บท 1: Puny Parker To Spectacular Spider-Man
"Peter, get up before you're late!" I heard an aged voice call from behind the door and I opened my eyes, the grogginess of sleep quickly beginning to leave me after the next sentence, "You seemed quite excited for that field trip to Oscorp, so get up!"
...I'll never get used to what I'm about to say.
"Okay, Aunt May," I said, my voice having that huskiness to it that most people have after just waking up after not getting enough sleep, "I'm getting up. What's for breakfast?" I curiously asked.
I heard a scoff before she replied, "Nothing if you aren't in the kitchen in a few minutes!"
Despite myself, I smiled at the sass and tore the warm and welcoming blankets from my body, getting hit by that odd cold air that always seems to fill your room on a morning. I flung my legs off my bed and dragged myself up into a sitting position - I never was and never will be a morning person, I can tell you that for free.
But as always, something that woke me up something fierce was my reflection. A mop of brown hair, messy and unkempt, kept short and slicked back over my head. Hazel eyes stared at me from the mirror and they travelled down the body I was in.
Decent height. About 5'10" with a wiry physique that couldn't be called athletic but wouldn't be called frail either. Handsome too, and very much looking like Andrew Garfield* in terms of facial features.
(*Andrew Garfield is the best looking Spider-Man, don't @ me.)
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes before releasing out the air once more and snapping my eyes open. I sprung up, the energy of a teenager inside of me once more, and got to dressing myself. I went through all the normal things - applied some deodorant, got some clean underwear and socks out and then put them on, followed by some denim jeans and a simple white t-shirt. Then I pulled on a black hoodie because of how cold it seemed this morning.
After that, I pulled on some basic sneakers and then made my way to the bathroom where I was once again met by the appearance of my new body.
Yep, that's right - I'm a transmigrator. There seems to be more and more of us popping up, huh? Jokes aside, I didn't die but I did wake up one day as Peter B. Parker. Aka Spider-Man. But before he was Spider-Man. I didn't have such luck and woke up as nerdy Peter who still needed glasses, the latter of which I really wasn't used to.
Which brings me onto the next thing; Peter and I had perfectly merged. I couldn't be called the me from my previous world and neither could I be called Peter from this one. I was some sort of combo between the two.
I had Peter's good heart, his intelligence and his desire to be a good man. But I also had the other me's ambition and desire for power brought on by what world I'm in. That all combined makes me someone who will no doubt become Spider-Man as this body was originally going to...but it also means I'm not just gonna stop there like ol' Petey would have. Why? Well, do you know what I meant when I said 'what world I'm in'? I'm not so lucky to just be in the 'Amazing Spider-Man' film universe or 'Sam Raimi's Spider-Man' film universe.
Because, yeah, those places are dangerous and Spider-Man's many villains do come into existence but it's nowhere near as bad as where I am. I'm in the MCU. Better than the comics, for sure, but still worse than the other two I could've been in.
There's so much danger here that I can't just stay as the same ol' Spidey as most other iterations do. I had to be more than that if I wanted to survive. Yet I had time to get read as it was only 2006, so two years before the start of the MCU in full.
But as always, the first step is the Spider Bite that turns puny Parker into the Amazing (or Spectacular) Spider-Man. Which is today, funnily enough. Which is also why I hadn't gotten much sleep over the few following days. With Peter's intelligence - which is a stunning amount, might I add - I've been going over all I can do and the chances of it failing or not. The Spider Bite usually works like a charm for Peter but I knew I had to make sure, just in case.
I was put into this world a month and a bit ago. Which has given me plenty of time to find out the type of Spider-Man I am. And true to my appearance, I'm basically the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man but with the origins of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man.
