The year is 1979. In a medium sized room, a desk sat buried under stacks of books. A twin bed rested against the wall, sheets half pulled loose. Clothes were scattered across the floor, and the closet door hung slightly open like it had something to say. A brown haired, green eyed boy hurried to get dressed. He buttoned up a white shirt, threw on an open brown vest, pulled up his cargo pants, and slipped into his sneakers. He grabbed a satchel and slung it over his shoulder. He glanced at himself in the mirror.
"Alright. This year will be different. First day of high school. I grew at least three inches and my voice is slightly deeper." His voice cracked. "Ish... I guess." He paused, then looked toward his closet door with a slight glare before heading out. Downstairs, a woman in a police uniform stood in the kitchen, sipping coffee while flipping through the mail. Her eyes lingered on a past due electric and gas bill. "I have to take more overtime just to keep up," she thought.
Footsteps echoed from the stairs. She quickly slid the bills behind the toaster. Kai walked in, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mom, do we have any more bread?" "No," she said, already grabbing her keys. "And Malachi, I won't be home tonight. Order yourself something. I left money on the table." She moved fast, like if she slowed down everything might catch up to her. The door shut behind her. Kai stood there for a second, then walked over and pulled the bills back out. His expression hardened just a little.
"Another shift. She thinks I don't notice… things are rough." He set the papers down. "That changes today." A few minutes later, he stepped outside. Waiting on the sidewalk was a blonde haired, blue eyed boy bouncing on his heels. "Kai, it's about time. Come on, we're gonna miss the train," he called out. "Relax, Eddie. We're in high school now. That means it's our year. And I'm almost fifteen. My height and voice are leveling up." Eddie looked him up and down.
"You grew an inch. You're five four. You better hope for a growth spurt. You've got three months." Kai rolled his eyes as they both took off running toward the subway. High above the city, inside a towering building, a large bald man sat behind a polished desk. A file rested in his hands. The Slayer Project. "Smythe, are you certain you can deliver? Because you won't get another chance." "Yes," Smythe replied quickly. "When it's fully operational, it'll surpass anything Oscorp has ever created."
"Good. Then have it ready for tomorrow's presentation." Smythe nodded and exited. The man leaned back, lighting a cigar. "New York is almost mine. If this works… mayor is only the beginning." Back at school, Kai stood in front of a row of lockers, scanning the numbers. "Forty nine… there it is." "Kai, I've gotta show you something." A black haired boy rushed over and pulled out a Sony Walkman. Kai's eyes widened.
"No way. How did you get that? They're not even in stores yet. Ned, are you a time traveler?" Ned grinned. "Nope. Just rich parents. I can literally listen to music in class." He put in a cassette in as they started walking. "You sure that's smart? It's our freshman year," Kai said. "Please. You know Ned doesn't study," Eddie added, throwing both of them into a playful headlock. "Like you're any better," Ned shot back. Eddie laughed. "Hey, Kai…" Kai wasn't listening.
Across the hall, a brown haired girl stood talking with her friends, books held close to her chest. "No. Don't even think about it," Eddie warned. "Too late," Ned said. Kai was already walking. "Okay… you've got this. Play it cool. Say something normal. Why am I thinking so fast? Why is it getting hotter?" The girl turned. "Kai, hey." "H… hey… Anya. So you go here? I mean, obviously you do. You wouldn't just be at a school you don't go to because that would be weird. Not that you're weird…" Anya laughed. "You're still the same."
Kai rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. Suddenly, a black haired boy casually wrapped an arm around Anya's shoulders. "Hey, I found you. We still good for tonight?" "Yeah. I'm tutoring you, remember?" "Oh. Hey, Kai. Good to see you again." "Yeah… you too, Paul." The bell rang, cutting the moment short as everyone headed to class. Ned leaned in. "Relax. You've still got a shot. She's just tutoring him."
In class, Kai sat quietly while listening to the teacher. "World War II began in 1939 when Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany invaded Poland. This act forced countries like the United Kingdom and France to declare war, marking the start of a global conflict. But this war wasn't just about land. It was about power, ideology, and control." The teacher walked slowly around the classroom as he spoke.
