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CH05 : LEARNING
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Well. this wasn't learning, at all. I mean, we were just watching Peter eating. I don't remember this as learning.

"I love this burger. so delicious." Peter says, I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff. Miles sat next to me while looking at Peter weirdly.

"Mm. one of the best burgers I've ever had." Peter said, I pulled my knees to my chest as I just watched as well. I held miles hand.

Miles ran his thumb over my knuckles, thinking nothing of this I just thought it was a normal friend thing.

"In my universe, this place closed six years ago. I don't know why. I really don't. Mm." Peter says, "You guys have money, right? I'm not very liquid right now."

"Can we focus?" Miles asks and I nodded in agreement, "Mm-hm. sure." Peter hums in reply.

"The other Peter-" before I could finish this current Peter cut me off. I sighed.

"You guys gonna eat that?" Peter asks and took miles food off his trey, he was about to touch mines before I snatched it away.

"Like I was saying, the other Peter said he was gonna be showing us the ropes." I say, "wow." Peter replied.

"You got any spider-man tips you can tell us now?" Miles asks, I lean forward with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I got plenty. disinfect the mask. you're gonna wanna use baby powder in the suit, heavy on the joints. you don't want any chafing, right?" Peter explained shortly.

"Anything else?" I asked curiously with furrowed eyebrows, Peter just shook his head in reply, "nope. that was everything."

"I think you're gonna be a bad teacher." Miles says as I nod in agreement, "really bad." I added with a sigh.

"Look up where Alchemax is." Peter tells us, I grabbed my phone from my pocket and typed in the location of Alchemax.

"Well, it says..'a private technological campus in Hudson valley, new york'." I say and my eyes widened, "Hey! you can teach me and miles to swing on the way there, fwsh, fwsh!"

Peter laughed and I laughed also along with miles.

——

Never mind. we weren't gonna swing at all. I sat next to miles and laid my head on his shoulder, we all sat at the back of the bus.

"I'm not swinging to the Hudson valley, you guys. not after a big hearty burger breakfast." Peter tells us, "keep your legs fresh. you guys are gonna thank me later."

"We aren't." I spoke.

——

I didn't put on a suit but just a mask as I had put on regular clothes. I stood there with my arms crossed cause— if you could just see? I looked ridiculous.

Especially miles. he was wearing merch. I could understand this though cause he didn't have an actual suit yet.

"And it's a no on the cape." Peter says as he points to, "I think it's cool." Miles replied.

"Take that off. It's disrespectful. spider-man doesn't wear a cape." Peter said before snatching the cape off miles and throwing it off somewhere in the snow.

——

"Okay so..how do we retrace peters step?" I asked as the three of us hid behind a rock, "that's a good question. what would I do if I were me?" Peter says thoughtfully as he places his hand on his chin, me and miles did the same.

"Got it." Peter says as he snapped his fingers.

He explained his plan but I was just keeping and eye out for any danger or threat.

"So, what are we doing?" I heard miles ask, I stood up and I wanted to know myself.

"Step seven: you two stay here. you're both lookout. very important." Peter said.

"Look, man. you gotta teach us how to do spider-man stuff or we won't be able to help." Miles stated.

"Watch and learn, kiddos! I'll quiz ya guys later!" Peter said as he webbed away.

"Wait, hold on! what about-" before I could finish he was already gone. I groaned In frustration.

"Why did we get stuck with the janky, old, broke hobo spider-man?!" Miles exclaims while he hit the rock, I saw it split in half.

"That's new." I said and I looked down at my hands, why wasn't I able to do anything yet?

All I was good at currently is getting electrocuted. I know I'm gonna be useless during this.

I glanced over miles shoulder and I felt a shiver run down my spine when I saw kingpin.

"Kingpin." Me and miles say in sync, I hurried and ducked behind the rock.

——

What are we doing? what are we doing? what are we doing? what are we doing? I thought to myself and the thoughts were loud too.

Me and miles made our way inside on top of Alchemax and inside a vent, I felt my foot slip but I tried steadying myself.

I wish I hadn't moved because now me and miles were falling down below, my back hit the metal hard and I winced. miles groaned when he had fell but we immediately went quiet.

"Peter!" I whisper shouted and we came to a stop when we saw Peter and he turned to us, "what are you two doing here?" Peter asks us.

"Kingpin's here." Miles answered and I nodded, "move over." I told Peter and miles squeezed in between us.

"You're steppin' on my foot. both of you go back outside." Peter said and I felt miles hand over mines, I looked down and then noticed how our hands were interlocked.

I don't think he knew how tightly he was holding onto my hand but it's not like I was gonna say anything either cause I liked it.