1) Mary Jane Watson is here, and she looks like a younger and, somehow, hotter Kirsten Dunst. 2) Harry was, and still is, my best friend who looks like a mildly different James Franco. 3), This is the most important one - Willem Dafoe is here. Well, not exactly, but I've seen Norman Osborn and by god does he look like Willem Dafoe. 4) I've isolated an odd sequence in my blood that looks incomplete. After a lot of testing and research, I know it isn't a disease or anything bad. The only thing remaining is that it's what will connect with the DNA-changing venom of the Spider Bite and make me Spider-Man without killing me. No doubt that little plot thing from the Amazing Spider-Man films about Peter's dad, Richard Parker, making the enhanced Spider's compatible with only his DNA to stop Oscorp from using them in bad ways or whatever.
Spitting the toothpaste froth in my mouth out into the sink, I wiped my mouth with a towel and turned the tap on, letting it wash away what I'd just spat out. I leaned against the sink, looking into my eyes, "Don't be a coward, Peter. You know this will work. You've done the calculations tens of times. Deep breaths," I said to myself in little more than a whisper.
Just because I'd done the calculations and was pretty sure it'd be fine, doesn't mean I'm immune to anxiety. I am still part Peter Parker, you know? That nerd who go bullied most his life? Even if I've gained more confidence after merging with another soul it doesn't mean I'm instantly some sort of super confident guy who can tackle and do anything without worries.
Leaning down, I brought a handful of water from the streaming tap and brought it to my wash. I repeated the action a few more times, washing any hope of tiredness from my face and eyes with the refreshing cool water before I stopped, turned off the tap and dried my face.
Standing tall, I looked into the mirror one last time and nodded to myself.
Time to go become Spider-Man. Also time to go and scout out Oscorp for the Oz Serum.
. . .
Being here in this world, in this body, for about a month had given me chances to change some things about my life here. Nothing massive but enough small changes to make a decent shift in how I lived.
One, is that I started running and doing callisthenics as soon as I realized where I was. It was hard, with Peter's utter lack of athleticism, but I pushed on hoping that it'd actually help out when I got bitten by the spider. It'd been a lot of people's headcanon for a long time in fanfics that the physical body before the Spider Bite would effect the enhancement gained. And while I had no actual, concrete evidence for that conclusion...it didn't hurt to exercise. Healthy body, healthy mind and all that.
Plus, it helped me out with the other thing plaguing my life before the merger - bullying. Now, in a month's time I didn't become Arnold Schwarzenegger or Ronnie Coleman but it did help.
In my other life I wasn't some professional fighter and in this life I couldn't go to a dojo because of monetary problems but the other me actually knew how to fight. Not like a MMA fighter or a boxer but he did practice combat sambo as a hobby. Which meant after the merger, I was more than enough to defend myself against Flash and the other douchebags he hangs around with.
And like the stereotypical bullies they were, after a quick fight, they stopped bothering me. Sure, I got the shit kicked out of me but I made sure they had to pay for every hit they landed on me. Even broke Flash's nose.
So, I didn't have to worry about being ostracised by just about everyone in school because of the bullying. Which meant I could get on the school bus without having to look out for people trying to trip me up anymore and neither did I have to worry about them vandalising any of my stuff at school. Plus the confidence given to me after the merger helped me a lot.
I used to slouch quite a lot to try and avoid attention but now I stand straight and my decent height actually shines through to others. I'm not a giant but I'm taller than a decent amount of people. 5'10" is average, sure, but it's better than being below average like some people in the school.
What did this mean? I can take pictures without having to worry about anything interfering. What? I still like photography. If anything, my love for it got even deeper after the merger. Two people who loved taking photos merged together? Yeah, it'd have that effect. But I also had a secondary objective with the photos I was taking outside of Oscorp.
I was documenting the building and different ways to enter it. As far as I could see, it was easily the biggest building in New York with so many floors it'd be annoying to count. But there were a few floors that caught my eye.
I zoomed in with the camera and compared the glass panes of one of the floors with the one below it. A slight discoloured look. Darker. Thicker, probably. Made up of a different material--so, bulletproof, I guess? Or at the very least shock absorbent. The glass was harder to see through as well, everything behind it looking blurry. I could see shapes moving but other than that, anything of vital importance was unable to be seen.
Snapping a few pictures of it, I let my camera down and pushed up my glasses with one of my hands while the other held the relatively expensive camera.
