To Zack Shaw’s surprise, the article was remarkably positive.
Even the Daily Bugle, infamous for its harsh cynicism, couldn’t paint him as a criminal in the face of the fact that he had saved a massive squad of soldiers.
The report even used the word “hero” once, describing how breathtaking it was for a normal person to face down a monster.
Eyewitnesses at the scene had even compared the encounter to a clash between David and Goliath.
Zack Shaw’s lips curled upward.
It seemed that this time, Spider-Man’s debut wouldn’t start with him being branded a public menace.
After a healthy breakfast, he and Mary Jane rode the bus together toward Midtown High School.
The campus was buzzing with noise as students gathered in small groups.
Zack Shaw led Mary Jane through the crowded hallway, introducing her to the school’s ecosystem.
“Welcome to Midtown High.” Zack Shaw pointed to the clusters of teenagers.
“Over there we have the jocks, cheerleaders, tech geeks, nerds, dance crew, drama kids, weirdos, and outcasts like me—too smart to be a regular nerd, but not cool enough to be popular.” “I think I’ll fit in pretty quickly,” Mary Jane said with a confident smile.
“You definitely will, Little Frog.” “Please don’t call me that.” “Nope.” “I don’t even sound like a frog.” “Still a no.” Bickering back and forth, the two walked into their first class.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Flash Thompson’s grating voice rang out.
“Yo, check it out, everyone!
Little punk Parker is back!” Flash’s lackey, Kong, joined in the jeering.
“What’s the matter, Parker?
Did you finally recover from that spider bite?” Zack Shaw smirked inwardly.
A classic high school bullying routine.
Flash opened his mouth to escalate, but his gaze suddenly landed on Mary Jane.
He instantly swallowed hard, his face shifting into a sleazy smirk.
“Whoa…” Mary Jane leaned close to Zack Shaw’s ear and whispered, “Are they always like this?” Zack Shaw held up his hands.
“Usually just toward me.
I suspect Flash has a secret crush on me, he’s just afraid to admit he’s gay.” Flash snapped out of his daze, his face flushing red as he bellowed, “What?!
Listen here, Parker, I’m not gay!” A gay student named Zack chimed in from the back, “What’s wrong with being gay?” “N-Nothing!
I’m just saying I’m not!” Flash stuttered in defense.
Zack Shaw didn’t bother engaging further.
He set down his backpack and stretched his neck.
Trying to cover his embarrassment, Flash turned awkwardly toward Mary Jane.
“Ahem.
You new here?” “Yes, I’m Mary Jane.
Nice to meet you,” Mary Jane replied with a polite smile.
“Hey, Mary Jane, I’m Flash, and this is Kong.
If you ever need any help around school, just come find us.
Anything at all,” Flash said, winking repeatedly.
Zack Shaw made a dramatic gagging sound.
“Truly impressive, Flash.
You’ve brought the art of courtship to its absolute peak.” “Mind your own business, Parker!” Flash barked, embarrassed and enraged.
“None of my business at all.
Please, continue showing off your charm to the new girl.” “Shut up, Parker!” “Easy, tiger.
Don’t embarrass him too much,” Mary Jane teased softly.
Zack Shaw rolled his eyes and stayed silent.
Just then, head cheerleader Liz Allan walked over, sizing up Mary Jane.
“Where are you from?” “Up north.
I moved in with my aunt recently,” Mary Jane handled the attention gracefully.
“What are you into?” another cheerleader, Crystal, asked.
“Fashion, singing, theater, stuff like that.” “Oh!
Did you see the new Chanel spring line?
It’s amazing!” “I did!
Though I wasn’t crazy about their perfume line.
A bit too heavy.” “Right?!
I thought the exact same thing!” Liz’s eyes lit up, as if she had just found a soulmate.
Zack Shaw watched coldly from the side.
Mary Jane was like a fish slipping into water, instantly blending in with social royalty like Flash and Liz.
“Wait, how do you know Parker?” Liz glanced at Zack Shaw with disgust.
“Oh, he’s my neighbor,” Mary Jane explained.
“Ah, got it.
Hey, Mary Jane, come sit with us during lunch.
We can show you around.” “Thanks, but Peter already promised—” “Parker?” Flash sneered.
“That loser couldn’t even find the bathroom on his own!” “Of course I know where it is, Flash.
Given how many times you’ve shoved my head in the toilet without flushing,” Zack Shaw retorted coldly.
Mary Jane’s eyes widened.
“He did what?” Flash’s face turned pale, then dark.
