The Bite
Winter Parker had never been the most popular person in her class. In fact, she was far from it. With her shy nature, thick glasses, and her nose constantly buried in books, she was often overlooked by her peers. That suited Winter just fine. She didn’t need the attention, especially since her mind was always preoccupied with bigger things—her father’s disappearance, her future, and more recently, her ultimate crush: Karina Yu.
Karina Yu was everything Winter wasn’t—confident, popular, and effortlessly cool. Her sleek black hair and sharp, intelligent eyes seemed to capture the attention of everyone around her. Winter admired Karina from afar, though the idea of ever speaking to her felt more like a distant dream. They were in a few classes together at Empire State University, but Karina was out of Winter’s league.
Still, Winter couldn’t help but feel a spark of something more every time Karina glanced her way, even if it was just for a fleeting second.
But today wasn’t about crushes. It wasn’t about college or her embarrassing lack of a social life. Today, Winter had a mission—a dangerous one that had been on her mind for months. She was determined to uncover the truth about her father’s past.
For years, the mystery surrounding Richard Parker had haunted her. He and her mother, Mary, had both worked for Oscorp, but one day they simply vanished without a trace. She had been left in the care of her Aunt May and Uncle Ben, who had raised her as their own. They had done their best to shield her from the pain of losing her parents, but as Winter got older, the curiosity became unbearable.
A few nights ago, while searching through the attic, Winter stumbled upon a dusty old suitcase marked with her father’s initials. Hidden inside were papers—dozens of files belonging to Oscorp. Some of the documents were filled with complex scientific jargon, but one word stood out: mutagenic. Whatever her father had been working on, it was tied to Oscorp’s shady experiments.
And now, Winter was determined to find out exactly what it was.
---
The campus of Empire State University buzzed with the usual student life as Winter made her way to the Oscorp building. Located just outside of Manhattan, the corporation’s massive headquarters was a fortress of cutting-edge science and technology. Winter had managed to forge a pass for a "student internship tour," though she had no intention of simply taking a tour. Her goal was to sneak into the restricted areas and find more information about her father.
As she approached the main lobby, her nerves buzzed with a mix of excitement and fear. What if she got caught? What if she was thrown out before she could learn anything? But the questions about her father’s fate burned too brightly for her to turn back now.
Upon entering the building, Winter pulled her hoodie tighter around her face, trying to blend in with the other students. As she scanned her pass and walked through the security checkpoint, her eyes darted around, taking in the sterile environment. High-tech labs and towering glass walls made the place feel cold, almost inhuman. She clutched her backpack tightly, the weight of her plan heavy in her mind.
Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through her thoughts.
"Winter Parker, right?"
Winter froze. That voice—it belonged to none other than Karina Yu.
Winter turned slowly to find Karina standing just a few feet away, dressed in casual but stylish clothes that somehow made her stand out even in this high-tech building. Her piercing gaze was locked on Winter, and for a brief, panic-stricken moment, Winter wondered if Karina had somehow figured out her plan.
"Uh…yeah, that’s me," Winter stammered, her cheeks flushing red. Why was Karina Yu talking to her?
Karina's expression softened into a smirk. "I thought so.You’re in my physics class, right? The one with Professor Connors?"
Winter nodded, still trying to figure out why Karina had approached her.
"You’re not here to cause trouble, are you?" Karina asked, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Because Oscorp’s pretty serious about security, and trust me,you don’t want to get on their bad side."
Winter blinked, her heart racing. Did Karina know what she was really up to?
"I… I’m just here for the tour ," Winter lied, her voice coming out shaky.
Karina didn’t seem convinced. She studied Winter for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. "Alright, Winter.Just… be careful, okay? This place is a lot more dangerous than it looks."
Winter gave a nervous smile and nodded, her heart pounding as Karina turned and walked away. What had just happened? Why did Karina seem concerned for her? And how could Winter possibly focus now that Karina had spoken to her—let alone warned her?
But there was no time to dwell on that now. Winter had a mission. And after a few deep breaths, she continued to make her way through the building, trying to shake off the lingering nerves from her encounter with Karina.
---
After sneaking past a few restricted doors and avoiding security guards, Winter finally made her way to one of the deeper sections of the lab—an area that wasn’t part of the official tour. This was where Oscorp housed its most classified research, including the mutagenics experiments her father had worked on.
Winter’s heart raced as she approached a door marked "Biogenetics Lab – Restricted Access." This had to be it. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly slipped inside.
The lab was massive, filled with cages, vials, and high-tech equipment that looked far beyond anything she’d ever seen. But what caught Winter’s eye was a large glass chamber in the center of the room. Inside were several containers, each holding something small and wriggling.
Spiders. Mutant spiders.
Her heart skipped a beat. Could these creatures be related to the work her father was involved in?
Winter stepped closer to the glass chamber, mesmerized by the sight of the spiders crawling inside their containment units. Each one looked different, some glowing faintly, others with unnatural patterns on their bodies. She scanned the labels on the chamber, her mind racing with questions.
She was so focused on the spiders that she didn’t notice her hand brushing against a control panel on the side of the chamber.
Suddenly, alarms blared.
Before she could react, the containment unit holding the spiders malfunctioned. The glass shattered, and the next thing Winter knew, hundreds of mutant spiders were raining down on her.
Panic surged through her, but before she could move, she felt a sharp sting on her hand—a spider bite.
---
As Winter swatted away the spiders, she felt her vision blur and her legs give out beneath her. The last thing she saw before blacking out was the image of the broken containment unit and the mutant spiders crawling away.