(I am rewriting the story. This is rewritten chapter 1)
(At the end of it, is a note for all my readers)
I know you have a lot of questions.
I know you are afraid and would rather be anywhere else.
I also know that all of this is for the sake of us both. I know that you will find yourself grateful to me once you see the results of my gift.
Before I go any further, I want you to know that the things I am about to tell you are not for the weak of heart or mind. And though my upbringing does not excuse my crimes, I love to think it may at the least explain them.
I wasn't born into the lap of luxury and prestige like Osborn or Stark. My name meant nothing. My family was nothing. My father was an abusive drunkard. My mother an overbearing hypocrite. My peers unwashed and uneducated sadists.
I honestly believed that I could prove all of them wrong through the use of my mind and work ethic. But alas, despite my clear superiority, I still found myself an object of ridicule and abuse from those around me. Nevertheless, I persevered.
But a man can only endure so much until he snaps and turns into something hideous. I used to tell everyone it was the explosion that messed with my brain. But now I understand it was simply an excuse.
An excuse to shed the skin of a meek and pathetic man and be reborn into someone greater.
My name is Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius.
Doctor Octopus.
The Superior Spider-Man.
And if you are here, then that means I have chosen you.
Be thankful for I shall make you a part of something bigger than you can imagine.
§
Izuku felt the air leave his lungs. Doubling over in pain, the teen didn't dare raise his eyes. He knew better than risk pissing off Kacchan anymore.
Hero Analysis for the Future.
It was a series of his self-written books on how to be the best hero he could be. He started it at the age of four, just right after learning that he was Quirkless. It contained all sorts of data and notes, gathered from the news, databooks and interviews with a variety of heroes across the country. Their Quirks, techniques, battles. Their training regimes, words of wisdom and fondest memories.
And now here it was, floating in the dirty stale water of their school, singed at the edges.
He wondered briefly if he should just leave it here. The book was ruined, anyway.
"No, I still can salvage some of the notes."
What was it about the book that pissed off Kacchan so much anyway? It was just a book.
Then again, it's not like it took much to anger his childhood friend these days. Izuku briefly wondered where the two drifted so far apart. If he knew what he did wrong, maybe he could fix it. And go back to those days when they would play heroes together. But those days seemed so far away now. He doubted they could go back to being friends again.
If only he wasn't Quirkless, maybe things would be different.
§
It's infuriating, isn't it?
To be mistreated and mocked because you are different from the rest of the people. I know such pain all too well. No matter how much further we advance as society, we still long to achieve that sickening conformity where we all feel safe. It's an instinctual fear shared by so many lesser people - the fear of the deviations. The fear of something stronger than them.
Mutants and Inhumans on my world.
On yours, Quirkless.
It is unfortunate and unpleasant truth but humans will always cling to the status quo. Either because it directly benefits them or because they are far too terrified of exploring the world beyond their little boxes.
Which is why those that defy the fragile social order will inevitably be crushed.
§
"Are you sure you didn't provoke him?"
"You shouldn't be lying about your classmates like that, Midoriya-kun."
"Bakugou-kun is aiming for UA, Midoriya. He wouldn't do something so stupid."
Izuku slammed the door behind himself, his breathing uneven and eyes watering. Ten years. He had endured the bullying by Kacchan for ten years. All this time he was always afraid of telling on Kacchan. Bully or not, Izuku worried about what the truth could do to the blonde and his future prospects.
Turns out he worried over nothing.
None of the teachers believed him. None of them cared. And the principal would rather throw him under the bus than Kacchan. Why, he wondered bitterly. Why did nobody believe his bruises and burns?
The answer came to him the very next second.
He was Quirkless.
What good could a Quirkless person do in the society of superhumans? What fame and status would he bring to Orudera Junior High? No matter what he did, he would never be a hero like Kacchan. He would not bring the school any honor or renown.
And this made him expendable. Collateral damage on the way to improving the reputation of their shabby little middle school.
Izuku laughed. A small bitter sound. He was so afraid of hurting Kacchan. And for what? To hear how little his torment mattered? If he were to take Kacchan's suggestion and take a sean dive off a roof... Would they even care?
