Chapter 2: The Rise of a New Spider
So, as we left off, I just escaped getting caught by my criminal father in seeing I disobeyed him from leaving the penthouse by myself and going to the animal event. I got an opportunity card for some internship involving the New York Zoo for the Summer yet still unsure of the offer. Oh, and I witnessed Spider-Man and the Web-Warriors dealing with Grizzly at the event.
I thought that would be the last time I'd do anything exciting or disobey my father behind his back. However…fate had better plans for me.
Rose tossed and turned in her sleep. She was starting to sweat while groaning in discomfort. It was hard to tell if this was because of the odd dream she was having that involved spiders and other animals…or something else.
What Rose saw in her dream…
She sees six spiders with some animals from the zoo. She also sees herself as a spider, but it was the same one that bit her. She was playing with them, wanting to be friends. They were having a lot of fun... Especially with the red and black colored spider.
That is until a nasty storm hits, and a lion showed up. Rose saw the lion was huge and it resembled...Her father Kraven.
The other spiders tried using their webs to climb up him and bite him. But they couldn't stop him, and Kraven the lion crushed them all. The red and black Spider survived and quickly ran away with Rose, as the lion followed them into a zoo. They thought they lost the Kraven lion, but he was in on the trees, and pounced on the black and red Spider to submission before grabbing Rose while mumbling out one word.
"Deceiver..."
And, after saying that, Kraven the lion dropped her into some radiational water, which mutated her into a mutant Spider lion hybrid screaming in pain.
The alarm went off from her clock which made Rose wake up instantly while breathing hard. She sighed, carefully turning off her alarm.
"What a rough night," She muttered, using her hand to get rid of the sweat from her face before going to the bathroom.
"Everything all right, Rose?" Kraven called out from the kitchen.
"Yes, father. I am fine," Rose called out.
Around taking a quick wash on her face, Rose could have sworn she saw holes in her pajamas that weren't there before. And not the small type of holes. They were like something big punctured them around her shoulders and lower back calves.
"Okay…That's weird," Rose stated, already changing from her night clothes to her exercise ones. "I must still be too tired in seeing things."
Before leaving, she felt a sore bump around the back of her neck. To Rose, she thought it was a zit or something and shrugged it off.
She then went to her vanity mirror to sit down and brush her to get rid of the knots in her hair. However, while still brushing, the handle of the brush Rose was using suddenly broke in the grasp of her hand. Even stranger…Rose tried letting go of the broken brush handle, but it seemed to be stuck in her hand. As if there was glue on the handle.
"Seriously?!" Rose muttered, waving her sticky hand around to make the handle get off. "Ugh, you've got to be kidding!"
Yeah…I was very slow in figuring out what the heck was happening to me. Only because I wasn't much of a morning person and I honestly thought this had nothing to do with having spider powers. Well…until later on…when I started to sneeze after exercise training….*
"LMDs, level 7, activate," Kraven said, using the command words. "Today's lesson is a combat lesson, keep on your guard and predict your opponent's movement and actions."
Rose nodded, getting in position.
The LMD robots ran towards Rose, and she managed to hold her own against some of them. She got a few hits, but when one was right behind her, something buzzed in her head. And she can see the LMD robot coming after her with a swift kick without seeing it. She backflips over the LMD robot and used her kick to break its head off. She was surprised. Usually, she couldn't anticipate that. Must have been a weird coincidence. When more of the LMD robots charged after her, that buzzing thing in her head triggered again and she evaded all the robots' attacks very fast.
Kraven looked in shock. "You're actually doing it." He said.
'How am I becoming this well at the challenge?' Rose thought to herself. 'I'm usually never near that level of my father!'
Rose was doing good. But then, when she grabbed one of the LMDs, she couldn't let go of it. She tried very hard but nothing, until the buzzing from her head came off and she was hit in the back by Kraven, who wasn't aware that his daughter couldn't let go of the robot and she tried. She fell on the dirt of the floor and her hands finally let go of the robot.
