Spider-Man: High School Rules

1: The Last Day of Peter Parker

Author's Note:
Spent most of today writing this, it's something I have been planning lately and I can't wait to finish it. Hope you enjoy!


Peter Parker has just started his last year of high school. Up in Midtown High, he's known for being the top of the class in most subjects and, as a result, is the prime punching bag for jocks like Flash Thompson. A week in, he found that, despite how momentous his Aunt May made out his senior year to be, nothing had changed much. People were still the same, and he felt no sense of superiority for being among the oldest in the school; then again, being a skinny, quiet science geek, to be superior to anyone was a cruel joke. This morning, he was sat in the kitchen, at the table with Uncle Ben as they both ate up their cereal while his elderly aunt made a cup of tea for her and Ben; Peter was more of a coffee guy.

"So, how you feelin' about that trip?" Ben asked between mouthfuls of cereal. Of course, he was referring to his science class' trip to the Oscorp Laboratories, kindly arranged by Norman Osborn, the CEO of Oscorp himself.

"Great!" Peter said with his mouth full, some milk spilling down his chin. To visit the Oscorp labs was something Peter had dreamt of since he first discovered his love for science. From what he knew of his father, he worked there for some time as a scientist. Aside from this connection, his best friend Harry was the son of Norman and so he would regularly hear tales of exciting new experiments through him.

"Remember to take lots of pictures for the school paper," Ben said, wagging his finger, "And, more importantly, don't lose or break or damage that camera, it cost us a fortune!"

"Of course I won't!" Peter reassured his uncle as his Aunt May walked over, gently placing a hot mug beside Ben's bowl.

"Remember to stick with Harry and Gwen," May requested as she sat down, "I don't like how those other students seem to treat you..."

It's not like Pete had any other options. Harry and Gwen were his only friends, more or less; at least, the only ones who he could count on. "Sure thing, May," Peter replied. He looked up at the clock on the wall and realised that he should really be out of the house by now. He stood up, grabbing his school bag from the floor beside him and swinging it around his shoulders.

"I've gotta go, I'll see you when I get back!" he exclaimed as he walked past May and Ben, patting them both on the shoulders as they waved him off.

"Be good!" Ben called out as Pete walked to the front door, "Have a nice time!"

Peter walked out the door, shutting it before running to the nearest bus stop, which was about five minutes from his house. Rarely, for whatever reason, did he ever get there on time; typical Parker luck – but maybe today would be different. He quickened his pace, running as fast as his legs could carry him, already out of breath. Despite his tiredness, he knew the stop was only around the corner up ahead, spurring him on; however, his stomach dropped when he spotted the yellow school bus drive down the street.

"No, no, no," Peter repeated under his breath as he ran exhaustedly down the pavement. Upon turning the corner, he heard the hiss of the bus' doors closing as it began moving again. With no other choice, Peter kept running after it, desperately banging on its side.

"Hey, wait, wait!" he shouted, hoping a passenger would hear him; though even if one did, he didn't fancy his chances. "Stop the bus! Please!"

After several more seconds of slamming his fits against the side of the bus, the driver must have noticed Peter in the mirror. The vehicle slowed down, grinding to a stop and hissing as the doors slowly separated, allowing him access. Pete slowly walked up the bus' steps, the driver looking at him, her eyebrows raised.

"S-sorry..." Peter gasped for air as he stumbled onto the top step, looking down the aisle to see the bus full of students laughing at him. This wasn't uncommon for him, exactly. If Peter's school career had taught him anything, it was that he wasn't the most popular student. Why, exactly, he wasn't sure; he was raised well, taught to be nice to others. Maybe it was his docile nature that seemed to always land him the butt of the joke. Pete squeezed through the narrow aisle, his leg brushing past shoulders and seats as he searched for an empty spot; before long, he found one, close to the back of the bus. He made his way over and collapsed next to the window, still catching his breath.

