Ethan Daniels blinked up at the ceiling, his mind swirling with confusion. The last thing he remembered was crossing the street on his way to the convenience store. A screech of tires, a flash of pain, and then... darkness. Yet now, he was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room, sunlight streaming through the blinds.
He sat up, rubbing his head as fragments of memories he didn't recognize flooded his mind. A childhood in Queens, a small apartment shared with his single mother, hours spent skateboarding with friends at the local park. None of it felt real, but it was. Ethan knew it, even if he couldn't explain how.
"What the hellā¦" he muttered, his voice unfamiliar even to himself. He stumbled to the mirror across the room, catching sight of his reflection. A teenager stared back at himādark brown hair, sharp green eyes, and a lean, wiry build. He touched his face, feeling the smooth skin. This wasn't his body.
Panic bubbled up, but Ethan forced himself to breathe. Okay, calm down. Freaking out isn't going to help. Think. Memories swirled againāschool at Midtown High, classes with Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and MJ Watson. Comic book names, right? But they weren't fictional anymore.
It hit him like a freight train: he was in the Marvel Universe.
Ethan staggered back, sinking onto the bed. The realization wasn't comforting. This world was dangerous. Sure, it had superheroes, but it also had cosmic threats, genocidal villains, and catastrophic events. He was just a normal kid.
"Or am I?" he whispered, his mind racing. His memoriesāor whoever's memories these wereādidn't include anything special. No superpowers, no hidden lineage. But this was Marvel. Anything could happen. He just needed to figure out his place in the story.
---
The next day at school, Ethan kept his head down. Midtown High was exactly as he remembered from comics and movies. The hallways buzzed with chatter, and he recognized familiar faces. Peter Parker shuffled past, clutching his books to his chest, his face a mix of awkwardness and quiet determination. Gwen Stacy laughed with a group of friends, her blonde hair tied up in a messy bun.
Ethan kept his distance, not ready to introduce himself to the major players. He had bigger things to worry aboutālike surviving in this world.
In biology class, he found himself seated near Peter. The teacher, Dr. Connors, droned on about genetic mutation, his passion evident despite the monotony of the subject. Ethan half-listened, more focused on Peter's notebook. Equations and diagrams filled the pages, far beyond the scope of their current lesson.
So this is the future Spider-Man, Ethan thought, a pang of envy rising. Peter's journey was just beginning. The iconic spider bite was closeāmaybe even today. The thought sent a jolt of excitement through Ethan, though he quickly buried it. He wasn't the protagonist here. Peter was.
But fate had other plans.
---
Lunch was uneventful, but Ethan's nerves spiked as the class headed to Oscorp for a field trip that afternoon. Memories of this iconic scene filled his mind. He stuck close to the group, observing Peter as they wandered through the lab. The boy was mesmerized, his eyes darting from one exhibit to the next.
Ethan's attention shifted when they entered a room filled with high-tech equipment. A glass enclosure held several genetically modified spiders, each labeled with technical jargon he couldn't begin to decipher. One spider, larger than the rest, hung from a web at the top of the enclosure, its red and blue markings eerily familiar.
Peter leaned in, his curiosity drawing him closer to the glass. Ethan's heart raced. This is it.
The guide droned on about the spiders' genetic enhancements, oblivious as Peter leaned too close. A faint clicking sound echoed as the spider descended on a silk thread, landing on Peter's hand. He yelped, jerking back as the arachnid sank its fangs into his skin.
"Peter, are you okay?" Gwen asked, concern in her voice.
"Y-Yeah," Peter muttered, cradling his hand. "Just a little sting."
Ethan watched, his mind racing. The spiderāthe spiderāwas scuttling away, its task complete. Without thinking, Ethan stepped forward, snatching it up in his palm. A sharp pain shot through his hand as the spider bit him, its fangs piercing his skin before it went still.
"Ethan, what are you doing?" a classmate asked, staring at him.
"Uh, nothing," Ethan said quickly, trying to slipp the spider into his pocket. But the spider was too fast, all he could do was watch it slip as his hand throbbed, a strange warmth spreading through his veins. He ignored it, focusing on keeping his movements casual. No one seemed to notice as he slipped away from the group, his heart pounding.
---
By the time Ethan got home, the warmth in his veins had intensified. His skin itched, his muscles ached, and his head spun. He stumbled into his room, collapsing onto the bed as a wave of nausea overtook him.
Was this a bad move? Will I survive this without a plot armour? His thoughts blurred as his body seemed to ignite from within. He clutched his head, his vision swimming with flashes of light and color. It was as if his entire being was being rewritten, every cell in his body rearranged.
Hours passedāor maybe minutes. When the pain finally subsided, Ethan sat up, his breathing ragged. The world seemed sharper, every sound amplified, every detail in his room crystal clear. He glanced at his hands, flexing his fingers. They felt... different. Stronger.
Testing his strength, he gripped the edge of his desk and lifted. The wooden frame groaned as he hoisted it into the air with ease. His heart raced. It wasn't just strength. He could feel the desk, every fiber of the wood beneath his fingers.
He turned to the wall, placing a hand against the surface. To his astonishment, his palm stuck. A grin spread across his face as he pulled himself up, scaling the wall with ease. Adrenaline surged as he crawled across the ceiling, testing his newfound abilities.
This is insane, he thought, dropping back to the floor. But it wasn't just his strength or wall-crawling. His mind buzzed with clarity, ideas forming at lightning speed. He could feel a faint tingling at the back of his skull, a subtle awareness of his surroundings.
The spider bite hadn't just changed his bodyāit had awakened something within him. Ethan clenched his fists, determination burning in his chest.
This world is dangerous, but now, I have a chance. A chance to survive. To thrive. To make a difference.
The grind had begun.