After Christmas break, school started up like normal and for a couple weeks everything was fine. Peter was talking with Theo as they brainstormed ideas on how to improve the shop's software. They were walking with their siblings and friends as they headed towards the shop itself to do homework together. It was drilled into them by Theo over the years to the point that it was habit at this point. Peter on the other hand copied Theo and just did his homework during class or on breaks. The only time he needed to do homework at the shop was if it was a larger project.
When they arrived, Peter and Theo started to help everyone else with their homework. While it wasn't really needed at this point, because even Milly would do her homework without arguing anymore. Theo and Peter still helped everyone out though, mostly because Peter had a crush on MJ and probably Jean too. And Theo because he just liked helping out his siblings.
After everyone's homework was finished, Milly and the others stayed in the office to hang out and play some board games. While Theo went upstairs to help out in the shop and Peter went to check out what his parents were working on currently. Peter found his parents outside of the main lab working at their computers as they looked over data. When Peter walked in he moved next to them as he asked, "Hi mom, dad… What are you working on?"
His mom gave a friendly smile as she said, "Just checking the results of our latest batch of spiders."
Richard turned around as he asked, "Did you and the others finish your homework already?"
"Theo and I finished at school, we were just helping everyone else out."
Richard nodded as he said, "Good job kiddo, keep that up and it will help you get into a good college."
Richard pulled Peter next to his computer as he asked, "Wanna see what we're working on yourself?"
Peter nodded so Richard stood up and let Peter take his seat. He then leaned over from the side and controlled the mouse as he said, "Here, look at this and tell me if you can spot the difference."
Richard pulled up two data sheets and put them next to each other on the screen as he said, "Here is the last batch and the current batch of spiders."
Peter studied it for a few moments before he excitedly pointed at some data as he said, "This is more than double from the last batch!"
"Yup, and what else?"
Peter studied it before he pointed at another number and asked, "They became more venomous… Are you trying to make them more venomous for some reason? I thought the goal was increased silk production?"
Richard rubbed Peter's head as he said, "We are, but we're changing things at a genetic level and have no idea what other effects a single change will bring."
"So the change you made doubled silk production, but also made them more poisonous?"
Richard nodded before he said, "But the poison is almost nonexistent so it won't affect humans if they are bit. So we'll probably keep this change in the long run as long as it stays consistent."
"Speaking of which, the spiders need to be fed today, do you wanna do it?" Mary asked as she worked on her computer.
"Sure! I just need to give them a single cricket each, right?" Peter asked as he hopped out of the chair.
"Yup and make sure they don't escape their containers." Richard reminded Peter as he moved towards the spider containment area of the lab.
"Don't worry dad, I remember."
When Peter entered the room he started on the left side of the room and slowly worked his way to the right. About halfway through feeding them, Peter found one of the containers completely empty like a spider was never placed inside. While every container before it had at least a small spiderweb created somewhere inside it.
It was possible that the specimen died before they placed it in the container since it happened before. Peter noted it down and continued down the line feeding the other spiders until he finished. Afterwards he went back to meet with the others and didn't notice the tiny spider that was currently resting on his clothes.
Back in the office area he found everyone but Theo playing a card game. He joined in on the next round and as he was playing the spider slowly crawled down to his hand and bit him. Peter barely felt it but went to scratch his hand on instinct and somehow knocked the spider onto MJ's calf just above her sock. A moment later the spider bit MJ and she scratched her leg in response, killing it. The spider was so small that she didn't even notice something was there. It wasn't until hours later that both MJ and Peter became sick with fever like symptoms.
Over the next few days both of them missed school and Theo didn't see either of them till Friday morning on the way to school. At first Theo didn't notice anything directly wrong, since Peter seemed pretty normal. But once MJ and Jean met the group, Theo noticed something strange as MJ stayed closer to Peter than normal. It also helped that MJ smelled Peter a few times and said, "Wow, did you use something new Peter? You smell really good today."
"You smell good too, MJ."
"Thanks, I'm glad you noticed." MJ said as she smiled at Peter.
Jean also smelled Peter before she tilted her head slightly and said, "I don't smell anything different…"
"Really? I swear something he used smells really good." MJ said as she leaned closer to Peter and took another sniff.
Theo narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the exchange and had a suspicion something happened. Something he didn't expect and was wondering if he should interfere with. But he didn't have proof and would need to test his theory first. As they continued walking to school Theo wanted to test Peter and MJ, so he sent hand signals to the ANBU who were watching over the area.
