Hi!
I'm new here, and this is my first story. I only have experience with short tales, so this is quite new to me.
I like spiderman, I saw that my favorite author didn't write about spiderman, so here I am.
I hope you like it
The girl rolled her eyes when the table she was at shook rather violently, causing her things to fall to the floor. She grimaced and grumbled loudly when she heard the slight laughter of her friend next to her.
"Come on, Gwenzilla! What's the point of coming here if you're going to study?" Gwen loved MJ, she really did, she was a great friend even though her manner was very different from her own. And contrary to some rumors, she was a great person when you really got to know her.
However, there were moments, like that one for example, when she really wanted to throw a chair at her perfect face.
"Being a weird nerd is Peter's job." Behind her, her boyfriend Flash said between kisses and licks on her neck.
Gwen rolled her eyes again and leaned to the side to pick up her things. She was no longer bothered by their exaggerated display of affection, at least not as much as before, but she wondered if they would ever grow a conscience and have the decency to wait until she left or at least go to a secluded room or place.
"Unlike you, I'm not really into doing homework during these weeks of break." She said simply, mentally cursing herself for not having taken the copy of her house keys with her earlier.
And now the only place she could study was there or in the library, which was almost two hours away... yay
"You'll have enough time to mess with that later." A male voice said, and Gwen just glanced at the boy sprawled lazily on the sofa. Harper had joined their class at the beginning of that year.
He was tall, he was confident, and although he wasn't on her or Peter's level, he was very intelligent. One of the reasons she had hooked up with him.
"That's what Flash said before, and then he came begging me to help." She replied, sending a sharp glance at Flash, who didn't even seem to hear, too busy with MJ. "I'm warning you, Flash. I'm not going to help you this time."
This time he did, he just made a point of ignoring her.
Son of a...
Her sharp look soon became one of surprise, and a soft moan of both surprise and pleasure echoed from her throat as she felt two arms wrap around her and her neck kissed.
"We should do as they do. We haven't had time to ourselves since-" Gwen interrupted Harper as she gently pushed him back, giving an airy laugh when she saw the look of protest on his face.
"I'm sorry, Harper, but nothing's going to happen until I finish here. I've been up too many nights to trust any of you." She said, running her hand down his neck in a brief movement and returning her focus to her notebook on the table.
He just grunted and flopped back onto the sofa.
"Are you really going to tell us that 'Gwenpire' won't be able to do her homework in three weeks?" Gwen gritted her teeth slightly when she heard Liz's voice. Man, she hated those nicknames.
Gwenpire was the newest. That was because one day she was in a bad shape, pale, looking like a vampire, but she still forced herself to do her schoolwork. Of course, her "friends" didn't miss the opportunity.
"Of course I can, with my eyes closed, for your information." She almost smiled as she heard snickers all around her. "But I'm not taking the risk. Seriously, it's only one afternoon. We'll have time to go out later."
"Well... even if there wasn't time, I could just blow up the school canteen again." Another "new" student. Daniel, or Danny as he liked to be called. He joined in the same term as Harper, and it wasn't long before he and Liz had something going on.
At the moment, he was looking at something on his phone while Liz was fiddling with something in her backpack.
"Yeah, right. And who would do that, you? What was your grade in chemistry again?" Gwen asked in mock amusement. "Do you even know what the definition of 'gas' is?"
MJ and Harper laughed lightly, and despite the mockery, Danny just arched both eyebrows and smiled sideways, not looking too affected.
"And who said anything about me? I'd make Parker do it." He said, opening his arms and hugging Liz who sat on his lap. "I don't doubt that he knows how to make a whole bomb."
She could already imagine in which direction this conversation was going. They didn't like Peter. Perhaps that was an understatement, since they literally bullied the guy, and to this day she never quite understood why.
However, whenever the subject turned to studies, they mentioned him. She knew it was to annoy her. The only person who surpassed her in terms of grades and attendance was him.
A fucking genius...
Okay, maybe she was a little envious and even liked, at first, the bullying he suffered, although now she knows how wrong it is and how sorry she feels for him sometimes.
"Good. I'll ask him if he makes bombs to order. Maybe that way I can get rid of you." Gwen said, turning another page in her notebook and making some notes.
"Aww, look at her trying to be an asshole. We know you love us." MJ said, and Gwen ducked her head slightly, trying to hide the slight wince on her face.
Well... I love you... I can't say much about the others.
"Speaking of Parker..." Harper said suddenly, getting up from the sofa and walking over to her backpack, leaning against the wall next to the door. "I brought that thing."
This caught Gwen's attention, who looked with an arched eyebrow and an indescribable stare at what he had in his hands.
"Don't you think it's about time you stopped this stupid stuff and focused on your studies?" She asked, trying in a subtle way to get them not to continue with... whatever the hell they had in mind.
"Huh? Since when do you defend Parker?" Flash asked behind her.
"By now, I thought you'd know that I hate wasting time on anything pointless. And unless you took it as an insult that he got an A in chemistry,again, I don't see the point." She said, crossing her arms, her eyes following Harper all the way to Danny.
"Relax, 'Gwenerd'." Harper joked. "We're not going to hurt him. It's just a... vacation card. Besides, it was Flash's idea, complain to him."
"I don't know who's more stupid then, him who came up with the idea, or you two who decided to go along with it." She said with a weary sigh. They said something in protest, something she made a point of ignoring when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.
Your mom's on her way home, do you want her to pick you up?She stood up almost immediately when she read her father's message, a grimace of displeasure on her face, and promptly started packing her things into her backpack.
"Whatever you intend to do, don't do it. And don't involve me. I'm going home." She said, putting her backpack on her back and walking towards the door.
"See you, Gwen." MJ said goodbye.
"Hey, wait, I'll walk you home." Harper proposed, and despite her sympathetic smile, she refused.
