Chapter Two: Webs

"QUIET!" Professor Connors shouted to his homeroom class.
Students quietened down.
Peter sat next to Charles. Gwen and MJ weren't in their house colour.
"Athletics Day is coming up and I'd like all of you to be there. This year everyone at school has to participate." Connors explained.
Charles sighed. "I hate Athletics Day. And now they make us do it."
Peter nodded and felt a jolt of pain run up his arm. He had hit it on his chair.
"Parker! Weiderman! Quiet!" Connors snapped. "Events will include running, tug of war, basketball, soccer, football and a variety of throwing and jumping events." Connors continued. "You may now go to class."

Peter got home and threw his bag onto his bed. That was the first day he had had at school where he hadn't been bullied. Flash had been avoiding Peter since he was almost drowned and Harry was suspended and then expelled for breaking his arm.
Peter got behind his computer and checked his email. He had an email from Oscorp. He opened it and started reading.

Dear Mr. Parker,

It has come to my attention that you were recently bitten by an Oscorp Spider. My son, Harry, allowed this to happen. FYI he has been sent to boarding school, miles away from here. He will bother you, no more.
But this is not why I have emailed you. My associates in the Biology department would like to run some tests to see if there's anything wrong. If there is, we can eject it, but it will require a guardian to sign a few papers.
It will be free, courtesy of yours truly.
Consider your medical funds paid for.
Email me back before Friday afternoon if you would like to participate.

Regards, Norman Osborn

Peter was stunned. He didn't know what to do. His phone started ringing.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey Peter, it's me, MJ." MJ replied.
"Hey! What's up?" Peter smiled.
"My folks are being weird, can I come over? Where do you live?" She asked.
"Sure, I live on 738 Winter Garden Drive." Peter told her.
"You're kidding," She gasped.
"No…what is it?" He asked.
"Come to your frontyard for a sec," She said.
Peter walked downstairs and opened the door with his uninjured hand. His phone dropped and something in his head went off, almost like a sixth sense. He caught it with lightning reflexes. Peter shrugged and walked onto the front lawn.
"Okay, I'm here." Peter told her.
"Look left," She giggled.
He did so. He saw here to the house on her left and he smiled.
"You live next door?" Peter said through the phone.
"Yeah, I can't believe we didn't know." She smiled and hung up.
She came over and he invited her in.
"Who's this?" Uncle Ben smiled. "I'm Peter's uncle, Ben. This is my wife, May. We have looked after Peter for…"
"Uncle Ben…you don't have to tell her," He laughed.
Uncle Ben laughed back. "Run along, kiddo."
Aunt May smiled behind Uncle Ben.
Peter and MJ walked upstairs.
"They seem wonderful," She smiled.
"They are, I love them like parents. My proper parents died when I was a kid." Peter told her.
"I'm sorry. How did they?"
"Plane crash. My dad worked at Oscorp. My mum…I never found out what she did. Uncle Ben and Aunt May never told me."
Peter led her to his room. He felt a little embarrassed, it was a mess and he had posters of his favourite bands all over his walls, along with famous scientists and even a drawing he had drawn for his mum and dad when he was a child. MJ was looking at it.
"This is cute," She said.
"I drew it when I was four or something." Peter laughed.
She smiled and turned around to face Peter. "So what do you do for fun around here?"
"Well, other than listen to music and my computer…you probably would be bored to death if I showed you, even more so if I told you." Peter replied.
"Show me,"
"You'll think I'm a nerd."
"You are a nerd," She smiled and hugged him.
He knew she was joking. He hugged her back.
"What was that for?" He asked, when she broke free.
She shrugged. "I don't feel too good. My parents are giving me all this stuff about not being good enough."
"Oh. Come on, I might as well show you." He told her.
They left the room. He walked down the hall and opened a door which said on the door "PPL" on it.
"PPL?" MJ asked.
"I put that there when I was 10." Peter laughed. "I guess it just stuck. Peter Parker Laboratories."
She giggled.
Peter walked down the stairs and into the basement. He flicked on a switch and MJ gaped at what she saw. Desks, whiteboards, a computer, TV's and shelves filled the room. Sophisticated science was scribbled on the white boards and the shelves were stocked with books. Tables had mini inventions on them.
"What's this?" MJ picked up a small metallic wrist band which had a trigger coming off.
"It's out of ammo, I call it a web shooter. I have to buy more."
"A web shooter?" She asked.
"It shoots a semi-liquid soluble which sticks to any surface. I usually make my 'webbing' tougher so that if I ever get super strength I can swing from buildings." Peter said jokingly.
She laughed. "Let's hope."
"Let's hope." Peter repeated.

Peter awoke from a nightmare. It had something to do with spiders. He got up. He flexed his arm. He must have been dreaming still. It was all muscly. "What the…?"
Peter flung it around. "Wow,"
He turned a light on and realised it was six in the morning. He'd be waking up in a half hour anyway. So he wondered downstairs. He prepared cereal and ate quickly. He got ready and realised that he would be waking up about now. He had an hour before he would leave, which meant he had two hours before school started.
Peter got his bag and left a note saying he had left early to study for a test at the library which opened early on school days. He opened the door and was surprised to see MJ in a chair on his porch. She had a blanket over her. She looked cold.
Peter scooped her up in his arms, which he now realised, was easier than it should have been.
What was going on?
Peter carried her inside and laid her down on his bed. He covered her with his blanket and left his schoolbag in his room. He rushed downstairs and ripped the note he had left. He figured he'd walk with MJ to school.
He went back up and went into the bathroom. He removed his shirt and checked his muscles out.
"What the hell?" He whispered. They were large. Very large. He checked his abdominal muscles and he now had a six pack. He picked up his shirt and went to find a bigger one that wouldn't look like tights on his new, strangely muscular body. He walked into his room and looked through his drawers.
"Wow, you're more fit than I expected." MJ said sleepily, suddenly awake.
Peter looked at her. "What?"
"Dude, you're all muscly and stuff." She got up and felt his biceps.
Peter smiled and put a shirt on.
"So what happened?" He asked.
"What do you mean?" She replied.
"Why were on the porch?" Peter sat down and she sat beside him.
"My parents decided that they would have a night to themselves." She started crying.
He put an arm around her. "Hey, it'll be fine. Next time they do that, just call me and I'll let you in. I'll sleep on the couch,"
She leaned on his shoulder. She sniffed.
"It'll be okay." He said.
She smiled and hugged him. "I'm gonna go get ready for school. Meet you outside in a half hour?"
"Sure. Gwen will be here soon too."
"You walk with Gwen? I didn't know." She smiled.
"We've known each other since we were kids." He told her.
"So is there anything going on between you two?" She elbowed him softly.
"Nope. No, just friends. I'm just little single Peter." He smiled.
She left the room. "See you soon,"
He got up and something in his head screamed at him. He fell. His ears rang. That's when he heard MJ scream.

Peter sprinted to the stairs and was surprised at what he did next.
He crawled across the wall on all four of his appendages and leapt down to the ground, doing a roll. Okay, maybe I am dreaming. Peter thought.
Peter saw a man holding a knife to MJ's throat.
"Take it easy," He told the man.
"Give me everything you have that's worth something." He demanded.
Uncle Ben was creeping up behind him.
"Okay, just let the girl go, and I will fetch you any money you want," He told the man.
"I'm thinking I might take the girl and have a little fun,"
She screamed.
"She's fifteen," Peter said.
"And?" He laughed.
Uncle Ben grabbed his arm and pulled it away from MJ's neck. He dropped the man and the knife fell to the ground. The intruder kicked Uncle Ben in the stomach and he collapsed.
The man took his knife and jammed it into Uncle Ben's stomach.
Peter screamed. "NO!"
He ran across the room and tackled the intruder out the door. He punched him over and over until he bled. He kept punching until the thief went limp. He turned and ran back to Uncle Ben.
"Peter…" He started. "Your father always told me that he had made this up but I'm not so sure,"
Peter was crying. "No, no, no. We're gonna get you to safety. You're gonna be okay. Call an ambulance!"
MJ had already.
"She's a keeper," Uncle Ben smiled. "Ask her out."
Peter smiled, but you couldn't recognise it through all the tears.
"Uncle Ben,"
"Listen to me, Peter," He started.
Peter listened.
"You have to remember that with…" he coughed.
"With what?"
"With great power, there must also come great responsibility. I love you. Tell May I love her."
Peter was bawling. Tears rolled off his face and onto Uncle Ben's body.
Uncle Ben's eyes fluttered shut and he stopped breathing.
"NO!" He screamed. Tears rolled off his face. He pulled the knife out and threw it behind him. "YOU CAN'T DIE! UNCLE BEN!"
Someone was pulling him off. He turned to see a police officer. He pushed him back and he fell.
He ran back to Uncle Ben, but was pulled outside where his Aunt May waited, also crying her eyes out.
They hugged.
"Uncle Ben, he's," He stopped when he realised that the intruder was gone.
"I know, Peter. I know."
Peter let go and wiped his eyes.

Peter was standing on a rooftop. He had his web shooter on his right wrist and he was about to jump off the building.
What if this doesn't work? Peter thought to himself.
But without hesitation, he leapt from the building.
He squeezed down on the trigger and to his surprise, he started swinging.
"WOO HOO!" He screamed. He was laughing. He let go and spun another web. He needed to make another one.
He swung onto the top of a building in Times Square.
Peter just realised something. He knew what Uncle Ben had meant now.
With great power, there comes great responsibility.
He had to prevent the pain of the death of his Uncle from happening to anyone else. So he needed to hunt down the man who killed Uncle Ben and bring him to justice.

Peter finished making his second web shooter. He had remade both out of leather and brass so he didn't spend more on metal. He tested them a few times before actually using them. He slid them on his wrists, pulled his hood up, and went hunting.

Next in Dark Origins….

Chapter Three: Skin