Peter Parker's Perspective:
Two weeks since the spider bite, and I still can't get used to it. The strength, the agility, the way I can sense things before they happen - it's like someone rewrote my entire existence.
And yeah, maybe freaking out in my room for three days straight wasn't the most heroic response, but come on. I got bit by a radioactive spider. Pretty sure that deserves at least a minor existential crisis.
The TV plays in the background as I stick to my ceiling (still weird), news coverage showing the aftermath of whatever went down at Fisk Tower's gala.
No one knows exactly what happened, but Shift's been out of commission since then. The footage shows the other Ultimates in action, but their leader's absence is notable.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
I remember watching one of his earlier interviews, when he said those words. Everyone thought it was just a cool catchphrase, but the way he said it... it felt real. Like he understood exactly what it meant to suddenly have abilities you never asked for.
"Peter?" Aunt May calls from downstairs. "Dinner's ready!"
"Coming!" I drop from the ceiling, still amazed at how natural it feels. Uncle Ben's voice carries up from below, probably telling one of his terrible jokes that May pretends not to love.
They're happy, safe - which for some reason feels extraordinary.
But besides that, here I am, sticking to ceilings and bench-pressing cars (okay, I haven't actually tried the car thing yet, but theoretically I could).
Unlike Shift, I didn't get my powers through some horrible experiment. Just a random spider that decided I looked like a good lunch option. Talk about winning the weird lottery.
The news plays another clip of him from before whatever happened at that gala. Sixteen years old, just like me, but out there making a real difference.
The way he handles his powers, how he's so sure about using them to help people... even when he messes up, he owns it, learns from it.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
Again, for some reason that phrase keeps echoing in my head.
"Peter! The meatloaf's getting cold!"
"On my way!" I head downstairs, trying not to accidentally stick to the banister again. That took twenty minutes to explain away last time.
Dinner with May and Ben is normal - wonderfully, beautifully normal. Ben talks about the garage, May shares gossip from her book club, and I try not to accidentally crush my fork when they mention how proud they are of my science fair project.
Later that night, I work on designs in my room. If I'm going to do this hero thing (and that's still a big if), I need something better than my hoodie and sweatpants. The web formula's coming along too - thank god for advanced chemistry and conveniently unlocked school labs.
Days pass like this - normal life on the surface, secret experiments underneath. Testing my powers in abandoned lots, perfecting the web fluid, sketching costume ideas that don't look completely ridiculous.
Then I see it on my way home from school - a car losing control, heading straight for a group of kids. No other heroes around, no Ultimates to save the day. Just me, my half-finished web-shooters, and a choice.
I don't even think about it. The webs work perfectly (thank you, chemistry), the strength comes naturally, and suddenly I'm setting a car down safely while kids stare up with wide eyes.
"That was amazing!" one of them shouts. "Are you a new hero?"
I look down at my makeshift costume - hoodie, goggles, web-shooters barely hidden under my sleeves - and realize there's no going back now.
"Yeah," I find myself saying, the words feeling right. "I'm... Spiderman."
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The next few days are a blur of adrenaline and web fluid calculations. Turns out, stopping one car is pretty different from regular hero work.
My first attempt at stopping a bike thief ends with me tangled in my own webs (note to self: wind resistance is definitely a thing).
But I'm learning. Each patrol gets smoother, each web swing more natural. The costume's evolving too - thank god for May teaching me how to sew, even if she thinks I'm just really into "textile arts" now.
The local news starts picking up stories:
"Mysterious Web-Slinger Stops Robbery,"
"New Hero Swings Into Action." They're small headlines, nothing like the coverage the Ultimates get, but it's a start.
"Hey Pete," Uncle Ben calls from the garage one evening as I'm heading out for "photography practice" (which isn't entirely a lie - I do take pictures, just... of myself stopping crime, got to make money somehow). "Saw the news about that new spider guy. Pretty interesting, huh?"
"Yeah," I try to keep my voice casual while checking my web-shooters through my sleeve. "Pretty cool."