He lowered his voice, threatening, “Don’t ruin this for me, Parker, or next time I won’t flush before I shove you in.” Zack Shaw raised an eyebrow.
“Are you threatening me?” “What if I am?” Zack Shaw looked down at him, letting out a sharp chuckle.
“I’d love to see you try.” Flash gritted his teeth.
“After school.
Park.” Hearing those words, the original plot instantly flashed through Zack Shaw’s mind.
In the Ultimate universe, Peter Parker fought Flash at the park and broke his arm.
As a result, Flash’s parents sued Uncle Ben and Aunt May for massive damages, plunging the Parker household into a severe financial crisis.
Zack Shaw had no intention of repeating such an idiotically costly mistake.
“Sorry, big guy,” Zack Shaw said flatly.
“I’m not interested in playing games with you.
Don’t need to, either.” “You little punk—” “Settle down!
Class is starting!” The teacher walked into the classroom, cutting off Flash’s roar.
“That includes you, Mr.
Thompson.” Flash glared at Zack Shaw venomously.
“We’ll settle this next time.” Zack Shaw returned a mocking gaze.
Next time?
There won’t be a next time.
“Come on, Mary Jane, sit with us!” Liz enthusiastically pulled Mary Jane toward the back rows.
Mary Jane looked like she wanted to say something, but Liz dragged her away, leaving Zack Shaw isolated once again.
He let out a quiet sigh and took his seat.
English class—utterly uninteresting.
When the bell rang, Zack Shaw tried to speak with Mary Jane, but she was already swarmed by Liz’s group on their way to the next period.
Zack Shaw shrugged indifferently and headed toward the advanced chemistry lab.
During chemistry, the teacher’s dry lecture made Zack Shaw drowsy.
That was until near the end of the lesson, when the teacher mentioned graphite chain structures and how altering structural arrangements impacted tensile strength.
Zack Shaw’s eyes lit up.
Graphite chain structures!
If he incorporated this molecular alignment into his web fluid formula, it could drastically increase its tensile toughness!
For the remaining classes, Zack Shaw was completely lost in thought.
The teachers didn’t bother him; everyone knew Peter Parker was a genius who could score top marks without paying attention anyway.
At lunchtime, Zack Shaw sat alone at a table in the furthest corner of the cafeteria, right next to the trash cans.
Taking a bite of the tuna sandwich Aunt May had made him, he pondered his situation.
With Peter’s intelligence, he could skip grades and head to college anytime.
Why stay in high school to suffer?
The answer was simple: fear of isolation.
Peter was terrified that even if he left this familiar environment, he’d still be isolated in college.
Rather than face unknown loneliness, he preferred staying in the hell he knew.
While he was thinking, Mary Jane walked into the cafeteria, laughing and talking with her new friends.
She didn’t even glance in his direction once.
A hint of bitterness touched Zack Shaw’s mind.
Was this girl really that superficial?
Were those weeks of warm eye contacts just a way for her to kill time?
Right at that moment, a boy with styled hair wearing brand-name clothes walked over.
Harry Osborn.
Even without Peter’s memories, Zack Shaw recognized the future Green Goblin Jr.
at a single glance.
“Harry!” Liz greeted him warmly.
“Come sit down!
Meet the new girl!” Harry grinned, sitting down right beside Mary Jane, uncomfortably close.
“Nice to meet you.
I’m Harry Osborn.” Mary Jane blushed slightly.
“H-Hi.
I’m Mary Jane.” Liz teased from the side, “Watch out, Osborn.
Looks like she’s already falling for you!” “Liz!” Mary Jane turned bright red with embarrassment.
Harry laughed heartily.
“I don’t mind.
Being liked by such a cute girl is a huge boost to my self-esteem.” Watching the eye-searing scene play out, the last shred of goodwill Zack Shaw had for Mary Jane evaporated.
He crammed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, stood up, and left without looking back.
The melodious sound of Mary Jane’s laughter behind him felt mockingly ironic.
Walking down the hallway, Zack Shaw felt thoroughly annoyed.
Surrounded by idiots.
Possessing Peter’s high intelligence only made his peers seem laughably naive.
If he wanted an equal conversation, he’d probably have to talk to Tony Stark.
No wonder Peter Parker constantly suppressed himself.
Without holding back, he would have been driven insane by these shallow people long ago.
Zack Shaw walked into the empty chemistry lab.
It used to be Peter’s sanctuary to hide from Flash, but now it served as his private laboratory.
He pulled out a notebook and began mapping out the incorporation of graphite chain structures into his web fluid formulation.
He spent the entire afternoon in the lab.
After school came history class.
