Guiding Light ➙ Peter Parker

Chapter Four

The wheels of Harrison's beaten up skateboard rumbled loudly as they rolled over every crack in the sidewalk. Earlier in the day, the boy had found himself bored and unsure of what to do to pass the time. Peter was busy at school, and Harrison didn't know many people in the city. He knew the other boys at the orphanage and Peter's aunt, May, but he wasn't going to call her up and ask to hang out. Peter had texted Harrison in the morning, letting him know he was going on a field trip today and his phone might be shut off. Peter had a bad habit of accidentally breaking phones, so he only used his current one in emergencies.

Harrison had spent a good two hours skateboarding around Queens, enjoying the different views the city had to offer. He had gotten so used to seeing everything from the rooftops but wanted to start seeing the city more up close. Today was the first day in a while that he hadn't worn his black, grey, and blue suit around town, with Peter at his side. It was refreshing to be himself, not concealing his curly mess of hair and speckled skin from the world. As much as the boy loved his skin tight superhero suit, he also enjoyed wearing his black ripped jeans and plain coloured t-shirts.

The sky seemed to be slowly turning a dark shade of grey above Harrison and he knew it was time to head back home. A brisk wind picked up as the boy road his skateboard towards the orphanage, his clothing rustling against his skin. It didn't take long for Harrison to reach the front steps of the orphanage, picking up his skateboard as he ran inside. He walked to his bunk and rolled his skateboard under his dresser, waiting for the sound of raindrops to start hitting the shingled roof.

However, the rain didn't come. Screams of panic reached Harrison's ears instead and he quickly pulled his blinds open to see the sudden chaos in Queens. People that he had passed moments ago now seemed to be running for their lives, and traffic was jammed on the road right outside the orphanage. Debris flew through the air, consisting of mail, flowerpots, and anything small that had been at a peaceful rest on the ground.

"What's going on out there?" One of the boys asked, a few bunks away.

"I have no idea." Harrison mumbled, not even sure if he was heard as he ripped open the bottom drawer of his dresser and pulled out a black backpack. He pulled one strap over his shoulder as he ran away, ignoring the yells of the boy asking him where he was going.

Harrison was hit with a gust of wind that almost swept his feet out from underneath him as he left the orphanage. He felt the rough surface of brick on his fingertips as he tried to stabilize himself, while his other hand gripped so tightly onto his backpack that his knuckles turned white. Harrison ran down the steps of the orphanage, getting his shoulders knocked around as people rushed past. It didn't take long for Harrison to figure out what everyone was running from as he spotted a donut shaped spaceship out in the distance, cutting through the grey sky. Orange sparks flew out of it and disappeared as they entered the atmosphere, along with a black cloud of dust forming around the base of the ship.

People blocked the sidewalks and cars were lined up bumper to bumper on the streets as Harrison pushed through the crowd, heading towards the spaceship. He ran down the first alleyway he could find, fighting against the wind to open his backpack and change into his suit of armor. Harrison pulled his mask down over his face before pressing the circle on his chest. The black and grey suit vacuum sealed to his skinny body, the technology of the fabric making him look more broad and muscular than he actually was. The only thing the suit didn't change was his height, with Harrison standing at a solid six feet and two inches.

Inviso-Boy emerged from the alley, tapping his wrists together to make him blend in with the world. He darted past people, them assuming the bumping of their arms and shoulders were caused by other citizens around them. Harrison's sprint slowed down as he watched a beam of blue light descend from the spaceship, before picking up speed again to try and find out what was going on.