Along Came Spider-Man
Spider-Man x Young Justice Crossover
Chapter 1: Once Bitten
Shepard Family Home…
New York City…
Thursday, April 20, 6:35 am…
Jay slept in his bed, unable to wake even as his alarm blared in his room and sunlight broke through his curtains. He finally woke when his father entered his room and tossed a pillow straight at his head. When it hit, Jay fell out of bed as his father chuckled in amusement.
"What the hell was that, Dad?" Jay questioned as he rubbed his eyes and looked at his father. Kiran was five foot ten with brown hair and green eyes.
"You overslept your alarm, and you've been talking about your trip today for weeks, so get up already before you miss the bus." Kiran laughed as Jay jumped out of bed.
The trip his father was referring to was his school trip to Oscorp Industries, a major chemical and mechanical engineering company. It was famous due to its advancements in technology and chemical advancements, rivaling both LexCorp and Wayne Industries.
As an aspiring biochemical scientist, this was a dream come true. Even though his father worked in the New York division of Star Labs in the same field, Jay wasn't allowed to go too far in the building. To actually get to see some of the equipment up close was like an early Christmas.
"Thanks. I couldn't fall asleep till two in the morning last night." Jay thanked as he left his room.
"You're still okay with me going, right? I know how you don't like Oscorp." Jay asked his father.
"It's fine. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to see what the environment of your dream job is like. So don't worry about it." Kiran smiled.
"Just don't get sold on them and try and work for them in the future. Because this is how they get you." Kiran warned.
"They butter you up by showing you the nice side of Oscorp with the tour, and the next thing you know, it's five years later, and you're working from their basement!" Kiran exclaimed dramatically.
"I get it, Dad. I won't ever work for Oscorp. I know that they didn't use your work for the most good." Jay sighed as he went to take a shower. Getting in and out fast with no problem.
Jay was five foot five with black hair and blue eyes. He got dressed and wore a black sweatshirt and red t-shirt along with jeans and a pair of black sneakers. Once he was done getting dressed, he quickly grabbed his backpack and a banana before going to run to the bus.
"Oh, and don't forget I'll be staying overnight at the lab, so I won't be here when you get back." Kiran reminded his son.
"Got it!" Jay replied as he ran out of the townhouse.
"I can't believe I overslept on such a big day!" Jay thought as he ran towards his bus stop, quickly eating the banana.
Jay finally reached his bus stop only to see the bus slowly start to leave. In a panic, Jay ran faster and got the driver's attention by slapping the side of the bus. Eventually, the bus stopped and allowed Jay to enter.
"Geeze, try not to kill yourself, kid. You look exhausted." The driver commented as Jay got on the bus.
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Jay thanked as he walked down the aisle.
"Did you oversleep?" A voice asked as Jay sat down and turned to look at the owner. The person in question was Jett 'Storm' Reilly Jay's best friend.
Thinking about it, Jett was his only friend, as Jay usually kept to himself. It wasn't like he was incapable of making new ones. It was the fact that Jay just hated drama and chose to avoid it and live life simply. Though with Jett 'Storm', that could be easier said than.
His nickname was Storm, as he tinkered a lot with machinery, and most of the time, it ended…badly. Every time his tinkering caused a problem, it looked as if a storm had run through.
It was no surprise that he liked to tinker with machinery as his older sister and caretaker Sara was a lead scientist at Star Labs, which allowed them to connect. Sara was way more tech-savvy than Jett as she, so to speak, tinkered far more than he did.
Jett also didn't have too many friends as many saw him as too dangerous with all his tinkering. Jett himself was five foot nine and had blonde hair and blue eyes. He had the biggest grin as he saw from Jay's expression that he had guessed right.
"Yeah, I was a little too excited and couldn't get to sleep," Jay answered.
"That sounds like you." Jett laughed.
"But that being said, I didn't get a wink last night," Jett added, looking almost proud of the fact.
"How are you still conscious?" Jay questioned.
"Lot's and lots of coffee," Jett smirked as Jay deadpanned.
"The fact that you are not dead already is nothing short of a miracle." Jay sighed. Soon they arrived at school, and both placed their things in their lockers.
"So, have you made anything new recently?" Jay asked as they closed their lockers.
"Nothing much. I am working on this new pressurized launcher for instant ziplines." Jett boasted.
"I'm sure your sister is thrilled about you trying to be Batman." Jay sighed.
"Hey, I can handle any scoldings she throws at me," Jett argued as the two walked towards their first class before the trip.
"Look out!" A voice called from behind them as suddenly a basketball hit the back of Jay's head.
"Sorry about that, man. We were goofing off a little too much." The voice's owner apologized as a teacher walked out and scolded them for tossing the ball in the hallway.
"You okay?" Jett asked.
"Yeah. Why do they even allow those in the hall?" Jay wondered as they kept walking.
Oscorp Tower…
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have gathered you all here today because the world right now is facing a terrible new turmoil." Norman Osborn began.
He was currently presenting to several military and government personnel with his companies new upcoming innovation. Norman was going to change the face of the world as he had made a counter to the metahumans.
"Metahumans. Adults and children who have developed superhuman powers. These individuals have brought with them a new danger. The trafficking and enslavement of these super-powered individuals." Norman continued.
"The so-called heroes of the Justice League talk about helping the victims, and while that's all well and good, what will happen when metahumans are used against us?" Norman proposed.
"What will happen when the Justice League are unable to help us when our enemies use metahumans against our great country?" Norman questioned, piquing the personnel's interest.
"That is why I am here today to give you all the solution to bring the power needed to counteract our enemies into your own hands!" Norman smiled as he turned on a projector, which showed an image of a green vial.
"I present to you the Oz Formula, the first line of Super Soldier serums that will finally remove a need for a Justice League, and the power will be back with you." Norman declared.