Minutes would pass as Pete gazed out of the window, watching the buildings and people pass by. Soon, the bus would slow down and the doors would hiss open again. Looking up, Peter shuddered slightly as he saw Flash Thompson strutting down the aisle, his two cronies following him up, Kenneth McFarlane, though he was referred to by the nickname "Kong", and Jason Ionello, the class prankster. Pete glanced up nervously as he spotted Flash eyeing him up before he came to a stop at his seat, towering over Peter.

"Hey, Parker," Flash announced loudly, while Peter sat hunched over, almost curled up in the seat, "Looks like you've taken my seat, man."

Peter nervously looked around the bus for another empty spot, only to see dozens of onlookers, no doubt waiting for him to be humiliated.

"You deaf, Parker?" Flash pushed Peter's shoulder, slamming him into the window, "I said: you're in my seat."

"C'mon, Flash," Kong said disappointedly, "Leave the kid alone. He's just sittin' there."

"Yeah, sitting in my spot," Flash said, dismissing Kong while Jason snickered. Flash leaned in to Peter, asserting his dominance even more. "So what, you gonna move? Or do I need to make you?"

Barely waiting for a response, Flash placed both hands on Peter's shoulders, grabbing him by his polo shirt and yanking him out of his seat, pushing him aside. Jason, not one to pass up on the opportunity to slip a gag in, extended his knee out, sending Peter hurtling face first onto the floor, his glasses flying off his face.

"Ooo," Jason smirked in a fake wince as Peter scrambled to pick up his glasses, "Sorry, pal, looks like that one hurt!"

Flash chuckled as he slumped into the seat, Kong sitting beside him and Jason sliding in next to someone on the other side of the aisle. "You just never learn, do ya, Parker?" Flash spoke at him as he crawled up off the floor. An embarrassing, belittling moment, but something that Peter had grown numb to.

As a girl reluctantly gave him the seat next to her, he reflected on how very little had changed in his high school career. Flash didn't always treat him like shit; as a matter of fact, up until they started high school, the two got along reasonably well – yet, for whatever reason, whether it be the two opposing crowds that they split off into or some other divine means, those years meant nothing.


The bus pulled up outside Midtown High. Standing up, Peter was relieved that the rest of the journey went without any of Flash' antics, yet he proceeded with caution as he stood off the bus and searched for a friendly face. Looking further down the parking area in front of the school, Peter saw a sharp, dark limousine, windows tinted black. Outside it he saw Harry, talking to someone inside, who he assumed to be Norman. Whatever it was they were talking about, Harry looked ticked off and waved his father goodbye as he walked away. Peter waved at him, catching his eye as he jogged over.

"Pete!" Harry's face lit up, "Excited for the big day!"

"You bet!" Peter chuckled, watching the limo as it drove away, "Hey, nice car; way to make an entrace!"

Harry glanced back, watching the car pull out of the parking lot, a scowl on his face, "Yeah, you know my dad..." Harry sighed, "Always one to keep up appearances."

Sensing Harry's resentment, Peter quickly changed the course of the conversation as they walked up to the main entrance. "So, what about you? You excited for the trip!"

"Well, I'm more excited for you guys," Harry smiled, "For me, it won't be anything I haven't seen before, but hopefully there'll be some interesting stuff there for you."

"I bet it's pretty cool, right?" Peter asked enthusiastically, "Do you have any idea what they've got in store for us?"

"Honestly, I don't know if I'd be able to explain it if I knew," Harry laughed, "I'm telling ya, Pete, if the day ever comes where I inherit Oscorp, I'm gonna need you as my right hand man!"

"Well, I've helped you through high school science, I'm sure I can help you run a business!" Peter joked as they made their way inside. His science class had been instructed to make their way to the cafeteria as soon as possible, where they all would meet and discuss the trip beforehand.

