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Peter tapped his leg against the table rapidly, his eyes focused on the clock at the front of the class. Only a few minutes left until he could spend the rest of the summer at the Tower. He was beyond excited. He had promised to call May at least a week and Ned would drop in every now and then to work on the new lego set.Suddenly, something was thrown at his head. Peter let it hit the back of his head and pretended to wince as he turned around to see Flash sneering at him. Ned gave him a guilty look. Peter shrugged and turned around to face the teacher.
Finally, the bell rang. The noise
was overwhelming as students yelled. The sound of chairs screeching overrode the voice of the teacher's voice. Peter had to grit his teeth as his senses suddenly skyrocketed. The noises around him were too loud and the lights felt like flashlights shone directly into his eyes.Peter clenched his eyes shut and placed his head into his arms, pressing his forehead against his shirt. Something was pressed against his hand and he peeked up to see Ned placing a set of red earphones and glasses next to him. Peter was internally grateful as he slipped the glasses on and placed the earphones
in his ears.A small blue box appeared at the bottom left corner of the glasses' HUD as Karen's voice
came through.
"Good afternoon, Peter. Lights being tuned down to 67% and sound nullified to 43%.
Mr. Stark is awaiting you outside. I suggest you move before he comes in to get you yourself," Karen said softly."Thanks, Karen," Peter whispered. He gave a smile at Ned and stood up. He grabbed his bag and started to head towards the classroom door. "C'mon, Ned," Peter said.He knew that the sunglasses might have been an overplay but at least he didn't wear his insanely large and vibrant red earphones like last time. That got Flash on his tails for weeks, teasing and calling him out. Peter definitely didn't need a repeat of that.The two worked their way through the hallway, keeping to the right side of the corridors as they reached their locker. Peter opened his and began placing books in his bag. He zipped it up and slung it over his shoulder. The boy closed the lid shut before heading towards Ned.
"Watch it, Penis!" A loud obnoxious voice shouted behind him. His senses told him to move but Peter didn't, allowing Flash to just shove him aside like as if he was nothing. Peter fell on the ground, his glasses falling on the ground with a clatter and his earphones were torn from his ear.Suddenly, Peter could feel everything. The light above felt like spotlights focused on him. Every single whisper and every word of the students around him. Laughter sounded like screaming to him. Footsteps became earthquakes and it was just so overwhelming-"What's this? Where'd you get this from?" Flash continued on, plucking the glasses from the ground.
"Oh? 'Property of Peter Parker', huh?" He read from the side of the glasses. "Flash, give it back," Ned said firmly from behind. Peter didn't respond to any of this. He was still trying to keep his cool. He could feel
everything. He was weak- vulnerable- helpless-Peter knew that Karen was probably speaking through the
earphones right now but he couldn't hear her, even if he had enhanced senses but that wasn't his main focus right now. "Flash! Stop!" Ned spoke up again, speaking a bit louder."Shut it, fatso. Wasn't talking to you?" Flash retorted.
Peter's blood boil. He could take on insults from Flash any time of the day but he couldn't stand him insulting his best friend who did absolutely nothing wrong! With every passing second, he felt worse and worse. Peter felt tears come up from his eyes.
Great. Absolutely great.
Was he seriously going to cry over all of this?
"Aw, are you going to cry now like a little baby because I took your sunglasses, Penis?" Flash continued to taunt, his voice becoming mockingly high-pitched. "You probably begged on your knees to get this, or did you just waste all of your aunt's money to buy this shit-"
"Flash Thompson! Principal's office, now!"
Flash turned to his right to see Mr. Harrington standing there with a disapproving stare. He faced Peter again, tossing the glasses to the ground with a loud clatter. It was probably broken by Flash's treatment but Peter could fix it anytime."Watch out, Penis."
Flash scowled. Peter was just grateful that Mr. Harrington got to Flash sooner than Tony did.
Then they would have a totally different story.
Peter let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding in. Ned picked up the glasses and handed it to Peter who took it with a shaky smile. "T-Thanks," he managed to say. Ned smiled back and shrugged. "Don't mention it. I know you would've done the same for me." He replied, slipping both the earphones and the glasses on.Peter felt his heart soar. "Y-Yeah." He stood up and brushed his pants. "I guess I'll see you soon then," He said. Ned nodded at him. "I'll call you soon!" He waved. Peter gave him a smile before walking out the doors. Immediately, he noticed a crowd around a familiar figure in a tuxedo.People were chatting like crazy with their phones out and taking pictures of Tony while Peter stood in the back, slightly mortified. He did know that Tony was coming to get him but he wasn't expecting him to actually get out the car like that.
Maybe he could sneak away from the crowd and call Mr. Stark to get him from the other side of the school? Peter pulled his hood down tightly and turned around to re-enter the school when he heard a voice call his name.
"Peter! Not trying to sneak away, are you?"
The boy's life seemed to come to an end as dread filled his stomach. Peter turned around to see hundreds-
no,
thousands of eyes on him.
And in the middle, Tony Stark stood there with the biggest shit-eating grin ever.
