“And now for a bit of history on where the Newton-Raphson method came from” Mr Garland said.

  A groan emanated from the class, and I chuckled to myself in my seat, doodling within the margins of my book.

  “Now, now, the history of math is important guys” Mr Garland said, trying – and failing – to hide his amusement. “It’s good to know the history behind what you’re learning, helps you remember”

  “But it won’t be on the midterm though” a student called out.

  “No, but it’s important”

  “Sir were here for math, not history” another said.

  “Yeah, my dad’s an accountant and he didn’t even know the stuff you taught us about Euclid or whatever last week” a student added.

  “I mean geometry and accounting are two different things…” another student said.

  “That’s not the point. I’m tired of learning things I don’t have to. Mr Briggs already goes off on tangents enough”

  “Yeah, can we just do the handout?” another student asked. “I don’t want you to add it to the homework”

  “Alright, alright, everyone settle down" Mr Garland said. "I’ll keep it short, and you can start the handout if you want”

  The shuffling of papers filled the room, students quickly going to their worksheets but some’s attention remained fixed to Mr Garland.

  “Alright, for those of you listening, can any of you remember when I told you the method was first published?”

  The class was silent.

  “No? Nobody?"

  The class remained silent.

  "Really? No one?" Mr Garland said. "Anyone want to guess? No?”

  Jess raised her hand.

  “Yes, Jess” he said relieved.

  “Can I go to the toilet?”

  “Corre- oh. Uh… sure.”

  She got up quickly, and checked her watch before snagging a hall pass and slipping out the door. I checked my watch, but no notifications came. I frowned.

  “So… anyone?”

  A student raised a hand tentatively.

  “Jeremy?”

  “Uh… it was… wait. I forgot the exact date but it was in the ancient times. Like... the renaissance”

  “Uh… yes actually. Around the end of the seventeenth century start of the eighteenth” Mr Garland said. “Now, why do I bring it up? Because that was in fact actually a lie”

  I stopped doodling, and looked up at the teacher, my frown deepening. A few of the students around the class stopped too, setting down their pens as they began to listen.

  “You see, this is quite common for various ideas and concepts all around the world.” he said, grinning to himself. “While there’s a point at which a person makes the discovery and has the work very publicly attributed to them, there are usually others with similar ideas. For this there were quite a few, though the case in point being the ever so mysterious Vandal Savage”

  “Wait- the first metahuman guy? Again?!”

  “Yes Holly. Please don’t shout” Mr Garland said, as more students stopped working.

  “Sorry”

  “It’s alright. Anyway, you see while there’s plenty of theories about who or what he may or may not be in terms of meta-humanism, some even claiming the Pyler experiment was done using materials taken from his proposed burial site, sir Savage during his time alive, and especially in his later year, was a true genius. Likely because of his lifespan, he became a man far ahead of his time in his wealth of knowledge, his practice of math and general approach to life. Around he proposed an extremely similar method to the ones used by Newton and Raphson in the fourteen hundreds, nearly two hundred years before Newton’s method was first published. Some even believe he taught Sharaf al-Din al-Tusi and Jamshīd al-Kāshī, who inspired Fran?ois Viète’s work, and who some believe Newton developed the method from”

  “Who are Sharaf, Jamshid, and Fran?ois? Were they like proto-metahumans?” Holly asked.

  “No just mathematicians. But that’s not really important. Sir Savage was, by all accounts a wonderful mathematician, who’s likely had an extremely great influence over its very vast and long history. However, he only formally became known as a mathematician quite late in his life and many of his mathematical works and papers were lost or destroyed shortly after their creation, which is why we don’t call it the Savage-Newton, or Savage-Rhapson but the Newton-Rhapson, and why a lot of other things aren't named after him. Most of the papers are only recently being discovered and pieced together. Now, any questions?”

  Nobody raised their hand, the class completely quiet.

  “Uh… right then” Mr Garland said. “Onto your worksheets. You’ve got quite a lot to get done in the next twenty minutes”

  The shuffling of papers returned and I looked down to the sheet I’d been given and sighed, before looking to Jess’ empty chair. Guess I’d have to wait for help.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Yawning, I glanced out the window, out to the school’s track and football field.

  “Vandal Savage” I muttered to myself. What a weird thing to learn. Cool, but weird. Guess now I knew about the history behind some mathematics method I didn’t even understand. I glanced back to the handout then groaned, resting my head against the table. Somehow this was harder than fighting bad guys in the streets at night.

  Why had I even let Jess convince me to take this class? Just sitting here now, thinking about doing the work made me feel tired. I was always felt so tired these days.

  It’s because we are hungry.

  “Oh no” I muttered.

  We are hungry.

  I heard you the first time.

  You have not done anything about this matter. We require food. Now.

  Lunch is in twenty minutes

  Waiting to eat is stupid. We require sustenance. Now!

  Please be quiet, I’m trying to focus on my work.

  No, you are not.

  I will once you stop talking.

  No you will not!

  Stop shouting. Let me focus.

  Even if you focus it is pointless. Mathematics is futile in the face of food!

  Why’re you even- wait why do you talk like that?

  Like what?

  Like that? Like an old timey… I don’t know. You speak weird. Weirdly proper but basic at the same time. Like a Victorian caveman.

  I do not speak weird. I speak normally. Now get food. We are hungry.

  Again, lunch is in twenty minutes.

  Ambient negative energy is not enough. We require meat! And chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

  I chuckled to myself. I guess there wasn’t anybody that didn’t dislike chocolate.

  Uh… sure thing Squeak. Sure thing.