"My mom's picking me up. But thanks." Although Harper wasn't exactly what she wanted, he could be sweet... sometimes... once in a while.
She just closed the door and walked down the stairs of the building.
He was late.
Which was unusual. He wasn't in the habit of being late. Especially not when he had a reputation to uphold, no matter how dirty, spat on and abused it was.
But he was late... he blamed whoever had the bright idea of starting the nanomaterials documentary after eleven.
Right, another delay for his record. He hardly had any, so whatever.
He didn't regret a thing.
Peter straightened his glasses as he entered the school grounds. The place was full of students who hadn't yet gone to their assigned classes.
As he walked, he suppressed a small smile. Yesterday's documentary was great. It was really cool to imagine how molecular-level structures could enter and connect with technology in a way that would change everything.
Nanomaterials combining with technology, helping to create and build highly intelligent and advanced artificial intelligence systems in a sustainable way, spreading more and more around the world, he couldn't wait...
He bought some books, did some research, watched videos and studied and, frankly, he couldn't wait to be able to make his own creations. He already had in mind the replacement of materials such as plastic. That alone would have an extremely positive impact on society in general.
Not to mention all the possibilities that-
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he felt his body free-fall, his eyes widened, and a surprised, pained grunt escaped his throat as he felt his body slam into the ground, confusion temporarily running through his head.
"Hey, Parker!" He rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance when he heard Flash's voice just above him, greeting him in fake animation. "Man, you gotta watch where you're going. Imagine if it was an iron lamppost instead of the soft and cuddly old 'me'?"
Peter turned around, staring wearily at Flash's smug smile, arms crossed two paces from where he was still slumped.
"Oh, sure, thanks for not letting me bump into iron posts... in the middle of the freaking school corridor." The irony was in his voice like poison. He had long since stopped feeling so frightened by Flash and his negative IQ group, which, although it did reduce the bullying he suffered, wasn't enough to put an end to it completely.
But hey, now Flash doesn't pester him too much when he's alone... of course, after the new students arrived, this became something a bit rare to see.
"What an ugly word, Parker. Do you kiss your aunt with that mouth?"Speak of the devil...
He tried very hard not to roll his eyes at Harper. In all honesty, he preferred Flash, at least with him, he knew what to expect.
A push here, a shove there, being locked in his own locker, a standard procedure he was used to. Although he had felt the power behind Flash's punches and kicks before, he wasn't as physical as Harper, especially after he joined Muay Thai. If the coach found out, he could kiss it goodbye.
But Harper... typical American football team leader.
It was rather... refreshing when he suffered that blow to the face while playing American football... a pity it didn't happen again.
"Relax a bit, Peter. School sucks, we need a clown to entertain us." Next to him, Liz, great.
What's going on? You're already skipping class for the weed break? You're getting bold, you didn't do that at school.
He'd better not say that out loud...
He just sighed and started to get up.
"I'm happy to be a laughing stock for you, Liz. But I'm afraid it's you and Harper who are wearing make-up." Ah, but of course, he couldn't keep his big mouth shut.
He widened his eyes, but before he could say anything, he grunted as he was hit by a punch to the face, which sent him back to the floor faster than he got up.
"You're thinking you're so funny, aren't you, Parker?" Harper scolded, with no real anger in his voice, but an authoritative tone. The asshole probably liked seeing him like that, below him.
He probably liked seeing anyone like that... Peter had no doubt that, if necessary, he would try to do the same to Flash. The difference was that Flash had already won a Muay Thai tournament, so it was very unlikely that he would try anything.
"Hey, come on, Harper, knock this shit off." Surprisingly, it was Liz herself who scolded him.
"Are you offended, Harper? Do you want me to bandage your fragile feelings?" Even more surprisingly, Flash mocked Harper, and not him who was on the ground. Well, he made no move to help him up either.
But just the fact that he wasn't the target was a victory,hoo-fuckin-ray
Peter caught his eyes and stood up again, feeling his cheeks throb, the characteristic metallic taste slowly spreading through the inside of his mouth. Oh great, he split his lip...
"I already told him to keep his mouth shut." Harper just said, shrugging, ignoring Liz beside her.
"... The theory of evolution says that we came from the ape. But I think you stayed there." Peter said, wiping the blood that ran down the side of his mouth and looking at Harper. Just for a few seconds, he didn't have the courage to look into the boy's eyes... just long enough to show that he wasn't as much of a loser as he looked...
Who was he kidding?
"Do you want a banana for hitting me?" He continued, and stepped back sharply when he saw Harper take a wide step towards him with her fists clenched. However, Flash stopped him by putting his hand on his chest.
He laughed, and slapped Harper on the shoulder just before putting his arm around her neck.
"So many months, and you're still not used to Peter? Classic smart-ass, it's kind of fun." Flash said, making fun of it.
Well, he'd learned how to bend people in half with his kicks... it was really nothing to him.
"But don't hit him in the face. I won't do anything when the school comes after you." He said, and Peter felt like a complete imbecile for thinking, even briefly, that Flash would stop Harper.
Pff... the next instant, he was bending forward sharply as he was punched in the stomach.
Reality - 1
Peter - 0
Congratulations, idiot
He fell to his knees, one hand on his stomach and the other supporting him on the ground.
"Seriously, both of you, go fuck yourselves!" Liz scolded again, and Peter only heard the girl's hurried footsteps moving away.
"Oh come on, Liz." Harper tried.
"Let her go. She's playing hard to get, but she won't say anything." Flash said, and fortunately, Peter heard them both walking away in the same direction as her.
He gasped a few more times, until the pain faded and his breathing returned to normal, and he stood up again, straightening his backpack as he did so.
What a great morning... considering that his glasses didn't break, perhaps he should consider it a victory.
That thought drew a sigh from Peter... maybe he should drop out of school and bet on his ideas. Maybe he should try Oscorp's young geniuses program?
He laughed.
