"So, he's going to be your sidekick?"
It was about an hour later after Flash and Miles's rooftop talk, and Flash had decided to take Miles to the lair and introduce him to the rest of Team Spider (Twilight having finished up at her internship about half an hour ago) and have him explain his story to them.
The reactions were a bit mixed. Twilight was skeptical, and Thorax had decided to make a joke.
Miles glared at his joke and replied "No. Never call me sidekick."
Flash nodded. "Let's go with apprentice for now."
Twilight looked up from the new device she was working on, placing a cartridge of web fluid down on the table, and asked "So, you're serious about this?"
"Yeah," he replied. Noticing the look she was giving him he added "Hey, I tried to warn him about this. He still wants in."
"Actually, having him around would probably be a good thing," Thorax said. "Karen, run a hypothetical situation."
"Very well," Karen replied. "I'll need some details of the situation."
"Give me a sec," Thorax stated as he started typing them in.
Miles was floored. "Your base has an A.I.?"
Flash smirked. "Dude, this base was given to me by THE Tony Stark. Would you expect anything less?"
There was a pause before he replied "I cannot argue with that logic."
Karen then beeped and said "Hypothetical situation: two Crime Alerts have been detected. One is a bank robbery here in Midtown, and the other one is a supervillain in Greenwich. Flash, which one would Spider-Man more than likely neutralize first?"
"The supervillain. And I can see where this is going," he said. "While I'm busy trying to stop a supervillain, the bank robbery can possibly spiral out of control and people can get hurt."
"Or worse," Karen added. "People can die and the bad guys could get away." Seeing the looks she was getting through one of the computer cameras, she added "The first one definitely being the more important one."
"Bingo," Flash replied. "I try my best, but at the end of the day I'm just one guy. Having another hero out in the field would definitely be a huge benefit."
"I'm not arguing that. I'm arguing that he's still pretty knew to this. You've had your powers for about six months so far. He's had his powers for-" She looked at Miles and asked "How long have you had your powers, again?"
"About two weeks," Miles replied.
"And in those two weeks he basically did what I did when I first got my powers, stopping purse-snatchers and muggers and small-time thugs," Flash stated. "Twilight, it's not like we'll be throwing him at supervillains right off the bat. We'll start small and work our way up."
She looked relieved at hearing that. "Okay then. I just wanted to make sure we weren't rushing into this. But still, aren't we going to be a little busy seeing as how we're still trying to figure out what Cinch's endgame is?"
"Cinch's endgame," Miles asked. "What're you guys talking about?"
"Right," Flash said. "New guy. Well you see-"
Norman Osborn looked at the machine in front of him. It looked like a metal coffin that was hooked up to various tubes and wires, all of which were going to a large bank of computers and medical monitors.
Looking at the one scientist by said computers and monitors, he asked "How's it looking?"
The scientist replied "His body signs are stable at the moment. The machine is running at peak efficiency." He hesitated, before saying "We can run it, sir. But- Are you sure this energy is... safe?"
Norman sighed, knowing this was coming. Working with different energies, especially with ones that technically don't or shouldn't exist, of course questions would be asked. "I don't pay you to ask questions. I pay you to build machines, push buttons, and tell me what I want to hear. Now, is the machine ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Is it going to explode, kill, or do anything dangerous to my son?"
"Not that I'm aware of, sir."
"Great. Then fire it up."
The scientist sighed before keying in the activation sequence and saying "Here we go. Beginning Energy-M Immersion."
There was a slight hum coming from the chamber as the energy flowed into it, immersing Harry Osborn in a blinding gold light. The scientist looked at the monitor showing Harry's vital signs, and his jaw dropped. "Mr Osborn, sir. It's... it's working! The disease is being purged from his system! This is incredible."
For the first time in a long time, a truly genuine smile graced his features. "Welcome home, son."
Miles was floored at what the three of them just told him. "Damn. I've heard rumors that Abacus Cinch wasn't a good person, but a straight up supervillain/criminal mastermind? Never would've imagined that."
"I could've," Thorax said. "I mean just look at a picture of her. Just throw in a cat or a blackbird for her to stroke and she'd be a picture perfect Disney Villain."
"Hey, most of Crystal Prep already thought she was evil," Twilight replied. "This was just the proof we needed."
"Sadly that's also the problem," Flash said. "We can't just go up to Cinch, web her up, and hand her to the cops-"
"-unless you get airtight, undeniable evidence to convict her for all she's done," Miles finished. Seeing their suprised faces, he smirked and said "My dad's a cop, remember?"
"Right." Flash looked at one of the computers, showing the route the Spider-Tracer he placed on Cinch's car was taking every day since he placed it. "So mister son of a cop, let's get you started on your training."
