//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Amazing Spider-Man: Fury of the Goblin // by DarkfireSpawns //------------------------------// Peter sat on the small brick wall that was outside of the school with his eyes buried in a comic book. He turned over the page slowly and attempted to read the next dialogue box when the comic was roughly snatched out of his hands by a taller student. "What have we got here Puny Parker?" a loud voice asked. Since this was happening during their morning break there were a lot of people around in the school courtyard and of course this was going to make a scene. Peter looked up to see Flash Thompson holding the comic and grinning at him viciously. Peter sighed loudly and placed his hand on his lap. "Come on Flash, gimme it back" Peter said, reaching out for it only to have it snatched away from him. By this time a small crowd had formed around them and it was getting bigger as the seconds went by. "Flash, seriously, just give me it back" Peter repeated, biting back his frustration. "Why?" Flash asked arrogantly. "Because it's mine" Peter said. "Really?" Flash asked, examining the comic book with a mocking expression "I don't see your name on it" Peter stood up and tried to reach for the comic book but Flash pushed him back down onto the wall and held the comic book in the air. "I would ask you what a kid your age is doing with a little baby's book but we're all aware of what a dork you are Parker" Flash said. This comment gained a snicker from the crowd which had grown considerably in the past thirty seconds and Peter could feel their eyes burning holes in him. From the second the first person had started watching Peter knew that all they wanted to see was a fight where Peter got beat up again. "Can I just have my comic back please?" Peter asked, his anxiety beginning to act up again. His heart rate increased as he began to feel afraid of what Flash was going to do despite knowing full well that this was only going to end one way and that was with him in a heap on the floor. "Well if you want it bag Puny" Flash challenged "Just grab it" Peter analysed the crowd for a long second before standing up, being three inches shorter than Flash who held the comic up above his head for all to see. Peter made a short motion of his arms to try and reach for it only for Flash to slap his arm away and take a step back. "Too slow Parker" he taunted "Try again" Peter made several more advancements to try and get his comic back before he sighed angrily. "Come on Eugene just give me it back" Peter growled. There came a loud cooing from the crowd as both they and Peter realized they had made a mistake. Flash's smile dropped off his face and was replaced with a cold look of rage in his eyes. He threw the comic book to the ground and pulled back his right hand before swinging for Peter and punching him in the jaw. Stars lit up Peter's vision as the fist contacted his jaw, being knocked to the floor with his neck cracking loudly. Twilight pushed her way to the front of the crowd to see Flash Thompson repeatedly kicking another student in the stomach. Twilight knew the face and recalled his name from having seen him a few times in the corridor as they briefly passed each other by. "Come on Parker!" Flash yelled, booting him firmly in the stomach again "Get up!" "Man..." Peter groaned, looking Flash in the face with a grin "How'd you make quarterback with a kick that weak?" "He's gonna regret that" said Cadence from behind Twilight. Twilight growled angrily before storming into the fight, putting herself between the student on the floor and Flash. "Twilight!" Cadence yelled as the younger girl stood her ground, holding her arms out by her sides. "Move geekette, or you're next!" Flash snapped furiously. "Really?" Twilight asked, cocking an eyebrow "Well if you hit girls about as well as you hit on them then I think I've got nothing to worry about" There was another round cooing from the crowd as Twilight spoke. Flash gritted his teeth furiously, his pride obviously stinging after Twilight's remark, but he quickly waved the two of them off and began to walk away. "You got lucky this time Parker" Flash spat "Next time your girlfriend won't be around to save you" The circle disbanded as Flash pushed his way through it and they all began to walk away, laughing to themselves as they did. Twilight turned around to look at the other student. "Thanks" he grunted. Twilight offered her hand to help him up and he took it firmly. She helped him up to his feet and he dusted himself off quickly. "You alright?" Twilight asked. "Yeah... thanks" he nodded. "What's your name?" Twilight asked, folding her arms over her chest. "You, uh, don't... know my name?