Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Are you sure you don't need a ride?" Dick asked once again. Peter shook his head. Students rushing home passed by them, so they stepped aside a bit to avoid getting knocked over.

"I want to get some fresh air before the interview. Don't worry about me," Parker said with a gentle smile.

"Fresh air," Dick scoffed, "in Gotham. Well, suit yourself. Anyway, good luck, Pete," Grayson clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Thanks."

"We'll pick you up at eight-thirty in the evening. Be ready."

"I've been ready since last night. May was worried I might be late for the airport, so she made me pack my bag early," Peter chuckled. "I can't wait to see Metropolis."

"I'm sure you'll love it there. And in the end, you'll decide to stay and leave me high and dry," Dick said dramatically, making Peter laugh. He had heard that one before. "Or not," a spark lit up in Dick's eyes, "there's another scenario. You'll come back with us the day after tomorrow to Gotham, and after graduation, you'll enroll there at the university!"

"Don't think too far ahead, Dick. You never know what tomorrow holds. Let alone such a distant future," Peter said and then paused, realizing what he had said. "Alright, I gotta go; we can chat here until evening."

"Good luck!" Dick gave Peter a tight hug. "I hope you get in. Wherever you're applying for a job," he said thoughtfully. Peter didn't want to tell Dick that he had been invited for an interview at Lex Luthor's company for several reasons. First, Lex Luthor was at odds with Bruce's company. Second, Peter didn't want anyone to know about his potential failure at such a big place. There's a time for everything.

After saying goodbye to his friend, Peter hurried to the bus stop. To be honest, getting to Lex's tower was quite a trek. Peter wouldn't have minded a ride, but he didn't want to bother Alfred over something trivial again. Plus, Dick was right: the air in Gotham was really polluted. New York had its issues too, but it wasn't nearly as bad as here. After almost three weeks of living in Gotham, Peter understood why the rent was so cheap. Any sensible person would leave the city if they had the chance.

The trip to Lex's tower took about half an hour. Peter was still surprised he even got called for an interview since he was only fourteen. Yes, he could legally work now, but big companies rarely hired such young employees. Still, Peter wasn't going to pass up this opportunity.

Peter got off the bus at the right stop and headed toward the looming LexCorp Tower in the distance. He paused for a moment to check if he had brought a printed copy of his interview invitation. Peter was worried that they might not take his word for it because of his young appearance, so he had printed out the email he received at the library ahead of time.

As he approached the entrance, Peter took a deep breath, adjusted his tie, and then stepped inside the building. Guards with metal detectors were stationed at the entrance, checking everyone for weapons. Peter complied with the security check and was allowed through. He looked around in awe; there had to be laboratories in this building! Peter was incredibly eager to get into one of them. If he got hired, there was a chance he could work in them occasionally. It all depended on which department he ended up in.

Wanting to make a good impression, Peter attached all of his academic and scientific achievements to his application. His teachers at his previous school often encouraged him to participate in various science projects and clubs, so he had built up quite a portfolio.

According to the instructions sent to him via email, he needed to go to the HR department located on the fifteenth floor. Peter scanned the area for the elevator. A small group of employees chatting among themselves was heading toward the elevator, so Parker joined them and walked behind. One of the girls was holding a container of food and a paper cup of coffee. It seemed like they were going out for lunch. Peter entered the elevator with them, but they didn’t pay him any attention and continued their conversation.

“If Mr. Green doesn’t let us out on time for lunch tomorrow, I’m definitely quitting,” said a red-haired girl, confirming Peter’s suspicion.

“And where would you go?” asked a young guy. “To Bruce Wayne?”

“Beats me,” sighed the girl, taking a sip of her coffee.

“That’s one of the best student jobs out there, Florence. It’s tough to get into the Drakes if you haven’t graduated yet,” said another girl with black hair tied back in a ponytail. She smelled pleasantly of floral perfume.

“Do you like working here?” Peter suddenly asked, and the group looked at him in surprise. He hesitated for a second but then composed himself. “I… I came here for an interview, so I’d like to know a bit about this place from those who already work here.”

“What position are you applying for?” asked the girl who seemed to be named Florence.

“Lab assistant,” Peter replied.

“How old are you?” asked the young man, narrowing his eyes.

“Fourteen, sir,” said Peter, and Florence chuckled as she watched her colleague's face scrunch up in disbelief.

“Please, don’t call me that; I’m only twenty,” the guy replied. It was only then that Peter noticed a name tag attached to his jacket. That’s how he found out the guy’s name was Mark.

"Do you need to stop by HR?" asked the dark-haired girl, Lina, as the elevator came to a halt.

"Yeah," Peter nodded.

"Then you missed your floor," she said, and Peter realized he had forgotten to press the button in the elevator.

"How much time do you have left before your interview?" Mark asked.

"Half an hour."

