Lost Stars - A Post No Way Home Story

Now Hiring: A Hero

He scoured all of the newspapers and internet for a job opening. Ned, whenever he wasn't at school, would help him. Three days from their gathering at the diner, Ned showed him a paper the school had sent out.

"None of us are able to do it, to be honest. Even if it is for seniors," Ned shrugged. "But maybe you can make something out of it."

It was a paid job at Oscorp cleaning lab equipment. The times were during the morning.

"That's perfect," Peter let out a breath of relief. He had been wondering where to get his rent money, and he only had the college funds his parents, aunt May and Ben had left him. It would be enough, but he shouldn't burn through all of it just yet.

"You're welcome, bud. I can't imagine what it's like to even be an adult," Ned grimaced. "I'm still trying to find accommodations in Boston."

"Well, maybe when I get into MIT too we can be roommates?" Peter supplied. It felt weird to suggest to someone who was still pretty much a stranger that they should be roommates. But seeing as Ned invited him over to his house, Ned at least trusted him to not kill him.

Peter wrote his resumé while Ned did his best to learn for his leaving school exams. It was still a long way till the exams, but Ned wanted to be prepared.

Peter looked out of the window, and he could feel it. He could feel the storm that would arrive in New York tomorrow morning.

"Look, I've got to go," Peter told Ned. "I promised to help out at the shelter because of the storm."

Ned looked disappointed and closed his books. "Alright, uhm, I guess -"

"Unless you want to come," Peter suggested. "It will be fun, trust me."

"I've got to ask my parents," Ned said. "Being 18 in a Pinoy household doesn't guarantee that you'll be able to go out."

But his mom said yes, surprisingly. Obviously, his mother grilled Peter about his background and he had to croak that he didn't have anyone anymore, but he had given her the whole address and contact details of Gloria at the shelter.

Gloria had them setting up chairs and utensils the moment they arrived and had patter Peter on the back.

As the wind picked up, more and more people trickled in. Ned and Peter would ladle in the soup, and tell those who needed help where to go.

"This is kinda fun," Ned said.

"Perhaps if you do this every once in a while," Peter suggested. "You won't feel overwhelmed by schoolwork."

"How did you start?"

"My aunt," Peter said honestly. "Aunt May. She died a couple of weeks ago..."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Peter's heart was twinged with pain. "But she's the reason I'm here. I want to help people, and being in high school didn't help with that. So I dropped out."

"How come I never saw you?" Ned asked and his eyebrows creased. "MJ said you were on the decathlon team?"

Peter remembered. MJ had made that comment, and at the time it had flown over his head. But MJ knew he had been on the decathlon team.

"Were you blipped?"

"Yeah, I was," Peter said.

Ned rubbed his forehead, a small smear of goulash was then left behind.

"I remember you were there, but I don't remember anything else.

"Like MJ said," panic began to rise in Peter. "I should teach how to ninja your way through college."