So, let's start from the beginning one last time.
My name is Dante Walker, a normal 16-year-old kid living in Queens, New York. I can confidently say I'm mega handsome but no girl that I want are into me so that's why I never had a girlfriend. I have black hair with light brown eyes.
I actually am on a field trip at the moment sitting next to my 2 best friends Peter Parker who is the brains of the group who tries to keep us out of trouble and do the sensible things.
Then there is Harry Osborn who is the mastermind of any dumbass idea we have. It also helps he is rich so we hve the fund for our ideas and I'm the guy who talks our way out of any situation we find ourselves in. We make the troublesome trio. But who knew this trip to Stark Industries will change my life.
New York, Stark Industries
I step off the bus and just kind of freeze for a second, staring up at the massive building in front of me like an idiot. The glass catches the sunlight so hard it almost hurts to look at, and the thing stretches so high it feels like it's cutting into the sky.
A month ago, that tower had a big glowing "Stark" on it, but now there's a giant "A" sitting at the top, bold and clean, like the whole city needed a reminder of what went down.
The alien invasion is still fresh in everybody's mind witg giant monsters flying through the sky, lasers tearing through buildings, and a group of superheroes calling themselves the Avengers showing up to save the world. And the guy leading the whole invasion? Some dude with deer antlers on his helmet who calls himself a god.
New York is crazy, man. One minute you're worried about passing algebra, the next minute aliens are raining down from the sky and billionaires are flying around in metal suits.
"Yo," Harry's voice snaps me out of it as he taps my shoulder, and I turn to see that familiar grin on his face, the one that usually means he's about to say something dumb. "You think we're actually gonna see Tony Stark today?" he asks, eyes practically lighting up like a little kid on Christmas morning, which is funny considering he's already rich enough to buy half the stuff in this building.
Before I can answer, Peter walks up beside us, already holding his phone like he's documenting history or something. "No way," he says, shaking his head while snapping another picture of the tower like it's going to disappear if he doesn't capture every angle. "He's way too busy for something like this. He's… you know… a superhero." The way he says it, you'd think he's talking about a god instead of a guy in a suit, and honestly, I get it. Still, I just shrug.
"Yeah, well, doesn't hurt to hope," Harry mutters, but I can tell even he knows the chances are basically zero.
We start moving with the rest of the class as Mr. Harrington begins his whole speech, walking backward in front of us like he's giving a tour on TV. He's talking about cutting-edge technology, innovation, global impact and honestly, I tune him out almost immediately. It's not that it's not impressive, it's just… not my thing. I glance over at Peter, though, and it's the complete opposite. His eyes are locked in, soaking up every single word like this is the greatest moment of his life. If this was an anime, I swear there'd be actual stars sparkling in his eyes. Dude looks like he just walked into heaven.
We finally make our way inside, and that's when everything gets a little more real. The place is insane with sleek floors, bright lights and everything polished to perfection like not a single speck of dust is allowed to exist here. And standing right there waiting for us is a red-haired woman in a sharp outfit who somehow looks both friendly and like she runs the entire world at the same time. I recognize her immediately.
Pepper Potts.
"Welcome, Midtown High, to Stark Industries Tower," she says with a warm smile, her voice calm but confident like she's done this a thousand times before. "Now, does anyone have any questions before we begin?"
Peter's hand shoots up so fast it's like his arm has a mind of its own, and me and Harry immediately grab it and yank it back down at the same time.
"Absolutely not," I whisper.
"Dude, no," Harry adds under his breath.
Peter looks offended for like half a second, but thankfully, Pepper doesn't notice. "Alright then," she continues smoothly. "Let's begin the tour, shall we?"
She starts walking, and we follow, moving through sections filled with high-tech cars, advanced phones, and devices I don't even understand. Everything looks expensive, futuristic, and way out of my league, and again, I kind of zone out. Peter, on the other hand, is basically vibrating with excitement, leaning in closer to displays, reading everything, probably memorizing it for fun. I swear, if they offered him a job right now, he'd drop out of school on the spot.