"The Oz Formula increases the strength of any normal human tenfold and can make even the most unhealthy human into a superhuman ready to fight for our country!" Norman continued.
"Why really on vigilantes whom we don't know their real identities when we can rely on the men and women who serve to protect this country!?" Norman questioned, finishing his presentation.
Each of the people Norman was presenting to began to converse with one another in a low whisper. Norman waited patiently for their response and overall thoughts on his Oz Formula. Though if they did refuse his offer, he still had his other 'buyer.'
"Has there been any success with this formula?" One of the officials asked.
"We had tested it on various insects and arachnids like spiders. As you see here." Norman began as a wall slowly opened up to show several tanks with spiders filling them.
"Each has shown increased size, intelligence, and strength, and with your funding and permission, we can begin human testing of the Oz Formula," Norman responded.
"It's a tempting offer Norman, but we would have to take it by the president first and have it approved by the congress before we move any further." Another Offical stated.
"If they say no, I'm afraid you'll have to stop production, Norman." One Offical added as Norman.
"Understood. I would never dream of going against the law, I assure you." Norman replied, squeezing the remote in his hand tighter behind his back.
"I think we've seen enough for today. We'll let you know of the decision." An Offical stated as they all left. Norman sat down, satisfied with his work, though at the same time nervous.
If his request for human testing was denied, then his second buyer would not be happy, and he'd be in trouble. No doubt he would be forced to test on people illegally to satisfy him. As he was deep in thought, another man entered the meeting room.
"Is there something you need, Otto?" Norman inquired as Otto Octavius stood before him.
"Yes, uh, Mr. Osborn, I noticed you cut the funding to my department recently, and I just wanted to ask why?" Otto asked.
"You haven't gained any progress in months, Otto. We can't waste money on your project if you're not going to deliver." Norman answered.
"But I'm close, very close, sir!" Otto argued.
"The board and I don't see it that way, Otto, and if we don't see any results by the end of the month, we'll be shutting down your department," Norman stated.
"You can't! My work will change millions of lives for the better and will do more than this boondoggle with the Oz Formula!" Otto countered as he slapped the glass of one of the spider containers hard.
"The decision has already been made, Otto. There is nothing you can do to change it, so I suggest you get back to work. Immediately." Norman ordered.
"After all, LexCorp already has capable prosthetics, especially for the military. Unless you can beat that, then you're done." Norman added as he turned around.
"I-I understand," Otto replied as he sunk his head down and left.
What went unknown to either of them was that the tank Otto smacked loosened the lid allow the spider inside labeled 08 to escape and enter the air ducts. Once Otto left, Norman went to his office at the top of Oscorp tower, where he did most of his work.
Norman brushed his hair back and adjusted his suit as he walked towards his desk. As he walked over, he failed to notice a man standing in the far corner of his office. Before Norman could sit, the man spoke.
"I've been waiting for you, Osborn." A voice stated as Norman turned and saw him.
The man standing in the corner of his office wearing an orange hoodie and black pants both were very dirty. His hood was up, and he wore sunglasses to hide his eyes, but Norman was already very familiar with this man.
"What do you want?" Norman questioned in a strong, unwavering tone.
"I'm here for my fix and for your update for the boss." The man stated as Norman sat at his desk.
"I'm close to getting the go-ahead for human testing on the type three Oz Formula, so we'll see what it can do for him then. As for your fix…." Norman began as he opened a drawer and took out a small vial with green fluid inside.
"Type two Oz formula all for you," Norman stated as he placed it on his desk, and the man scampered over, quickly opening the vial and downed it.
"If you take it that fast the side effects will only get worse." Norman pointed out as the man's hood fell down, revealing the horrendous facial damage.
The man's face was severely damaged. His skin had become yellow and bumpy, which made him look almost inhuman. His eyes had blackened out around his pupils, and his irises had turned dark yellow. He looked almost like a monster as the rest of his body was following suit.
"You know, if you took your time with these doses, you wouldn't have gotten the name Hobgoblin," Norman stated as Hobgoblin broke the vial in his hand.
"Oh, I don't care. I've taken a liking to the name." Hobgoblin smirked with his sharp jagged yellow teeth.
"If that is all, you'll get your next dose next month," Norman replied.
"No, I've got another message from the boss. He wants you to know that human trials must start by next week regardless of whether or not you've gotten permission." Hobgoblin reported.
"I can't! If it got out that I did human testing without permission, I would be in ruins!" Norman argued.
"That didn't stop you from giving the type two formula to me, and you knew of its side effects." Hobgoblin pointed out as Norman put his head in his hands.
The Type Two Oz Formula was a near disaster as every test subject, whether it was a human or animal, died. Those who didn't suffer terrible side effects, one of which is bodily disfigurement. The others were a severe addiction to the formula and the effects only lasting a little over a month.
"So you already have that on you, so what's any more?" Hobgoblin laughed.
"I wouldn't be in this position if he didn't order me to do so," Norman argued.
"Well, this is what happens when you deal with us, Osborn," Hobgoblin replied.
"By the way, the new formula better be stronger than the Type two. Metas have been getting much stronger lately." Hobgoblin added as he left Norman's office.
"Damn." Norman cursed as he looked out his window.
He was beginning to think that he should have never gotten into this deal as he was running himself thin with the Oz Formula's development. But it would all be worth it if he could just perfect the formula.
"That school trip should arrive soon." Norman thought.
Midtown High…
Jay and Jett sat in their science class, waiting for their bus to arrive to bring them to Oscorp. While they waited, many in their class brought up the topic of having powers. Mostly about what powers they would want and how they would use them.
Personally, Jay didn't like the conversation as the very thought of being a metahuman scared him. He knew what they went through from what his father had told him, and it was terrifying. Jay hoped to never have to have power ever.