If there's one thing I can't wait for, it's the need of my glasses to be removed. Why not wear eye-contacts? Because they irritate my eyes something fierce and whenever I have them in, I end up blinking, like, ten times the normal amount on average. Makes it hard to concentrate, honestly.
As I looked up at the building, I heard a shout from behind me, "Peter!" I turned and saw Harry Osborn, my only real friend. He wasn't perfect, the knowledge I had after the merger told me that, but sentiment still counts for something and judging a person based on the acts he has yet to commit just isn't me.
Turning my mind away from those thoughts, I smiled over at my oldest friend, turning fully toward him. Harry was about the same height as me but much more athletic-looking and while we were both good-looking, he had a more rich-boy aura around him that attracted women. Gold diggers, mainly, but women nonetheless. He was dressed in what he probably thought was normal, casual, everyday clothes but I knew for a fact his branded shirt cost more than my entire ensemble.
Still, I didn't envy him. The cost he paid for those clothes wasn't just monetary. It was also paid in the sense that he barely had a relationship with his own father who focused a lot on Oscorp instead of his son. A sound business decision but a terrible parental one.
"Hey, Harry," I gave him a raised hand, greeting in my usual way, and while a part of me wanted to joke about him rolling up in a fancy Rolls Royce, another part of me knew how he didn't like anyone drawing attention to his family's wealth. So I didn't.
That didn't stop Harry from joking with me though, "Still taking photographs on your own, Parker? I'd have thought you'd try socialising after your sudden ambition to change," he quipped lightheartedly.
I grinned at what he said and shrugged, turning back to Oscorp as he walked up beside me, "Taking photos is easy for me. Dealing with our classmates? Not so much," I half-joked but knew the truth behind it. I wasn't anti-social but even after the merger I had a degree of the original social anxiety one part of me had. Besides, talking to my classmates was like talking to a bunch of brick walls, as harsh as that sounds. Not to mention the immaturity most of them possess.
Harry gave me a look before seeming to let go of that train of conversation. Before he could go on to another subject, however, a voice called out to us, "Harry," a deep, rough-ish voice spoke out behind us and the two of us turned round, knowing exactly who it was.
He was a man of slight build but obviously filled with wiry strength. He wasn't the type to do heavy-lifting or break any records but his physique was obviously well looked after. That much was certain and easy to see, even under the thousand dollar suit he was wearing. He shared Harry's light brown, bordering on auburn hair, and had an aged face which spoke of years of doing work than commanded respect - the way his face, even smiling as it was as he approached us, exuded an authoritarian feel. This was a man who was used to leading people; the type who ordered things to be done and expected them to be done because of it.
"Won't you be needing this?" he asked, raising the school backpack in his hand toward Harry as he finally stopped in front of us.
Harry looked to me, somewhat embarrassed, and then back to the man approaching, "Thanks, dad," he said in a meeker tone than I'd ever seen Harry use. He looked back to me after grabbing the bag, "Peter, may I introduce my father, Norman Osborn," he politely said, his earlier informal approach gone.
I stepped forward and put my hand out in greeting, which he took and squeezed tight, "I've heard quite a lot about you from Harry. He says you're a science whiz of sorts," he cordially said, his tone actually sounding quite sincere, and then came the famous line, "You know, I'm something of a scientist myself," his pride beamed through his smile and it was obvious he held his own achievements quite high in his own mind.
Which wasn't wrong to do, really. He really was a fantastic scientist and business owner.
"It's an honour to meet you, sir," I started in a polite tone and let go of his hand, taking a step back to be out of his personal space, "I've read your research on nanotechnology and genetic engineering. Brilliant stuff, Mr. Osborn. Truly."
...I also know you're gonna turn into a crazed villain in a few days, and that you'll nearly kill your own son, my friend, in your bid to take out your board of directors.
But that didn't mean I couldn't respect the good he's done so far. Oscorp had genuinely done a lot to help the world, even if it was constantly at battle with Stark Industries for military contracts and the like.
A hint of disbelief and surprise flashed over Norman's face, "And you understood it?"