"I need money... and a mansion... and a yacht..." He shook his head and made his way to his office. He was already more than late, but what the hell, nothing was going to happen anyway.
Being the best student in that school gave him a few privileges. One of the only good things about the place.
"Parker. Unusual for you to be late... are you all right?" The teacher asked as soon as he arrived in the classroom. Of course, why wouldn't she ask?
But does she care?
Big fat NO.
"Sorry I'm late, I fell off my skateboard." He made a lame excuse. It didn't really matter what he said there, really. As long as he wasn't broken bones and covered in blood, she wouldn't insist.
He walked to his seat quickly, ignoring stares, murmurs and giggles. Standard procedure by this point. He didn't even care anymore.
He sat down and picked up his book next to his notebook. He didn't really like literature... so he left the book open to the page the teacher was on and started scribbling down one of his projects.
A Nanostructured Assembly Machine, a small automated device that uses miniaturized robotic arms to create or repair circuits and devices on a nano or micro scale. He already has a robust design for the robotic arms in his garage, and has managed to get the arms to assemble the Star Wars Lego Death Star.
Well... healmostmanaged to get them to assemble the Death Star. He forgot to put the refrigerator inside the machine, which overheated and stopped working.
In his defense, he hadn't slept that night... it was interesting trying to remember why he put the cooler in the fridge and the yogurt in the machine. Meh, just mistakes that are part of the process, he was sure.
Next time he wouldn't use the electric motors he'd created from a few workarounds.
The lesson passed quickly for Peter, who remained focused on his doodling. The physics teacher came in soon after, with the corrected exam papers and the results of the tests.
It was a bit strange that he was giving exams at that time, but hey, an exploding canteen probably caused that kind of mess.
"Those who score less than 60% on the test will have auxiliary classes during the first week of recess." The teacher said, sighing in exhaustion as he listened to the protests. "I said that before the exams, don't come complaining now, it's no use."
He said, starting to hand out the exam papers by name.
Peter snorted when he saw that Harper had managed to get above 60%, however narrowly. Damn.
But, well, Danny and Flash will have auxiliary classes, so it wasn't too bad. Heh, good!
"97%, congratulations Miss Stacy." The teacher said as he handed over Gwen's test, and Peter just looked at her for a few moments.
Gwen was... well, she was pretty. Very pretty, actually. And very intelligent. He'd had a crush on her for a long time.
Okay... maybe he still had a bit of a crush on her, although that crush waned more and more after she started hanging out with Flash and his "enemies of intelligence" friends.
MJ was next, with 74%. She was also intelligent, with A's in subjects like literature and history, she just struggled with physics, mathematics, etc. Oh, and of course, like Gwen, she was beautiful.
Okay, it was an understatement to say they were both beautiful, they were breathtaking.
He shifted his gaze back to his notebook.Argh, why do pretty girls only get involved with horrible guys?
... Not that I would have any chance. But damn! Flash, MJ? If adding up 11 were a test, he'd ask for help.
He pinched his nose slightly and smiled to himself. Should he feel bad? Maybe? His aunt would probably say that thinking like that was wrong.
But, take Gwen as an example... he was completely sure that she could take his place in the first place if she stopped getting involved with those... "friends". She was just as intelligent as him, if not more so.
"Top marks. Congratulations, Parker." He smiled at the teacher and waved as he picked up his exam paper, knowing full well that they would be very angry. As if it was his fault that they were wasting time around losing even more neurons.
But hey, maybe if they stopped picking on him and started studying they'd have the same level of knowledge as an elementary school child.
He laughed to himself again, arching an eyebrow when something hit the side of his head. Paper ball... classic, but not very creative.
Another paper ball hit the side of his cheek, and he looked with his eyebrow arched at Danny.
"Teach, do we have no trash can?" He asked suddenly, loudly, drawing the room's attention to himself. The teacher just looked at him in mild confusion.
"Ahm... no, the trash can's right here." With that, Peter turned to Danny.
He was going to say something... but to be honest, he'd already taken his share of punches that morning. But that should be enough for Danny to stop.
He could stop throwing paper balls at him and throw himself headfirst into the trash can, that way the room would look cleaner.
...
Peter blinked... people looked at him, laughter began to grow louder.
Did he say that out loud?
He looked back slowly, meeting Danny's annoyed gaze, and the teacher drawing his attention to the balls of paper under his desk...
Ooooh shit...
His gaze, in desperation, ended up meeting Gwen's. It lasted a total of a second, maybe less, and he looked away.
Harper already liked to pick on him for no reason, and he wasn't too keen on finding out what he would do if he thought he was staring at his girlfriend.
Anyway... what he'd just done was likely to result in a punch or two at break time... but Danny's face...
He was already up to his neck in shit anyway... WORTH IT!
Three punches... didn't hurt as much as Harper's... or Kong's... or Jason's... or Flash's...
Maybe he was getting used to it.
What a sad thought
For reasons that involved his mental sanity, he thought it best to conclude that Danny was actually the weak one.
Peter sighed as he approached his house. He hadn't had time to check his face, and the last thing he wanted to do was worry his aunt. Well, considering that it didn't hurt so much anymore, it was probably just a bruise.
He could say he fell or something. Yeah, that he fell and hit a post. It wasn't one of his best excuses, but it was better than nothing.
He opened the door to his house and walked in, throwing his backpack on the sofa shortly after entering.
"Hey, Uncle Ben," he greeted his uncle, who was in the kitchen, and arched an eyebrow when he saw that his clothes were wet. Ben stood in front of the table with his phone in his hand, and waved to Peter without turning around.
"Hey, bud. How was class?" He asked without lifting his eyes from his phone.
"Normal. I got an A in physics this semester." He said as he approached, his eyes running briefly over the wet footprints on the kitchen floor.
Ben smiled at his words and looked up at Peter. His gaze immediately went to his cheek, and lingered there for a few moments. Peter paused, ready to make some excuse.