Miles' eyes lit up like road flares. "Awesome! What are we starting with? Gadgets? Web-Swinging?"
"Web-Swinging. Sort of." Flash then handed him a stack of papers, loaded with several long equations, which Miles recognized as Physics and Calculus equations, and he deflated.
"Uh, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but how exactly is this training," he asked.
*Flash smirked, and said "Okay, answer me this. If a pendulum is forty meters long and attached at a forty-five degree angle, how far will the pendulum fall at its lowest point?"
Running the equation in his head he answered "11.72 meters."
"Correct."
Twilight was surprised by this. "You can run those kind of equations in your head?"
Miles nodded. "Yeah. Math's kind of a given if you have an interest in computer sciences and robotics. Or if you're into hacking."
Thorax perked up at that. "You're a hacker too?"
"Yeah. I even made an app that let's me hack into certain machines from my phone. No wires required."
"Wow. Does it do it through Bluetooth or-"
"Uh, guys," Flash said, getting their attention. "Geek out about hacking later. Back on topic."
"Yeah. That equation matters because...?"
"Because when you're web-swinging, YOU are the pendulum."
Realization dawned on him and he said "OH! I get it." He then blinked and asked "Wait, you have to run all of these equations through your head while you're swinging through the city?"
"Yep. And so will you if you want to get good at it, and not end up making your line too long and ending up skidding along the street. Trust me, I did that once when I was just starting out. Jameson has never let me live it down."*
"Yeeaaah. I saw that video on Youtube. Not one of your better days."
"Tell me about it. Anyway, once you get those done, we'll get you fitted up with your own Web-Shooters. After you get used to them and get some practice in, we'll try you out on some of the lower buildings for Web-Swinging. And then we'll go from there."
Miles nodded eagerly. "Okay then."
"And don't neglect your actual schoolwork. Unless you're super-rich like Tony Stark, the superhero business doesn't really pay that well. Actually for the most part it doesn't pay at all. And the last thing either of us want is to end up holding a sign that says Will Save New York For Food."
"That goes without saying," he replied while rolling his eyes. His phone buzzed and he checked the text. "Speak of the devil." Seeing their confused looks he decided to elaborate. "My paperwork finally went through." He smirked at Flash and Thorax and asked "You guys wouldn't mind giving me a tour around CHS, would you?"
Twilight snickered. "What an unbelievable coincidence."
That night after dinner, Miles had just finished the equations that Flash gave him and was now sketching his idea for his eventual superhero costume. Not that his homemade one was terrible, it just wasn't exactly going to protect him that much from some of the more dangerous threats he would no doubt be facing eventually. Plus the only way he could wash it was if both of his parents were out of the house, and even then he couldn't put the mask in the dryer because it would melt the lenses he was using.
Using a set of colored pencils, he colored in the sketch and took a look at the finished project.
He smirked. "Now this looks like a real superhero costume."
Once he slipped the notebook into his backpack, he took a look at his phone and saw he had a text from Flash. Got your homework done?
Miles rolled his eyes and typed back Yeah. Wasn't that hard.
Figured as much when you solved that one in your head. Starting to notice that a lot of my friends are either geniuses or at least super-smart in one field or another.
Well, everyone's got their strengths and weaknesses. My weakness is probably the fact that I can't cook to save my life. Least not without it being charred beyond recognition and horribly inedible.
Don't feel bad. Twilight can't cook either, and she's one of the smartest people I know. 😓Don't tell her I told you that, alright?
😁Hey man, you're secret's safe with me. So, after school tomorrow we start training?
Once we get your Web Shooters made. And after I drill you on how to make the Web Fluid, just in case you don't have me or Twilight around and Karen's memory gets wiped.
You might have to bear with me on that one. Chemistry isn't exactly my forte, outside of knowing what chemicals and substances can probably kill you.
Don't worry, I'm a whiz at Chemistry.
Great. Also, am I gonna be getting a new suit?
...Let's save that for later.
Can I at least get a new mask? The store-bought one I'm wearing now kinda makes me look too much like a knock-off of... well, you. Plus it's starting to itch if I wear it too long.
Plus we can fit this new one with a comm unit and a Heads Up Display. Lot easier to talk to us instead of constantly having to bring out your phone. I take it you have some ideas?
One in particular. I'll show you tomorrow. He yawned. Right now though, I need some sleep. Don't wanna be zombie-walking through school tomorrow.
Amen to that. Meet me by the statue in front of the school tomorrow.
Got it. Cya.
Hanging up, Miles smirked. "Well, tomorrow's going to be interesting."
Meanwhile at the Sentry residence, Flash was talking on the phone to Sunset Shimmer about Miles. "And since you got mad the last time I talked to someone about magic without you and the girls around, I figured I'd let you be the one to explain it to him."
