The afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall windows of Midtown High, casting golden beams across the hallway floors. Raj leaned against his locker, a half-eaten protein bar in one hand, his mind far from the half-day schedule. His eyes flicked toward the far end of the hallway where Monica had vanished earlier that morning.
The warning still buzzed in his skull like static.
She hadn't said much, just a look and the words: You're not invisible, Raj. Be careful who's watching.
And she had been watching. The kind of watching that made your skin crawl, like you were being dissected through a scope. He'd burned the note she'd left behind hours ago, but the scorch marks still felt fresh in his memory.
Peter appeared beside him, a can of soda in hand. "You look like you just saw God of Death walk through the door."
Raj blinked. "What?"
Peter tilted his head. "You've been zoning out since lunch. What's going on?"
Raj scanned the hallway, ensuring no one was within earshot before leaning in slightly. "There's a woman. She's... not from the school. She's been showing up randomly. Her name's Monica."
Peter's expression sharpened. "What kind of woman?"
"The kind who dresses like she's either undercover or forgot it's a high school and not a spy thriller," Raj muttered. "Long coat. Ear comms. Way too observant. She confronted me this morning."
Peter frowned. "That's not good. What'd she say?"
"She said I'm not invisible." Raj's voice lowered. "And that someone dangerous is watching."
Peter straightened. "Did you tell anyone else?"
Raj shook his head. "No one would believe me. Hell, I barely believe me. But I'm telling you because your Spidey-sense goes nuts when I sneeze wrong. So if someone's tracking me, you'll probably feel it before I do."
Peter exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. That buzzing I've been feeling? It wasn't just the cafeteria incident. I felt something weird near the science wing earlier. Like someone walked past me wearing cloaking tech and a threat level rating."
Raj raised an eyebrow. "You can feel that?"
Peter nodded. "Not specifics, but the sense of danger? Yeah. The stronger it is, the more it spikes. Sometimes it's subtle. Other times, it's like being smacked in the head with a frying pan."
Raj sighed. "I'm getting the feeling Monica's the frying pan."
They started walking down the hall, sneakers squeaking against polished floors. Raj lowered his voice even more.
"She knows something. She wasn't asking questions. She was warning me. Like she's involved in something bigger."
Peter nodded slowly. "Did she say who she worked for?"
"No. But I've got a theory."
Peter quirked a brow.
Raj looked around again, then muttered, "Tony Stark."
Peter nearly choked on his soda. "What?"
"Think about it," Raj said. "The weird energy scanner you brought to the rooftop—Stark Tech, right?"
Peter nodded reluctantly.
"And now a random agent shows up at our school with advanced surveillance skills, zero teaching credentials, and vanishes like she's got clearance to walk through walls."
Peter's face shifted from skepticism to worry. "Stark doesn't usually get involved with high schools... unless he's recruiting."
Raj gave him a pointed look. "Exactly. And if he's recruiting, then what am I being watched for?"
Peter's eyes narrowed. "You think Stark knows about your powers?"
Raj shrugged. "I don't know. But Monica does. Or at least suspects. And if she's reporting to someone, it's not the PTA."
They turned the corner into a quieter wing, mostly empty between periods. A janitor hummed in the distance.
Peter leaned against the wall. "Okay. So what do we do?"
Raj crossed his arms. "I keep a low profile. No glowing. No energy bursts. No smashing fruit in the cafeteria. You? You keep doing your friendly neighborhood thing. If Monica makes a move—"
"I web her to the ceiling?" Peter offered, half-grinning.
Raj gave him a dry look. "Only if she shoots lasers."
They shared a brief laugh, but the tension still lingered in the air like humidity before a storm.
Peter's voice dropped again. "Do you think she's a threat?"
Raj's eyes narrowed. "No. I think she's a test."
Peter blinked. "A test?"
"She's not here to eliminate me. She's here to see what I'll do. Whether I'm stable. Whether I'll freak out and blow a hole through the wall—or blend in like a good little freak."
Peter exhaled, crossing his arms. "That's... actually kind of terrifying."
Raj nodded. "Tell me about it."
They stood in silence for a moment, absorbing the implications. Raj could almost feel Monica's presence somewhere nearby, like a weight pressing against the back of his neck.
Peter broke the silence first. "Okay. From now on, we assume someone's always watching. Always listening."
"Agreed."
"I'll run a scan tonight—see if I can catch any surveillance signals near your house. Maybe ping a few Stark servers."
Raj arched a brow. "Won't that get you in trouble?"
Peter smirked. "Trouble's my middle name. Well, actually it's Benjamin, but you get the idea."
Raj chuckled despite himself. "Thanks, Peter."
"Hey," Peter said, patting him on the shoulder, "we weirdos have to stick together."
Raj looked at his friend, really looked at him. It still amazed him that Peter had offered to help, without strings, without judgment. He was hiding his own massive secret, and yet here he was—sharing tech, scanning energy, and dodging invisible agents with him.
Raj nodded. "I owe you one."
Peter grinned. "Just don't explode any more apples and we'll call it even."
They turned to head back to class, the moment of vulnerability sealed with a joke. But Raj's mind was still spinning. The rules of this world were shifting, and Monica—whether friend or foe—was a harbinger of that change.
As they reached the next hallway intersection, Raj paused.
"Peter?"
"Yeah?"
"If she comes back... and she tries anything sketchy..."
Peter glanced over. "I'll web her to the ceiling."
Raj smiled. "Good."
Then they disappeared into the flow of students, just two teenagers—one glowing from the sun, the other hiding behind a mask—both pretending everything was fine.