Well, if Ben thought about saying something, in the end he decided not to.
"That's great, Peter! Congratulations!" He said, running his hand over Peter's head, who just smiled in thanks and satisfaction.
"Where's the flood?" He asked, pointing at Ben's clothes and the wet floor.
"Ah, come with me and I'll show you." He said, leaving his phone on the table and then turning towards the stairs to the basement.
"I'll check on Aunt May first and then I'll come down." Peter said, and Ben just nodded before heading downstairs.
Peter went upstairs with light, calm steps. He reached the door to his aunt and uncle's room and knocked twice, entering when he heard his aunt's faint voice.
He smiled broadly when he saw her lying down, and walked briskly over to her.
"Hey, Aunt May. Did you wake up feeling a bit better?" He asked as he stopped right next to the double bed. The woman smiled at him, brushing some of her already slightly graying hair away from her face.
May wasn't that old, neither she nor Uncle Ben, both in their fifties, Uncle Ben being the oldest. However, while Uncle Ben had the energy and disposition of three Peter Parkers, May was unfortunately frail.
She had always had a slightly weaker body. One of the reasons she and Ben didn't have children of their own. A few weeks ago, there was an "accident" and May had to be bedridden.
"I'm better than yesterday, yes. If it keeps up, I'll be out of this bed by the end of the week." Peter nodded.
"I hope so, but let's not rush it." He said, noticing her gaze on his cheek.
"What happened to you?" He instinctively raised his hand to his cheek, but didn't touch the bruise.
"Accident in the gym. This time there were no excuses for Jonathan, I had to play. I'm fine." He said. She seemed to believe him... or not, he didn't know.
But he thought she believed it more than she would have if he'd said he'd fallen.
"... Be more careful next time." That was all she said, to the boy's relief.
"Uncle Ben asked me for help downstairs, would you like me to bring something up for you before I go down?" She gently shook her head.
"No need, Ben brought some things down earlier." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "One hour ago, on the dot."
"Okay... I'll be with my phone, call if you need anything." He said, and she just smiled and nodded at him.
Peter walked out of there with light steps, and as soon as he found himself in the hallway, he quickened his stride, walking quickly down the stairs from the corridor to the kitchen, and from the kitchen to the basement.
As much as the place looked abandoned, Peter spent and still spends a lot of time down there, either building something, testing something or simply doing his homework.
The uneven concrete floor was partly wet, with small puddles accumulating under a pipe that was dripping insistently, but not before it had shot a jet of water across the room minutes before.
His uncle was standing in front of the pipe, his eyes focused on the wetness on the floor.
"So... who gave you that bruise on your face?" he asked without turning towards him, leaning on a box beside him. Dry, compared to the rest of the things inside.
"... It was an accident in the gym, no big deal." He said. At this point, he no longer had much hope for his excuses. Ben could see through almost all of them.
The man just let out a breathy laugh.
"Of course, you accidentally fell into a right cross." Just as he thought, busted!
"Relax, I won't tell your aunt. But should I tell anyone's parents?" He asked, now looking steadily into Peter's eyes, who in turn arched an eyebrow.
"... You don't have to. It wouldn't solve much anyway." He said. Ben's gaze remained filmy, but his features softened a little.
"Okay... so I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. I'm just going to ask you something. Were you the one looking for trouble, or did trouble come to you?" At this, Peter snorted, running a hand through his hair.
"More like trouble chased me wherever I went." Technically, it was true. He didn't need to say that he didn't do much to avoid said troubles either.
"... Here. The problem is with this pipe. The pressure got too strong and the pipe couldn't take it." He said and Peter approached.
"I take it a tape won't help anymore, huh?"
"Yes, the time for tape has passed. Get that small saw from the shelf for me, please. I'm going to close the valve again." Peter nodded and turned away. "You know, one thing about bullies is that they never go after someone the same size. With a few exceptions."
Ben began as Peter walked away.
"Maybe things at home aren't so good. Maybe this is a way to make themselves feel better, to protect themselves, to protect their fears. There's always a reason. That's just the way things are." Ben said, straightening his posture when Peter returned with the saw, his eyes looking deep into the boy's.
"But you know something curious about that?" He asked, placing one of his hands on his waist. "It has nothing to do with you. Sure, it might be a reason for the bullying, but it doesn't justify anything. It's not your problem. If they ever want to talk about it, open up, fine, sit down and listen, put yourself in their shoes..."
Peter blinked a few times, understanding what he meant, but not quite knowing how to take it any further.
"I understand, uncle, but... what do you want me to do? Do you want me to hit them?"
"No...I don't. Doyouwant to hit them?" The question left him silent for a few moments. Honestly, he did.
Step on Flash's face, break Harper's nose, kick Kong in the stomach...
But he knew himself too well. Even if he could... he wouldn't do it.
Not on a good day, anyway.
"That's for you to find out, Peter. There are many ways to deal with bullying. Accepting it and living with it is one of them, but is it the right way?" Peter grimaced at that.
"But that's just confusing." Ben smiled and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"That's life for you, buddy." He turned around soon after. "As soon as I've finished with the valve, saw this pipe to match the one in the box."
Peter nodded, flicking the saw a few times before starting.
Peter sighed as he lowered his camera. In all honesty, he kind of had high expectations for this exhibition, even if the environment was a bit... hostile towards him. He thought he could ignore it, as he always did, as he was used to doing... but, for some reason, he found himself more uncomfortable than he had thought.
Annoyance, discomfort mixed with a bad feeling that was usually associated with Flash and his little group of friends who probably couldn't get over 100 IQ combined.
Strange... the bad feeling was just as present as on ordinary days, but for some reason, he didn't think it was because of Flash. Of course, he was expecting to be punched at some point, or made fun of, for fuck's sake he'd been waiting for a push ever since they got there.