There was an indignant huff, followed by Sunset replying "I wasn't that mad."
"You said you had to hold yourself back from clobbering me and Thorax."
"That was hyperbole. But thanks for the heads up. Bring him by the Music Room during your tour and the girls and I will explain things to him."
"Great. That's taken care of."
There was a slight giggle, just audible enough for him to hear, and Sunset asked "So, how did your date with a certain girl go?"
Flash rolled his eyes, but then a devious smirk crossed his face. He pulled an airhorn out of his desk and said "Well, it went a little bit like this."
And before Sunset could respond, Flash blasted the air horn into his phone, no doubt scaring her half to death. Flash burst out laughing while Sunset got back on, cursing up a storm. "You ass! What was that for?"
"For setting me up like that. And for eavesdropping on me and Twi. You didn't think I was just going to let you go free for those, did you?"
"Listen here Flash Sentry, I am going to-!"
Flash hung up before she could finish that threat, grinning. "I'll probably pay for it tomorrow. But it was SO worth it."
-Monday May 8th, 2019-
"So, you nervous?"
Miles rolled his eyes at his father's question as he swallowed a bite of his toast. "No Dad, I'm not nervous," he replied. "It's not like I'm gonna have a repeat of the first day of THIS YEAR, when my father thought it would be a good idea to drive me to school in his patrol car."
Jefferson Davis chuckled and replied "Bet you were the talk of the school."
"Everyone thought that I got arrested or that you were dropping me off from Juvenile Hall. Had to spend three months telling them otherwise."
His chuckle turned into full on laughter while Miles rolled his eyes and finished his toast, before grabbing his backpack and making sure he had everything he needed for the day. Once he did, he headed for the door and said "Well, I'm off." Looking back to his father he added "See you tonight. Love ya, Dad."
Smiling, Jefferson replied "Love you too, Miles."
Before the door closed as he left, Miles heard his father add "And try to make some friends."
Well, technically I already made two. I mean, Flash and Thorax are my friends, I guess. And they go to CHS. So, mission accomplished. All the same, he said "I'll try, Dad."
Miles looked at his watch and saw there was still about half an hour before school started. Flash wasn't anywhere in sight and neither was Thorax, so he guessed they weren't here yet. So here he was, checking the Spidey-Blog and trying to think of a spider-themed superhero name that didn't sound entirely like a ripoff of... well, Spider-Man. Black Widow? No, that's the spy lady who used to be part of the Avengers. Tarantula? No, wrong spider. Arachnid-Boy? No, that sounds like more of a ripoff than Arachnid-Man. Grr! Why is figuring out a superhero name so hard?!**
He was jolted out of his musings when he saw a girl struggling to carry a gigantic bag of topsoil. Figuring he had some time to kill, he walked over and asked "Hey, you need a hand with that?"
Whoever the girl was seemed to pause, before asking "Um... Are you, talking to me?"
Miles raised his eyebrow, and then replied "Well I don't see any other girls carrying a mega-sized bag of topsoil. So, yeah I think I am."
"Just wanted to make sure," she groaned, her legs starting to tremble. "And yes, I could use a-"
Before she could finish Miles easily lifted the bag out of her hands and slinging it over his shoulder like it weighed the same as a sack of potatoes.
"-hand," she finished, standing up straight and turning to thank Miles, allowing him to get his first good look at her.
She was almost the same height as him, just shy of a couple inches. She wore a light brown striped sweater, plain blue jeans and ordinary blue sneakers. But what really stood out to Miles were her light gray eyes and her hair, which reached down to her waist and was a distinct emerald green. Definitely not like most of the hair colors he saw back at his old school in Brooklyn. Not unless the person used hair dye or wore a wig. But this girl's hair looked completely natural, so he could only assume that she was born with hair like that.
She said "Thank you." She then stretched and Miles could hear a light POP! sound. "That bag was starting to mess up my back."
"I can imagine," Miles replied, even though honestly it didn't weigh that much to him. Thank God for super strength.
The girl looked at him, puzzled. "You know, I haven't seen you around here. Are you new here?"
He nodded. "Yeah, today's my first day." Shifting the bag to free up his right hand, he held it out to her and said "Miles Morales."
She gently took his hand and shook it. "I'm Wallflower Blush."
Noticing the slight lull in the conversation, Miles asked "So, where were you taking this thing?"
"The gardening shed out behind the school," she replied. "I can probably just get a wheelbarrow and-"
"-or I can save you the trouble and the time and just carry it for you," Miles interjected.
"Oh. You don't have to-"
"We've got a little less than half an hour before school starts, and I got nothing else to do," he replied. "Plus, you really wanna go back to lugging this big bag by yourself?"
