Gotham Academy was louder than Alex expected.
The moment he stepped through the tall front doors, sound hit him all at once—voices overlapping, laughter bouncing off marble floors, the constant shuffle of polished shoes moving in every direction. Students filled the main hall in clusters, talking like they owned the place. Some compared schedules, others scrolled through their phones, and a few argued loudly about something Alex couldn't even follow.
Everyone looked…too confident.
Alex adjusted the strap of his backpack and took a slow breath, trying to steady himself. Just a school, he told himself. Just people. But it didn't feel like that. Not here. Not in a place where everything from the uniforms to the posture screamed money and certainty.
He started walking, letting the current of students carry him forward and then he bumped into someone and it happened way too fast. Alex's reflexes kicked in instantly. His hands shot out, catching her before she could fall, stopping her momentum like it was nothing.
"I-I'm so sorry!" he blurted. He looked down and froze.
She was about his age. Asian, with black hair pulled back neatly, not a strand out of place. Her eyes were dark, sharp, and steady in a way that made everything else around them feel… louder by comparison. Calm. Focused.
Beautiful.
For a second, Alex forgot how to breathe as she steadied herself in his grip, then straightened, her posture already composed again. She gave a small nod.
"It's okay," she said quietly.
Alex felt heat rush to his face. "Uh Alex. Alex Ross. I'm new here. Scholarship."
He winced internally. Great. Lead with that. He stuck his hand out anyway, already reminding himself to be careful. Not too strong. Not too fast.
She looked at his hand for a brief moment before taking it.
"Cassandra Cain."
Alex shook her hand gently.
Cass felt it immediately. There was no tension in his grip. No pressure. No strain. It was controlled and deliberately so. And yet…Her hand didn't move him at all. Not even a little.
Her eyes narrowed just slightly, something quiet and analytical passing behind them.
Before either of them could say anything else, the bell rang sharply through the hall, cutting through the noise like a blade.
Alex flinched.
"Oh uh, nice meeting you, Cassandra. I've gotta go."
He let go quickly, stepping back before he could mess anything else up, and disappeared into the crowd almost instantly.
Cass didn't move as She watched him go.
"Cass?"
A voice broke her focus and it was a black-haired boy stepped up beside her, adjusting his backpack, his eyes already scanning the crowd where Alex had vanished. A blonde girl followed right behind him, grinning like she'd just walked into something entertaining.
"Why are you staring at the new kid?" the girl asked. Cass didn't look away. Instead, her hands moved, quick and precise. Remember what Dick told us. Watch for suspicious students. The boy's expression sharpened immediately.
Cass continued, her movements fluid.
When we shook hands… his muscles weren't engaged. Barely any strength.She paused.But he was still stronger than me.
The boy named Tim went still. "You're sure?" Cass nodded once. The blonde named Steph tilted her head. "Did you get his name?"
Cass hesitated for just a fraction of a second, then spoke softly.
"Alex Ross."
Steph let out a low whistle. "Okay. Yeah… that's interesting."
Tim glanced in the direction Alex had gone, his mind already working.
"Very interesting."
Timeskip
By lunchtime, the noise hadn't died down—it had only changed shape. The cafeteria was worse and Alex stepped inside and immediately stopped.
"…Whoa."
The space was enormous. Long tables stretched across the room, packed with students. Conversations overlapped in waves, louder and more chaotic than the hallways. But what really caught his attention was the food.
A massive buffet lined one wall. Hot meals, stacked trays, fresh fruit, desserts and more food than Alex had seen in one place in his entire life.
He blinked, staring and slowly, he turned to the nearest student. "Uh… hey. How much is the food?" The guy looked at him like he'd just asked if oxygen had a price tag.
"Dude," he said, "it's all free."
Alex's eyes widened. "F-free?!"
The student just shrugged and walked off. "Welcome to Gotham Academy." Alex turned back to the buffet, heart pounding.
Free.
He swallowed hard because ever since the bite, his appetite had been insane. No matter how much he ate, it barely touched the hunger. Groceries vanished in days. His mom had started asking questions he didn't have answers for.
For the first time in months…
"I can finally feel full," he whispered.