He looked in their direction. They weren't acting much different from normal, but he knew they were planning something. He'd been the target of enough pranks to recognize certain patterns.
He sighed, blinked...
...
Okay, even after all this time, he couldn't recognize or even understand some actions. Like, for example, why Gwen Stacy was, at that moment, walking right next to him.
He blinked a few times, his mind processing what he saw. His hands went to his face, he gently lifted his glasses and wiped his eyes, and voila, Stacy was still walking right beside him, at the same speed, and closer than he had ever been to a girl.
Unnecessary that thought...
"Ahm..." He was uncertain what to say, and to his surprise and complete confusion, the girl looked at him and smiled gently. He hadn't interacted much with Gwen since she joined that school. Maybe a few words after some difficult exams, but nothing beyond that.
Not to mention that she got involved with Flash at some point, started spending time with him and his friends. Which, honestly, never made much sense to him, but hey, it had nothing to do with him.
So, he could say that yes, he was a little surprised to see the beautiful Gwen Stacy standing right next to him looking at him with a beautiful smile and eyes as blue as the sky.
Could you blame him for not believing it yet?
"I know this is very sudden. But I have to warn you. Flash and the others plan to throw paint at you during the exhibition." Oh...
Oh, so that's why. She'd come to warn him about another one of the jerks' pranks.
Hm... well, he didn't know exactly how to feel. Grateful? Of course, he'd rather not have his clothes dirty with ink, especially with so many people watching.
But that was new... Gwen had never warned him about anything before.
And here was his dumb ass thinking that she had approached him because she really wanted to be his friend.
Reality - 2
Parker - 0
Now this is getting sad even for me... ouch
"Ah... thanks for letting me know, I guess." He said, stammering a little, a little awkwardly, his hand running down the back of his neck. "I'm sorry... it's very kind of you to try and help me, but why?"
The question only made her arch an eyebrow.
"You've never helped me before. And as much as I don't think that's the case, I don't doubt anyone who hangs out with Flash. He could well have sent you. I'm sorry if I don't seem that... grateful." He said, trying to control some of the venom in his voice.
Not that he needed to, his dislike of Flash and the others was no secret to anyone.
A gleam of understanding seemed to run through Gwen's eyes. Well, at least she wasn't as angry as he had thought. Angry that he was so... "rude" when she was only trying to help...
Or something like that.
Honestly, he didn't doubt anything.
"I think you're right... and I apologize for that." Wow... what a surprise. Gwen Stacy apologizing to him?
Cute. Really. But she wasn't the one who should be apologizing.
"No, no, you don't have to apologize for anything. Helping me is literally going against Flash, and that's not very smart. I appreciate it, really, I'm just a bit... surprised?" He asked/said.
The girl stared at him for a few moments with an unreadable expression, until she smiled gently, seeming a little more comfortable with his presence.
"Well... nice to know you don't hate me or anything."Who could hate that smile?
Okay, that was pathetic... yeah
"As you said yourself, going against Flash isn't very smart." She said, her eyebrows arching slightly, and Peter understood what she was referring to, and just snorted and shrugged.
"I'm already in the mud, I can't sink any deeper. I can at least get them a bit dirty." He said, his eyes focusing on a man pushing a trolley with some glass boxes stacked on top of each other.
Really?! The exhibition of super genetic species is already over?! Why hasn't anyone said anything?! Argh, I've been dying for some photos!
"Where are you going, by the way?" Gwen snapped him out of his thoughts, and it was only then that Peter saw that his class was moving away, going in almost the opposite direction to the building he was entering. They were going to the genetics wing while he was heading straight through the building, aimlessly.
"Ah, I... I wanted to take some pictures around, I thought I'd..." His eyes ran around frantically, looking for an excuse. "I thought I'd go to the nuclear radiation demonstration before I went any further. If the teacher thinks it's bad, I'll say it's for the school newspaper."
Truth be told, he was curious about nuclear radiation. Okay, he was curious about everything, but unfortunately, he couldn't just go to every wing and every demonstration there was, the school wouldn't wait for him while he satisfied his curiosity and interest.
"Okay... it's good that you're getting away from them. The ink is with Danny, and he can't get too far away from the teacher. See you, Peter." She waved to him and walked away.
Peter watched her walk away for a while, longer than usual since her boyfriend, or staying, or whatever, wasn't watching.
Or at least, he hoped not.
He shook his head... perhaps that strange sensation he'd felt earlier had been related to this prank with the paint.
He set off walking, unfortunately, he couldn't stay there all day.
The sound of conversations and footsteps echoed through the large hall of the science exhibition. Students and visitors wandered through the rows of demonstrations, stopping at glowing panels that displayed the future of science. Man, that was cool.
He stopped frequently, clicking pictures of models and displays he found interesting: a miniature nuclear reactor, a model of a solar-powered spaceship, even a diagram explaining the latest discoveries in radiation.
At each exhibit, he read the descriptions carefully.
"The use of radiation in medical diagnostics and treatments... man, what do you know. I just hope this doesn't turn into a second Chernobyl." He muttered to himself.
As he approached the main demonstration, he raised his camera and photographed the whole place. The laboratory was full of shiny equipment and interactive displays, each highlighting some scientific breakthrough in nuclear radiation.
A group of scientists were working on an experiment that drew the attention of the crowd. Lights pulsed in a contained beam, passing through a cylindrical chamber of reinforced glass. The event's narrator explained that it was a demonstration of controlled radiation and its effects on special materials, such as advanced metals used in the construction of reactors.
His interest was now running through the ceiling. He approached to take some photos, but as soon as he did, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, walking brain, what are you photographing?" Flash's unmistakable voice sounded, laden with contempt.
Ah, this was too good to be true
Before Peter could react, Harper appeared on the other side.
"Don't you know you can't just disappear, Peter? The teacher was worried." Harper said, grabbing the camera around Peter's neck and holding it aloft.