Or would they simply cover it up and move on?
He honestly didn't want to think on that another second. It hurt too much.
He would prove them all wrong. Whatever it takes, he would see that he not just passes the UA entrance exam but also graduates from the school with honors. He would surpass everyone and prove that he didn't need a Quirk.
Yes... He didn't need a Quirk. No matter what the world said, there was one person who believed in him. Izuku smiled as he played the video on his phone. An interview from a couple years back.
There, sitting with the same bright smile, All Might said, "It doesn't matter whether you have a Quirk or not. As long as you have the resolve to help those in need, you can always become a hero!"
Who cared what Kacchan thought? Who cared what his teachers and classmates said? As long as he had All Might's words of encouragement, Izuku would never give up.
"Oooh, what have we got here?"
The voice sent the chills down Izuku's spine.
In the dark of the tunnel, he didn't notice the mass of green sludge until it had swallowed him whole.
§
The only way not to end up a victim is to have enough power to fight back. Not just physically but mentally. You must be ready to take on the world. Or you will end up depending on the mercy and the pity of those stronger. And believe me, those are very rare among the strong.
I relied on the Sinister Six.
I relied on the Spider Army.
I relied on my robots and tech.
And in the end, all of them turned on me and contributed to my demise.
Don't trust anyone but yourself. Don't look for help in the skies. Don't pray for your idols to save you.
Because eventually, no matter how much you may trust them, you will be betrayed.
One way or the other.
§
Izuku lost count of how many times he imagined this day. He always that meeting All Might in person would be the turning point of his life. The moment when all his hopes and dreams would be encouraged by his idol.
He never imagined it would go like this.
"I am sorry, kid... But without a Quirk, your dream is impossible. You should give up on it."
To his credit, the top hero sounds sincerely sorry. But his words hurt just as deep. Suddenly, bruises and burns left by Kacchan didn't hurt at all. In fact, Izuku didn't feel anything. Slumped against the wall, he stared down at his notebook with hollow broken eyes.
All these years he told himself nothing was impossible. That it didn't matter that he was born without a Quirk. Even as everyone around him dismissed his dream, he always had All Might to keep him going.
Izuku choked back the sob as he watched the interview that was his sole source of hope all this time. Except now everything about it looked fake. From his muscular body to his confident smile, everything in the video was fake to Izuku.
"You are a liar, All Might," he spat bitterly.
Izuku shut the video down and tossed his phone into his bag. How many years had he spent clinging onto the man's empty words? How long had he told himself All Might believed in him? How long... How long was he lying to himself?
He should have realized it sooner. He should have known the world's strongest man had no idea what it was like to be weak. Why did he even trust the man's words during the interview?
Because Kacchan was right...
Because he was an idiot.
He never should have trusted All Might.
§
The next thing I am about to tell you is the hardest for me. It took me years in being locked up in here to admit it without excuses or delusion.
I was the villain of the story.
For years, I saw myself as the unsung hero. A victim of the world that only wished to prove himself. I let the anger and the pride fester inside me, turning me into the monster even worse than all my tormentors combined.
After my last failed attempt at immortalizing my name, through deception and technology, I have successfully cheated death. I gained the second chance at life by stealing the body of my greatest foe: Spider-Man. I had the new life. A brand new opportunity to prove myself.
And I wasted it.
Wasted it on petty grudges and personal vendettas. Wasted it trying to one-up the man in the field completely unknown to me.
Because when it came to making right choices, I always chose wrong.
§
As he passed through the street, Izuku wondered if there was any point in even applying to UA. He had only a year until the exam. He could train like crazy but it would only do so much. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be?
But how was he supposed to just give up and get-
"Out of the way!"
Izuku yelped as he got knocked down. The fall was fast and sudden, as was the small crowd of people running past him.
Against his better judgement, Izuku ran towards the danger. It was his nature, he thought, to go where the heroes would be.
Behind the lines, among the flames and smoke, there was a villain whose body was seemingly made of some sort of sludge.
But it was not the villain's appearance or the destruction he caused that made Izuku's heart stop.
It was the person trapped within the villain, struggling against the restraints.
"K-Kacchan..."
§
I achieved the power to fight back.