///
"I hate you, Mr. Stark," Peter mumbled. "We both know that is a complete and utter lie," Tony remarked. The boy only rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch. The two was in the living quarters. Tony had
gotten them out of the
paparazzi but that didn't stop the endless clicks of photos being shot after them.The man might've not cared as much as Peter did but it bothered the boy a lot. He was worried that it would go public and made the return back to school so much worse. Yes, he could wish he saw Flash's face when he got picked up but the backlash would be so much worse.Peter picked up his pencil and fidgeted with it, spinning it in his hand. Why did the teacher give him so much homework when it was summer? He groaned with frustration and bit his lip, bouncing his leg up and down."Y'know, if you do that, your leg will fall off," He heard Tony speak above him. "That's a lie," Peter replied, not even looking up at the man. "Why are you even doing homework? It's summer! I swear I'm going to sue the school for giving you this much homework." He threatened.Peter chuckled and looked up at him. "But hey! Better to get it all done at the start of summer and spend the rest of it doing fun stuff than panicking over it at the last day," he said. Tony only rolled his eyes and hid a 'nerd' under a cough.
The boy gave him a slight look and turned back to his homework. "If you want, we can start making a new suit for your 'situation'," Tony suddenly said. Peter perked up, his eyes widening at what Tony said."Which one?" Peter asked. Tony paused before pointing at his own chest.
Oh. That one.
Peter's felt his face lit up for a few moments. "Really? But it's not hurting anymore. You already made something for that stuff," He said. Tony shook his head and sat next to Peter. "No, it's not that. The suit is made to make your binder last longer but I'm working on something that can make it even more efficient, especially for fighting." Tony explained.Peter nodded slowly. "But that's not necessary," He said.
"Yeah, I know but you need it," Tony replied.
"I really don't, Mr. Stark-"
"And it's not just the suit either."
Peter looked up at Tony who stood up. "I'm making a prototype that allows the binder to transform into a sports bra for however long you need, at least a few hours." He said. Peter's eyes widened. "That's so cool but I really don't-" He started but was interrupted by Tony."Shhhhh, kiddo. Just take it. God, you're almost as bad as May when accepting gifts." Tony said. "Well, maybe you shouldn't go shoving thousands of dollars in her arms," Peter mumbled. Tony only rolled his eyes and sat back down. "Stil, either way, you're taking it."
Peter frowned and sighed. "Alright, Mr. Stark."
"Also, one more thing. Stop calling me, Mr.Stark. That's my dad's name." Tony said.
The boy chuckled and turned back to his abandoned homework. "We can start working after I got this calculus homework down." He replied. "Calculus? Kid, you can literally finish that in your sleep," Tony laughed."I know but MJ will slaughter me if I miss even one piece," Peter said. "I gotta get this all done then we can start working." He picked up his pencil and started writing his answers. Tony looked down at Peter before turning around. "I'll be in the workshop. Come down there when you're done and call FRIDAY if you need anything," Tony told him.Peter gave him a nod. "M'kay," He responded. Tony smiled at the boy before turning back round to the elevator and heading down to his workshop.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The window was wide open. Peter looked out at the night sky, the stars twinkling in the distance. He heaved a large golden bag on his back and balanced himself on the window sill.
He looked down at himself before taking in a deep breath. Suddenly, an additional set of arms erupted from his sides with a loud crunching sound. Two
long fangs sprouted from his mouth with two smaller fangs protruding along. Four eyes opened from the top of his regular eyes.The first time he transformed was when he got home from the bite. It was excruciating painful. He felt like someone sawing his arms off. What felt like gunshots went off in his head. Fireworks and sparks of agony went over him. Thank god May was away for the week. He spent days puking after that.
Peter shuddered at the memory. He was much stronger now, being adjusted to the changes to his body. The once pure burn he felt was reduced to a hard pressure but it was nothing. The changes were controllable and so was his mind.
Thank god for that.
"Karen, activate the suit." He whispered. The golden bag suddenly spread out. Plates of strong metal slid over his body as a red and blue pattern started to form.This update was different. This time, the suit felt much spacier, much more flexible than the last one. He could breath more easily and his chest wasn't so constricted as last time. He looked down at his hands before looking back up at the sky. His large white eyes blinking.
Peter took one last look at his room.
"Karen, tell Mr. Stark I'll be back at midnight please.""Alright,""Thank you, Karen. You're the best.""No problem, Peter."
If anything, Peter could hear a smile in her voice.
"Karen, locate any crimes from within the city.""There are is a burglary at Shokuji, a sushi bar.""Thanks!"
Peter leaped from his bedroom window and swooped down as webs shot out of his hands. He pulled himself up and started to web his way towards the burglary, following Karen's marker on his HUD.
///
Four men in black stood inside the sushi bar, wearing a ski mask and gun in hand. "Hands up!" One of the men held out a gun towards the cashier's forehead. "Take out everything you have." He demanded as the other three ordered everyone to on their knees. "Toss everything out in a pile right here." He pointed at the middle of the floor.People started to comply, tossing their wallets and devices onto the ground. A little boy started to bawl as one of the men glanced at him. "Shut up." He growled. The boy continued to cry and shrieked when the man started to approach him. "Shut up!""Jeez, starting to bully kids? And I thought people like you were mature." A voice broke out as a blur of red and blue swept in. The masked vigilante landed on his feet, arms posed by his side and back armed. Every single eye turned to him. "What the hell are you?" One of the men finally spoke up, his voice strained. "Isn't that a tad rude?" Peter shot back."Not if you're a freak." The other man sneered. Peter narrowed his eyes. "Says the one who is low enough to rob a sushi place and bully a kid." He says swiftly. Suddenly, in half a second, four white strings shot out and the men, who were previously armed, found their
weapon gone. Peter swung his web back and stuck it to the wall.