"And he asked you two to come and look for me straight away? What a surprise you didn't get lost. Give me my camera back." Peter complained, reaching for the camera.
"Sure, but before you write about it on your geek blog, let's go for a walk." Harper exchanged a complicit glance with Flash.
Before Peter could protest, the two of them grabbed him by the arms and led him to a side door. It was an adjoining maintenance room, small and full of shelves with tools and cables. Before Peter could react, Flash pushed him inside, locking the door.
"Hey, argh, come on! It's bad enough at school!" He complained loudly, banging on the door, which didn't move at all.
"This isn't what we had in mind, but it'll do. Have a good recess, Peter." Flash said, and to his surprise, he saw his camera being thrown into the room through the small window above the door.
Well... at least they had the decency to return the camera. Compared to the other days, that was kind.
"Besides, you should be used to being locked in tight places by now." Harper scoffed, and Peter snorted.
"You should know by now that you don't scare me, and yet here we are." He said, knowing full well that Harper would hold a punch for him for all those weeks.
He had no regrets.
Flash laughed out loud, and although he couldn't see the scene, he could imagine the look on Harper's face. It was very strange how he got just from being confronted.
"Because of that stupid joke of yours, you're going to stay in there until it's time for us to leave. Idiot!" Harper said angrily, and Peter could almost hear his footsteps moving away and Flash following him, still laughing and making fun of him.
With that, he sighs. All things considered, it wasn't so bad. He was stuck in a room he certainly shouldn't have been in, at a science exhibition he'd dreamed of going to for weeks, and he'd be there for at least another 4 or 5 hours.
But hey, at least he wasn't drenched in paint.
Well... with the paint, at least he could hug Danny and get him dirty too. It wasn't much, but it would be a little revenge.
Who was he kidding?
Grumbling, Peter looked around. The dim light and dust made the atmosphere uncomfortable. He tried futilely to open the door. Yeah, nothing.
There was too much noise on the other side, he would wait until the experiment was over to shout for help... maybe, he could climb up to the little window above the door.
Hm... but why all the noise? It wasn't that loud before.
Suddenly, he felt something on his neck.
"Ah!" He slapped it automatically, feeling the pain of a bite, but found nothing but a slight tingle there. A mosquito? He rubbed his neck, frowning. It was then that he felt something walk quickly up his forearm, and his eyes immediately widened.
A spider! He wasn't afraid of spiders, but he definitely didn't like having one running up his arm!
He swung his arm in desperation, but the spider didn't fall, and soon, he felt another bite on his arm.
Peter moved in some frenzy, his other hand quickly slapping against the spider on his arm. His back slammed into the wall, and his wide eyes focused on the spider that was still biting him.
His slap was very strong, but the spider wasn't as crushed as he thought.
"Get away from me, demon!" He hit the spider again, once, twice, until it finally fell to the ground. He blinked a few times, feeling relieved to have finally killed the thing.
He sighed... it was a small black spider. Peter knelt down, watching it more closely, its legs retracted, dead. "Where did you come from?" He muttered, glancing at the small window above the door, the beam of radiation still shining.
How could he not have seen it? It was a small spider compared to a tarantula, but not so small that he wouldn't have noticed.
He brought his hand up to his neck again, and blinked in mild confusion. The tingling passed, and he felt nothing as he ran his fingers over the spot where he had been bitten.
He lowered his eyes, and was even more confused when he saw that there was nothing on his arm. No bite marks, no tingling or strange sensations.
"... Weird." He muttered. "But, well, I guess that means you weren't poisonous... right?" The coloring is a little different, but the appearance was a wolf spider for sure. The back was larger than usual, and in general, it was larger than a normal wolf spider.
But he knew they weren't poisonous. So he had nothing to worry about, right?
"Why did you attack me, little guy? Do I look like a giant fly to you?" he muttered to himself, touching the spider a few times, but it didn't move. He sighed and picked up the spider, throwing it in the garbage can in the corner of the room afterwards.
Well... now, he had to find a way up to that little window... he could use some of the things there to climb up.
Yes, things could be worse. He'd be fine.
He wasn't fine.
He managed to get out of that room, eventually. He made it back to his class group, ignoring the eyes of two not very happy individuals, but to hell with them. They couldn't do anything in front of the teacher anyway.
And Danny accidentally fell and the ink burst inside his shirt. What a good day.
But things started to change as soon as he left that room. His body felt a little warmer. At first, he didn't pay much attention, it was probably nothing.
But as time went by, he began to sweat, even though the room was cool. He looked at his reflection and realized that he was turning pale.
The good thing about being invisible to his class was that no one was paying attention to him, so it wasn't difficult to talk to the teacher alone. The man saw the state he was in and allowed him to leave early.
And at that moment, he was drenched in sweat, barely able to stand as his uncle Ben stopped the car just in front of him.
"Come on, bud. You look like a ghost, come on, don't stand there scaring pedestrians." Peter smiled weakly and got into the car after throwing his backpack into the back seat without even looking. His uncle sped off soon after.
"So, what are the symptoms?" Ben asked. "Apart from being a human faucet, you're soaking wet."
"Apart from the obvious fever, I don't exactly feel pain, just... discomfort. And thirst... and very, very hungry." Ben snorted a laugh.
"Good thing I picked that up before I came." Ben said, pointing to the bench behind him. Peter turned around, and his tired eyes lit up when he saw what it was.
"McDonalds? I thought you didn't like fast food." Peter said with a smile and picked up the food.
"I don't. But you do, and once in a while it's okay." He said, and Peter just mumbled something as he stuffed his mouth with fries.
Well, the soda he was expecting was actually a large cup of water. But other than that, it was great.
He'd prefer Marco's trailer around the corner under a McDonalds any day, but it wasn't open at that time.
