Peter POV:
Visions Academy was never quiet after that night.
Hallways buzzed with whispers.
"They say Parker broke Ned's spine."
"No way, Gwen did it. She's scary strong."
"I heard it was self-defense."
"No, my cousin said it was revenge."
Every day, the story grew, twisted. Some painted me as a monster. Others saw Gwen as unhinged. But everyone knew one thing: Ned Leeds and his jocks would never walk the same again.
Courtroom
The Leeds family came out swinging. Lawyers, press, crocodile tears. They painted Ned as the victim of a billionaire gone rogue.
"My son was brutalized." His mother sobbed before the cameras. "Peter Parker must answer for what he's done."
But I didn't flinch. Sitting beside me were Gwen, Aunt May, Uncle Ben and behind them, a legal team sharper than scalpels.
When the trial began, the prosecution pushed hard.
"This was no accident. This was excessive force. Mr. Parker, a man with advanced cybernetic enhancements, crippled an unarmed student who...."
My lawyer leaned forward, voice calm.
"Unarmed? Really? Perhaps the jury should see Exhibit A."
The lights dimmed.
On the screen, grainy alley footage came alive. Ned's sneer. The jocks restraining me. Their intent, clear as day and Ned's voice boomed. Venomous, unmistakable.
"We'll see how perfect you are when I take what's yours, Parker. When you watch her..."
The jury gasped. The courtroom froze. Even the judge's expression darkened.
The footage continued, showing Gwen breaking free, the jocks crumpling one by one. The attack was undeniable.
The defense attorney's voice cut sharp.
"This was not aggression. This was survival. What you see here is attempted assault, attempted rape thwarted only by the strength of the intended victim herself and her partner."
He turned, pointing to Gwen, who sat silent but unshaken.
"Would you have had her lie down and let it happen? Would you have had Mr. Parker stand by while his girlfriend was violated in front of him?"
Murmurs rippled across the room. The Leeds family paled.
The Verdict
It wasn't even close.
"On the charges of aggravated assault, Peter Benjamin Parker is found… Not Guilty."
The gavel struck. The Leeds case collapsed.
But the real punishment came after.
News outlets broadcast the footage worldwide. Overnight, Ned Leeds became a pariah. His face, once smug in school halls, was now plastered with the words: Attempted Rapist. His family tried to salvage what was left, but every interview only dug the hole deeper.
Parents pulled their children away from the Leeds name. Universities revoked offers. Sponsorships, scholarships all gone. The jocks who followed him were shunned just the same.
Meanwhile, I walked free. Gwen at my side. The world whispering again but this time, about justice.
Hallways
As me and Gwen returned to Visions Academy, the atmosphere was heavy. Students parted ways for us. Some nodded, others looked away in shame.
But no one dared speak against us now.
Gwen leaned close, whispering.
"Do you feel it? The silence?"
I nodded, voice low.
"They're not afraid of me. They're afraid of truth."
Gwen slipped her hand into mine. "Then let them be."
And together, we walked through the hush of the hall, our bond unbroken while the shadow of Ned Leeds remained a cautionary tale of envy, arrogance and ruin.
Read 63 chapters ahead on P.A.T.R.E.O.N
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