Spider-Man: Year One- A Spider-Man Fanfiction
Summary: Lonely sophomore Peter Parker was the most gifted student at Midtown High, until one day when a bite from a genetically modified spider turned him into something else. Now, he's just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Follow his journey. Rated Teen.
Disclaimer: I do not own Spider-Man
Chapter Two
Peter tapped his pencil against his desk in a rhythmic fashion, starting irritably at the clock on the wall as the last minutes of his study hall ticked away. He had already studied for his Chem test tomorrow and checked his favorite blogs repeatedly. Now, as was the usual, he was simply bored. He didn't understand why only the upperclassmen were allowed to leave if they had study hall last period while the sophomores and freshmen had to stick around. He could get more work done at home and on his personal laptop, or out on the streets as Spider-Man, than he could wasting time in the fluorescent classroom of Dr. Miles Warren. Dr. Warren had been fond of Peter since his work in Honors Bio last year, but even he wouldn't budge when it came to letting Peter skip out early. Not that Peter didn't put up a valiant effort.
So, here he sat, with the last five minutes of the school day stretching into what had to be their third hour already and only the sounds of Flash wooing at some Youtube video on his phone to pass the time.
"Did you see this yet? Man, he totally kicked the crap out of that guy!" Flash exclaimed, holding his phone between himself and Rand Robertson while his other hand gestured wildly at the action. The other boy, tall and composed as always, just nodded along in a disinterested fashion while periodically checking out the rapidly sent texts from his girlfriend.
"Mr. Thompson, language," Dr. Warren barked out from behind the newspaper he was reading.
"Sorry Doc!" Flash called back, before turning his full attention back to the video he was watching.
Harry leaned over and whispered to Peter. "Look at him waving his hands around like an idiot. What could he possibly be watching?"
"Probably training for his future career as a high school football announcer," Peter responded, causing the two boys to chuckle.
Flash looked up from his phone and scowled. "You say something Parker?"
"No Flash," Peter replied with a drawl. He really didn't need a verbal spat with the QB right before the day was over.
"Whatever. It isn't like you dorks would understand the awesome that is Spider-Man."
That piqued Peter's interest. "What are you talking about?"
"Spider-Man, the newest internet sensation. He's got like a ton of hits on Youtube already. The Daily Bugle's webpage is even willing to pay people for any photos they can get. Damn, Parker, you need to get your nose out of your science book once in a while."
"The Bugle's looking for pictures of Spider-Man? I might need to get in on that."
"I know you like photography Pete, but almost nobody's gotten a good look at him. I've seen some of the videos Flash is watching, they're blurry at best," Harry chimed in.
"Maybe you're right, but I should check it out anyway. I need the cash."
"For what Parker? It's not like you have a social life. Unless you count your school books as dates," sniped Flash.
"You're right Flash. Saving the class average from your grades does take up most of my time."
"What did you say to me Parker? You wanna take this outside?"
Rand put a restraining hand on his friend. "Just let it go QB. Good burn Parker."
The bell rang and Rand pulled Flash from his seat who shot Peter a scathing look as they passed. Peter collected his bag as well, deciding his first stop on the way home would be the Daily Bugle. He could find out how much they are offering for pictures of Spider-Man. At least it was job that wouldn't compete with his time as Spider-Man.
"Oh! Mr. Parker, could you stay behind a moment?" Dr. Warren asked as Peter passed by. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Peter leaned against one of the nearby desks and motioned for Harry to go on with out him.
"You as well Ms. Allan," Dr. Warren said to a group of passing cheerleaders. Liz fell out of step with her friends, clutching her books to her chest, and shot Peter a quizzical glance who shrugged in return.
"I think I have come up with a solution to your problem Ms. Allan. Instead of just offering you make-up work, I think you would benefit from a tutor to get your grades up. Mr. Parker was the best biology student I had last year. He really knows his stuff."
"Tutored by Petey?" Liz huffed. "Couldn't Flash or Sally tutor me instead?"