"No! we can't sit there and let spider-man die without doing anything about it. we're not doing that again." Miles said as me and him looked at Peter.

Peter just looked at us, obviously surprised by this.

"What?" I say cause the silence was thick.

"Most people I meet in the workplace try to kill me...so you two are a nice change of pace." Peter said and I stared at him for a long minute before smiling a little.

"Mr.Frisk! Look at this data. I know you can't really understand it, but these are really good numbers."

"And I got the password." Peter says, that quick? That was a little too fast for me to see myself.

"Mr.Frisk. If we fire again this week...there could be a black hole under Brooklyn. You see this? and this? And this? this is multiple dimensions beginning to crash into each other."

"This pretty standard spider-man stakes. you get use to it." Peter said and I nodded, "watch this. he's gonna say, 'you've got 24 hours'."

"You've got 24 hours."

I raised my eyebrows in amusement, seems like he knew a lot.

"What this means is there could be a space rapture in the space-time continuum."

"Ooh. that's bad. actually, everything she said was bad. I was lying before." Peter said.

We made our way out of the vent easily, but before I could move miles latched his hand onto mines. I tried getting out of his grasp.

"Miles! let go!" I say but he wouldn't because unfortunately his hand was sticking to mines, "What are you two doing?" Peter asks.

"I can't move! sorry [name]!" Miles says and I still tried getting out of his grasp, "this is the last time I'll ever hold hands with you." I said.

"Said that last time and you still held hands with me." Miles said with a smirk, "Shush!" I whisper shouted.

"Okay, relax your fingers. we don't have time. just let go. be in the moment." Peter said, I nearly yelped when miles squeezed my hand tighter.

"I am in the moment. it's a terrible moment." Miles said, I just face palmed myself, feeling tired.

"They're right there. they're gonna see you both." Peter said, I was still trying to get out of miles grasp.

"Miles, you gotta unstick." Peter said to him, "what do you do to relax?"

"Relax. okay, okay, okay." Miles says and breathes calmly, I did the same but was still trying to get out of miles grasp.

"Needles to say, I, uh, uh, uh," miles began to say and I started groaning in annoyance, "oh, for crying out loud." Peter mumbled to himself.

Miles fingers started to unstick and I felt my eyes widen, "wait! wait! miles hang on don't let go!" I whisper shouted.

We both fell onto the table and some items fell along with us, he was on top of me and I let out a pained groan.

"Teenagers. just the worst." I heard Peter say.

Peter looked around, like he wasn't able to see us or something. he looked confused, "Miles, [name], where did you both go?" he asks.

"We're right here." Miles spoke up and I clutched my side painfully.

"Where? I can't see you guys." Peter said and I waved my hand in front of his face, "We're right in front of you." I say.

"Can spider-man turn invisible?" Miles asks as he looks down at his hands, I'm guessing when he touched me he might've made me go invisible too.

"Not in my universe." Peter says as he pokes miles in the eye making him wince, "You just poked me in my eye!" Miles exclaims.

"This is incredible. some kind of fight or flight thing." Peter said while looking at me and miles.

"What's that?" Miles asks and that's when we hear footsteps. there was definitely no time to ask questions right now.

Miles grabbed my hand and we went invisible again. Peter then turned to us, "Remember this password. D-g-l-a-m-p-e-s-a-n-d..." he was saying it too fast.

"Slow down!"

"...4-$-3-5-8-7-6-5-4-5-3-5."

"Why is there a dollar sign?"

"We need to write it down!"

"Download the schematic."

I just began panicking as I stood there confused by all of those, especially why there had to be a dollar sign.

"How do we do that?" Miles asks and I wanted to know the same, "While I turn on the charm." Peter said and put on his mask completely ignoring miles question.

I groaned and hurried over to miles who was typing in the password, I looked over his shoulder and I didn't see him blush when he noticed how close we were.

"What was the rest?" Miles whispers to me in question, I shrugged before snapping my fingers towards Peter.

"The rest, what was the rest?!" I whisper shouted as I turned the computer towards him,

"35." I heard Peter day and miles quickly typed in the last numbers, when he did the computer unlocked and I saw a bunch of files which were one too many.

"Organize your desktop, lady." I mumbled while seeing all the files. they were too much— what was I even looking at?

I grabbed the computer while miles grabbed the monitor, "what are you both doing?" Peter whispers to us.

"And I, for one, can't wait to watch."

I froze midway while walking, miles slowly coming to a stop too. I turned towards the woman who was looking at Peter.

"What did you say your name was?" Peter asks.

"Dr. Olivia Octavius."

The lady replied and I immediately felt like dying on the spot. this was obviously planned..man, I wanted to sleep right now.

Peter turns to us, "I got this! run!" he shouts and we both nod.

