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The next two chapters [Do we have a deal? Yes or definitely? – Part 3 and Do we have a deal? Yes or definitely? – Part 4] are already available, and in a few hours [Chikara Dojo – Part 1] will be available as well.
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***
The conversation took place at the end of classes, when Peter found the teacher leaving the biology room with a stack of papers in his hands. Peter asked to speak with him for a minute, and Warren, still somewhat distracted, agreed with a quick nod before leading him a few steps to the side, moving them away from the constant flow of students crossing the hallway.
"Mr. Warren, I need to talk to you about the internship at ESU," Peter began, and immediately saw the man's expression shift from distracted to attentive.
Warren, unlike the other teachers, was a very sociable man outside the classroom. He made jokes during breaks, asked about weekends, remembered everyone's name. But when the subject was biology and academic potential, he turned into a different person — more intense and demanding, almost obsessive. Peter had already heard the man talk for twenty straight minutes about the importance of foundational research without repeating a single argument, all because someone had asked a simple yes-or-no question.
"What happened, Mister Parker?" Warren asked, slightly adjusting the stack of papers in his arms. "Your performance hasn't dropped, if that's what you're worried about. Your grades are still excellent."
"Thank you, Mr. Warren." Peter looked away for a moment, weighing his words. "But it's not about grades. It's about the internship. I... I want to leave."
A heavy silence followed.
"Sorry," Warren said after a moment. "I don't think I heard that correctly."
"I said I want to leave the internship, Mr. Warren."
Warren blinked a few times. "Leave," he repeated in a low voice. "You want to leave the internship that gives you access to one of the most important laboratories in the country? The same laboratory that undergraduate students dream of setting foot in?"
Put that way… it really did sound like a great loss for Peter Parker. But there were more important things to be done. "Yes, Mr. Warren."
"Do you have any idea what you're giving up, Mister Parker?" Warren's voice gained urgency. "Your future is in science! You have talent and a brilliant mind! Abandoning this internship could mean closing doors that may never open again."
"I know," Peter said firmly. "I know exactly what I'm leaving behind. But I have... other responsibilities right now. Things that require all of my attention."
Warren stared at him for a long moment, his eyes scanning Peter's face, searching for any doubt or uncertainty—any sign that this decision was a foolish teenage impulse. But all he saw was certainty. "Your aunt?" he asked, his voice softer now.
Peter deliberately hesitated for a second. "Yes. She needs my help at home." It was horrible to use May for that. But in his defense, it wasn't completely a lie. Leaving the internship would not only give him more time for the job—which meant more people being saved—but also give him more time to help May with whatever she needed.
To be there when she needed it.
Warren sighed, a sound that carried both disappointment and sadness. "I understand. Sometimes we are forced to give up important things to help those we love." He paused, his eyes still fixed on Peter. "But I hope you understand, Mister Parker, that this decision is wasting your potential."
"It isn't, Mr. Warren. I'm just postponing things. I'll be back. And when I come back, it won't be as an intern."
That drew a smile from Warren. "I hope so, Mister Parker. I'll let my brother know about your decision. He'll be quite disappointed, you know. He liked you. Said you had 'a scientist's hands.'"
'That strange man liked me? Creepy.' Peter didn't let anything show on his face — neither the relief that the conversation had gone much better than he had imagined, nor the chill that the memory of Warren's brother provoked. "I liked him too, Mr. Warren. He seemed like a very determined man."
"Oh, you can be sure he is," Warren said, his hand already in the pocket of his lab coat, probably reaching for his phone. "Well, I'll get going. I have an uncomfortable call ahead of me. Be careful on your way home, Mister Parker, this city has been very strange lately."
"Will do, Mr. Warren. See you tomorrow," Peter said as he turned and began to walk toward the exit.
"Ah, Mister Parker."
He had taken three steps when Warren's voice called out to him.
"Yes?" Peter turned back to him.