"The topic of being a meta making you uneasy?" Jett asked, bringing Jay out of his thoughts.
"Yep. All this talk about having powers just feels… old-fashioned, I guess. I mean, you know about the stuff that's happening nowadays, it feels bad to joke about this stuff." Jay responded.
"Plus, if you can't control whatever power you gain, you'll end up either hurting yourself or someone else," Jay added.
"Although you sound like an old man, I guess you're right," Jett replied.
"It still is nice to dream, though," Jett smirked.
"Personally, I think it would be cool to shoot flames and fly and stuff," Jett said.
"That sounds like you." Jay sighed.
"Hey, do you ever wonder if the Reach never came here, would people still discover metas?" Jett asked.
"That's tuff. I'd say it would only be a matter of time, but then again, it took them for us to even find it." Jay answered as their teacher entered the room.
"Alright, everyone mouths shut, please." Mr. Taylor ordered as he stood in the front of the class.
"In a few minutes, we will be boarding the bus to go to Oscorp, but I'm going to be setting some ground rules for this trip." Mr. Taylor began.
"First, the use of phones will be prohibited once inside the building." Mr. Taylor continued being interrupted by loud groans and whining.
"I don't want to hear it. This is a condition for the tour we are not allowed to be taking pictures. If they find you with your phone out, it's getting confiscated, so you've been warned." Mr. Taylor stated.
"Next, please keep it down while on tour. You're free to talk. Just keep it quiet so that we don't interrupt the guide." Mr. Taylor went on.
"Finally, you're going to be quizzed on what you're going to learn today, so pay attention. This isn't a day off school. We're going to Oscorp to learn not to goof off." Mr. Taylor finished.
"I doubt anyone's going to care for that rule," Jay whispered.
"Tell me about it." Jett agreed as they looked at many of their classmates who they knew wouldn't take that seriously.
"Okay, everyone, get up it is time to go!" Mr. Taylor exclaimed as everyone stood up and followed him to the bus.
It took thirty minutes to finally get there, and as Jay exited the bus, he stared at the towering skyscraper. Eventually, he stopped staring and joined with his class as he entered the building. As he entered the building, a man in an orange hoodie walked past him and out of the building.
"Welcome everyone to Oscorp Industries. I'm your tour guide Amber and I'll be showing you around our facilities today." Amber announced as she stood in front of the class.
"If you follow me, I will first show you to the mechanical engineering department," Amber added as she led the class along.
"I wonder what we'll get to see!" Jett exclaimed, very excited at what they were about to witness.
"As you can see, our scientists are hard at work making new advancements in several technological fields." Amber began as she led everyone to a window that showed several Oscorp scientists hard at work.
"Over here is Doctor Otto Octavius, who is working on top-of-the-line prosthetics to rival that of even LexCorp." Amber pointed out as everyone looked at Otto.
Otto was currently working on four large metallic arms that stretched far in the room. The scientist didn't even acknowledge their presence as he was hyper-focused on his work. With every adjustment he made, the arm twitched ever so slightly.
"Those look badass! I wish I could go in and take them apart to see how they work!" Jett smiled.
"You'd probably break them." Jay pointed out.
"True, but I would eventually figure it out," Jett replied.
"Really? Then why did you have to buy a new phone?" Jay asked as Jett sweatdropped.
"I didn't have the right equipment, okay. I learned a very important lesson that day." Jett defended.
"Still though, who needs arms that big?" Jay wondered.
"Where would they attach to the body?" Jay questioned.
"My sister always thought that Doctor Octavius got into this field because of an accident that years back." Jett began.
"Evidently, it took the life of his wife and kid, and he's making this so that rescue services can save people more efficiently." Jett continued.
"Then again, it's just what she thinks after all the guys got four Ph.D. s. Eventually, you've got to do something." Jett finished.
"True. But a reason like that. It's a good cause." Jay smiled. But as Jay looked at the arms, it felt almost eerie to look at. Though it was meant for good, the arms felt sinister.
Soon after, they continued moving on as they saw other technologies such as drones and even phones. But soon they reached the chemical facilities where they make new medicines for the people of the world.
While they were being shown around, the 08 spider that had escaped earlier came out of a vent and slowly descended. It landed on a table and slowly walked around, avoiding the eyes of employees.
"Here, we make the top-of-the-line medicine and other chemicals that help people get over several illnesses," Amber explained, leaving out the development of Super Soldier serums.
08 continued to make its way around as it crawled down and off the table to the floor. It crawled around before it came at Jay's leg. The spider slowly crawled up Jay's leg before getting on his back.
Before anyone could see the spider, it hid under Jay's hood as the group continued with the tour. Jay was particularly interested in this part as he watched several scientists work making new and dangerous chemicals to use. So much so he didn't notice the spider.
Oscorp was the main source of military weaponry besides LexCorp. They made chemicals to use in the field, such as acid that could burn through steel and pain killers. Though at least that was what the public knew as Oscorp was rumored to mess around with dangerous weaponry.
It was this that made Jay's father hate the company as he used to work for as he was fed up with profiting off of war. Eventually, Kiran Shepard joined Star Labs to actually help people with his knowledge.
As Jay was distracted with his own thoughts and the tour, he didn't notice as 08 moved to the inside of his hood. The movement was noticed by Jay, but as he couldn't see the spider, he brushed it off as just his imagination.
"So, do you have any nerd facts you can spit out my way?" Jett asked, wanting to test his friend's knowledge of everything around them.
"Well, sadly, most of this stuff is cutting edge. Without seeing a manual, I wouldn't even know where to begin with this stuff." Jay began.
"But I do know centrifuges when I see them," Jay stated as he pointed them out to Jett.
