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That little classroom incident didn't cause any major disruption.
But it did make the rest of the class feel like the timid, cowardly Peter Parker had turned into a completely different person over the break.
Meanwhile, Peter had already shut his eyes again and continued watching the "movie" playing in his head.
That's right—when he focused, the sounds he picked up with his super-hearing would gather in his mind and form a panoramic "live broadcast" of sorts, like he was actually there in person.
Honestly, it was way more advanced than any satellite radar.
"Humanity is getting wrecked… what a shame."
In his mind's eye, he watched the massive Hulk suddenly charge forward like a freight train, smashing through several tanks with nothing but a shoulder slam.
Then, with a casual tug—like yanking up a weed—he ripped the turret off one of the tanks using both hands, leaving just the base behind.
Grabbing the cannon, he swung the entire turret like a sledgehammer and wrecked the surrounding tanks in just a few quick swings.
Even Peter couldn't help but feel the raw power and brutal dominance radiating off the Hulk.
The human military didn't stand a chance.
A whole armored division—dozens of tanks—got absolutely steamrolled like they were toys.
The sheer force and overwhelming violence were impossible to ignore. It was terrifying, but there was something mesmerizing about it too.
Sure, Peter could pull off the same kind of destruction with his current power—maybe even with less effort.
But he knew he couldn't pull it off with the same style. Hulk made violence look like an art form.
"Violence has its moment of beauty… but elegance? Elegance lasts forever."
Peter watched as the Hulk wiped out the entire ground force in a matter of minutes. After flinging a dozen tanks around like frisbees, the big guy finally hit two armed helicopters.
Then he turned and bolted straight toward New York City.
Jets trailed behind, chasing him relentlessly, and the few remaining missiles screamed toward the running Hulk.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Most of the missiles missed, exploding in dazzling fireballs across the ground as Hulk dodged them with ease.
But one missile locked on perfectly and zoomed toward Hulk's back.
Just as it was about to hit, Hulk twisted to the side like he'd been expecting it, reached out, and grabbed the damn thing midair.
Then, spinning 180 degrees, he hurled it straight at one of the jets pursuing him from above.
KABOOM!
The jet went down in flames.
Then Hulk, with his insane leaping ability, jumped over a hundred meters in a single bound. Each jump covered several kilometers, putting more and more distance between him and the military.
Eventually, he disappeared completely into a dense forest, leaving no trace behind.
Once the high-stakes chase was over, Peter shut off his super-hearing.
"Dr. Banner's a genius scientist too. It's a shame the current situation means I can't add him to my science team."
Back when Peter had kidnapped scientists from all over the world, he had considered recruiting Dr. Bruce Banner.
Unfortunately, by then, Banner had already been hit by gamma radiation in an experiment gone wrong and had turned into the Hulk.
For the safety of Tony and the others, Peter had no choice but to drop the idea of bringing him in.
Truth be told, there were lots of brilliant people Peter had to cross off the list.
Like Dr. Hank Pym—Ant-Man—and Victor von Doom, better known as Lord Doom…
The morning classes flew by pretty quickly.
Around noon, Peter headed to the school cafeteria by himself. After getting his lunch, he found a quiet spot where the sunlight hit just right and sat down to eat in peace.
"Mind if I sit here, Peter Parker?"
He had just taken a seat when a pleasant-sounding female voice spoke right by his ear. She asked, but didn't wait for permission — she sat down right across from him without hesitation.
"Be my guest, Gwen Stacy."
Peter didn't even need to look — he already knew the person sitting in front of him was none other than Spider-Woman herself, Gwen.
"If I told her right now that I was the Venom-Spidey who kept chasing her a few days ago… would she just get up and leave without saying a word?"
Peter chuckled to himself, entertained by the thought.
"Then again, she probably wouldn't leave. She'd just slam her lunch tray over my head without a second thought."
Not that Peter would let her succeed, of course.
"I heard you sent Flash to the nurse's office today?"
Gwen wasn't eating. She just absentmindedly stirred the mashed potatoes on her plate with a spoon, while watching Peter with clear curiosity.
"He started it. Ended up hurting himself by accident."
Getting stared at like this by the school's dream girl — the famously gorgeous Gwen Stacy — would've made the old, shy Peter blush and stammer like crazy.
But not this Peter.
He kept eating calmly, then replied slowly and confidently, like it was no big deal.
"You really have changed."
Gwen's hand stopped moving, spoon paused in the mashed potatoes. Her expression turned serious, eyes narrowing as she stared at Peter like she was trying to read him.
"Everyone changes. Personally, I think I'm doing pretty well now. Don't you?"
Peter set down his spoon and looked right back at her without flinching.
"Yeah... I guess... it's kinda nice."
Caught off guard by Peter's unwavering gaze, Gwen — Spider-Woman, the fearless crime-fighter — suddenly felt a bit flustered. Her head dipped slightly as she started stirring her mashed potatoes again, a little shyly.
"Peter, ever since my family moved away from your neighborhood when we were kids, I don't think we've had a real face-to-face talk like this in ages."
She scooped up a bit of mashed potatoes and finally took a bite, then hesitated before continuing.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Peter looked down and went back to eating. Honestly, he didn't have much to say about that — not when he'd only just crossed over into this world.
Still, based on the memories he'd absorbed, Gwen and Peter really were childhood friends once upon a time.
Unfortunately, when Peter was ten, Gwen's dad got promoted from beat cop to deputy chief, and their family moved into a high-end apartment in a safer, wealthier neighborhood.
After that, they basically lost all contact.
They only saw each other again in middle school.
By then, Gwen had grown into a stunning, confident girl who instantly became the school's most popular student.
Meanwhile, Peter had turned quiet and withdrawn — a timid kid who was often bullied.
Even though he still carried a bit of a crush on his childhood friend, he never had the courage to talk to her.
Not that any of that really mattered to Peter now.
What he was wondering, though, was whether this universe he'd landed in was actually Earth-65 — the one from the comics.
"It's the first day of school, so we're free this afternoon."
Gwen put down her spoon, looked up, and said slowly, a hint of excitement in her eyes.
"So… do you have time to come with me to check out the company where I'm interning?"
"If I remember right, you're working at Oscorp now, aren't you?"
Peter looked up and asked to confirm.
Gwen nodded lightly.
And in Peter's mind, one thought popped up___"Oscorp Industries"
"....."