"You cannot play with this." Kraven said, picking up the robot head. "It is not a toy."
Rose didn't say a word. She just slowly picked herself up while pondering her training.
"Today was a bit of a silver lining for you, my cub." Kraven remarked. "You anticipated the robots and counteracted fast. I am impressed. But you had to anticipate me and not keep your hands in the robot."
"Right...My apologies, father," Rose said.
"Today's training session is over. Go wash up and eat your breakfast." Kraven replied.
Rose got herself cleaned up once again. Around taking a shower, she felt her body overheat to a point where the Brunette set the temperature to super cold…which lasted for a few seconds, and quickly regulated the water temperature back to warm again.
"Ugh! What is going on!?" Rose muttered to herself, as she finished her shower and grabbed a towel to dry herself. Along with wrapping around her body to cover before stepping out of the shower.
The Brunette then felt her stomach acting off where she was either hungry or on the verge of puking. After placing a hand on her stomach and taking some deep breaths, the weird sensation in Rose's stomach stopped.
'Okay…That was weird,' Rose thought, as she grabbed some baby powder to put in her armpits.
Suddenly, after doing that, she sniffed some of the particles and a sneeze was about to happen.
"Ah, Ah…ACHOO!" Rose sneezed into her hands. "Ugh. Hope I'm not sick. I've never gotten sick before."
However, Rose discovered something shocking in her palms. Instead of the regular snotty boogers…they were spider webs.
"Wha-wha-what…?" Rose muttered in horror, grabbing a tissue to blow her nose to see more webs. "This…This can't be happening…"
If things weren't worse, Rose started sneezing again where there were webs all over the bathroom. The brunette calmed down the sneezing before a sudden knock at her door scared Rose.
"Rose? Are you okay in there?" Kraven asked from the other side.
"Um, yeah, I'm good. Just…going through my monthly pain women go through," Rose replied, trying to sound calm in her tone. "And I seem to be out of pads in here."
This was the only lie I can come up with that would not get my father to look in my private bathroom. Plus, it gives me time to figure out what's happened to me. Not only that, once I mention a certain girl thing, this gets my father not to be involved. Unless he has to pick up more pads.
"…Oh. Already? Well, if that's what you're going through because of puberty, then I can go down and get you some pads for you." Kraven suggested.
"Yes, please," Rose said, still keeping cool. "It's an emergency."
"Very well. Wait there till I return." Kraven replied, as he leaps downstairs and went out the front door.
Rose sighed in relief, grabbing another tissue to blow her nose in again.
"Okay...it's clear that I need to stay calm," Rose stated, getting rid of all spider evidence in the bathroom. "Otherwise, I'll end up being caught and hanged in a wall. I got to clear my head…How and why is this happening?"
A few minutes later...
Kraven had returned, carrying different packs of pads for Rose. "I've returned, and I have gotten what you need, my child," he replied, knocking at the bathroom door again.
In response, Rose carefully opened the door for a small peek while still having the towel on. She noticed Kraven wasn't looking with his head away yet brought the pads.
"Thank you, father. I appreciate you getting my pads," Rose said politely, grabbing the pads Kraven brought before closing the door gently. "I will meet you in the kitchen to have breakfast at five."
That was too close for comfort. After living a decade with Kraven, you'd notice that he's more than a passionate hunter. He has his gentlemanly moments in not being nosy about a young woman's personal problems with her own body. I was relieved and surprised myself that worked.
Soon, Rose and Kraven were having breakfast together. The brunette teen chewed on her healthy good while making sure she doesn't unleash any spider powers in front of Spider-Man's enemy.
It didn't take long for Kraven to say something, after finishing his breakfast.
"How are you feeling, Rose?" Kraven asked, looking stern yet a little concerned.
"Hmm? Oh, fine, father," Rose answered neutrally, getting her glass of water before drinking a sip. "Stomach hurts slightly, but I'll manage."