"Don't let this get to you. If I were in your place, I would have made the same choice."
***
'Okay, one less item on the list.'
Peter didn't waste any time.
As soon as he left school, making sure not to be seen by any of his friends who were probably still around, he turned the corner and slipped into the first alley he came across. His quick steps echoed against the brick walls as he shrugged off his backpack, his fingers already pulling his pullover up.
It was time to ditch the disguise and go back to being Spider-Man.
***
The first occurrence came quickly: a cat stuck in a tree
Classic.
A gray-haired lady stood on the sidewalk with her hands on her head, her eyes fixed high up in a tree where an obese orange cat clung desperately to a branch far too thin to support its weight.
Peter landed behind her without making a sound, bending his knees on impact, not wanting to scare her. "Good afternoon, ma'am. Can I help you?"
"Oh, yes please—" The lady said, relieved, but then she saw who was talking to her. The relief on her face evaporated as quickly as water on a hot pan. Her eyes widened, and with a reflex that certainly wasn't common for someone her age, she swung her purse toward Peter's head with a force that would make any mugger think twice before trying to rob her.
He dodged without difficulty, leaning his torso back. "Whoa there, ma'am, what's with all the violence? That's no way to treat someone who came to help."
"You're that criminal everyone's been talking about!" the lady exclaimed, taking two steps back and pointing her purse at him like it was a weapon. "I read the horrible things you've done!"
'I can only imagine what was written,' Peter thought, raising his hands to shoulder height in a calming gesture, fingers spread, palms visible — the universal stance of "I'm not a threat" that he was realizing he'd have to use a lot from now on. "Calm down, ma'am. I swear I just want to help. In less than a minute your cat will be back in your hands—"
"HELP! HELP! POLICE! HE WANTS TO KILL ME!" she started screaming in a shrill tone that could be heard from at least three blocks away, drawing the attention of the entire street.
'…are you serious?' Peter stared at the woman in silence, his head slightly tilted, wondering if he should laugh or cry at the scene she was making. A few onlookers were already starting to gather, drawn by the noise, and Peter spotted at least three cameras being raised in his direction.
He sighed. "You know, me asking if you needed help was just out of politeness. I would've saved the cat anyway." Without waiting for a response, he jumped into the tree.
Reaching the cat was as easy as taking a simple walk. The real problem was that the animal seemed to have read the same newspaper as its owner. The cat hissed, baring its teeth as soon as Peter got close, and tried to sink its claws into him every time he reached for it.
"Come on, Garfield's cousin," Peter murmured, trying to reach the back of the animal's neck. "Work with me. Don't you want to come down? Your owner's down there, waiting for you. I mean, I get it if you don't like her, but it's better than staying up here."
"HE'S TRYING TO STEAL MY CAT!"
'I should sue her,' he thought as his hand finally found the scruff of the cat's neck. The animal resisted for a moment, its paws flailing helplessly in the air, but as soon as Peter secured his grip without hurting it, the feline relaxed, letting out a low, resigned meow.
"See? That wasn't so hard," Peter whispered, jumping down from the tree. He landed in front of the lady, and before she could make a scene again, he was already extending the animal toward her.
The lady snatched the cat from his hands with a sharp motion, clutching it to her chest. "YOU—"
"Listen here, you irresponsible woman, I have two things to tell you." Peter cut her off, raising two fingers. "First: stop feeding this cat so much and put it on a diet. Can't you see how big it is? You're going to kill it like this! Obesity is no joke, ma'am. It's not cute or charming, it's a disease. It can cause diabetes, heart problems, joint issues, and it'll cut your cat's life in half." One finger went down. "Second: have a good day."
Peter didn't wait for her response again, firing a web at a lamppost and pulling himself away.
***
Disclaimer: This story and its characters belong to Sony Pictures and Marvel Comics (Disney). This is merely a fanfiction written by a fan, with no intention of infringement.