He bit into a sandwich as he walked towards the door, his camera hanging around his neck. Behind him, Ben approached as he put on his coat.

It had been a while since he had last been out with his aunt and uncle, even if only to watch a movie or go shopping with them. Between Uncle Ben's work, Aunt May's accident and everything else, there hadn't been many opportunities. He admitted that he missed it.

On top of all these obstacles, when he used the excuse that he'd been lying in bed for too long, his aunt and uncle readily agreed. The truth was that he wanted some time alone.

He was dying to test his new body. Or the new evolution of his body. Or something like that. He felt better than he ever had before, and apparently possessed attributes that ordinary humans could only imagine...

He was getting anxious just thinking about everything that-

"Hey, May." His thoughts were interrupted by a friendly voice calling for his aunt. His eyes turned to the neighbors, and his gaze focused on the two figures who were now talking to May.

Madeline Watson, and of course, her daughter, Mary Jane Watson. They had been neighbors for a long time, a little over half a decade perhaps. He liked Madeline, she was very nice, actually. And surprisingly funny.

No wonder he was closer to her than to her daughter. Ben and May became fast friends with her when she moved in, and sometimes she came to visit them for dinner.

Mary Jane rarely came with her.

"You should come next Friday. They'll love to see that you're walking again." Madeline said, kind as ever. Despite being far away, he could hear perfectly what they were saying. The neighborhood was very friendly, and occasionally, some of the neighbors would organize some kind of get-together among the locals.

Whether it was a simple barbecue night, a game to watch or a "ladies' night". Now that he thought about it, it would be good for May.

"Madeline. Mary Jane." His uncle greeted them just after closing the door, raising a hand towards them.

"Hey, Ben. Hey, Peter! I'm going to make the same invitation I made to May. You should come next Friday." She said gently. Peter smiled at her and nodded, ignoring the slight gasp Mary Jane gave. She didn't look angry, just tired, considering her irregular heartbeat. Not only that, but he could smell the faint scent of sweat mixed with another slightly acidic odor, very subtle, she probably hadn't been able to sleep that night and had spent the whole time tossing and turning in bed-

...

Dayum

He ran his hand across his eyes, pushing the thought away. Holy shit, super nose too? Now it made sense that his nose had been numb all morning. It seemed that, however those changes had occurred, his body was still getting used to them.

That was so cool to imagine... but it also seemed so... wrong. He tried to ignore the faint smell of blood coming from Madeline.

"Of course. We really needed it..." Ben said, putting one of his hands in his pocket as he walked to the car.

"You guys should come over for dinner sometime." May said, and Madeline nodded with a smile.

"Of course. We'll see when it's a nice day. Have a great day." She said goodbye, and Mary Jane, in a more reserved manner, did the same. Peter blinked in mild surprise when he saw her looking at him.

She hadn't noticed his changes, had she? Hmm... nah.

She was probably wondering why he was wearing such baggy clothes. He'd never had a refined sense of fashion, but this seemed to be... "too much" even by his standards.

In his defense, it wasn't at all normal to gain 10 kilos of muscle in two days, people would certainly notice that and he had no idea how to explain it.

After all, until two days ago, his arm was as thick as the leg of his school chair... he didn't need any more problems.

... Wait, did he have a super sense of smell?

Aaaargh, Flash encounters would be even more unpleasant.

Ben started the car and they set off a few minutes later. Peter, in the back seat, found all the buildings and people speeding past the window annoying. It wasn't like motion sickness or anything, it was more like... they were in slow motion. It was strange, the world seemed to be moving in slow motion while the car continued at a constant speed, and he didn't quite know how to react.

So he just focused on looking at the pictures on the camera. He didn't have time to get to the photos he'd taken of the exhibition. He mentally scolded himself for not having taken a picture of the spider that had bitten him.

It might come in handy in the future.

"Peter, honey, where are your glasses?" May asked suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts. Peter blinked a few times, only now remembering that little detail.

"Oh, I... my eyesight isn't so bad, Aunt May. I can manage a day without them." He made an excuse, if that could be considered an excuse.

"Hm... speaking of which, I have to make an appointment for you. I think it's about time." That... made him curious. But at the same time, he didn't think it would be a good idea.

"Don't worry about it, Aunt May." He said, looking at one of the photos he'd taken.

That one had turned out great... maybe he'd use it as wallpaper.

As soon as they arrived, he was bombarded with all the sounds, the colors, the different strong smells that made him want to sneeze.

The park was busy because it was the weekend. Normally, the times he went there he liked to take photos, or do his homework/read a physics book under a tree with an ice cream in his hands, something his uncle had commented on a few times.

In other words, a nice, relaxed and fun time.

Now, however, it was difficult to even walk. He was feeling nauseous, too much at once. His skin seemed hypersensitive even to the air, the noise was too loud at times and returned to normal shortly afterwards.

He felt... afraid. He knew it, his body was limiting itself. Superhearing would make him suffer much more than he was suffering now in a realistic view. He feared that this limitation would suddenly break down and he would be bombarded with so many deafening noises.

Unconsciously... how the fuck was he supposed to control that?

"You all right there, champ?" Ben suddenly caught his eye, only then did Peter realize that he was pressing his hand against his ear.

He swallowed a sudden urge to vomit due to his sense of smell and pulled himself together.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm still recovering, but I'm fine." He said quickly, increasing the speed of his steps. "Come on, I want to take some pictures."