"I thought you wanted your grade to go up," Dr. Warren responded, rolling his eyes. "I have no problem giving you make-up exams and extra credit, but you won't gain anything from them if you don't understand the material. Peter has a better mind for this subject than almost anyone I've ever met. He can help you."
Liz huffed again. "Fine, but this better not cut into cheerleading practice."
"That's up to you and Peter."
Liz huffed again and grabbed Peter by the arm, practically dragging him out of the room. "Listen Petey. My grade needs to rise, so I'll do this. But we aren't friends and we're not hanging out any longer than necessary."
"I haven't even..." Peter began, but Liz verbally steamrolled over him.
"I mean it Petey. We aren't friends and we won't be after this. I don't need you running up to say hi to me in the halls. Or expecting an invitation to my birthday party. Or calling me to hang out. And if you even think I'd agree to go out with you..."
"Enough!" Peter interrupted, surprising Liz into a stunned silence. "You know, I haven't even agreed to tutor you yet. Doc Warren thinks I can help you, but I can tell him I'm too busy and we can both go on with our lives."
A myriad of different emotions played out across Liz's face, but the most prominent one was fear.
"No!" Liz practically yelled. In that moment, she really looked desperate. "I mean, I need the help. I'm awful with all this science stuff. Please, Petey?"
Peter sighed. This was the girl that he and Harry had been obsessing over since the sixth grade? She seemed nothing like the, admittedly, far fetched ideal he had of her in his head. But, despite his shattered expectations, he felt he should help her chalking it up to his time as Spider-Man. "Fine," he sighed. "What times can you meet?"
"How about four tomorrow at the Coffee Pot?"
"Tomorrow at four it is then."
"Great," she responded. "Listen, I have practice. See ya tomorrow Petey."
Peter watched for a minute as she almost skipped down the hall and out of his line of sight. There was something more to this than her just wanting to raise her grade, but he'd figure that out later. To be honest, it wasn't really his concern anyway. He had bigger things on his mind than Liz Allan's mood swings.
Walking to his locker, he was hardly surprised to see Eddie Brock leaning casually against it, wearing his usual carefree grin and holding his lettermen jacket in his hands. He had a backwards cap perched haphazardly on his messy blonde hair and a pair of sunglasses covering his blue eyes. Peter figured that if he wasn't the star of the football team the school would have a much harder time letting go of this type of blatant dress code violation. The rest of his attire, white tee and jeans, was equally as messy. Often Peter wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Eddie and the rest of the brainless jocks in school if Peter wasn't already aware of Eddie's scientific aptitude and desire to study bioengineering when he went to college. Last time they spoke, a couple of days ago, Eddie mentioned that he had gotten a full academic ride to study under Dr. Curtis Connors at Empire State University next year. He had also received a full football ride as well, but was less excited about that prospect despite it being the greatest news Midtown had ever received if the constant morning announcements were any indication.
"Hey Pete," he called, waving a hand lazily in Peter's direction. He smiled brightly as Peter made his way over and opened his locker.
"Hey Eddie. No Felicia today?" smirked Peter, taking a small jab at Eddie's ever present girlfriend Felicia Hardy. Rich, gorgeous, and the most popular girl in the school, it was hardly surprising when she decided to get with the star quarterback. What was surprising, however, was that she tolerated Peter's presence to the point of rescheduling "couple time" so that Eddie and Peter could hang out. It really was a testament to how close Peter and Eddie were. They grew up together, sure, living next door to one another, but it was more than that. Eddie viewed Peter as a member of his family, the little brother he had wanted since he was a kid. In return, Peter and Harry both idolized Eddie and would do anything he asked of them.
"Nah, she knows how important bro time is to me. So, what do you say? I don't have football and it's the first Wednesday of the month. You know what that means."
"Yeah, Midtown Comics got its new shipment of manga in," Peter replied with a smile. "I think if Felicia knew this is what you were ditching her for, she'd have a slightly bigger problem with it."
"Please. She's seen my manga collection. I even managed to get her to watch My Neighbor Totoro last week."
