《Fractured Threads》 Beaten & Bitten -Science is all about trial and error. Ours is mostly error- Downtown TB¨CBridgepath, Tri-Borough University(TBU), Science Lab. The last thing I expected from our mind-bending science project was to be bitten by a spider¨Cbut hey, life¡¯s full of surprises. Asri Bahri, Sabrina Ming and I have been working on Neuroflex, a device that could track and measure real-time impulses through the muscles. We suspect that it could help identify muscle conditions or assist in rehabilitation. We''ve been using spiders as our lab rats¨Cor lab spiders, I guess. Problem is, we''ve managed to kill more of them than actually study them. Asri threw his pen on the table in frustration. ¡°I''ve lost count of how many spiders we''ve killed.¡± He slumped in his chair, staring at the lab computer, where a red FAILED was displayed on the screen. Ming checked the equipment for the umpteenth time, recalibrating after each failure. ¡°I don''t get it.¡± She sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve done our research. Our simulation was a success. Why does it fail when we''re using live specimens?¡± I checked on the spider. Its eight legs were curled into its body, and it was motionless. Probably dead. Grabbing a tweezer, I reached into the glass container, the metal tip hovering above its limp body. The second they made contact, the spider sprang to life. Too fast¨Ca blur of movements. For a split second it was still. Then¨Cit jumps¨Cstraight into my hand. I dropped the tweezers, frantically trying to brush it away before I felt a sharp sting right under my lab coat sleeve. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Ow!¡± I yelped, jerking back as I felt the sharp sting shooting up my arm. Ming and Asri snapped to me, startled at my sudden reaction. Noticing their concerned stares, I tried to lighten the mood. ¡°Tried to pick up the dead spider.¡± I said, shaking my arm. ¡°Apparently, it was a zombie. I''ll probably be hungry for brains soon.¡± Ming let out a sharp breath, clearly not amused, while Asri started imitating a zombie. ¡°You better get that checked out¨Cjumping spiders don''t usually bite humans.¡± Ming warned, crossing her arms. ¡°Maybe I''m just a snack¨CI am a catch after all.¡± I joked. ¡°Seems like it caught you instead¨Coff guard.¡± She shook her head before continuing to calibrate the machine. ¡°If you start growing extra eyes and arms, I''m calling pest control.¡± Then I felt it. The wave of dizziness. Heat surging under my skin. My knees buckled. I slammed my hand onto a nearby table for support, but the whole room was spinning. My two friends rushed to my side, their faces filled with worry. The lab wasn¡¯t just loud now¨Cit was sharp. The half-drunk energy cans falling felt like cymbals clashing together. I could hear the faint hum of our science project behind me. I could hear my friends¡¯ ragged breath and increased heart rate beating behind my skull. The fluorescent light felt too bright¨Clike Mom¡¯s screen brightness. Asri placed a hand on my neck. ¡°Dude, you''re like a reactor going full-on meltdown mode right now!¡± Ming grabbed our phones on the nearby desk. ¡°Nope. You''re going home, Shiromori.¡± ¡°You guys are overreacting.¡± I said weakly. ¡°I''m just¨Cjust tired of bickering with Ming, that''s all.¡± ¡°Shut up, Shiromori. Asri, you still have his house key?¡± Asri nodded, fishing it out of his pocket. Before I could protest, they threw my arms over their shoulders and dragged me out of the lab. The heat felt like it was crawling in my veins¨Clike tiny insects under my skin. My vision slowly tunneled. Everything felt distant, yet also near at the same time. And then¨Cnothing. What Doesnt Kill You… -...gives you superpowers, it seems- Downtown TB¡ªShiromori Residence, Ryu¡¯s Room Darkness¨Cwell not really. More like a dim light from my monitor and the annoying squeaking of my ceiling fan. My old pair of boxing gloves were hanging on a hook behind my door, the leather cracked and worn from countless sparring matches. My desk? A battlefield¡ªburn marks, tangled wires, and an unused NeuroFlex board sitting next to a graveyard of empty NRGz cans. A lovely reminder that our brilliant first attempt didn¡¯t exactly work out. I stared at my ceiling, body still aching like I just finished a twelve round with my coach. The fever was gone, so that was good. The ceiling fan¡¯s squeaking was worse today¨Cit was louder. Coupled with the rhythmic ticking of my clock hanging across the room nearly made me rip my own hair out. Tick. Tick. Tick. Wait¨C Since when have I been able to hear that clock? I sat up with a wince, still in my lab coat, when I heard a faint snore beside me. I looked down to see Asri sprawled on the floor, sleeping. You sleep like an orang-utan, Asri. I stared at the far wall of my room, trying to read the time. 10:58. It was late. Mom should be home. I slowly got out of bed, trying to wake my best friend up. He rubbed his eyes before sitting on the floor, his mouth opening wide for a long lazy yawn. ¡°Slept well?¡± I asked him. ¡°Bed quality could use an upgrade.¡± Asri pats the floor, eyes half open. ¡°Well, you get what you paid for.¡± ¡°I didn''t pay though.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I turned my light on, and he hissed in protest, rubbing his eyes again. ¡°Keep rubbing, and you might pop it out.¡± ¡°For someone whose body was burning like an oven just now, you sure are chatty.¡± I smirked, grabbing my towel before I head to the showers. I had a long, tiring day. Between the failed experiments, getting bitten by a spider and feeling like my body tried to cook itself from the inside, all I want is a nice cold shower. As I peeled my shirt off, I noticed something strange with my arm. It was¡­toned. Not just in shape¨Ctoned¨Cathlete¨Ctoned. Like I''ve been hitting the gym for months. Problem was, I had not stepped foot in one in three years. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I walked into the bathroom to check myself in the mirror. Ayo. I¡¯m ripped. I looked even better than when I used to box. Defined abs. Sculpted arms. Like a fitness magazine model. And then I noticed a second detail. I could read the clock across my room. The fine print of Mom''s fancy shampoo bottle. Without my glasses. Yeah. I''m actually going insane. After showering, I quickly got dressed. Asri was now on my bed, doom-scrolling through his phone. ¡°Yo, Asri. Check it.¡± I flexed my arm, showing off my biceps. ¡°Uh¡­okay?¡± Asri looked at me, confused. ¡°Dude, I''m ripped.¡± ¡°Good for you?¡± I grabbed a toy foam bat from my shelf and chucked it at him. Asri shielded his face, laughing, but the bat never reached him. Because it was stuck to my hand. ¡°Dude, what is wrong with your hand?¡± Asri asked, slowly creeping across the bed. I shook my arm. Nothing. Asri gripped the other end of the bat. We pulled hard. It finally came loose. ¡°That was¡­weird.¡± I said, still looking at the bat, then looking at my own hand. ¡°Why¡¯s your hand so sticky, man?¡± Asri asked, raising an eyebrow. I turned towards the wall. Placed my hand on it. It stuck. I placed another hand higher. Same thing. ¡°Uh dude? What are you doing?¡± Asr looked at me like I had gone insane. I climbed. Left. Right. Left. Right. My feet had already left the ground. Soon enough, I was standing on the ceiling¨Clooking at Asri upside down. The scary part was that this felt natural to me. ¡°What happened to me, bro?¡± I asked Asri, his jaw hanging. I softly dropped with a flip in front of my best friend. Asri¡¯s eyes flickered with something more than shock¨Ccuriosity. Like he just found a puzzle that he¡¯s dying to solve. He slowly raised his hand. ¡°Okay, back up. So, what, you''re a cockroach now?¡± ¡°Why cockroaches?¡± I crossed my arm. ¡°Why not geckos?¡± ¡°The real question is why are you sticking to walls?¡± Asri gestured wildly¨C That¡¯s when I felt it. A buzzing at the back of my skull. An electrical feeling down my spine. Like a warning that something was about to happen. His phone. Right jacket pocket. Fall. I instinctively reached my hand out, extending my pointer, pinky and thumb,. Thwip! A thin, white thread shoots out of my wrist, catching his phone midair ¡°Dude!¡± Asri¡¯s voice was barely a whisper, seeing his phone dangling. ¡°Woah, what the hell?¡± I inspected the webstring. With a small yank, the phone landed safely into my palm, web and all. I turned my hand over. Then again. Same hand, same skin. No launcher. Just me. What. The. Hell? Sticky Situation -Taking tangled mess too literally- Downtown TB¡ªShiromori Residence, Ryu¡¯s Room Our gazes were fixed on Asri¡¯s phone, now covered with sticky webs that I just shot out of my wrist. ¡°Dude, you shot¡­weird sticky liquid out of your body.¡± Asri said, stifling a laugh. ¡°Try webs, you perv.¡± I retorted. ¡°But why the hell are yo¨C¡± Asri''s eyes widened. ¡°The spider from our Neuroflex project.¡± ¡°Yeah, I''m thinking that has to be the reason, as well.¡±I said, before handing Asri his sticky phone. He winced as he grabbed hold of it. ¡°Dude, you''re like¡­a spider mutant now.¡±Asri said as he removed the webbing stuck on his phone. ¡°Or man. A spider man.¡± The tingling behind my skull hadn''t stopped, but this time it was soft, slow, like a guiding voice. I could feel everything around me¨Cthe air flowing around this room. My PC is stacked with reference books. The fly resting on the windowsill is about to take off. Thwip! A webball shot out of my wrist, slamming the fly¨Cencasing it in sticky webs. I looked at Asri, barely able to contain my excitement .¡°Dude, you''re thinking what I''m thinking?¡± Asri''s eyes widened, filled with curiosity. ¡°Testing? Let''s go! To the rooftop!¡± He bolts out of my room, heading to the back of my house. Me? I cracked open a window, and carefully placed my hand there. Yeah, this is sticking. I then started climbing the wall, all the way up to my roof. Imagine if a neighbour saw me! Scaling the wall felt unusually natural, like I was crawling on the floor, but vertically. It didn''t take long for me to reach the rooftop while Asri had just started climbing. My best friend pulled himself up to my flat roof top, slightly surprised to see me leaning against an AC unit. ¡°You know, normal people use the stairs.¡± He dusted off his hands. ¡°Can I really be considered normal at this point?¡± I smirked before approaching him. ¡°I guess you''ve always been¡­unique.¡± He said with a laugh, and I threw an empty plastic bottle at him. ¡°Alright, jokes aside about your uniqueness, I have a few ideas that I want to test on you.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°First, a jump test. If you could climb like a spider, could you jump like one?¡± I looked down to my feet, as if expecting an answer there. I crouched down, feeling my legs coiling up like a spring, and jumped. I shot upwards¨Chigher, higher, until the rooftop felt miles away. The cold air bites against my exposed skin, ruffling my mulet into my eyes. By the time I looked down, the rooftop was far below me¨C30 feet at least! I landed back down low, parallel to the ground, with a soft thud¨Cmy right palm absorbing the impact, while my right foot stretched out for balance. ¡°Dude¡­¡± Asri''s jaw was hanging. ¡°That was cool.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°It is, literally.¡± I stood back up, dusting off my hands. ¡°It''s cold as hell up there.¡± Next test¨Cweb-slinging. Asri placed a couple of bricks onto my AC unit, challenging me to shoot them off like a gunslinger from the old west. I focused on the rightmost brick, took aim¨CTHWIP. The webball missed by a mile. ¡°Okay, this is hard actually.¡± I said, as Asri observed me like a lab rat. ¡°Hm, you caught my phone midair yet you can''t shoot a stationary object?¡± He rubs his chin. ¡°Skill issue, much?¡± I glared at him before taking aim a second time. Thwip! The webball hit against the AC unit. ¡°Maybe it''s because I''m aiming for it.¡± I said, looking at Asri. ¡°Could be. Try just feeling for the bricks instead of relying on your eyes.¡± I nodded, and set my gaze on the line of bricks. That buzzing behind my skull again. It''s like a voice¨Ca sensation. I could feel the uneven gaps between bricks, the distance between us, how high they were from the ground. THWIP¨C And it strikes the rightmost brick clean. A rush of accomplishment surged through my body as I shot another webball off the AC unit. THWIP¨C A webstring was attached to one now, and with a swift pull, it soars towards me. Panic sets in. I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands flying to my face¨Cbut the buzzing was back. A warning sensation. I instinctively swiped my hand across the open air, catching the brick. ¡°So it really was instinct.¡± Asri noted, still rubbing his chin. I lowered my hands¨Cthe brick firm in my grip. ¡°It''s not really instinct. It''s more like¡­I could feel it.¡± I placed the brick down. ¡°Like I could see but with my whole body instead of just my eyes.¡± ¡°So like¡­a sense?¡± ¡°Yeah¨Ca spidey sense.¡± Then an idea hit me like a lightning bolt. Thwip. A webstring launches, sticking firmly against a street lamp. Asri, crossing his arms, was catching on. ¡°Dude, if you pull that out, I''m reporting for vandalism.¡± He joked. But I wasn''t listening. The curiosity, excitement and nervousness was overwhelming. If I could pull objects to me, can I pull myself into objects? With a firm tug, the webline stretched taut, tension building like a bowstring, before slingshotting me forward. I scream as I glide through the air. Momentum was fading fast, and the asphalt road was coming closer by every second. Without thinking, I shot another webstring, sticking it to another street lamp with a thwip. I pulled against the string as hard as I could, hoping to slow my speed, but instead I started swinging¡­straight into a pile of uncollected trash. CRASH. Garbage was everywhere¨Cand the stench was horrible! I got back up, removing the molding banana peel off my shoulder with a wince, before walking back to my house. ¡­ Why am I walking? I shot a webstring against the street lamp, and slingshot myself in the air again. At the apex of the jump, I let go¨Cfeeling the weightlessness of my body, before shooting another webstring against the corner of my neighbour''s house. And I started swinging again. The cold air slicing against my exposed skin, excitement and fear mixing like a cocktail of adrenaline and bad decisions. Shoot. Swing. Release. Fall. Shoot. Swing. Release. Fall. I was swinging around my neighbourhood. The houses blurred as I soared in the air. With a quick thwip, I zipped myself onto my roof, landing right next to Asri with a fumbled roll. ¡°Asri,¡± my wide smile couldn''t be contained. ¡°I think I''m gonna enjoy the new me.¡± The Morning Routine -New day, new me. Literally- Downtown TB¡ªShiromori Residence, Ryu¡¯s Room Waking up used to be a groggy mess. Now I''m painfully aware of everything¨Cthe hum of the fridge, the insufferable squeaking of my ceiling fan, every creak of the floorboard as Mom prepares breakfast. Honestly, it''s not that it''s annoying¡­just different. It''s more like your senses woke up before you did. Goodbye quiet mornings, I guess. I quickly freshen up before joining Mom for breakfast. The smell of egg and toast fills the kitchen. Minami Shiromori, my mom, greeted me with her usual tired smile as I transferred the fried eggs that she cooked onto two plates. ¡°You seem full of energy today, Ryu.¡± She was pouring tea into her favourite cup. ¡°And you should get more rest, mom. You work too much at the shelter.¡± I handed her a plate of fried eggs and toast. ¡°Hey you''re the one who got sick last night!¡± she snapped back, grabbing the plate from my hand. ¡°Is the fever gone?¡± Buzzing. My spidey sense flared. A warning sensation. Mom. Elbow. Teapot. A split second later, she knocked the teapot over. I reached out, catching the teapot mid air, a few drops of tea spilling out of the spout. I gripped the handle too hard, and I could feel the handle splitting. Mom, wide eyes, looked at the teapot and back to me. ¡°Fast hands for a sick boy.¡± ¡°Still got that boxer¡¯s reflex.¡± I said with a nervous chuckle while pouring myself a glass. ¡°So, how is Neuroflex?¡± Mom asked as I bit into my buttered toast. ¡°A headache. Most of the data we pull is static or useless.¡± I shook my head slightly in frustration. ¡°You three will get there. You always do.¡± ¡°Speaking of you three,¡± Mom took a sip of her tea. ¡°I haven''t seen Ming in a while. How is she?¡± I choked on my toast¨Cmy thumb pressing the fork hard, bending it like it was soft clay. Mom stared at the fork, and I placed it on the counter like nothing happened. ¡°She''s fine. Why¡¯d you ask¡± I grabbed myself a new fork. ¡°Well, she wasn''t here yesterday. Asri was the one that helped me take care of you.¡± ¡°Maybe she was busy.¡± I took a bite of my fried egg. ¡°I''d expect the ¡®girlfriend¡¯ to stay and nurse you too.¡± Mom smirked, sipping her tea. I nearly choked again. ¡°She''s not my girlfriend, Mom!¡± I blurted out. ¡°Of course not. I''d sooner hear you get into another fight with those troublemakers down the street than hear you and Ming make any progress.¡± I blushed at the thought of confessing to Ming. ¡°I don''t like her like that. She''s a good friend.¡± ¡°Hm, just like your late father. He''d blush as well when his friends would talk about me.¡± She finishes the last bite of her toast. Dad, Hiroto Shiromori, was a firefighter¨Ca damn good one. He died as he lived: charging into danger without hesitation. A gang of street thugs set fire to an apartment¨Csomething about loan shark debt. A few families were trapped inside, and he charged in at once. Kept going even when his oxygen mask malfunctioned. The fire didn''t kill him, but the smoke did. But not before he got everyone out. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You know,¡± Mom suddenly spoke. ¡°You''re just as much a firefighter as your dad.¡± I looked at her confused. ¡°How? I''m a science student. Dad''s a hero.¡± Mom smiled, ruffling my mullet. ¡°Yeah, but you take ¡®fighter¡¯ in ''firefighter¡¯ too literally, and you have a fire for science.¡± ¡°Hey, I haven''t been in any fights lately!¡± I gave her a smug look. ¡°That''s because you''re stuck in a lab. What''s there to fight? Your science project?¡± ¡°See, proof that I''ve been good.¡± ¡°You sure it''s not proof that you want to be with Ming more?¡± her teasing smirk widens. ¡°MOM!¡± I jabbed my eggs a little too hard. Crack. A small chip formed in the plate where I stabbed it. Thank God Mom didn¡¯t hear that. I quickly grabbed a tissue, brushing away the tiny shard before she could notice, then finished my breakfast. She grabbed my empty plate and reminded me that if I don''t go now I''ll be late for class. Crap. I grabbed my sling bag and my spare lab coat, kissed Mom goodbye and rushed out of the house.
