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"Uhā¦ what just happened?"
Angie blinked in confusion, her mouth still full of food. All she saw were three young men walking away in strange, almost theatrical gesturesālike they'd just seen a ghost.
She turned to her best friend for an explanation.
Bella, cool and collected as always, didn't even glance at the departing trio. "Nothing," she said simply, offering a casual smile. "Soā¦ is it delicious?"
Angie didn't press the matter. Instead, she launched into a dramatically exaggerated monologue of culinary praise.
"I swear, Bella, this is the best picnic of my life. I'm serious. Look at this rice ballāit's soft, savory, and divine with this sauce. And this sandwich? Fluffy yet structured. This salad? Refreshing! And thisā¦ black bread?"
Bella arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me, did you just call it black bread? It's brown bread, Angie. From a bakery. Not something I pulled from a coal mine."
Angie giggled sheepishly. "Oops. Did I say black? Must've been blinded by how delicious everything is."
Bella gave her a playful side-eye. "Mm-hmm. Flattery won't get you seconds."
"Worth a try!" Angie grinned, then suddenly reached for a certain feline distraction. "Here, Nina! You'll back me up, right?"
"Meow?"
The fat blue British Shorthair blinked slowly as Angie scooped her up mid-nap, now cradled like a sleepy loaf of bread.
Bella laughed despite herself. "You're incorrigible."
It was moments like this that reminded Bella why Angie meant so much to her.
In the confusing weeks after she had first arrived in this worldānew face, new powers, new realityāit was Angie who grounded her. With her infectious optimism and disarming sincerity, Angie had become more than just a college friend. She was real. A pillar in Bella's double life.
Of all the people Bella trusted, Angie was at the very top.
Together they lounged on the blanket, nibbling on what was left of their lunch while admiring the golden hues of autumn. The park's "green" lawns had long turned into oceans of yellow and red. Fallen leaves fluttered like lazy confetti in the afternoon breeze.
Everything felt calm. Serene. Almost idyllic.
Thenā
"Aha! Bella, you heard the latest?" Angie sat up suddenly, muffin still in hand. "There's a spider in New York!"
Bella raised an eyebrow without looking. "A spider?"
"No, noālike a man-spider! Orā¦ Spider-man! Yeah! That's what they're calling him at school."
Bella blinked. "You mean Spider-Man?"
"Yeah! That guy! Apparently he swings around the city saving people. The whole campus is talking about him."
Bella lay flat on her back, arms tucked behind her head, her fat cat now resting on her stomach like a warm pillow. "He's a vigilante, probably a teenager. New York's newest flavor of hero."
Angie gasped dramatically. "Waitādon't tell me he's part spider? Ew! I hate spiders!"
"I doubt he mutated from one. Probably justā¦ got bitten or something."
"Bitten?" Angie looked scandalized. "Bella, be serious. If being bitten gave you superpowers, we'd be crawling with Bug-Men, Dog-Men, even Pigeon-Men with how many people get bit in this city!"
Bella chuckled. "Fair point."
"I bet it was an experiment gone wrong," Angie continued. "Just like that monster on the Manhattan Bridge! I heard some people say the military made it. Maybe this spider guy's one of theirs too."
"Maybe," Bella said noncommittally, still watching the sky. "Or maybe it's just easier to believe that superheroes come from accidents."
"Well, as long as he's doing good work and saving people, I'm cool with him," Angie shrugged. "But between you and me, I still think you're way cooler."
"Obviously," Bella smirked.
Angie let out a melodramatic sigh. "I'm not ready to go back to school. Ugh, reality bites. Why can't every day be like this?"
"Your hard work will pay off, Angie. You're going to get that MD, just wait."
Angie smiled softly. "Thanks, Bellaā¦ hey, actually, why don't you come visit my campus? We're holding a sports meet soon!"
Bella turned her head. "You signed up?"
"Yeah! I'm running the 1000-meter race and the 100-meter hurdles."
"Alright," Bella nodded. "I'll bring Nina. Do they allow pets on campus?"
"I think so," Angie said. "We'll hide her if not."
A Few Days Later
Time flew by.
Angie's school, Yeshiva University, was one of the oldest institutions in the city. Privately funded by Jewish communities, it had a solid reputation, ranking among the top 50 in national undergraduate programs.
Angie was pursuing a triple-major cocktail of biomedical engineering, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. A heavy load, but nothing she couldn't handle.
Today was her big eventāthe sports meet. It was set to start at 9 a.m., with events running until 4 p.m., excluding a two-hour lunch break.
Angie left early to warm up.
Bella, meanwhile, had just finished breakfast. She threw on a pair of comfortable sneakers, a hoodie, and a gray baseball cap. She tucked Nina, now purring inside her travel bag, and was just heading for the door whenā
WEE-OOO! WEE-OOO!
The sound of sirens blared from down the block.
Bella paused, ears perking up.
Her enhanced senses picked up shouting, rapid footstepsā¦ gunfire.
Bank robbery, she deduced within seconds. Two streets down. Five robbers, armed. Police engaged.
She rolled her eyes.
"Seriously? It's not even 9 a.m.," she muttered. "Gotta love this free and democratic society. So damn free."
But she didn't move.
She wasn't like the other superheroes. Not the ones desperate to prove themselves by chasing every mugger or saving every cat stuck in a tree.
She had her own goals. She wasn't on patrol 24/7. And most importantlyāshe wasn't looking to be anyone's full-time savior.
She reached for the doorknobāthen paused.
If it were supervillains, maybe.
Fighting bank robbers didn't make her stronger. There were no power gains in chasing down low-level crooks. It wasn't worth it.
"Let Spider-Man burn calories on the local thugs," she said with a smirk. "I've got a sports meet to attend."
And thenāRING! RING!
Her phone buzzed.
She picked it up, expecting a call from Angie.
Instead, the voice on the other end was franticāpanicked.
"Bella! Don't come to school! We'reā"
CRACK!
The call cut off mid-sentence.
Screams followed. Gunshots. Roaring.
Bella's face darkened.
She stood still for only a moment.
Then, with silent focus, she stepped back into the apartment, removed her hoodie, and reached for the mask.
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