Eventually, we stop in front of a glass case, and for the first time, something actually catches my attention. Inside are a bunch of spiders, each one moving around slowly in their own little sections, and there's something weird about them. They don't look normal.
"This," Pepper says, gesturing toward the case, "is one of our more… experimental projects. These spiders have been genetically engineered, and our scientists are researching their potential to cure diseases on a global scale."
I lean in slightly, narrowing my eyes, and that's when I notice it. One of the sections is empty.
"Uh…," Peter speaks up, his voice a little shaky, which makes sense because he's always had that thing about bugs. "There's one missing, Miss Potts?"
She glances at the case briefly, then back at us without missing a beat. "One of our scientists likely took it for further testing. Nothing to worry about. Let's keep moving."
Something about the way she says it feels a little too smooth, but before I can think too much about it, Peter steps closer to take a picture and that's when he gets shoved hard.
He stumbles forward slightly dropping his phone but he caught himself, and I already know who it is before I even turn.
Flash Thompson.
I don't even hesitate. I shove him right back. "Watch it, Eugene."
He spins around immediately, glaring at me like I just personally offended his entire bloodline. "What was that, Walker?" he snaps, his voice loud enough to draw attention.
"You heard me," I shoot back, stepping closer, not backing down for a second.
Before it can go any further, Mr. Harrington rushes over, grabbing Flash by the arm. "Flash, that's enough! Go to the front, now, or I'm telling your coach."
Flash clenches his jaw, shooting me one last look before storming off. Mr. Harrington sighs and then looks at me. "And you stop causing trouble, Dante."
I raise my hands slightly. "He started it."
"Front. Now," he repeats, already turning to follow Flash.
I shake my head, then turn back to Peter and he is picking his phone up off the floor.
"Thanks, man," he says, giving me a small smile.
I shrug like it's nothing. "I got you, Pete. Always."
He smiles a little wider, and I can't help but think he actually looks good now since me and Harry convinced him to get contacts that Harry paid for. Like, dude's not ugly at all. Not as good-looking as me, obviously, but still he's got potential. No weird stuff, just facts.
Before I can say anything else, though, Peter's attention gets completely hijacked. I follow his gaze and immediately understand why.
Mary Jane Watson.
New student with red hair and way out of Peter's league at least in his mind. She walks past, then pauses and turns back toward him with a small smile that practically short-circuits his brain.
"Hey, Peter," she says casually. "Can you take a picture of me in front of this?"
Peter freezes for half a second before nodding way too fast. "O-of course!"
He takes the phone, hands slightly shaky, and snaps the picture while trying not to mess it up. I pat him on the shoulder as he hands it back, leaning in slightly. "I'm proud of you," I say. "You actually spoke to her. That's growth."
He lets out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck, completely unaware of what just happened.
Because at that exact moment, something small lands on my hand. I barely notice it at first because it was just a light weight basically like nothing but then there's a sharp sting.
"Ah!" I jerk my hand back instinctively, smacking it with my other hand. When I look down, there's a small, crushed spider stuck to my skin for a second before it falls to the floor, lifeless.
"…Weird," I mutter, frowning at it for a second before shrugging it off and continuing to walk.
An hour later, I'm pretty sure I just experienced the most boring field trip in human history, and that's saying something considering I've been dragged to museums where the highlight was a rock. Don't get me wrong, Stark Industries is impressive and all, but half the stuff they showed us went completely over my head, and the other half I just didn't care about.
Peter was basically in heaven the entire time, asking questions, taking pictures, probably memorizing the layout of the building like he's planning to work there one day, while me and Harry just kept exchanging looks like, "Yeah… we do not belong here."
At one point Harry leaned over and whispered, "I swear, if they start talking about molecular engineering one more time, I'm gonna fake passing out," and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing because Mr. Harrington was right in front of us already stressed enough trying to keep the class under control.
The ride back was the only part that didn't suck, mostly because Harry insisted on dropping me off instead of letting me take the bus like everyone else. His car is ridiculous because it was sleek, loud and definitely worth more than my entire apartment building, which is both impressive and a little depressing when you think about it too long.