Walking down the halls, they made their way quietly past Flash and the rest of the basketball team, past teenage lovers making out against their lockers, before finally making it to the cafeteria, where they found Gwen Stacey waiting alone on a table for them. Upon seeing them, she excitedly waved them over.

"Hey guys!" Gwen exclaimed as the two sat down, "Oh my God, how exciting is this?!"

"I know!" Peter grinned, giddy with anticipation, "I've always wanted to visit Oscorp!"

"You know, I'm surprised I didn't land you guys a tour here earlier," Harry smiled, clasping his hands together, "Hey, better late than never, I guess!"

"Honestly, Harry, it's an honour," Gwen reassured him, "Make sure to thank your dad for us, this is the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Harry chuckled before all three looked up in alarm as they heard a high pitched squeal from across the cafeteria. Looking a few tables over, Peter saw Flash sweeping his long-time girlfriend, Liz Allen, captain of the cheerleading squad, up in his arms and spinning her around.

"Christ, wish they'd tone down the P.D.A," Gwen muttered as Flash lowered Liz back down, "Honestly, they've been dating for, what, two years now? Like, we get it."

"Yeah, but they must have broken up and got back together a dozen times," Peter chuckled, "It's like, one of them cheats, they break up, then they somehow end up back together again."

"Well, they aren't exactly the brightest," Gwen joked. Soon, every table would go silent as their teacher, Mr Palmer, walked in to make an announcement.

"Okay, class," he said loudly, silencing everyone although the faint giggling of Liz could be heard in the background, "I'm sure each and every one of you have been very excited for this day to come. Well, the bus is waiting outside; but first, we have to lay down some ground rules. You do not split off from the group at any time unless permitted to and are accompanied by a member of staff. You do not touch or interfere with any of the exhibits; God knows this school cannot afford to pay for the damages to equipment or to students. And finally, remember you are representing the school, so please behave in an acceptable manner."

Raising his hand to the exit, Mr Palmer directed his students to leave, and Peter, Gwen and Harry excitedly got up and made their way to the bus as quickly as possible.

The class, numbering at around twenty or so, arrived at the Oscorp building. There, a tour guide awaited them; a young, black lady with curly hair.

"Welcome, Midtown!" she announced excitedly, smiling at the group, "My name is Dr Hannah Rodriguez, and I'll be showing you around the exhibits that display the game-changing, historical work we do here at Oscorp – remember to stick together and follow me!"

The group walked through the main entrance; in the centre, a large holographic display projected a globe with words wrapped around it in a band: "Welcome to Oscorp". The guide swiped a key card to unlock a door and lead the group into the labs.

"As I'm sure many of you are aware, throughout its history Oscorp has maintained a close relationship with the military," the guide explained, hands held together before motioning to the first exhibit. "Lately, Oscorp has been working on ground-breaking flying technology to be used by soldiers in the battlefield, providing a tactical advantage in combat scenarios."

The group cast their eyes on the subject; wrapped tight around their chest was a metal harness, on the back of which a set of mechanical wings were attached. With the roar of an engine, the subject, still strapped to wires and cables, jolted a few feet of the ground. The class watched in awe, even capturing the intrigue of typically less interested students like Flash before the engines cooled down again and the man lowered, his feet slowly touching the podium he took off from. He chuckled as he undid the harness, throwing a white lab coat over him as he moved to greet the students.

"Welcome to Oscorp, kids!" the man cheered, clapping his hands together. "I'm Dr Adrian Toomes, and this here is the latest in Oscorp's flying technology – it's yet to be named, but as you can see, it essentially functions as a mechanical set of wings, almost like the ones you'd find on an aeroplane!"

"Hey, did you say this'll be used in the military?" Flash asked aloud.

"That's right!" Toomes smiled, "Not one other country has anything like this in their arsenal, which grants US troops a massive battle advantage! I mean, imagine someone like Captain America flying around in one of these!" The engineer excitedly motioned to the wingsuit while Harry leant in to Peter.

