A/N: Obvious title is obvious. (grins) We've reached one of the most defining moments in Peter's life. (Well, my version of it, heh.) I wasn't sure about adding this bit(e), but it's such an important part of his story that I couldn't just ignore it. So… TA-DA! Peter's transformation, version 1001. (chuckles)
First, though… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your AMAZING reviews, love and support! I'm so glad that I've not only found people who enjoy these brief tales, but also adore Pete as much as I do. (BEAMS, and HUGS)
Awkay… Off we go! I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride.
Changes
Peter had never been a big fan of school trips. But the idea of one nearly leading to his death… The idea of one turning his whole life upside down… Those ideas never even crossed his mind. And, according to the adults around him, he'd always had a great imagination.
But how was even he supposed to imagine getting a bite from a super-spider?
It was a miserably rainy Tuesday but Peter was practically bursting from joy. Because he was on the first school trip… well, ever that he was really, genuinely, ridiculously excited about. Even Flash's constant jibes failed to bring his mood down.
Trust fate to always find a way to bite him. This time literally. When he felt the spider's feet on his skin and seconds later its teeth sinking through Peter had chills go all the way through him. Because he knew that he was royally screwed.
Peter swallowed thickly as he stared at the bite-mark. "Ah… Mr. Harrington? Mr. Harrington…!"
The addressed teacher gave him a suffering glare. (So yeah, maybe one or two of Peter's hundred questions during the visit had been too much…) "Parker, I've already told you everything I know. Our tour-guides have told you everything they're allowed to. There are no more booklets to hand out. I have no more answers to give you. So… Wait until school." The man's attention was then snatched by a couple of his classmates. "Thompson, Collins, get away from that…!" A loud crashing sound ensued.
The noise made Peter jump but he couldn't focus on it for long. Because the throbbing was getting really, really bad. And… He was sort of starting to panic, just a little bit.
"Pete?" Ned nudged at him, making him shiver. "Dude, you're sweating. Like… A lot. Are you sick or something?"
Peter chewed the inside of his cheek. And silently cursed his luck, loudly and colorfully. In Spanish, too. "I… guess." He focused on his teacher once more. Now, a sane person would've probably fessed up and told exactly what happened. Because… Well, there were actually people around who might've known how to help. But Peter Parker wasn't a sane person. He saw an endless amount of tirades and an eternal ban from all school trips in his horizon. He was in pain and dizzy, and the last thing he wanted was to get into more trouble. And he was just a dumb teenager. "Mr. Harrington? I… don't feel so good. Can I go home?"
Disbelief was loud and clear in Mr. Harrington's eyes. "What? You've been bouncing around like quicksilver and now you're telling me that…" The man's eyes widened, seeing what the teenager was starting to feel coming. "Oh no, don't…!"
Peter threw up, and mused with misery that Flash was never going to let him hear the end of this – if he actually lived through this ordeal…
To Peter's credit, he didn't actually think that he was dying or something. Sure, a spider's bite was a pretty nasty thing. But… This one wasn't deadly or anything, right?
Keep telling yourself that, Parker…
Throwing up repeatedly, shaking miserably from fever and so dizzy that he had to crawl to move, Peter cursed his own stupidity. He really, really should've told someone what happened. Well, too late for that. At least he was home alone. May would've freaked out so bad. Though, being alone didn't feel like such a good idea, either…
Well, today definitely wasn't Peter Parker's National Day of Good Ideas.
His heart was racing. Peter was far too young to realize that the rate it was going wasn't only incredibly painful, it was also lethal. His whole body was on overdrive and, unbeknownst to the ailing teenager, he felt like he was dying because he was. A foreign, mutated DNA clashed with his own without even a hint of mercy.
Peter was barely able to crawl into his bed, feeling absolutely miserable and sorry for himself, before he lost consciousness.
At some point of the late evening May came home. "Pete? I got a message from your teacher. Are you sick?" When there was no response she made her way to the teenager's room. Her heart plummeted at the sight of the boy buried under blankets, trembling and clearly miserably sick.
She wished that she would've been able to leave work sooner…
Peter was sleeping so deeply that he didn't react when she pressed a tender kiss to his feverish temple. No surprise. He slept like the dead whenever he felt unwell. "Get better soon, honey", she whispered. "I'll make you pancakes in the morning." It was her way of making up for being at work far too much.
May couldn't sleep that night, because a tiny part of her felt that once the sun climbed up things would never be the same again.
During the endlessly long night Peter's fever came and went in waves. It reached dangerous heights a horrible number of times. The changes happening inside his body… In his internal organs, in his very DNA-structure… Most people wouldn't have been able to withstand them, wouldn't have been able to handle transforming from a human being to something else entirely. Thankfully Peter wasn't like most people.
When he woke up the following morning… He awakened to a brand-new world. His eyes… His ears… His body… Everything felt different.
Peter reached out for the box containing his contact lenses. Only to realize that he could see perfectly well without them. And his outstretched arm… It was like he'd spent a couple of years at a gym in one night. "What the f…?" He blinked once, twice. Then grinned with the kind of enthusiasm only teenagers could experience. "This is so cool…!"
May was making pancakes when he finally made his way to the kitchen. A smile of relief appeared to hear tired face when she noticed him. "Morning. Looks like you're feeling better already." She nodded towards the food. "I wasn't sure if you're hungry yet…"
"I am", Peter assured her without thinking about it. Because… He was. Hungry enough to want May's cooking, which was actually pretty scary. (He was never going to say that out loud.) "I'm really hungry. Guess I forgot to eat yesterday…"
After breakfast Peter remembered to check his phone. There were twenty messages and ten unanswered calls from Ned. His best friend picked up immediately although the boy was supposed to be at a physics class. "Dude, what happened to you? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Peter blinked, still trying to process… everything. He had no idea what the spider did to him. It should've scared him, and it did. But he was also stupidly excited to start figuring it (well, himself…) out. "Or… You know what? I'm feeling amazing."
TBC
A/N: A couple of notes? It's been bugging me like CRAZY why in the movies or comics Peter NEVER told ANYONE that the spider bit him – and he's supposed to be a smart kid…! (chuckles and shakes head) (Well, comic-book and teenager logic… And who cares about logic, anyway?) And while I'm pretty sure that Ben was still alive at this time, I'm waiting for a confirmation before adding it. Let's assume that if he was around, he was on a business trip…
SOOOOO… How was this addition? Any good, at all? PLEASE, let me know! I LOVE hearing from you.
IN THE NEXT ONE: We are stopping by at 'Homecomign'. Brace yourself for Peter and Tony feels…!
Until next time! I REALLY hope that you'll all stop by for that one.
Take care!
Iron pug: I'm SUPER HAPPY that you've enjoyed the ride thus far so much! (BEAMS) I really hope that you'll be as excited about what comes next.
Colossal thank yous for the review! Until next time.