He could feel his uncles' gazes on his back, could hear them-

Jesus, Parker, get a grip

The hours passed quickly. Not as fast as Peter wanted, but no matter, he was happy to see his uncles having a moment to themselves.

At that moment, he raised his camera and pointed it at them. His uncle was commenting something about a man doing a handstand. The man seemed to smile a little in bewilderment, perhaps even embarrassment, while his uncle and aunt laughed amusedly.

He took a photo of them at that moment, one more in a group of dozens. The afternoon sun made the lighting great, and he found himself smiling involuntarily as he looked at the photo while his aunt and uncle walked through the park hugging each other.

As the afternoon drew to a close, his uncle mentioned that it was time for them to head back.

"Ah, I'd like to stay here a bit longer." He said just after he told him they were coming back. "I want to train in natural light, and the evening light is perfect for some photos."

He noticed his aunt's slight concern. Understandable given that he had been in bed for days. But it wasn't the first time he'd been alone in that park.

"Well, I guess it's okay." Ben said after a few moments, shrugging and reaching for his wallet. "Here. You have a habit of not watching the time go by, buy yourself something to eat in case it gets too late. But I'll come here at 11 o'clock if you don't text me by then." He said.

Peter nodded and took the thirty dollars. It was more than he normally got, 15 dollars more to be specific. But, well, he really had been eating more lately.

"You got it. Thanks, Uncle Ben. See you, Aunt May." He said. They said goodbye, and Peter watched them walk to the car.

Minutes later, he watched as the car disappeared down the street. A sigh escaped his lips. He had spent the day waiting for this moment.

He turned and walked at a fast pace to the edge of the park. He had to slow down a little because he was going too fast... too fast for someone who wasn't running.

There was a place nearby that he visited sometimes. An abandoned train station. He had discovered it last year by pure chance when Flash had decided to make him a punching bag to vent his anger at having gotten a terrible grade in a test in which Peter was his partner.

My, how he regretted doing that. So much so that he could even dance at the sight of Flash's red face.

He regretted nothing!

He looked around and entered an alley. The smell of garbage immediately invaded his nose and he staggered dizzily. The bile rose and he found himself vomiting next to the wall.

Holy fu... freak

Yeah... he had to learn to control his senses immediately.

He pulled up his shirt and pulled it over his face.

When he reached the end of the alley, almost vomiting once again, he reached the fence that blocked the place off.

There was a small opening at the bottom of the fence, just big enough for him to squeeze through.

But the reason he was there was to test his new skills. With a certain curiosity, a certain sense of anxiety in his core, Peter jumped.

He immediately opened his eyes wide and a low cry escaped his throat as he jumped much higher than he had imagined.

At least three or four stories high. His heart raced, but oddly enough, he didn't necessarily feel afraid. No, it was more a certain hesitation.

It was like an instinct. Something natural, as natural to him as flying was natural to a bird.

He landed less gracefully than he wanted to, but he wasn't hurt.

He turned around and looked back for a few moments. Right, super-jump too...

Oohh he was getting more and more curious.

He walked through the deserted area until he reached the center of the abandoned site.

Well... now comes the best part.

The lot was vast, with rusty rails interlacing the cracked concrete. Forgotten wagons covered in various graffiti, some even new, not there the last time he went there.

He stopped, running his eyes around... okay, where should he start? His mind went back to when he broke the door handle, and when he almost ripped the door off his uncle's car...

His gaze wandered to a section of rail that was loose. The rail ran for a few dozen meters. If he wasn't mistaken, a TR50 rail weighs 50 kilos (110,231 pounds) per meter. Assuming that section of rail was 90 meters long, that would be 4500 kilos (9920.79 pounds)...

Nah, too heavy, he doubted he'd be able to lift that particular piece... so he focused on a smaller loose part.

Much smaller, perhaps he thought just a few hundred kilos. Heh, "just".

Carefully, he ran his fingers around the cold metal and tried to lift it. To his surprise, he not only managed to lift it, he lifted it above his head with ease. And with just one hand.

An excited smile spread across his lips. That was something!

Without meaning to, his hands squeezed the rail too hard due to his excitement, deforming the metal. Peter's eyes widened as the rail fell to the ground with a noise much louder than he had thought it would be, causing him to drop to his knees and put both hands to his ears.

Jesus, that was worse than that time at the rock concert...

He shook his head, standing up slowly as he took a few steps away. "Okay... let's not do that next time..."

He turned around, his excitement only increasing. He walked over to an abandoned train wagon, the kind that looked like it had been forgotten about for decades. With a cautious test, Peter bent down and put his hands under the chassis of the wagon. His muscles tensed for a second before the whole wagon began to move. He couldn't lift it completely, but he tilted it enough for the wheels to come off the ground.

He watched with wide eyes as his hand dented the metal. That must have been completely impossible for a human. Train cars had a weight that could vary from 30 to 120... tons...

"I'm..." He gasped slightly at the weight. "...lifting several tons now..." He let go of the wagon, this time more prepared for the noise. The huge structure fell with a loud thud, rocking a few times and kicking up dust and rusty debris.

Peter stood still, looking at his hands... despite the dirt, there was nothing, not a single piece of skin or scratch.

It was so surreal... he had superpowers!

