Peter's brow furrowed slightly at Flash's words.
"I know it's not safe, but I need to work at night."
There was no arrogance in Flash's voice this time. No teasing. No playful bravado.
For the first time, Peter saw beyond the loudmouth jock—he saw a guy trying to survive.
Flash's family was living with his grandparents, which meant he was alone.
Sure, he had a scholarship, but it probably wasn't enough. He needed extra money—not just for himself, but possibly to help his family too.
Peter could relate.
After all, he was in the same position.
He spent every day thinking of ways to make money to support Aunt May and ease the burden on her aging shoulders.
In the end, they weren't so different.
Peter gave Flash a small nod. "I see, but still—take care."
Flash scoffed and smacked Peter lightly on the back. "Stop being so soapy, man."
The lighthearted hit was meant to be casual—just a normal slap between friends.
Instead, Flash winced.
The impact felt like he had just smacked a solid wall of muscle.
Flash frowned and flexed his fingers. 'Did I hurt my hand today?' He had no clue that Peter had been training hard, increasing his muscle density beyond normal human levels.
Peter, of course, didn't react.
He had gotten used to holding back.
Meanwhile, Flash continued as if nothing had happened. "Anyway, I wanted to ask—wanna join the Spider-Man Fan Club?"
Peter blinked. "The what?"
Flash grinned. "The Spidey Fan Club, dude! We're gonna support and help him in any way we can."
Peter's mind blanked for a second.
A fan club? For him?
He had spent weeks dealing with bad press, suspicion, and paranoia.
Now Flash Thompson—the same guy who used to mock him daily—was running around making fan merch and starting a support group?
Peter wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or panic.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Are you even allowed to do this?"
Flash waved him off. "Yeah, as long as we have enough members and a supervisor. We just need to submit a list of positive activities the club will do. Simple."
Peter gave him a dry look. "I'm surprised you actually did research."
Flash smirked. "Hey, you gotta learn how to do things yourself before laziness drags you down."
Then, his expression turned expectant. "So, you in?"
Peter hesitated.
Just the thought of being in a club dedicated to his alter ego made him nervous.
It wasn't just about secrecy—it was about the attention.
Still, it was kind of funny to see Flash, of all people, leading this.
"I'll think about it. I'm pretty busy, and I don't know how my schedule's gonna look."
Flash nodded. "Fair enough."
Then, Liz leaned in with a charming smile. "Come on, Peter. It'll be fun."
Her voice was gentle, persuasive. For a split second, Peter nearly reconsidered.
But he stood firm.
"Sorry, but I really don't have time."
Flash just grinned. "No problem, dude. Join whenever you want. We could definitely use someone like you around."
With that, Flash turned and walked off, already meeting up with others.
Despite his reputation as a former bully, he was great at socializing.
In just a few days, he had already gathered tons of friends, both from school and his old neighborhood.
Peter had even heard that Flash had connected with Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy.
Harry wasn't fully invested, but he joined the club out of curiosity.
And as for getting official approval?
It turned out that Dr. Curt Connors was the one who gave them the green light.
Peter couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he walked away.
Of all things he expected from college, a Spider-Man fan club was not on the list.
The library was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of pages and the soft murmurs of students studying. Peter sat at a corner table, his notebook filled with scribbled plans and ideas.
Lost in thought, he nearly forgot about his surroundings—until Jessica dropped into the chair across from him, snapping him back to reality.
"So, how was your night?" she asked, placing her bag on the chair beside her.
Peter blinked, briefly surprised. He had almost forgotten that Jess was also a student here. With everything that had been going on—training, fighting villains, and planning for the future—school had taken a backseat in his mind.
"Not bad," he said, closing his notebook. "I met with Naruto, and he gave me the skills you asked for."
Jessica leaned forward, interested. "And?"
"Other than that, we just talked like old friends, had a barbecue, and then I headed home. On the way, I started thinking about how I'm going to actually earn an income and live a sustainable life. Right now, my best option is selling my web fluid formula to make some money. But I'm also considering starting a business focused on electronics and medicine."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot. Are you sure you'll be okay juggling so many things?"