"Geez, you were really hungry." Ben said as he stopped at a traffic light and looked at him. Peter had already finished his food and was now vigorously drinking his glass of water.
"I'm as surprised as you are." He said, putting the empty glass into the bag.
Normally, that would be enough to satisfy him. Especially as it was a Big Mac. But there it was...
"... I'm still hungry." He said, more to himself than to his uncle.
"Well, whatever you've got, it's opened up your appetite. I can't tell if it's really a bad thing. Your aunt's already out of bed, she said she'd make dinner tonight." Ben said, glancing at the right rearview mirror before turning.
Peter said nothing the rest of the way home. He found himself getting thirstier and thirstier, hungrier and hungrier, and hotter and hotter. His body slowly began to tingle.
He blinked a few times, then closed his eyes tightly as he looked out of the window. Everything suddenly became clearer, everything became... sharper?
Ben stopped at another traffic light, now closer to home.
Peter lowered his head. Was it him or... was he hearing voices?
"... Tomorrow. I wanted to go, but I'm taking exams this Saturday and next Sunday." A woman was talking on her phone. Okay, she wasn't talking so quietly that no one would hear.
The point was that she was talking on her phone across the street from the traffic light. Impossible for anyone at that distance to hear.
Peter closed his eyes again. The car moved. His head felt light, several sounds hit him and then no sound at all.
"We're here, buddy. Get in, I'll get your backpack." Ben said, snapping him back to reality.
Peter blinked, things didn't seem so clear now. He got out of the car and walked into his house.
The first thing he saw was Aunt May sitting at the table, her gaze focused on the television with a small, amused smile. The food was already ready, by the delicious smell.
"Ah, Peter. Your uncle said you weren't well. What are you feeling?" She asked gently, her warm eyes alternating between his drenched appearance.
Peter forced a small smile, feeling his stomach complain despite everything that was happening to his body.
"Maybe I ate something bad or something, I was fine until this morning." He said, picking up a glass and approaching the water filter.
"You're pale, and you're soaking wet. Don't you want to lie down?" She asked in a now slightly worried tone. Peter shook his head as he drank the second of water, promptly refilling the glass.
"I'm going to eat and take a shower first." He said, sipping his water and then sitting down at the table just as Ben opened the door.
"He's got quite a fever, but for some reason, his stomach seemed to double in size." He said as he approached after leaving Peter's backpack on the sofa. His eyes lingered on Peter, who was already shoveling a heavy fork of noodles into his mouth with one hand while with the other he put the meat on another plate.
"Eat slower, sweetie." May said, picking up his plate as she watched him try to put more of the noodles on his plate while he focused on the meat.
The smell was sharp, as if he was swimming in food. It tasted so good... delicious, as if it was the first time in his life that he had eaten it.
The more he ate, the more he seemed to want more. Ben and May just watched as he ate. Ben wasn't exactly hungry, but he thought he'd better eat some now before Peter finished it all.
Both adults looked at each other in silent question, and in a few minutes, Peter had taken the last spoonful of noodles left in the pot into his mouth, as well as finishing off the meat and salad.
"Thanks, Aunt May. I'm going... I'm going upstairs now." He said, giving his aunt and uncle a quick kiss on the cheek.
"... You're welcome..." May said in no more than a single whisper, her eyes once again focused on Ben's, who was just as lost as she was.
"... Teenagers. I ate as much as him when I was the same age." Eventually, Ben just shrugged and returned his focus to his food. May watched him for a few moments, she was worried, of course, but seeing that he was so calm, she calmed down too.
Peter's room was shrouded in soft shadows, lit only by the dim light coming through the gaps in the window. He was lying on the bed, curled up on his side, his forehead glistening with sweat. The blanket was thrown on the floor, discarded at some point in the suffocating heat. His breathing was irregular, sometimes fast, sometimes heavy, while his body struggled with waves of fever and chills.
The pain came and went like a clock with no rhythm. His muscles tensed, sometimes involuntarily, sometimes because of the pain, as if they were being torn.
At times, it felt like fire was coursing through his veins; at others, a biting cold made him shiver as if he were trapped in ice. His mind was a chaotic storm: flashes of memory jumbled with fragmented dreams and impossible images. He saw the fluorescent lamps in the laboratory, Flash's mocking face and, in between, the multiple eyes of a spider that seemed to be always staring back at him.
Suddenly, everything was deafening. Every sound, from the creak of wood on the floor to the distant hum of a car passing down the street, or a dog rummaging through the neighbor's garbage, or his Uncle Ben's heavy breathing after climbing into the kitchen with a box from the basement, all amplified in his head like thunder. He covered his ears, but the relief was minimal. When the sounds subsided, the world became absurdly silent, as if he were underwater.
Sometimes he felt as if his brain was splitting in half.
He muttered something, but the words were lost in his delirium.
The next morning, the cycle continued, but with less intensity. He woke up feeling like his stomach was a black hole. He blinked a few times, but his eyes burned, so he opted to keep his eyes closed.
The blanket was over him again, he must have picked it up in the middle of the night. His body was still warm, but compared to last night, he felt... better.
Uncle Ben opened the door carefully, holding a bowl of food and a glass of water.
"How are you, bud?" Ben asked, approaching cautiously. Peter tried to open his eyes again, keeping them open just enough so that his uncle wouldn't suspect that his eyes burned like fire whenever he opened them.
"Better than last night." He said, his voice hoarse, his throat dry.
"That's good. Here, your breakfast." He heard Ben put the bowl on the bedside table. "Can you sit up to eat or..."
In response, Peter stirred in his bed with some difficulty. The pain was still there, but bearable. He was wearing a thick sweatshirt and black sweatpants.
Still without opening his eyes, he picked up the glass of water and drank it quickly before starting to devour his food.
Meanwhile, Ben put the back of his hand on his forehead to take his temperature.