As I step out, I shake my head and laugh a little, leaning down to look at him through the window. "One day, I'm gonna have something better than this," I tell him, crossing my arms like I'm making some kind of promise to myself. Harry just smirks, tapping the steering wheel. "Yeah? With what money, Walker?" I roll my eyes immediately. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out." He laughs, then gives me a quick nod. "Alright, man. I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to get into trouble without me."
I back away from the car, raising a hand. "No promises." He pulls off a second later, engine roaring down the street like something out of a movie, and for a second I just stand there watching it disappear before turning toward my building.
The second I walk inside, I'm hit with that familiar feeling of home. It's not fancy, not even close, but it's ours, and that's enough. I close the door behind me and kick off my shoes, immediately catching the smell of food coming from the kitchen.
When I look over, I see my mom standing by the stove, still in her nurse uniform, moving around like she's been doing this on autopilot for years. People always say I'm basically the male version of her, and honestly, I get it. Same hair, same eyes, same stubborn energy and it's kind of scary sometimes.
"So, another late-night shift?" I ask, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed.
She looks up the second she hears my voice, her face lighting up instantly with that smile she always gives me no matter how tired she is. "Dante! You're home," she says, like it's the best part of her day, which… yeah, it kind of is for me too. "How was school? And your field trip?"
For a split second, I think about telling the truth that it was boring, that I didn't understand half of it, that I almost got into a fight but then I remember how much she works, how she probably helped pay for that trip even though money's always tight. So I just shrug and give her a small smile. "It was fun," I say, keeping it casual. "Learned a lot… saw some really cool inventions."
She nods, clearly happy to hear that, turning back to the stove as she stirs whatever she's cooking. "I'm glad. You'll have to tell me all about it tomorrow. I'm off, and it's finally the weekend."
"Yeah," I reply, pushing myself off the wall. "Yeah, I will."
But as I take a few steps closer, something feels… off. At first it's small, barely noticeable, like a slight pressure in my head or maybe just exhaustion from the day, but then it starts to build. My body feels heavier, like I just ran a mile without realizing it, and there's this weird heat creeping up my back.
"You okay?" my mom asks, glancing over her shoulder at me, her eyes narrowing slightly like she already knows something's wrong.
"Yeah, I'm good," I say quickly, even though I'm not entirely sure that's true. I force a small smile. "I'm just… tired. I think I'm gonna go lay down for a bit."
She studies me for another second, like she's debating whether to push it, but then she nods. "Alright. When you wake up, Your food will be in the microwave."
I nod back. "Thanks, Mom."
She grabs her bag from the counter, walking over and pressing a quick kiss to my cheek like she always does before leaving. "Get some rest," she says softly, then heads out the door, leaving me standing there in the quiet apartment. For a moment, everything feels still them the heat hits harder.
"Okay… what the hell," I mutter under my breath, tugging at my shirt as it suddenly feels way too tight, like my skin is on fire underneath it. I make my way down the short hallway to my room, each step feeling heavier than the last, like my body's fighting me for control. By the time I get to my bed, I'm already breathing a little harder, my heart beating faster than it should be.
I don't even bother turning on the light. I just pull my shirt off quickly, tossing it somewhere on the floor as the heat spikes again, spreading through my chest and arms like electricity under my skin. "This is not normal," I mumble, running a hand through my hair, but even that feels different, like my senses are sharper or something. My head spins slightly, and I sit down on the edge of the bed, trying to steady myself.
Maybe I'm just sick? Yeah… that's gotta be it. But then my vision blurs for a second, and my whole body goes weak.
"Okay… yeah… definitely not good," I manage to say, my voice coming out slower than usual as I fall back onto the bed. The ceiling spins above me, and that heat keeps building, stronger and stronger, like something inside me is changing and I can't stop it.
The last thing I remember is staring up at the ceiling, my breathing uneven, my body burning like I've got a fever from hell and then everything goes black.
I pass out right there on my bed, completely unaware that when I wake up… nothing is ever going to be the same again.