At the Empire State University in Doc Connor's Lab…
Peter was excited to be at the lab, he wanted to come here for a long time now.
This was one of the most states of the art labs in the world, plus it helps that his brother (all but in blood) Eddie Brock promised to let him see all the cool stuff. Peter wanted to go here after he finished high school for years and he would be able to build the inventions he's been wanting to do as well. Eddie believes his little brother was guaranteed entry since he was a born prodigy and son to the famed Richard Parker. Peter was worried if he could even afford the tuition here, but Eddie told him to stop worrying, he would probably get in free anyway.
"Hey Bro, happy to see you and your class could make it." Eddie grinned as he and Petey gave a high five.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world. I mean… this is the lab! This is where it all begins!" Peter spoke with enthusiasm in his voice.
While the class laughed at his nerdy behavior, Dr. Connors was quite content to see someone who enjoys this line of work.
"Well, I am happy at least someone interested in being here. I hope to see you with Mr. Brock after high school. A mind like yours can bring a better future for the world, like Eddie." The doctor complimented as Peter blushed a bit.
"Now Curt, we can't show favoritism. I am sure every student here has the skills and knowhow to be a great scientist." His wife, Dr. Connors advised as her husband felt his phone vibrating in his lab coat.
"Uh, I need to get back to the lab."
"I'll take over the tour."
The two doctors kissed, and Dr. Connors left while Dr. Connors (His wife) stayed to continue the tour. They were presented with genetic spiders within glass cases. Each one changed and altered for desired traits, yet the process has created them to be a mystery.
"Um…Dr. Conners, this display says there fifteen spiders." Gwen pointed out as the woman scientist chuckled a bit.
"Yes, there are fifteen genetically altered spiders in total." She confirmed as she was a little puzzled on why the girl pointed that out.
"Then why are there only fourteen?" She wondered, surprising Martha Connors as she looked into the glass tanks.
She was right, there were only fourteen.
"Maybe Curt took one to research. But just in case… Eddie, mind scoping out the lab a bit just in case." Martha requested from her assistance.
"On it. Sorry Bro, duty calls." Eddie smiled as he began searching around for the little creepy crawly missing.
He should have looked at the table closest to Pete, if he did, maybe it wouldn't have happened. All it took was a yelp of pain for Eddie to turn one-eighty! No… Not Petey, no one was watching or noticing so Eddie rushed to his side.
"What happened?"
"It's nothing… Just something bit me." Peter answered as Eddie looked at the table and there it was.
Number Fifteen curled up and dead. A genetically modified spider bit Peter. Who knows what kind of effects this could have on him! He then looked to his brother or more to his hand and saw the bite more, it was bulbous, swollen, and pussing ooze.
"E-Eddie, I don't feel so good." Peter slurred as he started to sway a bit.
He steadied his brother as Peter started to look a little green.
"Come on, I'll take you to the bathroom and have that bite looked at."
As if something was whispering in his ear, he took the dead spider from the table and carefully put it in his jean pockets.
At the bathroom…
After puking his guts out, Peter was brought to the sink to get some water from the taps, while Eddie looked at the bite for any signs of venom or an infection.
To his shock, it was already healed into a scar, and it looks like no signs of an infection or anything. The swelling was gone and so was the puss. Peter began to splash himself with cold water and tried to cool down the fever.
"I... I can see, can see without my glasses!"
What?
"I can see without my glasses. But how-?"
"Pete, I'm taking you home. We can't let anyone see you like this."
Peter didn't understand. Why does he, he's an innocent? He should enjoy life without the cruelty of the world. Eddie knows the stories, know about people who were… different. If Peter was becoming… then no one can know about it. He'll keep his brother from being dissected and dismembered.
He'll take Pete home, examine the spider, lie about being unable to find it, then figure the rest out.
At the Parker residence…
He was grateful for the Connors to let him take Petey home and have a few days off to look after him, it helped when Peter looked unwell.
On the way back, they discovered the other things his little brother can do. Climbing walls for example, or super strength. Eddie was quick to rush him back home before getting too excited or getting caught. After getting Pete home, he phoned up Ben and May, letting them know that their nephew was sick, but he would take care of him for the next few days. The parkers were grateful and decline at first, but they knew Eddie cared for Peter like his flesh and blood.
Now, that Peter and he was alone, away from prying eyes. They can figure some things out. The microscope Pete got his birthday wasn't much, but it would do as he placed the spider's corpse. He noticed the strange patterns and features. But he got very little, though, with the checking of its blood, he found something. The DNA, something was wrong with it.
He then looked at Peter, who had worn himself out. He was careful not to wake him as he took a swab of the cheek and looked at his DNA. It was a mixture of humans and the spider's.
"Pete, what have you gotten yourself into?"
At Peter Parker's House…
When Peter awoke, he smelled food.
A nice steaming bowl of chili with crackers and hotdogs. There was even a bottle of cola too served by his bed. He could tell that Eddie was the one that made this for him. After all, out of the two of them, Eddie was a master chef in the kitchen and Peter was a master disaster in cooking. Which is why he was banned from cooking class and was transferred to sewing, which he was surprisingly good at. But why was he here and why was Peter at home and not at the…? Wait, the memories were slowly coming back to him before sleeping.