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck with a blank expression. "No, I know your name" Twilight corrected "I just want to make sure you do, that was quite a hit you took back there" "Oh, right" he said with an awkward smile "I'm, uh, Peter... Peter Parker" He held out his hand to shake it and Twilight closed her hand around his with a firm shake. "Twilight, Twilight Sparkle" she said "Nice to meet you" "You too Twilight" Peter nodded. "Pete!" an angry voice yelled. Peter turned his head to see his long time best friend Harry Osborn sprinting over to him. "Harry, great timing as always" Peter chuckled. Harry dropped a skateboard he was carrying onto the ground and looked at his friend. "I just heard what happened" Harry growled "You alright?" "I've been worse" Peter shrugged with a grin. It was at this point that Cadence walked over to the small group and make herself known. "And I'm guessing you've been better" she said "That's quite a mark on your face there kid" Peter and Harry turned their heads and both did a double take. Peter managed to quickly recover himself and keep his hormonal teenage mind in the back of his head while Harry couldn't take his eyes off Cadence's chest. Cadence raised her eyebrows before crossing her arms and clearing her throat. "Eyes up here cowboy" she said sternly. Harry shook his head rapidly as his cheeks turned red from embarrassment. "I'd forgotten how perverted teenagers were these days" Cadence said "You're lucky my husband isn't here" "Even if he was I don't think your husband would want to mess with Harr here" Peter chuckled "Because his dad is not someone you want to annoy" "Pete, don't bring my dad into this" Harry said irritably, keeping his voice low. "I'm only trying to protect you" Peter whispered back. "This coming from the guy who can't even protect himself?" Harry asked. "Details, details" Peter said, looking out of the top corner of his eyes with a grin. "And who exactly is your dad?" Cadence asked. "That would be me" a cold voice said from behind the group. They all turned to see a man standing at six foot three with a very expensive looking black suit on with cold eyes. "Norman Osborn" Cadence said dryly "What a surprise to find you here" "Yeah dad, uh, why are you here?" Harry asked. "I'm here to talk to your teachers about your failing grades" Norman said, his eyes scanning the group until they fell onto Peter. He walked over to him and gave him a small smirk. "You must be Peter Parker then?" he asked "I've heard a lot about you" Norman held out his hand which Peter shook firmly before nodding his head. "Yes sir... if you don't mind me saying I've read your book" Peter said nervously "I think it was amazing, all of your research is fascinating" "Thank you Peter, from what Harry has told me I'm led to believe you're somewhat of a brilliant scientist yourself, is this correct?" Norman asked. "To a certain extent" Peter nodded "I would hardly call myself brilliant though" "You don't give yourself enough credit young man" Norman chuckled "From what I've been told by yours and Harry's teachers you're as good a scientist as your father was" Peter's eyes widened slightly as he heard the compliment and after a short second he cracked a smile. "Thank you sir" Peter nodded. "If you keep up your grades you might end up working for me at Oscorp in a few years" he said before turning to Harry with a cold expression "And I would've thought having a friend as talented as Peter would've rubbed off on you" "Sorry dad" Harry said, his face becoming downcast. "Don't apologize" Norman said quickly "I never do" With that he turned around and walked towards the school, completely ignoring Twilight and Cadence. "Wow" Cadence said "He never ceases to shock me" Cadence turned her head to see Harry's fist trembling down by his side with Peter noticing a second later. "Harry?" he asked "You alright?" "Y-Yeah" Harry sighed "I should be used to it by now" "Come on man, don't take it to heart" Peter said, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder only to have it shrugged off a second later. "I gotta go, see you Pete" Harry said before quickly storming off. Peter called out to him but Harry ignored him, disappearing behind a wall and leaving the group. "He forgot his skateboard" Cadence said, nodding at the wheeled piece of wood. "No he didn't, that's mine" Peter said, stepping over to the board and stamping on the kicker and as the board flipped into the air he caught it in his right hand and held it underneath his arm. "You're a skater?" Twilight asked with intrigue. "Yeah" Peter nodded with a smirk. "Can you do any tricks?" she asked. "A few simple ones, I can show you a few if you want" Peter offered "...And then maybe I could buy you something to eat" The last sentence caught Twilight by surprise and she decided to question it. "Did you just ask me out on a date?" she asked with a small laugh. "Not a date, really, more of me thanking you for stopping Flash from mopping the floor with me" Peter said. "I wouldn't really say I stopped him from doing it, more like stopped him from continuing" Twilight corrected. "Eh, it's potayto, potahto really but I think I like what I said better" Peter shrugged with another sheepish smile. "Alright, we'll go with your version" Twilight chuckled, nodding curtly "So is that a yes?" Peter asked. "I guess it is" Twilight answered. "Cool, so what do you want to eat?" Peter asked. "I think a burger will be enough to pay me back" Twilight grinned. "Alright, a burger it is" Peter smirked.