Strength and Humiliation
Winter wasn’t used to this much attention. Ever since the “glow-up,” as Ningning insisted on calling it, her life had changed. She had always been invisible, blending into the background while her bullies had free reign to torment her. They’d take every opportunity to remind her of how “pathetic” she was. For years, Winter had swallowed every insult, every jab, bottling it all up because, frankly, she had no other choice.
But now? Now things were different. Very different.
The more she grew comfortable with her newfound abilities, the more she began to realize just how much power she had—literally and figuratively. The physical strength that came with her transformation gave her a sense of control she had never had before, and that scared her just as much as it thrilled her. It also meant that the old Winter—the quiet, nerdy girl everyone had picked on—was gone.
She sat in the cafeteria with Ningning, eating lunch and chatting about the new web shooters they’d just perfected. Ningning, always the tech genius, was practically glowing with pride as she explained how she’d modified the cartridges for more power and longer distance.
“I’m telling you, Winter, this stuff is next-level! When we test it out later, you’re going to be shooting webs across the city!”
Winter laughed, shaking her head. “You’re way too excited about this. What if it malfunctions, and I end up dangling off a building?”
“Then I’ll get it on camera,” Ningning teased with a wink. “For science.”
Winter rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. It was moments like these—when it was just her and Ningning, talking tech and dreaming up new gadgets—that made everything feel normal again. Well, as normal as life could get when you had spider powers.
But just as she was about to take another bite of her sandwich, Winter’s spider sense tingled—a faint buzz at the back of her head that alerted her to trouble. She glanced around the cafeteria, scanning the crowd, and her stomach sank when she saw them: the usual suspects.
Flash and his group of friends—Winter’s old tormentors.
Flash had been one of her worst bullies for as long as she could remember. He and his crew made it their mission to make Winter’s life miserable. Whether it was tripping her in the hallways, mocking her for her love of science, or throwing food at her during lunch, they’d done it all.
Winter thought that after her transformation, they’d leave her alone. That maybe they’d see the changes and move on, find someone else to bother. But clearly, she had been wrong.
As soon as Flash spotted Winter, his expression shifted into a sneer. He nudged his friends, and they began to make their way over to her table, their intentions clear.
Ningning noticed them too and frowned. “Great, here comes trouble. What do they want now?”
Winter sighed, her hands balling into fists under the table. “They want to remind me that I’m still the nerd they used to pick on.”
“But you’re not that girl anymore,” Ningning said, her voice quiet but firm. “You don’t have to put up with their crap.”
“I know,” Winter said, her jaw tightening. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll stop.”
Just as Flash and his cronies reached the table, Winter forced herself to stay calm. She knew she could take them down easily, but she didn’t want to cause a scene. Not yet, anyway.
“Hey, Parker,” Flash said with a smirk, his voice dripping with condescension. “You’ve been looking pretty different lately. What happened? Did you finally get tired of being the school loser?”
His friends snickered, their laughter like nails on a chalkboard.
Winter clenched her jaw, but before she could respond, Ningning jumped in.
“Wow, Flash. Still obsessed with Winter? You should probably find a hobby. It’s kind of pathetic at this point.”
Flash’s smile faltered for a second before he sneered again. “Stay out of it, Ningning. This is between me and Parker.”
Winter shot Ningning a look that said thanks, but she could handle this. She stood up from the table, and for the first time, Flash seemed to realize that Winter wasn’t the small, timid girl he was used to. She was taller now, more confident. And she wasn’t afraid of him anymore.
“What do you want, Flash?” Winter asked, her voice steady.
“I want to know how a nerd like you suddenly became the center of attention,” he said, crossing his arms. “You think just because you look different now, people will forget who you are? That they’ll forget how pathetic you were?”
Winter’s eyes narrowed. The old Winter would have backed down. The old Winter would have taken his insults in silence. But this Winter wasn’t going to let him walk all over her anymore.
“Maybe I’m not the one who’s pathetic,” Winter said, her voice low but sharp. “Maybe you’re the one who’s sad, because the only thing you’re good at is picking on people who’ve done nothing to you.”
Flash’s face darkened, clearly not expecting Winter to fight back. “Watch it, Parker.”
Ningning’s voice rang out from behind Winter, “Or what, Flash? You’ll embarrass yourself again?”
His friends snickered, but this time it wasn’t at Winter. Flash’s jaw clenched, his face turning red with frustration. He stepped forward, trying to intimidate her.
“You think you’re tough now, Parker? Let’s see how tough you are when I—”
But before Flash could finish his sentence, Winter’s spider sense went into overdrive, and she reacted without thinking. She grabbed Flash’s wrist just as he tried to shove her, twisting it in a way that sent him stumbling backward.
The entire cafeteria went silent.
Flash, clearly humiliated by being manhandled in front of everyone, turned bright red. His friends stared in shock, unsure of what had just happened.
Winter stood there, her hands still tingling with the aftershock of using her strength. She hadn’t meant to make such a scene, but it was too late now.
"You should walk away, Flash," Winter said calmly, her voice even but firm. "Before you embarrass yourself even more."
Flash’s face contorted with rage, but he could see the writing on the wall. He wasn’t going to win this one, not today. With a muttered curse, he turned on his heel and stormed off, his friends trailing behind him, casting nervous glances back at Winter.
The cafeteria remained silent for a moment longer before someone started clapping. It was a slow, mocking clap, and Winter immediately recognized who it was.
Aeri.
Aeri stood near the entrance of the cafeteria, clapping with a bemused expression on her face. Karina Yu stood beside her, her arms crossed, watching the whole thing unfold with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Nice one, Parker," Aeri called out, still clapping. "Who knew you had it in you?"
Winter felt her face heat up again, not from embarrassment this time, but from the sudden attention. She glanced over at Karina, who was watching her with those intense, unreadable eyes.
Karina gave her a small nod of acknowledgment, as if to say well done.
Winter quickly sat down, trying to calm her racing heart. The whole school had just seen her take down Flash, and now Karina Yu had noticed her—again. This was too much.
Ningning, however, was grinning from ear to ear. "Holy crap, Winter! That was amazing! You just humiliated him in front of everyone!"
Winter groaned, burying her face in her hands. "That was not what I wanted to happen."
"But it was awesome!" Ningning said, laughing. "You just showed everyone that Winter Parker isn’t someone to mess with anymore."
Winter sighed, her mind racing. Sure, she had defended herself, but at what cost? She didn’t want to be seen as the freak who had suddenly gained super strength overnight. And now, with Karina Yu’s eyes on her, she had a whole new set of problems.
Still, a small part of her couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Flash had gotten what he deserved, and for the first time in her life, Winter Parker wasn’t going to let anyone push her around.
But as she sat there, feeling the stares of the entire cafeteria, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.