School.

Lately, Luz hadn't even been focusing on school. Her grades were declining a tiny bit since she was usually off swinging around the city, stopping crime at every turn. She could even tell that the criminals with no superpowers were really starting to get sick of it.

But she didn't care. Lately, she was starting to love the thrill of the fight. She never did before up until the black suit was summoned.

However, she had to remind herself that it was about the people she saved. Not the bad guys she was hurting.

'...how long have I been Spider-Witch anyway?' Luz thought to herself. 'Have I...really lost track?'

Then, there was a snapping sound, quite literally snapping Luz out of her thoughts.

"Earth to Luz! Earth to Luz!" Her friend, Gus, said.

Luz laughed a bit. "I...zoned out again, didn't I?"

"Maybe." Willow said with a small smile. She still wasn't completely over the whole thing with Hunter, but she was starting to smile more. The stress of one of her best friends and crush being a supervillain hadn't gone away and it likely wouldn't, but Luz, Vee, and Gus would take what they could get.

Gus chuckled before his eyes softened. "In all seriousness, you've been...really quiet recently."

Vee froze a little bit, sensing that she would have to step in to help protect her sister's secret identity.

However, Luz spoke up. "There...is something on my mind. Something I honestly might need a lot more help with. More than just Vee's."

Vee looked at her, remaining silent as her head quickly went to assumptions. 'Are you...going to tell them? Luz, you're kinda ruining the whole point of a SECRET-'

"Prom's in two weeks." Luz said suddenly before she blushed. "A-and I've been talking with Amity more and more...a-and I-I...I really, really want to ask her. For real this time. No chickening out."

Gus and Willow stared at her in surprise before Willow suddenly giggled. "You could've just told us, Luz! Of course, we'll help."

"We'll be your wingmen." Gus said as he patted her back. "Just imagine! Your cotton candy haired lady will be head over heels for you by the end of the week with our help!"

Luz laughed. "I doubt that last part!"

Vee silently sighed in relief before she laughed herself. "I'll drink to that."

Willow snorted. "Vee, you're not the legal drinking age...and that's a milk carton."

"Oh, don't point it out to her." Gus said suddenly. "She's a milkaholic."

Vee laughed again before she chugged the carton down and then 'slammed' it against the table, even making a fake hiccuping sound. "A-another! Put it on my tab!"

"Sooo, that adds to about $1,000?" Willow asked with a grin.

The four friends just began to laugh, clearly happy to just be...happy.

Luz wanted it to stay this way...she would make sure that nothing would hurt the ones she cared most about ever again.

Later that day, school was once again on the brink of ending and Luz just hummed a small tune to herself as she grabbed her things. 'Maybe Spider-Witch should have her own theme song-'

But then, she heard a small amount of grumbling coming from a familiar voice. Luz turned around and gasped. "Amity!"

"What?" Amity asked in a bitter voice before she saw who it was. "L-Luz! Crud! I am so sorry! I thought you were someone else!"

Luz laughed and shut her locker door after throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "Meh, don't worry about it! But...what's wrong? Wait, don't tell me it's-"

"No, it's not Boscha. She's been leaving me alone for the most part." Amity sighed. "It's...no, no, it's stupid."

Luz's eyes softened. "C'mon, you can tell me! I'm Listening Luz!"

Amity blinked before she giggled, covering her mouth. "Do you have a TV show now, Miss Noceda?"

"I'd love to have you as a guest star." Luz giggled. "But seriously, tell me. Heck, in return, I could tell you something stupid! Like...there was one time I got so mad at a Good Witch Azura chapter focusing on a character that no one likes, so I threw the book at the window annnnd it got cracked, so now there's a bunch of duct tape on that window."

"Chapter 5 of Good Witch Azura #4?" Amity asked, speaking quickly as if she were a search result on the internet.

Luz blinked. "Umm...yeah! Exactly!" She then gasped, almost completely forgetting that when she was Spider-Witch, Amity namedropped the book series' main character. "You like The Good Witch Azura?!"

"...maybe." Amity said with a small blush and smile. "You?"

"I live for it." Luz grinned. "But plans of a future book club later, what's bothering you?"

Amity sighed. "Well...so...you know the whole Maestro and Warhammer thing? I was trying to look into it more and found something that...really pissed me off."

Luz tilted her head. "That being...?"

"One of the apparent many haters of Spider-Witch." Amity said with a groan. "Honestly, I should've guessed. On the internet, there's always someone who absolutely despises something good."

Luz's heart sank a little and she spoke almost meekly. "Haters? Like...trolls and such?"

"This guy might as well be. The way he talked about her just...made me furious!" Amity cried before reaching for her phone and pulling up a video. "We will not be seeing the whole thing, I don't want to get any more angrier."

Luz was dead silent for a moment as she watched the video play, and it played a lot like an actual news report. She could even tell that the site was fairly official at first glance.

Oracle. That was the site's name. An oracle was like someone who would offer advice or prophecies from a divine source, usually mystic.

"Welcome back, folks." A man who looked to be in his late thirties or early forties with straight hair and a mustache, began to speak. He was wearing the same kind of suit that a news anchor would. "Owen O'Brien here again...now, I've been told that I have quite the temper. And that is true, there are moments where I've had my outbursts and will often say things that first come to my mind. As a reporter, I make it priority to report the facts before stating my own opinion."

