Midtown High, Rooftop – Dusk
The bell had rung hours ago, but Raj remained.
He sat on the edge of the rooftop, legs dangling over the side, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the horizon where the last gold threads of sunlight were unraveling into a hazy violet dusk. Wind tugged gently at his shirt. Below, the noise of the city buzzed faintly—buses braking, music blaring, someone yelling in Spanish. Life went on.
But for Raj, the world had changed. Again.
He didn't turn as Peter climbed up behind him.
"You know," Peter said, brushing dust off his jeans, "normal people hang out in the school building after class. Like, in chairs. With snacks."
Raj gave a half-smile. "Normal people don't glow in the dark."
Peter chuckled, dropping beside him. "Fair. Also, normal people don't have drones watching them from the sky. Which—by the way—is still happening."
Raj's smile vanished. "You saw it again?"
Peter nodded, serious now. "Hovered over the parking lot for fifteen minutes before disappearing into the clouds. Too smooth to be school surveillance. I'd bet my last Stark-brand calculator that thing had tech even Stark doesn't admit exists."
Raj didn't answer. He just kept staring at the skyline, eyes distant.
After a beat, he said, "I'm scared, Pete."
Peter blinked. "Wait, you're scared? You bench-pressed a truck yesterday."
"It's not the strength. It's what comes with it. I don't get to be just a student anymore. There's always someone watching. Testing. Pushing."
Peter leaned back, stretching out his arms. "Yeah. I get that. More than you know."
A breeze swept over them, light but cool, brushing their silence.
Raj looked over. "Do you think I made it worse? The mutant… the blast… it's like every time I use my powers, something escalates. Something watches."
Peter didn't hesitate. "Maybe. But maybe you also saved people. Maybe that's what matters more."
He turned to face Raj directly. "Listen. The world doesn't stay still, Raj. And people like you? You either define your story, or they write it for you. And believe me—'they' suck at character development."
Raj huffed out a laugh. "Thanks. That's inspiring. In a traumatized-spider-bitten kind of way."
"It's a niche genre."
They fell into an easier quiet.
Then Raj whispered, "There's more. I've been seeing things. Not visions—just patterns. Drones. Reflections. Even shadows moving weird. I thought it was paranoia, but now... I'm not so sure."
Peter's brow furrowed. "I believe you. My Spider-Sense has been buzzing like crazy—at random. In places it shouldn't. Either I'm allergic to cafeteria meatloaf, or someone's messing with our heads."
Raj clenched his fists. "I don't want to be some test subject."
"You won't be," Peter said. "Not as long as I'm here."
And with that, he reached into his backpack and pulled out something small—a circular badge, about the size of a bottlecap. Hand-drawn, rough around the edges, but unmistakable: a crude image of a glowing sun surrounded by web lines.
Peter tossed it to him. "Made it last night. Thought it might cheer you up. Team emblem, or whatever."
Raj caught it, studied it, and smiled—this time with real warmth.
"…Thanks. You really are a nerd."
Peter grinned. "And proud."
Unknown Hydra Facility – Underground, Location Classified
The room was dark. Cold. Screens flickered with surveillance footage, some paused, some slowed to single frames.
On the largest display, the cafeteria blast played on a loop: Raj shielding students, absorbing energy, glowing gold.
A man in a dark suit stood watching, arms behind his back. His face was partially lit—sharp nose, gray beard, eyes like chipped ice.
"He's not human," the man murmured.
Beside him, a Hydra scientist adjusted a scanner. "His energy signature doesn't match Inhuman markers or mutant classification. There's something else. Something solar. We're seeing lightwaves outside the visible spectrum. Like a living reactor."
The man narrowed his eyes. "Origin?"
"Unknown. But whatever he is... he's growing stronger. Rapidly."
The man turned. "Send in another test."
"Sir?"
"Mutant 017 was unstable. But 018 is ready. It's time we see what happens when the sun is challenged by the void."
He stepped forward, voice calm and final. "Release Subject Eclipse."
Back to: Midtown Rooftop
The night was falling now. Stars blinked through the clouds. Raj and Peter sat shoulder to shoulder.
Peter sighed. "Do you think it'll ever stop? The watching. The pressure."
Raj looked up. "No. But maybe it's not about stopping it."
He turned the emblem in his hand.
"Maybe it's about being seen on our terms. Not theirs."
Peter smiled. "Now that's the speech. Very hero-y."
"Give me time. I'll trademark it."
They stood, brushing off dust, their silhouettes outlined by the city's neon heartbeat.
Peter glanced at the sky.
"Do you see that?"
Raj followed his gaze. Up above—just above the cloud layer—hovered a faint dot. Sleek. Silent. Watching.
Raj's golden eyes flickered once.
Then he smiled, but this time... it was sharp.
"Let them watch."