Mary Jane continued chatting merrily with her friends.
When the final bell rang, she ran over to Zack Shaw as if nothing had happened.
“Hey, Peter!” Mary Jane said excitedly.
“This was hands down the best first day ever!
I didn’t expect to make so many friends who actually like me!
Liz is so nice—you should see how well we get along!” Zack Shaw nodded expressionlessly.
“Glad you made friends.
Like I said, nothing to worry about.” “Yeah, you were right.
Oh, by the way, I looked into the school’s drama program!
They do three productions a year!
I’m definitely auditioning for the December play.
What do you think?” “Go for it.
Starting with a minor role isn’t bad,” Zack Shaw replied casually.
All the way home, Mary Jane talked endlessly, showing off her new life.
Zack Shaw observed coldly, the sense of emotional distance growing stronger inside him.
At the street corner where they usually split paths, Mary Jane asked, “Hey, Peter, want to come over?
Aunt Anna might have baked cookies.” “No, I’m tired,” Zack Shaw rejected her outright.
“Yesterday’s aftermath is catching up with me today.
I’m going to sleep.
See you tomorrow.” Mary Jane froze for a second.
“Are you okay?
You sound really down.” “Like I said, just tired.
Don’t worry, I’ll be fine tomorrow.” Zack Shaw waved her off, turned around, walked through his front door, and slammed it shut behind him.
“Peter?
How was school?” Aunt May asked from the kitchen.
“It was fine.
I’m going down to the basement.
Call me if you need anything.” Zack Shaw tossed his backpack onto the workbench and went straight down.
He pulled out his notebook and began synthesizing the new web serum.
The entire evening, he was completely absorbed in his experiment.
This new formula was extremely sensitive to pressure.
The greater the tension applied, the harder it became.
Zack Shaw conducted multiple tests, successfully formulating three different grades of web fluid: a low-viscosity web that acted like glue, a high-strength web that hardened like reinforced concrete, and a balanced web that offered both elasticity and tensile strength.
Time slipped away unnoticed.
Aunt May came downstairs to ask about dinner, but he hurriedly hid the formulas and casually claimed he had no appetite.
It wasn’t until two in the morning that Zack Shaw finished all his tests and drafted the design blueprints for the Mark II web-shooters.
The new shooters would be far more powerful, but crafting them would take time.
Lying on his bed, he felt no sleepiness whatsoever.
Outside the window, the quiet suburban neighborhood was pitch-black, but the glowing skyline of Manhattan in the distance seemed to beckon him.
He couldn’t head straight to the city center, but staying cooped up in his room was a waste of time.
Zack Shaw changed into dark clothes, pushed open his window, and leapt out lightly, making a silent, perfect landing.
He started with a light jog, but quickly grew curious about the physical limits of this body.
He pushed off hard.
The surrounding houses instantly blurred into streaks of shadow.
Zack Shaw realized he was running impossibly fast—easily over thirty kilometers per hour, perhaps even faster!
Considering neither he nor Peter had ever undergone professional athletic training, this speed was mind-boggling.
He ran all the way out of the suburban neighborhood, arriving at an abandoned train station several blocks away.
Peter used to come here often for explosive experiments.
Back then, the tall perimeter walls were a nightmare for Peter to climb, but now, Zack Shaw cleared them with a effortless leap.
Inside the yard stood a massive, rusted hangar engulfed in overgrown weeds.
The place was so dilapidated and secluded that even homeless people avoided it.
Zack Shaw walked up to the hangar doors, grabbed the rusted iron frame with both hands, and flexed his arms.
Accompanied by a harsh metallic screech, he forced the heavy door open.
The hangar was filled with discarded machinery.
In the corners lay rusted rails of various lengths—some two or three meters long, others dozens of meters.
There was also a scrapped train car, iron chains hanging from the ceiling, and an old generator nearby.
It was a practically perfect secret base.
Zack Shaw walked over to a three-meter-long steel rail, gripped both ends, took a deep breath, and heaved upward with sudden force.
To his delight, the heavy metal beam was lifted steadily above his head.
He dropped the rail to the ground, sending a deafening boom through the hangar.
That thing weighed at least five hundred pounds!
He had just military-pressed it overhead without sweat!
If he underwent systematic strength training, how much terrifying potential could this body unleash?
However, he couldn’t afford to build himself like a heavy bodybuilder.
Spider-Man was built more like a gymnast than a gladiator—much like Nightwing, emphasizing agility and technique in equal measure.
Wait.
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Zack Shaw’s mind.
Who were the two most popular characters in Marvel and DC?