Wallflower though about it for a few seconds, before saying "Okay then. Follow me."
As they walked to the shed they exchanged some small talk; things like their hobbies, their favorite classes, what they brought to eat for lunch since unless it was Pizza Day the school's food tended to suck. Though, Wallflower seemed to be genuinely surprised when Miles asked about her. Not that she minded, since as she put it "Barely anyone even knows I exist."
"Really," Miles asked. "I figured with your hair the color it is, you'd stick out like a sore thumb. No offense."
Wallflower just blushed and giggled, replying "None taken. And trust me, once you see some of the other students and their crazy hair, you'll understand."
Once they reached the garden, Miles was very surprised at what he saw.
Flowers of multiple breeds and colors were in bloom, arranged in a multitude of ways that really made the colors pop out. All of the flowers were standing tall, but he noticed a few were much larger and their colors far more vibrant than what their species would tend to allow. It was also clear that whoever was growing them was showing them the utmost care; there wasn't a single wilted flower or dying plant to be seen. "Wow. Just... wow. This place looks amazing."
The blush on Wallflower's face returned, even stronger than before with her face now resembling a strawberry. "Um... t-thanks. I try my best."
Miles blinked. "Wait, just you?" The girl must have a green thumb that can outdo Poison Ivy.
Wallflower nodded. "Yeah. I'm president of the Garden Club. I also founded it, and I'm the only member. And up until this point, the only person who's ever been here, or has asked about it." There was a slight pause before she groaned and added "That sounded even more pathetic out loud."
As they made it to the gardening shed, Miles replied "Sounds kinda like me when I first founded the Robotics Club at my old school in Brooklyn. Nobody showed up to any of the meetings, save for me and the one teacher. And even he got bored and eventually stopped coming. Now tell me that THAT doesn't sound pathetic."
She giggled a little at that. "Okay, you win."
Carefully setting the bag of top soil in the shed, Miles asked "So, how come nobody else's joined your club? I mean, with my robotics club it made sense since I wasn't exactly Mister Popular to begin with. Add in the fact that I was a well-dressed nerd in a school of jocks or sports fanatics and I was pretty much-"
"-the bottom of the barrel," Wallflower guessed.
"No, I think I actually WAS the barrel, if that makes any sense."
Once they got the shed locked back up, Wallflower replied "Truthfully, I wasn't kidding when I said almost nobody knows I exist. I'm not exactly a social butterfly. And the few times I do manage to get someone to acknowledge me those same people forget about me within a few hours at the most, maybe five minutes at the least." She sighed. "It wouldn't surprise me if by some miracle, this year's yearbook has me listed as 'Most Forgettable Student.'"
Miles shook his head. "I'd actually peg you more for 'Best Gardener', but that's just me."
"Yeah, if anybody actually cares. In this school if you're not rich, singing or dancing on stage, acting in a play, or bringing home the gold on a sports team, you don't really get noticed."*** She sighed, looking away sadly.
"Ouch."
"Yeah. Story of my life really. As it is I'm expecting you to forget about me and this conversation by the time school's over."
There was a brief silence, before Miles pulled out his phone and said "Well, let's make sure I don't." Activating his phone's camera he aimed it at Wallflower. "Say cheese."
A bit surprised, Wallflower blinked and replied "Cheese?"
Miles chuckled before saying "Come on. You know you need to smile."
Wallflower giggled, before she gave him a smile and said "Cheese."
Once he took the photo, Miles saved it and said "And now, I won't forget you." He then grinned and jokingly asked "Wait a second; how do I know you aren't going to forget about me?"
His answer came when Wallflower snapped a picture of him on her phone, smiling like she had just won the lottery. Tapping her phone a few times she said "There. Now we're even."
He then looked at the picture, and before he could stop himself he added "You know, you actually got a really cute smile." See Wallflower's face start to redden he balked for a second and awkwardly asked "Did I just say that out loud?"
Blushing up a storm (No pun intended.) Wallflower's only reaction was a small nod.
Miles mentally facepalmed. Great. Try to be friendly, end up making it awkward. Why does this always happen to me with cute girls?
Fortunately for him and his dignity, the bell rung and broke the awkward silence. Mostly. "Well, that's the bell," Miles stated lamely.
"Yep," was Wallflower's only reply.
"So..." Miles started, racking his brain for something to say. "See you at lunch? Not like a date, just... you know?"
"Two socially awkward teens hanging out as friends," Wallflower guessed.
"Bingo."
There was a pause, before Wallflower nodded and smiled. "Sure. I would lo- I'd really like that."
"Awesome. See you then."
As he ran off, Wallflower couldn't keep the smile from etching itself across her face. I've finally got a friend. Maybe I'm not invisible after all.