Peter wasn't very religious. As an aspiring scientist, there had always been some debate on the subject. But he had no problem admitting he was wrong and thanking God for this gift.

It was scary... but incredible.

Speed... he felt himself moving more gracefully, his steps were firmer, more sure, to the point that he had to force himself to walk slowly so as not to attract attention.

To test his speed, Peter chose a straight line between the rails. He took a deep breath, leaned forward and began to run. The ground beneath his feet creaked with the initial impact, and the wind began to roar in his ears.

The world around him became a blur, the shadows of the wagons passing him by like flashes. The wind cut across his face, and he could hardly believe what was happening. For an instant, Peter felt as if he were flying.

He smiled, but at the same time as he smiled, he realized that... he was Peter Parker, or "Puny" Parker to the more intimate, or "Penis" Parker to the even more intimate with a refinement of cruelty. He was intelligent, his thing was brains... he didn't know how to run.

His steps began to feel clumsy, and before he could adjust, his left foot crossed with his right. Peter stumbled and, in an instant, his body was thrown forward. He fell hard, bouncing on the ground like a stone being thrown onto the surface of a lake. The momentum of the run dragged him across the concrete, kicking up dust and sparks as his body slid over the rough ground.

He grunted, more out of surprise than anything else, because surprisingly, he didn't feel any pain.

Finally, he stopped, lying on his back, panting and covered in scratches, staring up at the sky, his back against the cold concrete.

"... Damn... do I need a license to do that...? Hehe..." He laughed to himself, not caring whether his clothes were dirty or his face was bruised. His heart was beating so hard...

He stood up slowly, looking at the damage he had caused on the ground. The trail he had left looked like something out of a high-speed car chase. Peter wiped his hands on his pants and gave a slight smile.

Peter walked up to a carriage that seemed higher than the rest. Just as when he entered that place, he felt a certain tuning for... ahm... jumping.

Literally jump. As high as he could, crossing obstacles, one by one in long jumps, he was gripped by the sensation of being in the air.

At the top of the wagon, he bent his knees and pushed himself up with all his might. The movement was explosive, almost instinctive, and he realized that he had underestimated the jump.

His eyes widened slightly as he surveyed the landscape of the illuminated park. The many people calmly walking around, or lying on the grass, or sitting on the benches. He could see everything and everyone, in the sharpest detail despite the great distance, almost in slow motion.

Nobody seemed to notice him there, thankfully. He fell faster than he rose, landing on the side of the wagon with a loud thud. He landed on his feet, but the impact cracked the old concrete beneath his feet.

He felt nothing, no pain. Okay, maybe a little discomfort, his landing wasn't the best, that's for sure. But apart from that, nothing. He straightened his posture and looked up. How high was that? Maybe five floors of a building? Six?

He walked over to a pile of scrap metal next to the parking lot. There were some stacked wooden boxes and rusty iron bars scattered around. Peter held one of the iron bars, testing its weight.

He squeezed the bar with both hands, trying to bend it. At first, it resisted, but then, with what he thought was minimal effort, the metal gave way, bending as if it were made of clay. His eyes widened as he looked at the deformed bar in his hands.

"Yeeeeah... this is going to be difficult..." He muttered to himself.

Then he picked up a wooden box and raised it above his head. It felt as light as a feather. But then, he tried to throw it back on the ground - carefully, or at least he thought carefully. However, the movement generated such a strong impact that the box broke into pieces, scattering splinters everywhere.

"... Me very strong, wood very not... got it."

Peter took a few steps back, staring at one of the rusty locomotives parked at the end of the yard. He braced himself, bending his knees and concentrating. With a leap, Peter went much higher and farther than he expected. He let out an involuntary scream due to the speed and height with which he jumped, overtaking the locomotive and landing with a clumsy thud on the other side. The impact was so strong that it created a small crack in the concrete.

He staggered, "bounced" a few times until he landed awkwardly on his butt on the ground.

He brought his hand up to the back of his head and sighed, glad that he had decided to leave his camera on a nearby wall, otherwise he would have smashed it into a thousand pieces by now.

He tried again, adjusting the force. This time, he managed a smoother jump, but still landed with difficulty, tripping over his own feet and rolling on the ground. This was more fun than an amusement park.

And he loved amusement parks.

Reflexes...

All his attributes had improved dramatically. From a logical point of view, his reflexes must also have undergone such changes along with his eyesight.

He picked up some screws and bolts that were scattered on the floor and threw them up in the air, trying to catch them before they fell.

The first attempt was disastrous. He moved his hand too quickly, crushing two screws against his palm without even realizing it. But, hey, he managed to catch them all.

On the second attempt, he managed to catch one screw before it hit the floor, but the others slipped through. On the third, he managed to catch two. On the fourth, three.

He was starting to get the hang of it. On the fifth time, he got too excited, his palm hit one of the screws, and instead of catching it or smashing it, he ended up throwing the screw away, and his eyes stared at the hole the screw had made in the wall nearby.

... Danny, better be careful with your paper balls...

Peter stretched out his arm towards a rusty wagon and, carefully, tried to apply the minimum force necessary to tear off a piece of the bodywork. His hands touched the metal, but instead of ripping off just a thin flap, he dug his fingers in too deep, tearing a large, heavy chunk out of the side of the wagon.

Okay, he hadn't expected much improvement in just one night of testing. However, as much as he knew he wouldn't get great results in terms of control, he still sighed in frustration.

