Take My Hand | Peter Parker

Chapter 23

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"Thank you. I'm really glad you stopped by," I smirked, opening up my binder.

Nora smiled in response, making me wonder if she had truly forgiven me. She exited the room quickly after that, leaving me to my thoughts.

Peter was coming over in an hour. Dinner was being made by Aunt Rebecca, which we would eat in half an hour. I had my notes prepared. This would eliminate the possibility of stalling or taking more time than necessary to find things we would need. 

Since it would be hard to see my skin in the dark outside, I could experiment in my room with the colours. 

Before I did anything, I made sure nothing was a trip hazard- no clothes or papers scattered over the floor, in case I relived my little "accident" from lunch. I stood in the middle of my room, raising my arm slightly. There was a tall mirror in front of me, showing my entire body. I wanted to see everything, to make note of the slightest formation of colour.

I started by tracing a small circle on my forearm, concentrating on the shade. I first thought of my favourite colour, blue. As I continued to trace the shape, it took form and the line twisted into a dark blue. 

The more my thoughts scattered, the less hold I had on the shape - the original traced shape did not maintain its composure. 

I felt slightly dizzy, but didn't understand why. Yes, the shape of the circle had turned into a square, but the line turned to static. The pattern reminded me of the lines on a heart rate monitor. I thought of things I enjoyed; playing the flute, talking to my friends, soaring through the skies of New York City - the rush from it was unparalleled to anything I had ever experienced.

A strong breeze of wind from going faster than a speeding car, and the security of the line was enough to help me get a grasp on reality.

Was this what I truly desired? What I actually wanted out of life?

Could I actually use this power to help other people? 

The question pondered around in my head for a while. It was such a responsibility, such a risk, and I didn't know if I was ready for that.

Sure, Spider-Man is a web-slinging hero in Queens, but me? I'm not even sure if I could swing around a building without falling flat on my face. It took a lot of willpower too, as getting hurt could be an immediate setback. Finding out how dangerous the job truly is would be traumatizing, depending on how well I would be able to hold my head up. 

I wasn't going to step down from this challenge.

It would take a considerable amount of time, but I was going to do it. I was going to use my power for the greater good, to help innocent people. To fight crime and make the world a better place.

I looked down once more at my forearm, noticing the colour taking over my entire body. Without a word, I stepped towards the mirror, admiring the shade and extravagance it displayed. There was quite some concentration required to keep my skin blue. I backed away and watched as the blue dissolved away, fleeing as if it was never there. 

The first priority would be a disguise, to conceal my identity. Of course training was more important, but - I can't go around with face exposed. That would land me into some serious trouble, and no one could know about this. 

I opened my dresser, attempting to find a snug, yet comfortable fit for crime-fighting. 

A black, long sleeved workout shirt got my attention. It didn't have any logos or exposed areas of skin. I would need to find a suitable jacket to provide better protection, but that was the least of my worries. Covering my face was the problem.

I thought about changing my face to a dark blue, and putting some sort of other material around the eyes. Or maybe I could go with a solid black colour? This would make me blend in with the night sky, making my face near impossible to see unless you were up close.

Dark coloured leggings would also be a good idea.

I chose my blue ones, but the colour was so dark that I couldn't even tell. Actually, it was a shade of blue called Stratos. I didn't even ask what the colour was, my brain already knew that information for some reason.

The jacket would have to wait. All I had were hoodies, and none dark enough to satisfy my idea for a more official costume.

A hoodie would be good to start with for a makeshift outfit, to hide my identity, but only temporarily. Something had to since I wanted to practice using the lines. If I wore a jacket, it would restrict my movement, so getting some experience without it first was vital. 

I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't going to be the real deal. There was practice first, and I wouldn't meddle with any crimes. Yet.

Besides, Spider-Man was out there. It would be way too risky to try and fight crime without any combat skills, and controlling the line was a problem that need to be sorted out first. I could still remember the first time I had discovered that power, and the progress I had made with it. I needed to pick up this skill first.

Shoes wouldn't be an issue, either. My sturdy hiking boots would be really good for rough landings. I just hoped they would absorb the impact of the landing itself, because that part wasn't my strong suit.

Now that my attire for the night was complete, I could focus on studying for the test.

Oh, who am I kidding, I was excited as hell to be out in the sky again. That studying wouldn't be taking my mind off of anything tonight.

As soon as I finished placing my clothes into the bottom of the drawer, the doorbell rang.