Slowly and reluctantly, Peter opened his eyes and uncovered his face from the warmth and comfort brought to him by his Star Wars comforter. He blinked, closed his eyes, and then blinked again. Streaks of sunlight gleamed through the blinds and Peter gradually adapted to the light after being momentarily blinded. He sat up, dragged his feet off the bed, rubbed his knuckles over his eyes, stretched his arms above his head, and yawns. He watched his legs dangle above the floor, mentally debating whether or not to get out of bed. Despite his body's protests Peter got off his bed and glanced over at his digital alarm clock, that he constructed out of junk, but It's wasn't early as he suspected. It was almost time for school.

Peter stumbled over to the window, as his drowsiness had still not left him, opened the blinds ungracefully and was greeted with a radiant sun peaking above the skyscrapers, and a street filled with honking taxis and public buses below. It was a beautiful day, but Peter couldn't help but wonder what threat was going to be unearthed today, after all, crime never takes a break in New York City. Snapping out of his thoughts Peter groggily walked over to his bathroom and got ready for school.

Waking up in the morning is always a struggle for Peter. Between the sleep deprivation and sore muscles, he always wakes up wishing to stay home, wrapped up in his warm blankets, ready to hibernate like a bear. Last night he stopped five muggers, one rapist, and an attempted kidnapping, but only managed to slip into his room at 1:00 O'Clock. Although, that's really good considering that he did all that in a few hours, it's not ideal for a developing teenager's body, even if they're genetically enhanced. Anyways, he can only take so many punches before Aunt May starts getting suspicious. Usually, he blames the bruises and cuts on falling or being shoved into lockers, but he has seeking suspicion that she's onto him.

So far Peter has managed to (mostly) conceal his identity as Spider-Man for almost 2 years. He's pretty sure no one knows except Mr. Stark, Ned, and Happy, but lately, it's been getting harder and harder for Peter to keep his identity a secret. Recently, he's always tired and wounded, and some people are becoming suspicious. Peter's been sleeping in class, he's painted in bruises all over, and he always is walking through the school halls like a zombie. Thankfully, he can cover most of the bruises with oversized sweaters and large hoodies with science puns, but the facial bruises are a little harder to cover up and explain.

It has been a few months since the Vulture incident, and although Peter didn't accept Mr. Stark's offer about joining the Avengers he hasn't caught a break yet, crime doesn't sleep, and being the "little guy" isn't as easy as it sounds.

It's the first day of school today and after a whole summer of web-slinging, Peter's ready to get back in the hang of things. If things go to plan, this year will be great. His goal this year to arrive at school on time every day, skip class only when necessary, and to attempt his homework before patrolling the city.

Last year Peter's grades and attendance nosedived when he became focused on proving himself to Tony Stark. Now he knows better, that was unacceptable and he can't let being Spider-Man get in the way of his future. Peter knows that in order to be successful his junior year it will be necessary to stick to his plan, he can't afford to let he alter ego get in the way of things.

After getting dressed for school and shoving his suit at the bottom of his backpack, Peter wandered over to the kitchen for breakfast following the mouth-watering aroma coming from the kitchen. Aunt May was sitting at the Kitchen table with a stack of fluffy golden pancakes in front of her and was watching the television with a cup of coffee in her hand. As Peter focused on the screen he mentally gasped. Of course, she would be watching a news broadcast about Spider-Man, good ol' Parker Luck. Peter couldn't help but sigh about his current predicament. He knew what was going to happen, his Aunt is probably going to strike up a conversation about Spider-Man which will end up horrendously awkward like every other conversation when his alter ego is mentioned, and because Peter is a scientist, not an actor, he will probably give his Aunt reasons to be more suspicious than she already is.

Pausing his mental conflict, Peter proceeded to walk "casually" into the kitchen. With a large smile, Peter placed a mountainous stack of pancakes on his plate and sat beside her.

"What an interesting character that one," Aunt May commented while looking at Peter with a skeptical eye. Peter gulped and shifted his gaze to the television, unable to maintain eye contact with his Aunt.

"Huh, Sp-Spider-Man? Yeah, he's interesting," he awkwardly blabbed while almost choking on a pancake.

"I don't think he's a menace like J.J.J. says but I'm not sure how I feel about him parading around New York in a Halloween costume. What do you think of him, Peter?" May questioned while looking at him quizzically. Peter placed another pancake on his plate and begun to pour syrup on it as the thought of a decent response.