"Hey, Kai…" a brown haired girl whispered beside him. "What?" Kai asked, not looking at her. "I've got something cool to show you." He sighed. "Vanessa, I swear if it's another..." "It's not. I swear. It's actually cool. My dad's been working on it, and it's right up your alley." Kai finally turned and studied her for a moment. "Fine." After class Kai stood at his locker, grabbing his books, when suddenly he was shoved hard into the metal door.
"Well, look who it is. The midget." Kai clenched his jaw and turned to face the speaker, a six foot tall boy with black hair and brown eyes, standing with his group behind him. "Back off, Jason," Kai said, steady but tense. Jason smirked and shoved him again. Kai stumbled, and before he could react, Jason snatched his lunch. "Did you see that? The midget thinks he's an Avenger," Jason said, laughing as he walked away with his friends.
"Kai!" Eddie came running down the hall and helped him up. "Damn, was that Jason Ionello? That bastard needs to pay." Kai brushed himself off, trying to act like it didn't bother him. "Yeah…" Now at Fisk Tower Inside a high tech lab, the scientist Alistair Smythe stood before a large sealed tube labeled S Project. He stared at it with pride. "Finally. After ten years, it's ready. The secret to what makes Captain America Captain America."
He carefully placed the tube into a scanning slot. Machines hummed as data processed across multiple screens. "Seems like it's done. Finally Fisk can stop making threats." A man with a scar across his face leaned against the wall nearby. "Shouldn't you be on that mission he assigned to you, Max?" Smythe said without looking at him. "That was easy. I already finished it." Electric sparks flickered across Max's fingers as he pushed himself off the wall and walked away.
"Mutants," Smythe muttered under his breath. He grabbed a syringe and inserted the needle into a small port on the tube, extracting some of the glowing blue serum. Then he moved to a nearby tank filled with tarantulas. Putting on protective gloves, he carefully picked one up. "Let's see what you can do." He injected the serum into the spider's abdomen, then released it back into the tank. "That should do it. And there's plenty left for whatever Fisk has planned."
He turned back to the computer, typing rapidly as lines of data and analysis filled the screen. After school Kai stepped into the back of a 1979 Buick Electra Park Avenue sedan with Vanessa beside him. "Hey, Luis, can you take the quickest route home?" Vanessa asked. Luis nodded and started driving. She leaned back, glancing at Kai with a teasing look. "So, how's this grand plan of yours going? The one that makes you popular?" Kai smirked slightly, staring out the window. "Hey, it's the first day. I've still got time. Just wait and see." Vanessa watched him quietly, her expression softening as the city passed by outside.
They arrived at Fisk Tower and walked inside. "Okay, this place has definitely gotten bigger," Kai said as he stepped into the elevator. "You're gonna freak," Vanessa said with a grin. The doors opened, and Kai's eyes widened. His mouth hung open as he took in the advanced technology surrounding them. "My dad hired the best. Yeah, I know, it's awesome. I told you," Vanessa said as they walked further in. "Where is everyone?" Kai asked, noticing how empty it felt.
"I guess they're with my dad or maybe already home. Hey, look at this," Vanessa said, walking toward a large tank filled with tarantulas. Kai leaned in, studying them carefully. "That one's unusual. Bigger than the rest." "You're overthinking it. It just looks like an insect to me," Vanessa said. "Arachnid. Don't worry, it's a common misconception. Spiders are part of the arachnid family," Kai explained while examining it. "Nerd. Worse, you're a bug nerd," Vanessa teased before grabbing his hand and pulling him toward a nearby machine.
"Wow, I have no idea what that is," Kai said, clearly excited. A door suddenly opened nearby. Four people stepped out. Vanessa quickly grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's go," she whispered. "Why?" Kai asked. "I may have left out that no one is supposed to be in here. My dad's on a business trip," she admitted. A security guard's flashlight suddenly hit them. Kai reacted instantly, pulling Vanessa close and turning as they ran. He stumbled and crashed into the spider tank. "Stop!" the guard shouted as others followed. Kai scrambled back up with Vanessa's help, and they sprinted out, rushing down the stairwell.
