The events replayed in Cindy Moon's mind akin to a silent film in which each frame was repeated until the end of it and then rewound until the next. The same thing happened over and over again as she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. In the darkness, she listened to her heartbeat as if it was a ticking watch and her fingers intertwined with her close to her chest. She closed her eyes as the memory of today rewound in her mind again.

It came back to her on repeat: her time with Hector, the bullies' arrival, James almost punching Hector, and her fist caving in James' face. But what shocked her more than the onlookers, along with her boyfriend, was the unexpected strength she put into her punch; she had punched hard enough to almost break his nose and possibly his jaw. It scared her, but not because she would have done such a thing. Rather, her reaction surprised herself because it wasn't normal.

Cindy raised her hand up to her view. The moment she lashed her fist at James' cheek, she knew immediately that something was wrong. She somehow knew that she feels different then she was before. Her stamina, strength, ability… everything about her changed when she struck James. But that doesn't make any sense. Why did she change so much?

What is happening to her?

Cindy faced forward and bolted upright.

The image of a spider instantly flashing in her mind.

Of course, Cindy Moon thought.

That must be it. The spider from yesterday, the one that bit her. The arachnid probably wasn't an ordinary spider and passed down whatever traits it was carrying to her; and in turn, it affected her physical appearance. Her new strength and speed were the result of the spider's venom. Which would make her the first twentieth century's super human.

Cindy's eyes crawled up the wall to the left. Up to a corner and saw a home spider hanging in its web, its round abdomen facing Cindy. She redirected her gaze towards the wall to her right. Cindy blinked. She crawled off of her bed, stepped onto the carpet and approached the wall.

Cindy gently positioned both of her hands upon the aforementioned wall, almost instinctively. She commenced her ascent, with her feet making no effort to impede her adhesion to the surface. In a state of quiet wonder, Cindy gazed upon her effortless climb up the wall. Her focus was dedicated to maintaining her grip with her fingertips, alternating the release of one hand and the subsequent placement of both hands upon the surface. In this manner, she effectively scaled the wall, resembling the movements of a spider.

Cindy almost instinctively knew how to make her feet stick to the wall. She continued crawling around her room until she sat at the ceiling's center. Cindy looked around her room at an odd angle as she hung upside down on the ceiling. Right hand slowly raised up, clasping over her mouth. Cindy couldn't believe her eyes; there was no way what she was doing was real, and it just kept getting weirder.

Suddenly, Cindy shot her hands up and gripped her head. Pain shot through the back of her head, forcing her to fall from the ceiling. As soon as Cindy touched her bed, her head pounded relentlessly while the nausea intensified, pushing against her stomach. She held herself up by grasping her sheets tightly, as a sick feeling washed over her whole body. Soon, sweat started forming on her forehead and down her neck.

She felt hot and sweaty.

No, she felt something else.

Her breathing hastened as trepidation surged through every vein in her body. Something within her was in motion; she could perceive its movement coursing throughout her entire being; it was as if something were endeavoring to break free. It appeared to yearn for liberation; she too desired its release. However, Cindy remained oblivious to the reason or purpose behind it. Her entire physique became taut, and her heart raced even more rapidly as adrenaline surged through her system.

Cindy tightened her grasp on the sheets. Agony engulfed her body. Cindy's eyes widened abruptly, causing her to instinctively throw her head back and emit a scream. Her arms extended wide as numerous strands of webs shot forth from her fingertips. Cindy promptly straightened her head, only to witness another flurry of webs being discharged from her fingers, striking both the wall to her right and her door to her left.

Cindy's parents rushed into the room.

"Cindy? What's wrong?" Nari called out to her daughter. Cindy's eyes focused on the sight of her mother before her. Nari and Albert's eyes widened when they saw strands of webs discharging from their daughter's fingers.

"Wha—What in the world..?" Albert trailed off, completely bewildered and shocked. None more so then his wife.

"Oh my god… Cindy?" Nari asked, approaching Cindy carefully. "Wh-What's going on? What happened to you?"

Cindy's eyes momentarily shifted from the webs that had finally ceased from her fingers to meet her mother's worried gaze. Cindy's eyes widened as reality descended on her; her new ability had awakened and her parents saw the whole thing. Cindy's eyes were filled with tears; they kept streaming from Cindy's eyes and cascading to her cheeks.