"Should have known better after all. Neither of us has really been in a lab before." Jett sighed.
"I still find it annoying that the farthest we can even get into Star Labs is the main entrance." Jay expressed.
"Yeah, well, we don't work there, and I rather not get tased…again," Jett replied, remembering the one time he attempted to sneak in.
"That's true. From what you explained, that hurts." Jay agreed as he patted Jett on the back and continued with the tour.
Norman Osborn's Office…
Norman typed away on his computer, preparing for Oz Formula type three's human trials, when he got a notification on his desktop. It was a sensor from one of the spider tanks, and to his surprise and dismay, it stated that one of the spiders was missing.
Getting up, he went back to the conference room to make sure it wasn't just a mishap, but it was just as it had been indicated. Spider 08 had somehow gotten out of its tank and is now loose in the building.
"Damn, I need to catch it before anyone finds it." Norman thought.
Norman sent a notice to everyone in the building to be on the lookout for the spider. He also sent an order to the tour guide to wrap it up soon and get the students out of the building. The last thing he needed was 08 hitching a ride and getting out of the building.
Student Group…
"It seems like we're going to need to head back to the front of the building to finish up the tour," Amber announced as she received Norman's order.
"But I thought we were supposed to see more of the facilities?" Mr. Taylor questioned.
"Sorry, but Mr. Osborn has ordered a small lockdown as a test animal has escaped, and we don't want to risk your lives. But as compensation, you may come again any time for a full tour." Amber responded.
"Well, I guess that's acceptable. Besides this way, we can study for the test next week." Mr. Taylor replied, getting annoyed groans from the students.
As the tour guide led them back to the front, 08 crawled out of Jay's hood and began to crawl down his right arm. Jay turned to look at the feeling he had from his neck first before he looked at his arm, finally seeing 08.
"What the hell!" Jay shouted as everyone turned and noticed the large spider that was on Jay's hand.
Amber immediately recognized the spider with its abnormal size and the 08 on its back, but before she could do anything, Jay went to slap it off of his hand. Seeing the clear attack from its many eyes, 08 reacted to this clear threat by biting down onto Jay's hand.
Jay yelped in pain as 08 dropped down, but before it could get too far, Jett stomped on it, killing it. Everyone surrounded Jay as Amber tried to think of what she had to do next as Oscorp couldn't get any bad wrap about this.
"Are you okay?" Amber asked.
"I'm fine. It just hurts." Jay answered as he looked at his swelling hand.
"I must apologize. Usually, we have pest control get rid of any insects in the building to prevent any from contaminating samples. This one must have gotten in under the radar," Amber lied, making it look like it wasn't the escaped specimen.
"Thankfully, this spider isn't poisonous." Amber lied once more.
"We'll get him to the nurse back in the school if anything bad happens," Mr. Taylor said as Amber finally led them to the front, and the class left.
"I've never seen a spider like that before," Jett murmured though he believed that someone who works in a lab would know better even if she was just a tour guide at the moment.
"Get me in contact with Mr. Osborn. We have a problem." Amber ordered over the radio as her expression became serious.
"Have you found 08?" Norman questioned as he answered the radio.
"Yes, it's dead, and it bit one of the touring students," Amber reported.
"Is the student dead?" Norman questioned.
"No, but we don't know what the spider's venom will do to him," Amber responded.
"Find out who it is and make sure that if he dies, it isn't connected with Oscorp, and if he doesn't, I want a sample of his blood to see what may happen to him," Norman ordered.
"Understood, sir," Amber replied.
Later…
Though the trip was cut short, it was still enjoyable for the most part, for Jay got to see lots of new things. However, as time passed by, Jay began to feel ill as his hand became very swollen from the spider bite.
When he went to the nurse's office, he was found to have a fever and was told to go home. As he waited for his father, who took off work immediately upon hearing of his condition, Jay began experiencing headaches that came and went. When his father finally did get him, he was a sweating mess.
"You're a mess. We should get you to a doctor." Kiran suggested.
"It's just a cold," Jay argued.
"Colds don't come all of the sudden when you were fine in the morning, plus I want that bite checked out, so we're going. I don't want you getting too sick." Kiran stated.
"I want to make sure you're going to be fine. I don't trust what the people at Oscorp say." Kiran added.
"Fine." Jay sighed as he sat in the back of his father's car. They were at the hospital in minutes, and when they got there, Jay was diagnosed with minor spider poisoning and given medicine.
When he was at the hospital, they took his blood before allowing him to leave but unknown to them, they were paid off by Oscorp. The blood sample was later given to Norman Osborn himself for personal study.
Once they left the hospital, they went straight home, where Kiran told his son to go to bed and that he would take the rest of the day off to look after him. As he entered his room, his headache returned with a passion.
It became so bad that Jay gripped the doorknob to his bedroom in pain before collapsing on his bed. Unknown to him, as he went into unconsciousness, the doorknob he had gripped was crushed due to the strength of his grip as he laid unconscious.
During his sleep, he sweated profusely as he had vicious nightmares of monsters of all sizes. Eventually, he found himself in a dark void as he was covered by several small spiders that crawled over his body.
Jay slapped them off as he began to panic. The spiders that were slapped off then began to converge and became far larger monsters that knocked Jay around. When they were done with him, Jay was thrown down the void until he was stuck in a large web.
He struggled in the web to no avail before looking around seeing the web looking almost alive as it seemed some energy flowed within the threads. The energy felt powerful as he looked at the never-ending web that seemed to go somewhere beyond what he could comprehend.
While he slept, his DNA began to change due to the Oz Formula type three that was injected into 08 and transferred through the spider's venom. It broke apart before reassembling itself over and over until his entire DNA was altered.
His body began to change as his skin peeled off to reveal new skin below, and the old disintegrated. Jay tossed and turned throughout the night as the changes in his body grew more and more defined as the sun rose.
