So hey guys. I decided I wanted to go ahead and write the first chapter of this before the idea left my brainmeat. This is definitely not going to be focused on until I finish No Hero Academia, but the idea is so vivid in my mind that I wanted to throw it out there for you guys to enjoy. Speaking of NHA, the newest chapter is almost finished. I just have to finish it up, and edit. It should be up sometime tonight. Hopefully. Unfortunately, as Bentholomew is not into comics like I am, this will be my first actual 100% solo project. Ben was a creative partner, but I did the writing. I actually debated doing a Naruto story, but I really didn't want to have to deal with people incessantly demanding for a harem fic. Nothing I ever write will be a harem. I'll go ahead and throw that out there. I personally hate them, and find them lazy, not to mention as awful as harem anime 99% of the time. I'm not trying to convince you of my view, merely stating mine, so you won't expect something from me that is never going to happen. Having said that, I will get on with the chapter.

Chapter 1: Is this Real life?

Ben Reilly was many things. He was the monstrous individual known as the Jackal. He was also the Scarlet Spider. However, most important of all, he was a perfect clone of Peter Parker, at least physically. This meant that he had a boyishly handsome face, hazel eyes, a disarming smile, and brilliant mind. He possessed all the abilities of Spider-Man, but he was more violent in his execution of his abilities and justice. Granted, if the first thing you remember doing was killing a crap ton of your fellow clones, you'd probably be a little twisted in the head too. But that's neither here nor there.

Ben awoke with a pounding headache. He didn't know where the hell he was, or how long he had been unconscious. He found himself in a room that resembled a space station interior, and it was lined with a number of monitors showing various events he didn't recognize. He especially didn't recognize the heroes he was seeing. One was dressed in red and blue spandex, with a red cape and shield bearing the symbol of S at its center. Another resembled a bat, and fought with ferocity and martial prowess. Another was a Woman wearing armor that resembled Ancient Grecian battle attire, wield a sword and shield with a lasso hanging at her hip. Another showed a man in a red suit running at impossible speeds, taking out criminals and monsters by the hundreds in mere seconds. There were dozens more, each hero showing prowess and a call to a higher cause beyond themselves. It was...inspirational, and caused Ben to feel rather guilty for his actions as the Jackal. Before he could delve into self-loathing, he noticed a rather intimidating figure that just happened to be staring at him blankly.

So naturally, Ben decided that staring back at the purple figure in front of him, was the most logical course of action. He doesn't remember how he got here, because one minute he was fighting the hero team known as the Slingers. Then, he is standing before a purple guy in armor other than the Mad Titan.

"Benjamin Reilly." It spoke in a commanding voice. "The Monitor has need of you."

This caused Ben to blink, derailing his thoughts completely.

"You know, kidnapping is a rather odd way to ask for help." Let it be known that Ben had definitely inherited his "father's" ability to make quips. "You could have just said 'gee Ben, you think I could get some help?'"

"Madame Webb mentioned your tendency to make odd remarks to yourself. No matter, we specifically asked her for one of her Spider-kin, and she delivered you to us." The Monitor spoke in its booming voice, causing the air around them to quiver as if the very fabric of reality itself bent to this being's will.

"Wait. You mean the old lady GAVE me to you? That's got some weird connotations to it, and Ben doesn't like being given to anyone. Wait, did I just refer to myself in the third person?" Ben rambled on, definitely confused by the overall situation he found himself in.

The Monitor, howver, took this in stride. "I see you have questions, Mr. Reilly. We will do our best to explain why you were brought before us."

"You see, the universe that runs parallel to the one you in habit is on the precipice of a cataclysm. It has different heroes, and different beings of power as well. There are no Avengers, and no Spider-Man either. In fact, it is rather different in many regards. Individuals with powers such as yours are not ostracized and hated, at least to the degree they are in your world. Many are seen as heroes, while others have delved into villainy. The main difference, is that there have been no attempts to eradicate them or lock them up. They aren't seen as subhuman. Rather, these 'meta-humans' are viewed as the next step in human evolution. In fact, some of these abilities have brought on awareness of the multiverse to select mortal individuals. For example, the hero known as the Flash has visited many different worlds. However, this was not without consequence. Due to a series of events that revolve around the hero known as Batman, the positive Multiverse is currently under siege by denizens of the Dark Multiverse. At the helm of these forces are the Dark Knights, powerful and evil incarnations of Bruce Wayne, who all fight under the banner of dark being known as Barbatos. However, it is not so much these events that are important, as it is the consequences they will result in."

It was here that all the screens in the Monitor room turned to show a single teenager. This teenager was of Puerto Rican decent, and was fiddling with waves of energy at his finger tips.

"This boy is known as Derek James. He is crucial to the fate of this universe. Whether he knows it or not, his power to create rifts in space and time makes him one of the most power beings in this plane. Many will come after him because of this. Some human, some not. We need you to be a guide to the boy. Show him how to be a hero, and how to remain humble despite his overwhelming powers."