"And she liked it?"
"Well, no, but she likes me and that means putting up with the things I like," Eddie chuckled. "But girlfriends don't matter during bro time. You'll realize that when you get one for yourself."
"I think that would first involve any of the girls in this school noticing me."
"Or you noticing anyone who wasn't Liz Allan."
Peter laughed. "Speaking of which, Warren assigned me to be her bio tutor."
"That's good. You can get closer, teach her some bio. She can teach you some bio," Eddie finished with a suggestive wink.
"She and Flash can laugh at my inexperience afterward," Peter reminded him with a scowl. "Besides, after our mostly one-sided conversation today, I can honesty say I don't know what I saw in her."
"Peter, you're a bright guy but still a human. Everyone has fallen for a pretty face at one point or another. Don't sweat it."
Peter nodded as the two left the school building, heading toward the correct line that would take them toward Midtown Comics. "Oh, I almost forgot," he began. "I need to stop at the Daily Bugle."
"What's at the Bugle?"
"Hopefully a job. They're looking for pictures of Spider-Man."
"You think you can get pictures of Spider-Man. Gotta say, I'm loving the confidence Pete, but it sounds pretty dangerous."
Peter waved off his concern. "Not if I'm far enough away from the fight."
Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Look, I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Between you and Harry, I don't know how I haven't been crushed under all the support," Peter grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Hey, if this is what you want to do then I'll back your play. You know that. Just be careful, alright? Otherwise, I'll need to find someone else to come with me when I buy the latest volume of Attack on Titan."
"Maybe this time Felicia will share your interest. Though, if she has any taste, she'll steer clear of that wreckage."
"C'mon," Eddie scoffed. "You can't tell me you don't like Attack on Titan. It's got everything."
"I liked it fine in 1995 when it was Neon Genesis Evangelion," Peter rolled his eyes.
"It's hardly the same thing Pete."
"Dystopian future, abject terror and depression, shadowy governmental conspiracies. Why are you splitting hairs?"
…
After leaving the comic shop, and having Eddie wave his new volume of Titan in his face while sticking out his tongue, Peter finally made it to the Daily Bugle building.
A combination of both print and internet news, as was becoming strikingly common, the Daily Bugle was never considered the top newspaper in New York. Not that the opulent design of the building spoke to anything other than grandeur and success. But, when J. Jonah Jameson ran things it had to look good. Or so the gossip rags that Aunt May read, and Peter only really perused when there was nothing better to do, had said about the man. Either way, the ornate marble of the entrance did little to calm the nervous Peter down as he made his way to the door marked "Jameson".
Peter had never held a job before and he really didn't know what to expect, amplifying a sense of nervousness he hadn't really felt since becoming Spider-Man. And since Aunt May didn't know about this little endeavor, he hadn't been able to get advice on how to act before hand. Reminding himself that he was supposed to be a super hero, Peter cautiously knocked on the door and was met with a gruff "come in" in an older baritone.
Jameson himself was an older and angry looking man with thinning gray hair and a bushy mustache of the same color. He looked up from a layout design he was considering, staring at Peter through a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and beady blue eyes. "What do you want? I know it isn't take your kid to work day, I would have never signed off on that tripe."
Peter swallowed nervously. "Um... my name is Peter Parker and I came about the Spider-Man pictures."
Jameson again peered over at Peter, seemingly analyzing the young man. "Well, let's see them then."
"Pardon me?"
"The pictures, boy, let's see them."
"I don't have any pictures, sir, I thought this was an interview of sorts."
Jameson let out an angry breath. "Do you know how many kids I see a day about this job. It's every kid's dream to take pictures of that masked freak since he became an internet celebrity. Christ, I'm surprised he doesn't have one of those Instagram pages where he snaps selfies already. Listen kid, I only want serious photographers coming in here about this assignment. So, unless you manage to get me pictures of this lunatic, then I never want to see your face again! Got it?"
"Um... yes, sir," Peter managed to stutter out.
"Why are you still standing here. Get out of my face!"
