The kitchen was too quiet.
The kind of quiet that made the hum of the refrigerator sound like thunder and every tick of the wall clock dug into my skull. I sat at the table, staring at Aunt May and Uncle Ben like I had just asked them to solve the mysteries of the universe. My throat was dry, my palms slick, and for once—me, Peter Parker, the kid who could never shut up—I had no idea how to start.
How do you explain something like this? How do you tell the two people who raised you that their ordinary, awkward nephew might not be so ordinary anymore?
I rubbed the back of my neck, buying time I didn't have, then exhaled slowly. "Okay… so… during the trip to Oscorp Industries, something happened."
May's brow furrowed instantly, that maternal instinct flashing in her eyes. The same look she gave me when I came home late, when she heard about bullies at school, when she knew something was wrong before I even opened my mouth. Ben leaned forward in his chair, forearms braced against the wood, his voice calm but edged with concern.
"What happened?" he asked. No hesitation. No room to dodge.
I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting, and forced myself to meet their eyes.
"I was bitten," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "By a spider."
"A spider?" May repeated, confused.
"Not just any spider," I said quickly, raising a hand before they could interrupt. "Oscorp's been working on these… genetic experiments. Crossbreeding DNA, trying to design something new. Super-spiders. One of them got loose, and, well…" I lifted my hand, flexing it, remembering the sharp sting at my neck. "It bit me."
Ben squinted. "And that turned you into… this?" He gestured vaguely at me, at my broader shoulders, at the muscles stretching my shirt.
I nodded. "It wasn't just the bite. That spider's venom—it wasn't normal. It was… toxic. Lethal, actually. Enough to kill an elephant, according to the scientists. It nearly killed me." I could still feel the memory of the burning agony in my veins, my body writhing on the floor, my skull screaming like it was about to split in two. "They rushed me to the hospital. I was in and out for days. But… when I woke up this morning, this was me."
May pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes shining with tears. Ben sat back, shaking his head slowly.
"I don't even know how to explain it," I continued. "It's like my body rewrote itself overnight. I can do things now that… no normal human should be able to do that."
Ben let out a long breath, sitting back in his chair. "Not the same how?"
I hesitated. Then, deciding I might as well show them, I stood up.
"Not the same like this."
I rolled my neck, feeling the joints pop. Then I bent my knees and leapt straight up. Their jaws practically hit the floor as I stuck to the ceiling, my fingers and toes adhering like magnets. May let out a startled yelp as I casually walked across the plaster, upside down, as if gravity had given me the night off.
Ben rose halfway to his feet. "Jesus H. Christ…"
I dropped lightly back onto the floor, landing silently. "Not the same like that."
May's eyes were wide with fear and amazement. "Peter… my God…"
Ben rubbed his face with both hands. "You're telling us you got bit by some… mutant spider at Oscorp, and now you're—what? A circus act?"
I narrowed my eyes, the corner of my mouth twitching. "No. Not a circus act. Something else. Something… more. If I had to classify it… I guess the word would be meta-human."
The word hung heavy in the room.
Ben let out a low groan, sinking back into his chair. "Meta-human. Jesus. Next you'll tell me you're gonna put on a cape and go flying around town."
"Not a cape," I said, folding my arms across my chest. "But… yeah. I've been thinking about it. About what I can do with this. I can climb walls, stick to ceilings. My reflexes are faster than anything human. I'm stronger, faster… tougher. This isn't just some freak accident. This is an opportunity. And I'm not wasting it."
May looked at me with watery eyes. "Peter, sweetie… what exactly are you saying?"
I looked her dead in the eye. "I'm saying I'm going to be a hero. Not just some guy with powers who hides in his room. I'm going to use this to help people. I'm going to be the greatest hero that ever lived."
May stared at me like she didn't know whether to hug me or call the police.
Finally, Ben spoke again, his voice low and serious. "You're not… on something, are you?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "On… drugs? Are you serious?"
"Don't look at me like that, kid," Ben shot back. "One day you're scrawny little Peter who can't throw a baseball to save his life, and three days later you look like you've been bench-pressing Buicks. You tell me a spider did it. You can't expect me not to ask."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "No, Uncle Ben. No drugs. No steroids. Just one very radioactive spider bite."
The words hung in the air, heavy, absolute.
Ben groaned, slumping back in his chair. "Oh, for the love of— I need a drink."
May shot him a look and grabbed his wrist before he could stand. "Sit. Down." Her tone brooked no argument.
He sighed, muttering under his breath, but obeyed. Sinking back into his chair. May turned her gaze back to me, her lips pressed in a thin line. "Are you sure, Peter? Are you sure this is what you want?"
I nodded without hesitation. "More sure than I've ever been about anything."
She sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Then you'd better not get yourself killed, young man. Because if you do, I swear I'll kill you myself."
I laughed, tension easing from my shoulders. "Don't worry, Aunt May. I'll be careful."
The mood lightened just slightly. But my curiosity, gnawing at me ever since the chip revealed itself, came clawing back.