Ben stood in silence, processing what he had been told, synapses firing in his brain at rapid speeds. "So let me get this straight. You want me, the guy who cloned terminally ill people and replaced said ill people with aforementioned clones, to teach a guy to be a decent human being. Since you seem fairly robotic, I'm going to borrow one of your people's phrases and state DOES NOT COMPUTE!" Ben ranted, clearly finding the entire scenario to be utterly insane. Okay, sure the kid's costume resembled the various Spider-Men...But that doesn't mean he should agree out of principle!

"The boy is very similar to Peter Parker and yourself. He lost his adoptive Mother. She was the equivalent of your Uncle Ben." That statement caused Ben's mind to grind to a halt for a second. "We know of what Madame Web and Death spoke to you of. Your soul is at risk, Ben Reilly. Should you stay on your current path, your soul will darken completely, and you will lose yourself. This is the best path you have for redemption. For all your faults with Peter Parker, you do idolize him. Ben Reilly, without you, Derek will be ill equipped to handle the trials that face him. There is a threat looming behind the veil of events, one who tugs at the strings of reality to an extent we have never seen before, and Young Derek is the key to stopping him."

Ben bit his lip hard. This was not an easy choice. When he decided he wanted to become better, he thought he'd have the chance to right his wrongs in HIS world. Not some other universe that he knows nothing about.

"If I do agree, then how the hell am I supposed to integrate into society? If the heroes here are just a smart as the ones back home, then I'll be discovered immediately."

"That is not a problem. We can make so you have always existed in this plane. You are Ben Reilly, an orphan who used his brilliant mind to push himself through school, graduating at 18 from Princton University on full scholarship with honors, with a Bachelor's in biochemistry, and Master's in genetics and chemistry. Currently enrolled in a Doctorate program while teaching chemistry at Gotham High School. Current age? 26."

"...Why do I have to be a teacher while Peter is a CEO billionaire?"

"That is not our concern. You will fit in seemlessly, and you will not stick out too much. This world is filled with geniuses, so you will fit in just fine. One last thing, you cannot bring your Spider name with you." The Monitor noticed Ben's confused expression, so it elaborated. "You are technically outside of the Spiderverse. So you cannot be a Spider-Man, so you need a new name, if you wish to be hero in your free time."

Ben just thought on the offer. This was his shot at redemption. All he had to do was help some brat become a great hero. He'd essentially become Phil in Disney's Hercules.

"Fine. I'll do it. After all, how hard could it be?"

Oh if only he'd known how evil AP chem students could be. Not mention the scarcity of spider hero names that couldn't use the word spider.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright class. So today, I don't really feel like teaching so I want you to google a drug of your choice, and figure out how to balance a chemical formula for the creation of that drug. You have the class period to do it." Ben kicked back behind his desk. He'd been a teacher at Gotham High for approximately a month now. He was considered a "cool" teacher. His laid back persona combined with his youth and knowledge made him a hit with the kids. Plus the fact he showed up to his first class dressed like Jesse Pinkman probably helped a lot as well. He observed a pair of students that seemed to be struggling. "Mr. James, Ms. Edgars, a moment please."

The pair in question glanced at each other before getting up and walking to his desk. Derek James was hipster looking teenage male of Puerto Rican decent. His wave brown hair meshed nicely with his tan skin. He wore a beanie, a hoody, and cargo shorts, giving him the appearance of a hipster. Ernie Edgars, on the other hand, gave the appearance of a prim and proper student, albeit one with a slightly lazy demeanor. She wore her blonde hair in a messy pony tail, and her alabaster skin shone like it was carved from marble. She wore a sweater vest, a tie, and a plaid skirt. Both students stood awkwardly in front of him, but it was Ernie who spoke for the duo.

"Yes, Mr. Reilly? What did you need to see us for?" Ben cut his gaze to her for a moment, before leaning back in his chair.

"You too seemed to be having issues with the assignment. While this was just a 'for fun' activity, I do hope that you can make some progress on it. Do you have any questions?" Ben spoke in his teacher voice, which given his unprofessional posture, sort of gave the students mixed signals.

"Well, um, we didn't want to do it on a drug exactly. We actually wanted to do it on this substance that we heard star labs was working on." At this, Ben raised an eyebrow. He'd chosen drugs because they were easy to find formulas for on the internet, if only from overly zealous chemistry nerds like himself with too much free time. But what they were asking about was high end chemistry work.

"Oh? Go on, I'm rather intrigued."

At his encouragement, Ernie continued. "Well, sir, the substance is called Velocity 6. It supposedly mimics the powers of the hero Flash, and temporarily provides super speed to the user. However, it also causes rapid cellular degradation in frequent abusers."

