Chapter Text
This time, when Peter steps into Midtown High, he expects the stares. He embraces the looks and whispers as Ned and MJ fall into step beside him. He holds his head high and locks eyes with the students parting before him like waves.
Ned sets his hand on Peter’s shoulder, and MJ bumps his arm with her own. Flash steps through the crowd with a smirk. Peter smirks back, copying the boy in front of him. His posture is relaxed, but his Spidey Sense is screaming at him to attack.
“Hey, Parker,” Flash says, “saw you on the news the other day. Guess you weren’t lying. I hope you can see that I never meant to treat you the way I did in the past. Hey, maybe you could hook me up with a SI internship?”
Peter raises his eyebrows, letting the fake smirk fall from his face. “Why would I do that, Flash?”
“Because you and I aren’t that different. We’re both better than our peers, and we can use that to our advantage.” He puffs out his chest as he glares at Ned and MJ.
“Why the change of heart?” he asks, sarcasm dripping from his voice like venom, but Flash doesn’t seem to notice.
“Are you kidding? I didn’t know you were Spider-Man before. I just thought you were Puny Parker, but now I know you’re so much more. We’re the two most popular guys in school. It’s only natural that we help each other out.”
Ned’s grip tightens on his shoulder at the title, but Peter doesn’t react. His deprogramming went better than expected.
“I don’t know if you heard, Flash, but I go by Silver Spider now, not Spider-Man. And the only reason you’re not in a public school right now eating mystery meat is because Puny Parker didn’t get Tony Stark’s lawyers involved, so I’d shut up if I were you. Now, how about you walk away before I show you what I think about your offer?”
Peter lets his fangs slip out of his gums. They gleam in the hallway’s bright light for Flash to see. He hisses, a noise that starts deep in his throat. Flash’s eyes go wide, and he pushes himself back into the crowd formed around them.
The other students startle at the fangs, jerking back, but Peter only smiles as he watches Flash run away.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.