"Reminds me of what that Shift kid always says - about power and responsibility." Ben's eyes carry that knowing look that makes me wonder sometimes if he's figured it out. "Good to see more young people stepping up."
I swallow hard, touched by the pride in his voice, even if he doesn't know it's meant for me. "Yeah... yeah, it really is."
School's... interesting now. Flash Thompson won't shut up about Spider-Man, which is weird since he still gives Peter Parker a hard time. MJ keeps saying the new hero's moves look "almost like a dancer," while Ned theorizes about the web formula in chemistry class.
"It's got to be some kind of synthetic polymer," he whispers excitedly. "But the tensile strength is insane! Did you see that video where he caught that falling AC unit?"
"Maybe he's just really good at chemistry," I reply, trying not to sound too proud about the formula I spent three weeks perfecting.
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The city feels different from up here, swinging between buildings. It's not just the view - it's the perspective.
Like how I noticed that old lady gets harassed every Tuesday when she collects bottles for recycling. Now she has a friendly neighborhood Spiderman making sure she gets home safe.
Small stuff, really. Nothing like the world-ending threats the Ultimates handle. But then I remember how Shift started - stopping robberies, helping civilians, building trust one small act at a time.
"Hey Spiderman!" a kid calls out as I swing past. "Are you gonna join the Ultimates?"
I nearly miss my next web shot. Join the Ultimates? I hadn't even thought... I mean, they're like the major leagues, and I'm still figuring out how to stick landings without looking like an idiot.
Three weeks into my spider-career, and I'm starting to get the hang of this. Web-swinging's become second nature, though explaining web fluid stains on my clothes to Aunt May is getting trickier. ("It's a new type of adhesive for the science fair, totally normal chemistry stuff!")
The police scanner I... borrowed from the school's AV club crackles with activity most nights. Nothing major - car thefts, convenience store robberies, the occasional lost tourist needing directions.
But it feels right, you know? Like maybe this is what I'm supposed to be doing with these powers.
"Hey, you're getting pretty good at this."
I nearly fall off my perch on the building's edge. The White Queen stands there, elegant as always, though her usual smirk carries something approving.
"I... uh... thanks?" Real smooth, Parker. Real smooth.
"Relax," she says, and I feel a gentle mental touch - oh right, telepath. "We've been keeping an eye on you. Not many heroes start out focusing on helping civilians rather than fighting big battles."
My heart's racing. The Ultimates have been watching me? Wait, does that mean Shift has-
"He's still recovering," she answers my unspoken question. "But he'd approve of your approach. Especially the responsibility part."
"Actually," she continues, that slight smile still playing at her lips, "he asked to meet you. Once he's back on his feet."
My brain short-circuits. Shift wants to meet me? The guy whose "with great power" speech basically inspired my whole hero career?
"He's been following your progress," White Queen adds, clearly amused by my internal freak-out. "Says anyone who stops to help old ladies with their groceries between crime-fighting deserves attention."
"He... noticed that?" Great, my voice just cracked. Super heroic.
"We notice more than people think." She turns to leave, then pauses. "Oh, and he particularly appreciated how you webbed up that purse snatcher while simultaneously helping that lost kid find his mom. Said it showed good prioritizing."
I spend the rest of my patrol in a daze. Shift's been watching. Actually watching. And approving? The guy who transforms into literal dinosaurs thinks I'm doing something right?
"Just don't mess this up, Parker," I mutter to myself, shooting another web line. "Don't say anything stupid when you meet him. Like asking for an autograph. Or babbling about his transformations. Or-"
A car alarm interrupts my internal monologue. Right. Focus. Be the friendly neighborhood Spiderman. Deal with the hero worship later.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
How did you find Peter's perspective?
Also, again, this is an AU that's why this works.
As for canon events, let's just say, Samael's Anodite powers, rippled in that moment changing many things the way he wanted, not everything of course, because some things require more focus than just wanting it normally.
But yeah, no eternally suffering Spidey, cause I hate that it is a thing.
He was one of the heros I grew up with after all - Hulk, Supes, Bats and him being the main ones.
So yeah, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)