Peter easily blocked the punch by catching it with his hand. A straight hook and Flash saw stars in the cafeteria.
Flash refused to go down. He roared and punched again, but it looked sloppy, wild, and unbalanced.
Peter blocked it effortlessly and drove a gut-punch into his stomach.
Flash folded like a cheap table.
"Woohoo!"
"Fight, fight, fight!"
"Get his ass!"
"You useless pussy!"
The cafeteria exploded in shouts and jeers. The fight was over before it even started.
Flash's face was once again filled with humiliation; it looked like he was even holding back his tears as he listened to the jeers of the students, whom he felt were beneath him.
"I can't believe I used to date you. You're disgusting," Liz said with a disgusted face. And that was the final nail in the coffin.
With one last hateful glare at Peter and, for some reason, me, Flash left with his head down, with new bruises and a broken ego.
Oi, oi, oi. What the fuck did I do?
What a fucking manchild!
Oh well, at least it took much of the spotlight off me as it shifted back to our hero.
Don't worry, Spidey, in turn, I will properly take care of your aunt. After the tragic loss of her husband, she must be aching for someone to fill that emotional… void. And I would be there to fill any voids required.
Peter watched Flash leave, then turned back to us—more specifically, to me.
"Thanks, Kevin," he said, sincerely. His voice even cracked slightly.
The people around us looked confused. Why was he thanking me?
But we both knew why.
"No problem, dude. Just doing my part," I said with a modest shrug.
"Aunt May asked me to invite you for dinner," he added. "She said you're welcome anytime."
"Tell her thanks," I replied. "I'll drop by someday."
Peter nodded with a smile. "I will."
That's the Peter Parker I knew. Showing such good boy behavior in front of May was not just to get brownie points from her, but also to indirectly influence Peter through her.
He was a man who gave up his wife, the love of his life, and signed the deal with Mephisto to erase his and Mary Jane's love and marriage from history in return so that his aunt May could live after being shot by an assassin after his identity became public.
So, of course, when it came to the guy who helped her, saved her life, and earned her affection, Peter would definitely feel obliged or even think in favor of that guy, i.e., me.
It would be fun to first corrupt May and then break Peter through her. It would be entertaining to watch him navigate a dilemma between his morals and his love for his aunt. And in the end, he would have no other choice but to become his corrupted aunt's bitch.
It will be delicious.
"Tell me if Flash bullies you again," Peter said.
"Sure, man, no problem," I said.
Neither of us thought Flash amounted to much. He was just a schoolyard bully with a head filled with muscles who believed that the world revolved around him.
"Holy crap! You wrecked him! That was like straight out of a movie!" And Marko was back. He looked excitedly at Peter. Even Peter looked a little flustered at the attention. Confidence boost or not, he was still the shy nerd underneath it all. Seeing a fan without his mask made him feel embarrassed.
"It wasn't that cool…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I kinda just got lucky with the timing."
"Lucky?" Marko laughed. "Dude, that was straight-up ninja reflexes."
"Alright, Marko," I interrupted his enthusiasm, or he would waste the entire lunch break fanboying on Peter. "Calm down before you pass out from excitement. Look at him—Peter's already red as a tomato."
Mary Jane leaned in with a playful grin, with her arm around Peter's neck. "Aw, come on, Tiger. Don't act all modest now. Next thing you know, you'll be doing backflips off the lockers and claiming you 'tripped.'"
Peter groaned softly, covering his face. "I just didn't want to make a scene…"
"Oh, please," she chuckled. "You knocked Flash out so clean I thought someone pressed a pause button on him. Even the lunch lady stopped scooping mashed potatoes."
Marko cackled. "And that second block? Bro, Matrix-level shit."
I couldn't help but laugh. Marko's dead-serious expression while saying it made it ten times funnier. The rest of the table followed.
Eventually, the laughter died down.
Peter looked at us. "Anyway, you guys wanna sit with us?"
Nope.
Never.
Felicia was already a headache; I was not going to increase it by adding the other three college beauties and the superhero nerd to the equation. Felicia added enough spotlight on me; there was no way I would increase it.
I gave him a polite half-smile. "Appreciate the invite, but I think we'll stick to our spot this time."
Peter looked a bit disappointed, but didn't press it. He left with his harem in tow, and the cafeteria began to settle. Well, as much as it could after a lunchroom brawl and a public social rearrangement.
People still whispered, mostly about Flash's ego getting body-slammed. A few looked toward our table—more specifically at Felicia—but the buzz was already fading.
Good.
One thing caught my eye from our earlier conversation.
Gwen.
