The Impossible Spider.
Volume 1: The Recluse.
Chapter 2: Freaks.
Home is quiet. Dad is sitting across from me on the couch, dinner between us. Takeout. I didn't really care where or what. I shovel it in all the same, stuffing it down my throat and staring at him. Of course we both know who we're missing and she'll be here any minute. The door jumps aside for the train that is my mom Maybelle Parker, raging right for me, brown hair out of the bun she kept it in for work, she grabs me, my shirtless chest still normal but she looks at the ruins of my shirt and hoodie.
"Ben, Jack, what's this about Spider Powers?" her tone is tense and Dad looks up at her.
"Sit down first, hon." Dad pats the spot beside him but she sits next to me, checking over my shoulder, she shrinks back.
"Ohmygod! He has- You have- Oh my GOD." she reaches down and my legs whap her fingers away, still tiny, "Do they hurt?"
"No, they only hurt when they extend…" I look at my mom with my tired eyes grow heavy, "Also I can web things and… and… haaaahhh…"
Yawning, Mom grabs my face, looking close at my teeth, "Ben, look at this!" Dad gets up and looks closer.
"Holy shit," I get a little freaked out. What? Did I have a bunch of needle teeth now? Oh god do I have MANDIBLES?! What's Felicia gonna think when I show up looking like a manspider?!
"Hhwhat?" I look at my parents and they look up from my teeth.
"Honey, you have longer than usual canine teeth, but they're…"
"You got those venom sacs." Dad gets a smack, "Ow! I'm right!"
Mom lets me go and I'm sitting there, realizing what I'm becoming. Am I a monster? I have all this power and I don't have a clue what I am or what it does. Other than making me almost fly with webs, dodge impossible things almost instinctively, and sprout all kinds of new things.
I curl into a little ball, my eyes closing and my parents both noticing the change. Whatever I do is going to drag them into it. Being a hero, being a villain, it doesn't matter. What matters is that whatever I do with these powers I have to take responsibility. I have to make this thing right. I have to use these for whatever I end up doing and whoever gets hurt I have to own it. Mom lets out a soft chuckle.
"What?" I look at her and she's smiling just a bit, kinda looking down on me kinda energy but I know she's just being nostalgic. She winds her arm around my shoulders and squeezes.
"Honey, I know you're going to go through a lot of changes, but I want you to know that regardless of that, your father and I will be here, I don't know half of the things that are happening to you, do I need to research spiders now?"
"Well, looks to me like it was one of those weird Spiders Osborn was babblin' about on site once." Dad looks at Mom and they both get a determined look on their faces. The chance that Osborn is involved just makes my legs extend and shoot me towards the ceiling, spittle dappling the couch and burning holes into it. Small spikes wiggle out of my wrists and Mom and Dad both jump up.
"Don't send me to Osborn. He might cut me open or keep me locked in a weird place an' all that!"
"Yeah, yeah baby, we won't." Mom grabs me and my legs and stingers retract, slowly I sit back down and wipe the venom away. Everything is going to be okay. I'm sure it will. Mom and Dad hug me and my arms squeeze them back.
"It's gonna be alright, Jack. You just keep on living and we'll take it one day at a time."
"Yeah buddy, we'll just take it as it comes." they sit with me for a while.
"I got shot at."
"Yeah, what were you doing-" Dad starts before Mom comes in with a…
"Jackson Steven Parker! What were you doing to get SHOT AT?!" she screeches with my Sense going off and my legs shoot me back to standing over them. Raising my hands and resisting the venom drool.
"I chased a guy driving a big wheel! And the cops saw me and shot at me. Then Dad came and got me, and the rest is history." Mom sighs and I lower myself. It's unconscious. My Spider legs act on their own… which is weird.
"Jack, just… be careful with these powers," she hugs me again, my legs patting her on the back and she flinches just a little at that. Dad stares almost in shock at it but my spider legs slowly shrink and retract.