"So you're asking if you can use that formula for the assignment?" At the prompt, Ernie and Derek nodded. "Well I don't see why not. It's certainly more productive than looking at 20 other students trying to balance an equation for making meth."

At his words, several students had the decency to look sheepish, while Ernie and Derek beamed at the praise.

"Well, get to it." He shooed them off, leaving himself to his thoughts.

'I'll have to approach Derek about his powers soon.' Ben thought to himself, wondering about the specifics of how to approach the teen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ben had decided to go web swinging after school let out, if only to let off some steam. He'd thought his comment about groups using the same drug would make his students change substance for the assignment, but he was wrong. He was still handed in 14 different attempts to balance an equation for making meth.

"Jeez. Maybe they read too much into my dressing like Jesse on day one of classes..." Ben muttered to himself, eyes scanning for something to do. Just as he was about to give up, the heavens saw fit to bless him with a mugging. "YES! I finally get to beat the crap out of someone!" The mugging in question involved a burly yet stupid looking fellow with a knife, and a woman around 25 who was very clearly dressed like a police detective or something. Either way, going off body language, Ben doubted she was reaching into her purse for cookies. Figuring he'd save the lady the trouble of shooting the idiot, he decided to intervene.

He flexed his muscles a bit, causing them to ripple under his suit. It was a pretty high tech piece of work. He'd made it using materials he'd...borrowed from Wayne Enterprises and Star Labs. He didn't take much, but his misadventure did land on the cover of the Gotham Times. At any rate, his new suit was vastly different from his Scarlet Spider outfit. This one was solid black as opposed to solid red. It had a red spider symbol that greatly resembled Peter's Venom suit design, with the legs wrapping around his torso. Around his mask was a black hood with red webbing patterns, much like the suit he'd lifted from that cosplayer in Las Vegas, just with a different color scheme. Suffice to say, he looked very slick in his new threads. The fact it happened to have night vision lenses, an onboard AI, and a variety of gadgets in addition to being bullet proof was just icing on the cake.

As he finished primping over himself, he dropped down to the soon to be unconscious mugger.

"So hey there buddy. Whatcha doin'?" Ben asked the mugger in a cheerful voice. This caused the guy to look at him in a confused manner.

"You're not the bat. Who the hell are you?"

"Why, I am so glad you asked, and may I say your observational skills are quite astute. As you said, I am certainly not a bat. My symbol is a spider. As such, you may refer to me as the Amazing Arachnid! And I'm here to thwart your dastardly plans of robbing this lovely young lady!" At this, said lovely young lady blushed a bit, and stopped reaching for her conceiled firearm. She wasn't going to kill the guy. Just...maim him...a little.

"Whatever, weirdo. Buzz off. I'm having a chat with the lady." The mugger brandished his knife in a threatening manner, before turning back to the lady who was about 3 seconds away from putting a hole in his foot. However, Ben was not willing to be ignored so easily, so he tapped the guy on the shoulder. As the mugger spun around to stab him, probably for being annoying, Arachnid just sucker punched the guy in the face, and sent him into a dumpster at the end of the alleyway. He shook his hand a bit before tipping a nonexistent hat to the not so helpless mugging victim.

"Ah, I believe you no longer need to worry about the pros and cons of shooting that fool, ma'am." She raised an eyebrow, which illustrated her confusion. Now that he was closer, Ben got a real good look at her. She was a rather attractive looking woman, with wavy light brown hair, and warm blue eyes. He could see a badge hanging from a lanyard around her neck, but he could read the name from the angle.

"I don't think I know you." She spoke calmly, clearly wondering if he was a real superpowered hero or just an idiot in spandex.

"Ah. I can tell from your skeptical expression and your statement that you are wondering just who I am. Well, you just so happen to be the first person I've saved in costume!" At this, he struck up a gallant pose, which made the woman's eyebrows shoot up even higher.

"So I see. And you said your hero name was Arachnid?"

"Indeed I did, miss...?"

"Spivot. Patty Spivot, CSI." She held up her badge, which displayed her rather lovely visage and credentials quite clearly.

"Ah! A CSI! How fortuitous! Perhaps we shall cross paths in the future, Miss Spivot!"

"Just call me Patty. And knowing you hero types, I'm sure we'll run across each other sometime. Just watch out for Batman. He tends to get a bit...jealous of other heroes in his town." With that, she turned around, and walked towards the mouth of the alley.

As they parted ways they each had their own thoughts.

'Man, what a weird guy.'

'Man, what a nice lady.'

To Be continued.

So yeah guys. Here's my new story idea. I dunno when this will be update again, only that it will be after NHA is completed. Although, to be fair, that only has 4 more chapters at most remaining. The biggest obstacles to finishing it are my grad work. Meaning papers and rather intimidating tests.

I swear I'll finish chapter 14 soon. Please don't murder me.

Raizen out.