It wasn't just a question of wanting to, he had to control those attributes of his, otherwise the next time he went to hug Aunt May... he didn't even want to think about it.

"... Oh, crap!" Speaking of Aunt May... he'd completely forgotten to call Uncle Ben. The hours passed and he didn't even notice.

His phone was next to his camera, and as he approached it, he grimaced when he saw four calls from his uncle, followed by seven messages asking if he was all right, if he was ready and that he was coming to pick him up.

He took out his camera and put it around his neck. Then he cleaned his clothes and face as best he could and started running towards the alleyway he had entered.

He looked down at his feet as he ran, trying to avoid any more embarrassing stumbles. On the way, absent-mindedly trying not to trip over his own feet and fall, he felt a sensation in a precise spot at the back of his head.

It was a... strange sensation. It wasn't exactly pain, it was like a certain discomfort. His body seemed to react to the sensation, his instincts telling him to move to the side. However, still confused and concerned not to fall, he ignored this "warning" and bumped into someone, almost losing his balance.

He managed to stay on his feet; the person he bumped into, on the other hand, didn't have as much strength and went crashing to the ground. However, surprisingly even to Peter himself, he grabbed the person by the arm and waist, preventing them from falling to the ground.

"Oh, sorry, sorry! I didn't see you..." Peter began, raising his hands in a placating gesture.

How surprised he was to see that the person he had bumped into was none other than Liz, his classmate. Oh, great... he was half expecting a punch from Danny.

Well, of course, that was if the boy was around, which apparently wasn't the case.

"Jesus, Parker. Watch where you're going!" She complained, bringing a hand to her forehead. Peter blinked... Had Liz always been this short? If he wasn't mistaken, she was quite tall for a girl, being a cheerleader.

Was he trippin?

"Jesus, what the fuck are you eating?! Concrete?!" She grumbled again, with her hand still on her forehead and an expression of pain.

"Oh, no, I think you bumped into my camera." He said, lifting the object slightly, using it as an excuse. In the distance, he could see his uncle's car parking at the side of the road.

And only now did he notice the girl next to Liz. A teenage girl about his age with brown hair in a ponytail, looking at him curiously. He just nodded gently at her before turning his attention back to Liz.

"Are you all right?" She just waved her hand at the question.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, get out of the way. Hell, I can't get rid of you even outside of school." She grumbled, practically forcing her way past Peter, who in turn just watched her walk away.

... A pit of good manners.

He arched an eyebrow when he saw the girl next to her wave at him before going. He waved back, then turned away.

At least some of her friends have manners.

Peter started running again, this time trying to make sure he didn't bump into anyone else.

Ben opened the window, giving him a suspicious look. "Hey, champ. I called you several times, why didn't you answer? And you're all dirty with dust, what happened?"

Peter suppressed a sigh. He (very carefully) opened the car door and got into the vehicle, closing the door (even more carefully) soon after. "Sorry, Uncle. I was taking pictures, didn't see where I was going and ended up slipping right in front of those girls. So I was talking to them the whole time."

Ben arched an eyebrow. He was sure his uncle hadn't exactly believed it. Then again, there were rare occasions when he believed some of his excuses. However, fortunately, or unfortunately, Ben soon smiled and looked at him with a certain malice.

"Damn, Peter. Two girls at once? I didn't know I was raising a player." He joked, and Peter cringed internally. He didn't know which outcome was worse...

"Your aunt will have a heart attack if she finds out. A word of advice, don't go around breaking girls' hearts. Save your charms for the right girl." He said, and Peter grimaced.

Charming? Peter Parker? As if...

"So, how was your day?" Ben asked, and Peter smiled happily at the change of subject.

"Ah, Uncle Ben... you have no idea."

Okay, Peter was having some problems. And by "problems" he meant "annoyances". A few days had passed since the time he went to the park, and although he hadn't had much opportunity to study his new body, he quickly learned the pros and cons of its attributes.

For example, headphones. In short, he couldn't use them. Well, not until he managed to get a better grip on his... super-hearing.

The first time he put on the headset after his "changes" he thought his eardrums had been blown out. He even bled a little. At the moment, he left the headset connected to his computer, but with the volume on minimum and the headset lying on a book on the other side of the table. He could hear very well despite the distance and the sound propagation.

At the moment he was researching spiders. In particular, spiders that give humans superpowers. But, of course, as he thought, there was nothing of the sort on the internet.

Spiders with poisons that caused hallucinations, poisons that could kill dozens of men in low doses, and even spiders that made a man get an erection for hours... the fuck?

He picked up the piece of pizza on the plate next to him and took a generous bite, opening another tab in the browser.

"Spiders are fascinating creatures that rarely attack humans... yeah, right, apparently mine forgot to read the manual." He muttered to himself, devouring his pizza completely after another bite.

After an hour of browsing, he finally stumbled across an obscure forum entitled "Radical Theories and Cryptozoology". Peter arched an eyebrow.

He scanned the site with a program not well known to Internet authorities and snorted when he saw that there were viruses on the site. Trojans, spyware, worms... amateurs.

After making sure he wasn't in any danger, he opened the site and started running through the content.

"My cousin was bitten by a spider and now she can talk to them..." He grimaced, and his eyes focused on the small spider that now resided in the top left-hand corner of his room, next to the door.