"Yeah, they'd have to find the poor bastard first," Harry whispered. Peter chuckled quietly before a loud voice made its presence known.

"Don't forget, this isn't the only flying tech that Oscorp is working on!"

Looking to their right, Norman Osborn along with two security guards approached the class. Adrian's confidence seemed to falter a little. "Mr Osborn," he quickly greeted his boss.

"Adrian," Norman smiled, "As you can see, this is just one potential design for what our brave troops could be using on the battlefield. If you'd follow me..."

Peter noticed Adrian's face drop as Norman lead the class away. Noticing Peter was looking at him, he smiled and gave him a quick wave before returning to his work. The group soon arrived at the next exhibit. There was a loud noise and, as the group looked up, they saw a test subject balancing on a glider of some kind. Its design was sharp, angular, with straps that would slip over the user's feet in an attempt to keep them from falling off.

"This here is the Glider," Osborn announced, "While not currently active for safety purposes, this design has an automatic weapon built into it, allowing its user to attack enemies from the sky."

Peter noted that Harry was hiding his face, not wanting to be noticed by his father. Meanwhile, the rest of the group watched in awe.

"What do you think of this stuff?" Gwen asked him quietly.

"It's pretty interesting, I guess," Pete whispered back, "But I'm not that into military stuff."

"Hopefully soon, the military will decide on a prototype that takes their fancy," Norman smiled, "And if my son Harry takes up the business, Oscorp will continue its wonderful co-operation with our country's armed forces!"

Norman raised his hand in Harry's direction, causing his cheeks to turn red in embarrassment. Flash and Jason seemed to notice, chuckling as Norman waved the group goodbye as the tour guide lead them on. Peter quickly took some pictures of the glider before catching up with the others, only to hear Flash's taunting comments.

"That's right, rich boy," Flash goaded, "Be a good little entrepreneur for daddy!"

Harry's face scrunched up in anger before Mr Palmer grabbed Flash' shoulder, warning him under his breath. Flash shot Harry a smug look before looking forward.

"Don't pay any mind," Peter reassured him, "You know he's just being a dick."

The group found themselves in another lab, large and circular with a column in the middle displaying this room's exhibit.

"For you biology geeks, this may be of interest," Dr Rodriguez announced, "This section is all about genetic modification. Be warned, if you have arachnophobia, you may want to steer clear of the enclosures!"

Peter and Gwen rushed over to look at the exhibits; inside small, glass enclosures were spiders, no bigger than your thumb. The glass cages were covered in webbing and dead, half-eaten insects. Peter snapped some pictures, focusing the lens inside the cages.

"So how have these been modified, exactly?" Gwen asked the guide, who showed her to a set of screens around the exhibit.

"This shows off the work we have been doing," Dr Rodriguez explained, "These spiders have been genetically enhanced; superior to their everyday equivalent in virtually every way. They're faster, stronger, more agile, quicker reaction times, plus their webbing is far more durable."

"I'd heard my dad talk about this stuff," Harry muttered under his breath as he eyed up the spiders inside the enclosures. "Apparently, Oscorp are desperate to re-create that super-soldier serum that was developed way back in the Second World War, now that Stark's out of the game. I guess it's safer to try replicating it on bugs first."

Peter continued walking around the enclosure, nodding as Harry talked beside him. He continued taking pictures, getting as up close as possible to the enclosures to get the best shot of the spiders.

"Hey, I'm gonna see if there's a bathroom around here," Harry said, looking around, "I'll be back in a sec."

Pete waved him off, not saying a word as he looked down the lens, trying to find the spider. He moved the camera around the enclosure, yet he couldn't see it anywhere.