"You'll pay for that..." The first men growled, clenching his hand. He took a step back and lunged at Peter, his fist drawn back for a punch. Peter's eyes widened as he leaped to the ceiling and looked down."I'm sorry but I'm not a punching bag." He retorted as he webbed the man's face, causing his hands to fly at his face. "I had enough of living that life." The vigilante fell to the ground on his feet and shoved him back.The three other men stared at him with shock, not knowing what to do. "C' mon, who's next?" Peter raised his arms and faced the others. One of the men ran to the kitchen. "Fine, so that's how you want to play it?" He shrugged and leaped to the ground. "Fine by me." He hissed.Peter swung up and webbed the two men's faces, bouncing back from their chest, causing them to fall back. In a blur of motion, he began to web them up, sticking their body and trapping them to the floor. "There we go. I thought you'd take up a bigger fight. said Peter before turning back around. "I-"
He froze.
He had forgotten about the citizens but they were right in front of them, everyone was staring at him.
freak
what is it?
monster
Everyone was whispering at him. They pressed themselves against walls and hid behind tables and chairs, anything to separate them from him.
Peter stiffened."I need to take care of that last guy. Everyone, retrieve your items and just go home." He said swiftly, managing to finish his sentence. Peter swung to the back of the bar, landing with a thud as he walked into the kitchen. The man was nowhere to be seen. "C' mon, C'mon. I saw you back here. There's probably not a backdoor leading outside, is there?"
And as far as Classical Parker Luck went, there was a backdoor.
Peter cursed at the sight of the metal doorway. "Why. Just- why?" He hissed out. The man was probably long gone by now, having run out through this doorway or out of the room while he was at the other side of it. The vigilante
sighed before turning back.
Just right before he was shoved to the ground and something sharp stabbed him in the back.This was a sushi bar. Of course, they had knives.
Just his luck.
The knife went
far. Of course, it was meant to kill. Peter's eyes widened as he used two hands to wrench the man's hands away from him as he kicked him off him. Peter scrambled back up and narrowed his eyes at the man, the stab wound bleeding heavily."Peter, the stab wound is bleeding heavily, should I alert Boss?" Karen announced. 'Gee, thanks Captain Obvious,' Peter coughed, masking a 'please no' inside while keeping
multiple eyes on the man, who was getting back up with the
knife still in his hand. "Peter, I heavily advise it." Karen
persisted."Karen, no. Don't tell Mr. Stark." Peter whispered. "It's only one guy, I can handle it."
"I'm already alerting Boss, due to the 'Bandaid Protocol'," She said. Peter
widened his eyes. "No!" He hissed.
The man got back up on his feet before charging back at Peter. The spider vigilante
leaped up to the roof and shooting a string of web at the knife before pulling the web back and caught the knife in hand, hissing slightly as his suit brushed against the stab wound. "Hey! I don't think you'll be needing this anymore!" Peter shouted at him. The man looked up, only to be shot down by webs.Peter tossed the knife to the side and lept down from the ceiling, tying the man securely. Sounds of sirens came from outside of the sushi bar as he let out a huff. Finally, what took them so long?
He looked back at the man before rushing outside through the backdoor.The stab wound stung as the cold air hit it but it wasn't too bad. The cut already had a layer of dried blood but even the slightest of pressure
could reopen the injury. It wasn't completely covered. Peter cursed under his breath. He had to get back quickly to patch the stab wound.And hopefully before Mr. Stark
could do anything.
It wasn't long before he swung out of the alleyway and towards the Tower.
///
Peter stuck to the side of the building, crawling his way to his bedroom window before swinging it open and snuck in. He rolled inside, hissing again as the stab pulsed with pain. He turned around and closed the window before walking to the other side of the bed, taking off his mask. "Karen, deactivate the suit." He said quietly as a soft woosh came from his back.Less than a second later, his suit was in his hand. Now the only thing he had to deal with next was the stab wound.
The wound was bloody-
no screw that- beyond bloody. It had bled heavily and Peter was sure it had stained right through the suit.Great, another problem.
Peter opened his nightstand cabinet and took out a roll of bandaid with a small bottle of alcohol. It was his 'Safety Cabinet' as Tony called it. Peter sighed, a small smile on his face. He took the bottle and dabbed it on the stab wound. It stung. Okay, that might've been a slight understatement. Peter clenched his teeth as he unrolled the band-aid and wrapped it around his chest.Once it was tightly secured, he ripped the edge and tucked everything away in his cabinet. Suddenly, the door slammed open, nearly breaking the wooden frame and the wall, byTony Stark in his full suit and everything-
"Kid. Where. Were. You."
What?
"What?"
Tony exited his suit and walked right in front of him. "'What?' WHAT? Kid. You went missing for almost two hours, and I know patrols don't just take that long. Karen notified me of a stab wound- A STAB WOUND-" He motions towards Peter's chest. "I went out to go out and look for you but I couldn't find you. Do you- FRIDAY- FRIDAY had to tell me that you were back at the tower and-"Peter was too far deep to stop him now once Tony was in his ranting mood. He lectured Peter for what felt like an hour, mainly about his safety and how he had to tell Tony about every injury, small or big. "Next time, don't be so reckless, won't you?" Tony sighed and held his head. "God, my hair is going to turn grey from you." The man turned to Peter and raised a finger. "Go to sleep, it's 2 AM. Jesus fu-""Language." A voice from the ceiling interrupted. Both of them looked up and Peter managed a small smile. They had both forgotten the 'Rodgers' protocol. For whatever reasons, when someone cursed next to Peter, FRIDAY would play a clip of Steve Rodgers saying 'Language'. It was a humorous idea of course.