"... The same thing happened to me and I didn't get any spider friends... I feel like I'm being fooled here."

He changed the search to something more practical: "How to deal with unexpected physical changes" but was redirected to a self-help blog about self-esteem.

In the end, Peter just rolled his eyes. Well, it clearly wasn't going anywhere... just as he had imagined. So he just changed tack. "Oscorp radiation beam..."

It all started at the Oscorp exhibition... maybe it could end there too.

The results were less exciting than he had hoped. The first link directed him to Oscorp's official website, with a bright image of scientists smiling and holding molecular models.

The page contained an explanation of how the experimental beam was used to study the effects of radiation on biological and synthetic materials, with the potential to create stronger alloys and advance genetic research.

It was... fascinating, really. Oscorp was working with radiation applications in genetic modification, exploring how certain genes could be activated or inhibited. The radiation beam in the exhibit, it seemed, was part of a larger research into creating stronger hybrid materials and controlled mutations in organisms.

"Controlled mutations...?" He muttered and continued reading. There was a special focus on how Oscorp was testing genetic combinations for medical and military applications. Despite this, none of the articles mentioned spiders or accidental bites.

Peter rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Everything he found made sense - radiation, genetics, the mutation studies - but there was nothing that directly explained his situation.

There was nothing about genetically altered spiders, and even if there was, it didn't make sense that one of them would simply fall into his hand...

"... Maybe it was an accident... there's nothing about spiders or tests on other living animals. Plants, yes, but that's not really my case..." He muttered to himself as he leaned over and took another piece of pizza, this time from the box on the desk.

"Peter, we're here." He grimaced in pain and almost dropped his pizza when he heard his uncle's voice. He had been so immersed in his little research that he had completely forgotten the time. He quickly finished the rest of his pizza and got up from his chair.

"Do you need any help?" Peter asked as he descended the stairs. His uncle had a few bags in his hands, some heavier than others, and his aunt May, who was coming up behind him, was also carrying a few, just a handful compared to Ben.

"I'd appreciate it, bud. There are a few more bags in the car, since someone decided to start eating for a whole family." He said in a slightly amused tone, and Peter just smiled blankly, taking the bags gently from his aunt and placing them on the table.

"Hey, it's not like I can control that." He said, leaving the house and walking towards the car. He picked up the rest of the groceries and went back into the house, closing the door soon after.

"They've changed from Friday. They've arranged to meet at the event in the city center." May said as she began to remove the products from the bags.

"Ah... that's great. We'll both be able to enjoy it. Are you coming with us, Peter?" Ben asked, helping her put some things in the higher cabinets.

"Ahm..." Honestly, he didn't really want to go. Sure, he could practice his favorite hobby which was photography, and the festival, from everything he'd seen so far, looked like it was going to be beautiful.

But it was an opportunity where he would be alone for several hours... he could study more about his body.

"Of course, yes... I have to practice my photography more in the evening." Well, considering that the festival would have loud music, different voices, smells and beams of light, it would be a great place to test his self-control.

"It's good that you're doing this, Pete, but the focus is on having fun." May said, handing him a bar of chocolate. Peter arched an eyebrow and smiled as he took the candy, mumbling a low "thank you".

"I know, I'll try not to get too distracted." He said. He could go slowly, because what's the rush? He didn't have to worry about much else.

The festival was a celebration of the local community, with food stalls, street performers and small exhibitions set up by the local schools. A stage in the center of the main square hosted musical performances and speeches by authorities.

It was the kind of event that made his aunt and uncle smile. They hadn't had much time for these kinds of events while Peter was growing up, bills to pay, medication for his aunt to get, doctor's appointments, relapses... now that the situation had stabilized, they were trying to make up for lost time.

All the more reason for Peter to practice his photography. He raised his camera and captured the moment when his aunt and uncle were watching a fire performance. The lighting had turned out better than he had first thought, and the moment looked very natural.

His uncle had given him some money when they arrived; they would inevitably wander off during the event, meeting up with other people in the neighborhood or simply getting lost among the events and attractions.

Peter sighed gently as he heard a firework explode in the distance. He was managing to control himself well, but damn how much focus it required... it was harder than it sounded.

Well, it was working, so why complain? He adjusted the camera around his neck and started walking through the attractions, purposely passing through the most crowded and muted places.

He was getting used to the noise, but the problem was the smells. Lots of different smells, hitting him from all sides. Well, he didn't think he had much choice but to get used to it, even if he did get dizzy and nauseous every five minutes.

Reminder to myself to buy nausea medicine

He sighed slightly, trying to ignore the tingling in his nose. While exploring, Peter ended up bumping into someone near one of the science stalls organized by a first-year class at his school.

"Oh, sorry, miss!" He said quickly, grabbing the person by the arm before she fell to the ground. This was the second time this had happened, he needed to ease up a bit as he walked.

"Jesus..." The person, who was a girl, muttered quietly, one hand on her forehead. It was only then that Peter noticed the headband and the blonde hair. A sweet smell of perfume hit his nose with full force, as if they had sprayed perfume directly into his face.

"Sorry, Gwen, I didn't see you." He hadn't expected to meet Gwen there. He did expect to see one or other of his classmates, of course, and planned to avoid them as much as possible if he did.

"Peter? Jeez, I feel like I've run into a wall." She said, a confused but amused expression on her face.

