Peter reopened the doors of the laboratory that had been sealed for years. Back when he was still known as a genius, this place had been built to help him learn and experiment.
"My physical strength is good, but relying on that alone won't let me adapt to all kinds of situations a hero might face."
Those words from Flash, along with Uncle Ben's guidance, had reignited his confidence. Since he decided to become a hero, he naturally wanted to give his best.
After some analysis, he realized he needed to create gadgets that would allow his abilities to work in more complex scenarios.
Look at the top heroes today, Superman, Green Lantern, why were they so popular?
It wasn't just about compelling stories. At the core, it was their overwhelming powers that let them face any crisis. No matter the disaster, they could rush in, protect people, and resolve the issue. That power was what transformed into influence and popularity.
Street heroes who relied only on physical fitness, however, could do much less.
A sudden car crash, illegal street racing, a plane going down, or a terrorist attack; maybe they could chase down criminals after the fact, but they couldn't prevent the tragedy itself. That was why they remained tied to the streets, relying on sheer numbers to protect as many people as possible.
Peter had no desire to be just another street hero.
So after much thought, he came to a conclusion.
"I can climb walls. My reflexes are sharp enough to react while moving at high speed. My body is flexible. If I could shoot webs, like a spider, and swing with them…"
The more he thought, the more ideas poured in. Deep down, it even felt like this was how things were always meant to be.
"There can be different firing modules for the webs, but considering time, I'll start simple and upgrade later.
"The suit design isn't a problem. I can hand the blueprints over to Vought's production team, and they'll build it quickly. As for the color scheme… red and blue, just like Superman.
"The webs must be tough, not just for swinging but also for fighting enemies with real strength. They should also be elastic. In some cases, that will make a huge difference.
"And right, the webs should dissolve on their own. No reason to make things harder for sanitation workers. They don't have superpowers."
As he spoke, he worked. Mixing liquid web formula, programming the launcher, and forging the device with the metals stored in his lab.
Alongside this, he sent the suit design to Vought's manufacturing department.
* * *
Within only a few days, Queens saw the rise of a new figure. A person in a red and blue web-patterned suit swinging between skyscrapers using webs: Spider-Man.
Runaway trains, speeding cars, store robberies, bank heists: all of them now had to face this young superhero. And he met them with quick reflexes, agility, and a growing set of gadgets, bringing down criminals one by one.
Peter, though uneasy at first about stepping into this life, had now proven himself as a true hero. With his best efforts, he answered the expectations placed upon him.
But not everyone who cared for him felt happy about it.
* * *
During a street chase one evening, Harry stood among the crowd. He watched with his own eyes as Peter leapt forward, blocking a car hurtling toward the sidewalk with his body. The crowd erupted in cheers, but Harry left in silence.
"As I thought, Peter, you chose this path after all. If that's the case, I can't afford to waste any more time."
He once had a detailed plan, one that would slowly chip away at LexCorp over a long period of time.
But now, his best friend had stepped onto the stage as a hero. To prevent him from growing stronger and eventually standing completely in his way, he had to act.
He needed to reach his goal before Peter became strong enough to take part in those decisive actions.
With that thought in mind, Harry arrived at the doors of the LexCorp building. He didn't go inside, instead choosing to quietly stand across the street.
It wasn't long before a researcher with only one arm walked up to him.
"Let's go, Harry."
"Yes, Dr. Connors."
* * *
The two headed back to Harry's home. There, Connors pulled out a space observation report.
LexCorp had nearly monopolized all advanced satellites and large space stations beyond Earth. But when it came to space research itself, the field still remained open.
Ordinary people could apply, pay the cost, or prove their skills to gain access to the company's instruments to observe space. Because it was open to the public, the oversight of this program wasn't too strict.
Relying his own inventions, Harry had struck a deal with Connors, one of LexCorp's senior researchers.
With a device the former built to detect life energy, and the research permit acquired from the company, they discovered a meteor speeding toward Earth. It carried immense life energy.
It was clear that the meteor would bring alien life to the planet. And that unknown lifeform, brimming with enormous energy, would become Harry's trump card against LexCorp.
In exchange for Connors helping him secure the research rights, Harry gave him the results of a genetic fusion study he had created years ago after experimenting on the lizard that devoured Peter's spider. It was research on fusing human and animal genes.
Why did this data interest Connors so much? The answer was written in the empty space where his arm should have been.
Once a military doctor, he was now a senior researcher at LexCorp. But the one flaw, the one source of shame in his life, was that missing arm.
He was incomplete. Even though Otto had long ago developed mechanical arms that could perfectly replace human ones, and even though he could easily rely on them to make up for his weakness, he still could not accept it.
He didn't want cold metal. What he wanted was a real arm. Only then would he feel whole.
"Three nights from now, correct?"
Connors gave a nod. "With influence from the LexCorp space station to alter its trajectory, this meteor is bound to land in the forests outside New York. By right, the research on it should belong to me. But privately, I will hand the meteor and everything on it to you. And in return, you—"
Before he could finish, Harry handed him a set of documents he had already prepared.
"And in return, you'll have a new life."
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!