Ethan stretched lazily, leaning back in his seat at Dr. Connors' lab class. It had been a week since Spider-Man's debut and his impromptu intervention in Peter's alleyway brawl. Since then, Ethan had been keeping a close eye on Peter both in and out of school. The kid had potential—raw, unrefined, but undeniable.
Peter, as it turned out, was more approachable than Ethan had initially thought. Despite being soft-spoken and somewhat awkward, his intelligence and sense of humor made him likable. Ethan had partnered with Peter in class several times now, each session cementing their growing camaraderie.
Gwen Stacy, a classmate from a different section, often joined them during lunch breaks. Her lively demeanor and witty banter kept conversations engaging, and Ethan found himself genuinely enjoying their company.
One afternoon, as the trio gathered in the cafeteria, Gwen plopped her tray down on the table and grinned. "So, Ethan, you're pretty quiet most of the time. Got any hobbies, or are you just a walking encyclopedia like Parker here?"
Peter glanced up, a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. "Hey! I'm not that bad."
Ethan smirked, taking a sip from his drink. "Hobbies? Let's see… I guess you could say I'm into fitness. You know, lifting weights, staying active, and all that." He kept it vague—no need to bring up the abandoned cars and containers he had been moving during late-night training sessions.
"Fitness, huh?" Gwen raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "That explains the arms."
Peter choked on his drink, sputtering as Gwen laughed. "Relax, Parker. I'm just saying the guy's clearly putting in work. Meanwhile, you're here getting winded from carrying your backpack."
"Not true," Peter muttered, cheeks reddening.
Ethan chuckled, glancing at Peter. "Don't worry, Pete. With a little effort, you'll catch up in no time."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Peter said dryly, but he smiled.
As they continued eating, Ethan noticed someone entering the cafeteria—MJ Watson. She was surrounded by her usual crowd, which included Flash Thompson and a couple of other jocks. MJ was bright and cheerful as always, her laugh echoing across the room.
Gwen followed Ethan's gaze and smirked. "MJ's kind of a big deal around here. She's nice, though, when Flash isn't hovering around her like some overprotective guard dog."
"I've noticed," Ethan replied.
"She used to hang around with that rich friend who dropped out due to health issues, didn't she?", asked Gwen, shifting
As if on cue, Flash and his group approached their table. Flash, towering over Ethan and Peter, smirked. "Well, well, if it isn't Parker and his new sidekick. What's the matter, Parker? Couldn't make any real friends?"
Peter stiffened, his fists clenching under the table. Gwen rolled her eyes. "Flash, don't you have better things to do?"
Flash ignored her, turning his attention to Ethan. "And who's this? Another nerd looking to join Parker's fan club?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, keeping his expression neutral. "I'm Ethan. Nice to meet you, Flash."
Flash blinked, caught off guard by Ethan's calm response. He was clearly expecting some sort of reaction. "Uh… yeah, whatever." He leaned in closer. "Just watch yourself, new guy. You hang out with losers, you'll end up one too."
Ethan gave a small smile, his voice steady. "Thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mind."
Flash frowned, clearly unsure how to deal with Ethan's lack of fear. After a moment, he muttered something under his breath and walked away, his entourage following behind.
Peter let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "How did you stay so calm?"
"Bullies like him feed off reactions," Ethan said simply. "Don't give him one, and he'll lose interest eventually."
Gwen grinned. "That was awesome. I think you might've actually confused him."
Ethan shrugged, but inside, he was glad the encounter hadn't escalated. He couldn't afford to draw attention to himself, especially not with his other… extracurricular activities.
---
Later that evening, Ethan donned his Spider-Venom suit and leaped into the night. It wasn't much of a suit really, a black hoodie with a matching black jeans and a spiderman 2099 mask in black, while keeping the red highlights.
The city was restless, with reports of increasing drug and weapon exports flooding the news. It was clear that someone was taking advantage of the chaos caused by the growing number of vigilantes.
Swinging through the city, Ethan kept his senses sharp, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for—several unmarked vans parked in a dark alley, their drivers unloading crates of suspicious cargo.
Ethan perched on a nearby rooftop, watching as the men worked quickly, their movements efficient and practiced. He could hear snippets of their conversation, mentioning shipments, distributors, and a growing network of suppliers.
"Looks like business is booming," Ethan muttered, dropping down silently behind the group.
He waited for the right moment before stepping out of the shadows. "Evening, gentlemen. Hope I'm not interrupting."
The men froze, turning to face him. One of them, clearly the leader, scowled. "It's him—the Spider-Venom!"
Ethan tilted his head. "Good to know the name's catching on."
Before they could react, Ethan launched into action. His training over the past weeks paid off as he moved with precision, disarming the men and incapacitating them one by one. He lifted one of the heavier crates with ease, using it as a shield when one of the men pulled out a gun.
Within minutes, the fight was over. Ethan stood amidst the unconscious men, catching his breath as he examined the cargo. Opening one of the crates, he found it filled with illegal firearms.
"Figures," he muttered, webbing the men to the ground before calling it in anonymously to the police.
As he swung away, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The sheer scale of the operation suggested a much larger network, and whoever was behind it wasn't going to back down easily.
---
The next day at school, Ethan found himself sitting next to Peter in Dr. Connors' lab. They had been assigned a new project, one that required them to work closely together over the next few weeks.
"Looks like we're lab partners," Peter said, smiling nervously.
"Works for me," Ethan replied. "You're good at this stuff."
Peter chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, well, it's nice to have someone who can actually keep up. No offense, but most people in this class don't care about science as much as I do."
Ethan smirked. "None taken."
As they worked, Ethan subtly steered the conversation toward web formulas, casually mentioning some ideas he had been experimenting with. Peter's eyes lit up, clearly intrigued.
"You're into this kind of stuff too?" Peter asked, genuinely excited.
"Yeah," Ethan said, keeping his tone casual. "I've been playing around with different compounds, trying to create something strong but flexible. It's tricky, though."
Peter nodded eagerly. "Tell me about it. I've been working on something similar. Maybe we could compare notes sometime?"
"Sounds good to me," Ethan said, hiding his satisfaction. This partnership was already proving useful.
As the day went on, Ethan found himself feeling more optimistic. Between his growing friendship with Peter, his connection with Gwen, and his progress as Spider-Venom, things were starting to fall into place.
But as he walked home that evening, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The drug and weapon exports were escalating, and he knew it was only a matter of time before things came to a head.
Ethan clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. Whatever was coming, he would be ready.