Harry does not look good. By lunchtime, he looks like he's barely holding himself together. He's sweating. His skin is pale and clammy. The usual confident Osborn grin—the one that says he knows exactly what he's doing—is completely gone. Instead, he's sitting there with a tight expression, pushing food around his tray without actually eating anything.
I sit across from him, trying very hard not to stare. Specifically, trying not to stare at the angry red bite mark on his shoulder. Because that would be rude. Also because staring at it reminds me that I might have just watched the birth of another superhero. Or another disaster.
With Marvel, those two options are usually the same thing. "You alright, man?" I ask carefully. Harry looks up. For a second, I see something in his eyes. Fear. Not normal fear. The kind that comes from feeling something inside yourself changing. "Yeah," he mutters.
His voice lacks its usual confidence. "Just... tired." I almost laugh. Almost. Because that is the biggest lie I've heard all day. And considering I live in a universe where aliens, gods, and walking explosions exist, that says something.
Liar.
He looks like he got run over by the same damn truck that killed me. And unfortunately... I know exactly what that feels like. Peter keeps looking over at Harry. He tries to hide it. He fails. Peter Parker has never been good at pretending he doesn't care. He's worried. Really worried. But he doesn't know what to say.
Honestly? I don't blame him. What exactly are you supposed to tell someone who just got bitten by a mysterious Oscorp spider? "Hey, buddy. Good news, you might become a superhero. Bad news, you might also become a science experiment gone wrong." Not exactly comforting.
Nearby, Gwen leans closer to Miles and whispers something. I can't hear the words, but I can tell what they're doing. They're watching Harry. Everyone is. Trying to figure out what happens next. Because we all know something is happening. The problem?
Nobody knows what. And that is terrifying. Because in this universe, "something is happening" usually means: A villain appears, a city gets destroyed. Or someone discovers a new power and accidentally creates a bigger problem. Sometimes all three happen at once.
I try to act normal. I really do. But my stomach refuses to cooperate. Because Harry Osborn having spider powers? That is not something I recognize. Not from comics. Not from movies. Not from any version of Marvel I know. Harry Osborn has a lot of possible futures.
Friend.
Enemy.
Green Goblin.
Hobgoblin.
Victim.
Villain.
But Spider-Man? No. That isn't part of the usual equation. Which means one thing. The timeline has already gone off-script. And I have no idea where it's going.
My hoodie pocket moves. A tiny scratching sound comes from inside. I look down. The spiders shift against the fabric. Like they know exactly what they're doing. Like their mocking me. I glare at them. "Don't even start." The spiders, thankfully, do not respond. Because if they did? I might actually lose my mind.
Freeze frame.
Cue narrator voice.
Alright, let's check the scoreboard.
Peter Parker?
Bitten.
Gwen Stacy?
Bitten.
Miles Morales?
Bitten.
Cindy Moon?
Bitten.
Lyn?
Bitten.
And now...
Harry freaking Osborn.
The guy who usually gets his life ruined by experimental Goblin technology is now getting his life changed by spider venom. Because apparently the universe looked at Harry and thought: "You know what this kid needs? More complicated trauma." What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, don't answer that.
Because the options are:
A) Everything.B) Somehow nothing.C) Somehow both at the same time.
Because this is Marvel. Meanwhile, Jake is still walking around with radioactive spiders living in his hoodie. Somebody get this guy some Poké Balls before he starts building an even bigger spider collection. At this point, he's one bad decision away from becoming the world's first Spider Rancher.
And somehow?
I don't think Oscorp would approve.