"I think you ended up bumping into my camera." He said, smiling gently and raising his camera.

"Ah, yes, of course, that makes sense. So, are you okay?" He arched an eyebrow at the question and shook his head somewhat frantically.

"Yes, yes, of course, I should be asking you that, you're the one who bumped into the camera." She smiled when he stammered.

"I'm not talking about now. I'm talking about the exhibition. You were pale, and you started sweating a lot." Oh... so she saw it.

Well, it sort of made sense, she was the one who'd warned him about the prank, it made sense that she'd look in his direction from time to time.

"Yes, I'm much better. It was just something I ate that day. I didn't think anyone had seen that." He made up an excuse, running his hand along the back of his head as he looked away.

"If it's any consolation, I don't think anyone else noticed." She said. It was no consolation, not least because, if they had noticed, what would be one more joke? He was used to so many...

"It wouldn't matter if they had." He said with a sigh. "Anyway, sorry again." He apologized once more and moved, indicating that he would continue on his way.

"Ah, wait, I..." She stopped him, and he just stared at her uncertainly. If somehow the people at his school saw him interacting with her, rumors would spread. The place was big, it was unlikely that they would see them, but knowing his luck, it certainly wasn't impossible.

"Look, I know it's not much, but after that day, I kind of thought a lot about, you know, the rest and-"

"If you're going to apologize, you can stop there. There's nothing to apologize for." He interrupted her gently, bringing his hand up to his own face with the intention of adjusting his glasses, only to remember that he wasn't wearing them anymore.

"Actually, I do. As you said, I've never really helped you before and..." She looked really embarrassed, and Peter could hear her heart racing slightly in anxiety.

"Seriously, Gwen, if anyone has to apologize here, it's Flash and his friends. You may not have helped me, but as far as I know, you've never done anything bad to me." He said, again bringing his hand up to the back of her neck, his eyes alternating between events, without really facing her.

Gwen stared at him for a few moments. Her heart skipped a beat, just for an instant. Damn, he felt like he was seeing, or rather hearing, what he shouldn't.

"Right... ahm... ok, I'm glad we're not in a bad mood." She said, almost shyly.

"Don't worry about it." He reinforced what he'd said before, and she just nodded with a gentle smile.

"So, where are you going?" She asked, her gaze falling on his camera momentarily.

"To Project Oscorp's science exhibition. I really want to photograph that generator." He said, an excited smile on his lips and his gaze staring off into the distance, which made Gwen arch an eyebrow when that excited look turned into a grimace. "Shit, I just remembered that I have no idea where that is."

She smiled amiably.

"I stopped by earlier. I'll walk you there." She said, starting to walk before he could say anything.

Peter swallowed some saliva. He didn't like this situation very much, he didn't need to add another problem to his list of problems with Harper.

... Why was he worried? He doubted Harper's punches would hurt him now!

What was he doing feeding that stupid fear?

He smiled to himself, following her.

"I always see you with that camera." Gwen mentioned as they walked.

"Oh yes, it's a hobby I've had since I was a child." He said, running his eyes around all those activities and humming the tune that was playing in the distance.

"Do you want to be a photographer?" She asked with genuine curiosity, and only then did Peter look at her again.

"Not exactly. I plan to make it a source of extra income, yes, but in the end, it's just a hobby." He said. She shook her head in understanding, but her eyes didn't leave him, and Peter swallowed some saliva as he realized she was staring at him.

"... You look taller." She said suddenly, and Peter blinked a few times. Of course he looked taller, he was taller.

"Ah, well, I... fixed my posture..." That was an awful excuse, Parker.

She didn't seem to believe it, but to his joy, she didn't insist on it any longer.

"That seems to be the case. I'm sorry, I know it was a bit weird, and out of the blue." She said, looking away. Peter just shrugged and stopped at one point to take a picture of a robotic project similar to the one he had built in his garage... he could get some ideas from that.

"That camera looks just like the one Flash broke." She said when he had finished, and he looked at her slightly surprised. She remembered that? Jeez, what a surprise.

"Because it's the same camera. I managed to fix it." He said, shrugging.

"Really? Gee, that's cool." She said, genuinely surprised. "You don't seem, I don't know, affected by it. You don't feel angry with him?"

Oh, you have no idea...

"Oh, I do. But, you know, I always try to be a good proton." She arched an eyebrow. "I try to be positive."

She blinked, taking a moment to realize it was a joke. She snorted a laugh and shook her head, Peter just smiled to himself.

Hey, say whatever you want, but his jokes were great.

They got as far as he wanted to go, and he immediately started taking photos. Gwen was easy to talk to, and he gradually lost his earlier hesitation. Of course, more because of the science exhibition than anything else.

At one point, however, he felt a sensation at the base of his neck, and his attention turned back. It was the same sensation he felt sometimes, he still had no idea what it was, but he just knew there was something in that direction.

He doubted it was anything of importance, so far it wasn't, so he just ignored the feeling, especially when he saw nothing but people coming and going.

Harper hadn't been in the best of moods lately, he admitted. Whether it was problems at home, problems at school, American football...

He could be impulsive, he knew that, he just didn't care. And he also knew that, as long as it took him to really get angry, seeing that sissy Parker chatting so amiably with Gwen was enough to make his already irritated mood even worse.

Especially since Gwen was hardly spending any time with him anymore.

