BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEEEEEP.
Jack slapped the alarm clock off the table.
He slowly opened one eye.
"...Why does morning exist?"
The clock read 6:00 AM.
His body felt heavy.
Saving people all night had consequences.
"Right... hero life."
He dragged himself out of bed.
His eyes were still red from lack of sleep.
Jack glanced at the system panel floating faintly in his vision.
[ Host: Jack Walker ]
[ Aliens: Walkatrout, XLR8 ]
[ Hero Points: 36 ]
[ Next Alien Unlock: 50 Hero Points ]
Jack rubbed his chin.
"Almost there."
Just a few more heroic actions and another alien would unlock.
But first —
He needed to survive school.
Jack stepped outside and ran a few blocks to wake himself up properly.
After a quick shower and breakfast, he took the bus toward school.
Midtown High School
The large building stood solidly in the center of Queens.
Students gathered around the entrance, backpacks slung over shoulders, some still half-asleep.
Jack stepped through the gates and looked up at the sign.
Midtown High.
"The famous Spider-Man high school," he muttered under his breath.
He still found it hard to believe sometimes.
In this world he was classmates with people he had once only seen in movies and comics.
Peter Parker.
Gwen Stacy.
Mary Jane.
Flash Thompson.
Betty Brant.
Liz Allan.
Seeing them every day made reality feel strange in a way that never quite went away.
Jack entered the classroom and sat down quietly.
Students were already talking loudly.
"Did you see the news last night?"
"Yeah! The bank robbery!"
"They said it was stopped in one second!"
"Some kind of speed monster!"
Jack kept his face completely calm while listening.
So the news had already spread.
The video was probably everywhere online by now.
"Low profile," he reminded himself quietly. "Stay normal."
Suddenly the classroom door opened.
A girl walked in carrying a guitar case.
Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Leather jacket.
Gwen Stacy.
She dropped the guitar case beside her desk and sat down.
Jack noticed several students glancing her way.
She had that kind of presence — the kind that filled a room without trying.
A few minutes later, Peter Parker leaned over from the desk beside Jack.
"Hey man, are you okay?"
Jack blinked.
"Why?"
"You look like you didn't sleep at all."
Jack forced a small smile.
"Nightmares."
Peter nodded sympathetically.
"Yeah... those suck."
Peter really was a good guy.
A few minutes later Gwen stood up near the front of the class.
"Hey everyone."
The room quieted down.
"My band needs a guitarist. If anyone plays, come find me in the music room after school."
She rested a hand on her guitar case and looked around once before sitting back down.
Most students went back to their conversations. Everyone was busy with their own clubs and activities in the final year. Not many people were looking for something new to take on.
Jack watched her sit back down.
Then he thought about it for a moment.
This was actually a good opportunity.
He stood up and walked over to her desk.
"Hey."
Gwen looked up.
"Yes?"
"I can play guitar."
She raised one eyebrow.
"You?"
"Yeah."
"I've been in this school for years and I've never seen you with a guitar."
Jack scratched the back of his head.
"Well... I never had a reason to show it."
Gwen studied him for a moment.
Then she shrugged.
"Fine. Music room after school."
Jack smiled.
"Deal."
As he walked back to his desk, he couldn't help thinking —
Maybe this new life was going to be interesting in more ways than one.