That wasn't entirely a lie. My stomach was acting up still, and it wasn't from puberty. After cleaning up the bathroom for a few minutes before Sergei came back, I was already piecing out why I'm getting these strange new powers. The spider exhibit I was at when Grizzly cornered me the other day. When he cracked open one of the glassed cages, it must have released one of the spiders and bit me during the chaos.
I also recall in Kraven's files the symptoms and powers of someone bitten by a Radioactive Spider. Most specifically…Peter Parker's file as Spider-Man. Like I said before; I did research in secret from Sergei's own work.
"Good…Rose, there's something I want to acknowledge," Kraven said, looking calm. "It's about yesterday of how you wanted to go on your own at the animal event."
This made Rose's heart beat a little faster yet still kept calm. "Oh…? What about it?"
"First, I want to apologize," Kraven said, placing a hand on Rose's at the table. "I know I can be very harsh with you at times, my little Calypso, but that is only because you are important to me. I never want to lose such a precious treasure like you."
Rose didn't know what to say. She just stared in silence at her father's apology.
"Second, I want to make it up to you after being such a good girl. I made some arrangements for us this weekend that I know you will enjoy," Kraven stated.
"Oh, really? What is it?" Rose questioned.
"You'll see, my little cub. It's a surprise where it will be worth the wait," Kraven assured, already leaving the table. "I'll see you at the end of the day, Rose. I'm very proud of you."
"Of course. Love you, Father," Rose said, a gentle smile showing in her face.
After Kraven left, Rose decided this would be a good opportunity to test her new abilities. It's clear she has spider-powers like Spider-Man and the rest of the Web Warriors, but she needs to control them and try to make sure Kraven doesn't find out about them. She went back to the simulation room with her exercise clothes back on and went to the central control.
"Computer, activate the Life Model Decoys; Level 1," Rose commanded.
One LMD robot came online. It was basic and average. Then, another came, and another. They're practically test dummies. Like a sandbag only metal. They won't move or anything, and Rose wanted to keep it that way for now.
First, she tested out her sticky fingers. She couldn't let go of one of the robots this morning when her head started buzzing. No doubt she already guessed it was her spider-sense, which allows her to sense if someone's after her, about to attack her, or even not whom to trust. Rose jumped to the wall, and she did not slide down. She just stayed on the wall.
"Okay. Looks like I'm starting to understand how to stick to walls without falling," Rose noted, before looking up. "Let's try crawling next."
Rose then tried crawling up the wall, moving one arm and leg at a time, kind of like what Spider-Man does. She still wasn't falling. She then tried crawling up the ceiling. Shaking her hesitation, she moved her left arm and placed it on the ceiling, then she moved her right leg and then vice versa with the right arm and left leg. She managed to make it to the ceiling, she looks down and she didn't fall.
"Whoa…This is surprisingly neat," Rose stated with a small laugh. "And I don't even fill nauseous from going upside down."
She then put her feet together and lifted herself up, or in this case down, from the ceiling until it looks like she was standing upside down. She didn't jump off the ceiling, did a flip, and landed on the floor with ease.
"All right! Not bad for using wall-crawling for the first time," Rose replied, turning around to face the robots. "Now, to test my new spider sticky control. That's always been my issue."
Focusing on the robots, Rose grabbed one of them, and lift it up in the air due to her sticky fingers. She tried to let go but she couldn't. It was like last time, but she focused hard, and her fingers tips latched off the robot and it fell to the floor.
"Yes! Now I'm getting it!" Rose cheered, seriously pumped about learning this fast. "Moving on to the next trial of my new abilities."
The next test she did was the strength of a spider. She ran towards the second robot, and lift it in the air. Usually, they're a lot heavy. Her father builds up enough muscle in order to lift them with ease. She then throws it to the wall very hard and it crashes into it, breaking into pieces. If she's that strong to throw... Could she punch and kick very hard?