He walked at a brisk pace towards a bench next to a water fountain in the center. His eyes soon focused on his colleagues, and he hastened his pace.

"Guess who I just saw?" He asked as he approached, drawing the attention of some of his colleagues and being ignored by others, as usual.

"Who? Your dad finally came back with the milk?" He grimaced and sent an ally look at the owner of the voice. His nickname was "Tiny", because of his big body, too big for a boy still at school, if it weren't for his young face, many would think he was an adult. Tiny was a long-time friend of Flash, and although they always hung out together, he was more... self-conscious, so to speak.

Tiny also took part in the American football club and was one of, if not the best player they had. And of course, the reason he had to wear make-up on his right eye.

"At least I'm not made into a punching bag by mine." Harper returned, pleased to see Tiny's debauched smile disappear from his lips.

"Holy shit, are you two fighting again?! Seriously, if you carry on like this, we're not going to invite you to anything anymore!" Harper resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he heard Liz's voice and bit his tongue to stop himself from saying something she wouldn't like.

"Whatever, Liz." He just said.

"Jeez, man, what the fuck happened for you to be in this fucking shit mood?" Flash asked.

"I just saw Parker. What do you say we continue what we couldn't before?" He proposed at once, noticing the different reactions among the group.

"Oh, fuck, Harper! Do I look like I want to get involved with Parker now?" Flash asked in clear disgust. "Whether he's here or not, I don't care."

"Are you chickening out now, Flash? As far as I know, it was your idea." He insisted.

"In the middle of so many people like this? Even I know it's stupid." Tiny said, crossing her arms.

"And who asked you anything?" he retorted, but Tiny just shrugged, not caring.

"I wasn't there last time, I'd like to see it. I'll go." Kong said, sitting down next to Flash. Danny, standing next to him, nodded.

"Dude, Peter's a nerd, like everyone else, and as funny as it is to make fun of him, what's your fixation with him? Are you in love and don't know how to deal with that?" Flash asked.

"... I just saw him chatting happy happy with Gwen." He said. If they accepted it, they would see the scene the same way.

No one said anything for the next few moments, until a wide smile slowly formed on Flash's lips, and Harper took a deep breath, rolling his eyes.

"No way, hahaha! Ain't no way! Harper! You're being cuckolded by Peter?! Peter Puny Parker?!" Flash said as if he had just heard the happiest news of his life, laughing out loud without caring about the stares.

"Fuck, and you still have the audacity to act all arrogant!" Tiny laughed along with Flash.

"Fuck, can you stop this?! Are you in or not?" He asked, annoyed.

"Maybe he's not the problem. Maybe there's more to Parker than we thought!" Liz said, joining the two of them. Harper just put one of his hands on his waist, glaring daggers at the giggling group.

"Right, you've had your fun. Now you have to stop laughing and let's get on with it." He said, and Flash just shook his head.

"Nuh uh. I don't have to do anything. That's your problem." Flash said, still smiling. "Dude, seriously, I don't mind making fun of some nerds, but right when I'm away from school? I've got better things to do."

"Meh, I'm not doing anything anyway. And it was getting boring in here." Kong said, getting up and walking over to Harper's side. Danny followed soon after, saying nothing, but with a small amused smile on his face.

"The Fuck, Danny?" Liz asked, but he just shrugged. "Okay, fine. Don't worry about coming back." She said, and only then did Danny seem to take her seriously. But before he could say he regretted it and would go back, Harper intervened.

"You're a fuckin' cunt, Flash!" he said, practically pulling Danny with him and turning around.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. If you don't like it, try doing something about it next time." Flash just said, and Harper clucked his tongue.

He didn't like Flash, though, even he knew he didn't have much chance of beating him in a one-on-one fight.

Peter smiled as he looked at his latest photo. Okay, that place was awesome! Right in front of him, a man was carefully and meticulously tinkering with a mechanical arm. A type of prosthesis created primarily for humans, but which quickly had the potential to be extended to machinery in general.

"Wow. That's cool. A prototype arm that works in a similar way to an organic arm. It must be something new." Gwen said, more to herself than to Peter. She wasn't very involved with recent technology, at least not that which didn't involve her field of study.

"Isn't it?! It's awesome!" Gwen looked at him in surprise at the boy's sudden excitement. "This is the T-800, it uses a combination of titanium alloy and advanced polymers, as well as an integrated AI that locates instabilities in the human neural network and the arm itself, as well as being able to repair minimal damage on its own! It's only a prototype at the moment, and the model is too heavy for humans to use efficiently, so many have been unable to lift the arm at all. It's so cool!" He said excitedly, without even realizing the words were leaving his mouth.

Gwen just watched him... he was much more fun than she thought, she wouldn't lie. And, well, seeing him all excited like that was kind of cute.

"Well, you seem to know a lot about it. So tell me, Einstein, how does it work?" She asked, interested. She might have fallen behind in some of her studies lately, she admitted, but she wasn't a total novice on the subject.

"Well... This arm is controlled by a pre-programmed machine learning algorithm. It learns movement patterns based on the sensors. So, in theory, it could even learn to hold a cup without breaking it... after, like, 50 broken cups."

"Oh great, I could use one of these whenever it's my turn to do the dishes." She joked, and Peter smiled amusedly.

"Just don't leave it near your favorite cups. Otherwise you'll be taking it apart the same day." He said, looking around. Gwen did the same.