Peter gave a small smile. "I'm used to thinking about multiple things at once. It's not a problem."
Jessica nodded but didn't respond immediately. She had spent most of the morning processing the events of last night, thinking of ways to prevent another tragedy like that from happening. It had been the first time she had witnessed so much death firsthand.
And it changed something in her.
She exhaled and looked at Peter. "Have you given the future a serious thought?"
Peter tilted his head. "What about you? Have you?"
Jessica hesitated for a moment before answering. "I think I'll join the police or something."
It was an answer born out of instinct, but even as she said it, she wasn't sure.
She wanted to protect people. That much was clear.
Losing her parents had scarred her deeply, and that pain had shaped her entire worldview. She didn't want any other child to experience what she had gone through.
But the police? Was that really her best option?
Peter saw through her uncertainty and smirked. "You haven't really thought this through yet, have you?"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Maybe not."
Peter leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. "How about just following me and seeing where we end up?"
Jessica looked at him for a long moment.
There was no hesitation in his words.
No doubt.
No fear.
Just determination.
She reached forward, taking his hand. "I trust you more than anyone, you know. So, I'll be expecting a rich life from you."
Peter chuckled. "I am honored by your trust and confidence, so I won't disappoint."
Then, his expression turned serious. "For now, I'm planning to meet others like us and form connections with important institutions around the city. We can make money by offering them our services."
Jessica narrowed her eyes slightly. "What kind of services?"
"Security consulting," Peter explained. "We analyze their security systems, find weaknesses, and help them improve. We've seen firsthand how vulnerable people can be. It's time we help change that."
Jessica tilted her head. "You think they'll actually listen?"
Peter shrugged. "We won't know until we try. But we have nothing to lose."
A slow smile spread across Jessica's face. "Well, we only live once."
She stood up, and before Peter could react, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against his lips.
It was brief but filled with unspoken emotions—trust, affection, and maybe even something more.
When she pulled back, she grinned. "Lead the way, boss."
Peter blinked, still processing what had just happened. Then, with a small smirk, he got up and grabbed his bag.
"Let's get to work."
From across the library, Gwen Stacy sat quietly at another table, her fingers idly flipping through a textbook, though her mind was far from the words on the page.
She had been on her way to join Peter, ready to spend some time with him, when Jessica had appeared out of nowhere and taken the seat opposite him.
Caught off guard, Gwen had hesitated—and instead of interrupting, she had chosen to observe from a distance.
Her sharp eyes studied them.
Peter had never mentioned this girl before.
Who was she?
She had an air of confidence, a certain closeness with Peter that Gwen hadn't expected.
Then, the kiss happened.
Jessica leaned forward and kissed him—a natural, effortless motion.
Peter didn't resist.
Gwen felt a sharp, unexpected sting in her chest.
She didn't like this.
She had always thought that she and Peter were well-suited for each other. They had similar intellects, shared interests, and worked well together. It had felt inevitable that they would grow closer over time.
But this girl had come out of nowhere.
At first, frustration flickered in her mind. But then, she pushed those thoughts away and smirked to herself.
'It's not final.'
Gwen wasn't the type to back down just because of a minor setback.
Sure, they kissed—but that didn't mean Peter was completely hers.
They weren't married. They weren't even official, as far as she knew.
Maybe he had accepted Jessica's feelings on a whim. Maybe it was a mistake—people sometimes got caught up in the moment, especially when someone pretty made the first move.
Gwen wasn't in love with Peter—not yet.
But she liked him.
She liked his mind, his intelligence, his way of thinking. His personality wasn't bad either, and he was far from unattractive.
She had already imagined them working together, growing closer, and eventually becoming something more.
This new development was unexpected—but not a problem.
If anything, it was just a challenge.
And Gwen liked challenges.
With a small smirk, she closed her book and refocused on her studies.
She wasn't going to rush.