Downtown TB¨C Bridgepath, TBU, Main Campus TBU was always a busy place¨Cespecially in the morning. Students were scattered around the main hub. A group was discussing their group projects at the Study Nook¨Csomething about synth music. Another group of students were discussing last night¡¯s local e-sport tournament by a vending machine. Guess VGs lost again to Red Giants. Some were hanging by the Graffiti Wall, talking about going to a famous nightclub at Neon Row. I found Asri on a nearby communal table¨Cburied away in his laptop, surrounded by a small group of robotic engineering students. A small humanoid animatronic stood on the table, connected to his laptop that was plastered with Hack The Planet or Free Wifi Access stickers plastered on it. ¡°So if we rewrite this section of the code like this¡­¡±He muttered to himself, frantically typing on his laptop. He hit the Enter button, and the small animatronic on the table started to move. ¡°Huzzah!¡± a student exclaimed. ¡°As, you''re a genius!¡± Another exclaimed. Asri just sat there, looking at the animatronic dancing, satisfaction filled his gaze. I pat him on the shoulder, reading the code that he wrote. ¡°Did you have to add your tag at the end of the code?¡± I point at the last line of the code, which was #asriwuzhere ¡°Hey, it''s so that people know that''s my work!¡± He pushes me away playfully. ¡°Uh huh, narcissistic much?¡± Asri shakes his head, grinning. He saved the code into a pendrive and tossed it to a nearby student. ¡°Here, send this to the robotics department. Tell them it should work if they don''t mess with it.¡± The student nodded and the group dispersed, some of them glancing shyly at Ryu. A sharp voice cut through the noise, unmistakable in its tone. ¡°This early in the morning and you''re hitting on girls?¡± Ryu didn''t even need to guess who that was. ¡°Aww Ming, you hurt me.¡± I clutched my chest, staring at the pixie-haired girl. ¡°I could make it worse.¡± She snapped, punching me in the shoulder. My Spidey sense softly flared at Ming''s fist, but I let her punch land. Wait¡­ that should¡¯ve hurt more. ¡°Ouch Ming, no love for me anymore?¡± I looked at her with puppy eyes, bracing my shoulder, but the pain was not there. ¡°I''ll dig those eyes out if you keep making that face.¡± She sharply sighed. ¡°C''mon, we got class.¡± Asri packed his laptop, while me and Ming continued to bicker. That was our usual morning. Asri doing something with his laptop, me and Ming bickered back and forth. Even with these¡­spider powers, it couldn''t change my morning routine with these two. The New Norm -With great power comes great impulses- Downtown TB¨CBridgepath, TBU, Main Campus Hall Going through the busy campus today felt different. It feels like I could hear everything. The two students sitting by the fountain whispering sweet nothings. The group of jocks discussing their game plan for the next friendly tournament. The sound of doors creaking lightly as students entered the lecture halls. A guy at the end of the hall muttered an apology after bumping into someone. A girl was arguing with her boyfriend about how he didn¡¯t call her back last night. It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯m trying to listen¨CI just knew. Ming, noticing me tensing up, decided to ask. ¡°Are you still ill, Shiromori?¡± ¡°What?¡± I snapped to meet her gaze. ¡°No, perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Your stiff body says otherwise.¡± ¡°Woah Ming, take me to dinner first before checking my body out!¡± I smiled flirtatiously, which she tch¡¯d. ¡°If you fall again, I am not picking you up.¡± ¡°Oh, you know you will. You love me too much.¡± Asri rolled his eyes. ¡°You know, some people like their mornings quiet.¡± He looked at us. ¡°Quiet, as in not hearing an old married couple flirting all the time.¡± I could feel my ears going red. Ming stiffens. ¡°We are not a couple!¡± We said spontaneously together. Asri shrugged. ¡°Sure, cause everyone disguised their flirting as bickering disguised as flirting.¡± ¡°Then how about you tell your best friend to shut up for once?¡± Ming glared at Asri. ¡°You¡¯d miss me too much if I shut up for a day.¡± I snapped back at her. ¡°How about both of you shut the hell up?¡± a voice suddenly interrupted. Three students stood behind us, their faces clearly annoyed. ¡°How about you stop eavesdropping on other people?¡± Ming turned, crossing her arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t I make you shut up?¡± One of them started approaching. Big. Tough. Slow. I placed my hand on his shoulder, preventing him from advancing. ¡°You really don¡¯t want this, ¡®friend¡¯.¡± I warned him, a smile flashing. He grabbed my collar in a tight grip, and pulled me in closer. ¡°And what if I do?¡± Ming tried to pull his grip away, but he was strong. ¡°Let go of him, you jerk!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± With a hard shove, Ming dropped to the floor. Ah. Now that¡¯s too far. My body moved before I could think. My fist sank deep into his gut¨Ca sharp wheeze escaped him before he doubled over. Clenching my fists hard, I threw a sharp uppercut, snapping his head hard. A sidestep to reposition¨Cmy fist homed straight to his chest. The hit was clean and the impact sent him crashing into his friends like a bowling ball. The onlookers backed away, someone muttered under their breath. ¡°What the hell is up with that punch?¡± His friends stood there, their gazes wide like they just saw a ghost. They tried to help their friend up, but clearly they were more focused on me. Ming¡¯s gaze flicked to me. ¡°Ryu¡­what was that?¡± My mind was still focused on the guy sprawled on the floor, clutching his chest. I stepped forward, looming over him and his friends. My voice was low. Cold. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± No one said a word. Not the crowd. Not the three guys. Not Ming. I gently placed my hand behind Ming¡¯s back and guided her away from the commotion. I could hear people whispering about what had just happened. Ming exhaled sharply, glancing at me. ¡°Dramatic much?¡± Asri snorted. ¡°Oh, ¡®course he¡¯s dramatic. His wife got hurt.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I could feel my cheeks burning up. ¡°Shut it, you coding freak.¡± ¡°And he doesn¡¯t deny it as well.¡± He nudged Ming, who was sneaking a glance at me.
TBU¨CKinematics Classroom Ming was flipping through her notebook as the professor droned on about biomechanic. He was holding a tablet, and a projector was casting his slides on today¡¯s topic: Kinematics. ¡°Kinematics, class, is all about motion without considering the force. Speed, velocity, acceleration¨Cthese are some examples of the properties of kinematics.¡± The slides switched to an image of a runner, with velocity vectors pointing in different directions. ¡°Class, can you give a real world example?¡± I kept my head resting on my hand. The class was silent, some were flipping through their notebooks, while most were keeping their heads down¨Cas if trying to be invisible. After a long sigh, I raised my hand instead. ¡°Using kinematics to measure how fast a runner can go?¡± ¡°Are you telling me or asking me, Shiromori?¡± ¡°Telling you?¡± I sarcastically said, making a questioning face. He let out a long exhale, his hand waving lazily¨Clike shooing a mosquito. Muttering something under his breath, he turned his gaze back to me, a faint, tired smile tugging his lips. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s one of the applications.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose, used to my antics. ¡°For once, Shiromori, I¡¯d like to have you answer me like you¡¯re not in a guessing game show.¡± He resumed his lecture. I placed my hand back down, while Ming was glaring at me. ¡°Smug.¡± ¡°Ice-cold.¡± I retorted. ¡°Get married already.¡± Asri sighed, and we flicked our sharp gazes at him. The slide now showed a question about calculating the displacement with linear acceleration. The professor turned to the class, tapping his fingers impatiently. ¡°Well, everyone? Anybody have an answer?¡± As usual, heads start going down like the setting sun. Ming started calculating in her head, before raising her hand. ¡°12 seconds.¡± ¡°Very good, Ming.¡± the professor revealed the answer. ¡°Showoff.¡± I glanced at her. Ming snapped back. ¡°Slowpok¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Asri, who was sitting between us, raised his hands. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle today.¡± I gave a final glance at Ming. Was that a satisfied smirk I saw?