"Spider-Man's cool. I think he's a solid dude. Well look at the time, I gotta go. May, don't forget I have robotics club after school today, so don't wait up!" Peter answered quickly then begun scarfing down the rest of his pancake.

"Okay bye Peter, love you."

"Love you too May."

He needed to get out of that kitchen as soon as possible. Peter loves his aunt, but the more she questions me the more likely he is to slip up.

Solid dude That's the best I could come up with, I'm hopeless. Peter thought to himself.

Having a secret identity, no matter how cool it seems, is seriously the worst thing ever Peter concluded. He hates lying to May, but it's to keep her safe and as stress-free as possible. He knows May would probably have a heart attack if she found out, or she'd slap him... either one. Probably both.

Peter entered the school and looked around, taking in his surroundings. The hall was as lively as ever, packed with students chattering away to their friends about their summer, teachers roamed the halls directing the freshmen to their classes, and the school morning show was broadcasted on the televisions throughout the halls. New faces and old faces filled up the hall, but Peter couldn't help but look for the one face that wouldn't be there.

Liz Allen.

It was only just a crush, but it hurt all the same. It was his fault that Liz Allen was in Oregon, not in New York. Whether or not locking up her dad was the right thing to do, it ruined her life, and Peter didn't think he could ever shake off the guilt.

Lost in his thoughts Peter didn't even notice the hand of his Best Friend, Ned, drape over his shoulder until he directed him to their lockers. Quickly Peter put a smile on his face to disguise his emotions, no need to drag down Ned's mood as well.

"Hey man, how was your summer?" Ned asked eagerly as he began to open his new locker.

Peter shrugged, "It was good. I've just been doing the...internship every day."

Ned turned around, eyes wide with curiosity. "Did you ever hang out with, uh, Mister Stark?"

Peter couldn't help but frown as he mulled over the question. He saved the plane, the shipment, and Happy's job as asset manager, so why haven't either of them taken the time to contact him?

With a sigh, Peter answered honestly, "No, he hasn't contacted me once during the entire summer."

With a smile, Ned playfully punched Peter's shoulder, "Don't worry about it, I sure he'll call you some time."

Peter couldn't help but smile at his friend's enthusiastic attitude, even though he wasn't completely sure if Ned was right.

"Well, we should start heading over to our first period."

Later that day at lunch Peter sat at his usual table, but since Ned hadn't arrived yet he decided to scoot a few seats closer towards Michelle. She had her nose buried in her book, oblivious to her surroundings, but something seemed different about her, Peter just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey loser, why are you staring?" asked Michelle without taking her eyes off her book.

"Wh-what, I wasn't staring, I was just... observing," sputtered Peter lamely.

Michelle placed the book down and raised an eyebrow judgmentally, but Peter just gaped at her. Michelle's hair was straightened instead of her usual messy ponytail, her eyebrows were filled in, and her lips had a sheen of lipgloss. Peter couldn't believe how different she looked from last year.

"The longer you ogle me the closer I will be to filing a restraining order against you, so close your mouth you dweeb," threatened Michelle with an equally frightening glare and scowl plastered on her face.

"I'm sorry it's just, you look... different," confessed Peter as he awkwardly rubbed his neck.

Michelle's raised her eyebrow once again, "Peter, are you insinuating that my beauty is measured by the amount of makeup I wear? That my appearance isn't captivating unless I straighten my hair or wear makeup?"

"No, no! I just meant that you look pretty today! I'm not saying that you're not pretty other days, but you look very nice today!" rambled Peter, face red with embarrassment.

Michelle smirked, "I'm just kidding, no need to get so worked up about it."

Before Peter had a chance to make a fool out of himself again Ned came and plopped down on the seat beside him.

"Hey guys, what did I miss?" asked Ned as he opened up his lunch box.

"Nothing," muttered Peter.

"Wait for a second, we never sit right next to Michelle," pointed out Ned.

"Your pal was lonely and felt the need to engage in a conversation with me even though I was clearly reading, which id like to get back to by the way," informed Michelle.

Peter groaned and laid his head on the table feeling embarrassed, wishing he could disappear. It wasn't his fault Michelle decided to get a makeover. What? He's a guy and he has eyes, of course, he's going to notice if she changes her appearance.