"Still running a fever... but looks better." He said, arching an eyebrow when he saw that Peter had eaten almost the entire contents of the bowl in a matter of seconds. "Appetite seems to have increased, on the other hand."
"... Now I just feel more tired than really sick." Peter muttered, handing the bowl back to Ben. "Can you get some more? And some more water? Please?"
Peter didn't see, but Ben frowned slightly in surprise. He ate a lot at Peter's age, but not quite like this.
"Sure... anything in particular you want me to-"
"Meat." Peter said quickly and firmly, interrupting him. "Plenty of meat... yesterday's meat was, uh, great." He said, looking a little embarrassed now.
He didn't usually eat meat for breakfast. Bacon, maybe, but it was rare.
"... Okay, champ. Hang on, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Ben got up and left the room at a calm pace, closing the door soon after. Peter, for his part, just went back to bed.
The day passed quickly. Not least because he had slept most of it off. He admitted that he wasn't in his best shape.
But he was able to process the fact that, in the two days he had spent in bed, he had eaten more than he had in the last two weeks.
The heat and cold now came in gentler waves, and he was able to sleep without so many nightmares.
Curiously, that night he dreamt of a spider.
On the second day, at dawn, Peter woke up. He blinked, his unfocused eyes staring at the ceiling of his room as they adjusted to the daylight.
The fever was gone... he no longer felt pain, or intense heat or cold...
In fact, he felt as if everything he'd been through over the last few days was a distant dream. He felt... good.
Stupidly good.
He gently removed the blanket from himself, which only covered his waist. With that, he stood up.
Okay, forget it, he felt amazing. His body felt so light, his head so clear and clear.
He smiled to himself. It was great to be healthy again. Ah, he felt he was going to enjoy these weeks so much.
He took a towel from the rack and walked towards the hallway. His door was ajar. Perhaps Uncle Ben or Aunt May had come in earlier.
When he reached the bathroom, Peter grabbed the door handle and turned it to open it. The sound that followed froze him. A dry, metallic "CRACK!" echoed out. He blinked and looked down at his hand, his eyes widening slightly in confusion and surprise.
The doorknob... his... his hand had crushed the doorknob, it was nothing more than a pile of iron. He raised his hand in disbelief. His fingers were stuck in the metal, as if it were made of aluminum foil. Small broken pieces fell to the ground as he analyzed what he had just done.
"What the f..." He blinked once, twice, five times, wiped his eyes, and it was only then that he realized he had his glasses off.
His heart raced. He wasn't wearing glasses, and yet he could see everything clearly... he could see the little spider walking on the roof, he could see the ant walking on the wall just above the stairs. That was impossible...
He shook his head and walked at a brisk pace back to his room and picked up his glasses. The moment he put it on his eyes, he blinked as he saw that the lens was blurring his vision again.
Questions arose in his mind.
What...?
How...?
Huh...?
What the F*...?!
He raised his head quickly after removing his glasses. He could... hear...
"I think he's awake, Ben. I heard footsteps." Aunt May, downstairs... it didn't make sense, she seemed to be almost whispering.
He could hear Ben's breathing, he could hear the noise he made as he got up, his footsteps coming closer and closer until-
"Peter? You're out of bed, that's good. Feeling better?" Ben asked as soon as he approached the room, and only arched an eyebrow when he saw Peter staring at him with an astonished expression.
What the fuck was going on...?
"Peter?" He must have stood there for a long time looking dumbfounded, because his uncle called out to him again, this time a little more uncertainly. Peter blinked a few times and shook his head as if he had just come out of some kind of trance.
"Ah... uhm... yeah... yeah, like, yep, I'm fine. I'm much better now, actually." He stammered. "I'm sorry, it's just... I think the door handle was broken." He said, showing the wrecked handle.
Ben arched an eyebrow at the sight, and Peter could see the question that ran through the man's sharp eyes.
"Okay... well, I'll be out in a bit. Until then, you'd better leave the door open." He said, his voice sounding a little uncertain. He seemed to want to say something, or ask something. But, to Peter's delight, he didn't.
Just as well, because he had questions of his own too.
He sighed as he heard Ben's footsteps moving away.
"... He looks a bit weird. But apart from that, he's fine." He could hear his uncle.
Man, that's bizarre!
He shook his head and put both hands to his ears, trying to cover up the conversation he was having with his aunt.
Two days with a terrible fever, thirst, hunger and pain... and now he had, what, super-hearing?!
That was...
He shook his head. You know what? No. First a shower, then he'd think about the rest, he felt disgusting because of the sweat.
He went into the bathroom and just leaned the door back. After hanging up the towel, he took off his sweatshirt. His body froze at this, and once again, he found himself staring wide-eyed.
His gaze stopped at his reflection in the mirror... Peter had always been considered skinny. He didn't have much body fat, thanks to his genetics, but he knew, he was 100% sure, that he didn't have all those muscles before.
He raised his arm slightly, the muscles of his shoulder moving on his skin, his biceps flexing at the slightest movement. What little body fat he had before seemed to have simply disappeared, and all that remained were the bulging muscles of someone who had been going to the gym every day for years and on an extreme diet.
He started breathing a little harder, his heart started racing and he couldn't control the smile forming on his lips.
"No fucking way..." He muttered, striking a "double biceps" pose and his eyes widening even more as he saw all the muscles in his torso twitch. Fuck, his abdomen... he had abs!
Hard, bulging abs!
Holy Shit!
He was taller?! Well, he was certainly bigger, maybe it was just an impression. Had his whole body changed?
He removed his pants and underwear...
Yep,everythinghad changed... for the better!
Suddenly, the memory of that spider came back to him. It didn't make sense, a spider being responsible for all... that?
But at the same time, it was the only thing that made sense. He was bitten by a "weird" spider, the same day he became incredibly ill and when he got better he was unrecognizable.
He didn't care if it was the spider or a blessing from God, he was gonna enjoy the fuck out of that...