All the while, as he searched for the spider in vain, the missing subject was spinning a web, slowly climbing down towards Peter, head stuck in the camera, oblivious to anything around him. Pete felt a tingling sensation on his hand, which he recognised as an insect's legs crawling on him. Before he could do anything, the arachnid sunk its fangs into his flesh. Peter winced and swotted it off, holding his hand and pressing against the stinging sensation. Gwen, noticing Peter seemed in pain, rushed over to him.

"Hey, you alright?" Gwen asked, brushing her blonde hair out of her face before resting her hand on his arm.

"Yeah, fine," Peter said, clenching his teeth before motioning to the floor where a dead spider lay with its back down and legs raised, bent, "Just got bit by a bug or something, that's all..."

While he tried to play it off, not wanting to make a scene and attracting Flash's attention, nor to look like a wus in front of Gwen and Harry, Peter gradually felt worse and worse throughout the day. He climbed off the bus when it arrived back at Midtown High, tiredly waving Gwen and Harry goodbye as he stepped onto another bus to take him home. Peter climbed on board, dragging himself down the aisle and slumping into a seat, much to Flash' amusement.

"What's up, Parker? Tired from walking?"

Though Peter could barely make it out. He lay dormant for most of the bus journey, Flash bumping his head with his bag as he got off. "Watch it, freak," Flash grunted as he walked down the bus' steps. The impact caused a loud ringing in Peter's ears, prompting him to hold his hands over them.


Soon, thankfully, the bus arrived back at his stop, and Peter staggered off and down the sidewalk, eventually reaching his house. He bumped into the front door before clumsily pulling the handle down, slowly opening it and stepping in. He could see Ben in the kitchen, sipping from a cup of tea.

"Hey, sir!" Ben cheerfully announced, "How was the trip? Take some good pictures?"

Peter nodded sluggishly. "It... it was good, thanks," he said, slurring his words before quickly ending the sentence as he pulled his backpack off his shoulders, dropping it to the floor. Ben was quick to tell that all was not right.

"You okay, Pete?" Ben asked, attracting May's attention, "You're not lookin' too good..."

"I'm okay," Peter replied, trying to look normal as he pulled himself up a flight of stairs, "Just need a rest... I'll be okay..."

As he walked further and further up, Ben and May stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching him. "I've never seen him so ill!" May exclaimed quietly, holding Ben's arm in shock.

"The boy'll be fine," Ben said reassuringly, "It's back-to-school season, he probably caught a bug."

Reaching his room, he swung the door to behind him and collapsed on his bed. He felt dizzy, disorientated, he had a banging headache and would flip between feeling like he was about to catch fire to as though he were dropped in a pool of ice cold water. He pulled his polo shirt off over his head, simultaneously knocking his glasses off his face. Shirtless, he wrapped himself in his bed sheets, shuddering and sweating. The spot on his hand throbbed and stung. Peter, feeling utterly powerless, fell asleep, hoping that by the time he woke up, this plague would leave him.

Peter slept through the rest of the afternoon and evening into the night, only remembering waking up a handful of times. One of which, the concerned face of Aunt May was standing over him, gently rubbing his shoulder.

"Peter?" she asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

Peter groaned a little as he rolled from his side onto his back to properly face his aunt. "I'm okay," he said weakly, "Just a little tired, that's all."

"Are you well enough to eat?" she asked concernedly.

"No, I'm not hungry," Peter rejected, "I'll be okay, May. I just need to sleep."

May sighed as she stood up and stepped back. "Well, I'll leave something out for you, if you feel like it."

Peter nodded as his aunt walked out the room, shutting the door behind her. As quickly as he woke up, he fell back to sleep again.

Hours passed, night turned into morning and eventually Peter's phone alarm buzzed, jolting him awake. Rolling back over to face his bedside, he swiped down, disabling the alarm as he yawned. Funny, he thought, he must have been so exhausted that night that he left his glasses on without realising. As he climbed out of bed, he saw his polo shirt – and his glasses. Feeling his face and around his eyes, he was wearing nothing, yet he could see perfectly.