I pull away, "Did that feel weird? I bet it felt weird. Sorry…" Ambling towards my room, I get up the stairs, "Goodnight."
They watch me go and I get to my room, falling onto my bed with everything aching and pulling soft and harsh burning. Every dream I had, every moment where I thought I'd finally get my miracle never ended like this.
Tossing, turning, flipping backward and forward, my Sense pulsing out, out and far away to somewhere I don't know. A constant stream of buzzing like static and white noise fills my ears in this fitful dream beyond the reaches of my normal.
A lightning crackle fills my body, the electric tingle spreading out like I got kissed by a Tesla coil and a flashing barrage of color fills my eyes with blazing bright lenses of energy. Floating through some kind of void, some kind of sensory overload that even I can't figure out.
Then. I see it.
A throne, a web behind it, and a woman. She's old, but what I can tell is that she's not angry. She's not what makes my Sense wild. She smiles and my Sense calms. But before I can talk to her I'm catapulted back to my room, back to my bed, and awake.
Trudging out of it, I find my dad already eating breakfast and Mom of course already at work. Here I am though, barely making sense of that weird old lady in my dream. Yawning and fixing myself a plate, I sit down and eat as quietly as a mouse. I have a lot to think about and my mind can't stop sticking to that dream. Is that who put the Spider in that alleyway? Did she know what I could do? I finish eating and I get up to clear my plate.
Dad notices and smiles.
"Hey, Jack?" he looks up from his food and I meet his gaze. Of course I do. It's something important and everything. He clears his throat.
"No fighting, got it?"
"Yeah, I gotcha. I'll be uh… fine."
Dad raises an eyebrow, "You sure?"
"Yeah! Yeah, I will! This is just… you know, things being weird. Big changes."
Dad gets up and hugs me, "Just be careful okay?" he ruffles my hair, "Be better."
"I will."
I smile and head out the door, my earphones playing Alive as I jive and dance along to the music, moving towards the bus stop, and just thinking about how light my body feels. How everything feels so nice. I still feel like something's off. Like I shouldn't be waiting for the bus. Midtown High is kinda far, but… there's an itch. I look up at the nearest skyscraper, and High is due east so if I just follow the bus route…
I flip up my hood on my hoodie and bound towards it. My braces clacking from me running, almost perfectly taking them off in one go with my quick movements. I sling my bag off and toss them in there, putting my shoes in there too. I tie my hoodie strings as I hear the bus's airbrake and clamber up the building as fast as I can.
All I want is to web sling, and if I beat the bus? That means it'd be really cool bragging rights! I face the nearest building and aim my hand, index and pinky flicking out and… out goes a line! It goes taut as it sticks, and I gulp hard, edging to the end of the roof.
I look over the edge and see the moving cars and all that, but all I want to do is run back down and get back on the bus. What if someone sees me doing this? What if I can't do it? I gulp back more fear, my fist aimed with fingers pointing. Am I fucking insane?! I just got this new body and amazing powers and I'm already gonna dive into the unknown?! Fuck…fuck this… this is… I steel my nerves,
"Woooff… Okay… Okay, you got this…" I coach myself, "Just… just a leap of faith! No one's gonna shoot at you…" There's a moment where doubt crosses my mind, just the little sickening seed of it.
Last night, the fear of what I am made me run. But now?
I soar. The wind rushing through my ears, the city zooming by and strings of webbing coming out of the slats between my middle knuckles. Pushing off buildings and launching into the wild unknown.
What I was fades away, the feeling of sheer freedom takes over. Possibility opens her arms again, I track the route of the bus and I'm a few streets ahead, keeping that lead. I'm keeping that fucking lead! Keeping going, ignoring the dull ache in my arms, the pain thrumming from any concern forgotten fast. I'm above it. I'm far above it.
When the school's in sight, I land on the roof with my legs coming out and flipping me back over the side of the roof and near the entrance. Adrenaline pumping as I remove my earbuds and pocket them.