Jay woke up still in his clothes from the previous day, covered in sweat. Thankfully it seemed whatever caused his fever had passed, and the swelling in his hand had stopped. He also felt a lot better than normal, like really good, in fact.
It was then that he noticed that he stunk to high heaven. But sweating out a fever all night long while still in a sweatshirt would do that. Jay took off his shirt and hoodie and went to take a shower when he noticed some changes in the mirror.
"What the hell?" Jay questioned as he looked at his own reflection.
Now Jay was about average in terms of physicality as he never usually worked out, so he was about average. But in the mirror, he noticed he now had an entire six-pack and defined muscles. Not only that, but looking down and around, he noticed he was taller too!
Before, he was five foot five, but now he was a least five foot seven, maybe five foot eight. Jay took a couple of minutes to inspect himself in the mirror before turning back to the door. That is when he noticed the crushed doorknob.
"How did this happen!" Jay gasped as he stared in despair at his doorknob.
"Dad's going to kill me!" Jay panicked as he slowly turned the busted knob.
"You're looking better," Kiran commented, causing Jay to jump slightly as he turned to look at his father.
"Y-Y-Yeah, I feel better," Jay replied.
"You had a big growth spurt last night," Kiran stated as he looked at his son up and down.
"Oh yeah, so it seems. Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are." Jay agreed. Just as Kiran was going to question it some more, he took several whiffs in the air and smelled his son's odor.
"Okay, get in the shower already! If you feel better, then go to school but if you feel sick again, come home understood." Kiran ordered as he walked downstairs.
"I'll be staying at the lab for real this time and probably over the weekend to make up for taking yesterday off," Kiran announced.
"Understood," Jay replied as he entered the bathroom carefully, not wanting to break another doorknob if it was him that did it.
Once inside, he moved the shower curtains and turned on the water, but as he went to close the curtains, he found them stuck to his hand. Jay waved his hand around to get it off, but he saw that it wasn't working, so he decided to pull it off.
But when he did, it still stuck to him, tearing off a good chunk. Thankfully it was only the outer layer, but now the inner was stuck on his other hand. Gently he managed to get his hand off, but then the matt below him stuck to his foot.
Jay stumbled around for a few minutes before finally getting everything off of him. He chopped it off as being sticky from soaking in sweat all night and got in the shower. When he finished, he got out and put on a new set of clothes. Walking downstairs, Jay poured himself a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
"Let's see what's on the news," Jay said as he turned on the TV.
"Good morning. I am G. Gordan Godfrey with GBS." Gordan greeted as his show began.
"Today, I'm back talking about the metafreaks that are plaguing our society." Gordan continued.
"Yeah, I'm not watching this prick," Jay muttered as he changed the channel.
"J. Jonah Jameson here with the Daily Bugle today we're talking about the rise in metahumans in society lately and the trafficking that has come from it." Jonah began.
"Better than Godfrey, at least." Jay sighed as he began eating.
"We've seen a dramatic increase in kids with the metagene lately, and with that came an increase of trafficking, and what will that lead to, I ask?" Jonah continued.
"My fellow citizens of New York, this reporter believes that we'll see a new surge of crime!" Jonah declared.
"If kids are able to gain meta powers, then when will gangs obtain the power? When will organized crime get the powers without trafficking children!?" Jonah stated.
"I think it's only a matter of time before the streets are filled with super-powered criminals! And when that day comes, I wonder where the Justice League will be?" Jonah added.
"With their new regulations, who's out there to protect us from the other threats that aren't global? While I still believe in our men and women in blue, what can they do against people with power to topple buildings!?" Jonah questioned.
"He makes a fair argument." Jay thought as he continued to watch.
"While I'm up to regulating the actions of the Justice League worldwide, what will we do when the inevitable happens, people?" Jonah asked
"I mean, look at this guy," Jonah stated as an image of what looked like a man flying on some sort of standing glider with an orange cape.
"This guy has been flying around New York at night causing terror wherever he goes. Eye witness reports that he has super strength and uses some sort of high-tech bombs." Jonah explained.
"So where's the so-called heroes to deal with this maniac, I ask you?" Jonah questioned.
"Nowhere leaving us high and dry!" Jonah declared before Jay turned off the TV.
While Jay did see what Jonah was arguing for, he didn't want to hear any more about the news on metahumans. He usually already heard it all from his father, who told him the basics but couldn't tell him the in-depth details.
When he went to put his bowl in the sink, he noticed that the remote was stuck to his hand, and after a bit of work, he got it off. Afterward, he washed his hand thoroughly to make sure they weren't sticky and grabbed his backpack to go to school.
As he ran to the bus stop, he felt lighter on his feet as he made it in record time and got on the bus. Jay quickly walked down the aisle and sat next to Jett, who was glad to see that his friend was doing better.
"You're looking better than when you did when you left yesterday," Jett commented.
"I'm feeling a lot better too. I'm just glad that spider wasn't overly poisonous." Jay replied.
"But hey, if it was, you could have sued Oscorp for a lot of money," Jett smirked.
"Yeah, I don't need that. Besides, the doctors said I would have been fine but gave me medicine just in case." Jay sighed as the bus drove off to Midtown High.
Once they arrived at school, both exited the bus and put their stuff away in their lockers. They went their separate ways after that as they had different first periods that day. As Jay walked to his first-class, the Basketball players from the other day were passing him.
They were messing around with a basketball in their hands on the way to return it to the storage. However, as they did so, one slapped it out of the other's hand as a little prank though they hit a little too hard.
It flew into the air and came right towards the back of Jay's head. When it got close to him, Jay felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He felt like his hold body was screaming at him to move as he turned around and caught the ball with his free hand.