He grabbed a plate and by the time he sat down, he had four loaded plates in front of him, piled high with pasta, chicken, sandwiches, fruit really anything he could grab and then he started eating. Bite after bite, barely stopping, the food disappearing at a pace that didn't make sense.
Across the cafeteria, three people were watching.
Tim leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp, tracking everything and he saw how fast Alex moved, how much food vanished, how his posture barely changed.
Cass watched in silence, her head tilting slightly, trying to understand where it was all going.
Steph grimaced. "Oh my god," she muttered. "That's disgusting. And kind of impressive."
Alex didn't notice any of them. His phone buzzed and he glanced down and his stomach dropped.
CRIME ALERT: ARMED BANK ROBBERY – DOWNTOWN GOTHAM
"…Seriously?" he muttered.
He looked at the food then the clock. Alex exhaled sharply and started shoveling the rest into his mouth even faster.
"Can't even relax and eat," he mumbled, standing up. "So unfair." He wiped his hands, grabbed his bag, and slipped out of the cafeteria.
But it's my responsibility, he thought. If I can help… I have to.
Minutes later, he ducked into an alley and the suit came out of his bag in one smooth motion. Spider-Man fired a web and launched himself skyward.
Back in the cafeteria, Tim frowned slightly.
"…Did anyone else notice how fast he left?"
Cass nodded and Steph squinted toward the exit. "Yeah. I'm officially calling it." "Calling what?" Tim asked. Steph smirked. "That school just got way more interesting."
Wayne Manor
Wayne Manor was quiet in the early afternoon.
Bruce stood near the tall windows of his study, one hand resting lightly on the back of a chair. Gotham stretched out beyond the glass and the city was alive in a way that never quite felt safe.
Something felt off.Then a sharp ping broke the silence and Bruce turned instantly.
CRIME ALERT: ARMED BANK ROBBERY – DOWNTOWN GOTHAM
He was already moving.
"Notify Dick and Barbara," he said calmly. "Patch in nearby cameras."
The Batcomputer came alive as he descended into the cave, screens splitting into multiple feeds.
The bank's front doors exploded outward and then a red-and-blue blur swung into frame and Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Spider-Man," Alfred said quietly.
"Yes," Bruce replied. Onscreen, Spider-Man crashed through a shattered window, landing between armed robbers and terrified civilians.
"Should I dispatch the Batwing, sir?" Alfred asked. Bruce watched carefully. "No," he said after a moment. "Not yet."
Bank
The moment Spider-Man landed, the room froze. Five armed men turned toward him, rifles snapping up.
"Oh wow," Spider-Man said, glancing around. "You guys really committed to the theme, huh? Masks, guns, terrible life choices."
"SHOOT HIM!" one of them yelled.
Gunfire erupted and Spider-Man flipped backward, webbing snapping him up to the ceiling as bullets tore through where he'd been standing.
"Inside voices!" he called down. "There are kids here!" He fired webs and two guns yanked from their hands and slammed into the ceiling.
A thug charged him. Spider-Man twisted mid-air and kicked him across the room. Another swung a rifle and Spider-Man caught it. "…Uh oh," he said. He twisted and the barrel bent.
"See? Recycling."
His spider-sense screamed and he moved before the shots even landed, diving, rolling, firing webs that pinned two robbers to pillars in seconds.
The last man grabbed a hostage.
"STAY BACK!"
Spider-Man froze, hands raised.
"Okay," he said carefully. "Nobody needs a worse day, alright?"
The gun fired but the shot went wide. Spider-Man slammed into the man, dropping him and webbing him instantly. Silence then applause.
A kid cheered and that made Spider-Man rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness. "Uh… please remain calm. Authorities are on the way. And nobody follow me, okay?" Sirens wailed outside and he was gone in a second.
Batcave
Back in the cave, Bruce watched the final frame freeze.
"No unnecessary force," Bruce murmured. "Prioritized civilians. Efficient."
Alfred smiled faintly. "He's a good boy."
Bruce didn't argue but his jaw tightened."He's also alone," Bruce said quietly. "And he shouldn't be." The screen froze on Spider-Man mid-leap against Gotham's skyline.
Bruce's voice lowered.
"Find out who he is."