The Spider: Origins

October 28, 2022

Claire had called us to her lab, saying she had something to show us. Something else she'd been working on since my fight with Vulture, as the media had decided to call him.

Kamala was with the neighbors while the four of us (yes, including Eddie and Venom) walked out of the groundbridge and straight into the oldest lab.

Claire looked hyped and excited as she fluttered around her lab, getting the final preparations done.

"Okay, small warning. What is about to happen," she begins as she stops in front of the machine she'd been messing with the entire time we'd been here, "Is that this is going to fuse with my spin. Which is going to hurt like a motherfucker, but it's incredibly necessary. For both control and stabilization."

She turns to us, "Do not touch anything in the lab or interfere unless I call out red." She points to a big red button standing on the front of the machine, "If I do call out red, press this button. It's an emergency shutdown."

We nod and she smiles, "Great! Let's get started and hope nothing goes wrong!"

We watch as she strips off her lab coat, revealing a pair of shorts and a backless shirt. She gets up into the machine and places her back to it, takes a deep breath and then presses the button on the switch she's holding.

We all tense, preparing for the screams as the metal closes around her middle. But she barely does more than flinch and she giggles as she begins to slowly move the arms, "I was fixing with you. It's like having acupuncture therapy."

She moves the four mechanical arms to latch them onto the ground and they lift her up.

"I also plan on introducing these during INPEX. It would mean a whole new generation of prosthetics. And since I'm the mind behind it, I can make it affordable for everyone." Claire was so excited I didn't have the heart to tell her that probably wasn't how it worked.

"That's so fucking cool! Hahaha! I'ma start calling you Doctor Octopus now!" I cackle.

"Doc Ock for short!" Emily giggles.

"That really is badass." Eddie says, an awed smile on his face.

That introduction to Claire's second invention reminded me of something vitally important I hadn't taken into consideration when I first started using the groundbridge.

So I'm sort of frowning when I step into my sister's apartment, Thor running up to me excitedly. I pet him absently as I look around.

"Claire?" I called.

"Computer room!"

I head that was, making sure Thor stays out as I enter.

"I need to talk to you." I tell her, voice serious.

Claire pressed a couple more keys before turning to me, a worried frown on her face. "Raph? Are you okay?"

I take a seat on the ground beside her and say, "When you reveal the groundbridge, it's not gonna take a lot for people to connect the dots between the bridge and The Spider suddenly going international."

"Oh, is that what this is about? I thought about that while I was building it. I know the risk, Raphael. Don't worry so much. I trust you to protect me should I be unable to protect myself." She smiles down at me.

I just frown at her, "what if I fail?"

"That's okay. I won't blame you. I came into this knowing I would be in danger. I'd be in danger simply because of what I've made so far. The government won't like me simply because I'm trying to make the little people's life easier." She says.

"I dunno what I'd do if you were to die." I lean against her legs.

"Live? You'd still have Emily and Kamala and Eddie and Venom. It'll be hard, I'm sure. But I'd need you to live. To make sure my inventions don't fall into the wrong hands."

I stay silent, but nod.

"You'll be alright, Raph." She pats my head and turns back to her work. "You're the best of us."

I stay for another hour or so before I head home. Today was one of my earlier patrols since I was off from my 9 to 5.