Chapter Text
"Okay, how about we start from the beginning? My name is Tadashi Hamada, I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and for the last six years, I've been Heart's one, and only spider man. Or as the city calls me, Brown Recluse.
I'm sure you know the rest, I saved the city from inevitable doom, avenged my parents' death, opened up a robotics shop with my brother, fell in love and saved the city some more.
My life is far from what I expected it to be growing up, but fate had placed this job in my hands, and I'm not one to disappoint. Wearing the mask is a tricky job indeed, but it's worth all the risk to see my city and family live another day, and because it's worth it, no matter how many times I fall I will always get back up.
There is only one Spider-Man, and it's me."
Kumandra visions academy. An elite and prestigious private school filled with the most upstanding students and teachers. They only enroll those who pass the entry test and promise a guaranteed and successful future for their students, but every year, for the dumbest reasons known to man, they hold a lottery to allow one teenager in particular to attend their academy. And this year that someone just so happened to be Raya Oliva Heart, a talented street artist and musician who has a knack for getting into mischief.
For example, on the last day of elementary school, Raya and a few of her friends decided to dump a few textbooks belonging to the meanest teachers. Her form of mischief back then was simply just destruction of property, but that was the gist of it when Raya was still young. Now, she resorts to putting stickers wherever she feels like and spray painting in places that only her Aunt Shank knew about.
Her father, Benja, would always give Raya long lectures about her habits while Shank encouraged her to express herself in other ways. Whenever Raya visited her, Shank would always have some new music equipment in her apartment, It always intrigued Raya, and with Shanks encouragement, Raya began to learn more about music. In her first year of middle school, she had put everything into her vocals and learning instruments. Her first big achievement was making a song for her father with the guitar she was gifted on her birthday by Shank.
Gosh, was the song horrible, but it was her first and most cherished of all of the others she made. She had spent hours of time practicing writing her own lyrics and making beats and melodys to match, and only two years after she released her first song on her social media platforms. She was glad that she was lucky enough to have lots of friends when it was first published. Each one gave unconditional support and recommended her song to other friends of theirs. It only took a few weeks before the song reached to other teens belonging to different schools.
Seeing how much feedback she got both positive and negative, she took everything into consideration and began making another song that came out six months later. She was definitely no superstar, but her music was quite a hit among the teens of Kumandra. She only had four songs posted, but they made her feel so accomplished. That's why she was always so focused on making more, even now. When she was supposed to be packing her suitcase for her first week.
Today was the day when Raya would attend her new school, Kumandra Visions Academy. Her Ba tells her that this school will help open up opportunities to expand her music, and although Raya knew that what he said was true, she had been reluctant to attend for bitter reasons.
She wanted to stay among the people that she grew surrounded with, her people. The people who helped Raya get as popular as she was with her music, the people who have been so kind to Raya when she was down. It's hard to leave people like that even for the promising of a bright future. But she was, she was leaving her old school and friends behind just to become some preppy little school girl wearing a ridiculous uniform because her Ba said so. Raya was sure that even if she stayed at Kumandra Capital she would still get many chances and opportunities to expand her music, but of course, being a teenager and the daughter of a busy political figure, she doesn't get much say in anything anymore.
The sole reason she is attending Kumandra visions is that she has no choice. Her anxiety and thoughts were pushed aside.
And as unhappy as she is with this, she tried her best to see from her Ba's point of view. And it seemed most logical.
Raya was sitting at the desk that was placed in the corner of her bedroom, completely absorbed in the beat, playing in her ears through her headphones. Her lyrics weren't coming to her as fast as she hoped they would. She would usually have a tidal wave of lyrics and rhymes washing over her, giving her motivation to write with swiftness across the blank paper, but today, her usual source of inspiration felt dull and bland. It was like cheap canned soup.
It was tasteless, boring, and not worth putting in the effort.
She sighed, sinking herself into her seat, pulling off her headphones and dropping them in front of her. "This is ridiculous..." She muttered. "Not as ridiculous as seeing that you still haven't packed,"
"Holy shit!—" She flinched, turning to face the man in her room. She relaxed, seeing her Ba leaning on the doorframe. "Geez Ba, don't you know how to knock?" She placed her hand on her chest to calm herself from the mini heart attack she suffered. Her Ba just simply chucked. "I did. You were too busy damaging your eardrums to notice."
"Oh, relax, it wasn't that loud," She scoffed.
"I could hear it blaring through your headphones," He fully stepped into the room, glancing around at the scattered books and dirty clothes laid out on the floor. Raya could practically hear the scolding words building up in his head, telling her that she needs to make sure to keep the environment around her clean.
She was a scatterbrain most of the time when it came to things that weren't art or her studies, thus leading to her room staying quite messy when she found something more interesting in her piles. He shook his head, deciding to leave the lecture for another day, "Hurry up and get what you need, Dewdrop," He started. "You'll be late for your first day."