TBU¨CUniCafe The university¡¯s cafe, unironically called UniCafe, was bustling with students. I could hear the conversations happening around me, but I tried to zone them out. Most of them were still talking about the fight this morning. I grabbed a can of Coke before joining my two friends at an empty table. ¡°So,¡± Ming took a sip of her bottled water. ¡°Since when could you teach someone to fly with a punch?¡± Her stares were locked onto me. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna believe it if we told you, Ming.¡± Asri smirked, ready to tell Ming about my newfound abilities. I kicked him under the table, maybe a little too hard. He let out a silent scream as he braced his shin. ¡°What was that for?¡± Ming raised her eyebrow, flicking her gaze between me and Asri. ¡°Nothing.¡± I casually said, glaring at Asri. ¡°Just some people can¡¯t keep a secret.¡± ¡°And what would that secret be, Shiromori?¡± ¡°That I¡¯ve been training again.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the boxing gym for a year.¡± ¡°Self practice. I still got my champion¡¯s right hook, you know.¡± I gently swing a hook across her face. She rolled her eyes. I gave a quick look at Asri, who was still wincing in pain. ¡°You good, man?¡± I sarcastically asked him. ¡°Peachy.¡± He sharply replied, still bracing his shin. ¡°Anyways, I wrote up something that might help with Neuroflex. He booted his laptop up, and started searching for his new software. Suddenly, I felt that now familiar jolt of electricity in my spin¨C Left. Girl. Slip. Food tray. Right on cue, a female student walked past us, her eyes were glued to her phone¨Ccompletely missing the puddle of bubble tea. My body moved before my brain could register. I caught her by the waist before she face-planted herself. Her phone tumbled through the air, spinning like a buzzsaw. I snatched it midair¨Cright before it could smack Ming in the face. Crack. Oh sh- I could feel the spiderweb crack forming under my thumb. I think Ming saw it too¨Cshe¡¯s keeping quiet but her gaze lingered a little too long. ¡°Guess the floor was more interested in your text notification than you thought.¡± I smirked, returning her phone back to her¨Cflipped over to hide the crack. She thanked me, and I told her to be safe. She looked confused to see the new ¡®present¡¯ I left as she walked away. ¡°You hurt?¡± I asked, looking at Ming with concern. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±She said, eyes wide with shock. ¡°Since when were you that fast?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been fast, Ming.¡± I gave her a smug look ¡°You got bit by a spider yesterday.¡± She looked at me, deadpan. ¡°That¡¯s different. I was¡­ distracted by your beauty.¡± I gave her a flirty smile. ¡°You say that to every girl you save?¡± ¡°That one¡¯s a Ming special.¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Asri cleared his throat loudly. ¡°Speaking of Neuroflex, mom and dad, can I show you this before we get to testing?¡± He turned his laptop towards us. We each brainstormed a new approach to test on our science project, using Asri¡¯s new algorithm as a foundation. Ming suggested refining it to look for sudden impulse spikes¨Creaction time to stimuli, muscles repairing itself. With newfound determination, we quickly packed up. A smile, packed with excitement and curiosity, tugged across our lips as we headed to the science lab. Numbers Don’t Lie -Numbers don¡¯t lie, but I do- Downtown TB¨CBridgepath, TBU, Science Lab ¡°Yo Ryu,¡± Asri called me over, his hands were a blur as he typed. ¡°Adjust the receiver on the left side. It¡¯s unstable.¡± He points to the experiment table¨Ca spider sat in a glass container, an assortment of nodes and receivers attached to it like a deadly contraption. I grabbed a small wrench and started adjusting the tuning bolt. ¡°Good?¡± ¡°Crank it a bit more.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Okay, perfect.¡± He continued typing. ¡°Ming, can you calibrate for shorter lengths? I think our frequency is too high.¡± She turns the dial slowly, awaiting further instruction. Beep. We froze. Our gazes snapped to the monitor screen on the experiment table. Beep. Asri got out of his seat and approached us slowly;his gaze glued to the monitor. ¡°Ming, hold the frequency there. Change the others too. Ryu, try provoking the spider.¡± He started typing on the monitor, trying to make sure this was actual data and not junk again. Ming quickly complied, adjusting the other nodes to match. Asri kept her busy with a flurry of instructions. Grabbing a screwdriver, I approached the glass tank. Beep. The spider, idle at first, jerked away to create distance between us. Neuroflex was calculating its reaction to us! A strange tension hung in the air, like something unseen had shifted. The air felt different now¨Cmore charged¨Cas the data kept flowing in. My friends were fixated on the monitor like it was an alien device, but my attention was solely on the spider. No sooner had I lifted my screwdriver, the monitor started beeping again. This time, though, the data was different¨Cit was coming in multiple bursts. Beep. Beep-beep. B-b-beep. The spider scampered to hide behind a fake rock, reacting before I even tapped the container with the screwdriver. ¡°Woah! What is this?¡± Ming murmured to herself, trying to make sense of the new set of data. ¡°This data isn¡¯t connected like the others.¡± She pointed at the anomaly in the data. Asri, trying to find the source of the data, started analyzing it. ¡°It¡¯s recorded when Ryu approached it. But look,¡± he pointed to a string of numbers and graphs. ¡°The spider was idle at the time of record.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s noise again?¡± I asked, placing the screwdriver next to the container. ¡°No, can¡¯t be. See?¡± Ming showed the spike in the graph. ¡°This indicates an action, but notice the others are constant?¡± Her finger slid across to a different graph¨Cmostly flat. ¡°This graph was recording the limbs and muscles. There¡¯s no action over here.¡± ¡°Guys¡­¡± Asri suddenly spoke, his eyes locked onto the monitor. ¡°We just recorded an instinctual reaction.¡± He highlighted a new set of decompiled data¨Cone taken from the spider¡¯s reaction time. ¡°Hold up. What?¡± I moved closer to him, trying to make sense of the data. ¡°Oh wow¡­¡± Ming scrolled through the data; the numbers all point to one conclusion: Neuroflex had the instinctual reaction of the spider before its body realized. ¡°Dude,¡± I patted Asri on the shoulder. ¡°You just recorded the first concrete proof of the spider''s sense of danger.¡± ¡°One could also say¡­ spider sense.¡± He smirked. My warning glare met his smug gaze. Click. The lab door swung open, and two figures entered the room. Professor Zheng, Ming¡¯s mentor, and an unknown student. ¡°Good afternoon, you three.¡± the professor said, his hand placed on the student¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have someone here interested in your projects. Four heads are better than three, all that.¡± The student adjusted his expensive looking blazer, and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Lucas Vale, top of the year in Neuroscience & Cybernetics.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing a lot about your project, and I¡¯m interested to help.¡± He stepped towards us¨Ctowards Ming. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°So you must be Sabrina Ming, the brain of this project.¡± He flashed a charming smile while sticking his hand out. ¡°Must I be the brain?¡± Ming retorted, crossing her arms. ¡°Well I assumed you are since he,¡± he pointed at Asri. ¡°looks like the tech guy. That one,¡±he gestured lazily at me. ¡°That looks like a manual labour worker to me.¡± ¡­ Excuse me? Asri side-eyed me, hoping I don¡¯t send this new kid to the ER. I was very tempted to. ¡°Well we don¡¯t assume here, Vale.¡± Ming turned, leaving his hand hanging. ¡°We make sure.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He flashed her another smile. The professor clasped his hands and said he had to leave for the meeting, but he¡¯ll consider Lucas as officially part of the team. The silence hung in the air for a moment as he left. ¡°So what¡¯s new?¡± Lucas rubbed his hands together, his attention at Ming. ¡°Found some cool stuff?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°We found some interesting data that you might want to see.¡± Asri showed him the instinctual reaction data. ¡°Woah, this is groundbreaking.¡± He leaned towards the computer, pushing Asri away. ¡°No one has done this before.¡± He turned to Ming. ¡°Excellent work, Ming.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a solo project.¡± Ming glared at him. ¡°We got this data after countless experiments.¡± ¡°Oh, of course!¡± He straightened. ¡°Tech boy here must¡¯ve done all the coding. I¡¯ve heard how good you are with computers.¡± He turned to Asri and gave him a smug smile. Asri¡¯s face soured. Tech boy? ¡°Not just Asri, mind you.¡± Ming nodded to me. ¡°Shiromori was the one who drafted every experiment from the beginning. Without his help, we wouldn¡¯t have made this much progress.