"Mom…Dad…" Cindy sniffed through her sobs. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry you saw that…" she closed her eyes, gasping for air through her sobs. Nari quickly moved next to Cindy, taking her into an embrace to hold her tight.

Cindy cried desperately into her mother's shoulder. Nari held her dear child, making sure she knew she was here. Albert joined the pair by wrapping his arms around his daughter. The trio embraced as the parents listened to their daughter's muffled cries of pain and fear. They didn't even notice Cindy's brother, curiously peaking at them outside of her room.

Through her cries, Cindy knew, one thing was certainly clear.

Her life as a normal teenage girl was over.


Tuesday at Middletown High School seemed to drag on, as Peter Parker sat at his desk. His finger taped against his pencil, his body curled up as much as he could, doing his best not to avoid unwanted attention. He watched as Harry made notes beside him, the sounds of his pen scratching across paper filling the silence of the classroom. Peter shifted his gaze back to his paper and proceeded to check the boxes next to the answers of his homework.

Peter's finger taped against his pencil again. He couldn't stop thinking about the strange event that occurred the other day. In his mind's eye, he was a-hundred percent sure that he didn't suffer somnambulism, commonly known as sleepwalking. Which came as a shock to him when he woke up yesterday hanging upside in the corner of his room. He remembered the incident well and he also had difficulty remembering what caused it.

But what shocked him the most on that day was when he entered the bathroom to take a shower, he took his shirt off and saw his new body. To the best of Peter's knowledge, he had perpetually possessed a thin, skinny physique. He was by no means muscular, and if someone were to pass by him, they would undoubtedly observe this fact. However, he discovered his body was well-toned. His arms appeared robust, yet not excessively brawny. In truth, they seemed more befitting of a gymnast.

Even his legs possessed a commendable level of toning and well-defined shape. Mixed feelings of pride and uneasiness arose within Peter. Even now as he sat on his desk he found himself wondering what could have given birth to this newfound body. What gave rise to a body so fit and muscled that Peter was able to move it without having any difficulty in doing so. But most of all, why does he feel so…confident?

Another thing Peter discovered when he headed to school was the ability to sense danger. A sixth sense that he hadn't been aware of until he got into a fight with Flash Thompson the other day. He stared into deep space, his mind playing the memory of his fight with Flash. His bully's fist lashing out at him, dodging each blow Flash threw, his first time punching his bully, leading him to where he sat now. There were good benefits after said fight, Flash wasn't bothering him anymore.

At least for now.

But he didn't want to think about that right now.

However, subsequent to that particular incident, a rather startling revelation had ultimately become apparent to him: during his visitation to Oscorp, the arachnid which had inflicted the bite upon him was not of the ordinary variety, and thus must have transmitted certain mutated characteristics that ultimately led to the manifestation of his own unique set of extraordinary abilities.

Peter had thought about telling Harry about his new superpowers but he immediately dismissed the notion. If he were to show Harry or anyone, they would overwhelm him with questions on how he obtained his new spider-powers. Rumors would spread like wildfire within his peer group and amongst the school faculty, and Peter couldn't afford to face that kind of backlash. So instead, he decided to keep his abilities a secret and maybe spend his free time mastering his new gift.

He will need to ascertain what he is capable of and acquire mastery over his abilities as expeditiously as possible. The query that arises is, what exactly can he accomplish? Based on his understanding, it is evident that the arachnid in question was not an ordinary spider, but rather a spider of a potentially experimental nature. He has somehow acquired its physical capabilities, but what other talents does he possess?

Drawing conclusions from the information he perused in a book at the library, Peter surmised that it was not an ordinary spider with documented characteristics. Rather, it appeared to be a fusion of various species that underwent mutation and coevolution, resulting in the emergence of a unique individual endowed with venomous capabilities. This, at the very least, is Peter's conjecture. Perhaps he possesses the ability to leap great heights, akin to the jumping spider, which can propel itself a distance of ten to fifty times its own body length. However, the production of venom or webs seems to be beyond his purview.

The school bell finally rang as the class began to disperse. Peter packed his things faster than anyone else to make a quick getaway. He shoved his books into his backpack, along with his notebook, pencil case and lunch box. Some of the other students noticed this as he nearly bolted out of the room.

"Hey, where's Peter off to in such a rush?" One of the boys in the class asked, confused about the boy's behavior.

