Alex barely makes it.
He slips through the classroom door just as the bell rings, his shoes skidding slightly against the floor as he catches himself on the edge of a desk. His chest rises and falls a little too fast, like he just ran across the entire city which, in a way, he kind of did.
The rush of wind still lingers in his ears, his muscles humming with leftover adrenaline from swinging through Gotham traffic, dodging buildings, and landing just in time to not completely ruin his first day.
He exhales slowly as he moves toward the back row, trying to look normal, trying to be normal, even though nothing about his life feels that way anymore.
"Sorry," he mutters under his breath as he slides into an empty seat, dropping his bag beside his chair and leaning back like he's been there the whole time.
"Nice of you to join us, Mr…?" the teacher says without looking up from the attendance sheet, his tone calm but pointed enough to draw a few glances from nearby students.
"Ross," Alex answers quickly, sitting up just enough to seem respectful. "Alex Ross."
The teacher hums, finally glancing at him over the rim of his glasses. "Try not to be late again."
"Yes, sir," Alex replies, nodding once as he sinks slightly into his chair again, hoping that ends the attention on him.
It doesn't because the moment he turns his head to the right, his brain completely stalls.
Cassandra Cain is sitting beside him. She's already perfectly composed, her posture straight without looking stiff, her notebook open with clean, precise handwriting already lining the page. Her pen rests exactly parallel to the edge of the desk, like even the smallest detail matters to her. Everything about her feels deliberate, controlled in a way Alex can't quite explain, and when she glances at him, calm and steady, it feels like she sees more than she should.
Alex swallows, suddenly very aware of himself. "Uh… hi."
She gives a small nod. "Hi."
Before he can think of anything else to say, the teacher claps his hands, drawing the room's attention forward. "Alright, class, settle down. For the next two weeks, you'll be working in pairs on your arachnid biology project."
Alex freezes.
Of course it's spiders.
Of course this is the assignment.
"Partners will be assigned," the teacher continues, flipping a page as the class groans in anticipation.
Alex leans back slightly, staring at the ceiling for half a second as if that might help him survive whatever comes next.
"Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown."
A wave of reactions rolls through the room with some laughter, a dramatic groan from Stephanie, and a quiet, amused look from Tim that suggests he's already accepted his fate.
"Cassandra Cain…"
Alex's heart skips once, hard enough that he actually feels it.
"…and Alex Ross."
The room shifts. New kid paired with the quietest girl in the class. Of course people are going to notice. Alex slowly turns his head and Cass is already looking at him.
"…Oh," he says, brilliantly.
She tilts her head slightly, studying him with that same calm intensity. "Yes." Alex clears his throat, scrambling to sound like a functioning human being. "I mean cool. That's cool. I like… spiders."
Her eyes flicker, just a little. "You do?"
"Yeah," Alex says quickly, already feeling himself spiral. "I mean not like romantically. That would be weird. I just think they're… fascinating."
For a fraction of a second, her lips twitch but it was so subtle it almost doesn't happen, but he catches it anyway.
The teacher keeps talking, outlining expectations and deadlines, but Alex barely hears any of it. His focus drifts back to Cass as she opens her notebook and angles it slightly toward him, giving him a clear view of the top of the page.
Arachnid Behavior & Anatomy is already written in neat, precise lettering.
Alex blinks, impressed. "You're… prepared."
Cass nods once. "I like patterns."
"That tracks," Alex says automatically, then immediately winces. "Sorry. That sounded creepy."
She considers him for a moment, then gives a small, thoughtful nod. "It's accurate."
Relief washes over him, and he lets out a quiet breath, a small smile pulling at his lips as the tension eases just a bit.
They fall into a quiet rhythm after that. Cass writes quickly, efficiently, her notes structured and organized in a way that makes Alex feel like he's watching someone who's already five steps ahead. He glances over, trying not to be obvious about it.
"You write really neat," he says after a minute.
She pauses, her pen hovering just above the page. "…Thank you." There's a brief hesitation, something like a decision being made, and then her hands lift.
She starts signing and Alex watches, and something clicks instantly. His eyes widen in recognition, and a soft "Oh" slips out before he can stop it. Cass freezes mid-motion, her gaze snapping to him. Alex quickly raises his hands, palms open in a small, reassuring gesture.
You don't have to stop.
She stares at him, searching his face for a second longer than expected, before slowly continuing.
You know sign language?
Alex nods, a little self-conscious now. Yeah. My mom taught me. She volunteered at a community center.
Something in her expression shifts. Surprise gives way to curiosity, then something softer.
You're good, she signs.
Alex shrugs slightly. Still learning. Cass relaxes just a little, her movements becoming smoother now that she doesn't have to hold back.
Spiders communicate through vibration, she signs.
Alex lights up instantly. "Yeah! Through their webs changes in tension, frequency, it's like a whole language system…."