To never feel vulnerable or weak ever again.
Blinded by my own ego, I sought out to prove myself superior to the man whose life I stole. I told myself I would improve his life. And, for a while, it seemed that I did.
But in the end, none of what I did made me his superior. It didn't matter if I had better tech or minions to do my bidding. Because, at the end of the day, I lacked the one thing that truly mattered.
A hero's heart.
§
Leave him to die.
He deserves it.
What can you possibly do?
So many thoughts like that kept coursing through his brain. Their voices, the distorted mockery of his own, sounded angry, vengeful, apathetic and ecstatic. This was the karma at work, they whispered. The fitting end for the guy who made his life a living hell.
What could he do? He was just a Quirkless kid! Hell, there were five different pro heroes on the scene! And if they couldn't do anything, what good would he be? If he tried to do something... He would die.
"Kid, get back!"
"Somebody has to save him!"
"Idiot, grab him!"
He never realized he ran into the very thick of it. Not until the heat and smoke hit him, overwhelming all his senses. The screams and commands faded into the background noise among the roaring flames. He didn't understand why he was doing this. At this very moment, Izuku didn't even think about anything but the crisis at hand.
The streets on fire.
The villain laughing in triumph.
And his childhood friend's body trapped within the sludge.
The thoughts and the world around him mixed into the blur. The cacophony of screams, roars and cries. He made it past the debris and the fire. He managed to make it to Kacchan. He tore at the green slime and managed to free up Kacchan's mouth.
The stuff smelled foul and burned his hands. Izuku ignored it and kept tearing at the restraints. Just a little more. Just a bit further. There! As Kacchan took a breath of air, Izuku let out a sigh of relief.
The blonde said something. Scornful, out of breath, "Why are you doing this?"
Why was he doing this? Hundreds of reasons why he shouldn't be doing this made its way into his mind. Kacchan bullied him. Kacchan beat him. Kacchan made his life a living hell all for the sake of what, his personal amusement? Wounded pride?
So why?
Why risk his life like that?
The answer came out in broken sobs.
"You looked like you were asking for help!"
§
A hero's heart... Such a sentimental thing. Once upon a time, I would dismiss it as nonsense.
But I already tried once to build a hero based solely on equations and formulas. And though such a hero proved efficient, he failed at being the inspiration a true hero should be.
The Heart is what prevents people like Stark and Danvers giving in to their pride and hunger. It is what allowed Richards and Pym to find those who would love them. Those who would support them even their lowest. It is what pushed Parker to always sacrifice himself and his own for the sake of others.
Body can be trained and modified.
Mind can be sharpened and attuned.
But a Heart, at its core, will always remain the same.
Which is why you were chosen.
§
Izuku sighed as he walked home. He knew he did the right thing when he went to save Kacchan even if ultimately All Might was the one to save them both. Was him running into the fire even necessary?
According to the various pros on the scene, it wasn't. However, Izuku didn't hold a grudge against them for scolding him. He did put himself in danger and had no way out of it. If it weren't for All Might, the villain would probably have both of them as hostages.
But the very fact that he did the right thing filled Izuku with happiness. He didn't have a Quirk. But he could still help, however little. Maybe he could even become a hero, after all.
Izuku smiled to himself as he started mentally going through the things he could do. He would need to adjust his plans a little. He wouldn't be able to get in proper shape within a year but he could definitely study up to enter the Support Department.
From there, he could work on equipment and make something useful enough to pass during the Sports Festival! Yes, he almost forgot about that opportunity. With the grin, he pulled out his notebook and started writing in it. He already had some ideas, thanks to his new online friend.
Once he was back in his room, Izuku got a sudden message on his phone. It was from Tolliver616.
"Speak of the devil," Izuku smiled as he opened the app. He saw the news and was worried. Quickly, Izuku typed in his answer, "I am fine. Just a few burns and bruises. All Might saved me."
They spent almost an hour after that discussing all that they have been talking about for the past few weeks since they met on the anon chat. About Izuku's dream of being a hero. About how he planned to accomplish that. What he was planning to do now that he no longer had All Might as his guide. Ultimately, it all came to one last message from his new friend.