That's when it fades and the pain sets in. My landing was messed up by the fact that I can't run from my condition. My legs seize and retract, shrinking down behind the holes in my shirt. Everything hurts. Then there's a hand helping me up. Eddie stands there with a shocked expression.
"You okay?" he asks.
No, I'm not okay. I had a weird dream and now I webslinged to school and now everything hurts like I got stabbed with a billion tiny knives. But I smile.
"Yeah, yeah. I am. Psh, this is nothing." scoffing, getting to my wobbly, barely functioning feet. He loops his arm around my shoulders. Leaning my weight against him, he half-drags, half-carries me to the lockers.
All I can do is lean on him, all I can do is fumble with the combination lock. All I can do is just stuff what I don't need in that locker, pull out what I need, and go through the motions. I ask myself one question, one single question.
"That's it?"
The million dollar question with no right or wrong answer. Just a disappointed sigh, another moment where everything becomes… clouded. Eddie jolts me out of my weird as hell moping.
"Dude, you have to see this." he pulls out his phone and it's that weird guy online that spouts conspiracies, he's pudgy and looks like he probably would say some weird shit. He's got an egg shaped head.
"Today from New York, fellow Eggheads, terror in the night! A weird man spider took down the notorious thief known as Big Wheel! Is he part of the new world order's insidious plot to overthrow all that is good and just?!"
I grit my teeth, "Oh fuck off, Egghead!" I snarl, "Just… just…" my legs almost snap out of my shirt again but Eddie turns it off.
"It's all over the news, buddy. I've seen everything." He scrolls through articles all yelling that I was some sorta SHIELD plant or a hoax. Some even said I was another Supidaman. I like the sentiment but when we get to 1st period…
All I can think about is how wrong it all is. Going through my day when gym comes after Math, which comes after history. Now the most dreaded section. The one that made me want to die every single day. The one class with the most jackass of jackasses that would constantly try to get under my skin. Harry Osborn is the only guy in Eddie and I's grade I wanted to punch and ended up doing it. That's saying a lot considering how I can barely gather strength enough to do push ups.
He swaggers into the gym. His blue eyes narrow as he sees me "Well! If it isn't Jack Parker…" he greets. He still has some bruising, his hair buzzed down to fuzz after what I did to it.
I grit my teeth and Eddie looks over at me. "Calm down man…" he cautions.
I look down at the line of dodgeballs as I answer, "The one and only."
Harry laughs as he runs his hand across his brown hair. "Right, and you're going to beat me this time?" he asks.
"I'll try to." I growl, taking a rubber ball from the floor with murder in my eyes.
He was just a sheltered rich kid. Something about him just made me so angry. He had money. Automatic status. Everything he could ever want. While I just barely inch by with what I have. Mom works long hours, Dad even more so.
What right does he have?! I hate bullies. I hate them with every bit of me. Mostly because this snooty ass is throwing his weight around. I bounce the ball and Eddie tries to toss it at Harry and hit him before I could wallop him with mine.
'Showy bastard…' I think. Eddie's ball whistled by me and got dodged by Harry. He counters with his own ball aimed right for his chest and it hits… My own. The two balls slam together with a satisfying thwack!
They fall to the gymnasium floor with them bouncing uselessly. We snatch up new ones and duck and dodge through the hail of them from the newly gathered team he's got from the locker room. Eddie gets out most of Harry's teammates before getting hammered in the face by one.
He goes down and it's just me and Harry. We glare at each other. Our dodgeballs in our hands. Almost like a Western we stare each other down. I could almost hear the Ecstasy of Gold playing in my ears. I hover my hand into a throwing stance and the weird ringing goes off, time slows and I see the other balls coming at me.
Moving through the hailstorm. Harry's ball comes careening at me and I see it coming. Vaulting over the ball and slamming mine into Harry's shoulder on the comedown. He gets knocked back and I run over to help him up.
