Arachnid: A New Turn

[Peter's POV]

I had terrible dreams all night and was tossing and turning in a crazy state.

In my dreams, I saw myself turning into the Spider-Monster while being consumed by thousands of tiny spiders.

But everything ends, and so did these horrors.

I woke up on a sweat-soaked bed. 

Honestly, it had been a long time since I felt this awful.

But when I woke up, I didn't reach for my glasses because I could see everything as sharply as never before. 

This made me glad I took the risk, and it paid off.

I jumped out of bed and leaped in one bound to the mirror. 

I saw myself fit with strong biceps and triceps, confident, flat abs, and firm but not massive muscles. 

The perfect set. 

I gathered my clothes from yesterday, threw them in the laundry basket, and then checked my wardrobe. 

It wasn't as bad as I thought. 

Speaking of outfits, I'm thinking about creating my own "suit." I don't know if it's related to my spider nature, but I suddenly had this strong urge to sew something. 

The most important thing is that I felt immense strength in every cell of my body. 

While I can only imagine my current abilities, I can't wait to test them in practice. 

I went downstairs while whistling a nice, light tune. The kitchen had the same warm, cozy family feel as the Parkers' living room. 

"Good morning, Peter, you really scared me yesterday, you fell asleep right away and didn't have dinner. How are you feeling?"

 Aunt May asked worriedly.

"It's better than anyone alive, ma'am. Sorry, Aunt, I was just really tired yesterday, but today I'm full of energy and ready for new achievements." 

I said with a smile, calming my family with my confidence.

"Good, champ. By the way, I'll need your help today to paint the garage. You don't have any plans, do you?"

"I'll gladly help, Uncle. You can count on me. What time?"

"Well then, you'll come home from school, and we'll get started, alright?"

"Of course, I'll go."

"Don't forget lunch, dear."

Leaving the house, I began to think. 

The urge to skip school and head to some abandoned warehouse to test my abilities was very, very strong. 

The original "me" would have done just that, but I can't expose myself away in any way. 

It's a miracle that Aunt and Uncle didn't ask about the glasses I completely forgot to put on. 

Suddenly, time seemed to slow down, and I felt a buzzing in my skull. I quickly raised my head and saw a bus speeding straight toward me. 

Before I even had time to think, my body, on pure reflex, jumped from the middle of the road to the sidewalk. 

By the time the driver realized what had happened, I was already running away from the scene at full speed. 

Thankfully, there weren't many people around in Queens at that time, so I don't think anyone saw me.

I ran into an alley to catch my breath.

Looking around, I realized I was in a dead-end corner, with a massive building ahead of me, twelve stories tall and fifteen meters wide. 

Looking around like a thief, I watched for any detail and especially listened for my Spider-Sense. 

I tried to focus it on detecting any surveillance; this ability would be my primary focus for training.

I approached the wall, placed my hand on it, set my right foot, pushed off, grabbed with my left hand, and... started climbing. 

The only thing stopping me from shouting with joy was the awareness that I should avoid drawing attention to myself. 

All these thoughts were racing through my mind while sprinting across the rooftops. 

Unfortunately, the high-rise buildings in the area ended, and a couple of kilometers from school, I had to walk like an ordinary mortal. 

"Hey, Pete!" 

Miles Morales unexpectedly called out to me.

A couple of blocks from school, it's always more fun to walk in company.

"Hey, Miles, how are you?"

I greeted my friend cheerfully.

"Great, how about you? After yesterday? Honestly, you looked like crap."

"Actually, I'm great, I just needed some sleep."

"Cool, did the sleep improve your eyesight? Where are your glasses?"

"No, my sleep isn't that magical. It's just that I don't need glasses anymore. You know, eye training techniques and proper nutrition do wonders."

"Well, congrats. Did it actually help?"

"Yeah, and my case wasn't that bad to begin with."

After talking and discussing small things, we reached the school.

That's when we saw the whole gang, led by Thompson, outside the fence, on the school grounds.

"Whoa, Kong, Ken, check it out, Crybaby Parker and his new buddy. Do you think he runs as fast as Pete?"

"Not sure, Flash, wanna test it?"

"Maybe you guys should run off as fast as you can and not mess with respectable young people?" 

I ask with a teasing smirk.

"Look who's got a voice now. Feeling a little brave, Parker?"

"Well, definitely not as cowardly as a dumb blockhead who only knows how to bully the weak and hide behind his lackeys, pretending to be the king of the school. Wake up, Thompson, you're pathetic, and the sooner you realize it, the better." 

I say, not holding back everything that's been building up over the years.

Surprisingly, it wasn't just the athletes and cheerleaders who were speechless, but all the students, and I wasn't speaking in a whisper. 

Of course, Eugene couldn't stand an attack on his authority, and stepping up to me, he grabbed me by the collar and hissed:

"Today. After school. The warehouse on Broly Lane. You're dead."

"We'll see who's dead." 

I reply coolly.

Fuming angrily, Thompson shoved me away and motioned for his crew to follow him into the school.

"Dude, are you crazy?! Flash is gonna kill you!"

"Don't worry, my friend. A wise warrior knows when to issue a challenge."

I say with a grin.

"You do realize that watching Bruce Lee movies doesn't automatically make you a martial arts master, right?" 

He says, giving me a skeptical look.

"Really? That's a shame. That was my only hope." 

I reply, feigning disappointment.

"Got a plan, right?"

"Come with me, and you'll find out."

"Of course, someone has to bring your body back to the family."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Miles. Look at the bright side. Your dad's a cop, so if I die, my spirit can rest easy knowing Flash will be locked up, thanks to your testimony."

"Yeah, that's comforting." 

Miles replies dryly.

We walk into the school and head towards our lockers. 

Honestly, Miles is a good guy. 

I grabbed my books, closed the locker, and immediately found Gwen Stacy's dissatisfied face behind it.

"Oh my God, Gwen! Do you even realize how scared I was?"

What's funny is that I really did jump because it was so unexpected.

"What. Did. You. Do? All the girls are running around and talking about your fight with Flash. Peter, I've only been here for two days and already understand how everything works. Do you know why?"

"It must be the intuition of a police officer's daughter. That's it. They say all police officers' daughters have it."

"Not funny, Pete. School is like a zoo, there are alpha predators, and there are peaceful herbivores. At our age, it's pretty clear. And, sorry, but Flash is definitely a predator."

"So maybe it's time for the peaceful herbivore to show that he's actually always been a wolf in sheep's clothing?" 

I decided to keep playing along with her analogy.

"Are you sure, Peter?" 

The blonde asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan."

"I really hope so. Let's go to class."