¡± Lucas didn''t even glance my way. ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys would¡¯ve done fine without the labourer¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Do you have something useful to say, ¡®friend¡¯, or are you just or are you just here to run your mouth?¡± I snapped, irritation crept into my tone. Asri shot me a worried look. I could tell what he¡¯s thinking. Calm down, you spider freak. Lucas finally turned to me. ¡°Just saying. Some people just want free marks for their final year project.¡± He stepped towards me, measuring me up. ¡°Yeah? Like you barging in our project mid-way?¡± I stood up straight, facing his arrogant face. ¡°I could actually provide useful help, unlike your¡­experiments.¡± He brushed my shoulder. ¡°Like helping us get our coffee everyday? We needed a runner.¡± I pushed his hand away. Ming cleared her throat, exasperated. With who? No idea. ¡°We¡¯re here to work, not to flirt.¡± she exhaled sharply. ¡°I could flirt with you all day.¡± Lucas said¡ªto Ming, but the sharpness in his grin made it clear he meant me too. I stared at him, my knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists. One punch, man. Just one punch. Lucas let out a slow breath, then turned to Ming like nothing happened. ¡°You know, I couldn¡¯t help but notice you¡¯re using the old MX450 scanners. Why?¡± She shook her head, clearly annoyed. ¡°As much as we want to use the latest MX600, the project doesn¡¯t have enough fundings.¡± He let out a laugh, and God it was smug. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so? I¡¯ll have it installed by the morning.¡± Ming¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? No, we can¡¯t have you spending that much money on a project.¡± ¡°Sabrina, look at me.¡± He pretended to adjust his over-expensive watch. ¡°All I care about is the project running smoothly.¡± Who the hell do you think you are, calling her Sabrina? Asri shot me another glance and rolled his eyes. I gave him a smirk. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I personally thank you, Vale.¡± Ming placed her hand on her chest, bowing slightly in gratitude. ¡°You can thank me with dinner.¡± He flashed her another grin. ¡°Okaaay, let¡¯s all dial back from dinners and gratitude.¡± Asri stood up, his hands were slowly raising. ¡°How about we call it a day here, huh?¡± A nervous chuckle escaped him as he slowly glanced back at me. ¡°Yeah, this all is getting¡­overwhelming.¡± I threw my clipboard onto the table and punched it. Gently. Or so I thought. Crack. The wooden clipboard split in half. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. The wooden tabletop cracked too. Silence. A slow, sharp breath escaped Ming. Asri sat back down, his chair creaking as he leaned. His eyes flickering between me and the broken table. Lucas¡¯ smirk faltered¨Conly for a second. Then it¡¯s back again. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day, yeah?¡± I smiled, dusting my knuckles. ¡°...You okay, Shiromori?¡± Ming finally asked, her voice careful. Like she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted an answer. ¡°Peachy.¡± I said to her¨Cmy glare stayed glued to Lucas. Wrong Day, ‘Friend’ -Something¡¯s going to break tonight. Hope it¡¯s a face- Downtown TB¨CBridgepath My footsteps felt heavier this evening. It wasn¡¯t because I was tired¨Cbecause I was thinking¨Cnothing friendly on board this train of thought, though. Ming and Asri were walking behind me, and I could clearly hear them whisper. Didn¡¯t even need to try. Stupid enhanced hearing. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with Shiromori?¡± Ming whispered. A hint of concern in her tone. ¡°I think I know why.¡± Asri swallowed nervously. ¡°But I feel like if I mention it, he might send me flying next.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t punch my friends.¡± I said, irritation laced in my voice. ¡°And I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just¡­ tired from looking at the lab.¡± ¡°Eavesdrop much, Shiromori?¡± Ming smirked, trying to start our usual bickering.. Sorry Ming. Not in the mood right now. Silence The awkward air clung to us, like a baby clinging to its mother. Then¨Cthat whistle. ¡°Hey baby, wanna keep some real men company tonight?¡± one of them said. Ming kept walking. I stopped. ¡°Crawl back to your alleyway.¡± I hissed, eyes locked ahead. Ming and Asri quickened their pace, moving beside me. Behind me¨Cshuffling. Closing in. Let me guess¨Ccollar grab. A split second later¨Cthere it was. Typical. ¡°The hell you said, punk?¡± the thin one said. His grip tightened. Bad move. ¡°Hearing problem?¡± I said sharply. ¡° I¡¯ll help.¡± My right hook¨Csnapped his head sideways. His grip¨Cgone. My knee¨Ccollided with his face. One step forward. My fist¨Cmet his ribs. His body¨Cfolded over. I felt the crack. They heard it too. I let him drop. ¡°Wrong day, ¡®friend¡¯.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for his friends to end up sprawled on the pavement too. I kept walking, my hands stuffed into my pocket. Ming and Asri, eyes wide after seeing the aftermath, quickly followed suit.
Bridgepath¨CBurger Planet The smell of fried patties and cheap coffee hit us as soon as the door swung open. The diner was as cramped as usual. The faded jukebox played an old song that Asri liked, and chatters and clinking of silvery mixed in the air like a comforting symphony. We slid into our usual booth, located at the far end next to a window. The waitress gave us a recognizable look¨Cher usual tired smile flashed as she jotted down our orders. But the awkward air? It wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Ming was practically trying to burn a hole through my skull with her sharp gaze, and I have a feeling I know what it¡¯s about. I finally looked up¨Cmy lazy gaze meeting her piercing stare. My fingers lazily stirred my bubble tea with a straw. ¡°Yes, Ming. I am handsome.¡± I said lazily. Now she ignored my attempt to bicker. ¡°Care to tell me what¡¯s up, Shiromori?¡± She took a sip of her matcha latte, but her eyes never left mine. ¡°You seem¡­tense.¡± ¡°What? Me, tense? ¡®Course not.¡± I looked away, my face dismissing her. ¡°It¡¯s probably about ¡®him¡¯.¡± Asri said. ¡°No it¡¯s not.¡± I quickly snapped back. ¡°Dude, I¡¯ve been with you since we were 6.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you know everything about me.¡± ¡°Well,this isn¡¯t the first time something like this happened. It¡¯s getting old.¡± Asri sighed¨Cresting his head on his hand, giving me a tired look. ¡°What isn¡¯t the first time?¡± Ming glanced at him. His lips puckered towards my direction. ¡°Boy problem, literally.¡± ¡°Is this about Lucas?¡± Ming slowly turned to me. Snap. I gripped my cup too hard. Cold liquid seeped into my socks. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Annoyed, I called the waitress again and forced a smile. ¡°Mind putting this in a plastic cup?¡± The awkward air came back. Guess I had to say something. ¡°It¡¯s not Lucas.¡± I thanked the waitress that handed me my new beverage. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ tired of today.¡± ¡°Uh huh. I¡¯m sure punching someone hard enough they flew can be tiring.¡± She leaned onto the table, her arms crossed. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m boxing again.¡± I took a sip of my drink, my gaze averting hers. ¡°And since when is your body toned again?¡± She pointed towards my arm, which I quickly hid. ¡°Since I started boxing.¡± I said nonchalantly. ¡°Oh? When?¡± ¡°A few months back.¡± ¡°We were building Neuroflex a few months back.¡± She leaned closer. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m always late? Flirting?¡± I finally met her gaze. ¡°Knowing you? Not impossible.¡± Asri let out a long sigh. ¡°Guys, get married already. We ignored him. ¡°Care to tell me about the UniCafe incident?¡± she leaned back. ¡°You know how fast my hands are.¡± ¡°Never seen you caught anything midair before.¡± ¡°And now you have.¡± ¡°Guys!¡± Asri held his hand in front of us. ¡°We get it. Ryu¡¯s mad Lucas is flirting with his wife.¡± My face was burning red. Ming straightened,looking away. ¡°She¡¯s not my wife!¡± I blurted out, maybe a bit too loud. Some people started staring. I¡¯m suddenly very interested in my drink. ¡°In any case,¡± I kept my voice low. ¡°I¡¯m not annoyed at that rude jerk.¡± ¡°Sure you¡¯re not.¡± Ming said, a little too focused on the empty street. ¡°Am not.¡± ¡°You called him ¡®friend¡¯.¡± ¡°So? It¡¯s called sarcasm.¡± ¡°You called the guy who shoved me that too.¡± She slowly turned to me. ¡°And those thugs earlier. You hate Lucas.¡± An accusing finger pointed at me. ¡°Hah! Like I¡¯d care about him.¡± I crossed my arm, quickly looking away. My red face was not helping with my lie right now. ¡°So you don¡¯t mind him being in the lab?¡± she teased, leaning closer than before. I snapped my gaze to her¨Cmistake. ¡°I hate you.¡± I muttered. ¡°I doubt that.¡± she smirked. I continue sipping my drink¨Clooking away. Asri shook his head, clearly done with us.
