Web of Fate

In the dimly lit alleyway, Scorpion's heavy footsteps echoed as he advanced, his presence overwhelming. The lead scientist, backed against a wall with nowhere to escape, trembled under his gaze.

"You made me like this," Scorpion growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Now, pay the price."

The scientist, desperate, held his hands up in a futile attempt to reason. "You're the one who accepted the offer," he stammered, his voice shaking. "I—I was only trying to help."

"Shut up!" Scorpion's voice cut through the air like a blade. "You should have rejected mine. After you... Jameson is next."

Tears welled in the scientist's eyes as he fell to his knees, pleading. "Please, no. I can try to fix you—please, just give me a chance."

Scorpion's expression remained cold and unyielding. "I gave you time," he spat, his tone laced with finality. "But you wasted it. Now... die."

In one swift motion, his tail lashed out, piercing through the scientist's body with a sickening sound. Blood splattered onto the cold pavement, dripping from both the wound and Scorpion's tail as it withdrew.

The scientist collapsed, lifeless.

Scorpion stood over him, disdain in his eyes. "What a waste of time," he muttered, his gaze narrowing with barely restrained fury. "If I see that wench again... I'll kill her next time."

Meanwhile, Jessica took a moment to rest. When she checked again, Scorpion was nowhere to be found. Deciding there was nothing more to do, she headed home to get some much-needed sleep.

Later, she examined the wound she'd received at her chest. The sight of it made her uneasy, and a troubling thought crept into her mind.

'Will Peter still like me if he sees this?'

She shook her head firmly, brushing the doubt away. "Peter loves me," she muttered, "He wouldn't think less of me because of this."

As evening settled in, the news broadcast caught Jessica's attention. The lead scientist, the same man who had thanked her earlier, had been found dead in an alley, a gaping hole in his stomach.

Jessica's hands clenched into fists. 'I should've done more. Maybe he'd still be alive.' The guilt weighed heavy, her chest tightening with every passing second.

"What are you watching?" her adoptive mother, Mrs. Jones, asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"The news," Jessica replied flatly, her eyes fixed on the screen.

Mrs. Jones studied her for a moment, worried etched on her face.

In the Parker household garage, Peter swayed to the beat of Hips Don't Lie by Shakira, playing loudly on the radio. As he moved to the rhythm, he carefully worked on refilling his web-shooter cartridges, the task so familiar now that he barely had to focus.

The outside world's chaos felt distant; his mind was consumed by his personal projects.

'I should find a broke Arc Reactor' he thought with a grin. 'Maybe I can reverse-engineer it and get it running again'

Uncle Ben, who had been searching for Peter, paused in the doorway, a smile spreading across his face as he watched his nephew dance. It wasn't something he saw often, and it warmed his heart.

"Peter, don't forget to get some sleep," Uncle Ben said gently.

"Yeah, got it," Peter replied, not missing a beat as he continued his work.

...

Friday Morning,

Peter stifled a yawn as he scribbled notes into his battered notebook. The pages were filled with hastily scrawled formulas, diagrams, and random observations. Without internet access, his thirst for knowledge felt stifled, like a bird trapped in a cage.

He had no choice but to make do with what he already knew.

Currently, his focus was on mapping his own body. Every muscle, every nerve—it all mattered. He needed to understand himself fully, not just as a person but as a potential weapon. The battles ahead wouldn't wait for him to catch up.

'I've got to analyze my DNA, see how it reacts under different conditions,' he thought, his pen pausing over the paper. 'And learning the structure of my body is just the start. It'd be a game changer if someone could teach me how to harness Chi or even Magic… but I guess I'm on my own for now.'

The faint hum of classroom chatter faded into the background as Peter's mind raced with possibilities.

"My body must have limits," Peter murmured to himself, his voice barely audible over the faint classroom noise.

'I need to figure out where those limits are,' he thought, tapping his pen against the desk. 'If I don't, I could end up pushing too far and injuring myself. Still, with what I know, Spider-Man's physiology should theoretically handle around 100 tons. I mean, according to the comics, he held up a collapsing skyscraper. His travel speed? Easily massively supersonic. Reaction speed? MFTL.'

"There's so much ground to cover," he muttered under his breath. 'And I'm nowhere near that level yet,' he admitted to himself.

During lunch break, Peter sat alone in the library, quietly eating his sandwich while engrossed in a book. Jessica was absent today, as she had mentioned in a brief message earlier.

He didn't know what was going on with her, but he trusted she could handle it. Jessica wasn't the type to let anything keep her down for long.

With the extra time on his hands, Peter focused on absorbing as much information as possible. He sifted through every page, committing details to memory, sharpening his mind. Knowledge was his greatest weapon, and he intended to wield it wisely.

After all, Peter Parker was often regarded as one of the brightest minds in the world—if not the brightest.

After school ended, Peter climbed into the car next to Uncle Ben. As they started their drive home, Peter, with a playful tone, asked, "Uncle Ben, can I take a Muay Thai class?" 

Uncle Ben glanced over at him, surprised. "Huh? Where'd that come from?" 

"From the heart?" Peter joked, a mischievous grin on his face. 

Uncle Ben chuckled but then raised an eyebrow. "Stop joking. Why do you want to take a Muay Thai class?" 

Peter shrugged, trying to keep it light. "Just because." He leaned back, tapping his fingers on his knee. "And don't worry, I can pay for the class." 

"Are you getting bullied?" Uncle Ben asked, concern flashing in his eyes. 

Peter's face tightened. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Why do you keep saying that?" 

Uncle Ben sighed, looking thoughtful. "Because my nephew is a nerd. In my day, nerds always got bullied. No offense, but it's the truth." 

Peter chuckled softly. "None taken." 

"I'm worried about you," Uncle Ben said, his voice serious. 

Peter gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine. I'm stronger than you think." 

Uncle Ben smiled back, though his concern lingered. "Whatever you say, Peter." 

"So, will you let me?" Peter asked again, his voice hopeful. 

Uncle Ben glanced at him, then nodded. "Go ahead." 

Peter's eyes lit up. "Can we go register right now? It's nearby." 

"Alright," Uncle Ben said with a smile, turning the car toward the nearby Muay Thai dojo. 

When they arrived, Uncle Ben walked in with Peter, registering him for the class. As they filled out the paperwork, Peter couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.