He wanted to meet in real life. He said he found the way to help him.
Izuku was unsure. He liked talking with his new friend. And he seemed to understand him so well. But meeting someone in real life without ever seeing their face or even knowing their name seemed far too risky. Izuku said that much in his response. He ended it with a simple question.
"How can I trust you?"
For ten whole minutes, there was no response. Perhaps, Izuku had offended him by his distrust. Perhaps, Tolliver161 was a scammer and didn't want to explain himself any further. Just as Izuku was about to end the conversation and leave, he received the answer.
It was a voice recording.
I know you have a lot of questions.
I know you are afraid and would rather be anywhere else.
I also know that all of this is for the sake of us both. I know that you will find yourself grateful to me once you see the results of my gift.
§
"...which is why you were chosen."
He shouldn't have come. That was the first thought Izuku had upon exiting the cab he had to take. He probably should have called quits on the invitation and blocked the number the moment he got the address.
It was an old factory located north of Dagobah Beach. No sane person would agree to come here. Even after receiving the blueprints of the tools and equipment that would guarantee his entry into UA's Support Course, Izuku had no obligation to come here. And yet, he was just the right mixture of crazy and desperate enough to trust the man's words.
If he could be a hero... He was willing to take that risk.
Stepping inside, he asked into the dark, "Hello? Is anyone here?"
Surprisingly, the answer came almost immediately.
"I am right here, Midoriya-kun!" his voice sounded exactly like Izuku had imagined. Nasal and rough, with the air of importance only few people carried so casually. "Please, come on in!"
Suddenly, the whole place lit up. It looked clean. Much cleaner than you would expect from the outside appearance. The door closed behind him gently as he started walking towards the door from which came his friend's voice.
Inside, he found nobody but a machine.
A single stand of green metal with the black screen near its top. On that screen, there was a man.
Suddenly, it spoke.
"Hello, Midoriya-kun."
Tolliver? Izuku stated at the man on the screen, frozen in place. That... That was the person he was talking to all these weeks?
"I understand that my appearance is quite... unsettling," his voice was even, his expression stoic. "Please, don't let it distract you. I assure you, my condition is temporary. And will be resolved in the nearest future."
How did one resolve not having a body? It seemed too rude to ask that.
"I don't know how I ended up here. Erasing consciousness from Parker's body entirely was supposed to kill me. Instead, I found myself here, trapped in the poor attempt at artificial intelligence. At first, I thought it was punishment. Rotting away inside an old machine as my battery runs out. Days passed. Then weeks. It was then that I realized the universe was giving me a chance to make up for my failures. Immediately, I began to work."
Something clicked behind Izuku. From the hidden section in the floor, a steel and glass machinery rose.
He could feel something stir inside of him. Call for him to touch it. It felt warm against his skin. Even if his brain recognized the chills running down his spine.
"I wanted to create the machine that would bring me back," Dr. Octavius said. "I planned to start with the clean slate. Create a perfect body for myself. New identity. New equipment. A new chance to be the Superior Spider-Man."
The man's digital copy let out a small sigh.
"But I know better than trust myself with it. I am intelligent enough to recognize the futility of my attempt at heroics. It wouldn't be too long before I gave in to the same hubris and anger that brought me down last time. I am too flawed. Too easily tempted. I cannot be the Superior Spider-Man."
The man looked at him so intensely that Izuku could feel the man's eyes burrow into his soul.
"But you could be."
"M-Me?" Izuku spoke, his throat suddenly dry. "But why choose me? I am a nobody. I don't even have a Quirk!"
"Precisely. You are a nobody. You know what it feels like to be powerless. The people like your classmates, who have held the power all their lives, have no respect for that power. But someone like you, who was born without any power, knows the value of strength, and knows compassion."
"But that's not always true, is it?" Izuku challenged the man's words. "There are many who were born without power. And when they get such power, they abuse it."
It was nice to think that an underdog would always do the right thing. But that was not the case in reality. If you were once poor and then rich, would you share your wealth or believe it was not your responsibility to do so? For every man who experienced misfortune and chose to prevent the same befelling others, there would always be someone who experienced the same hardships and believe others should suffer just as he did.