"Yeah, and did anyone else notice he grew a few inches?" Another boy noted as they and others noticed his strange behavior.

"Who knows. Maybe he's got a girlfriend?" One of the girls suggested. A silent pause descended the classroom before they exploded into laughter.

"Yeah right, who'd want to date that nerd!?" Another girl laughed as they made fun of the introvert nerd.

Gwen watched Peter leave the class with an arched brow. It would be disingenuous if she denied that she too was wondering why Peter was in such a rush to get out of class. Maybe to avoid getting picked on again by Flash? She didn't know for sure.

Harry shook his head at their words before exiting out of the room. He was tired of them making fun of his friend. It annoyed him immensely. But he must focus on getting his test done by Wednesday and if he was ever going to pass, he needed to finish everything on schedule today. Harry halted in his tracks and blinked.

A sudden realization dawned on him.

Wait a minute, Harry thought, when did Peter get taller?


The bus arrived at their destination in a timely manner. The students disembarked one by one, with Peter and Harry being the last to alight. After Peter and Harry said their farewells, he turned away. He scrutinized his hand intently, repeatedly clenching and unclenching it in search of any discernible change. The recollection of him adhering to the ceiling flashed through his mind.

He could still faintly perceive the buzzing sensation in his head.

As Peter continued to stare at his hand, his gaze eventually drifted upwards staring forward. Peter started down the street and walked aimlessly down the sidewalk. The occasional vehicle drove past, and pedestrians continued to stream out of shops and houses. It wasn't long until Peter stopped at the entrance of an empty alleyway.

Peter stared at the narrow street formed by the proximity of adjacent buildings. He scanned his surroundings, making sure no one was nearby. Peter started forward through the alleyway, taking small, deliberate steps. His eyes darted every which way as he moved. After walking for a bit he halted at the alleyway's center.

Peter turned his gaze towards the wall. He walked up to said wall and placed both hands on it. He started crawling up, his shoes doing nothing to stop him from sticking to the surface. His concentration worked on sticking with his fingertips, releasing one hand then placing them on the surface again. Effectively climbing the wall like a spider.

Not even his shoes got in the way, as he almost instinctively knew how to make them stick to the wall. Peter ascended higher up the wall as he eventually reached the precipice above the roof. He paused briefly to look around. From where he stood, there were several rooftops stretching out further than his eyes could see. Some people hurried past on bicycles, some on foot and still others drove by in their cars.

He shifted his gaze back to the other roof of a building, only a few feet away. Peter assumed a pose stance to run. His eyes narrowed with determination. With a burst of speed, he sprinted forward. He began pumping his arms and legs furiously as he raced toward the apex.

Peter swiftly retreated his feet, powerfully kicking from his heel, and propelled himself forward. Leaving behind a small crater as both feet slammed into the ground. He leapt with incredible speed as he jumped eighty-three meters in the air, leaving behind a gust of wind.

"WOOHOO!!" Peter cheered as he landed on another roof, causing him to fall onto the ground with a thud.

Peter remained on the ground as he panted heavily. His heart was pounding furiously inside his chest as he tried to regain his breath. It was exhilarating! Peter felt as though he had just taken a flight—one full of exhilaration. As his heart slowed down he gazed down at the concrete beneath him.

After several seconds, Peter slowly stood up. He stretched out his body languidly, feeling a wave of satisfaction wash over him. He looked ahead at another rooftop and smiled. Peter proceeds to run forward and jumps to another roof, cheering with excitement as he makes his way toward another rooftop. He leapt upward once more, reaching the same height as he had the previous time and began running toward yet another rooftop.

His heart was racing in his chest. He could hear it beating rapidly as he raced across the roofs and across the neighborhood. Wind whipped past his ears, blowing his brown hair wildly across his face. The sun was hot above him. He continued sprinting until he landed onto another rooftop.

Peter turned his gaze towards a nearby warehouse. He quickly made his way towards the building's entrance. After opening the door to the warehouse, Peter walked inside. He looked around. No one else was present, and judging by the amount of work laid out neatly on the table, the place seemed abandoned.

Old cars with no wheels were lined up in display, along with old machinery which may or may not have been used for some sort of maintenance. Peter surveyed the interior of the building. There were numerous boxes containing assorted tools stacked against one wall and shelves lined with glass jars filled to the brim. Peter walked towards the cars, examining their condition. They were mostly untouched, but one of the cars did appear to have suffered considerable damage.