"So, do you see anything else that you're just as interested in?" She asked.

"Only if someone brought a working black hole. Which, technically, would be against the rules of security... and physics." He said, and she turned to him with an amused smile.

"Boy, you think big."

"Let's just say that I'm gravitationally attracted to possibilities." She whistled.

"Ooooh, look at him. I thought big words weren't your focus." She joked, and he just shrugged. "And the prize for the biggest nerd in this exhibition goes to Peter Parker."

She gave him a gentle push on the shoulder. He was so easy to talk to, she was surprised.

"As long as it's not another DNA keyring. I've already got three." He said.

"Is that the kind of thing you keep drawing in literature class?" She asks with an arched eyebrow, and Peter looks at her slightly surprised.

She noticed that too? Okay, she was more observant than he had thought.

"More or less."

"Are you planning to do the same? What projects do you already have in mind?" She asked. He thought for a few moments.

"Hm... I don't know. Maybe something simpler, like an autonomous car powered by nuclear fusion... or maybe just a drone that brings pizza." Her eyes sparkled.

"If you get the pizza drone, please call me. I may not be as good at it as you, but I'll do the sauce programming as payment."

Peter snorted a laugh.

"Deal." He joked back. Who would have thought that there he would be, talking to Gwen Stacy. The same Gwen he'd had a crush on for a long time. The same Gwen who smelled wonderfully of strawberries and flower petals. And the same Gwen who is the girlfriend of one of his biggest bullies who, for some reason, hated his guts.

Amazing.

"Gwen! Come on, I was looking for you!" Their light conversation was interrupted when one of Gwen's friends called out to her. Peter didn't bother to turn around, maybe whoever it was hadn't recognized him and rumors wouldn't spread.

"Well, I have to go. It was nice talking to you, Peter. See you." She said goodbye, and he just nodded.

As nice as it had been, he hoped that... well, that they wouldn't interact much after that. Really, he just wanted the rest of his school life to be peaceful.

And he definitely didn't want to give Harper any reason to pick on him even more. Especially when he could blow his head off with a hand shake... he definitely couldn't fight back. At least, not while he wasn't in complete control of himself.

Anyway, he just shook his head and continued his little tour of the place, getting even deeper into the event. Food stalls surrounded the square, emanating irresistible aromas of cotton candy, hot dogs and churros. He was getting the hang of it.

Music played in the background, while people walked between the stands, laughing and chatting.

While taking a photo of a child playing with a balloon, Peter felt a chill run down his spine. That same uncomfortable feeling from before returned. Something was coming from behind, and he quickly turned around, despite his instincts telling him to duck, and was slapped in the face.

It wasn't a hard slap. In fact, he didn't feel a thing, he just blinked in surprise.

Oh, yeah...

He took a step back, forcing a grimace that he hoped looked like a grimace of pain.

"Shit, that's not exactly what I wanted to do, Parker. You turned right on time." Danny said. Ah, Danny, that's great, what he least wanted to happen, happened.

"Look at that, the photographer's hard at work, huh." And of course, Harper showed up soon after. Peter suppressed a sigh. He knew that, whatever they did, he wouldn't really feel anything. But damn, it sucked having to deal with it.

"Man, are you stalking me now? I don't even remember being in your way for you to show up." He said in clear disgust.

"You offend us like that, Peter. Can't we say hello to a familiar face?" Danny asked, much more intelligently than he was capable of. It was even surprising.

"Come on, Parker. How about a photo of us, eh? A present for the yearbook!" Harper said with a mischievous grin. Peter resisted the urge to roll his eyes and grimace. Why the fuck did Danny's hands smell like garbage?

Before Peter could refuse, Harper pushed Danny into a "funny" position. He could just turn around and walk away, but he knew they'd just stick to him like annoying flies.

"Come on, Parker. It's just a photo, and I promise we'll leave. You can send it to us later." Harper said, and that sensation at the base of his neck only became a little stronger, more uncomfortable. He swallowed some saliva, but didn't suppress his sigh.

Just a photo...

Peter pointed the camera, trying to ignore the growing feeling of discomfort. Then, just as he was about to take the picture, his eyes widened slightly when he heard footsteps dangerously close, his instincts screamed, and he turned around.

The moment he did, he was hit by the smell of rotten food, his vision went dark and days of garbage covered his body completely. He immediately felt nauseous, the vomit escaping his mouth without him even realizing it.

He heard laughter, worried voices, screams. He felt himself being thrown from side to side as the garbage can covering him was hit, until he tripped and fell to the ground, his world spinning from the strong smell.

The garbage can rolled away and he remained on his knees, vomiting once more. His eyes watered, and the sound of laughter from Harper and the others reached his ears.

"How's that for a gift, Parker?!" He heard Kong celebrate, followed by their hurried footsteps.

Just before they moved away, he heard the sound of something breaking, and his eyes focused on his camera now in pieces, the lens shattered, the camera body bent

Peter tried to get up, but his hands slipped on the remains of food and dirt. He was completely covered in garbage. His camera that had been a gift from his uncle, the laughter of Harper and the others that echoed through his mind, the voices of the people around him, and even some laughter from people who had probably enjoyed themselves more than he would have liked the others to know.

He felt his face turn red with embarrassment, heat rising up his neck as the laughter echoed. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stood up slowly. Shortly afterwards, he ran.