"Maybe Curt took one to research. But just in case… Eddie, mind scoping out the lab a bit just in case." Martha requested from her assistance.
"On it. Sorry Bro, duty calls." Eddie smiled as he began searching around for the little creepy crawly missing.
He should have looked at the table closest to Pete, if he did, maybe it wouldn't have happened. All it took was a yelp of pain for Eddie to turn one-eighty! No… Not Petey, no one was watching or noticing so Eddie rushed to his side.
"What happened?"
"It's nothing… Just something bit me." Peter answered.
…
"E-Eddie, I don't feel so good." Peter slurred as he started to sway a bit.
He steadied his brother as Peter started to look a little green.
"Come on, I'll take you to the bathroom and have that bite looked at."
As if something was whispering in his ear, he took the dead spider from the table and carefully put it in his jean pockets.
…
Peter began to splash himself with cold water and tried to cool down the fever.
"I... I can see, can see without my glasses!"
What?
"I can see without my glasses. But how-?"
"Pete, I'm taking you home. We can't let anyone see you like this."
…
On the way back, they discovered the other things his little brother can do. Climbing walls for example, or super strength. Eddie was quick to rush him back home before getting too excited or getting caught. After getting Pete home, he phoned up Ben and May, letting them know that their nephew was sick, but he would take care of him for the next few days. The Parkers were grateful and decline at first, but they knew Eddie cared for Peter like his flesh and blood.
…
"Eddie, what happened to me? How am I able-?"
"Here's your culprit."
His brother presented a dead spider, the same spider that bit him… the one that escaped and bit him. Its legs were curled up in the thralls of its death as its once vibrant coloring was dulled and lifeless. Why does Eddie have it still instead of giving it to the Connors?
"This thing changed you, it gave you the abilities of a spider, like you showed earlier. It turned you into a mutant." Eddie answered, being straightforward for the younger.
"I'm… a mutant?" Peter gasped, not entirely sure what it meant, and was kind of impressed with his powers.
He wondered what he can do with his powers. Maybe he can ask his uncle-.
"Peter, I need you to listen to me. You can't let anyone, and I mean anyone knows you have these powers." Eddie warned, "No one can know you're a mutant. People won't understand, you and others around you can get hurt from it."
"But I want-."
"I know you want to explore this, and we can, but we need to do discreetly. Wear a disguise if you need to, but never show your face or show any connections about who you really are. With these powers, always wear a mask. Promise me that." Eddie sternly informed him.
"I-I promised."
They hugged it out as Eddie silently vowed to protect his little brother from the harshness and cruelty of the real world. He wanted Pete to see only the beauty of the world, even though most of it was ugly.
Days later…
The rooftops were the safest place to practice as Peter's disguise during practice hid any trace of his identity, themed by the spider that gave him his powers.
Peter was a pro at this, even though he did slam into a few walls here and there. Though he couldn't make webs naturally, he could through science. The web-shooters were designed by himself, and Eddie did wonders as the eldest of the two were worried about Peter trying them out on the tallest building.
He doesn't need grey hairs before he turns thirty, but his little brother was too much.
"Check me out, Eddie! I'm soaring through the clouds!" Peter cheered as he was swinging around the buildings.
Eddie sighed and brought a medical kit just in case.
After some practice with his gifts, Peter wanted to use them to his advantage.
"Wrestling?" Eddie questioned the boy.
"Yeah, look! If I beat this guy, I get a big payday and everything! Uncle Ben, Aunt May… We can worry less about money problems." Petey grinned.
"Pete, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Hey, what is the point of having powers if you can't use them to benefit."
Eddie knew Peter had his mindset, and he couldn't stop him. All he asked was that he never reveal his identity to anyone or sign anything. As long as Peter did that, Eddie will go along with it and support him.
He should have stopped him from attending that fight.
After the homicide of Ben Parker, near an abandoned building…
Eddie was right to put that tracker in Petey's suit because when his brother first caught wind of where his uncle's killer would be, he was already off.
He should have never let Petey join the wrestling match! He was supposed to protect him from the ugliness of life, but now he was exposed to the first! Now, his bro could turn into a killer! No, no, not if Eddie had any say in this. He won't let Peter become a monster!
"Bro whatever you're thinking, don't do it! We can get through this together!" Eddie promised in his message as he couldn't reach Peter while driving on his motorcycle!
By the time he got there, it was already over. The killer was webbed up and caught, taken by police. Afraid, but alive. Eddie was never more relieved and prouder than at that moment. His brother made the right choice. He caught his uncle's killer without being one himself. Guess the old man's words really stuck to his head.
It wasn't hard to find him, being on the rooftop watching from below. Eddie approached Pete with his costume on but his mask off and in his hands. He sat by Peter, saying nothing, then hugging the distressed boy and letting him cry it out. He deserved to let out all the pain he suffered from, and Eddie needs to be the shoulder to cry on, especially since he failed to be a shield.
After getting out, they two turned home as Peter was in his normal clothes.
"I think-I think that this is what I meant to do. I should use these powers to protect this city and to stop the crooks. I can make sure no one has to go through what I went through."
"That is a dangerous game your playing, there is a good chance you could be killed," Eddie warned.
But Peter did not waver.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
And that was that. Afterward, while Peter became Spiderman, Eddie was there, supporting him and learning the secrets of the mutation in secret.