"Next time, try to be a little faster." I say, breathing a little heavier. I hold out my hand and Harry smacks it away.
"Tch. You got lucky." he scoffs as he gets to his feet. That's when I get hit with a heavy feeling. Tired and slogging back to the bleachers, I sit down and Eddie joins me and rubs his nose a little.
I buzz with so much energy, my hands shaking and adrenaline still running high in my body. I still can't believe I did that! I shot webs! I climbed a wall! I jumped between buildings like nothing! And… and I…
I won dodgeball. Me! Jack Parker! This is amazing! I'm amazing! Woo-hoo! I run towards the nearest table, dodging through the crowds and plunking my lunch down excitedly in front of Eddie, who has a fry sticking out of his mouth mid-chew, his dark blue eyes widen at my excitement.
"Whoa, what's up with you?" he asks.
"I won! We won! I mean, I was so fast I was like wizzhu! And Harry was like, 'Oh no, don't!' and I was like, 'Not today, fucko!' and WHAM!" I drive my fist into my hand, it stings a little harder than it used to do, "Out like a light!"
Eddie nods, "Glad you're happy, buddy." he smiles and reaches across, ruffling my hair and I bat him away gently, "So, any more cool stuff you can do?"
I shrug, "I dunno. Never tried anything beyond what I did before." I look down at my hands, the jittery warmth still surging through them. All of this power is like a gift from whoever's watching out for me!
After this big victory, I guess I don't feel that bad anymore. I don't notice the fact that Jaysen is looming over me, and a rough hand grabs my shirt collar from behind.
The next thing I do is the worst thing imaginable. Jaysen lays on the floor of the cafeteria, groaning as my legs flick around, bounding me away from him and above everyone. I run so fast and so far away that the teachers can't even stop me, no one can and no one will.
Just get me away.
Get me out.
Hide me.
Climbing, running, swinging. Breath coming out fast as Eddie's voice shreds away in the chase. Heart pounding through my ears, Sense going into a tizzy, everything blurring into colors and shapes, rough pavement and cement.
Brick.
Grass.
leaves.
wood.
Dark.
I finally stop running and skid into the shade of an old bridge in Central Park. Breathing so hard and fast that I can't even begin to describe the fact that it might've knocked the wind out of me. My legs pat me, my Sense calms, but the heartbeat still pounds.
I'm still here, I'm still here. I'm okay. There's nothing to worry about. Peeking out of the shadows I notice something odd. A girl. Not just any girl. The silver blonde hair, the piercing ice blue eyes, the tough leather jacket with silver studs and peeking over her glasses.
I glare at her, "What?"
She blinks but then chuckles, "Well, you're friendly."
I roll my eyes and she joins me across, sitting in front of me. She smiles and holds out her hand, black, long nails tip her slender fingers and I take it.
"Felicia Hardy." she says.
"Jack Parker." I answer. My legs softly tap my back, giving me a little more grounding. Felicia lets go but the thing is… I know her. I know Felicia. The smartest girl in our grade, the smartest girl in the history of ever, is sitting across from me in a damn drainage ditch under a bridge nobody really walks over anymore.
What is my life right now?
Felicia lets go of my hand and I curl back up, "Are you here to stare at me too?"
"What? No." she scooches a little closer, "I have a question."
"Shoot." I look into her eyes and she seems honest enough about it. She's not a monster in disguise, at least I don't think so.
"What do you want? You have these powers, so what now?" she asks, I scooch back further into the shadows.
"Prob'ly be a freak for the rest of my life." I grumble and she puts her hand on my knee.
"Or you could be more." she nudges me, "You've done so much more lately."
Of course the question now is, "Are you stalking me?"
Felicia bursts out laughing, almost doubling over and I can't help but laugh back. She stops laughing eventually and I do too. Quiet settles back in and we both stare at each other with questions aplenty.