But that didn't lighten the mood at all, whatsoever.
"FRIDAY, not right now." Tony huffed and looked back at Peter. "Look, kid. Get some sleep. No patrol tomorrow. Remember, you have to go to Ted's to build that-""It's Ned.""Ned. You have to go to
Ned's
to build that giant ugly sphere-""It's a Death Star, and it's the newest version too!""God, what kind of edgelord came up with a name like that?" Tony scoffed. "Again, no patrol. Now go to sleep." He narrowed his eyes at Peter before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.Peter stared at the door for a while before lying back down, his head laying on the pillow. At least both Mr. Stark and the wound was taken care of. But Tony's last words kept him awake. Ned. He had to go to Ned's for the weekend to build the Death Star. It wasn't a problem though, they were almost completely done, just the upper half and then it was finished.
Peter smiled at the thought.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Yeah. That's his house right there, Happy.""I can tell."Peter fidgeted in his seat, eager to start rebuilding the lego set. The moment
Happy stopped outside Ned's house, he nearly burst
out of the door. "ThanksfortherideHappy!" Peter spewed out, talking way too fast in order for Happy to fully understand his words but he got the just of it, nodding at Peter before driving off.
Peter turned back to Ned's house and ran to the door, knocking on the door. Seconds later, Ned opened the door with a smile on his face. "C'mon, let's get building!" said Ned eagerly. They raced up the stairs and into Ned's bedroom where the lego statue laid on the floor.The two began straight away, picking up the pieces and working together.
///
"No, wait. That's seven studs, we need eight."
"I can't find it!"
"Where's the final one?!"
"...It's on your left, Ned."
"Oooooh..... Thanks, Pete."
Peter nodded at Ned. "No problem, we're just both a bit stupid." He laughed and reached over to grab the piece.
"Peter. You're literally at the top of all of our classes."
"Metaphorically."
Peter let out a small chuckle "We're almost done." He pulled back and attached the piece to the set. "That's what we said last time and we still got five bags left," Ned said, pointing at the piles behind Peter. "But that's closer than 9," Peter replied, shrugging as he reached for another piece.
Ned nodded before breaking off a piece and placing it back in another spot. "I don't think that's supposed to go there." He commented. Peter looked up at him, "What?" He looked closer at the blueprint. "I'm pretty sure it was correct before." He said.Ned shook his head. "No, if you look at the other parts. It's just turned around." Peter stiffened before realizing his mistake. "Oh my god. How did I miss that? Thanks, Ned. You're a life saver." He chuckled.
"Yeah. How's that internship?" Ned asked.
Peter looked dazed at Ned's question. "What?" He paused. Wait- "Y'know, the Stark Internship that you said you had." Ned looked up at him. "How much do you see Tony Stark? I mean like I know that you're going over to his place for the entire summer but I know he's a busy guy- Did you see the other Avengers too?!" Ned asked excitedly.
"Y-Yeah!" That technically wasn't a lie, right? He had been on only one mission with the Avengers so far and nearly passed out when anyone talked to him directly.
"What did you work on?"
"Y'know, some network systems, robots, and I got to help out on some other projects."
"That's. SO. COOL! Can you take me around sometimes? Like next week?"
"You don't have to ask, Ned." Peter chuckled. "You already asked at school, of course, you can come. You're my guy in the chair."
Ned's face was priceless. His eyes were wide open, his mouth gaping like a fish. "That's so awesome!" He shouted. Peter looked up at Ned and smiled. "Anything for you."
/////
They began to work again, placing blocks after blocks and picking up their pace. In a matter of what felt like hours, they picked up the last bag, just when Ned's mom called them down for lunch. Peter sat down at the table and looked down at the plate.
Sandwich with cheese baloney. He picked up the sandwich and took a bite of it. God, it was amazing. He dared to say that it bypassed
Steve's cooking- Freaking Captain America-
"You alright, Peter?" Ned's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "You just kinda froze with your mouth open. I know my mom's cooking might be bad but I know she's not this bad!" Peter raised his hand and coughed into his sleeve. "It's not that- It's just that-" He raised his hands for emphasization.
"Your mom's cooking is amazing!"
"Peter. You don't have to lie."
"I'm not! This is better than Steve's cooking!"
Suddenly, everyone froze. "Steve? Who's Steve?" Ned asked. "Uh-" Red was quickly flushing into Peter's face. "Dude. Is Steve your... brother?" Ned continued. Peter almost slipped his elbow off the table. "No!" His face becoming impossibly even redder. "Ned, you know I don't have a brother!"
"Boyfriend?"
"Ned- if he was my boyfriend then you would've definitely known by now-"
"So not from school?"
"Pretty much."
"Pet?"
"May's allergic to fur."