She glanced at MJ's arm around Peter's neck, and for a brief second—just a second—her face flashed with jealousy—that tight flicker of envy and insecurity, before she buried it under a polite smile.
Most people wouldn't have noticed.
But I did.
And that?
A crack worth prying open.
"Dude, when the fuck did you become friends with Parker?" Marko asked, giving me a side-eye as Peter and his harem settled into their table.
"And when did you get so close with Aunt May?" Felicia added, narrowing her eyes—the moment Peter mentioned that dinner invite, she locked on like a hawk.
What? Was my dear kitten jealous?
"Relax, Marko," I said casually. "I'm not friends with Peter. Today was literally the first time I spoke to him face-to-face."
I leaned back and continued, mixing truth and lies like a smoothie.
"Yesterday, I picked up his aunt in my cab. We hit it off. Traffic got jammed because of the Spider-Man vs. Vulture fight, and, well… we got a little excited and stepped out to watch. Debris started falling, and I shielded her."
"So today was just Peter coming over to say thanks."
Marko nodded along, then his brain caught up.
"Wait—wait a minute. You watched the Spider-Man and Vulture fight live?! And you didn't tell me?!"
Ah, shit. Why did I say that?
This would be my life for the next seven days: Marko reenacting every punch with sound effects and conspiracy theories.
Before I could fake a coma, Felicia chimed in again, her voice sweet—too sweet.
"Then May must be really grateful," she said, smiling like a cat. But there was ice in that grin.
Marko stopped what he was going to say. He suddenly felt goosebumps.
I showed a playful smile at her words.
I matched her smile. "Of course, she was. After all, I was her knight in shining armor."
Marko's brain shifted gears instantly.
"Is she hot?" he asked, eyes wide with the promise of forbidden fantasies.
"Hot," I answered seriously.
Marko looked ready to film the next episode of My Friend's Hot Aunt in his head.
Felicia raised an eyebrow, eyes gleaming. "Hotter than me?"
"Maybe," I said with a smirk.
Her expression didn't change, but something tightened behind her eyes.
"Well then, why don't you go accept that dinner invite tonight?" she said, voice honeyed but sharp. "I'm sure whatever you had planned can wait."
Then she turned to Marko and held his hand. "Marko… let's enjoy our study session together."
"Of course!" he said, straightening up with pride. "I'll help you catch up on everything."
Oh, kitten, you really thought I'd get jealous over you dragging around a toy?
That's adorable.
"Yeah, Marko," I said with mock seriousness. "Make sure you teach her everything," I emphasized the word everything.
Marko puffed out his chest. "Absolutely. I'll make sure she's ahead by the end of the day!"
And Felicia?
She just smiled without blinking.
I smiled back.
Two could play the game, kitten.
Soon, the break was over. Just as we were about to head out, Marko suddenly called, "Wait, Kevin."
It was so abrupt that both Felicia and I turned to him with confused looks.
He opened his mouth like he wanted to speak, but nothing came out.
"C'mon, bro. Did you finally decide to come out of the closet?" I asked, dead serious.
"Fuck you, Kevin! I told you—I don't swing that way!" Marko shot back instantly, then glanced nervously at Felicia to see if she believed my joke.
She just smiled, calm and unreadable. He breathed out, relieved.
"Cool. Then say what you wanted to say," I said, grinning.
Then he turned serious and became hesitant once again. Finally, he said, "Can I please borrow some cash again?"
He looked guilty, yet he looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"Sure, how much?" I asked carelessly.
"Th-the same amount as yesterday," he said hesitatingly.
"Sure, here it is," I agreed and handed him 500$.
He was once again left wide-eyed as whatever script he prepared to ask for money for the second time also went down the drain.
Was I suspicious about what he wanted so much money for? Abso-fucking-lutely.
But I still didn't ask him. It was his privacy. As a friend, I didn't want to break that boundary.
"Thanks, Kevin. I promise to return all the money to you soon. I swear," Marko promised repeatedly while looking guilty.
He couldn't even look me directly in the eyes.
"Don't worry about it, bro," I said easily.
Felicia looked at our exchange deeply, but didn't interrupt in between. She couldn't see the exact amount I passed to him, but she could tell there were multiple 100$ bills.
After that, we left for our respective classes.
—
Soon, the classes ended, and Marko and I were together again.
We didn't go home together because I usually picked up some passengers for the taxi after college, so Marko was used to going by himself in his car. We just hung out for a few minutes before going our respective ways.
Soon, Marko left, and I went to my taxi.
As I sat inside, Felicia came and knocked on the window.
Oh, for fuck's sake. What now?
I pulled down the glass.
"Open it, I am going with you," Felicia practically demanded, arms crossed like she owned the vehicle.