"If you were that kind of person, you would let the blonde kid die, wouldn't you? Yes, you both were saved by All Might. But when the situation seemed hopeless, it was you who rushed in to do something. Not one of the heroes or even adults on the scene. You, a Quirkless little nobody, who was much more vulnerable than anyone present at the moment."
Izuku was silent at that. It was one thing to risk his life in the heat of the moment. But could he honestly say he would do it again? Or that, given the power, he would not succumb to it.
"You are hesitating. Unsure if you deserve this power. Good but uncalled for," Doctor Octavius looked at him sternly. "The man who proved my superior, the real Spider-Man, had this to say about power, Midoriya-kun. With great power, there must also come the great responsibility. And I believe that you can bear that responsibility."
The machine opened up with the hiss. It looked so simple yet Izuku could feel the power it promised. It was calling for someone to step inside. It was calling for him to fill the gap within. And yet there was another voice, begging him to refuse.
Saying that he wasn't ready.
That he wasn't strong enough to handle this power.
"I know you can be the hero worthy of my legacy."
He squashed the voice down. He pushed the doubt and hesitation away. He stepped inside the machine. Changed into the sleek black and green bodysuit. And now he waited for the machine to start the process.
No running or backing out now.
"You made the right choice, Midoriya. The process ahead is not pleasant but I assure you it is not dangerous either. There is nothing that threatens your health, physical or mental, that much I can guarantee."
The hidden compartments all over the floor and ceiling of the machine slowly opened. From those above his head, several thin metal tendrils slithered out and reached for him. Wrapping around his limbs and waist. From those beneath, a strange green liquid began to fill the cell.
"The experiment that granted Parker his power was nothing short of a miracle. But that's the thing about miracles: they are not reliable. You can't simply repeat the same thing that happened to him and hope for the same result."
Several needles pierced his skin, pumping the unknown liquid inside him. He felt the substance spread across every cell of his body. Burning him alive. Eating at him with each passing second. Despite the pain, he refused to beg for the process to end.
He could do this.
He refused to step down now.
"Though the base of my serum is still spider venom, I saw it fit to modify it using the strands of different samples of spider DNA. I went the furthest I could without the serum threatening to break down your body."
A metal spider, the size of a palm, crawled across his body and towards his mouth. Izuku felt the urge to cry out but the machine latched onto his mouth first before being connected with another tube. So that he didn't drown in the strange green compound he was no fully submerged in.
"Now is the time for the final stage, Midoriya. The serum I developed requires a large amount of nutrients to provide the desired results. The compound you are submerged in right now shall stabilize the changes to your body. Think of the machine as your cocoon, from which you shall emerge a changed man."
He felt sleepy. His consciousness fading into the dark, Izuku looked towards the man's digital image.
"A superior man."
§
Izuku wakes up slowly, his body heavy and numb. His vision somewhat blurry from what feels weeks of sleep, he can barely make out his own hands. He can feel the green compound he was submerged in flow outside, slowly leaving his cell. The machine's doors open and the tendrils no longer restrain him. Still too weak and disoriented, he can't help but stumble out and almost fall on his face.
Almost as he almost instinctively regains in his balance midair and lands on both feet.
He takes a deep breath of fresh air. It is almost intoxicating. It feels so much better than he can remember. There, on the stand next to the machine, were a towel, some metal case and a full-length mirror. He wiped off the remaining liquid from his face and hair. And then took a look at his reflection.
He was good half-foot taller now. But that was the least of the changes he noticed in his physique. He was buff! Not to the same extent as bodybuilders or that kid in his class with muscle enhancement Quirk but... He was definitely bigger than he was before. He looked like someone from sports magazines, the balance between lean and muscled bringing to mind the image of a swimmer or an acrobat.
Well, Doctor Octavius did say his enemy was Spider-Man. An acrobat sounded about right for that animal. Speaking of which...
Izuku looked towards the wall, his curiosity overriding any common sense. He jumped forth, intending to see just how far he could reach. He was impressive ten feet into the air, reaching the ceiling. Slapping his palm against the cold hard surface, Izuku waited for the gravity to bring him down... and yet it didn't. His eyes widened as he realized that he was clinging to the ceiling.