Luz sighed softly in relief, her pride having not been shattered. "Well, he doesn't seem that bad-"

"Wait." Amity said simply.

"There are things I don't even wish to report, because this world is already filled with enough false truths...such as this self-proclaimed 'hero', Spider-Witch in this lovely city of Gravesfield!!! A vigilante with powers that stumble our world's most brilliant!" The man shouted, starting to get angry. Genuinely angry. He wasn't faking it just to get views like some would. "This person who keeps her face a secret from anyone just swings in, recklessly pummeling minor thugs that our city's finest can handle by themselves! But it seems some of us have forgotten that and begin to rely on her!"

Luz's eye twitched. "What?"

The video then began showing video footage of Spider-Witch's fights and even photos of her swinging across the city, with the photographers credited at the bottom. "I hate to say it, but we can't ignore this vigilante's failures! In her attempts to stop The Golden Goblin, an annual parade was nearly blown to smithereens...what actually was blown up was an entire bridge! Some can argue 'She stopped him! She didn't blow it up!', but all I have to say is that if this costumed freak didn't show up, it wouldn't have inspired others like her! Mr. Hunter Wittebane is a prime example of following in this menace's footsteps!"

Luz then began to grit her teeth and even clenched her fist, her heart sinking while boiling with anger all at the same time.

"To this very day, that bridge is being repaired...and soon enough, this entire city will face the same! Maestro had so many of us fooled before the truth was revealed, showing he was just someone who wanted the glory! And I wouldn't be surprised if Spider-Witch was the exact same way!!! For all we really know, she paid that armored lunatic to destroy our city's streets just for her to look good, taking down 8 hours of hard work by our people's construction team just to take him down! And what do we really know about her? Why do we trust one person to protect our city? We can't depend on some magic psycho to save the day when things are looking rough! So, whoever you are, Spider-Witch...leave this city alone, and trust me, your 'foes' will follow suit-'

Luz then punched the wall beside her, startling Amity and causing her to jump. She could see that her friend was almost seething with anger.

Amity quickly shut off the video, her eyes wide. "...Luz?"

"...what does he know!?" Luz cried suddenly, pulling her hand away. "He's not the one fighting! Spider-Witch tried her best!!! And I'd love to see him do-"

"Luz...Luz, breathe." Amity said, gently holding Luz's hands.

Luz looked like she didn't want to calm down before she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, but her anger wasn't fading.

"He's just a troll for all we care." Amity said. "He's not worth getting mad over...okay?"

Luz just nodded meekly before slightly wincing when the bell finally rang. "...I gotta get to the bus..."

Amity then gently let go. "...here, send me a text if you gotta talk...kinda funny how I haven't even given you my number yet, huh?"

Luz didn't even seem to notice that, all she did was nod as Amity added Luz's number to her phone and her own number to Luz's. Afterwards, she walked towards the bus as she gritted her teeth.

Whoever said words couldn't hurt were very wrong.

That night, Luz just had to let off some of her steam. She swung around, hoping the nice windy breeze as she glided through the air would cool her down.

And it did...mostly. She came home shortly after and crawled into her bed, yawning a little.

But then, there was a small knock on the door. Luz gently set up in her bed. "It's open."

Then, moments later, her mother came in with a tray of food in her hands. She smiled kindly. "Hola, mija."

"Hi, Mama." Luz said, her anger fading away almost entirely at the sight of her mother.

Camila set the tray aside and then sat down on her daughter's bed. "You didn't look too happy when you came home from school...is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Luz said, trying to reassure her even if it wasn't completely true.

Camila sighed. "Luz, I've been your mother long enough to know that whenever you say 'I'm fine', you don't usually mean it...what's bothering you?"

'I'm a secret superhero who has a very fragile pride and a whole lot of self doubt.' She thought, almost badly wanting to say it and reveal who she was to mother. What she was.

Instead, she sighed and said something else. "I...I've been feeling kinda...useless lately. Like...no matter what good things I do, something bad is sure to follow...like...like Hunter..."

Camila's eyes softened and she gently set a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Mija...that wasn't your fault...I'll admit, I miss him too...but something tells me he's going to be okay."

"How can you say that...?" Luz asked. "We don't even know what kind of condition he's in."

"I never said I knew for sure...it's mostly just paternal instinct." Camila chuckled. "Hunter's a strong boy. Whatever happened to him, his father or someone will find out and help him...right now, his condition is beyond our and your skill. The best we can do is welcome him back with open arms."

Luz chuckled a little. "We're pretty good at that."

Camila nodded before gently standing up. "Eat the food I left you and then you can head to sleep. "Te amo, cariño. Espero que mañana te vaya mejor."

"Yo también te amo. Buenas noches, Mamá." Luz smiled before watching her mother leave. She then looked at the food tray and shrugged as she stepped over. "I guess I am pretty hungry..."

The rest of the night was simple. She ate her food, crawled back into bed shortly after her sister came in, and they both fell asleep in moments.

...but, Luz's suit formed over her body and her body sat up, her suit's blue eyes narrowing.

Her hand then reached over and grabbed her laptop, opening it up and then typing on the keyboard, trying to discover something. And after a while, her hand shut the laptop and her body opened up the window and leapt out of it, swinging off.