She then ran toward the 3rd robot and kicked its head off like she did this morning. The head was chopped from the body, much to Rose's shock, and then tried punching really hard on the broken LMD robot's torso part, and her fist went through, and it sent the robot flying afterward. The robot was destroyed and Rose was very shocked at how strong she was.
"Wow! Guess it's a good thing my super strength didn't kick in completely during my morning exercise," Rose stated, looking at her hands in surprise. "Best to keep that in check so my father won't be suspicious."
Now she was going to work on one final test. Her spider-sense. She returned to the central control. "Computer, activate the LMD robots, Leven 8. And activate simulation, remote jungle." She commanded.
The training room was changed into a jungle, a virtual simulation that is so realistic it's like stepping into another reality. She looks around and closes her eyes, to test out her spider-sense. Five robots stepped out of the trees and ran towards Rose. She managed to sense one of them with her spider-sense to rip off one of the arms, and even position her fingers to shoot her organic webs like Spider-Man does with his web shooters. The webbing will also be some getting used to. Her spider sense triggered again and she shot her web at the second LMD and slammed it into the tree trunk. The third LMD used a spear and Rose's spider-sense felt it where she grabbed the spear and used it on the robot. Her spider sense tingled again and the fourth LMD shot some dirt in her eyes. She couldn't concentrate, and her spider-sense was still intact she tried to dodge a bit, until she accidentally hit herself with a big rock in her way. The fourth and fifth LMD robots then pile on her. She tried to get up but she couldn't.
"Hey! Get off me, you tin cans!" Rose demanded, her anger rising until she had it. "I said...Get off me... NOOOOOWWWWW!"
When she yelled from that, Rose got the robots off but they had cuts on their bodies. Confused, she then sees red spikes on her wrists, elbows, shoulders, and the top of her ankles. She freaked out and sees her reflection, they weren't spikes. She carefully felt them around the edge and they were real.
"Stingers…like those spiny orb weaver spiders. This must be what happened to my pajamas this morning. These things happened, and they're coming out of my body as a defense mechanism when feeling threatened..." Her Spider-sense went off again and she sees the fourth and fifth robots leaping towards her.
Rose then had an idea to use her stingers in the robots. One that made her smirk. She quickly got out of the way of the robot's path. "Computer, send in 4 more life model decoys!"
As she commended four more robots came out, and she used her skills to the test. She used her stingers from her wrists to slice the fourth and fifth robots, and used her leg and elbow stingers to Pierce stabbed and slice the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth robots into pieces. She looks behind her and sees her process was remarkable.
"Outstanding. Computer, end simulation. I'm done." Rose added. "Now I just need to control these powers on command so I don't get any unfortunate accidents."
A few hours passed, and Rose was able to extract and burst out her Stingers at will. She learned how to crawl on walls with ease and not get her hands sticky to everything this time. It feels like it took forever but it was worth it. Good thing Kraven didn't come home yet.
Rose got out of the training room and walked to the kitchen. She got a text from her father on her phone:
'Some unexpected business just occurred. I will be coming home late. I have ordered some takeout and it should already be inside. Enjoy. I will see you tomorrow my little cub. Love, father.'
"Well, that's lucky," Rose stated, putting her phone away while looking at the punctured clothes found on her exercise gear. "Gives me extra time to fix up the clothes faster with a special machine."
Rose went to a 3D printer her father had in the office and found a Hi-Tech 3D fabric printer machine. She can use it to fix her clothes, as well as her pajamas. She rushed to her room, put on a new pair of clothes, rushed back to her father's office, and used the 3D fabric printer to stitch her clothes back together. The same goes for her pajamas.
Rose then had a better idea when she was about to leave the office... She got them from a spider, which not only gave her the powers of a spider but also mutated her body, giving her stingers. She had an idea for real.
"Well, if I'm going to be like my spider heroes, then I might as well dress the part," Rose stated to herself, unable to hide her smile. "I know the perfect design for me."
