After that night, I set out to lick my wounds, so to speak. I was nearly defeated by a man without superpowers, without a stand, and that troubled me. But for now, my focus had to be on recovering. I avoided going to the hospital due to the many questions and unwanted attention it would bring. I needed to stay under the radar. Who to target next was a complex question; most heroes and villains were too strong to take down easily.
Despite my injuries, I went about my job as usual, which was extremely inconvenient given my condition, but it was unavoidable. The days flew by unnoticed, and soon it was Friday. I had breakfast as usual, got ready, and headed to school.
× Later, at the School Entrance ×
"Where's Parker?" I checked the attendance list; everyone was present except for him, unsurprisingly.
MJ's voice came from the bus, "He texted that he'll be here any minute! Let's wait for him."
"We have to wait for that idiot again?" Flash complained, echoed by groans from classmates.
"Let's go without him; we're only waiting for one person!"
"It'd be hilarious if he ran after the bus!"
With a chuckle, I decided to give him a chance and wasn't mistaken. A few minutes later, he burst into the bus, out of breath, apologizing to me - "Sorry, Mr. Yoshikage!"
"Why are you late?" I asked directly, raising an eyebrow. I knew the answer but was curious about his reaction - "My... Uh... My phone's clock was set wrong, and the alarm went off late."
"Alright, take your seat," I sighed, letting him pass. Naturally, Peter was received rather coldly for making them wait. If Harry or Flash had been late, no one would have said a word. I silenced any backtalk, warning that anyone who exceeded the volume limit would be thrown off the bus immediately.
× Some Time Later ×
Finally, when we arrived at the Baxter Building, the bus stopped, and I, along with the students, stepped out to the entrance. There wasn't just one bus; other classes were brought by different teachers. Reporters and some big shots invited to the exhibition were also present. It was a significant event, after all.
"Everyone's accounted for..." I whispered, recounting the students. Fortunately, no one was missing, which would have been a problem. We, along with other teachers and under the buzz of excited students and camera flashes, approached the large sliding doors that welcomed us inside.
Now, I was about to see inventions that, in my old world, were mere fantasy. This intrigued me, especially since I found myself in a world of superheroes, where other universes and planets inhabited by life existed. A vast world with equally vast dangers.
Upon entering, we were greeted by a huge, spotless space. Ahead was an empty pedestal, but within seconds, the space in the middle began to warp, and before us appeared a beautiful blonde woman in a form-fitting suit.
"Welcome to the exhibition!" she greeted with a smile, her voice amplified by seemingly invisible speakers - "We've been expecting you!" Saying that, Susan Storm pressed something on her belt, and parts of the floor in front of us started opening, revealing exhibits rising from the openings. The reaction of the people was predictable; everyone was thrilled. Each rushed to the exhibit that caught their interest while photographers captured everything they saw.
Each exhibit featured a holographic screen with a button that, when pressed, played a robotic female voice explaining the invention's function.
"Invisibility Sphere..." Looking to the left, I saw children taking turns standing on a metal circular plate about a meter in diameter - "Based on light refraction. Any living organism entering its range becomes completely invisible."
"Wow!" came a joyful voice from the middle of the circle - "I'm like Harry Potter!"
"Dude, this is incredible!"
"Isn't this dangerous?"
"God, let me try already!"
"One at a time, please!"
I didn't linger long on any one exhibit; everything intrigued me. As I wandered among the inventions, I lost track of the others, though I never completely zoned out, as I still had a duty to watch over my students.
My attention was eventually captured by a display at the very edge, not drawing much attention. Behind the glass was an arrow! One of them had been here all along! But how? Why? I hadn't imagined I'd find it here! Why was the arrow placed here?
Unknowingly, I approached the protective glass closely. I needed to take it, but not now, with too many witnesses and the commotion that would ensue from the disappearance of an exhibit.
"Hmm, I didn't expect it to interest anyone..." Hearing a voice next to me, I turned to its source - "What exactly caught your interest?"
Glancing at the woman, I realized Susan Storm was standing beside me, equally fascinated by the arrow. Her suit seemed to accentuate her form, drawing occasional glances. She's considered one of Marvel Universe's most beautiful superheroes. Hmm, I can't say I disagree.
"An ordinary arrow amid inventions that grant invisibility or incredible strength seems odd, doesn't it?" I looked back at the glass and asked.
"It's only seemingly ordinary," she smiled again, ready to surprise me - "What if I told you it was created long before our era? There are no records or mentions of it throughout human history, only rumors. It appears to be so ancient it was made at the dawn of mankind."
"So, when people were still fighting with sticks, someone managed to make this?" I pondered.
"There have always been geniuses throughout the ages," Susan examined the arrowhead's patterns - "But that's not the most interesting part."
"There's more?"
"Yes, the arrow is made from a metal of incredible density unknown to us to this day. It has only a few small scratches despite its age. It also doesn't melt at any known temperature."
"Hmm..." So that's how arrows appeared in this world. If that's the case, my search might be a bit easier since rumors don't arise from nowhere.
"Rumors say one was in the possession of the Red Skull during World War II. He wanted to use it to create something that would surpass the super soldier serum, but it didn't work out," she looked at me as she finished.
"And the arrow?" I asked, my interest practically boiling inside me.
Susan shrugged, "Unknown. It might be somewhere under the ice from which Captain America—Steve Rogers, the first Avenger—was retrieved. He might know something about its whereabouts."
"It seems you're quite intrigued by them," she chuckled.
"Rather, your story intrigued me," I looked back at the display case. I needed to find a way to steal it from here.