By the time we get back onto the bus, half the group is scratching at their arms or necks. A collection of tiny, eight-legged souvenirs from Oscorp. Exactly what every school field trip needs. Peter looks pale. Really pale. The kind of pale that says he knows something is wrong but doesn't want to admit it yet.
Gwen is leaning against Miles, trying to act like everything is normal. She is failing. Anya, meanwhile, looks like she just discovered proof of some grand cosmic plan. "This proves it," she says, almost excitedly in a delirious manner. "This has to mean something." Of course she's excited.
Of course.
Because apparently getting bitten by a potentially dangerous experimental spider is not a reason to panic. It's a destiny moment. Lyn is doing her best to pretend she's fine, but I can see the way she keeps checking the bite.
And Harry... Poor Harry. He's staring out the window with the expression of someone who just got emotionally and physically punched by reality. Honestly? I can't blame him.
Me? I sit very, very still. My hoodie pocket feels heavier than it should. Not physically. Mentally. Because inside that pocket are the spiders I caught earlier. The tiny little creature that might just be responsible for changing the lives of everyone on this bus.
Every instinct I have screams: Throw it away. Immediately. Throw it out the window. Forget it ever existed. But then my brain reminds me of a few important facts.
One:
I have no idea what this spider is exactly.
Two:
I have no idea if throwing it away makes things better or worse.
Three:
If this thing is connected to Oscorp, throwing it away probably guarantees something terrible happens.
So, unfortunately... I keep the spider. Because apparently my life has reached the point where "keeping a bunch of suspicious radioactive spiders in my hoodie pocket" is the safer option. Great. Fantastic. Love that for me.
I notice Danny Rand watching me. Not staring. Not openly. But enough. Every few minutes, his eyes flick toward me. Like he's trying to figure out what exactly he saw back in the lab. Which is fair. Because catching and trapping mutant spiders with a hoodie pocket isn't exactly what most people would call normal.
Especially when the hoodie pocket in question somehow catches said spider perfectly. I should probably work on being less suspicious. Unfortunately, I have no idea how.
The ride back to Midtown feels like it lasts forever. Every second is another reminder that something has changed. These weren't random bites. They weren't accidents. Not really. The spiders chose people. Peter, Lyn, Gwen, Cindy, Miles, Anya, the two MJ's, Harry. People who, in one form or another, are destined to become important.
Heroes.
Villains.
Legends.
Disasters.
All of them. And now? They've all taken the first step. I close my eyes. 'Okay, Jake.Don't panic.Maybe the spiders are defective.Maybe Oscorp messed up.Maybe everyone just gets a rash.' Yeah. Sure. Because that's definitely how Marvel works. Maybe the alien invasion will also just give everyone mild allergies. Maybe the next supervillain will politely apologize before destroying a city. Maybe my life won't become a disaster.
No.
Who am I kidding? The truth is sitting right in front of me. The signs are already there. The spiders are active. The bites have happened. The age of the Spiders has begun.
Freeze frame. Cue narrator voice.
So...
Remember when Jake said he really didn't want to end up in the Scope-verse?
Yeah.
Funny story. The spiders didn't care. They ignored his concerns completely and started handing out powers like Oprah handing out free cars.
"You get spider powers!"
"You get spider powers!"
"Everybody gets spider powers!"
Meanwhile, Jake is sitting there with a hoodie pocket containing what is basically a bunch tiny radioactive nightmares. Which, by the way, is about as smart as keeping a live grenade in your underwear.
Actually...
No.
The grenade might be safer. At least the grenade isn't capable of rewriting your biology. But hey, don't worry. Everything is fine. Nothing bad ever happens when teenagers, experimental science, and mysterious spider DNA mix together. Absolutely nothing.
Just wait until puberty and arachnid genetics start working together. It's going to be like Spider Island. Except with more awkward conversations. More hormones. More drama. And, unfortunately...
Probably more acne.