The clock's ticking filled the house with a rhythm that matched Ezekiel Sims' heartbeat as he sat across his two old friends from the living room table. Albert rubbed the back of his nape as he sat, glancing down at the carpeted floor. Nari sat beside her husband as she stared into deep space at her table, her hands intertwined in her lap. Ezekiel stared at the silent couple with empathy and concern.

It had been over a year since Ezekiel sat down and talked with two of his dear friends. Before he met Nari and Albert, he used to work in a science facility that focused on technology and innovation. At the time his famous teacher, Doctor Gordon, assigned him personally to work on a project that would revolutionize scientific discoveries. It was an honor to be entrusted with such a huge task, but also stressful beyond belief. His boss had given him two months to complete his task.

Ezekiel had been given free rein to select the best men or women possible for the job, regardless of service branch and expertise. He knew that his task was one that required a team that were capable of thinking outside of the box and following directions in order to accomplish their goal; Ezekiel wanted a team that were intelligent, hardworking, loyal and determined to succeed. His search had taken him across America to find those that fit the criteria perfectly and his efforts had been well rewarded.

The first man that Ezekiel recruited into his team was Albert Moon, an intelligent scientist that worked in the lower field. Ezekiel had first met Albert during his break at a cafe, and they struck up a conversation after realizing that they both liked baseball and tea. Albert's unbroken spirit and determination in the science field had made him a valuable addition to Ezekiel's organization, and he remained close and constant ever since.

Ezekiel had met Nari during his travels in Hawaii. They had ordered drinks at the same time at a bar that was located near the beach. Ezekiel had recognized the book in Nari's hand — The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien — and the pair immediately became acquainted. When Ezekiel later discovered Nari was an accomplished scientist-expert and former teacher at a university, he seized the opportunity and brought her into the team.

Ezekiel smiled internally inside. His mind played all the treasured memories of his time with both Albert and Nari. He could remember the many hours of discussion with them, the fun he had during lab work together, and the many meals shared together. But the most memorable memory was when Albert proposed to Nari after they had accomplished their goal. She accepted without question and he can vividly still hear a chorus of cheering voices from the group of other scientists who were present when Albert presented his proposal to Nari.

Ezekiel reached for his glass of water before sipping it slowly. Savoring the cool liquid against his tongue, he placed his glass back down on the table and looked between his friends again. The smile never left his lips.

"I have to admit my dear friends, I never thought our reunion would be…like this." Ezekiel said as he looked between Albert and Nari. "Who would've thought it would take a young girl's power awakening to bring us to meet each other again?"

"Life has a strange sense of humor, I'll admit." Albert said as he chuckled a bit. "It has been too long since we've had a chat. I kind of wish it wasn't about this, but…"

Ezekiel dismissively waved his hand at Albert.

"Nonsense. There's no need to worry." Ezekiel assured him. "You two called me for assistance; what kind of friend would I be if I wasn't there to help you now."

Nari and Albert smiled warmly at Ezekiel's encouragement and gratitude. They were glad to see he was still as supportive as he had always been. All the more glad they called for his help.

Nari leaned over the table and gave Ezekiel a quick hug. Ezekiel returned the gesture.

"Thank you for coming." Nari said.

"Of course." Ezekiel said with a nod. He pulled away and looked at both Albert and Nari expectantly. "Now, down to business. What's the situation with your daughter?"

Nari nodded and took a sip of her drink. She closed her eyes briefly and swallowed before continuing speaking.

"Well, um… from what me and my husband learned, she got her powers yesterday," Nari began. "Her powers manifested only after she was bitten by a spider during her small trip at Oscorp, which she deduced was possibly a radioactive one. She can crawl on walls and discharge webs like a spider, though she doesn't understand how it works yet."

Ezekiel cupped his chin with one hand as he listened to Nari speak.

"What still gets me the most is her ability to shoot out webs from her fingertips. Oh God, you should've seen the look on her face Ezekiel. She was so scared when she saw herself do it. All that time as I slowly approached her I thought, why her? Our daughter had a future ahead of her, and all of a sudden she gained powers from a mere spider, just like that? How crazy does that sound? I just—my mind couldn't wrap around it." Nari paused, trying to control her emotions. "We haven't told any of her teachers at school about her condition."

Albert chimed in. "Nor did we tell anyone that is closest to the military; we didn't want to bear the thought of a government finding out about her abilities and possibly taking her for human experiment. So, that's where you come in, Ezekiel."

"We know you have a history of helping Mutants to control their powers," Nari said, holding Albert's hand comfortingly. "My husband and I planned to work hard in finding a cure for Cindy. So we thought that in the meantime, you would help train her to have better control of her newborn powers."

Nari's eyes grew wet but she quickly wiped her tears before they threatened to trekk down. Albert squeezed his wife's hand, knowing how much Nari adored Cindy. Ezekiel stood up from the couch and gazed down at the couple.

"Where is she now?" Ezekiel asked.

"She's still upstairs in her room," Nari replied, glancing at the floor with a frown. "She hasn't left her room since the incident."

"May I see her?" Ezekiel questioned.

"If you promise not to use your telepathy on her." Albert added humorously.

Ezekiel nodded with a chuckle. "Don't worry Albert; I wouldn't dream of doing that."

Ezekiel started out of the living room towards the stairs that led to the second floor. Ascending up the stairs he reached said second floor, proceeding down the hallway until he stopped between two doors flanking the hall. His eyes darted to the first door, then back to the second door across from him. Before he could take a step, he paused in time to see the door to his left opened halfway. A little boy poked his head out and glanced up at him.

"Her room is to the right." The boy whispered before retreating back behind the door.

Ezekiel turned to the right and walked up the corridor past the boy's bedroom before arriving at Cindy's door. As Ezekiel stepped closer he expected to hear sobbing or crying from the other end but all that greeted Ezekiel was silence. Ezekiel raised his fist and knocked three times lightly on the door. He waited for a few seconds, but heard nothing further.

"The door's open." Ezekiel heard Cindy's quiet voice.

Ezekiel pushed the door open slowly and entered the room without disturbing any sound inside it and his attention quickly scanned the room. The curtains in the windows were drawn, the room bathed in darkness. But what captivated Ezekiel's attention were the strands of webs that littered the room. Some stretched across the bed frame while others hung off the ceiling above the bed like vines. Some even snaked their way under the dresser, and some ran along the wall near the foot of the bed.

It was as though more than hundreds of spiders had gathered at the foot of the bed and discharged their webs through the whole room. Ezekiel stared at the sight in awe; he found it both fascinating and mesmerizing. Ezekiel redirected his gaze towards the bed and saw Cindy sat cross-legged at the center. Dressed in a black tank top and white sweatpants, Cindy held her knees against her chest and focused solely on the web in front of her. Her face was completely expressionless and her breathing slow and steady.

Ezekiel watched as Cindy stared into deep space, not even paying him any attention. It seemed as if she didn't notice he had entered the room. Ezekiel slowly approached Cindy and sat down at the bed's edge near the girl's feet, observing her in silence. He noticed that the strand of web connecting Cindy's fingers had begun to vibrate. Cindy suddenly shifted her gaze to the source of the vibrations and watched a house spider crawling its way up the web connecting to her finger.

Ezekiel followed her gaze and observed the spider as well. It moved its body up the web, and finally stopped at a spot where one of the strands connected to a large spider-web. The spider climbed onto the web and proceeded to sit on the web itself. When it felt comfortable enough, the spider hung upside down, using a single thread of web to swing back and forth.

"So, you made these webs?" Ezekiel asked. Cindy shifted her gaze towards Ezekiel as soon as she realized that he had spoken to her.

"Yeah." Cindy answered simply. She turned away from him and continued watching the spider.

"How did you learn to make them?" Ezekiel probed.

Cindy shrugged. "From my fingers."

"I see." Acknowledged Ezekiel, staring into space for a moment before looking back at Cindy. "Cindy, I understand that this must be quite shocking for you; especially for someone as young as you are, but—"

"I'm a monster."

Ezekiel blinked at the interruption, taken aback. He recomposed himself and placed his hand on Cindy's shoulder. Cindy turned to him with a frown.

"You're not a monster, Cindy," Ezekiel stated firmly. "You are only a monster if you behave like one."

Cindy looked down at the ground. Tears welled in her eyes again, but she refused to let them fall. Instead she took a deep breath and stared straight ahead.

"I never wanted this," Cindy began. "I never wanted nor asked for these powers. I just wanted to be a normal girl who can continue playing in her hockey team at school, maybe even start my hockey career instead of going for the kind of lifestyle my mother wants me to do. But then this happened!"

Cindy glared down at her hands as tears started to form in her eyes once more.

"And now I'm stuck in something that makes me feel disgusted. Why did it have to be me, Why—"

Cindy broke off her rant, biting her lower lip. She sighed and leaned her forehead against her knees, closing her eyes tightly. Ezekiel crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why not you, Cindy?" Ezekiel inquired gently. Cindy lifted her head up from her knees. A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared back at him.

"Because it's a curse, a mutation." Cindy uttered, her voice cracking.

Ezekiel closed his eyes with a nod.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe it is a curse." He reopened his eyes and smiled at Cindy. "But it is also a gift."

Cindy blinked several times. Her brow arched slightly as she gazed quizzically at Ezekiel.

"What do you mean?"

Ezekiel turned away from Cindy and glanced up at the spider still hanging upside down.

"You receiving real power that was passed down to you from a spider is unexpected. I asked why not you because if not someone like you, who else could this newborn power have gone to? Had it been in the hands of Norman Osborn, CEO of Oscorp, I have no doubt that he would have used it for his own gain." Ezekiel shifted his gaze back to Cindy. "I firmly believe these powers didn't come to you by chance; the universe never sends down a gift to anyone without a reason. And whether you like it or not Cindy, you're gonna have to figure out what you are gonna do with it."

Ezekiel rose from the bed and stood before Cindy.

Cindy glanced up at him whilst he gazed down at her.

"If you'll accept my offer. I'd like to help you control your powers."

Peter Parker gazed upon his costume in the reflection of the mirror, a blend of pride and satisfaction emanating from his being as he admired the ensemble he had meticulously crafted. For two days, Peter had dedicated himself to the design and construction of this garment, fashioning it with his own two hands. The costume predominantly featured a resplendent shade of blue, accentuated by red gloves, boots, mid-section, and mask. A web-like pattern gracefully adorned the crimson sections of the suit, originating from the mask. Additionally, a black spider insignia embellished the center of the chest, while a larger red spider emblem graced the back.

Given his limited expertise in the realm of sewing and sewing machinery, the process of fabricating this suit proved to be arduous for Peter. However, his perseverance was handsomely rewarded in the end. Now, he stood before the mirror, donning his inaugural spider costume, a heartfelt tribute to the genesis of his extraordinary abilities. Yet, his elation and fascination were momentarily eclipsed by a new concern that had entered his mind.

What should I call myself? Peter thought.

Peter cupped his chin with his palm as he pondered the question deeply. The Human Spider was the first name that came to his mind but he quickly discarded it due to its ridiculousness. The next option was to go with The Spider but even thinking about calling himself such a childish name didn't really resonate with Peter. Before he could ponder any further, he heard the door swing open behind him. Peter looked over his shoulder to see a middle-aged man in a yellow tuxedo approaching him.

Peter recognized him as the promoter, the boss of the wrestling show.

"Gotta say kid, you got a nice suit there," the promoter said, pointing at Peter's suit with his cigar. "You made that yourself?"

"Uh, yeah. Took a while to put together though." Peter replied.

"I see," acknowledged the promoter, puffing out smoke from his mouth. "Have you thought of a name for yourself yet?"

Peter turned away from the man when he noticed something on the bench. Two stacked books laid on said bench — Along Came a Spider by James Patterson — and — The Invisible Man by HG. Wells — were the book's titles. His eyes briefly darted at the words, 'Spider,' and 'Man,' then began repeating them in his head akin to a prayer. Peter's lenses grew large almost as though he found the answer to his question.

"Spider-Man." Breathed Peter, still staring at the two books. The promoter blinked in surprise."

"Hey, that's not a bad name web-head," the promoter said. "Alright, Spider-Man it is then. Come on Spider-Man, your match is ready."

Peter, now officially known as Spider-Man, trailed behind the promoter down the winding hall. In the arena in Queens, the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, or UCWF for short, is hosting the event. A wrestling match has already begun between Crusher Hogan and Bonesaw McGraw. Spider-Man walked down the hall as he's soon to be next. He proceeded to watch the match between Crusher Hogan and Bonesaw McGraw. Bonesaw proved to be a formidable foe but he got picked up and slammed down hard by Crusher.

"Oh! Looks like Bonesaw got his bones sawed!"

The referee goes to the countdown and sees Bonesaw is hurt.

"One! Two! Three! Crusher is the winner!" The referee announced with a shout.

Everyone cheered as Crusher Hogan still remained undefeated, he roared out to the audiences. The medics came in and wheeled Bonesaw out as Peter sees the pain the poor guy is in.

"Now to the next challenge! We have someone new, he's mysterious, he has no name, give it up for... The Amazing Spider-Man!"

Spider-Man came out to the stage, and he was taken aback when everyone booed at him. For a wrestler he's not that much muscular than any wrestler, not to mention his average height. Spider-Man advances down to the stage, still wearing his mask to hide his face. Spider-Man and Crusher came to the referee.

"Alright listen up, you only get three minutes in the ring. If any of you forfeits or gets defeated in three seconds, then you lose the match, are we clear?" The referee briefly shifted his gaze between the two fighters.

"Yeah!" Complied Spider-Man.

"Perfectly." Crusher Hogan added.

"Good luck to you both."

"It's not too late to back out, little man." Crusher Hogan smiled.

Peter didn't grace his opponent with a reply but assumed a fighting pose. The bell rang throughout the arena, commencing the start of round one. Crusher charged to pounce but blinked in bewilderment when he only grabbed air. Just in the nick of time, Spider-Man jumped over him.

"What the..?" Crusher Hogan is confused.

"Too slow!" Spider-Man joked with a chuckle.

Crusher rolled his body around with a growl as he charged in again. But Spider-Man anticipated this. Spider-Man leapt in the air and wrapped his legs around his neck, flipping him down hard.

"Whoa! This is totally unexpected! Can Crusher fare against this new fighter?"

Everyone in the arena booed but others cheered for Spider-Man. They were all amazed at what they were seeing; the newcomer moved so fast Crusher couldn't even touch him. Humiliation filled Crusher to the core. In his mind's eye, he was the strongest man in the ring, and now this newcomer is getting the best of him. He picked up a folded chair and tossed it at Spider-Man. Spider-Man flips back and kicks the chair up.

"You threw a chair at me!" Spider-Man mocks, shaking his head. "Now that's just low."

"Ah! Shut up!" Crusher Hogan yells.

Crusher Hogan charged at him again until Spider-Man flipped back and tossed him hard at the ropes. Crusher slowly got back on his feet as he glanced up in time to see Spider-Man yelped and drop kicked him. Pain flooded his body. Crusher flew out of the ring, over countless individuals' heads and indented himself on the wall.

Everyone stared at the unconscious champion with wide eyes.

The fan's favorite champion that had held the title for years has been knocked out of the ring.

"One! Two! Three! We have a new winner! Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for Spider-Man!"

Peter watches in awe as an ocean of new fans cheered for him. All of them chanting his name akin to a prayer. He couldn't help but laugh at this display. Never in his life did he imagine he would ever stand here before so many people cheering for him, and that fact alone caused his heart to swell up in joy.

Peter threw both of his fists in the air, cheering in his victory.

A/N: Next chapter will feature the birth of Spider-Man but with a few twist I don't think anyone will expect. Then the chapter after that feature the birth of Silk, leading up to where they'll meet when the time is ripe. With all of that said, I'll be taking my leave. See you in the next chapter!