Chapter 2: Spider Bite

On Saturday, Isabella watches the morning announcements, bored out of her skull. Suddenly, Pinky the Chihuahua hops on her lap, and she starts petting her. I know I'm more than a spectacled nerd, but my fate seems to never be in my reach, whatever it is.

Pinky barks at the TV, and Isabella looks up to see a guy's face. The announcer says, "All civilians, be warned of Jack Lace, a mad man that has recently escaped Danville's correctional institution. People say he is carrying a loaded gun, and a master of fighting. If you see this man, call the police immediately. A reward will be handed out, of fifty thousand dollars."

"Wouldn't that be nice?" the teen said.

The Chihuahua runs to the dog door, hops out, and hops back inside with the newspaper. "Thanks Pinky." She scans through the papers, seeing the man's face again on the front page, looking for jobs. Frustrated, the teen throws the papers behind her, but the dog catches it and puts the newspaper in the recycling bin.

In the tall, Intellect News building, Heinz Doofenshmirtz looks through the newspaper his company made. "Hmm. Catchy headline. Breath-taking columns. Amazing picture. I like it. But it's not enough."

"What are we missing Heinz?" asked his assistant, Michael. He is a tall man with dark eyes, dark skin, and short hair. Doofenshmirtz throws the paper on his desk and says, "What we're missing is a new headline."

"But isn't this headline good?"

"It's good, but common. People want new news in these papers. Something that will stick in their mind forever. Something that is out of this world." He gets up and walks to the window wall.

"Trust me. We're trying to find one, but everything is just dull in Danville."

"Something's bound to pop up. I can feel it. I know it's out there."

"We'll keep searching. Don't forget your medication." Michael walks out of the office as Heinz scans Danville. He walks back to his desk and speaks to his intercom, "Stephanie, I'm going out for a while. If there are any problems or messages, please take care of them for me."

"Okay." She said outside of the office. The chief walks downstairs and out of the building, heading for the coffee shop.

On Friday…

The high school teens exit the school bus, facing a large, dome-roof building. Isabella looks around, holding her camera, and snaps a picture of the structure. She turns and watches Phineas walk off, his friends surrounding him. The teen sighs, then gets bumped by another teen. "Watch it, four-eyes."

She furrows her head in anger, and follows the others. As the bus rolls away, a limo parks by the curb, and inside, Ginger says, "Thanks mom, but I could've taken the bus."

"I know, but since I was heading to my lab, and you were having a field trip there, I thought it would be best if we took the car." her mother said.

"You mean limo."

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, I just don't want to cause a scene. I just want people to see me as a regular girl with regular teen problems."

"That's not how I was when I was your age."

"Well, you teen life is different from mine, mom. I'll see you inside." She opens the door and exits. "Thanks Jameson."

"No worry, Miss Quimby. Have a good day of school." said the butler with an accent. The teen closes the door and catches up to the rest, ignoring the looks from others. "Hey Isabella."

She turns and sees her friend running. "Hi Ginger. You made it."

"Sorry. Mom wanted me to come with her in the car. But, the point is, I'm here. Let's go." Before the friends start walking, someone calls, "Ginger! You forgot something."

They turn to see a blonde woman of mid-thirties, tall, with brown eyes and light skin. She is carrying a pack in her hands, which the woman hands to Ginger. "I think you'll need this."

"Thanks mom. Izzy, this is my mother, Maria. Mom, this is Isabella."

They shake hands and Maria says, "So you're Isabella. Ginger told me all about you."

"It's very nice to meet you. I hear you study in genetics and, warfare?"

"In a way, yes."

"C'mon, slackers, or you'll miss the tour!" yelled their teacher.

"I'll see you two inside." Maria said.

Isabella and Ginger chase after the group. The school enter the large building, full of different objects and pictures. The first part of the tour was just scientist talking about the genetic science, and their labs. Some points, Isabella starts to doze off, but her friend elbows her awake. After walking through a never-ending hallway, the group enters one of the largest rooms, the top a sky-light. A doctor walks in and introduces, "You must be the school group. I am Professor Richard. If you please follow me."