Bridgepath¨CNear Burger Planet The air was colder now. Sharp against my skin The streets were quiet too. The silence felt off. Ming and Asri were deep in discussion, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Spider-sense. Move. A split second later, we heard the blood-curdling scream¨Cthe alleyway up ahead. I was already running. The alleyway reeked of piss, rot and something worse. Two figures stood just outside the reach of light¨Ca man, knife in hand, and a woman cornered. ¡°Is this how we hit on girls nowaday?¡± I whistled low. ¡°Gotta catch up on my RomCom, it seems.¡± The mugger hadn¡¯t expected company. ¡°Beat it, kid!¡± The knife was locked in his grip. Ming and Asri were peeking from a corner, worry etched on their faces¨Cfor me. ¡°Why does your best friend keep on jumping into danger head first?¡± Ming whispered. ¡°Well, given how long you two are married I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t realised he¡¯s an idiot.¡± Asri shot back. I stretched my arms. ¡°Man, I just got here. Why kick me out so soon?¡± I reached down, a brick secured in my palm. ¡°I ain¡¯t playing, punk.¡± His attention was on me now, the woman trapped behind him. Gotta get her to safety first. My eyes widened. ¡°Yeah, knock him with that pipe miss!¡± The mugger turned, expecting a metal pipe to his head. Too easy. The brick shot forward like a bullet¨Cstraight for his head. Thunk The mugger¡¯s head snapped backwards¨Chis body followed soon after. Like a blur, I dashed in. The knife was my first target. My fingers curled against his wrist. I shot up. A sharp movement. A blur. My knee made contact with his elbow. It snapped¨C bending where it shouldn¡¯t. The knife dropped¨Cso did he. I rushed the girl away to my friends¨Cout of danger. I felt it. An electrical current¨Cdown my spine. Click. My vision locked onto the girl¨Conto my friends. My foot flicked before I could think. The gun was out of the fight¨CI wasn¡¯t. I was on top of him, my knuckles clenched with anger. The first punch landed. And again. And again. All I wanted was to put this scum down. To make sure he never hurt anyone again¨Cespecially my friends. ¡°Shiromori, stop!¡± A familiar voice cut through the rage. My arm was tugged hard, held in place by the girl half my weight. The mugger was out cold. Hell, he won¡¯t be chewing for a while. I turned to face Ming, her face caught between anger and concern. Asri was checking on the victim¨Cher eyes filled with fear. Not at the mugger. At me. ¡°He¡¯s out. Calm down, please.¡± Ming never asked. Not with me. I went too far, again. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± My gaze fixed on her as I stood. ¡°Let¡¯s just call the cops, alright?¡± Her calming hand stripped away any remaining anger. I nodded, but something caught my eye. A phone. The mugger¡¯s. I stepped on it¨Cfelt it clutched my shoes. A quick swipe, and it was in my hand now. I pocketed it before Ming noticed. She was on the phone with the police, giving them a quick report. I glanced at the victim, her eyes softened now. ¡°T¨CThank you. I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened if you didn¡¯t step in.¡± I gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Always happy to help.¡± I approached Asri. His face was unreadable. ¡°Dude, we need to get you therapy.¡± I let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Trust me, I know.¡± He crossed his arm, leaning against the wall. ¡°You can¡¯t let your emotions run you anymore, Ryu.¡± His hand gestured me up and down. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ the same anymore.¡± I understood quickly. These newfound abilities can cause harm if I¡¯m not careful. I¡¯m not just a boxer now. I¡¯m a¡­ Yeah I don¡¯t even know anymore. Swing and a Miss -The first night is always the hardest- Downtown TB¡ªShiromori Residence, Ryu¡¯s Room My body was exhausted. My mind wasn¡¯t. Events kept replaying in my head like a movie reel on repeat. Mom was in her room, and I could hear the rustle of her bedsheet as she slept. Ming and Asri were safe at home¨CI made sure. I inspected the phone I swiped. Missed calls. Messages from gang members. A lock screen kept its secrets. My body wanted to hunt them down, but what for? I was lucky I had Ming before. Don¡¯t want to imagine if she wasn¡¯t. My own phone chimed. Her name was on it. Speak of the devil. ¡°Hey Ming.¡± I answered, tossing the stolen phone on my bed. ¡°Hey¡­ were you busy?¡± her voice was softer tonight. ¡°No, just laying around. Are you okay?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just worried.¡± I could hear her shaky breath. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re safe now.¡± I sat up. ¡°Yeah. Still, what you did was reckless.¡± She let out a dry laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ for what I did. For¨C¡± ¡°Hey don¡¯t be. You¡¯ve always been like that since we were in junior high.¡± ¡°Oh man. Don¡¯t remind me of my teenager phase.¡± My face was buried in my hand. ¡°Remember the bullies who kept hiding my notebook?¡± she giggled. ¡°You beat them up so bad that their parents got involved.¡± ¡°Yeah. I remember¨CAsri even stole their homework. They had to run laps around the school track¡± I shook my head. ¡°Yeah. They never bothered us again after that.¡± She paused. ¡°You¡¯ve always stood up for people, Shiromori. Don¡¯t apologise for that.¡± ¡°...I went too far today, Ming.¡± I rubbed my face. ¡°I heard that gun and¡­ I couldn¡¯t think straight.¡± ¡°That shows how much you care about your friends.¡± she said, her voice calming. ¡°What did your dad always say?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between defending and hurting people. Protecting is right¨Closing yourself is not.¡± I quoted Dad. ¡°He always said that¨Cright after he whipped me for fighting.¡± I chuckled, shaking my head. ¡°Plus, that¡¯s what Asri and I are here for. We¡¯ll make sure you never go overboard.¡± ¡°Thanks, Ming. You always know what to say.¡± A pause. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed now. You should too.¡± Her voice sounded rushed. The call ended. I looked at the stolen phone. More messages were popping in. I hate it when she¡¯s right. But she¡¯s right. I¡¯ve always made sure my friends were safe. Now I could do more. My fingers searched for a specific name. The call didn¡¯t ring for long. ¡°Yo, Asri. You up?¡±
Downtown TB¡ªAsri¡¯s Apartment Clang! My shoulder slammed into the fire escape.. I hopped over the railing. Asri was already waiting by the open window. ¡°Knew you wouldn¡¯t use the front door.¡± ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve.¡± I braced my shoulder¨Cthe slight discomfort already fading. ¡°You said something about hacking a phone?¡± He had his palm out. ¡°Can you do it?¡± I handed him the phone. ¡°Watch me work.¡± He slid into his chair, connecting the phone to his computer. A script was opened. He started typing, his finger glided across the keyboard like a pianist. A few minutes later, he called me over. His monitor mirrored the phone. ¡°Now we not only have access to the phone, we can even track who¡¯s texting or calling this phone.¡± A few keystrokes later, a map popped open¨Ca red pin in the middle. ¡°You really are a coding freak.¡± I exclaimed, patting his back. I was ready to step out before he stopped me. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re not planning on going in just like that, are you?¡± He stood up. ¡°Uh¡­ why not?¡± I turned, facing him. ¡°So¡­ what, you¡¯re gonna swing in, beat some thugs, and swing away?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan.¡± He shook his head. ¡°If you do that, genius, your face¡¯ll be on the news tomorrow¨Cfront page probably. I thought you didn¡¯t want Ming to know you¡¯re a freak now.¡± A ski mask was thrown. I swiped it mid-air. ¡°Made you something. Nothing fancy. Just a ski mask with an earpiece in it. Connect it to your phone. I¡¯ll keep you updated from here.¡± I looked at the mask, and back at him. ¡°Dude, I look like a criminal!¡± ¡°Better a criminal than a human spider freak.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I prefer human arachnid.¡± ¡°Call yourself that if you want to be laughed at.¡± He sat back in his chair. A smirk formed. ¡°You got a better name?¡± ¡°I told you. Spider man. Maybe a hyphen.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Spider-Man.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not too bad.¡± ¡°Better than human arachnid.¡± Spider-Man. Yeah. I can vibe with that. I slipped the mask on. My phone already connected to the earpiece. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± I asked through the earpiece. ¡°Kinda fuzzy, but yeah I hear you.¡± ¡°Hey, you got safety goggles?¡± He tossed me one. ¡°Thanks. Should help when I swing.¡± I snapped it in place. ¡°Hard to keep your eyes open with the wind.¡± I hopped onto the fire escape. My heart kept beating against my chest. Prickling sensation covered my hands and feet. Thwip! The webstring stuck to the corner of a nearby building. My grip tightened against the white strand. This is it. Tonight, Tri-Borough meets Spider-Man. ¡°Good luck. Stay safe.