Wow, what a speech, the enthusiasm was practically overflowing; if I hadn't already known who was behind this shady company, I might've actually been tempted to consider working here myself. Maybe it's unfair to judge the entire flock by a single bad sheep, but, as the saying goes, a fish always rots from the head. And since the head of Oscorp is none other than Norman fucking Osborn, I'll make sure to keep my distance — as far away from all this corporate madness as humanly possible.
The first stop on the tour was the department dedicated to developing alternative energy sources based on — you guessed it — gamma radiation. Bruce Banner would've probably been thrilled, but personally, I still think the real potential lies in cosmic radiation. Next on the list was the weapons development department, where, unsurprisingly, even our blockheaded athletes suddenly found a new sense of interest.
Especially Flash. He was all ears, practically glowing with attention. Well, in the comics, he ends up volunteering for the army, so maybe that part of him holds true here as well. Finally, we reached the last and most important stop: the biological testing department. To be honest, by that point, my palms were sweating like crazy, and my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might tear right through my chest. The closer we got to the end, the stronger my unease grew, though I wasn't exactly sure why.
"Are you okay?" Gwen's perceptive voice broke through my spiraling thoughts.
"Yeah, yeah," I replied quickly, trying to sound casual. "Just a little tired, maybe from all the excitement?" I tried to joke, hoping to lighten the tense feeling sitting in my chest.
"Well," said the guide proudly, "this is our pride and joy — a display of twelve genetically modified spiders."
"Sorry, but there are only eleven of them," Cindy Moon pointed out after counting.
"That's odd. Maybe one was taken for additional research," the guide replied with a slightly forced smile.
"Anyway, that concludes our tour for today. Take a few moments to look around, and then we'll be saying goodbye." Well, that was it — the moment of truth. I slowly glanced around the lab. Miles and a few others were standing off to the side, posing and snapping photos in front of the spectral analyzer.
A little farther away, in the largest group of students, stood Cindy Moon again, her curiosity clearly piqued. Gwen was the closest to me, and somehow, her calm side profile made me feel even more nervous.
"Hey, idiot, don't just stand there doing nothing," Flash barked as he passed by, bumping my shoulder roughly and sending my backpack tumbling to the floor.
"Nice one, man," Kenny Kong laughed, giving Flash a hard high-five.
"I haven't even started yet, man. Yeah — which one of us looks like an idiot now?" Flash sneered, walking off with a laugh that made me grit my teeth.
I crouched down to pick up my backpack, reaching for the strap — but stopped mid-motion. My attention froze on a single shape descending from above. A spider, small but unnervingly distinct, was lowering itself straight onto my bag. For a second, I couldn't move.
My body locked up, instincts screaming at me, yet I stayed perfectly still. And in that split second, the spider leapt forward — landing on my arm — and bit me before I could even react. The pain was immediate and unbearable — sharp, burning, and absolute. It felt like liquid fire had been injected straight into my veins.
Still, I somehow held onto a flicker of control, a single thought cutting through the chaos like glass. Gwen, Miles — you're great, really. But there's only room in this city for one arachnid, and his name is Spider-Man. Acting on pure impulse and frustration, I slammed my other hand against the bite. It didn't help — if anything, the pain only surged stronger, radiating outwards like a living flame. The point of contact pulsed fiercely, and the remains of the experimental spider, crushed against my skin, left behind a throbbing ache that burned hotter by the second.
"Peter, are you okay?" Gwen's concerned voice reached me again, sharp but distant.
"Everything's fine. Why wouldn't it be?" I said quickly, my voice tense and unsteady as I tried to shift my backpack to hide the bite.
"You look pale. You're sweating. Are you sure you don't have a fever?" she asked, brows drawn in concern.
"I'm fine, Gwen. Really. Probably just exhausted. I think I need to head home — get some rest or something."
"Okay," she said after a moment, still sounding doubtful. "Let's go, they're getting everyone back on the bus."
Thankfully, everything wrapped up fast and without much delay. Otherwise, there would've been the usual "Marvel timing" and I would've needed to use the original Peter Parker dialogues — ohh, I need to go to the washroom, oh I forgot my bag.
Gwen's constant worry had dragged Miles into it too, and soon they were both hovering over me, fussing like an overly concerned duo. Still, in the end, all's well that ends well.
We made it back to school quicker than expected. After saying a hasty goodbye to Gwen and Miles, I went straight for the exit and started the long, agonizing walk home. The trip seemed endless. My skin felt like it was on fire, and the heat spreading through my body was impossible to manage. Everything in front of my eyes blurred, doubled, and pulsed in rhythm with the wild beat of my heart.
But I pushed forward stubbornly, powered only by the thought of reaching my room and collapsing there like a dying hero in some tragic play. There was no other choice — nowhere else to go.
Damn it! What if I'd messed up? What if this didn't give me powers but sent me straight to the afterlife? Poison. Radiation. Mutation. Those things don't exactly scream "guaranteed healthy living."
Maybe I should've just let nature take its course. No. Enough whining. I'd made my choice, and that meant I had to face whatever came next. Whether it brought strength or ruin, I would stand by it. My decision. My responsibility.
By the time I reached home, my head was spinning, and my whole body felt heavy, as if I were moving through water. I stumbled through the doorway, barely recognizing my surroundings.
"Peter, how was the tour? Are you staying for dinner?" Aunt May's familiar, warm voice floated from the kitchen, grounding me just enough to respond.
"No, Aunt May, I'm really tired," I managed weakly. "I'll tell you everything tomorrow. Goodnight!" I didn't even wait for her reply before I started up the stairs.
Each step dragged more than the last, my legs trembling like they no longer belonged to me. I reached my room, fumbling with the doorknob, and staggered inside. My vision swam; every sound felt distant, every breath heavier. I managed to strip off my clothes, the act taking far more effort than it should have, then clumsily arranged the blankets.
Finally, I fell onto the bed with a weighty sigh that felt more like surrender than relief. My eyelids dropped, my body shivering despite the burning under my skin.
"Well, Mr. Parker," I muttered weakly, half in irony and half in prayer, "I hope you survive this."
The words slipped out softly into the quiet room, swallowed quickly by the dark. My vision blurred once more, and before another thought could take shape, everything faded into silence. I passed out completely, sinking into the void.
.
.
.
New chapter as I promised, now it is your turn to fulfill your promise.
So chop-chop, give me your stones quick.