As Peter left the office, he was stopped by a friendly, but deep voice. "Jameson gave you the business, huh?"
Approaching from Peter's left was a smiling middle aged man with dark skin and an eerily similar look about him. "Hi, I'm Joe Robertson, but everyone calls me Robbie. I'm the editor-in-chief here."
"Robertson, as in Rand Robertson?"
"My son. You go to Midtown?"
"Yes. Peter Parker."
"Parker? My son mentioned you. He says you're a science prodigy."
"I try, sir."
"No need to call me sir, Peter. And don't mind J.J. He may be a cantankerous windbag, but he has more journalistic integrity than any man I have ever met. It's only for profit that the Bugle has to stay away from actual news and focus on click bait. And, unfortunately, Spider-Man has become great click bait in the last month."
Peter chuckled and nodded. "You don't think Spider-Man is actual news?"
"Peter, I've seen aliens, billionaires in tech suits I couldn't possibly understand, and costumed heroes from the forties eating at Nathan's. Just one more hero in New York isn't much to write home about. Not when Latveria is blustering. The existence of Spider-Man isn't the news, it's what he does that will be newsworthy, you see?"
"I do."
"Listen," Robbie began. "I really don't wanna see a kid like you get hurt chasing down Spider-Man for some photos, but if you do manage to get them I'll make sure Jameson sees you then. Okay?"
"Thanks Mr. Robertson."
"Peter, call me Robbie. I won't respond to anything else. Oh, and tell your aunt I'm sorry for your loss. I met your uncle at a PTA meeting once, he was a good man from the brief conversation we had with each other."
The first thing Peter heard when he left the Daily Bugle was an oncoming siren. His spider-sense kicking in, he stepped back away from the curb just in time for an armored car to come tearing down the street followed closely by five cars of New York's finest.
Rolling his eyes, Peter let out a snort. "I guess now is as good a time as any to get those pictures."
…
Of the things Alistair Smythe admired about his boss, his sparse and Spartan style office was not one of them. Smythe, himself, would have gone with something opulent and worthy of his status, but he understood the need for discretion. When one was involved in the business of his employer, one learned to be careful.
Decked out in a custom Versace suit, Smythe cut quite the dashing figure even in his current wheelchair. And if anyone were to guess, they would simply see the genius head of his robotics division, who was unfortunately crippled early in life. A true story of rising past one's difficulties. A story his employer told him to keep up with as it would greatly benefit their side operations if he was as legitimate, and sympathetic, as possible.
"Sir," he began, pulling up a video on his tablet to show his boss. "Traffic cameras in the area caught Target 2 stopping the armored car robbery you set up today."
"As I thought," his employer replied from behind his shadowed desk. "Anything else?"
Smythe hesitated for a moment. "I don't understand why we didn't set something up to take him out of the picture."
"Smythe, did your father ever teach you how to play chess?"
"No, sir, he did not. My interests were always in robotics and engineering."
"In chess, as in life, one should never play the short game. Taking him out now removes pieces from play that I'm not ready to see removed from the board just yet. His piece included. It's only been a month, Smythe, and he poses far too little a threat to my empire for my entire focus to be on removing him from the game. Right now, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen should be our only vigilante worry."
"But if he becomes a threat?"
"Then I believe Mr. Schultz is out on parole and looking for work. You understand?"
"Yes, sir, I believe I do."
End of Chapter Two
Author Note: Here is chapter two. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please drop a review, they are appreciated.
Harry Osborn
Age: 15-16
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Green
I.Q.: 140
Peter's best friend and a fellow nerd at Midtown. Harry isn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination, just crippled by self-doubt and the thought that he will never live up to his father's expectations. This is further complicated by Peter being brilliant. Nevertheless, Harry is usually upbeat and loves spending time with Peter and Eddie when he can make it.
Harry dresses like a typical wealthy kid, but doesn't carry himself well enough to be noticed by the rest of the school. Both Peter and Eddie think Harry would be a lot more popular if he could get over his insecurities and act around others the way he does around them.