"Yes sir," I said with a nod, "I wrote a paper on both topics," I basically regurgitated the line from the movie because it was simply true. I had written a paper on both those subjects, one before the merger and one after it, and I'd even gone back to the research after the merger to look even further into nanotechnology. I knew that one thing could give me a massive boost in terms of technology. Genetic engineering was one research paper I'd come across while trying to figure out that missing link inside my own genetics - the one I suspect will allow me to become Spider-Man.
"Impressive," Norman admitted sincerely, "Your parents must be very proud," he complimented and I gave him a smile, seeing no reason to give him any information about my living conditions or who I live with. I may respect what the man once did but I knew what he was bound to become.
Part of me wanted to try and stop it but I knew that would be an exercise in futility. He wouldn't listen to me even if I did warn him about the Oz Serum, and then he'd question me on how I knew about a secret project within his company and probably have me arrested for interrogation on that very subject.
I would like to try and stop him after I get my powers but that wouldn't be possible. Such a drastic change to my physiology would knock me out for a half a day, at least, and I wouldn't delay my gaining powers just to stop the Green Goblin being brought into existence.
A sin I'd have to live with, no doubt. But one I was prepared to live with nonetheless.
I was brought out of my thoughts by the teacher leading this trip calling out to me and Harry, telling us to hurry up. Norman saw and heard it as well as he quickly said goodbye to Harry while I gave him a nod and a polite smile. We turned and picked up our speed into a half-walk, half-jog and soon caught up.
Upon entering the building, the teacher had us all round up before someone who worked for Oscorp arrived, dressed stereotypically like a scientist, introduced themselves as our guide.
From that point onward, I followed the group, took pictures of camera placements and vents while occasionally throwing in the odd picture of students listening to the guide talking as she spoke about the different things researched at Oscorp. I had to give some pictures to the school newspaper - only way I could bring my camera here without drawing any suspicion to myself later on after certain occurrences. Like a genetically engineered spider going missing on the day I'm here followed by a secret project being stolen.
For now, I'm playing the role of the photography nerd. And boy am I playing it well.
Finally, however, we arrived exactly where I needed to be. The room with the spiders. The scientist went onto her speech about how many species of spider existed in the world while she led us over to the different spiders they had held in plastic-glass containers.
...There were more than I expected. She even spoke more about different kinds of spiders. The Jumping Spider was still here, same with the spider that had the incredibly strong web, followed by the spider with the Spider-Sense/incredibly high reflexes. But there was also a spider here with an incredibly strong carapace, said to be pound for pound better than steel. I even saw a Huntsman Spider. And all these new spiders were apparently added to the concoction that is the genetics of the enhanced spider.
Part of me was worried about why new things had been added - and if these things had been added, what else would I find during my stay in this world? - but another part of me was joyful that I'd be gaining even more power from the spider once it bit me.
I pretended to look idly around at the ceiling with my camera but in truth I was looking for the spider that would bite me. Mary Jane Watson said the part about one of the spiders being missing just as I found it on the ceiling, weaving a web. It was much bigger than what was shown in the movies. Not Tarantula-sized by any means but still big enough to make someone afraid of spiders wet themselves.
True to it's film counterpart in one way, however, it was a dark blue and red mixture. It looked incredibly exotic and very dangerous. If this spider was released into the wild...the food chain would be mixed up a little. Most other spiders wouldn't be able to match it and all types of insects would be killed by it. From it's size, I'd say it could take on small birds like Robins or Sparrows as well.
Kinda scary what genetic engineering can do, huh?
I wandered the room, taking pictures and finally placed myself under where the spider currently was. I occasionally looked up at it, keeping an eye on it's movements as a slight amount of anxiety filled my gut - What if it didn't bite me? What if the added genetic material proves too much for me and I die? In answer to that anxiety, however, I decided to be superstitious for once and called out to a certain redhead who was looking quite closely at the enhanced spiders as the rest of the group dispersed.