¡± Asri¡¯s voice tangled in white noise in my earpiece. I jumped. My hand pulled hard. At the apex I released. Thwip! Another webstring stuck. My legs kicked, searching for balance. Both my hands held firm. Trust my senses. Trust my instincts. The city blurred. The neon lights smeared into streaks of colors. Bridgepath¡¯s crowded streets buzzed below¡ªwarm lights from bars, cafes, and street vendors mixing into a chaotic rainbow. A late-night crowd gathered at a nearby rooftop event, music pulsing through the air. I swung past Highpoint¡¯s towers. Their glass windows reflected the city back at me, cold and pristine. Massive billboards flashed ads for tech I couldn¡¯t afford as I swung by. Then, Downside. The street lights flickered. Dim. The roads were quieter, but not asleep¡ªnever asleep. A few guys posted up outside a bodega, sharing a smoke. A train rumbled in the distance, shaking the worn-down apartment windows. Car horns blared as I swung too low¡ªheadlights streaked past my vision. Someone pulled out their phone. ¡°Woah! Did you see that!?¡± Each swing was awkward. Dangerous¨Cbut man it¡¯s exciting. ¡°Wooooo¨Coh sh¨C!¡± I let go too early, arms flailing before I shot my next webstring. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Yeah!¡± I dropped onto a rooftop with a roll before leaping off into the night sky. ¡°Having fun out there, Spider-Man?¡± Asri¡¯s voice was barely audible. ¡°This is the coolest thing ever!¡± I shouted, more to myself. ¡°Fun¡¯s over. Get your butt to¨C¡± His voice sounded like a glitchy robot. ¡°Can¡¯t hear you, man!¡± I slowed my swings. He tried to speak up, but all I heard was mumbling. We need a new kit for our tech. ¡°You hear me now?¡± His voice finally broke through. ¡°Barely¨Cbut yes.¡± I dropped onto a wall, leaning on it . ¡°I said Old Market Square¨Ca shop is getting hit.¡± ¡°On it, chief!¡± I swung high. Zero gravity¨Cbefore diving down. Thwip! The webstring caught, straining against the dive¨Cthen it slingshotted me forward, nearly sent me spinning. My swing was faster. Awkward. Wild¨Cbut faster. I barely dodged the billboard, twisting mid-air before throwing another web. Didn¡¯t take long¨CI spotted them. Crowbars in hand. One trying to break the store lock¨Cignoring the store alarm. I didn¡¯t slow down. A webstring stuck. My feet locked onto the guy furthest back. Crash! The garbage can flew. I was rolling on the floor. My target spun around. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°Well, that was an entrance.¡± I stood up, facing the four robbers. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Another said. ¡°I¡¯m uh¡­¡±I rubbed the weird stain off my jacket. ¡°I¡¯m Spider-Man.¡± ¡°Get lost, freak.¡± Their attention was on me now. I was surrounded. ¡°It ain¡¯t Halloween yet.¡± the smaller one approached, bat in hand. ¡°So beat it, or we¡¯ll bring the beating.¡± ¡°Yikes. Maybe stick to ¡®Tough Talk 101¡¯ before trying robber?¡± My spidey sense tingled¨Cthe bat lifted high. I was already on his side. Thwip! His face¨Cwebbed. I yanked hard. He stumbled into my punch. One down. Hold back. I reminded myself. Protect, not attack. Another¨Cbigger this time¨Ccharged in. Crowbar swinging wild. I was already flipping above him. A quick sweep took his leg out¨Chis back hit the concrete. I jump. Webbed his face. My fist followed. Two left. They tried to run. No chance. My webs bound their feet. A quick tug face-planted them. Sirens broke the quiet streets as I webbed them to a nearby wall. The police cruisers turned the corner. Their gaze was locked onto the robbers. They never saw me perched above the building. ¡°Could¡¯ve warned me about the cops.¡± I snapped at Asri. ¡°Thought I¡¯d keep you on your toes.¡± His laugh was barely audible. ¡°Anyways, head back. I think I dug something up.¡± I swung away into the dark night. The cold air bit into my thin layers. I didn¡¯t mind it. I just stopped my first real crime. As Spider-Man. The swinging felt much more natural now. A few near-misses, but I felt more confident. The city was breathtaking from up here. It felt like my own personal space. I was climbing. Falling. Free. Didn¡¯t take long for Asri¡¯s apartment to be in sight again. I let go of the web¨Clanding straight onto his wall. Way better than the fire escape. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I casually flipped myself in. Asri didn¡¯t look up from his screen. A name glowed on the monitor. "I think I found the local gang¡¯s boss." I stepped closer. On the screen: "21STreet Gang" ¡ª and beneath it, a picture. Charming smile. Smooth¡ªlike he belonged anywhere. But that 21ST tattooed across his chest? That said it all. He wasn¡¯t just the leader of 21ST. He was the reason people whispered that name. I didn¡¯t recognize him. Not yet. 21st Street Gang -21STreet? More like 21 headaches- Downtown TB¨CBridgepath, Cafe Coffee The smell of fresh coffee and homemade pastries filled our noses as Asri and I walked into our favourite coffee shop. Like every Saturday morning, it was packed. I leaned against my chair, bomber jacket hung on the chair, stirring a warm cup of coconut latte with a teaspoon. Asri was deep in his doomscrolling, his spanish latte barely touched. I leaned closer. ¡°Got any new leads on 21st?¡± I kept my voice low. ¡°Nope.¡± He leaned in as well. ¡°Found something better¨Csomeone took a pic of you swinging.¡± His phone screen was in front of me¨Ca blurry dark picture was displayed on it. ¡°Good thing you gave me that mask, I guess.¡± I could barely make heads or tails from the image. ¡°But we did get a name.¡± He swiped his phone to a new picture of a man from last night. ¡°Raymond ¡°Ray¡± Bishop.¡± The TV in the cafe suddenly blared to life. Loud. Annoying. Familiar. Did I mention loud? ¡°Another night, another crime in our so-called ¡®modernized¡¯ city.¡± Bradley ¡°Triple B¡± Braxton. The loudest news anchor in Bridgepath¨Cin TB. ¡°A group of wannabe gang members from the 21st Street Gang had tried to break into a beloved bodega shop in Old Market Square. Is nothing sacred to these criminals anymore!?¡± Some of the morning customers looked up¨Ca few annoyed stares, mostly curious eyes. ¡°And to top it all off, when our heroes in blue show up, do you know what they find? These degenerates tied¨Cexcuse me¨Cwebbed! Onto a nearby brick wall!¡± Footage played¨Cthugs webbed onto the bodega¡¯s wall. ¡°We have received a description from the thugs that were arrested. Can you believe this? A man in a ski mask shooting webs! Do you take the cops of Tri-Borough for a fool!?¡± Murmurs spread through the caf¨¦ as the footage rolled. ¡°This is a clear message, folks. Some nutjob in a mask thinks they could do a better job than the TBPD, to vandalise the walls of TB with their webs. And I, for one, do not trust ANYONE with a mask!¡± Customers started chiming in, tossing theories around. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy if he prevented a break-in.¡± One exclaimed. ¡°Tri-Borough, man. Never a boring day here.¡± Another chuckled. ¡°This is probably gang related. Maybe they¡¯re using webs now to send messages.¡± One speculated. Asri and I just looked at each other, eyebrows bouncing with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s your first job there, man.¡± Asri patted me on the shoulders. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t take all the credit. You broke into the phone.¡± I shrugged, smirking. ¡°Speaking of phones,¡± he patted his breast pocket. ¡°Think I might have intel on an enforcer for the gang. Not sure yet.¡± ¡°And I think I have an idea for our comms.¡± I leaned in. ¡°Nothing crazy yet, but better than a cheap bluetooth earpiece.¡± ¡°Shoot yours first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking maybe bone conduction tech?¡± I showed him an image of the new earpiece. ¡°Keeps my ears open. Your voice will be clearer, too.¡± ¡°Problem is,¡± I sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no mic. That means I can''t talk to you.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Asri leaned back on his seat, scratching his chin. I could feel his mind going a million miles an hour. ¡°What about a laryngeal mic?¡± he finally proposed. ¡°A laryn-what?¡± That sounded like Greek to me. ¡°Essentially a throat mic. SWAT gears. Picks the vibration directly from your throat.¡± He showed me the mic. ¡°I¡¯ll add on a filter as well. If you¡¯re mid-swing and breathing like you just ran a marathon, the mic adjusts. No heavy breathing throat ASMR in my ear, thanks." He smirked. ¡°This could work. I think we could get some of these stuff from the Biomedical Engineering Department.¡± ¡°Think you can get what from the Biomedical Engineering Department?¡± a familiar voice interrupted our discussion. Ming stood behind me¨Cgrey satin shirt with a plunge that nearly fried my brains, crossing her arms. ¡°Hey Mings. Just discussing some tech to use for my boxing training.¡± ¡°You need a laryngeal mic to train for boxing nowadays?¡± She raised her eyebrows, glancing at the image on Asri¡¯s phone. ¡°Okay how the hell do you guys know what lar¨C¡± The word tangled in my head. ¡°Throat mic is?¡± ¡°Laryngeal. Luh¨Crin¨Cjii¨Cuhl.¡± She corrected me. ¡°Throat mic.¡± I looked at her, deadpan. ¡°Doesn¡¯t answer my question though.¡± ¡°Of course! Boxing is an evolving sport, y¡¯know? Right, As?