It was his last period of the day and Peter hated every minute of it. He was seated in his Ap Lang class bored as can be just listening to classroom rules and procedures. Peter watched as the clock ticked down the seconds until school ended, eagerly waiting for the bell to ring. He tapped his pencil impatiently against the wooden desk as he listened to his English teacher drone on about the syllabus. After a few more minutes of listening to his teacher talk the bell finally gave a high pitched ring and Peter shot out the door like a rocket, speed walking through the crowd, then sliding down the handrail of the front steps. Right as he was about to exit the school grounds he bumped into another student sending their papers and materials in every which direction. Quickly Peter gathered all of their belongings and handed them to the student. As he looked up Peter began to gape for the second time that day. Infront of him stood a girl with blond hair with bangs in a short skin tight jean skirt, a black crop top, an olive green jacket, and black boots. She was absolutely gorgeous, the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, and Peter momentarily lost the ability to speak.

"Where you off to in such a hurry?" asked the girl with a bemused expression.

"Oh, I-I was just on my way to my Aunts house, she needed me to come home quick," answered Peter awkwardly.

"Well thank you for at least picking up my stuff, in this city, most people would either leave it on the ground or take the books. My names Gwen by the way."

"I'm Peter, Peter Parker."

"Well Peter, better not make your aunt wait. I hope to see you around the school, and since I'm new maybe you could introduce me to your friends," suggested Gwen with a kind smile.

"Okay, see you at school," remarked Peter before continuing on his journey.

He continued in for a few blocks before slowing down, but as he walked Peter couldn't stop thinking about the new girl, Gwen. She was so pretty and friendly, but Peter quickly dismissed the idea of liking her, Liz Allen was still fresh in his mind. But even if he just wants to be friends with Gwen he couldn't believe how lame he must have seemed, too bad his confidence only works when he's Spiderman. It's moments like these where Peter prefers being Spider-Man over Peter Parker. Yes, Pete may have a good life compared to others, but when you've been picked on and called names at school, swinging around as Spider-Man suddenly sounds superior. As Spider-Man Peter can be cocky, make jokes, and show off his superhuman strength. At school, Peter can't do any of those things since he could risk someone figuring out his alter ego. That means letting Flash bully Peter no matter how easily Peter could beat him.

Peter entered an empty alley, assessed his surrounding making sure there were no onlookers, then hastily changed into his suit. Quickly, he shoved all his clothes into his backpack then secured his bag on the brick wall beside a dumpster with his webs.

Peter patrolled the area as usual when a crash caught his attention.

"What do you got for me today New York?"

Just then, he looked down and saw a delivery truck swerving left and right, avoiding oncoming cars, with a trail of police cars following close behind it, sirens ablaze. The truck already ran over 2 police cars and was going to cause much more damage if he didn't stop it. The back hatch of the truck was open, two gunmen firing at will. Bullets were flying everywhere. Screams and shouts echoed through the lane.

"Alright, let's get to work."

Peter pushed himself off the edge of the building and fell down gracefully, shooting a web up last minute and swinging at full force towards one of the gunmen. His newly developed Spidey senses helping him dodge the array of oncoming bullets. He extended his legs outward and plunged them into the man's chest, sending him flying to the back of the truck. While swiftly dodging the second gunman's bullets he grabbed the gun and tossed it to the side, then threw a punch straight to his jaw, knocking the man out cold.

He crawled up to the front of the truck like a spider and began knocking on the side window until the driver opened up his window. Logically, Peter knew that he could probably just bang his fist on the window with enough force until it broke, but instead he did the first thing that came to mind. Not one of his brightest ideas, but then again when are Peter's ideas ever good.

"Knock, knock," Peter called out.

He knocked twice on the window, then popped his head up, and gestured a turning motion with his hand, hoping to get the driver to roll the window down.

Surprisingly he did just that.

"Mister Criminal!" Peter shouted out, extending his hand into the window for a handshake. "Hey, the name is Spiderman. You can call me Web-Head, you can call me Amazing, just don't call me late for dinner. Get it?"

His reply was a fist flying towards my face, which I swiftly dodged so I continued talking. Jokes on the fool who thinks he can shut up Spider-Man.

"Not a shaker?" Peter asked as he sat awkwardly on the roof of the car.

"Are you a hugger?" he questioned trying to distract the man.