  Do not call me that!

  -

  I sat in the cafeteria eating slowly. The sounds of the cafeteria rang out around, the mess of students finally let loose a mixture of joy and chaos. There’d already been a food fight today, though they’d shut it down fast. People were already starting to really miss summer but hadn’t gotten accustomed to school again just yet. I was one of them.

  “Does this taste bland to you?” I yawned, pointing to the chicken on my plate.

  No.

  I ignored him, looking to Jess.

  “I didn’t even get the chicken” Jess said from across me.

  “Oh, right” I mumbled. “Try it. I tastes weird”

  “I thought you said you were going vegetarian”

  “Tomorrow”

  No!

  I flinched at the sound of the voice in my head, then slid my tray across to Jess. She cut off a piece, tried it then shrugged.

  “Seems fine to me”

  I grunted in response, pulling the tray back to me. I stared at it, then set my cutlery down and looked around the cafeteria. Why was today so weird? I couldn't tell what it was, but the noise of the cafeteria was strange. Almost tinny. And it was far too loud. The hairs on the back of my neck were starting to stand up. Like I was about to get blasted by a sonic attack.

  “You, okay?” Jess asked.

  “Mostly" I said, turning back to her.

  "Mostly?"

  "Yeah. I think the sonic blast or whatever gave me tinnitus or something. It'll probably go away"

  "You should see a doctor about that or something"

  “I don't know. It's probably fine" I said. "Why're you even asking anyway?”

  “I don’t know, you just seem... out of it”

  “It’s school” I chuckled. “It’s draining the lifeforce away from me. Every second that I spend here makes me sleepier”

  “You’re not staying up to practice fighting on your roof again, are you?”

  “Uh… n-no”

  Jess stared at me blankly.

  “Alright, alright, I do," I muttered. "But I’m only out for like twenty minutes at a time. I go right to bed after”

  “Did you do it yesterday?”

  “Well, I had to test out the hammer thing” I said. “It’s awesome. I can make the suit into tons of different shapes. I even made a sword”

  “And how long were you practising for?” she asked.

  "Uh..."

  “Yu”

  “Alright, it was probably close to an hour? Or two? Maybe even three?”

  “Well, I guess you should know why you’re tired then” she said flatly, returning to her food. “I mean, seriously, how do you expect to save people when you're practically falling asleep all the time?”

  “It’ll be fine”

  “Famous last words”

  “Yeah, yeah”

  Jess’ watched buzzed, and she glanced at it, before chuckling to herself.

  “What is it?”

  “What, too lazy to read it yourself?”

  “I didn’t get a notification”

  “Oh, it’s just Pete sending updates about his work. You didn’t get it?”

  “No” I said, glancing to my wrist. “I think my watch is broken. Must’ve been the fight yesterday”

  “It’s fine, Pete can fix it today”

  “Today? Isn’t he busy?”

  “No?” Jess said confused. “Today’s your check-up day. You know, the whole day dedicated to checking over the suit?”

  “But check-ups are on Wednesday?”

  “Today is Wednesday”

  I paused frowning.

  “Wow” Jess muttered. “You really do need to sleep”

  -

  I do not like this.

  Quiet please. It’s getting annoying.

  But I do not like this!

  If you’re gonna talk, at least don’t shout.

  I do not like this.

  I know. You said that already

  Peter passed the scanner over me again, nodding to himself as he walked around, watching its readings. Jess, stood closer to HQ’s villain map, looking over it intently, before glancing back to us.

  “Why’s this spot listed Kingpin and Bugrock?” she asked.

  “What?” Peter said. “Wait you mean Chinatown?”

  “Yeah. We’re you explaining things to Miles, and leave it there?”

  “No, it’s legit. Me and Lucas went out on a patrol, tracked a few of the guys. They weren’t doing anything illegal, but it was some of Kingpin and some Bugrock guys having lunch together.”

  “What? Seriously?”

  “Did I not tell you? I put it on the group chat?”

  “Even I knew that” I said, chuckling as I looked back at her. “Maybe you’re the one who needs sleep”

  “Very funny” she said flatly, before scanning the map once again.

  “You miss the big symbol labelled Dr Octavius over the Hortz-Bruig, too? If you missed it, he’s in prison. We caught him last year.”

  Jess glanced back half-shocked and frowning, as I chuckled.

  “Yu” Peter said, steadying me.

  “Sorry, sorry” I said clearing my throat. Peter scanned me for a few more minutes before I looked to him. “It’s nothing right? I’m fine?”

  “Yeah, it’s normal” Peter said. ”Can you activate the suit for me?”

  I nodded, and the symbiote instantly pooled out of my pores, stretching out soundlessly as it covered my skin and clothes from head to toe. Squeak’s presence in my head disappeared instantly, and a sense of power flowed through. My hands flexed practically out of instinct forming fists as I flexed my newfound strength.

  "Feels as good as always" I muttered to myself.

  Peter walked around me continuously, nodding to himself as he checked over the readings. Then he paused, frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” Jess said suddenly, stepping forward.

  “Uh… nothing”

  “Then why’d you stop?” I asked, somewhat nervous.

  “There was a small spike in NE. It shouldn’t happen since you're stable, but I’m not getting it again. Probably just an error with the rea-”

  A loud beep came from the watches.

  “Shit” Jess said.

  “What is it?” Peter and I asked.

  “Lucas just sent a message. There’s a fire at Oscorp. A big one. He thinks it was a bomb”

  Peter and I looked to each other.

  “I’ll go ahead” I said.