She had time.
And sooner or later, she was going to make her move.
Peter Parker had never imagined himself negotiating deals with banks and high-security institutions.
But here he was—Spider-Man, Security Consultant.
A week had passed since his name had spread across the city. Criminals feared him, and as a result, crime rates had dropped significantly.
But deep down, Peter knew better.
This was just the calm before the storm.
Still, he had set aside his plans to meet with other heroes after a frustrating and fruitless attempt to have a reasonable conversation with Daredevil.
Instead, he had shifted focus to securing funding for his future—and his idea had worked.
Banks, corporations, and other high-security locations had listened to his proposal. They had been skeptical at first, but his results spoke for themselves.
Now, in a well-lit conference room inside Manhattan First National Bank, Peter—fully suited as Spider-Man—sat across from Mr. Reynolds, a middle-aged bank executive with graying hair and an expensive suit.
The man adjusted his glasses and leaned forward, skeptical yet intrigued.
"So, Spider-Man, you're telling me that our security system—which we spent millions on—is full of holes?"
Peter nodded, leaning back in his chair as if he owned the place.
"Oh, absolutely. I mean, I broke into your vault four times in less than two hours."
Mr. Reynolds blinked. "Excuse me?"
Peter held up four fingers. "Four. Times. I could've walked out of here with enough cash to buy my own skyscraper."
There was a long pause.
The security chief, Mr. Laughton, who had been silent up until now, frowned deeply.
"That's… impossible. There's no way you could have gotten through our defenses without triggering the alarms."
Peter leaned forward, tapping a small USB drive on the table.
"Buddy, not only did I get in, but I also recorded myself doing it. You want me to show you the video of me waving at the security cameras while you guys were still inside the building?"
Mr. Reynolds rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated but intrigued.
"…How?"
Peter shrugged. "Speed, agility, and a little thing called common sense."
He gestured toward a large screen at the end of the room.
"First problem—your rooftop cameras have blind spots. I took a little evening stroll, and nobody saw me. Second, your motion detectors? Not sensitive enough. I literally crawled on the ceiling, and your alarms didn't even notice."
He pulled out a small USB stick and placed it on the table.
"All the footage is on here. But don't worry—I'm not here to rob you. I'm here to make sure no one else does."
Mr. Reynolds sighed. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
Peter spread his hands.
"For a small fee—nothing too crazy—I'll analyze your security, break in again, and then tell you exactly how I did it."
Laughton scoffed. "You're telling me you want us to pay you to rob us?"
"Technically, yes." Peter nodded. "But let's be real—if I can do it, someone else can. The difference is, I won't actually steal anything."
Reynolds sat in silence, tapping his fingers on the table.
"…And how much are we talking?"
Peter leaned back. "Depends on the job. But considering the fact that your current system wouldn't even stop a mildly ambitious cat burglar, I'd say a hundred grand per analysis sounds fair."
Mr. Reynolds nearly choked. "A hundred thousand?!"
Peter crossed his arms.
"Well, I could just let an actual villain rob you for millions. But hey, maybe saving money is more important than keeping your cash inside the vault."
Reynolds sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Fine. We'll start with one security evaluation. But if I find out this is some kind of scam—"
"Oh, please." Peter waved him off. "If I wanted to scam you, I wouldn't be sitting here in a conference room with my face on the news."
Reynolds sighed again before shaking Peter's hand.
"Deal."
Peter grinned beneath his mask.
"Pleasure doing business with you, sir."
After the first deal, others followed.
With proof of how easily he could bypass security systems, more banks, businesses, and even government agencies reached out to him.
His wealth began to grow.
Using his new funds, he invested in equipment, materials, and technology—under the identity of Spider-Man, keeping his real name separate from his business ventures.
The money helped him construct a proper base, far better than just using his bedroom as a workshop.
And the best part?
He was helping people while getting paid—a rare combination.
With the city safer and his finances secured, Peter finally felt like he was moving in the right direction.
And this was just the beginning.