"Whoa, nice catch!" One of the players complimented as they retrieved the ball and apologized before leaving.
As they left, Jay stood there and tried to comprehend what just happened. He was never able to do that before, especially as he never really played sports. Then there was the feeling that tingle of sorts that felt like it warned him it was coming.
He snapped out of it when he noticed he was going to be late if he didn't go to class then and there and bolted to it. Thankfully he managed to make it on time just as the bell rang and sat down at his desk.
Hours Later…
Jay had managed to make it to lunch, thankfully, as his day just seemed to get weirder. After he got to class, items once again began to stick to his hands. Not only that, but later on, he seemed to put too much pressure on his desk as it split in two.
The teacher chalked it up to the desk, most likely near broken as it seemed Jay put little to no force on it. But it didn't feel like the desk was about to break. In fact all class it was very sturdy. Jay sighed as he sat next to Jett.
"You look like you had a rough day." Jett pointed out.
"You're telling me. I feel like something's just off." Jay replied.
"Like what?" Jett asked.
"I don't know just…everything, I guess," Jay answered as he began to eat.
"Well, hey, get this. I hear that they're letting us go back to Oscorp next month because we had to leave early," Jett reported.
"Cool, I was bummed that we didn't get to see the whole thing," Jay smirked.
"Oh yeah!" Jett exclaimed as the two high-fived. But when they did, their hands got stuck together, and it took lots of force to separate.
"Ow, what are you eating, man?" Jett questioned.
"Just a burger," Jay responded.
"Maybe you've had enough. No offense, of course." Jett suggested.
"Yeah, I'm not that hungry anyway." Jay agreed as he got up to throw what was left away.
"What is going on with me today?" Jay wondered as he brought his tray up and placed it with the other dirty trays.
However, when he went to leave, the tray stuck to his hand. Jay waved it a little to get it off before going to pull it off of him. When it finally came off, he accidentally bumped into someone behind him whose food fell onto another student.
"Oh no." Jay thought as the student who had food fall on him picked up food and threw it at the student whose food had gotten all over him.
In retaliation, the other threw more food as the first student ducked, causing another student to be hit. Eventually, a full-on food fight started in the cafeteria as Jay, along with Jett, ducked out of the cafeteria.
"Damn, I never thought I would see a real food fight." Jett laughed as Jay looked at his hands.
"What's going on with me?" Jay questioned as he and Jett watched the monitors break up the food fight.
Oscorp Norman's Office…
Norman looked at the screen of his computer as the results of Jay's blood came in. His DNA was drastically changing. He was sure from just looking at it. But since the blood was no longer in his body, Norman could tell what would become of it.
From what it seemed, his DNA was breaking apart at the seams, and if anything, it could kill him if it doesn't reconstruct itself. Norman needed a fresh sample so that he can see what the type three Oz Formula had done to the boy.
"Damn! There's no way to know whether he will die or become a super soldier!" Norman thought.
"I need a fresh sample!" Norman seethed.
"But I can't get another like last time!" Norman shouted.
"Without a proper test…." Norman began as reality set in.
He was wearing thin as his contractor for the Oz Formula Type Three needed human testing sooner than he could get permission for. If things continued like this, he would have to take drastic measures to get what needed to be done, done.
"I've got to do what needs to be done," Norman stated.
Shepard Family Home…
Jay slowly closed the door to his home as he walked upstairs to his room. Once he entered, he recalled his broken doorknob, and for the time being, he placed a shirt over it to hide it. Afterward, he fell on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"Today was just a mess." Jay sighed as he looked at his left hand.
"Why is everything sticking to me?" Jay wondered as he turned to look at one of his pillows.
Just to make sure he wasn't crazy, he placed his hand on the pillow, and it stuck to it. He eventually got it off, but he couldn't figure out why it was happening. The more he thought about it, the more he became concerned about what was happening.
"What the hell is going on?" Jay questioned as he touched his hands.
"They don't feel sticky," Jay murmured as he looked at his wall.
"It couldn't be right?" Jay wondered as he grew increasingly worried.
He placed one hand on the wall, and just like with many things that morning, it stuck. He tested it again after getting it off, placing his left hand higher up on the wall. When it stuck, he placed his foot on the wall, which also stuck.
Taking his time and being very careful, he began to scale the wall of his room, managing to eventually make it to his ceiling. When he found himself upside down looking at the floor below, he fully understood his situation.
"This can't be happening!" Jay denied as he fell from the ceiling to the floor.
"Nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono!" Jay panicked, beginning to hyperventilate in a panic.
"But I tested negative for the metagene. How? Just HOW?" Jay questioned as he rushed to find his phone.
However, as he panicked, he could not control his newfound strength, for when he grabbed onto his phone, he crushed it. Unable to contact his father as they had no house phone, Jay had no choice but to walk to Star Labs.
"This is going to be a fun conversation." Jay sighed as he managed to put his shoes on and walk outside.
With each step he took towards Star Labs, his heart pounded harder and harder. It was nerve-racking just walking around knowing that he could be meta and that if people saw this would never be the same.
God only knows if something else happened during the middle of his trip, like something that hasn't happened until that point. Pushing those thoughts aside, Jay focused on moving along and steadily to Star Labs.
Eventually, he made it five blocks away from Star Labs as Jay could see the roof of the building from the intersection he was at. When he had the light, he began to walk across the street when it happened again.
The tingling sensation that came from the back of his neck. It spread throughout his body as if it was warning him of something. All he knew is that everything in his being told him to jump out of the way.
Jay jumped, and to his surprise, it was high as he somehow jumped from the middle to the crosswalk clear to the other side. Before he could question how he did that, he turned to see a car speed through the intersection, running the light.
"If I didn't move, that would have hit me!" Jay realized as many looked at him. Acting quickly, he jumped up and ran, not wanting to waste any more time as he booked it straight towards Star Labs.
Star Labs…
"Okay, come in here." Kiran requested as he opened the main door to Star Labs for Jay.
When Jay arrived at Star Labs, it took some convincing until the guards finally went inside and fetched his father. Jay gave his father the short version of what had been happening to him that day.
"I should have realized something had happened when I saw your growth spurt this morning." Kiran sighed as he led Jay through Star Labs.
"Well, to be fair, I didn't realize it either I mean, I thought it was strange, but I knew I was negative for the metagene. Or maybe not." Jay replied.
"That's what we're going to find out, and then we're going to make sure we get you the help you need," Kiran assured.
"I just hope those doctors at the hospital don't notice anything." Kiran sighed.
"Just to be sure…I'm not in trouble with breaking my doorknob or phone, right?" Jay questioned.
"Of course not. You need to stop seeing the bad outcomes of everything." Kiran responded as he and Jay entered his lab.
This was the first time Jay had been inside his father's lab as Star Labs wasn't open to the public. Though in his current predicament, Jay couldn't enjoy the experience. As they entered, the only other person within was his father's partner Doctor Curtis Connors, a man who was like an uncle to Jay.
He was currently injecting a formula from the syringe into a small amount of blood below a microscope. Curt adjusted the magnification with his left hand before placing the syringe down with his right.
"Jay, it's good to see you again though I wish it was on happier terms." Curt greeted as he got up and shook hands with Jay.
"It's good to see you too, Uncle Curt," Jay replied as he tried to let go, but his hand was stuck.
"I see, so this is the power you developed," Curt commented as they finally separated.
"Honestly, I never thought super stickiness was ever going to be a thing." Curt laughed as he got a fresh syringe.
"Well, it's not just that. I think I'm stronger too, but I haven't bothered to test it. Then when I was coming here, I was almost hit by a car, but I felt a sensation that seemed to warn me of the incident." Jay explained.
"Can you show us how much you can stick to things?" Kiran requested.
"Sure," Jay responded as he jumped up to a nearby wall and clung there.
"Amazing." Curt gasped as Jay slowly got himself down.
"You said you had increased strength too right?" Kiran asked.
"Yeah, I did crush my doorknob and phone," Jay answered as his father picked a wrench.
"I want you to try and bend this." Kiran requested.
Jay nodded his head and took the wrench from his father, and grabbed it with both hands. He then easily bent the wrench and took it further, and he squished it into a ball. When he was done, he handed it back to his father.
"Incredible, you seem to now have super strength." Kiran mused as he inspected the wrench.
"But how could this happen, though? I was supposed to be metagene negative?!" Jay questioned, reminding them that he was tested.
"Well, we're going to find out, son," Kiran responded as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"I'm going to get the previous blood sample we had when we first tested him for the metagene. Curt, if you would please get a new blood sample." Kiran requested as he left.
"Stay still, please." Curt requested as he took Jay's left arm. Curt then poked Jay with the syringe as he was unable to pierce the boy's skin.
"Ow!" Jay shouted.
"Sorry, it seems your skin is more durable than before. I'm going to have to use a stronger syringe. Give me a moment." Curt stated as he placed the syringe he was using down.
"The doctors managed to get some yesterday." Jay sighed.
"I see. Then maybe we should analyze your skin later." Curt murmured.
He quickly returned with a new syringe, this one being able to pierce Jay's skin and draw blood though it still hurt more than normal for the boy. Soon his father came back with a vial of his blood from a couple of months ago when they tested him for the metagene.
"Okay, let's see what happened to you." Kiran declared as he placed Jay's old blood sample and the new one in separate microscopes connected to a projector.
"What's this?" Curt gasped as they looked at the two samples.
"There's no sign of the metagene at all!" Kiran shouted in shock.
"But how could this be? There should be at least some sign of the metagene somewhere." Curt replied as he adjusted the microscopes.
"Wait, what is this?" Curt questioned as he looked at one specific cell of Jay's blood.
"There does seem to be some change but to his very DNA. Something happened to his fundamental being!" Curt pointed out.
"Is that bad? That sounds bad!" Jay inquired.
"We don't know yet, but this will take some time to work out," Curt responded.
"But this has never been seen before. I can't even begin to understand what has happened to your body." Curt added.
"In the meantime, we should find out more of what you can do," Kiran stated.
"Plus, we don't want you sticking to everything," Kiran added.
"That's true because I tore the shower curtain this morning," Jay replied.
"Wait, you didn't tell me that!" Kiran shouted.
"Oh uh…I might have forgotten to mention that." Jay sighed.
"It's fine as long as you didn't bust down a wall…you didn't, right?" Kiran asked.
"Of course not. Unless something happened to a wall while neither of us was home." Jay responded.
"Well, either way, whatever is happening with you right now, we'll get through it together," Kiran assured as he gave his son a smile.
Hours Later…
Jay was getting the hang of control when he would and wouldn't stick to a surface. As long as he remained calm, he was able to do it slowly. Any loss in concentration, however, resulted in him falling on his butt.
During the time he practiced, Jay got to meet some of his father's co-workers. They were all really nice as they were understanding of Jay's situation. But there was one thing that remained in the back of his mind.
He knew that he couldn't just stay like this forever if he didn't figure out what has happened to him or control his powers. If he didn't, he might just end up at Taos, a facility for metahumans. Though the place certainly could help, he felt better if he could stay and try to hide his powers.
"But then again, sometimes you just need to take what life throws at you." Jay thought as he placed his right hand higher on the wall.
"Still though, being this high up is making me nervous, but any normal person would have the same reaction." Jay thought as he looked down to the ground.