"I knew it. You're always getting us in trouble," Kai said between breaths. Vanessa laughed. "But you always manage to have fun." Later that night Kai walked into his house and tossed his satchel onto the couch. He jumped over it, only to trip and fall face first onto the floor. "…At least no one saw that," he muttered, pushing himself up. He walked over to a shelf, grabbed a record, and placed it into his old Silvertone suitcase record player. Music filled the room as Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock started playing.
Kai sat down on the couch, opening his satchel and pulling out a textbook, a notebook, and a worksheet filled with questions. Unnoticed, a tarantula crawled out of his bag and slipped away across the floor. Back at Fisk Tower Smythe knelt beside the cracked glass of the spider tank, his expression tense. "Find out who was here. Sweep the entire area. Every corner, every wall," he ordered. The security guard nodded. "You find whoever broke in, and I'll take care of them," Max said with a smile as he walked away.
Smythe exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself. As long as I find the spider, everything will be fine. Two hours later Kai glanced at the clock, starting to worry about his mom. A knock came at the door. He stood up, turned down the music, and opened it to see Eddie. "Bro, mind if I stay here for a while?" Eddie asked. Kai stepped aside to let him in. "I just finished my homework. My mom's working a double again," Kai said as he headed toward the kitchen.
"And you're listening to Elvis Presley?" Eddie asked. "Hey, don't disrespect the King of Rock," Kai replied, grabbing two RC Colas. "I'm not. I'm just saying you need to get with the new stuff, old man. Now this is groove," Eddie said, holding up a record of Bridge Over Troubled Water before putting it on. Kai handed him a soda. Another knock came. Kai opened the door to see Vanessa and Ned. "Why are you guys here?" Kai asked.
"To hang out, of course," Ned said, walking right in. "And I'm just bored at home," Vanessa added with a sigh as she followed. Minutes later, the group was laughing, dancing, and enjoying the music. Kai headed toward the kitchen. "Hey, Kai… I'm sorry," Vanessa said. "It's okay. You might be right though. I do have fun with you," he replied, leaning against the counter. Vanessa hesitated. "Listen, Kai, there's something I've been wanting to tell you." Her eyes suddenly widened.
"Spider!" Kai froze as he felt something on his hand. He looked down in horror as the large tarantula crawled across his skin. He panicked, shaking his hand, but it was too late. The spider bit down. Kai gasped in pain as blood dripped from the wound. Vanessa reacted instantly, slapping the spider off his hand. It hit the floor and tried to crawl away, only to be crushed under Eddie's foot. "Is everything okay?" Eddie asked, turning back. Kai staggered, his vision blurring. "…I don't feel so good…" His body swayed, and he collapsed. Vanessa rushed forward, catching him before he hit the ground. "We have to get him to the hospital. Help me get him into my car," she said urgently. Eddie and Ned snapped out of their shock and rushed to help, lifting Kai as fast as they could.
The next day Kai slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the bright lights. He realized he was lying in a hospital bed. A nurse stood nearby, checking his vitals. "Hey, nurse… how bad is it? Am I still able to go pro?" Kai joked weakly. The nurse gave a small smile. "You'll be fine. I'll go get the doctor." Kai turned his head and saw his mom asleep in a chair beside him. Before he could say anything, a wave of nausea hit him. He quickly grabbed the trash bin and threw up.
"…That feels so much better," he muttered, catching his breath. "Mmm… Malachi!" His mom jolted awake, instantly panicking. "Are you okay? Do you feel weird anywhere? How many fingers am I holding up?" "I'm okay, Mom," Kai said, trying to calm her. The doctor walked in, checking his file. "He's right. Nothing out of the ordinary. He's good to go." A little while later Kai and his mom arrived home.
"Go get some sleep, Mom," Kai said. "Okmmhfdxdd," she mumbled, too exhausted to form real words as she headed off. Kai smirked. "Better call everyone so they know I'm okay." He walked toward the wall phone and reached for the rotary dial, but it rang before he could use it. He picked it up. "Hello?" "Kai, oh my God, you're okay! Ned said you passed out and were in the hospital," Anya's voice came through. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"Have you eaten yet? I could come over." "Uh… yeah… I mean, sure. Cool," Kai said, lightly hitting his head with the receiver. "Okay, I'll come over after school. It's almost time, I gotta go." The line clicked. Kai grinned. "Hospital means no school. This is a great day." He stretched and headed upstairs. When he grabbed his bedroom doorknob, his hand suddenly stuck. He pulled. The entire doorknob ripped off the door, still attached to his hand. "Get this off. Let go… let go… don't let go… wait."
