Spider-Man : The Morales Trilogy

Chapter 29

Max Modell was angry. Miles knew because being back in Horizon High suddenly felt so restrictive with all of the previously offered freedom now but a memory of the past. Security around the school had been pumped up with new models of robots and drones all across the massive school, watching everything with cameras that were probably over a hundred megapixels.
“This feels like Hogwarts,” Dil muttered in during lunch. “Hogwarts, after Snape and the Death Eaters took over.”
“It’s sad that you still remember Harry Potter,” Michelle said and took a spoon from her plate. She was eating a bit of everything the cafeteria had to offer today.
“It’s sad that you don’t. It’s a vintage classic.”
“Emphasis on vintage.”
“Where’s Hay?” Sam asked as he sat on the table holding a flask in his hands. He hadn’t eaten for the past two days that they’d been back here but had instead been drinking some herb that he claimed made him more connected. Miles secretly hoped he wasn’t doing drugs since he didn’t know what in the world he could want to be connected to.
“Why are you asking?” Dil asked, a bit defensively.
“Relax, blondie, I have nothing to do with your girlfriend. Just haven’t spotted her around much since we got back here.”
“She’s just really busy. Trying to process abduction and dealing with a buckload of schoolwork.”
“So her solution to abduction is become a workaholic?” Miles said and snorted. “Maybe stress isn’t the right way to go about that.”
“How do you feel?” Michelle asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Being Spider-Man. Being a mutant, it has to feel different. Much different from when you were normal, right?”
“Not really. I just have to concentrate a lot more now to shut out all the things I don’t need and I can feel a lot of energy coursing through me. But other than that, I still feel human.”
“Also, try not to mention him being Spider-Man out so loud,” Sam muttered in a low voice so only they would hear him.
“We need to break out of Horizon,” Miles suggested and drank from his cup of iced tea.
“Really funny,” Dil replied and chuckled before he continued eating.
“I don’t think Miles was joking,” Sam stated.
“Why would you want to break out of here?” Michelle asked.
“For one, Connors has been slightly cold to us since we got back here so he’s clearly not gonna let us leave to save the city if we ask politely.”
“Save the city or die?”
“Not now, Dil,” Sam snapped and took a deep breath. “Pessimism isn’t attractive.”
“Whatever, torchy.”
“As I was saying, Modell is afraid and angry and if we tell him we want to leave, we have to tell him what’s really going on. My powers and everything else. Not a choice.”
“So prison break is a choice?”
“It’s not prison break. I need to get out there, figure out a way to meet Shockwave and end this fight before it levels the city we live in.”
“Not a problem for me, I’ll just move to Washington,” Dil stated and shrugged and drank from Miles’s cup.
“Are you always this irritating?” Michelle said and rolled her eyes at Dil. “Try to have a serious conversation for once, would ya?”
“I’m having a serious conversation. I don’t want to die and I don’t want to get expelled,” Dil replied and snorted.
“Then you can move to another table,” Sam advised.
“For real? I’m getting booted out of the superhero group? For not being on board with you guys wanting to get out of school to get help from the guy who’s beaten you more than once and stolen a bunch of tech over the past couple of years. Do you have any idea the amount of people he’s killed or will kill?”
“There’s redemption for everyone, Dil.”
“Not Shockwave. He should have been left to die.”
“Are you angry about his villainy or his little quip as to how your parents amassed their wealth and fortune?” Sam queried.
“Shut the heck up, blue light.”
“How about you make me!” Sam growled and pounded his fists on the table and they emitted a slight blue glow for a split second.
“Cut it out, Dil,” Miles muttered.
“You guys suck. If you wanna break out of school then feel free to try to get past the army of robots and drones positioned all across the school.”
“We didn’t ask you to break out with us, alright?” Miles stated and gritted his teeth, trying to control his anger and the raging electricity coursing through him.
“Sam and I get out. We find Shockwave. Stop Grandmaster and save New York.”
“What about me? I’m not getting sidelined or I’ll choose his whiny side,” Michelle stated and smiled at Miles.
“Do you have powers?” Miles asked.
“No?”
“Combat skills, strategic mindset, battle plans, anything that could help us find and stop Grandmaster?”
“Probably.”
“Either way, you should stay back here. Safe.”
“I’m on board either way. When are you breaking out?”
“Since we’re all on board, tonight sounds good,” Sam said and he exchanged grim looks with Miles. “We’re leaving Horizon. Tonight. Then we take the fight to the Grandmaster.”