Normally a fall from that height would definitely break some bones though he didn't know about if it could to him now. Suddenly Curt came running into the room, startling Jay enough for him to lose his grip though he caught himself with one hand.
"Kiran, you need to see this!" Curt shouted as he noticed Jay hanging from the wall.
"Sorry, Jay, I didn't mean to startle you." Curt apologized as Jay slowly made his way back to the floor.
"It's fine, just a little heart attack," Jay replied as he breathed a sigh of relief to be back on the floor.
"What's wrong, Curt? Did you find something?" Kiran asked.
"It would be better if you both see," Curt replied as both followed him to the lab.
"I was looking for exactly how Jay has been experiencing his new powers when I found this." Curt began as he showed an image overhead.
"This is what Jay's DNA is supposed to look like. Normal. Absolutely human with no trace of the metagene." Curt continued before switching images.
"And this is his DNA now." Curt went on as the image in front of them showed drastic differences.
His DNA looked to be it was spliced with some green variant that had several bumps within it. It looked like some growths had grown on it. Even then, the metagene was still absent, meaning something had caused this to happen that was not meta-related.
"Something must have caused this, and that something is this," Curt explained as he focused on the green parts.
"Upon further inspection, it seems that this has a residue of some unknown steroid or genetic recompiler that I've never seen before. It also shows properties of another species that isn't human, meaning that Jay wasn't injected with it." Curt went on.
"Does that mean something gave it to me? Like rabies is given to a human by a bite." Jay asked.
"Precisely, if we can find out what could have transferred it to you then see exactly what the substance is, we may be able to reverse the process," Curt explained.
"I can go back to normal?" Jay inquired.
"That is if you can find out what transferred it to you." Kiran pointed out.
"The only thing that bit me recently was the spider yesterday at Oscorp," Jay replied.
"At Oscorp, huh?" Curt murmured as he and Kiran exchanged glances.
"They did say it was a normal spider," Jay stated.
"Son, when it comes to Oscorp, nothings that simple, trust me." His father replied.
"Didn't you say Jett killed the spider?" Kiran asked.
"Yeah, he stomped it just after it bit me," Jay answered.
"But if it was the spider, I remember they had to stop the tour early because an experiment broke loose." Jay pointed out.
"Now, that can't be a coincidence. The Oscorp I remember never would tell the truth if one of their experiments broke free," Kiran muttered.
"Sadly, without proof, we can't be certain, and we can't go probing around for evidence, so in the meantime, we'll just have to get you situated." Kiran sighed.
"Though we don't have concrete proof, some of his powers help the theory about the spider being the culprit as it would explain the sticking and even the danger detection." Curt pointed out.
"I've heard that some species of spiders have a six sense that can warn them of immediate danger," Curt explained.
"Even so, we can't just go to the press or the police and say that Oscorp accidentally gave my son meta-like powers. Plus, since he's not technically a meta, Taos may be out of the option." Kiran murmured.
"In the meantime, he'll stay around Star Labs with us until we can figure this situation out," Curt suggested.
"What about school? If I don't get things together, I may not be able to go! Trust me, cause I may or may not have started a food fight today because of the stickiness." Jay inquired.
"Missing a few days of school shouldn't be a problem, and once we get the sticky situation and your strength is taken care of, you can go back," Kiran assured.
"Okay." Jay smiled.
Osborn Residence…
Norman Osborn looked out from his penthouse's balcony, holding a drink in his hand as he waited for his guest to arrive. He was thinking about the situation he was placed with as he was pressed to do a human test with the Oz Formula and this situation with the student.
"You know I never thought you would require my services." Hobgoblin laughed as he dropped down from the sky from his glider.
"So, what's the deal?" Hobgoblin asked.
"I've got a problem. Yesterday a touring student was bitten by a spider imbued with Oz Formula type three. I've learned that his name is Jay Shepard, and his father works for Star Labs." Norman began.
"No doubt he's noticed some changes in his body, so I want you to bust into Star Labs and get a sample of his blood and destroy any evidence that Oscorp was responsible." Norman requested.
"Oh, someone made an oopsie." Hobgoblin chuckled.
"Look at it this way if the formula worked, then I may not even have to do the human trials," Norman replied.
"All right, fine, I'll do it. But I expect to be paid for this as my employer wouldn't be too happy otherwise." Hobgoblin accepted.
"Very well, I'll pay you five million once the job is done," Norman stated.
"Excellent," Hobgoblin smirked as he hopped back onto his glider.
"Oh, what about the kid and the employees at Star labs?" Hobgoblin questioned.
"Casualties happen in this line of work, so don't let them get in the way. If you do see the kid. Kill him." Norman answered as he tossed Hobgoblin a photo of Jay he had from CCT.
"Goodie." Hobgoblin cackled as he flew off from the penthouse.
Author's Note:
Whew, that was fun. I hoped you guys enjoyed as this is the first fic I've written over comic book superheroes. I think I did pretty good, all things considered, and hopefully made enough distinctions between Jay and Peter Parker as I wanted to use an OC for this story. The main reason for this is because I find a lot more creative freedom working with an OC, so that's why I chose to do so.
One big difference between the two that stands out most is that he's not as tech-savvy as Peter, which is a reason I have Jett here, but beyond that, the differences will be more fleshed out later. I didn't want to overstuff this chapter, which already set up several villains and Spider-Man himself.
Though that being said, I want to say not all of the villains will be the original people like Otto Octavius and Norman Osborn. But there will be some original versions of certain villains of which I will not reveal yet.
So yeah, I went with the Oz Formula here as I thought it would make most sense with the rise of metas in the Young Justice universe. As for anyone who is wondering when this takes place, it takes place a few months or so before season 3 started, if you couldn't tell.
I would go further into explaining, but I don't want to spoil anything. So that's all I have to say for now. Hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you next time.