Getting excited, she went through the advanced technological neural integrated menu and started weaving up a costume resembling what she has now. Using white fabrics mixed with some magenta red and adding some black webbing textures, a black Araneus spider emblem on the front middle of the chest, a white hoodie where the inside was red with black webs, red and black webbed palmed gloves with white fingertips, diamond-shaped web patterns on her left and right upper legs, and finally a white mask with red triangular eyes. Rose created her very own spider-themed costume. There were also some subtle holes around the black web lines on the shoulders, elbows, lower wrists, and back knees for the stingers to pop out without causing any noticeable tears. She's been cooped up in this private home for too long, and if she can't leave the premises, someone else will...
After putting it on and bringing her loose hair up in a ponytail, she got out of the window, and swing through the trees until finally getting to the city. She climbed up a massive building until she can see all of New York City in a massive view.
"Wow…This is beyond gorgeous," Rose muttered to herself, enjoying the sights on a whole new level. "I can see why Spidey and the others love this."
Rose's father won't be back until tomorrow which will give her plenty of time to test out everything she's learned.
"Say your prayers, criminal scumbags! There's a new Spider-Girl in Town, and her name is..."
She paused for a second cause I'm her excitement, she forgot to give herself a name to go with her alter ego.
"Oni-Spider? ...No, no, no, too Japanese Folklore. …Animal Spider? Nah, too redundant," She shook her head, and while pondering what to call herself, she then remembered one of the nicknames for the spiny or weaver spiders.
"Oh! I got it!" She clears her throat and tried her introduction monologue again. "There's a new Spider-Girl in Town, and her name is... Star Spider!"
Now having her name, Star Spider took the leap and jumped off the building before web-slinging across the city. She cheered and woohooed with excitement while doing different flips and moves.
Meanwhile...
A man in a ski mask was running away with some money from a bodega store, and he's trying to outrun some police officers. Even shooting guns at them. He decided to take a shortcut through the alleyway.
"Good, I think I lost them." The thug said.
However, both paths were blocked by large webs that stopped the thief in his tracks. He jumped when seeing a female spider figure upside down behind him.
"Where do you think you're going with that stolen loot?" She asked, landing down with ease while a good distance away.
"Spider-Woman? Is that you?" The thug asked, mistaking Star Spider for Spider-Woman, one of the Web Warriors' recent members. "What's with the white and red get-up?" He takes up his gun.
"It's just something I put together. And I'm about to give it a crash course on how well it works against scumbags like you," Star stated, not telling him she's a different Spider-Woman with a different name just yet.
Star Spider dodges the thug's bullets, in midair with evasive aerial moves. Then, she places her hand on his shoulders to make a flip-off move on him, shoots a web line at his gun, pulled it off of his hand, and kicks him to the wall. His back felt the impact and Star Spider webs him up on the wall so he won't fall down. Star Spider then walks into the moonlight, revealing herself.
"You're not Spider-Woman, are you? You're another one?" The thug asked.
"Sure am. And it's Star Spider to you," Star corrected confidently, placing her hands on her hips until hearing police sirens. "Well, that's my cue. I'd love to stick around, but I got places to go and people to see."
Star Spider swings away while the police caught the thug webbed up. Thinking it's either Spider-Man or any of the other Web Warriors.
'All right! My first thug to stop with my new suit has been a success!' Star thought happily. 'Not bad for my first night patrol. Pretty soon, I'll be hitting bigger baddies in no time.'
And just like that, Star Spider swings away into the night... Ready to begin the next chapter in her life as a superhero. But she'll have to keep this a secret from her father and avoid suspicion from the Web Warriors themselves.
I never planned to be a spider heroine, but I never regretted that it happened. This became a new chapter for me in living the life I always wanted. To be free and later live the dream as someone else. And believe me, it was going to be one heck of a ride. Especially when it involves taking my new secret life up to gear from getting caught.
To be continued…