He cuts himself off again, realizing he's rambling. Cass watches him, then signs, You really like spiders. Alex laughs quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… guess you could say that."
She tilts her head. Why?
He pauses, thinking about it in a way he hasn't before.
"They're small," he says slowly. "People underestimate them. But they're strong. Precise. And they protect what's theirs."
Cass nods once, like that answer makes perfect sense. A comfortable silence settles between them, something easy and unforced, like they've already figured out how to exist in the same space without trying too hard.
Across the room, Tim glances back, his attention caught by the movement of Cass's hands. Then he notices Alex responding in kind, and his expression sharpens almost immediately.
Stephanie leans over, following his gaze, her eyes widening slightly. "Oh. Oh." Tim lowers his voice. "That's new." Back at their desk, Cass slides her notebook toward Alex again.
We'll get an A.
Alex grins. "Definitely."
The bell rings, breaking the moment as the room fills with noise again with chairs scraping, conversations starting up, students rushing for the door. Alex quickly packs his things, still processing everything that just happened.
Cass closes her notebook with the same careful precision as before, but this time she hesitates before standing.
She pulls out her phone and Alex notices and immediately pretends he doesn't, because his brain is once again failing him at the worst possible time.
She holds it out to him. "…For the project." Alex blinks. "Oh. Yeah. Totally. Project." He fumbles his phone out, nearly dropping it before catching it at the last second. Cass types her number in, her movements quick and efficient, then hands it back.
Alex stares at the screen for a second longer than necessary. "Uh… thanks. I mean thank you. I promise I'm actually reliable."
Cass tilts her head slightly. "I believe you." That lands deeper than he expects, something warm settling in his chest.
"Maybe we could meet at the library?" Alex says, trying to sound normal. "Or somewhere quiet?"
Cass nods. "Library works." She pauses, then adds softly, "You talk a lot. But it's good." Alex laughs, a little embarrassed. "Yeah… I get that a lot."
There's the smallest hint of a smile from her again. They walk out together before splitting at the hallway intersection, the noise of the school swallowing them back up.
"See you, Alex," she says.
"Yeah," he replies, glancing down at his phone again. "See you, Cassandra."
She walks away, calm as ever. Alex stands there for a moment longer than he should, staring at her name on his screen before shaking his head lightly.
"…Okay," he mutters to himself. "Focus."
The moment he turns into a narrow alley, everything shifts again. He checks both ends out of habit and it's clear and moves quickly, shrugging off his jacket and pulling his suit into place with practiced efficiency. The mask slides down, sealing everything in, and just like that, the world sharpens.
Spider-Man fires a web and launches himself skyward, the city opening beneath him as he swings forward, the motion smooth and effortless now, like he was always meant to move this way.
He lands behind a mugger mid-grab, his voice cutting through the moment. "Hey! That's not yours."
The guy turns and is immediately webbed to a lamppost before he can react.
"…Wow," Spider-Man says, tilting his head. "You really picked the wrong city."
Later, he helps an older woman across the street, listens patiently as she tells him about someone named Harold, and nods like it matters because it does. He buys a sandwich from a street vendor with actual cash, earning a surprised look and a nod of respect, and takes a second to pose for a group of kids who nearly lose their minds when he sticks upside down on a wall just to prove a point.
By the time night falls, the city glows beneath him, alive in a way that feels almost peaceful for once. Spider-Man sits on the edge of a building, mask half-lifted as he takes a bite of his sandwich, finally slowing down after a day that hasn't stopped moving.
"…Okay," he mutters, exhaling. "Good day."
But then the night changes.
A flash of blue-white light erupts in the distance, bright enough to cut through the skyline, followed by a wave of frost that spreads across the street like something alive. Ice crawls over pavement, walls, cars freezing the entrance of a Wayne Enterprises lab solid in seconds.
Spider-Man straightens immediately, the calm gone in an instant.
"What the…?"
He leans forward, narrowing his eyes as a massive armored figure steps into view, his body radiating cold, a glowing blue visor reflecting the city lights like something out of a nightmare.
"…Wait," Spider-Man whispers.
He leans a little further, trying to process what he's seeing.
"…That's ice."
A beat passes.
"…That's a guy made of ice."
He slaps both hands over his mask, barely containing the sudden spike of energy rushing through him.
"OH MY GOD MY FIRST SUPERVILLAIN."
He starts bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, nerves and excitement colliding all at once as he runs through everything in his head at rapid speed.
"Okay, okay, okay you've got this. You stop muggers. You help old ladies. You didn't embarrass yourself too badly at school today. That's a win. You can do this."
He takes a breath, steadying himself as best he can.
"Go be a superhero."
Then he steps forward and drops off the edge of the building in one clean motion, the wind rushing past as his body falls before a web fires upward, catching and pulling him into a smooth arc through the night. The city blurs around him as he swings faster, straighter, locked onto the frozen lab ahead, every instinct pushing him forward as the excitement fades into focus.