"How can that be?" Peter thought to himself, picking his glasses up off of the floor. He approached the mirror and tried them on, however placing them over his eyes only caused his vision to blur through them.

Removing his glasses, he noticed something even stranger; his physique had completely transformed. Typically, when Peter Parker saw himself topless in a mirror he saw skin and bone; neither particularly beefy nor athletic, he had virtually no muscle or fat on him – you could actually count his ribs. Yet now, looking in the mirror, Peter was greeted by a strong, muscular figure, six pack, chest pecks and all.

This must be some kind of weird dream. Peter slapped himself and pinched his arm, yet he still stood in front of the mirror, witnessing the impossible. Despite the weirdness of it, he looked good – he just had no idea how he came to be this way.

"Peter!" he heard May call from the bottom of the stairs, "You should get up and shower; are you feeling better?"

"Better?" Peter repeated, looking at himself in the mirror, "Yep – way better!"

Minutes later, Peter leapt out the bathroom, his short, brown hair vigorously towel-dried. He found some baggier clothes that managed to fit his new physique. He still wore his glasses, as uncomfortable as it was, as to not raise suspicion. With newfound energy, he leapt down the stairs, kicking off the wall as he navigated the turn in the stairs as they lead into the hallway.

Jogging lightly into the kitchen, he met Uncle Ben, preparing their cereal; jam on toast. Ben chuckled as he saw Peter in high spirits.

"Looks like you've made a full recovery!" Ben laughed as Pete sat down. He carefully carried his plate over, placing it gently in front of him before carrying over his own and May's.

In that moment, information flooded Peter's head. Ben's foot had caught on the chair leg to his left, and he was about to slip and drop both plates, subsequently dropping the toast and potentially shattering the plates themselves. Leaping out of his seat, Peter stopped Ben just before he could do any damage, placing his arm over his chest. Ben's eyes went wide as he chuckled.

"Good reflexes, Pete," he said as he readjusted himself, sitting down safely before Aunt May walked in, "Geez, that's the quickest I've seen you move in years!"

Pete laughed it off as he sat back down. What the hell was that? And then, he remembered what he overheard from Dr Rodriguez when she explained how the spiders had been genetically enhanced.

Faster.

Stronger.

Quicker reaction times.

When Peter was taking photos for the school paper, one of the spiders was missing from its enclosure.

Before he had time to do ask about it, he felt something sting him in his hand, in the skin between his finger and his thumb.

And when Gwen asked him what happened, he looked to the floor to see a curled up, dead spider.

How it happened, Peter didn't know. What he did know is that what potentially could have been a genetically enhanced super-spider bit him, and now he was experiencing the same enhancements.

His train of thought was interrupted by his aunt. "Peter, what time does your bus normally arrive?" she asked, looking at the clock above the table. Peter looked up, noticing that he should have left by now. He stopped himself swearing as he stood up, throwing his bag back on.

"I'm gonna be late!" Peter exclaimed, rushing the rest of the slice of toast down his mouth. "I'll see you later!" he said, voice muffled.

"Better be quick, Pete!" Ben chuckled as Pete ran down the hall, swinging the door open and slamming it behind him.

As Pete ran down the street, he pulled his phone out his pocket; on low battery, he forgot to charge it last night – or check it, for that matter, obvious by the dozens of messages from Gwen and Harry each. The clock was ticking as Peter held his backpack steady while he ran, notably faster than he had ever ran before. He momentarily reflected on his realisation at breakfast. Maybe it was best not to assume anything yet – better to wait and see how this played out.


Author's Note:
Just wanted to use this to clarify the general aims of this fic.
This follows Peter Parker through his last year of high school and his baby steps as Spider-Man, and as a result of that I don't want him taking on high-profile villains one after the other. While I've got a few bigger names planned, I'm saving the rest of them for a potential sequel to this, depending on how well this fic does of course. Anyway, review and stay tuned!