To Be A Hero | Peter Parker

07: "so what am i, your sidekick?"

Song chapter: Team by Noah Cyrus feat. MAX 

I never thought I was smart, until I met Janet. Then, I realized I knew for sure that I wasn't smart.

But she helped me. Through and through, Janet was a teacher at heart, and always involved me in anything technological concerning my suit, or anything that could help me be a better hero. She made me watch her synchronize my spider-lenses, helped her program my web shooters, and I even got to contribute to her experimental research. She analyzed my DNA countless times, trying to understand how a spider-bite could turn me into what I am today. I never got the chance to ask her if she figured it out.

I wasn't much for asking questions about something that had already happened. I couldn't change what I was, but I could decide what to do with myself. So, I fought crime. Janet hired a private fighting instructor and I learned how to defend myself. She taught me how to rewire a mainframe and how to use my invisibility efficiently. I wasn't a conventional learner, and it was easy to tell that being hands-on worked infinitely better for me than sitting in a classroom and taking notes. Nevertheless, I slowly gained the confidence to believe that I really was intelligent.

But after being around Peter for the past week and a half, that confidence started to dwindle. Peter was undeniably a genius, and even though I knew his level of intelligence could never diminish mine, it made me realize just how much smarter than me he really was. He spent his entire time out of school being Spider-Man, and his grades didn't even slip. Ned did tell me he quit his extra-curricular activities, such as Robotics and Band. But other than that, he didn't even have to try. Peter was exceptional at everything, and the little voice in the back of my mind told me I wouldn't be able to keep up with him.

"Gwen?"

I returned to the present, where Ned sat on the bed with his laptop out while Peter was snapping his fingers in front of my face. I blinked and shook my head. "Sorry. I'm good. We ready to go?"

Peter gave me a funny look but didn't press any further. "Yeah, almost. Ned, the glowy thing. It's evidence, keep it safe." He pulled the purple core out of his backpack and handed it to Ned. "All right?"

"Okay, okay," Ned nodded and sat the core on his nightstand.

Peter turned on his tracker and studied the location of the thugs. "They're moving. We need to go," he motioned towards the door and I followed. Ned told us to be careful, and Peter zipped up his jacket and pulled up his hood to hide the suit he had on underneath. He opened the door and looked left and right down the hall and nodded to me to follow. I turned invisible and could hear Ned gasp from behind me. I chuckled and stepped into the hall quietly while Peter shut the door, and before either of us could say anything, we saw Liz coming down the hall in her bathing suit.

Peter flustered and looked in my direction to make sure I was still unseen. His eyes widened in panic as Liz approached him, and my stomach rolled.

"Hey, Liz," he greeted, his voice small and quiet. My nostrils flared, and I wanted to look away, but couldn't force myself to.

"Perfect timing, we're gonna go swimming," she whispered. Turning around, she motioned to the other students who were following her to come on, and I quietly flattened myself against the wall to keep anyone from running into me.

Everyone passed by without noticing me, and I exhaled in relief. Peter waited until the everyone else was out of earshot, and said, "I was, uh... gonna go study, um, in the business center." He should've come up with his lie before he spoke. I'd have to have a talk with him later about being believable.