He froze. He was upside down. His feet were stuck to the wall. "…What's going on?" He lost his grip and dropped, instinctively twisting midair and landing perfectly on his feet. The doorknob clattered to the floor. "I must still be tired. Yeah… this is just a dream. A really weird dream." He flopped onto his bed. Fisk Tower Smythe stood in his lab, working on a large machine connected to a humanoid metal suit. "I need to get that spider back," he muttered. "Good thing I extracted some of its blood while it bonded with the serum. This should lead me straight to it… and whoever took it."
He glanced at the suit. "Let's see Stark top this. After all, I am a genius." His fingers flew across the control panel. "Now I just need to recalibrate the sensors." A few hours later Kai woke to a knock at the door. He went downstairs and opened it. "Anya?" he said, surprised. "Yeah. Did you forget? You look like you were asleep. Should I leave?" "No, come in. I mean… you can come in if you want," Kai said, rubbing the back of his neck. Anya walked in, holding a bag of food.
"It's been a while since I've been over," she said, looking around. Kai tried to walk toward her, but his hand suddenly stuck to the wall. He pulled. Nothing. "Why is this happening? So it wasn't a dream," he thought, panic rising. "Kai, I know you like Pop Rocks, Sour Patch Kids, Starburst, and Laffy Taffy. And I got my Astro Pops and Razzles," Anya said, casually eating some Razzles. "I guess someone hasn't changed either," Kai said. "Aren't you gonna come sit down?"
"Yeah, just… stretching. Gotta keep loose, you know," Kai said, forcing a smile as he pulled himself free. They sat at the table. "I also wanted to talk to you," Anya said. "Do you want to go to a concert with me?" Kai leaned back too fast and nearly fell, catching himself. "What? Me? Uh… what about Paul?" he asked nervously. "What about Paul?" "Aren't you two… like… a thing?" Anya shook her head. "No. I'm just helping him with his tour." Kai blinked.
"If you don't want to go." "No, I do. Of course I do. I mean… yeah. That's cool," Kai said, trying and failing to sound smooth. Anya laughed and handed him the Sour Patch Kids. "Be ready Saturday, okay?" Kai nodded. Later Kai walked Anya home, about four blocks away. She waved goodbye and went inside. The second she closed the door, Kai threw his fists up. "Yes!" He took off running, then suddenly realized he was moving way faster than usual.
"Whoa…" He stopped abruptly. Curious, he slipped into an alley between two buildings and looked at his hands. Unknown to him, thousands of microscopic barbed hairs lined his fingertips. He placed one hand against the wall. It stuck. He placed the other. Also stuck. "What the hell…" He started climbing. Higher. Faster. Soon, he reached the rooftop. Kai looked down at the streets below, cars moving, people walking like nothing had changed.
Then he looked ahead at another building, about twenty feet away. He stepped back. Ran forward. And jumped. For a split second, he was weightless. Then he landed on the other rooftop, rolling before coming to a stop. He stared at his hands. "What is this? I'm like one of those mutants…" His eyes widened. "This all started when I got bitten by that spider. That wasn't normal. It had to be experimental." He rolled up his sleeve and froze. His forearm was more defined. Stronger. "…Where did this come from?" He flexed slightly, amazed. "That spider gave me muscles. And spiders can lift way more than their body weight…" He spotted a metal pipe nearby. Grabbing it, he applied pressure. The pipe bent in his hands. Kai immediately dropped it, staring in shock. "…Okay. This is real."
Kai sat in his room, writing in his notepad. Abilities test. "Okay… so I can jump higher than a human. I'm stronger, faster, and I've got some kind of spider wall crawling ability. I'm probably tougher too… not gonna test that one out." He jotted everything down, then glanced up at the clock. It was late. The next day Kai stood at his locker. "Dude, you okay?" Eddie asked. "Yeah, I'm good," Kai replied.