But I smile. Calm. Calmer than I've ever been before. Felicia walks over to the wall and pushes in a slat. There's a soft whirring clicking sound as it shuttles open. A door down into the ground. A staircase with lights softly clicking on.
"Okay, so MAYBE I might've stalked you just a little bit." she admits with a smile, "Of course, I had to get everything ready."
"Wait, you know about the Spider bite?"
"It's all over the news, of course."
Her smile is radiant and all I can do is look at her like she's insane. Because having a stalker is completely normal. Totally. Yeah. What's down here is a bevy of stuff. Art, treasures, jewelry and all kinds of different expensive things.
But in the middle is something neatly folded, something she probably got from somewhere. It's a normal enough black bodysuit, but when I touch it… it explodes into a spider. A bright spider, I take the suit into my arms and the outfit forms into something extraordinary.
"Is this thing alive?" I ask.
"No, it's a little something called Unstable Molecules. I'll letcha take it, think about what you wanna do." she pats me on the shoulder.
"Keep in touch, Recluse."
She leaves and I take the suit with me, ambling to catch up to her.
When we get back to school, they pull me right out of the last period study hall. Same circumstance as last time. They had me talk to him, I only concussed him. He was fine. But this time Mom was here instead of Dad. Mom sits with her arms crossed, glaring at Jaysen and his parents like her eyes were a dragon burning their crops. She sees me and I look at her, all I can do is sit there and take it. The Principal sits in the middle, behind his big desk.
Mom doesn't start, they do.
"Mrs. Parker, your son is a freak!" Mrs. Lawrence crows, Mom takes it, smiles and says something that makes my spine chill.
"He had it coming, Patty. Do you know how many times I had to clean the blood and snot off my son's face? How many times did I press ice to the bruises your son and Osborn's little shit made on him?" Mom looms over them, almost like she's about to knock her out too.
Mrs. Lawrence and Mom glare at each other, Mr. Lawrence pipes up, "You can't speak to her that way, May!" he barks.
"Oh yeah? And what do YOU do, Doug? Beat your kid up? Yell at him? Take away his things?" she smiles and reaches over to me, patting my knee.
"My boy did nothing wrong. All he did was exist. All he does is exist. Your son just didn't get the memo that he's stronger than him now." His parents are struck dumb but the Principal, a reedy older man who kind of looks like a worm given human form pipes up.
"Mrs. Parker, you DO realize your son may face expulsion if this continues." he says, and Mom nods.
"Yes, I know. But the thing is… maybe this wouldn't have happened if you'd listened to my son rather than take this meathead's word." she stands up, shoulders her purse, and grabs my hand.
"If that's all, we're going." she pulls me along with her as I hear the last words of Jaysen's family. A kind of anger, a sort of snarling and biting tone.
"If he's got what's coming to him, then you'll get it too!"
I close my eyes and Mom squeezes my hand, "I know it's hard, baby. But you'll figure it out." When we get into the car, she blasts Korn and we head home.
"Why aren't you working late, Mom?" I ask.
"Well, I kinda got another shift change, plus… I'm worried about you." she pats my tiny Spider Legs, "Especially since you have these now." Heat burns my cheeks and I look down at my knees with a peek into my bag at my new suit, the spider, plain white, staring at me.
I know what to do now. We get home and I head upstairs without much of a word, dropping my phone off downstairs but focusing more on my new suit, shutting my door behind me. Taking it out, it's a black and white suit, a blank slate that seems a little odd but when I put it on…
It fits to my body, forming colors, following the crimson of my Spider Legs and the black tips, Red and Black. The colors of my suit meld into the Spider, the legs following my actual Spider Legs, adding black. I slide on the mask, the bottom part can flip up for my fangs, but when it's down it's light and breathable fabric. Who really made this? Lenses tint red, the suit adjusting for my powers. I can't help the smile coming to my lips as I leap out into the night. Time to give it a test run!