A New Beginning at ESU
CHAPTER 1
Peter Parker had always been good at keeping things to himself.
Ever since Strange’s spell wiped away all memory of him, he had stopped trying to connect with people. There was no point. No friends. No attachments. No distractions. Just his work, his patrols, and his mission.
Empire State University was supposed to be a fresh start. A place where he could focus solely on his studies—mechanical and chemical engineering. No one knew him here. No one whispered about Spider-Man. To them, he was just a cold, aloof genius who never spoke to anyone.
And that was exactly how he wanted it
Another Boring Lecture
Peter sat in his Introduction to Advanced Materials Science lecture, hood pulled over his head, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded.
Dr. Lin was droning on about polymer synthesis, his voice barely registering in Peter’s mind. He had already read through the entire textbook, understood every formula, every application. This was a waste of time.
His eyelids grew heavy.
“SIR,” ERIC’s voice buzzed in his earpiece. “WOULD YOU LIKE A STATUS UPDATE ON AVENGER ACTIVITY?”
Peter tilted his head slightly, pretending to adjust his hoodie. “Go ahead.”
“COLONEL RHODES IS IN A CLASSIFIED ACCORDS MEETING. CAPTAIN WILSON AND SERGEANT BARNES ARE ENGAGED IN A LOW-RISK OPERATION IN MADRIPOOR. KATE BISHOP AND YELENA BELOVA ARE TRACKING A HYDRA REMNANT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. NO MAJOR THREATS DETECTED.”
Peter let out a quiet sigh. “Anything from Strange?”
“DOCTOR STRANGE IS CURRENTLY ANALYZING AN ANOMALY LINKED TO THE DARK DIMENSION. NO IMMEDIATE CAUSE FOR CONCERN.”
“Got it,” Peter murmured. “Keep monitoring.”
“ACKNOWLEDGED, SIR.”
He leaned back, closing his eyes. If nothing major was happening, he could afford a short nap.
A Glimpse of the Baxter Building
By the time class ended, Peter was the first one out the door. He didn’t acknowledge the other students, and they didn’t acknowledge him.
They all knew the same thing—Peter Parker didn’t talk to people.
No group projects. No study partners. No casual conversations. Just a ghost in the classroom, showing up when he felt like it, handing in flawless assignments, then disappearing again.
As he made his way across campus, something caught his eye—a poster pinned to the job board.
“INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE AT THE BAXTER BUILDING! WORK WITH SOME OF THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC MINDS IN THE WORLD!”
Peter slowed his pace.
The Baxter Building.
A world-renowned research center. A place filled with brilliant engineers and scientists. The kind of people who could actually challenge him.
For a moment, he considered it. Applying. Testing himself.
Then he shook his head. Not yet.
He turned away, heading back to his dorm. He had better things to do.
Tinkering and Isolation
Peter’s dorm was barely lived in.
A bed. A desk. A mini-fridge full of energy drinks and protein bars. Textbooks stacked in a corner, untouched.
The real workspace? His desk.
It was covered in half-assembled web-shooters, microprocessors, mechanical servos. His latest project—a new adaptive web formula—was nearly complete.
As he worked, ERIC chimed in.
“SIR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REVIEW CRIME PATTERNS FOR YOUR NEXT PATROL?”
“Yeah,” Peter muttered, adjusting a circuit.
“NO MAJOR THREATS DETECTED. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE BLACK CAT SIGHTINGS NEAR THE UPPER EAST SIDE.”
Peter exhaled sharply. Felicia.
She had been all over the place lately. Breaking into vaults, stealing priceless artifacts. And yet, every time he caught her, she slipped away with a smirk and a playful remark.
“Track her movements, ERIC. Let me know if she pulls something big.”
“UNDERSTOOD, SIR.”
Peter glanced at the time. Late.
Time to suit up.
Minutes later, Peter was swinging through the city, the wind rushing past him. This was the only time he felt truly free.
No lectures. No blank stares from classmates. No expectations. Just him and the city.
“SIR,” ERIC’s voice interrupted. “POLICE SCANNERS REPORT A ROBBERY IN PROGRESS ON 45TH AND LEXINGTON.”
Peter grinned. “Finally.”
With a flick of his wrist, he changed course. Time to get to work.