"Who are you talking to?" Dr.Olivia asks and I hurried and kicked the door open, miles immediately grabbed my hand and I felt a wave of shock flow right through me.

We both accidentally bumped into a girl who looked oddly familiar..but I shook my head, "Sorry!" I quickly apologized and me and miles took off running again.

Peter then appeared as he landed beside us, "Let me tell you guys the good news. we don't need the monitor." Peter said.

I saw Peter get dragged away by doc ock, I stopped in my tracks and once again miles bumped into me.

"You didn't tell me you had invisible friends!" Doc ock says as she appears in front of us.

"Can I have that back, children?" Doc ock asks and we start running other way, miles holding my hand tightly.

"Peter!" I shouted only to get dragged back by doc ock, "it's proprietary." Doc ock says and I just ignore her.

Peter used his web and grabbed both me and miles, the door shut in doc ock's face and I let a sigh of relief out.

I stood up and dusted myself off, trying to catch my breath after all that running. thank god it was over for now.

"Oh! this'd be a good time to turn invisible." Peter says.

"Yep." Me and miles say in sync but unfortunately nothing happens, "Okay, not gonna turn invisible. selecting a bagel." Peter said.

"Act super normal." Peter instructed and I tried acting normal as best as I could while walking awkwardly.

"Spider-man?"

"You know, that's kinda crazy, he gets that a lot doesn't he?" I said while chuckling, nearly dropping the computer.

"Hey." Miles says and he just sounded ridiculous.

"Hey! hands up!"

I just started running without even looking back, I snatched a bagel from someone's hand and threw it at a random scientist.

"Time to swing. just like I taught you guys." Peter said.

"When did you teach us that?" Miles asked as he kept running, "I didn't. it's a little joke for team-building." Peter replied.

I grab the web shooter only to have it fall from my hands but I caught it, "you guys ready?" Peter asks.

"NO!" Me and miles shout in sync.

I swung onto one of the trees and nearly fell onto the snow, "we can't do this yet!" Miles shouts.

"Everybody knows that the best way to learn...is under intense life-threatening pressure." Peter said.

"WELL WE AIN'T EVERYBODY." I shouted back while I continued to web but poorly cause this was difficult.

I rammed into a tree and groaned as I did, the scientist were catching up to us, I groaned in pain while clutching my leg tightly.

I kept swinging and weirdly enough I was doing it on command, but that's when I noticed something.

Something weird.

My eyes- instead of turning a purple hue they started glitching? that didn't make sense. I kept webbing but my hands were shaking slightly.

I began seeing weird things which didn't make sense to me at all, everything was ruined and that place looked like our Brooklyn. just...worse.

Why am I seeing this?

I felt myself get webbed around like I was in a cocoon or something but more like..it was soft?

I was now next to miles and I squinted my eyes at the person who landed in front of us, they took they're mask off and revealed themselves. I saw it was- Gwen? I'm so glad we had someone else to help us.

"Gwanda?" Miles says and she turns to him, "It's Gwen, actually." Gwen replies as she sent us a smile.

"Oh, you guys know her. very cool." Peter says and I rolled my eyes while pinching the bridge of my nose.

I then realized what was about to happen.

"Don't. Don't do it Gwen." I said with pleading eyes, she sent a smirk my way and I shook my head.

"Gwen don't—"

——

"He broke this?" Gwen asks as she turns to me with a raised eyebrow, I shrugged and then raised an eyebrows, "uh- no miles—" before I could finish I was cut off by miles who clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Yeah. he's actually really embarrassed about it, so just keep it between us, okay?" Miles said to Gwen and I slapped his hand off my mouth which he winced at.

Gwen handed me the key and I took it, I looked down at it and let out a chuckle. Miles tilted his head as he stared at me, a grin making its way onto his lips.

"I know where we can make a new one. and we won't let him break this one." Miles said to Gwen, I glanced at miles and felt the butterflies start to swarm in my stomach again.

Miles then turned to me after he got finished talking to Gwen, I turned to him and we both smiled at each other.

"So about Thursday..I'm sorry I still didn't visit." Miles says, I shrugged.

"It's fine. I'm completely off that topic. right now though I'm focused on one thing." I said, miles leaned closer towards me.

"And that is?" He says and I felt his warm breath on my lips making my breath hitch.

I shrugged quickly, "uh, to get the hang of this spider thing. I'm just glad we aren't the only ones." I say.

"Me, too." Miles whispered and I looked into his eyes, he blushed a little under my gaze.

I looked away and towards the window again, miles leaned over and reached for my hand and I interlocked mines with his.

Peter overheard our conversation and smiled to himself.

END OF CHAPTER 5