.
An intense sense of danger struck him instantly. That damned heroic instinct was acting up again.
Peter silently cursed Peter's constitution, then turned to the two girls with a sigh. "Sorry, I have to get to class. My self-defense instructor is really strict."
"You're just going to abandon two beautiful women?" Felicia raised an eyebrow.
"I promise I'll make it up to you next time!" With that, Peter turned and ran into an alley.
After making sure no one had followed him, he put on his mask, shot a web to stick his backpack to the wall, and leaped onto the rooftops, swinging toward the highway.
He soon located the heavy truck. It was heading for a tunnel, and Peter swung over to wait on the opposite side of the road. The instant the truck passed, he landed precisely on its cargo compartment and clung tightly to the edge. The howling wind and roaring engine were deafening.
He muttered to himself, wondering what the hell was inside this truck.
Suddenly, the truck swerved sharply, sending an innocent car flying. Peter's pupils contracted. That car was beyond saving. He had to stop this thing immediately.
He climbed over beside the cab and saw through the window that the driver was clutching his bleeding side. Peter knocked on the glass, and the terrified driver threw a punch. Peter punched through the glass, shattering it and striking the driver's chin in the same motion, knocking him unconscious.
He steadied the steering wheel with one hand and stepped on the brake with his other foot, bringing the behemoth to a steady stop in the middle of the highway. Pulling out the key and snapping it, Peter hoisted the driver onto his shoulder and jumped out of the cab.
The police cars screeched to a halt, and the officers immediately drew their guns and took aim.
"Relax, I'm a good guy!" Peter shouted. "The driver's injured! He needs first aid!"
A blond officer in a gray jacket stepped forward and signaled for his men to lower their guns. "I'm Captain Stacy. Are you Spider-Man?"
Peter froze for a moment. Stacy? Gwen Stacy's dad? The Marvel Universe really was small.
"You remind me of someone I used to know." Peter handed the driver over to the police. "Where exactly was this truck stolen from?"
"That's police business. You have no right to ask," Captain Stacy said coldly.
Peter shrugged and prepared to leave. Just then, the truck's cargo compartment suddenly began shaking violently.
Bang!
A blow from inside left an enormous dent in the cargo doors.
Peter's gaze sharpened. He immediately shot out webs, stringing several tough defensive lines between the streetlights on either side.
Bang!
The cargo doors flew clean off, and an enormous gray figure leaped out, slamming heavily onto the road. It was a semi-humanoid mech clad in tank armor, with a missile launcher on its back, machine guns mounted on either side, and an enormous horn on its head. Prominent white letters were painted on its side: Hammer Industries.
He immediately recognized the thing: Rhino, one of the classic villains in Peter's memories.
The cockpit hatch opened, revealing a burly man with a buzz cut, grinning like a madman. "I'm Rhino! Anyone who gets in my way dies!"