"Yeah, sorry. We figured you needed sleep," Ned added as they fist bumped. "No problem, I just." A sudden buzzing sensation hit the back of Kai's skull. Without thinking, he moved. A football flew past his head. "Dude, you missed," one of Jason's friends said. Jason frowned. "Guess I was off." "Hey, Jason," Eddie said, grabbing the ball and launching it straight at his head. "You're dead," Jason snapped.
Both of them dropped their bags and charged at each other. Jason threw a punch. "Stop!" Kai stepped between them, holding out his hand. Jason's fist slammed into it. A sharp crack. "Ahh!" Jason screamed, clutching his wrist. Kai and Eddie stared in shock. "What's going on here?" a teacher shouted, rushing over. Second period Kai sat in class, staring at his desk.
I thought I was gonna get detention. Good thing no one said anything. He looked at his hand. "I hurt Jason… and I didn't even feel it. That actually felt kind of good." "Hey, Kai… you okay?" Vanessa whispered. "Yeah. Doing great. Even better. Thanks for the ride to the hospital." They both snapped forward as the teacher walked between them. "So nothing weird going on? You don't have six arms or anything?" Vanessa joked.
"Yeah. They're invisible," Kai said. They both laughed quietly. "Hey… are you free tomorrow?" Vanessa asked. "No, I'm going to a concert with Anya. She asked me." Vanessa paused for a second. "Oh. That's cool. Have fun." She turned and looked out the window. Fisk Tower Smythe stood in front of a completed silver humanoid robot. "Now it's ready. If anyone has the spider, this will track it through the serum." He inserted a small vial into the robot's chest.
Its eyes glowed red. "Now go get my spider." The robot launched out of the building. After school Kai was talking with Anya. "So I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, okay?" she asked. "Yeah. So… how are you? I mean, what's been going on? Did you have a good summer? I know you went to Jersey. Not that I was stalking you. Your mom told my mom, and then she told me. You know what… I'm just gonna stop talking. You still want me to go, right?" Anya giggled and nodded, holding her books close.
"Hey, Kai, wanna." "Hey, Anya, thanks for the help. Without you, I'd be lost this freshman year," Paul said, cutting her off. "Yeah, you're welcome," she replied. Kai shifted awkwardly. "I should go. I forgot I'm supposed to meet Eddie and Ned." He walked off. Later Kai lay on the bleachers, staring up at the sky. Then the buzzing feeling returned. Stronger. Sharper. He sat up. "What is that…" He grabbed his head, then looked up. Something was flying straight at him.
Kai jumped just as the robot slammed into the bleachers, tearing through metal and wood. Students screamed and ran. The robot scanned the area. Its eyes locked onto Kai. "What the hell is that? Is this some superhero fight?" Kai ran with the crowd, then turned, grabbing Anya's hand. "Kai, what's happening?" she asked, panicked. "I don't know. Come on, let's go." They ran the opposite direction, heading for an exit. The robot dropped in front of them.
Kai stepped in front of her. "Kai!" "Go." "Kai." "I said go, Anya!" She hesitated, then ran. Kai sprinted into a classroom, the robot crashing in after him. He grabbed a chair and hurled it. It bounced off harmlessly. "What is happening…" The robot's eyes flared. A beam shot toward him. Kai leapt to the ceiling, sticking instantly. The beam blasted through the wall. The robot flew up, grabbing him by the throat and smashing through the second floor.
Kai struggled, gasping. "I don't know what this thing wants…" Then he saw it. The open chest compartment. Without thinking, he drove his hand into it and ripped out a glowing blue device. The robot powered down instantly and dropped him. Kai hit the ground, coughing. "Okay… okay… breathe…" He dropped the device, trying to steady himself. Then the buzzing returned. Louder.
The robot began to beep. "Oh crap… it's gonna explode. There are still people around." He looked toward the field. "If I can get it out there…" Kai lifted the robot onto his back, struggling under the weight. "Wow… buddy… you gotta lay off the screws… okay, I'm panicking now…" He ran. Jumped out the window. Landed hard but kept going. Reaching the field, he spun and threw the robot as far as he could. It crashed into the ground. Kai turned and ran. The beeping sped up. Then Boom. The explosion sent a shockwave across the field, slamming Kai into a metal fence. Everything went black.