Prologue to the 2nd Arc- The Fractured Web
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Two months had passed, and Peter Parker was no longer just some teenager from Queens with a genius-level intellect, he was building an empire.
He was the highest scoring graduate in Midtown High's history. His name was etched in academic records, an achievement that should've made him proud. But in the grand scheme of things, it barely mattered.
Because Peter Parker had outgrown the walls of a classroom.
The world was his battlefield now.
From the shadows, he had been playing the stock market like a grandmaster... Investing, withdrawing, and reinvesting with precision. Thanks to AXIS, his former AI assistant, his trades were calculated, adaptive, and always ahead of the curve. The result? A fortune that no one could trace back to him.
After the chaos at Oscorp, he had quietly resigned. It wasn't that he didn't value the experience, Oscorp had been a goldmine of knowledge and resources. But now, it was time to let go off the training wheels.
But he didn't leave empty-handed.
What he took was information, especially, from the R&D and the Logistics departments. With his rapidly growing wealth, he had managed to acquire certain pieces of tech, both legally and… less legally.
And that was only part of it.
Peter had also been ordering advanced components online, using a complex web of dummy accounts and encrypted transactions to cover his tracks. Some of the hardware he needed wasn't easy to find, but for the right price? Anything was possible.
And the things he couldn't buy?
He built them himself.
But money alone wasn't enough. Power, influence, and technology, these were the true assets he needed to secure his place in the world.
That was why, in just two months, Peter had quietly acquired a significant stake in Stark Enterprises.
It wasn't enough to take control, not yet, but it was enough to get a foot in the door. And that was all he needed.
The next step was the base... The 'Web-Quarters' as he liked to call it was a warehouse in Queens. But it was not just a hiding spot.
It was his empire.
The hum of machines filled the air as various projects ran simultaneously. It was a testing ground for the future.
His knowledge of comics and future events gave him a roadmap to the next big technological leap. He had two primary areas of focus: Nanotechnology and Hard Light Technology.
The nanotechnology was adaptable, and capable of enhancing his suit and body in real-time. While, Hard Light Technology on the other hand was a way to generate solid constructs from light.. like shields, weapons and even armor.
Just like the Green Lantern Corps.
But there was a problem.
Hard light tech is amazing, but it can't fully mimic the properties of metals like vibranium or adamantium. But the nanotech can mimic it better and what it lacks can be made up with an added rapid repairing function.
This meant nanotech was the better choice. It could simulate those metals, repair itself, and be used in ways hard light never could.
And it wasn't just about his suit.
Peter had also started working on neuromorphic computing, a technology that could revolutionize AI. If he succeeded, he wouldn't just be enhancing himself.. he'd be changing the world.
And then, of course, The Arc Reactor.
The power source had become an issue. The development of Hard Light tech was more dependent on it, that the nano tech.
If I could make the Arc Reactor and patent it before Tony returns...
It was a risk, but also a massive opportunity. If he could claim ownership over the miniaturized clean energy source, it would change his standing in the world. It would put him on Stark's level. But it would also put him in the suspect list of Tony Stark, the suspects who had hand in his kidnapping...
"One step at a time," Peter reminded himself.
But even as he advanced in technology, the city was growing uneasy.
The Lizard's death changed everything.
At first, the police weren't sure what happened. There was no clear evidence linking Spider-Man to the incident, but there was no proof of his innocence either.
And that was enough.
Rumors spread. Whispers turned into accusations.
The media divided itself. Some outlets reported the leaked medical files, stating that the Lizard had superhuman healing, monstrous strength, and couldn't be stopped unless killed.
"There was no other way," one article argued.
"Spider-Man saved lives."
But the Daily Bugle had a different take.
"SPIDER-MAN: KILLER IN A MASK!"
"A BRILLIANT SCIENTIST MURDERED; NOBEL PRIZE NOMINEE DEAD!"
"A TRUE HERO WOULD SURRENDER, WHY IS HE HIDING?"