He pressed his other hand and it stuck just the same. Then both of his bare feet did the same. He was crawling across the ceiling like a real spider! What could else spiders do? Well, they shot the web from the spinnerets on the tips of their abdomens so... Hopefully, he wouldn't need to shoot webs from his lower back.
"I assure you, Midoriya-kun, that is not part of your powerset."
Doctor! Izuku found the surprise - or the break of concentration the necessary trigger to stop his limbs from clinging to the surface. Falling down, he let his body find the center and land on all fours gently. Izuku approached the computer on which the man's face was once displayed. Now it was all black and out of power. Then where did the voice come from?
He saw no speakers or other screens. There were no more rooms in here to hide in. So the only place that remained was...
"Doctor Octavius? Are you in my head?"
"Yes," the man sounded guilty. Or, at the very least, as uncomfortable as Izuku was feeling right now. "I am afraid that the process required more power than I had expected. I had to use the backup resources inside my machine to ensure its completion. I am terribly sorry for my miscalculation."
So that's how he ended up in his body? But... How was this possible?
"I myself am not sure, Midoriya-kun," Otto confessed, words heavy with self-disappointment. "My earlier words about a new body were, I am afraid, a lie. I didn't wish to burden you with knowledge that for you to become a hero, I'd have to die. The process should have left me with enough energy to greet you upon awakening and give you instructions on accessing my warehouse hidden in the city before... going offline. But something went wrong and all my power went into the machine. I blacked out. And woke up just as you found yourself on the ceiling."
That was a lot to take in. Izuku looked at his hands, wondering if Doctor felt the same power as he did. If the man in his head felt the same wind run through his hair. Just what... What was Doctor feeling?
"I am touched by your concern, Midoriya-kun," Izuku's eyes widened in shock. It took him a few seconds to remind himself that the man was now in his head. Hearing everything he was thinking. "I also understand your discomfort. Few would enjoy the circumstances we found ourselves in. No need to worry, I assure you, I am already working on the solution to our predicament."
Working on the solution?
"But won't it kill you?" Izuku asked, not quite used to talking inside his head. "If you couldn't find a way to return to an actual body the first time, how can you be sure you can leave my head without dying, Doctor?"
"Again, touched by your concern, Midoriya-kun. But that is not something you should concern yourself with. I can assure you, whatever fate befalls me, it will be more than I deserve for all that I had done," Doctor sounded confident. And yet, even Izuku could hear the certain cracks in the facade. "Meanwhile, since the chips fell the way they did, I believe I have the opportunity to mold you into the successor I have envisioned. Only one question remains..."
Izuku felt Doctor push him towards the metal case. It scanned his retina and with a soft click opened to reveal its contents.
The black and silver suit felt cold to the touch. The mask resting atop stared at Izuku with its neon yellow lenses. Asking him to don it.
"Are you ready to embrace my legacy?"
His face stretched by a wide eager grin, Izuku wasted no time in putting on the suit. He slipped into it like a second skin. He could barely contain his excitement at the feeling of fabric clinging to his body. It felt like a dream come true. A chance to prove that he could be a hero.
A chance he was not going to waste.
"Alright then..." Izuku whispered as he crawled out of the old factory. It was night outside. The Moon shone bright upon him.
"Let's get to work."
REWRITE NOTE:
First of all, I wish to apologize for a long absence. A lot has happened to me and my family over this year. Without divulging the circumstances, between work and Master's degree, I was simply unable to get back to writing the story. And once I did, I found myself unable to continue it in the direction started originally.
I have spent the past few months talking to other writers. Readers of some of my works here and Spacebattles. And the more I explored different stories, the less I liked where I was taking this one, I thought you guys deserved better and more consistent chapters and thus I decided to rewrite this story.
This chapter is probably the only one that doesn't undergo significant changes save the the ending (Hope you will like this idea better than my previous one.
So here we are, back at the new beginning. I hope you will stick around to see this story become a better work and I am welcoming any and all feedback from you.
If you are, please make sure to leave a review with your thoughts!
Again, sorry for my continued absence here.
Stay cool,
Appreciate you all.