"Hey," I said carefully. "Did my parents… leave anything behind? For me?"
May and Ben exchanged a look. That silent kind of conversation that only people who've lived together for decades can have. Finally, Ben exhaled and nodded.
"They did," he said quietly. "We weren't sure when—or if—we should give it to you." He stood and left the kitchen, heading upstairs.
May reached across the table, taking my hand in hers. Her eyes were soft, full of concern. "Peter… whatever it is, just know your parents loved you. They loved you more than anything."
Before I could answer, Ben returned, holding an old, worn envelope. He set it gently on the table in front of me.
My heart pounded as I tore it open. Inside was a folded letter and a small brass key.
I unfolded the letter and began to read.
The handwriting shifted halfway through—one side delicate and flowing, the other sharp and controlled.
I read my mother's part first.
My dearest Peter,
If you're reading this, it means we couldn't come back for you. I am so sorry. Please know that not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you, missed you, and loved you with all my heart. You were my light, my joy, and I hope that wherever you are now, you're safe. I know you'll grow into someone incredible. I'm proud of you already. Always remember that.
Love, Mom.
My throat tightened. My chest ached. For a moment, I just stared at the page, the words blurring as my eyes burned.
Then I turned to my father's half.
Peter. This is your father. There are things you deserve to know. Oscorp has been developing cybernetic brain chips for years. Your mother and I led the project. But when we discovered Norman Osborn's plans—to sell it to the military, to mass-produce soldiers—we knew we had to act. We couldn't let that future happen.
So we made a choice. We gave the prototype chip to you. We injected your body with nanobots over the years, disguised as vaccinations. The chip was programmed to remain dormant until it deemed you ready. When it activated, it would learn everything about you. It would push your body beyond its limits. It would make you into a weapon—one powerful enough to stand against whatever threats might come.
My hands trembled. My parents had done this. They had set this path for me before I was old enough to understand.
But there is more. You were born with something unique. An X-gene. From a young age, you showed signs of extrasensory perception—ESP. You could sense things before they happened, feel things others could not. We tried to protect you, but in the process of integrating the chip, we destroyed your connection to those abilities. For that, we are sorry. We can never undo it. But we do not regret it, because we believed it gave you the best chance to survive what was to come.
Not long before we left, a man approached us. He wanted to take you to an academy—a place where you would grow up among others like you. He called you mutants. He called himself one as well. We did not trust him. We could not risk it. So we ran.
Peter… I do not know if we will ever see you again. But if this letter finds you, then know this: live boldly. Do great things. And for God's sake, get yourself a very beautiful girlfriend. You deserve it.
Good luck, son.
—Dad.
I stared at the words, my vision blurry. My chest felt tight, like the air had been sucked out of the room.
Ben and May sat in silence, watching me carefully.
Finally, I folded the letter and set it down on the table. The brass key glinted beside it.
I let out a shaky breath. "How much… how much did you two know?"
Ben shook his head slowly. "Not much. Just that your parents were in trouble. They left you with us and told us to keep you safe. That's all."
I nodded slowly. "Thanks. For everything."
"So," May finally said, her voice careful, "you've… decided you're going to use these abilities? Out there? As—" she hesitated, searching for the right word, "—as some kind of hero?"
The word clung to the air like smoke.
I shifted in my seat, the truth spilling out of me before I could second-guess it. "Yeah. That's the plan. It's not something I can just… ignore. There's so much I want to do, so much I have to do."
Ben's brow furrowed. "And when exactly were you planning to start? You're still just a kid, Peter. You're talking about going out into a world that chews people up."
I leaned forward, my hands gripping the table. "I know. That's why I'm not rushing in blindly. I've got a plan. Tomorrow, I'm visiting someone—if she helps me, it'll speed things up a lot. A couple months, maybe less. Then Spider-Man makes his appearance."
The name slipped out naturally, no hesitation. Spider-Man. Saying it out loud for the first time felt strange, like stepping into shoes that were still too big. But they'd fit eventually. I'd make sure of it.
May's lips parted, but no words came. She just looked at me like she wanted to wrap me in bubble wrap and never let me step outside again. Ben, though—Ben just studied me. His gaze was steady, searching, like he was measuring every ounce of conviction I carried.
I stood, the exhaustion finally dragging at my shoulders, every book I'd read and every thought I'd chased since Oscorp pulling me down. "It's been… a really long day. I think I need a nap."
I turned to head upstairs, but Ben's voice cut through the quiet.
"Peter."
I froze. I looked back.
He leaned forward, his expression firm, his eyes burning with something deeper than fear or doubt. Something I couldn't ignore.
"I don't know what the hell is happening to you, or what you're planning to do with these… powers. But listen to me, son."
His voice dropped, heavy with meaning, carrying a weight that rooted itself in the room, in me.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
The words hung in the air, sinking deep into me, anchoring themselves in my soul.
I swallowed hard, nodded once, and went upstairs.
And I knew that those words would become a part of me, a part of who Spiderman becomes as they were the famous words of Uncle Ben that Peter Parker would build his entire life around.