The paintwork was cracked and worn from years of exposure to the elements. Judging by the size of the vehicle, Peter guessed that it wouldn't take too much effort to repair the car and return it to its original state. Peter's eyes momentarily shifted from his hands to the wrecked car before him, and his lips twitched upward in a small smile.

Peter slid his hand under the car then slowly and effortlessly lifted it up. Outstretching his left hand he places it at the vehicle's belly, lifting it up as high as he can manage while maintaining its balance. Once Peter had a good grip he hoisted up the damaged car above his head with ease. Peter couldn't help but laugh gleefully. He held the car for several moments before setting it back on the ground.

"Haha! Man, I feel like Hercules! I love that freaking spider!" Peter grinned, his eyes dancing with mischief as he reminisced over this moment. "Man, this is amazing! I still can't believe this is happening. I have superpowers. Real powers!"

Peter blinked and glanced at his phone, noting the time: 1:17. As much as Peter desired to continue testing his strength, it would be prudent to make his way back home; he would not wish to cause any concern for Uncle Ben and Aunt May.

With utmost discretion, Peter departed from the warehouse and effortlessly leapt back onto the roof, ensuring that no one observed his departure. From one rooftop to another, he gracefully traversed until he safely landed in the alleyway. Exiting the aforementioned alley, he proceeded to stroll along the sidewalk, making his way towards his humble abode. He felt a tingle in the back of his skull, but he paid it no mind since there wasn't any danger.

But if not danger, then what?


Ezekiel Sims sat on his office chair with a cup of tea at his desk, staring at his computer screen as his fingers flew across the keys of his keyboard. The words he typed flowed from the computer like a waterfall, and yet it felt like an avalanche. He halted for a moment to reach for his mug and took a slow gulp from his tea. The familiar scalding liquid tasted good even after two years since he stopped taking sugar in his tea, but that didn't stop him from savoring the warmth in his chest. The room was quiet except for the occasional chime from his computer monitor or the soft hum of wind outside the small office window next to his desk.

He stared out of the large window into the courtyard. The rain still beat against the glass, which reflected the gray sky back at him. Despite the gloomy weather, he always seemed to see the best when looking out of the office windows. It reminded him of when he first came to this city. His boss and coworkers had all been so welcoming and supportive about his career choice and even offered their help in making the transition to living here easier.

At first, it was too overwhelming to take it all in. But as time passed, things settled into a routine, and now his routine was sometimes working at his laboratory or studying deep research on the racism against Mutants. Based on the information he read in a book, Ezekiel learned that Mutants are superhuman beings that are born with a genetic mutation called an X-Gene that causes their bodies to develop abilities that regular humans, homo sapiens, are unable to. The majority of mutants develop these abilities, which vary from person to person, usually upon puberty, though there are some mutants who display powers and/or physical mutations from birth, or in their twenties.

Some mutants even display abilities from within the womb and posthumously. While the media found these Mutants to be nothing more than monsters, Ezekiel found these cases to be fascinating. In fact, most Mutants he met were nowhere near as monstrous as the media described them. They were very friendly and kind people whose lives turned upside down for some unknown reason. They weren't perfect, but they were still human.

If humanity could learn how to live alongside Mutants without being hunted to extinction, perhaps there would be no need for wars. Perhaps they could finally live in harmony together. But Ezekiel was no fool. Sure he still has hope for a better future for humans and Mutants to live in world peace; but he knew it wouldn't happen overnight. Knowing how judgmental and hateful many humans can be, especially towards mutants, Ezekiel knew that progress will be slow and incremental.

It won't happen today, it won't happen tomorrow; but it will happen someday.

Ezekiel glanced at his phone as it suddenly went off. He picked it up from where it lay on his desk, and answered the call.

"This is Doctor Sims. How may I assist you?"

Ezekiel's expression went from blank curiosity to surprise in mere seconds.

"Nari?"


A/N: And that was chapter 4 young readers! Not gonna lie, this took me a while to publish. Simply because I didn't know how to start this chapter off or how to end it but after much thinking and editing it turned out just fine. But hey, Cindy's web abilities have awakened and just one out of a few that I have in store for her in the future. I also wanna make an official announcement that this series is set in its own alternate continuity of Earth-20052. With all of that said, I'll be taking my leave. See you all in the next chapter!