Raya didn't fight back the sigh she released, "I can't believe I'm doing this," She wasn't above complaining, even when she saw things from the others' perspective.
Their relationship has been a bit tense over the whole ordeal, both of them trying not to thread too close to the line that would inevitably fire up another argument if crossed.
"Aw, cmon Dewdrop, try to cheer up it won't be that bad,"
"I'm required to wear a skirt. How am I supposed to be cheerful?" Moving from her slumped position, she stood and began to gather her books and a selection of clean clothes to pack, "And don't even get me started on the fact that I have sleep there! Like come on, what's some preppy school bed got that mine doesn't?" She shoved her textbooks into her backpack, not caring much about organizing while she threw her clothes into her suitcase, creating a mini pile that imitated the one in the corner of her room. Benja took it upon himself to fold her clothes, "You already know why they are having you stay there, Raya," He said amused. "It's just another commitment to the school."
"Oh, I know, but I still think it's stupid." Benja didn't reply. What was he supposed to say to such blatant negativity? The rest of their time together was done in silence.
"Oh, toi..." She muttered.
She's here.
She's here, and she's dreading even trying at all. Dozens of students were gathered outside, all wearing the required uniform like Raya. Many were alone staring at their phones or reading their schedules others were in groups chatting with their friends. Raya felt another wave of anxiousness wash over her. She was starting to feel sick to her stomach, Raya was a tad bit shy at first, but when she got over it, she usually had no problem getting along with people around her. Whether they were reserved or outgoing, she usually found a way to get another person on her friends list.
But that was at her old school, a public school with people that were obviously more real and relatable than the ones she's observing right now.
The people in front of her just seemed so...pompous. It reminded her of someone specific.
They stood with a certain poise that didn't make Raya feel welcomed at all. Instead, it felt like she was prey stepping into predator territory. "Come on, grab your stuff, Dewdrop. I have to get to work soon. " He urged, but Raya didn't move for her things. "Ba..." She started. "You're absolutely positive that there aren't...other ways for me to open up opportunities?"
"Dewdrop, you really need to quit with this..." He turned his body to face where she was sitting in the backseat. It was obvious that he was beyond annoyed with her behavior. "It's like I said before, If you want to get your name out in the music industry, then attending this school is the best first step you'll get to that."
"Yes, I know it's just—" This wasn't her place. This is the last place in the city where she belonged. The academy was far more intimidating than she had imagined. She thought she would be able to manage the anxiety deep in her gut when they left the house. But she couldn't. Now that she was sitting directly in front of it, she realized just how much her life would change, Raya didn't want things to change. She definitely wasn't going to fit in with the people here. They were just too different. She was going to be alone for all the years she's instructed to attend, just like the first few months of freshman year.
She knows she told herself to try, but now she couldn't even bear that thought. "There's many ways for me to get my career going while I'm at Kumandra Capital, y'know?" She said, her voice was uneasy while she reused the argument from weeks before. "I mean, I don't really think this school is gonna get me anywhere that Capital—"
"That is enough, Raya." Her ba interrupted, holding his hand up to silence her. His voice was like unwavering stone that not even a pickaxe could break through. His eyes were narrow as he stared at her, Raya knew what was happening when she stared right back. This was Cheif Benja she was talking to, not her Ba. She had crossed the established line.
"I've had it with your persistence and complaining. This pointless argument has been going on for weeks,"
"It's the furthest thing from pointless..." She uttered, pulling her gaze away from his. She knew that nothing she could say would cut through to him. He sighed for what felt like the hundredth, "Raya, ever since I got custody of you, I have done nothing but try to make sure to give you the best in life," He lectured. Raya stared down at her hands, fiddling in her lap as she listened. "And as I've said multiple times before, this school is what's best for you, I know that you're scared of being by yourself but I need you to think about yourself and your future because I won't let you end up like your Aunt Shank" Her eyes shot up to meet his, "What's that supposed to mean? Aunt Shank is a successful woman, and she dropped out of school!" It was true, her aunt many have lived in an apartment complex, but the rooms were decorated in some of the most expensive things Raya has ever seen. She was a good woman who definitely had a good paying job.
Benja took in a deep breath, closing his eyes as if to compose himself, "She made her choices in life, Raya, that doesn't mean you should make the same."
Except I don't have a choice, she thought, she was just pushed into accepting the stupid lottery offering, and now she's being pushed out of her comfort zone for some stupid school.
They both tore their eyes away from one another, sitting in a long moment of tense silence. "You should get going now," He said. "I have to get to work." Raya nodded solemnly as if she were her father's general.
She grabbed what she needed before parting her ways from her father.
"I have faith you'll meet my expectations, Raya." He told her before driving off. The words stuck with her, but the anxiety still weighed more than his reassurance, Faith... She thought while stepping through the academy doors.
I just hope your faith isn't wrongly placed, Ba.