"I AM A KILLER!" The criminal roared out in rage as he grabbed a machine gun from the passenger seat and begun shooting it wildly.

"Woah, Okay!" Peter shouted as he begun dodging the bullets.

"You have a problem with your gun? Let me help you out with that," Peter taunted, webbing the gun away from the mans grasp.

"Now if you don't mind me asking, could you please slow down your vehicle. I don't know if you're aware, but you're far above the legal speed limit."

The driver pulled out another gun and shot at Spider-man and fumed, "What are you some kind of comedian!"

Peter swiftly jumped up onto the top of the truck and avoided all the bullets ricocheting passed him. Then he webbed the gun to a lamppost and watched with satisfaction as it shot out of the driver's hand and out the window.

Peter peered back into the window upside-down, "I dunno, I'd like to think of myself as one, if been practicing my witty one-liners, I'll see where I go with it," he joked loudly so that wind roaring past didn't drain out his voice. Looking onto the road Peter noticed the truck was still accelerating towards an open crosswalk, people were running out of the way, but not fast enough.

He looked back to the steering wheel of the truck and exclaimed, "Woah, this is bad, lemme steer!"

With that, Peter webbed the far side of the wheel and pulled. Turning the whole vehicle left just before the crosswalk, crashing it into a street lamp. As the airbags shot out, Peter jumped off the truck to see police swerving to a stop, stepping out of the car, guns pulled out and at the ready. The press was coming in behind them, cameras out and pointing to the reporters, mics in hand. Bystanders rushed towards the truck too, snapping pictures of 'Spider-Man', yelling the name and asking questions.

Peter quickly swung away before he could answer any of their questions and landed on the desolate roof of a nearby building. Right before he could catch his breath Peter heard a loud explosion.

Wow, I just can't seem to catch a break now, can I?

As he made my way over to where he heard the blast Peter saw Molten Man blowing up cars.

"Great, this is Hells Kitchen I'm probably going to get kicked out of here by my old pal Daredevil," Peter mumbled to himself.

"Hey Golden Boy, miss me?" he taunted.

Peter knew it wasn't the brightest idea once Molten Man started lunging at him, his hands are metal and extremely hot. He supposed today was going to be filled with bad ideas because they're the only type his brain was making. Peter thanked God for his enhanced speed and flexibility because he was able to block the attack with ease. Without his powers, he would have been barbecued street pizza.

Have you seen his hands? They'd make a huge impression.

I need to think quick, I can't touch him without getting burned so how can I hurt him?

Luckily his webbing is fire resistant so maybe he could wrap it around his hands for extra protection. After acting on his thought, now that his hands were wrapped in webbing like boxing gloves, Peter was ready to fight.

"Too slow, Golden Boy, me on the other hand? I float like a butterfly sting like a bee..." Peter taunted while dodging the punched Molten Man was sending his way then gracefully did a backflip to dodge the kick.

"Well more like float like a spider, sting like a spider," he said as he popped up a sewer cap and hit him with all the force he could muster. Peter needed a backup plan and quick since the more he fought him the more energy he expended, so If he doesn't do something quick he'll pass out from heat exhaustion or die from a heat stroke.

"Arghhh!" he yelped as Peter whacked him again with the sewer cap.

"Which is odd, because of the fact that spiders neither float nor sting," he blurted out while opening a fire hydrant and spraying him all over with water.

"Stop it!" he yelled in anguish.

Peter took the shot while he was momentarily down to web him up from head to toe.

Sure enough, the police were already in the area securing Molten Man and one police officer shouted, "Thanks, Spidey!" and Peter just saluted him then swung to a nearby rooftop.

The fight was intense and Peter felt like he'd collapse from exhaustion. The sun was going down and he was no doubt going to get a panicked phone call from May wonder where he was, but Peter didn't have the energy to move at the moment.

Right as Peter was going to attempt standing up DareDevil came into view. He stood about two feet in front of him and had his arms crossed threateningly, but didn't say a word.

"Da-DareDevil, is that you? Sorry I didn't recognize you at first. lemme guess new horns?" Peter asked jokingly as he backed up a step.

The man opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a phone call.

"Incoming call, Tony Stark," informed Karen.

"What, no! Don't accept, tell him to call me back," stressed Peter.

"Accepting call."

"Mr. Parker..."