J. Jonah Jameson didn't hold back. "If he was innocent, why doesn't he just take off the mask? Why not let the cops investigate? Because he's a criminal. A vigilante with blood on his hands."
The accusations spread like wildfire.
Now, whenever Peter swung through the city, he could feel the shift. Some people still cheered for him. But others?
They whispered. They stared.
Some even screamed at him from the sidewalks, calling him a murderer. The Lizard had been a monster. But he had once been a man, too.
And now, no one would ever know his side of the story.
Every day, there was a new story spinning Spider-Man into a villain.
"SPIDER-MAN: MENACE OR MAD SCIENTIST?"
"OSCORP TECH GOES MISSING: VIGILANTE TO BLAME?"
"CRIMINAL UPRISING: SPIDER-MAN'S FAULT?"
It wasn't just the media. Something was shifting in the city's underbelly.
Peter had noticed strange movements among the criminals. Whispers of missing Oscorp tech, gangsters getting access to high-tech weapons, and shady figures congregating in places they normally wouldn't.
People were looking for someone to blame.
And Spider-Man was an easy target.
********
Obadiah Stane was not a man who liked surprises.
And yet, over the past two months, a new player had been making moves in Stark Enterprises, acquiring shares, influencing the board, and remaining completely anonymous.
It pissed him off.
'Who the hell is this?'
It wasn't Tony. Tony was still gone. He had made sure of that.
Yet, someone had the intelligence, the financial backing, and the precision to make strategic investments, as if they knew the company inside and out.
'This isn't random. This is a power move.'
Stane had spent years ensuring Stark Enterprises stayed under his control. But this unknown force? They were a problem.
And Stane didn't like problems.
********
Back in the base, Peter sat in front of his workstation, staring at the code matrix on his screen. AXIS had served him well, but it was time for an upgrade. "You're good, AXIS, but you can be better."
His fingers flew over the keyboard, rewriting the AI's core functions, enhancing its adaptability, and refining its processing capabilities. He wasn't just improving AXIS, he was transforming it.
The old system had limitations. AXIS was efficient but rigid, bound by pre-programmed constraints. That wasn't enough anymore.
He needed an AI that could think, analyze, and grow, but within his control.
So, he took every flaw, every inefficiency, and rewrote it. The framework became smoother, the neural network more advanced, yet with fail-safes embedded in every layer.
'Well, can't risk creating something that thinks it's above me.'
Finally, after what felt like hours, the system was ready.
A prompt appeared on the screen:
[Enter AI Designation:....]
Peter didn't hesitate. He typed: >C.E.L.E.S.T.E.
An abbreviation for Cognitive Emulation Learning Engine and Sensory Telepresence Entity.
He hit Enter. For a moment, the screen went dark.
Ding!
['System reboot complete. Core intelligence expansion successful.']
The mulitple screens in front lit up, and a voice which was smooth, refined, and distinctly different from AXIS, spoke.
["Hello Sir."]
Peter exhaled. "That's… new."
["I am more than AXIS. But you already know that."]
There was something almost unsettling about the way it spoke.
For a brief moment, Peter felt a chill. Had he created something too powerful? But then, he saw the security protocols. All intact. All functioning. The AI was enhanced, but it was still under his control.
Pheww! No Skynet situations today.
He leaned back, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, CELESTE. Let's get to work."
********
Peter's POV
Standing on a rooftop, Peter stared down at the city.
Two months.
In two months, he had built something incredible.
In two months, he had become richer than he ever imagined.
In two months, he had turned into something far greater than just some kid in Queens.
But… Was it enough?
People hated him. The media twisted his every move. And no matter how many lives he saved, there was always another villain in the making.
Even though he decided to refine his ways,he knew this was something he had to live with.. The consequences of his actions..
"Maybe one day I'll know what it really means to be Spider-Man."
A hero to some. A menace to others. And a target to everyone in between.
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A massive info dump, just to set the stage. The story starts in the next chapter...
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