"Mary Jane," I said, making sure my voice didn't crack or anything utterly embarrassing like that and she turned to me with a smile. It was breathtaking but I kept my wits about me as I held up my camera, "Mind if I get some photos for the school newspaper? A beautiful girl like you in it would probably boost our sales by a lot," I joked to push down my anxiety at speaking to her.
Before the merger, I wouldn't have dreamed of speaking to her like this. I'd have tripped over myself, voice cracking and looking like an utter mess. After it, I was slightly better. I wouldn't be lying if I said a part of me still likes her, that it crushes on her real goddamn hard. But another part of me knows I need to focus on other things right now - like trying to recreate the scene from the film it had seen. The fact my life was a film based off a comic book did threaten to send me into existential dread but I pushed through it like I did the elevated heartbeat caused by speaking to the redhead in front of me.
MJ's smile became a little wider at the compliment hidden inside my quip and she nodded, "Sure," she said before standing a little to the side of the containers with the enhanced spiders in them, "Is over here fine?"
"Perfect," I replied with a smile that must've been charming before she had a light blush on her cheeks upon seeing it. As I brought my camera up, I noticed the spiders in the containers seemed smaller than the one currently above me. Another change which brought both worries and confidence to life in my chest.
"Don't make me look ugly," she joked nervously, obviously feeling like this was more important than it actually was. Teenage girls love looking good in photos. So do teenage boys, actually. Teenagers, am I right? I can say that, seeing as a part of me came from a 21-year-old.
I grinned from behind the camera, "Couldn't do that even if I tried," I said in a quieter tone but from the way she practically preened from the compliment told me she'd heard. Keen ears.
Either way, she began posing in ways she thought would look good and I gave her a bit of advice which she followed. She started awkwardly but after a little, she showed that she had some real potential. She followed the advice quite naturally after she worked off the nerves and again, a part of me caused my heart to skip a beat at how beautiful she was--though I backhanded that part away while keeping a tight control over my hormonal body. Why?
Because that big enhanced spider had just landed on my hand. The little creature wasn't so little, as I expected from seeing it earlier. Damn thing nearly took up the entirety of the back of my hand.
I didn't react to it despite every instinct in my body begging me to do so. I wanted to fling it off my hand or swat it away but instead steeled myself for what I knew was about to come.
Then it bit me.
...FUCKING HELL!
I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I drew blood, the bite feeling less like an insect had just bitten me and more like someone just attached a car battery to my hand and then followed up with an injection of battery acid. The liquid/venom it injected felt boiling hot and quickly travelled up my arm and into my chest where the pain skyrocketed before turning into nausea and dizziness. It didn't hurt seconds after, replaced by a horrible numbness like I'd lost my arm.
How did the original me leave it at a simple 'Ah!' and just that?? I mean, I know this spider was bigger but goddamn. I felt like falling to the floor and crying.
My hand fell numbly to my side and I lowered my camera just as I did so to make it as natural-looking as possible. The spider fell to the ground before curling up and going still. Dead. MJ didn't seem to think something had happened to me but seemed confused about me stopping.
"We're done?" she asked, sounding mildly disappointed. Well, someone likes having their picture taken, don't they?
I gave her a forced smile, being careful to swallow any blood in my mouth before I spoke, "Y-yeah," I stuttered slightly out of the nausea before coughing and gripping the controls over my body some more, "Yeah, we're done. I've got enough pictures to entice the entire school to buy the newspaper," I joked despite not feeling very jovial at all right now, "Thanks for helping me out, Mary Jane."
Didn't know her well enough, really. Not enough to know if calling her MJ vocally would be appropriate or just downright too-close for comfort for her.
She smiled and went to leave before turning back, "Just call me MJ. Everyone else does. And you're welcome, Peter," she sweetly said before making her way over to her friends. Some of them looked over at me with appraising eyes and from the smiles, they didn't seem that against what they were seeing.
I allowed myself a bit of vanity right now to distract myself from the nausea, and the fact MJ knew my name made a part of me feel like he was on cloud nine. It at least helped me push through the quickly growing nausea.
Now, to see the teacher and go home before I pass out.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง