The Whispering Allies

chapter 1 - OW

"Tobias' Perspective
3 Years Prior to the Bite

The sound of the bell echoes through the halls, signaling the start of my next class. Attending school can be an arduous task with classes that continue for several hours day after day throughout the academic year. I take a deep breath and settle into my seat, ready for the upcoming lesson.

As I sit in class, my teacher casts a stern look in my direction, suggesting her disapproval. "Excuse me," I say, with a smile on my face, wondering why she is observing me with such scrutiny. She responds, "You are two minutes late, your grades do not meet expectations, and you did not even greet me," before laughing. "Just kidding, you are only tardy," she pauses for a moment. "However, your grades require improvement," she says, causing me to smile even wider.

"I believe the coursework is challenging, not my grades," I chuckle.

"Just take out your assignment, Tobias," she instructs. The scene shifts to lunchtime.

Upon entering the cafeteria, James inquired about the memes he had sent me. My response was negative, as I had not yet had the chance to view them. In response to this, James gave me a light smack on the back of my head, and expressed his disbelief that I had yet to view them. Although I rubbed the spot where he had struck me, I explained that I simply had not had the opportunity to do so, as it had been a long and overwhelming day. My thoughts were consumed by the recent revelation that my biological father had never been a part of my life, nor had he ever expressed any interest in doing so.

James attempted to regain my attention by calling my name, but my racing thoughts made it difficult to concentrate. When he raised his voice, I finally snapped out of my reverie and apologized for my inattentiveness. I looked down at the glossy floor, which hinted at a recent mopping, while James folded his arms and glared at me.

He repeated his original question about whether or not I had seen Spider-Man on TV that morning. I confirmed that I had, and then inquired about Spider-Man's son. James appeared to be struck by a sudden shock and panic, but he quickly composed himself and responded that the son was most likely somewhere else.

It has been six years since that conversation.

Present time

At the age of 20, I had achieved several significant milestones, such as procuring my driver's license and securing a stable job. However, I came to the realization that I had not communicated with my biological father for an extended period, since I was 14 years old. Our relationship had become strained, and I felt like his absence was indicative of his lack of interest in my life. Despite this, I remained determined to improve my situation.

 James, had been training me for the past three years to help me deal with bullying at school. During our training sessions, he used nun chucks to train me to think sharper and react quickly. Although the training was rigorous, I persisted, and I was grateful for James's guidance.

However, the training was taking a significant toll on my energy levels, and I decided to request that James stop using the nun chucks. Afterward, we continued training until he had to leave, and I took the opportunity to contemplate my future.

James had suggested that I pursue a career in blacksmithing, but I declined. Instead, I aspired to create a family and live a peaceful life. I took some time to clear my head and reflect on my future while spending time in the woods.

As James departed, I realized that he had been a mentor to me, guiding me and helping me develop my skills. Although he was not my father, I appreciated his unwavering support and eagerly looked forward to our next meeting

As I ventured into the woods, I found myself reveling in the simple pleasures of nature, enjoying the freedom to wander wherever my feet took me. However, as I walked, I suddenly lost my footing. The logs beneath my feet were wet, evidence of recent rainfall. As I tried to regain my balance, I slipped and tumbled down a steep incline. Although the fall was not fatal, it was long and treacherous. Upon impact, my arm landed directly on a sharp rock, severing it completely from my body., it was my left arm I didn't use it very much, but it was still my arm, I hit the ground, and my arm is draining of life and it was hard to move and all I knew was that if didn't seek medical attention right away I'm going to lose my life As I'm trying to find a way out I'm also wrapping my arm with my shirt, "Ow well, there goes My- ow, My good shirt" Who cares if my good shirts are now ruined, if I don't make it out I won't have any shirts. As I walk, I stumble upon a random piece of metal it's glowing like a neon blue color, I look at it and question it for a moment, it kept changing into different shapes, and just as I hovered over it, a bit of my blood drops onto it, then I hear something fly by my head, I flinch, the next second I'm looking around trying to see what the hell that was, but to no avail, then I realize something
"the tension on my arm... it doesn't feel tight anymore...like my shirt is not there" I slowly looked down at my decapitated arm, my arm was back...? I must be dreaming I told myself, either that or I was thinking so hard I started hallucinating. The next thing I knew I heard a robotic voice asking me to state my name, I was in shock but said my name still staring at my arm "Tobias" Then my left arm started to glow the same glow that I had seen earlier, and the arm thanks me and calls me master Tobias, I had to tell James, whatever the hell was now on my arm felt like my arm, I could feel, somehow...it's like the thing had nerves that connected to my brain like my original arm, it moved like my right arm, I had a robot arm... Back at the dorm room