This sassy bitch.
"Nope. Not today," I said, already starting the engine. "Got something to do. Come tomorrow if you want a ride. Still gotta pay, though."
I needed to leave fast, so as not to miss my target.
Whatever she was going to say, she stopped and became angry.
"You want money even for that?" Felicia asked in anger.
"What do you mean 'even for that'?" I asked playfully. I knew she meant by the time I charged her for being a getaway driver.
"Nothing," she hurriedly denied. She didn't want to blow her cover. Of course, she didn't know that it never existed.
"I mean, you will ask for money from a friend," she said, looking offended.
"Yep," I agreed almost instantly. "Now, if you please leave, I have somewhere to be."
"You!" she wanted to say something more, but stopped herself.
After taking a deep breath, she stated in an undeniable tone, "I know you are going to follow Marko, I am coming with you."
I looked at her, and she looked back unblinking.
"Fine, get inside," I relented. I didn't have the time to argue with her.
As for Marko's privacy? What was that?
We soon caught up with Marko and followed him from a distance. After driving for some time, he stopped in front of an alley.
Seriously. Why did shady business always happen in alleys?
Was it because the shady people needed an alley's shade to do shady business?
"…"
Yeah, I know, that was cringy as fuck.
While my mind was solving shady equations, Marko got out of his car and entered the alley.
Felicia and I exited the taxi and followed, keeping a low profile.
I had to step carefully to avoid making a sound. Felicia, on the other hand? She glided across the pavement with a catlike grace. In heels, no less.
Now that I think about it… She wore heels in her Black Cat costume as well. What kind of psychopath goes rooftop-hopping in stilettos?
We reached the alley's edge. Marko had already taken a turn. We moved quickly and peeked around the corner.
There they were—four tattooed wannabe thugs. All of them were armed. Two held bats, one had a knife strapped to his belt, and the last was carving something into the stone wall like he was doing calligraphy with a shiv.
Beer bottles, cigarette smoke, and lowlife energy filled the air.
"Well, well, look who's here. Our favorite little friend," one of them sneered as he noticed Marko.
The others turned, flashing greedy, toothy grins.
"Welcome, buddy," said the one with the knife on his waist. "We were just talking about you."
"H-hi, Vince," Marko stammered. He tried to play it cool, but the sweat on his forehead ruined the act.
"Hey, dumbass," Vince barked at one of his boys. "Give our guest a beer."
"Sure, boss." One of them cracked open a bottle and handed it to Marko.
"Th-thank you, V-Vince. But I'm good," Marko tried to deflect.
Vince's smile vanished. "You refusing me, Marko?"
That quiet tone—soft, low, and just deadly enough to make your stomach clench.
The other gang members also showed threatening expressions as if they were angry with Marko's disrespect for their boss.
"N-no, I-I'm not," Marko said quickly. He grabbed the bottle and took a gulp like his life depended on it. Maybe it did.
"That's more like it!" Vince laughed, his mood changing faster than a girl on her period. "See? You don't turn down a friend's generosity, Marko. That's bad manners."
"Y-yes. I-I understand. Won't happen again," Marko nodded, trembling slightly.
"Come on, no need to be so stressed," Vince laughed and patted Marko's shoulders. Though the force used was such that Marko winced in pain and coiled down.
"Y-yes, Vince," Marko said in a low voice.
"Yes, of course. You are our friend. Right, boys?" Vince asked with a sinister grin.
"Right, boss."
"Yeah, Marko. You are our best friend."
"We are friends, Marko."
"You know, Marko, I was just talking with my boys about how generous and loyal a friend you are," Vince said with a wide grin, but his eyes didn't smile. "Always helping us out. Never complaining. Just a solid guy, you know?"
"Yeah, not like those ungrateful kids who pretend to be your friend and then poof—gone the moment you need a little help," a gang member chimed in between.
"Exactly," Vince said, giving Marko a gentle shake. "But not you, man. You're different. You get it."
"Th-thanks, guys. Y-you are also my good friends," Marko said in a low voice in fear, clearly intimidated by the behavior of the gang members.
The gangbangers smiled as if they were waiting for Marko to say that.
"Hehe, I knew, our dear Marko considered us his best friends," Vince grinned. "That's why he always helps us with our financial difficulties."
All four laughed as they looked at Marko with knowing, greedy smiles.
"He-here, Vince. The money you asked for," Marko said, handing the 500$ to Vince.
"Asked for?" The smile was erased from Vince's face.
With a swift motion, he snatched the bills, and in the same breath, his other fist slammed into Marko's shoulder—hard. Marko cried out, stumbling sideways before collapsing to the ground, curling up and clutching his arm.
