Webs In Ink

I was walking to class with my earbuds on, listening to Vengerov playing Beethoven's violin concerto. It was interesting simply because it was the only concerto he wrote. And it takes almost twenty minutes before the solo comes in. But it’s not boring, not even close. You get used to the melodies and when the solo finally comes in, it’s like a reminder that it was a concerto in the first place.

I suddenly felt rumbling that I was sure I was imagining, and regardless of the beautiful genius of music I was hearing, the sound of screaming overtook it. Then, people running caught my attention. For a split second, I didn't think anything of it until I could feel the shift of energy in the halls. I pulled out my earbuds and stood frozen in the hallway as people pushed past me. Suddenly, I felt rumbling from all around me. Then, my legs started moving before I could even register it.

My mind was running a million miles a second and I had completely forgotten the fire escape plans from the top floor of the physical sciences building. So, I just ran for the stairs, very aware of how I was all alone in the halls all of a sudden. Right as I took the first steps down the stairs, I heard banging and clashing behind me.

I turned around surprised and saw something that stopped me in my tracks. A giant scaly almost humanoid creature had just burst out of a classroom. The other thing that caught my eye was the red and blue clad person seeming to be wresting with the anthropomorphized scales. Peter, my best friend, was wrestling with a lizard. In our school

I was truly frozen in shock and fear watching the creature and Peter throw each other around the hallway. I don’t know why I didn’t keep moving, but in the moment of my paralyzing fear, Peter was thrown onto the ceiling where he hung off of. In that split moment, he looked at me. And the lizard took that chance to swing at him. 

Peter dodged and grunted, “Get out of here!” He yelled out as the lizard started chasing him down the hallway. For some reason, that got me to finally move and I started running down the stairs. I heard fast stomping behind me, but I refused to turn around, only hearing Peter grunt out something else and feeling the ground shake more with distancing stomps.

I felt my heart pound through my chest with every step I took. I was acting on pure instinct when I ran to the exit. I don’t even know how I managed to get out safely. But when I did, I ran to Missy who was sitting at one of the picnic tables. She looked just as frightened as me, but still looked at me worriedly as I caught my breath and sat down. I caught my breath and leaned my weight into her.

“Woah! Alina are you okay?” She asked, putting her hand on my shoulder. I shook my head, still trying to catch my breath. Before I could say anything, I heard sirens start approaching. I let my breathing relax a little longer before I got off of Missy.

She looked at me carefully. “I’m alright…” I said, considering telling her what I saw. “I just froze… I heard crashing and shit. I thought something was chasing me.”

Missy nodded and hugged me. I sighed and reciprocated the action. I felt her slightly relax against me as I did the same. We stayed that way for a bit before I let go right as the paramedics started coming up to the students.

“Alina!” I turned around surprised by the call of my name. That’s when I saw a flustered Gwen speed walking over to me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, confused. “Yeah, where’s Peter?” Her face became a nervous one. I watched her carefully as she looked around the other students. “I couldn’t find him in there.”

She stammered for a moment and shook her head, “I thought he was with you,” I looked at her strangely as she tried coming up with an excuse.

“He left me to go find you before everyone started running,” I said slowly, narrowing my eyes at her.

She stammered, “We got split up,” I nodded, watching her dig through her pocket. She pulled out her phone, “I’m gonna call him.”

“Good idea…” I said, watching her dial his number and put her phone up to her ear. It rang a few times before he answered.

“Where are you? Alina and I are in the front of the school,” She explained to him glancing at me nervously. “Oh, okay…” Then another long pause. She looked at me again right as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned around in alarm at the hand, only to see a paramedic with an aid bag. “Do you need any medical assistance?” He asked me, motioning to the bag. I shook my head. “Are you sure?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you,” I said, turning back around to talk to Gwen, only to see her gone. I looked around frantically and confused. She was gone. “How did she…”

Despite my telling the paramedics I was alright, they insisted on still checking me. When It was over, I just left. I didn’t want to talk to police or investigators, I just wanted to know what happened with Peter. Where Gwen went.

After everything clicked into place a few nights ago, I tried to put the last couple pieces together. Peter was Spider-Man. He was bit by a spider that one time and got these unbelievable powers. Then he went to see Dr. Conners.

He told me he went to find Dr. Conners to get answers about his father. He didn't want me to stay with him. He said it would take too long. I never got to actually meet him. But now, everything seemed to revolve around Conners the more I thought about it.

The book that Peter bought what felt like three years ago was about cross species genetics. The documents we found in his dads things were related to all the things in the book.

During my search on the summary of the book, I found an article from my dad. He wrote an article about Curtis Conners and Richard Parker's research. I didn't think anything of it in the moment. My dad was good friends with Peter's dad and Norman Osborn, of course he would write an article about them.

But it was enough to make me realize whatever was happening had something to do with that. Out of nowhere Peter is obsessed with Orcorp and not even a month after Spider-Man is spotted for the first time. Then a giant lizard starts terrorizing New York.

Going to Oscorp was a long shot, but if it meant finding out what was happening and potentially helping my best friend… I was willing to take it.