I called out for James, but there was no response. I scanned the room, looking for him, and made my way to his quarters. Inside, I noticed an arachnid that was not present when I had left. "Oh, I was unaware that James kept a pet spider," I mused to myself as I extended my hand towards the creature. The spider crawled onto my hand and paused, turning its attention towards me in a manner that suggested it had a sense of morality. "Why are you staring at me?" I asked the spider, but it continued to regard me with curiosity. "So James takes good care of you, I presume?" I tried to pet its back, but the spider perceived a threat and bit me. I shook my hand, and the spider was thrown against the wall, unscathed. "Ouch, my arm got cut off, and now my other hand has been bitten," I lamented. At that moment, the door opened, and I quickly grabbed the spider. It bit me again, but I disregarded the pain and returned it to its container to avoid arousing suspicion from James. Just then, James walked in and asked me what I was doing. He looked at me and then at the spider, cautioning me to stay away from it. I complied, and he retrieved the container, throwing it out of the window. Spider-Man appeared and reprimanded James for throwing things out of the window, but his attention was diverted upon seeing James. James then asked me to leave the room momentarily, and I overheard that the spider was a lab specimen that had bitten me. A few minutes later

As I was observing the scene, my attention was drawn to Spider-Man as he emerged from the window and swiftly swung away, clutching a box in his hand. At that moment, James appeared beside me, his expression riddled with concern. He asked if there had been any contact made with the spider, and the mere thought of it sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't help but wonder what sort of consequences could arise from such an encounter- would I mutate or suffer a fatal fate?

After a brief pause, I mustered up the courage to admit that, yes, there had been contact. Instantly, James's face turned pale as he realized the gravity of the situation. He knew exactly what needed to be done and promptly suggested that we make our way to his father's laboratory. Without wasting any time, we set off and arrived at the laboratory shortly thereafter.

Peter greeted us with a curious expression on his face, "What are you two kiddos doing here?" he asked. James, looking quite troubled, glanced at his father and then at me. Peter's eyes widened suddenly as he seemed to realize something, "Oh, oh no," he muttered under his breath.

I felt anxious and uncertain, no one was telling me anything. I wanted to speak up and ask what was happening, but I decided to stay quiet. Suddenly, Peter turned to me and said, "Tobias, please come with me." I hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to expect. Was I in trouble? Was something wrong with me? Was I going to be punished for something?

Despite my doubts and fears, I followed Peter. As we walked, he asked me in a worried tone, "Tobias, do you feel all right?" I replied, "Uh, yeah, I'm okay. Just... is this about the spider that bit me?"

Peter's face turned pale at my words, and I realized that something was wrong. "Well," he said slowly, "that answered the first question. Did it bite you? Secondly, yes." I felt a wave of panic wash over me. That spider did something to me, but what? Was I going to be okay?

I blurted out my biggest fear, "Is it going to end me?" Peter looked at me with a mix of concern and sympathy in his eyes, and I knew that things were not looking good. Peter's words echoed in my head, leaving me confused and disoriented. "You will have a possibility of it, but you could also become like us..." he said, turning to face me. I couldn't comprehend what he meant by "us" and my mind was racing with so many thoughts that I couldn't think straight.

We arrived at what appeared to be the main part, and Peter instructed me to put on a patient gown and lie on a bed that looked like the ones they use in hospitals. He took some blood samples and began analyzing them, but the look on his face made me feel uneasy. I immediately asked him if I was losing my life, but he reassured me that it was good news. However, he paused for a moment, and his expression was like he was questioning what he had just said.

He finally spoke up, saying that there was good and bad news, and I had to promise him and James that I wouldn't tell anyone else if he told me the good news first. Just then, James appeared in the room, and Peter nodded when James asked if he could be the one who told the news.

James then revealed that I was now a Spider-Man, and so was Peter and him. Peter was Spider-Man, while James was Spider-Man. I was shocked and confused as everything clicked into place. The spider bite I had received earlier had transformed me into a Spider-Man. It was all starting to make sense, and I felt a mix of emotions - excitement, fear, and uncertainty.