Ned paused for a moment. "Captain... America?" He asked. Mrs. Leeds chuckled and shook her head. "I don't think so, hun. I know that Peter has that internship but I really doubt he actually knows them enough to get a meal from Captain America out of everyone." She mused. "Although it would be a funny possibility. Plus, I doubt he can even cook at all."
Peter almost laughed out loud at the irony at that sentence.
///
The duo was on the couch, watching TV together. That's when the news came on. A woman in a white dress and bright blonde hair. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying. She shuffled a packet of papers before beginning to talk.
"Hello, I am Kelly Marksman and I have terrible news to deliver-"
Peter leaned in closer. What?"
"-Yesterday, at 2:35 PM. Hundreds of lives were lost. A bomb was held in the streets of Queens. The police are still looking for the fugitive at mass. No witnesses have been called up. But what makes this bombing extraordinary is the fact that-"
A bomb.
In Queens.
"-there was a red acidic substance lying everywhere at the site."
Wait, what?Peter could hear Ned whisper the same question next to him.
A picture of a vibrant red slime-like substance on the ground was shown on the screen. A soft buzzing reached Peter's ear as he stared into it.
"No one knows what this chemical is or what it does. The bomb was allegedly filled with it, blowing up with extreme pressure and spewing this substance everywhere. It was almost passed as blood when we first looked at it-"
It could've easily mistaken for blood. Peter doesn't blame her.
"-But it was almost too noticeable when it burned a policeman's hand. Scientists are currently trying their best to figure out what this substance is. All we know about it is that it's highly corrosive and combustible."
The woman sniffed and brought up her sleeve to wipe her nose.
"But what is the most heartbreaking are the victims. We know all of them had a role in life. We know all of them had a family. My husband was one of the victims in the catastrophe. We are glad that most of the victims were identifiable. Their names will be posted on our page in the 'Memorable' section at www.destinychannel.com."
"We are dearly sorry for those who lost and we hope you the dearest."
"This is the Destiny Channel and we will be arriving with more news at 9:00 PM tomorrow."
With that, the news shut off and in popped the cartoon that the two had been watching beforehand. But Peter grabbed the remote and closed the TV. His eyes were watering and his body was shaking. Kelley's words echoed in his head.
Bomb
Queens
No survivors
Red
Acid
Blood
Victims
"Dude, that was so- That's so messed up," Ned whispered before glancing at Peter, who was gripping the arm of the couch so hard that it had ripped a bit. "Peter? Peter!" He rushed over to his side and pried his arms away from the cushion."B-Bomb-" Peter gasped and trembled in Ned's grip. "Hey, don't think about it now. Take a deep breath-" Ned was panicking too. Because who wouldn't? There was a literal bomb that exploded in Queens and thousands of lives were lost. You have no idea who wouldn't be returning to school or who wouldn't be returning home.But the main reason Ned was panicking was Peter. At this point, Peter was still shaking and breathing quickly and it didn't seem like stopping anytime soon. The tears that had been pooling up had fallen. "Hey- Peter! Pete!" Ned yelled. He shook Peter's shoulder and looked at him in the eye. "Peter, you need to breathe-"
At last, Peter's shaking stopped as he looked up at Ned and hiccuped. "Where are you?" Ned asked, who stopped shaking Peter's shoulders but still had a firm grip on them. "W-what?" Peter stuttered. "Where are you right now?" Ned asked again.Peter paused before looking around. "I'm... at your house."Ned nodded. "Correct. What's my name? First with the last name."This time, Peter took less time to answer. "Ned Leeds." He answered, swallowing thickly.
"What's today's date?""U-Uh... J-June...? 27th or 28th.""It's the 28th."
Finally, Peter calmed down. His eyes were still moist but he had stopped crying and all that was left were small sniffles here and there. "You finally with me, Pete?" Ned asked, worry still lacing his tone. Peter nodded slowly. Ned reached out and
held his hand. "But seriously, that's so messed up. Who would do this?" Ned looked back at the TV and frowned."I-I don't know. Some kind of evil bad guy?" Peter shrugged. Ned paused and shrugged too. "Maybe. C'mon, let's go to my room." He stood up from the couch and grabbed Peter's hand. Suddenly, he let out a yelp and pulled his hand back while straightening his back.
"Peter?!"
"Can't. Move. My leg's numb. My- My legs' asleep." Peter gasped.Ned understood immediately. "Oh. Oooooh." He nodded and sat by Peter. "I guess we're staying here then." He said. Peter looked over at him. "Ned, you don't have to-" "Nothing you say can make me move, Pete." Ned sighed. "At least when your leg doesn't feel like that anymore."Peter stared at him for a moment before relaxing his back just a bit.
"Alright, but that's a long while."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Look at that thing. Pathetic.
Peter turned his head to his right.
Take it to Lab-47.
Then he turned his head to the left.
Stretch it to its full limit.
A quiet whimper escaped his lips as the boy turned his entire body this time, twitching a bit.
It's a freak. We can't just let it roam around.
Peter curled up on himself, squeezing his eyes as tight as he could as if it would block out the noises.
Could be dangerous, can't risk lives.
His wrists twitched a bit, suddenly feeling incredibly itchy.
Don't give it anything. Don't get too close.
His chest felt like someone was pressing down against it.
That thing isn't alive, it's just pretending to be.
Peter's breath hitched.
Stop tapping the glass.
Small slits started to form at his forehead.
Stop looking at me.
They began to get bigger and bigger before stopping at the size of a paper clip.
Stop.
His teeth started getting sharper. His fangs starting to form.
I said stop.
Two appendages started to form right under his arm, sprouting and growing.
Do you even hear me?
They split into five parts, turning into fingers, nearly tearing Peter's pajamas.
I said, 'do you even hear me?'
The limbs folded by his side, stretching the clothing
Answer me!
His senses heightened. He could hear everything, smell everything and
feel everything.
I said-
Peter's breath quickened, causing the boy to thrash around more violently as he started to hiss.
STOP YOU FREAKSHOW
Peter woke up with a jolt, his six eyes snapping wide ope- Wait. Six eyes?
The boy quickly looked down to confirm his worst fear: He had transformed in his sleep.
A startled gasp came out of Peter's mouth as he sat straight up and looked around, his eyes widened and scouring around the bedroom before down at his body. What in the world? How in the world did he...
Memories of his dream (more like a nightmare) came to him as he pulled his blanket towards him, ignoring the fact that he felt like a boiled egg. It wasn't like any of his other dreams and nor was it pleasant.Peter laid down, trying to calm himself down as his heart rate slowed before calming down at last. He looked up at his ceiling and tried to transform back to his usual self, having a few difficulties before finally succeeding, feeling his extra eyes and limbs disappear as well as his fangs.He sat up in his bed, feeling less exhausted than he'd like to be. At least he could fall back to sleep if he was. Peter looked out the window. The moon was up, clear through the sky and shining brightly.What time was it? The question occurred
in his head. Peter looked at his digital clock. 3:34 AM. Pretty darn early then. Even earlier than Steve's goddamn morning walks or when Tony finally sleeps. But then again, Peter couldn't go back to sleep.
But hey, midnight walks were an option. It wasn't unusual either. This wasn't the only time where he would wake up to a nightmare or couldn't go to sleep and he would go to midnight walks instead, or that's what Tony likes to call it. It wasn't just him either, Bucky and several other Avengers went through the same thing.Light shone through his window and onto Peter's
bed. He laid out his hand as he watched the light seep onto his fingers. The urge to go midnight walking again seemed stronger. Peter looked at the door and slid out of his bed, trying his best to stay quiet. He put on a simple coat and baggy jeans over his PJs before slipping on his shoes.He slid out of his room and looked out at the hallway of the living quarter. It was eerie, having to be awake in the Tower at this hour-
"Peter, shall I alarm Boss that you are awake?" FRIDAY's sudden voice pierced the silence. "Ah!-" Peter yelped with surprise but managed to cover his mouth with his hand before he could wake anyone up. "Friday!" Peter hissed. "Don't scare me like that and
please
don't wake Mr. Stark." He pleaded.The AI went silent for a while. Then she spoke again. "Alright." Peter was dumbfounded. Had FRIDAY actually went ahead and followed what Peter said or just lying to him and reporting it to Tony later? It was probably the latter since she had done that multiple times but Peter didn't really care. He took a ride to the ground floor.Sure, he preferred to go out the window to get out since it was a faster way and he felt freer
but then again, he'd never know when people could be looking out at the Tower and possibly notice the 16-year old kid climbing out of the Stark Tower. They might not recognize him but he wasn't taking the risk.The suit didn't seem necessary to go out either.
///
Peter was on the sidewalk, silently counting the bricks of the houses aside him. The night was quiet but not absolutely silent either. Because of the quietness, Peter's ears were more calibrated to the point where he could hear the wind. Yeah, that was a little weird, to be honest.
He kept on walking, taking turns and twists to where it seemed fit. It didn't matter where he went, he would always find his way back home-
And that's when he heard it.
The muffled shout of a man nearby. Peter dashed into an alley and stuck to the wall, holding his breath as he tried to listen in more closely. The noises were coming from around the corner. Calculations ran through his head as he tried to make more sense of the situation.
Footsteps, multiple people.A muffled voice.
hostage? Was this a kidnapping?The sound of an engine, a truck.
Multiple people with possible dangerous weapons along with someone else and a truck.God, this was going to be such a mess.
And Peter didn't have his suit on! But then again, he couldn't leave the man alone. An idea came to his head but it was beyond ridiculous. Peter shook his head.
It was now or never.
///
A struggling man was trying to get out of the ropes he was confined in when he looked up at the group of people surrounding him. Four people to be exact. They were all wearing masks, adorned with red horns and hoods. Two of them were holding a rifle with what seemed to be a red liquid inside.With brute force, The man was tossed into a cargo truck. A man walked towards him and leaned towards his head. "You seemed to like getting close to our organization," He hissed. "So why don't you join us?" The man could only plead with muffled whimpers as the man stretched up and slammed down the cargo door.The four masked ones crawled inside the truck and pressed on the engine, the truck letting out a loud roar as it sped off.
Yet not a single one of them noticed a singular figure sticking to the roof of the truck.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
This was a bad idea.
This was a terrible idea.
THIS WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA.
Tony had once said that Peter was smarter than him, teasing him about how Peter will soon one day rule over Stark Industries but now, Peter was questioning his mentor.
The said-boy clutched the roof of the truck, a slight feeling of fear and anxiety tingling at the base of his chest. It kept tugging at the bottom of his heart as he held on. After what felt like hours finally gone by, the truck stopped. Peter paused before raising his head just a bit, only to see that the truck had stopped just in front of a large harbor.Okay, this was going somewhere. Peter paused to fully let the situation sink in. He was trapped on a cargo truck with another person inside the said-truck and four armed people
also
inside the said-truck. Great. There also might've been some super weapons involved so that's even
better.
He tried his best to not think about the Homecoming Incident and how much he had messed up.
Sometimes, Peter hated his luck.
Oh god, Tony was going to murder him then Aunt May is going to revive him
just
to kill him again and then murder Tony. Then Pepper will murder Aunt May.
This was a bad idea, why did I do this??
Peter hissed to himself.
It was a while before the sound of doors opening came under him. From there, Peter could hear the footsteps echoing as they made it to the back of the truck. The latch was opened and the sound of something hard hitting something soft was suddenly so clear to him.Did they hit the man? Peter held his breath as the four started to get in the truck. What were they doing? What else was inside the truck? He didn't know and he wasn't sure he even wanted to know. Peter froze, debating choices before peeking over the edge. One of them was holding a red device to his ear. while two of the remaining three was holding onto the man by the arms. The last one was looking around, armed with the rifle.They had only knocked the man out, judging by the now bruising mark on the man's cheek. Peter was glad they didn't do anything more to the man.
But it couldn't get any worse, right?
Suddenly, there was a sudden blow to the back of his head.Only one thing echoed through Peter's head as the world blacked out.
Why did I have to Jynx it?
///
By the time Peter woke up, he was tied up in a warehouse. He was lying against the cold wall of the large apartment. Both of his legs were tied together along with his wrists by a cable tie, secured to his back. The room was dark, only lit up by the light peering in from outside. Peter stiffened immediately as he spotted the ever-rising sun from the shades.
How long was he out for?! He had left at midnight and woken up at sunrise. A deep feeling of dread filled his empty stomach as he struggled against his restraints.Oh god, Mr. Stark was going to kill him.
If it really was the sun rising outside then it had to be morning. Peter was currently missing from the compound and Mr. Stark is going to absolutely the hell flip out. He had to get back immediately but he still hasn't forgotten the man and the masked people.Who were they and what did they want?Peter tried to fight out of his restraints, coming so far close to bending his head to bite the wire to no avail.
The shelves within the warehouse were filled with machinery, bundles of wires stretched from the ceiling and walls. Random lights flickered green and red every second, turning off and on. But on the upper shelves were large objects wrapped in a brown paper.There wasn't anybody in sight in the warehouse according to his Spider-Senses but Peter heavily doubted that for some reason.He looked around, trying to find a way out when he spotted a table in the far corner. On the table was a scissor, some notes, and a large parchment paper. Peter took a deep breath, seeing what he had to do before scrunching up and heaving himself away from the wall, ending up on his side. Peter grunted and rolled over until he was on his stomach. From there, he pulled his body back and sat up on his knees.
He was making progress. Good.
Peter bent down and lunged the rest of his body in front of him, tucking his knees back in and repeating the process until he was right next to the table. The boy pushed himself against the wall and turned around, managing to stop himself from falling down. Peter stretched his hand back until he felt the cold metal of the scissors.Peter flipped it around and held it around, managing to open it and close it on the wire. After a few attempts, the pressure on his wrists finally ceased as Peter wrenched his arms open and started to cut the wire between his ankles. At last, the restraints were cut loose. Peter looked back at the scissor before pocketing it. He would never know when he'll need it later.He looked around the warehouse, slightly creeped out by how cold and alone he felt. Suddenly, his Spidey-Sense sent a shock down his back, letting him know that someone was there. Immediately, Peter leaped up against the wall and crawled to the ceiling, dashing towards the top of the large shelves and dropping down, hiding behind one of the machines.
As soon as he did, the sound of a door slamming open echoed throughout the facility. A man's voice was heard as he grumbled to another person. Peter pressed himself against the shelf while trying to listen in
and
keep out of eyesight. But this wasn't the first time he did this.The man spoke in a ramble, allowing Peter to catch only a few words."The Red Crystalis... ould.... powe.... if.... symbiosis wit...... ost....
muta.....ional..... fusion....
lab... ubject..... caped....
ears...."The man started to walk away from Peter as a second voice spoke up, possibly the person the man was accompanied by. It was a woman. Peter managed to leap to another shelf, almost getting caught as he scrambled back onto the deck. The woman spoke just as fast as the man as if she was rushing to get everything out."But we.... ed.... possible su...ect.... test.....on.... the.... an..... about.... animal?"The footsteps suddenly stopped. Peter was now able to catch up and hear closer to what they were saying."An animal? Elizabeth. Do you remember the last time we tested on a living entity? It almost destroyed the entire foundation, including the last capsules for the serum. Thank god, Daniel was able to restore part of the artifact." The man curses and turns around, heading towards the spot where Peter once was when he was tied.
Oh no.
"Where is the boy?" The man asked, his voice getting gruffer with the passing seconds. The woman froze and looked around vividly. "I could've sworn he was here! We used a cable tie. There was no way he could've escaped." The woman took a step back. "Just a cable tie? Are you serious?" The man turns to the woman and held up a fist. "He could've gone anywhere! Who knows what he could've seen?"'I've seen enough, thanks.' Peter thinks hoarsely before starting to back away. He could wait for the two to exit the room or just make a run for it. But the latter would probably lead to his fate. He shakes his head.
What in the world did he just get himself in?
Suddenly, three things happen spontaneously.
First. A small click comes from the man. A click so small that Peter couldn't hear it, even with his enhanced hearing.Second. A thunderstorm brews up in Peter's head as his Spidey-Senses go
haywire. It pulsates over and over again, as if there was danger inside of his own head.
And finally,
Third. Peter catches the man's words instantly."Seeker, find the boy."
Peter slowly turns around to see blood red eyes, staring right down at him.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Peter scrambled back with a yell, not having a proper time to react. The cryptic figure reached out, just in time for the boy to roll to the side and fall down the shelves. Peter slammed down against the hard floor as a loud and clear crack went throughout the room, causing the storm already in Peter's head to grow and expand.His ribs were, oh, so
definitely broken.
It felt like his skull was going to combust.
And if that wasn't enough, another loud noise came from right in front of him. To say, Peter didn't need to even hear words to know that the man and woman earlier already caught him. He slowly pushed himself up but not even after he stood on his two feet, Peter felt the hairs behind his neck prickle.Peter turned around to only duck briefly as a fist went through the air.
shit.
The boy rolled to his side, causing another ripple of pain. He bit his lips tightly, trying to avoid crying out, despite the fact that he was already caught. Peter shut his eyes closed as he felt a hand grip the front of his shirt as it pulled him back up and higher into the air until his feet was a few good inches off the floor.
Shit.
Peter was trembling, yet he kept his eyes closed. Until he felt something brush against the side of his face. It was something with leather
texture. A glove? Peter pried his eyes open slightly, letting them flutter open, only to widen them comically.
SHIT.
Because staring back at him were goggles with vibrantly red lenses that reminded him very much of the Vulture but this time, even more brighter and red.
The goggles were attached to a gas mask, which was attached to a man with a grey coat and one of those rifles filled with red liquid attached to his back.
Peter faintly remembered the man calling him 'Seeker'.
'GREAT, as if this day couldn't get any worse. And look! It did!'
said half of Peter's head. The other half was a hellhole of pure panic. Peter looked around, desperate to find anything,
absolutely anything that could get him out of her-
The Seeker suddenly turned its head and started walking towards the end of the shelves. Why didn't the Seeker just finish him right here? Peter didn't know until they made it out and now staring at the man and woman.
God, this was seriously like a cliche movie now.
The two was sitting in chairs, pulled up from somewhere. Both of their legs were crossed and so were their expressions. The Seeker placed Peter down and stood stiffly beside him. Peter felt really out of place.The boy looked up at the two. A moment of silence went by for all four of them before the man leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "You're the boy that was caught on the truck, aren't you? My crew caught you and tied you with the cable tie. Of course, we had to hurry and would've been more secure if not for the current situation." The man leans back momentarily before looking back at Peter.
"What is your name, young man?" He asked.
Peter stiffened.
"Jer-Jeremy," replied Peter, hoping that the man couldn't tell that he was lying. The man paused before nodding. "So, Jeremy. Do you know what you've gotten yourself into, kid?" The man stands up and starts walking in front of the shelves. "N-No, sir. No, I don't." Peter swiftly replies.The man paces back and forth, fingers touching his forehead as if he was going to scold a child. The woman watches him from her seat, paying Peter no attention. At last, the man stops and looks over at Peter. "I'm Darwin. Head of the MSAD. Tell me, Jeremy. What does that mean?" The man, now 'Darwin', asks before pacing back and forth again.Peter pauses before responding. "No, I don't, I'm sorry." Darwin turns to Peter and stops. "It's alright, not a lot of people know." He smiles and god, it's sinister. Peter swore he felt chills run up his spine by simply imagining it.
"MSAD stands for, Mutation and Special Activity District. So tell me, Jeremy, has anything been going on recently?"
Peter stiffens and looks up at Darwin. "No, sir." He answers quietly. The man faces him back before talking again. "The world is a wide place, with many people all around." Darwin starts, waving his hand as he talks. "And there is a decent percentage of them that have... special abilities, per se." He stops and turns to Peter."We need a way to control them. A way to keep them in place before they can cause any troubles that could lead to casualties that we can't afford. It's only a matter of time before more and more of them can overthrow humanity.
True
humanity."
Peter shivered at the sound of his voice.
"And our goal here, at this district, is to keep them in line." Darwin continues. "Do you see my point? Those... mutants, they are dangerous. We can never trust them." He hisses, causing small droplets of spit flying out of his mouth. Peter instinctively leaned back and away from the man.Fortunately, the man doesn't seem to notice as he takes a step towards him and narrows his eyes. "Thankfully, we have something that can help us. Finally, a weapon that can help us quarantine those monsters." The man faces him before walking right up to him to the point where he was right in front of Peter.
Darwin digs into his pocket and pulled out a tweezer and a capsule, glowing red brightly. He opens the capsule and picks up a vibrant red gem with the tweezers. "Jeremy, do you know what this is?" He asks Peter.Peter has never seen anything like it, even when he has been to Tony's lab and viewed over thousands of substances. He shakes his head. Darwin takes a step back and grins at Peter.
"This is Pumirsite. This substance has helped us in many ways, allowing us to... Well, why don't we test it ourselves?"
"Hold out your palm, please?"
Peter has never felt his Spider-Sense scream louder at him before.