"You fat fuck," Vince growled, his voice sharp with rage. "You think I'm some kind of beggar?"
He didn't wait for a response. His boot drove into Marko's thigh. Marko grunted in pain.
"We consider you our friend, and this is what you think of us?" Marcus shouted, towering over him.
The other three gang members snickered, their eyes fixed on Marko. They also decided to join in the fun and started hitting him.
"Yo, fatty, you think just because we consider you our friend, you can ride on our heads?"
"Or is it that just because you have some money, you consider yourself better than us?"
"You broke our hearts, fatso."
The three said while hitting him. They hit his legs, back, and arms, but made sure not to hit any visible areas.
After some beating, Vince signalled them to stop. He knelt and pulled Marko's face to him by his hair.
"Remember, fat turd. That was a loan between pals. Do you understand?" Vince said venomously.
Marko nodded his head while wincing in pain, shame in his eyes. "Yes. I understand."
"I am sorry for my words, Vince," Marko apologized.
I clenched my fists, looking at Marko like that, but I didn't interfere.
Felicia gave me a questioning look, and I only shook my head.
For now, we continued watching.
Vince's mood shifted once again, hearing Marko's apology.
"Hey, we are friends. There is no need for sorry or thank you in friendship," Vince said, laughing magnanimously as he stood up and pulled Marko to his feet.
The other three gang members laughed as they agreed with their boss and fixed Marko's clothes.
Marko just stood in shame and pain. He was now eagerly waiting for them to let him go.
"But, you know, Marko, I was really hurt by your words," Vince said with a fake hurt expression.
"So-sorry, Vince," Marko apologized again.
"Marko," Vince's tone reproachful, "What did I say about no sorry between friends?"
"Y-yeah, sorry, Vince," Marko apologized once more.
"Forget it," Vince said as if giving up.
"Instead, if you feel sorry, why don't you give us another loan?" Vince suggested with a sinister smile.
Marko's eyes widened, hearing that.
"B-but you said yesterday this was the last time," Marko's voice trembled as he said in desperation.
"I said that, but what can I do about this damn economy. I need another loan," Vince said sadly.
"I promise this will be the last. I will not ask you for any more loans. And I will even return all the money soon," Vince promised quickly.
"B-but, you said" Marko was still desperate.
"And now I'm repeating it," Vince replied coldly. "What, you calling me a liar?"
"O-ok, I can bring 100$ tomorrow," Marko said with a choking voice. He looked as though he might cry at any moment.
"100$? Do you really think of us as beggars?" Vince roared.
"No," Marko said, feeling dread about what was to come.
"I only wanted you to loan us just another 500$, but now you will have to bring one grand," Vince demanded.
"One grand?! No—please, Vince—I can't… That's impossible! Please reduce it," Marko begged in desperation.
"Do you want to make me angry again, Pig?" Vince asked menacingly.
"N-no," Marko stammered, flinching. "It's just—I… I can't get that much."
"Sure, you can." Vince smiled like a snake. "You're our loyal friend, right? We believe in you."
"And didn't I promise this is the last time. Don't you believe me?" Vince continued with a hurtful expression.
"Is it really the last time?" Marko asked with hope and desperation.
"Yes," Vince promised with a smile.
"Ok," Marko finally relented.
I turned around and left. I had seen enough.
Felicia, visibly taken aback, quickly caught up and slid into the passenger seat beside me. I drove off before Marko could exit the alley.
The silence lingered. Not even the city's noise dared to intrude.
"Go on," I said finally, keeping my eyes on the road. "Ask."
"Why didn't you help him?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with curiosity.
I exhaled. "Because this isn't the time."
She tilted her head slightly, a smirk playing on her lips. She already had a theory — but she wanted to hear mine.
I sighed again, "Yes, I could have saved him, but this wouldn't have solved the core problem."
She didn't speak and waited for my explanation.
"Even if I had helped him today, there would always be a fluke mentality in his mind. If something like that happens again with him, he will stay hopeful that either the other party will keep their promise or someone will save him again."
I paused as I stopped for the red light.
"He needs to suffer. He needs to see that his hopes are placed on the wrong person. He needs to understand that he was wrong from the start. That sometimes there is no hope in the situation."
I started the taxi again as the light turned green.
"He needs to reach the bottom. Feel it. Understand that not everyone gets a savior. He needs to break… so that he can decide to stand up. Not because someone else helped him, but because he chose to fight back. That's why he needs to rebel."
"Only then will it be worthwhile to save him. Because what's the use of saving someone who doesn't want to save himself?"
I felt Felicia's hand on my hand, but I didn't speak. I just continued driving.
*********************
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