¡± I glanced at Asri, searching for an answer. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. It¡¯s to make it easier for Ryu to talk while he¡¯s practicing his combos.¡± He coughed up an answer. ¡°Really? Very¡­ unorthodox.¡± She tapped her chin, thinking hard. ¡°You know how when nerds get wrapped around sports. We just have to make it different.¡± She glared at me, clearly unsatisfied¨Cbut she let it drop. ¡°Anyways, how was the bus ride from Old Market Space? Heard some people were¡­ webbed I think?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, the bodega shop not far from my mom¡¯s flower shop. Wasn¡¯t too bad, but the police forces are there.¡± She thanked the waitress handing her matcha latte. ¡°What do you think of that incident? Gang related or?¡± My brain was praying she didn¡¯t hate it. ¡°Whoever did that,¡± she took a sip of her matcha. ¡°As long as they don¡¯t mess with my family¡¯s stuff. I don¡¯t really care.¡± Knew she¡¯d say something like that. ¡°Heard it was a gang from Downside too. 21ST Street Gang, was it?¡± her brows furrowed¨Cadorably, if I¡¯m being honest. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m pretty sure they operate from the Stacks too.¡± Asri showed an old news about the 21ST. 21STreet Gang: Old Name, New Threat? Despite years of police efforts, 21STreet Gang remains a dominant force in Downside, with operations centered around The Stacks and The Yards. Once known for petty crime, the gang now runs smuggling rings, vehicle theft, and protection rackets, offering "security" to local businesses¡ªfor a price. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Authorities suspect Raymond ¡°Ray¡± Bishop as the gang¡¯s leader. Known for his quiet authority and calculated moves, Bishop has evaded direct criminal charges, leaving the TBPD with no evidence to tie him to the gang¡¯s growing influence. ¡°They keep the streets in check¡ªbut make no mistake, they¡¯re still criminals,¡± said Detective Marcus Greene. For many in Downside, 21STreet is both a threat and a necessity¡ªa reminder that when the system fails, someone else fills the void. ¡°Huh. Didn¡¯t know the Stacks still do hits on Bridgepath.¡± I leaned back, crossing my arms. ¡°Yeah. Usually Bridgepath is a neutral territory for every CEO of Highpoint to the lowest gang members from Downside. Probably rogues acting on their own.¡± Asri flipped his phone, locking it. Ming was focused elsewhere¨Cthe bruise on my shoulder. The one I got for slamming into Asri¡¯s fire escape. Pain shot through my arm¨Cher fingers pressing on the bruise¨Cmade me yelp. ¡°The hell was that for, Ming?¡± I rubbed the bruised shoulder. ¡°Miss me that much, huh? Had to communicate through pain?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Her infamous glare was back. ¡°What is what?¡± I tried looking away. She pressed it again¨Ca sharp yelp escaped me. ¡°Stop it! Do you not understand the meaning of the word ¡®pain¡¯?¡± I backed away, distancing my bruise from her surprisingly strong fingers. ¡°What. Is. That?¡± Her voice dripped with irritation. ¡°Got hurt training yesterday! Now stop pressing it!¡± ¡°How does self-training do that? You look like you got smacked by a metal pipe!¡± Her fingers shot forward¨CI caught them first. ¡°Chain snapped. One of them slapped me hard.¡± Her eyebrows arched. ¡°Thought you threw away your old body bag?¡± ¡°Well, I did now!¡± She wasn¡¯t happy. But she decided to drop it¨Cfor now. Then, a ping¨CAsri¡¯s phone. A quick glance before it was buried in his pocket. ¡°Uh¡­Ryu. I think I just found the gym at the Yard that you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± He hesitated, staring at me. ¡°Gym? What gym?¡± I didn¡¯t understand his message. ¡°Y¡¯know, the one that you¡¯ve been looking at?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°The one we were looking at last night?¡± Last night? We weren¡¯t looking at gyms last night. I was out as Spi¨Coh I get it now. ¡°Oh,¡± I shuffled in my seat nervously. ¡°Send me the link later. I¡¯ll check it out.¡± Ming, sharp as ever, caught my awkward behaviour. ¡°More training? Shouldn¡¯t you rest?¡± Eyeing my bruise. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just¡­ uh, scope the place out.¡± ¡°Shiromori, the Yard is not a safe place.¡± She let out a sharp exhale. ¡°If you get hurt there¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ming. I¡¯ll make sure your ¡®husband¡¯ doesn''t push himself too far.¡± Asri cut through. Her gaze was like a predator, warning Asri. ¡°You better.¡± He let out a nervous chuckle¨Cgiving her a thumbs up. I took a sip of my drink. The tension strung high between me and Asri. Tonight, I¡¯m hitting the gang hideout. But before that¨Ctech upgrades. Laughter filled the caf¨¦, but my mind was focused on tonight.
Downtown TB¡ªAsri¡¯s Apartment Golden streaks of sunset stretched across the sky as I arrived at Asri''s apartment. Ming was back home, helping her mom¡¯s flower shop. I had just left TBU¨Cbearing gifts for Asri. The doorbell rang, and Asri was at the door. ¡°Got the stuff?¡± he nodded me in. ¡°Stuffs. Plural.¡± I smirked, my hand holding a small bag, heading to his room. ¡°Oh? What else did you steal?¡± He closed the door to his one bedroom apartment. ¡°Ay, I didn¡¯t steal anything. These are all legally taken by me. Decommissioned earpiece, faulty lar¨Cthroat mic,¡± ¡°Laryngeal.¡± He grabbed the earpiece, examining it. I ignored him. ¡°And,¡±I pulled out a roll of synthetic polymer. ¡°Materials for a suit. Breathable fabric, stretchy but still tough. They were testing it for a prototype water suit. Told the biomedical students I¡¯d handle the ¡®field testing¡¯.¡± He unrolled a small bit of the polymer, testing it. ¡°Yo, this is some good prototype. We can make your mask with this.¡± His gaze flickered to me. ¡°May I?¡± I gave him a thumbs up, and he instantly went to work. He measured my head, cut two pieces of polymer and fused them with a heat gun. He then cut the safety goggles'' lenses into a sharp, almost insect-like look, layering them into the mask cutouts. As the golden streaks faded away, the mask was done. The first proper Spider-Man mask. ¡°Woah. That¡¯s kinda sick, though.¡± I held the mask up. ¡°You name it, I make it.¡± Asri tossed the heat gun aside. ¡°Try it. See if it fits.¡± The mask slipped on easily. It was a bit loose, but thanks to my new spider abilities I could just make it stick to my face like a second skin. ¡°Yeah, I can breathe in here. The tinted lenses are a nice touch too.¡± I adjusted it to comfort. ¡°Dude, you actually look like a hero now.¡± He admired his work. ¡°Oh, got a final thing to add.¡± He scampered off and returned with a small camera. ¡°Now I can see what you see. Might catch some intel that you miss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a genius, As.¡± ¡°Oh, you.¡± He integrated the camera to the suit swiftly. ¡°There.¡± He tossed me the mask back. ¡°Made some adjustments to the nose area. Should lessen the discomfort now, especially with that camera.¡± The mask sat comfortably on my face. On his screen? A live feed of my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get a full POV of me swinging, y¡¯know?¡± I smirked under the mask. ¡°Hope you¡¯ve got a strong stomach.¡± ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t wait to see you smack yourself into a billboard.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before we fixed the comms device. The laryngeal mic was strapped in place and the earpiece sat comfortable around my ears. ¡°Testing. Testing. One. Two. Three.¡± His voice was much clearer than before. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± I asked through the throat mic. He gave a thumbs up. ¡°Let¡¯s take it for a spin.¡± I vaulted onto his fire escape. Good. No onlookers. Thwip! The webstring held firm on the corner of a building. ¡°Next stop¨Cthe Yards.¡± I leaped off. The cool air brushing against my skin. I could never get tired of this feeling. The webstring pulled tight¨Cthen catapulted me forward. Bridgepath¡¯s nightlife blurred below me. A live band¡¯s ballard drifted from the bar, mixing with the chatter of a nearby caf¨¦ and the hum of traffic. I was getting better at swinging around the city. Awkward¨Cbut it felt much more natural. ¡°This is actually kinda cool.¡± Asri¡¯s voice chirped in the comms. ¡°I told you, man. Best thing ever!¡± I shouted, almost crashing into a shop sign. ¡°You crashing there would make a great highlight reel.¡± He laughed. ¡°Tryna go viral for helping people. Not a failed swinging compilation!¡± I rolled onto a rooftop before diving back into the busy street. Nothing beats the feeling of weightlessness. Just freefall. The street rushed closer every second. ¡°Dude, swing!¡± Asri barked into the mic. One more second. One more. Thwip! I swung low, close to the ground. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± His voice was low¨Ca hint of amusement. ¡°Tell me that wasn¡¯t cool!¡± I barely dodged a billboard, twisting mid swing. ¡°Just get to the Yard.¡± Shouts of excitement accompanied me throughout the journey. Each swing felt more precise. I vaulted over an AC unit before continuing swinging. Full speed ahead to the Yards.