The group follows him into the lab, and the doctor explains, "In this room, we have been studying the behaviors and genetics of the 109 families of spiders." He waves a hand at a stack of small cubes, each a spider in it. "The families are divided into three categories: Mesothelae, Mygalomorphae, and Araneomorphae. Ah, there's my assistant."

Maria Quimby walks up, saying, "Sorry, but there was a problem in lab three."

Isabella looks around the lab, and spots a huge machine in the middle of the room. "Ginger, do you know what that is?" she whispered, pointing to the microscope.

"A microscope made for a giant?" Ginger joked.

"This is the largest electron microscope in the entire west region."

"So, again, a big microscope."

The spectacled teen rolls her eyes and the two follows the school group.

Back to the tour, Richard states, "Spiders, which is in the class arachnid, have many talents to each species. For example, the Delana Spider. This spider's talent is the ability to jump and catch their prey, even over long distances, to them."

"Uh, doctor?" Isabella called.

"Yes?"

"She holds her camera, asking, "Mind if I take some pictures for the school papers?"

"Not at all."

She aims her camera at the crawling spider, but before snap, a kid nudges her shoulder, making Isabella shoot a picture of the twig. The kids' chuckle quietly behind her and the Ginger eyes them angrily.

"The next one over here is the Net-web Spider, who creates a funnel shape web to catch their prey. Their webs are equally strong to the high tension wires we have. And here we have the Grass Spider." The doctor picks up one of the cube containers. "Since their webs are weak compared to others, the Grass Spider makes up with its hunting ability that we call a spider sense."

After putting the cube back, "Recently, we have made an arachnid with all three abilities in its genetics."

The teen tries to get another picture, but the bullies nudge her again. As they chuckle, Phineas walks up and whispers, "Would you stop it."

"Or what? Send your father after us?"

"Make him sue me?" said another teen. They chuckle at their little joke as the group walk after the class. Isabella returns to listening to the doctor, "These seven genetically engineered spiders, each with its own unique color, are well developed and can be the new generations of pets."

Isabella looks at the seven, but finds a problem. "Uh, sir, there's only six."

"What?" He looks at the containers and finds that she's right. "Oh. I guess there's still one being worked on." He continues the tour down the room, but Isabella stays behind, as well as Phineas, who strolls to the stack of spiders.

She gazes at Phineas, seeing her chance. "Hey, Phineas."

"Yeah?"

The teen tries to get the courage, but says, "Is it okay if I get a picture of you with the spiders? I need a student in them."

"Oh, sure." He gets in a position next to the spiders, taking out his rolled up packet. Isabella starts taking pictures of the different stands, her courage growing. Above, a spider, finally done with his home web on the roof, glides down on its web, heading to skin. It comes in contact, and walks around the hand, but Isabella doesn't feel it.

Soon, his friends call, and the redhead says goodbye.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." she said, waving. Just then, the spider stops and strikes with its fangs. Out of instinct, Isabella gasps and shakes her hand, and the spider scuttles on the ground. The teen watches it go until the spider vanishes. She looks at the bite and finds two marks, a small swelling growing around it. "Ow." She whispered. Immediately, the pain recedes, and the teen catches up to the others.

Vivian Garcia-Shapiro is a Mexican-Jewish mother, with dark skin, grey eyes, and black hair in a bun. She is wearing a white shirt, an orange jacket, and dark red jeans and sandals. In the kitchen, she prepares the dinner when the mother hears the door slam. "Isa, is that you?"

"Yeah, mom."

Vivian walks out and sees her daughter looking grim. "So how was the trip?"

"It was okay." Isabella answered, putting her backpack down.

"Are you feeling well? You look a little down."

"I'm fine. Just a little ill. I'm gonna take a nap." She walks to her room upstairs. After the teen enters, Isabella puts her glasses on the desk and takes off her shirt, then puts a spaghetti-string top on. Soon, her head starts spinning, making her unsteady on her feet. The teen clutches her head in pain as something spreads through her, and she loses strength completely, falling on her bed. Izzy watches the ceiling, which darkens as she enters a disturbing dream.

Her DNA merges with the spider's injection, creating something new.