A few minutes later a truck passed by and a hidden ANBU member threw a rock from its direction at Peter's head. Peter didn't see the rock coming but he stopped walking for a moment and it flew right past him. Peter frowned slightly and looked around not understanding what happened exactly, but Theo knew. And when the ANBU attempted the same thing on MJ she actually caught the stone and looked at it in surprise. Jean even asked, "Wow MJ, nice catch. Did that hurt?"
MJ dropped the stone to the ground and looked at her hand as she said, "No, not really."
With Theo's suspicions pretty much confirmed he would need to change his plans going forward. Whether or not they both realized they had super powers, Theo wasn't sure. But he would need to help them out going forward though. Unless he decided to take MJ's powers away. It would all depend on how she acted with them going forward though…
He also needed to fully test both of them and go from there. Afterwards he would have to figure out a training plan and find a place so they could be trained in the first place. Sure he could use his own training facility hidden deep below his house, but that came with issues and the possibility that his identity would be discovered.
He would need to leave those matters for later though, since he had a more pressing issue to deal with. Like MJ who was now happily clinging in Peter's arm as they walked together. Jean seemed to be the only other person who noticed the oddity as Milly was focused on a cook book while Isaac, Teresa and Dylan were happily chatting about something. Jean shared a look with Theo who just shrugged in response, even though he had a decent idea of what was going on.
As they finished walking to school, Theo was lost in thought about how he could possibly disrupt the unconscious connection Peter and MJ now shared. While he wasn't against them being together, he would rather it be from a real connection rather than forced upon them because they were apparently bit by the same spider. Just another thing he would have to test and also have some ANBU watch over them at home to see if they used their powers.
At school Theo switched out with a shadow clone and went to the medical facility to talk with a couple people about possible solutions for Peter and MJ's issue. Ezekiel explained that it was most likely some type of pheromone that drew them together, at least that was his best guess. Tobirama agreed but wanted to run tests on them to be sure, so he suggested bringing them in while unconscious to run tests. With a plan laid out, Ezekiel did some other things until school let out and then switched with his shadow clone again.
On the way to the shop, Jean kept glancing at Theo like she wanted to say something but never did. Theo checked his shadow clone memories again just to make sure nothing happened while he was gone but found nothing wrong. So he chalked it up to how Peter and MJ were practically glued together at this point. With that in mind, Theo made sure he didn't leave either two alone just in case they went further than holding hands extremely close.
When MJ and Jean finally left to go home, Theo let out a sigh of relief and shook his head at the stupid smile on Peter's face. Hopefully they would solve the problem quickly before Peter tried to ask her out. Sure she would probably agree now with her mind being affected, but once she could think clearly? Theo really didn't want to deal with a teenage love drama between his friends…
Later that night, Ezekiel and a team collected Peter and MJ to run a test on them both. They found that both of their DNA was changed at a fundamental level and more than ten percent of it was exactly the same now. They also found that even unconsciously both of them reacted to each other being in the same room. Theo thought of an idea after Tobirama came back with the test results. It was definitely a reaction to the pheromones both of them produced and the simplest solution was to block it for both of them.
Theo ended up bringing in Tao and explaining the situation who used a couple spells to filter the pheromones. They would still produce them and they would both be able to sense them still. But it would be at a massively reduced rate so they could get used to it. It wasn't the best solution, but Tao said unless they figured out a way to remove it completely, building a resistance would be the best solution.
Tobirama and the others agreed because the only way to really remove it would be to clone them into new bodies. And while they could do that, it would take months or even years to figure out what to change to remove the pheromone issue and keep everything else they gained. And they definitely gained, since they both now had Spider-Man's powers. They would still need to be tested when awake, but all the tests that were run pointed towards super human abilities. No organic web shooters though which were kind of a relief for Ezekiel. Mechanical ones always seemed better in Ezekiel's opinion…
Plus when Peter invented them, Ezekiel could get a set which would be fun to use sometimes. At least for swinging through a city like New York, it just seemed like it would be a lot of fun. And with his ability to use chakra, he could easily run and stick to buildings like Spider-Man.
Ezekiel set them home for the night and after the weekend was over he met up with everyone on the way to school again. MJ walked closer to Peter again, but she wasn't hanging off his arm like on Friday. Over the weekend both of them explored their powers in secret when they were alone and both had the same power set. They were incredibly strong, had crazy reflexes and could cling on any surface they touched with their hands or feet. Once everything was confirmed, Theo started working on a plan to test them both…
But he was also confused because Jean would randomly look at him every once in a while. She did it on the way to school and even in classes they shared together. As for why she was doing it, Theo had no clue and couldn't figure out why. The only thing he did recently was change with a shadow clone during school, but his clone didn't act any different from him, so that shouldn't have been it…