"Why did you even come so early?" Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I didn't want to be late," Peter shrugged. The elevator doors opened, and Mark gestured for Peter to follow them.

"We were planning to grab lunch in the cafeteria now, so you can come with us if you want," Florence said, taking another sip of her coffee. "We have a bit of time, so we can answer a couple of questions."

"Why did you buy food if you're going to the cafeteria?" Peter asked, puzzled.

"Fuck, the food in the cafeteria is ridiculously expensive, and there's a little cafe in the next building with reasonable prices," Mark said, and Lina shook her head.

"Don't curse in front of the kid."

"I'm not a kid," Peter rolled his eyes.

Parker was successfully ignored as they continued toward the cafeteria. "You asked if we like working here," Florence spoke up again, drawing Peter's attention. "Well, it's not bad, though it could be better. It's far from the worst place to work in Gotham," she smirked bitterly. "Sometimes we have to work overtime, and it's not paid."

"Mr. Green never wants to let us take lunch breaks, but that's actually illegal," Mark said, rolling his eyes.

"Everyone knows Wayne Enterprises has the best jobs in Gotham, but the competition is fierce; it's really hard to get in there," Lina said as she sat down at a table for four. The others took a seat next to her. "They even hire high schoolers here if they've got at least a little bit of brains. Luthor doesn't care how old his employees are as long as they do their jobs and don't complain. So you've got a chance to get in here, kiddo," Lina pondered. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Peter."

"You’re not from around here, are you?" Mark asked, pulling a burger out of his backpack.

"I'm from New York. Is it that obvious?"

Mark whistled. "Man, you really got dropped in it, huh? Good luck in this hole. I’m hoping to bail out of here after I graduate college."

"He’s hoping to get promoted and transferred to Metropolis," Florence said with a sigh, placing her empty coffee cup on the table. "Working for Bruce Wayne is cool and all, but they’re not likely to transfer you to another city. So we’re all just 'hanging out' here, settling for a low paycheck."

"Lex Luthor is quite the jerk," Mark smirked. "But if you need a job, you’ve come to the right place."

"I really hope I get accepted," Peter said, nervously fiddling with the strap of his backpack. "I need this job badly."

"What department would you like to work in?" Florence asked.

"Honestly, I don’t really care," Peter shrugged. "Where do you guys work?"

"These two work in neurobiology, and I’m in genetic engineering," Florence said. "I love my job; doing research is incredibly interesting," her eyes lit up. "In college, we do practical assignments, but it’s on a much smaller scale."

"In short," Mark said with a smile, "it’s a decent job; you won’t regret it. Better to work for Lex Luthor than to be dealing drugs somewhere at night."

"Damn," Florence muttered as she saw a message on her phone. "Neil forgot his keys again, so he can’t lock up the lab. I gotta run, guys," she said, addressing her colleagues and friends. "Hey, Peter, I can walk you to HR, but I need to stop somewhere on the way."

"Sure, thank you so much!" Parker said sincerely as he got up from the table behind Florence. "Thanks for taking the time to talk to me."

"You're welcome, kid," Mark said, and Peter furrowed his brows at the term of endearment. "I hope you get the job."

"Good luck!" Lina said.

"Thanks," Peter replied once more, before hurrying after Florence, who was walking toward the elevator.

"My colleague keeps forgetting the keys to the lab. Although I’m sure he lost them and just doesn’t want to admit it," the girl sighed. "If Mr. Green finds out, he will definitely give him a fine."

Peter listened obediently as Florence scolded her unfortunate colleague while they exited the elevator and headed toward one of the labs. With his heart racing, Peter looked around, trying to hide his excitement. He desperately wanted to work here!

"This is the last time I’m helping you, idiot," Florence said, entering the lab with a disgruntled expression. The main lights were off, and only a few fluorescent lamps cast a blue hue. In just a couple of seconds, Peter managed to glimpse several terrariums and cages, but he couldn’t identify their inhabitants due to the darkness. Next to one of the tables stood someone who was probably named Neil. He was writing something on his tablet. Peter shuffled at the entrance, afraid to go further. It was unlikely he was allowed to do so.

"Thanks, dolly. I owe you one," Neil blew a kiss to Florence before taking the keys from her.

"In your debt forever," Florence smirked, turning her head away. She immediately frowned. "Please, don’t forget to close the terrariums. Green will feed us all to the street dogs if one of the specimens escapes."

"Hey, hey, cool it, dolly. I didn’t work with that specimen today. The terrarium was open before I got here."

"Well, that doesn’t concern me anyway," Florence rubbed her nose. She turned and walked towards Peter, smiling tiredly at him. "One day that fool will do something truly terrible," she said quietly. "There are just a couple of minutes left before your interview," she glanced at her watch, "so let’s hurry."

Peter nodded but flinched a moment later. Florence was already ignoring him, striding quickly toward the elevator. Parker scratched his neck in confusion, attributing the sharp pain to stress. May sometimes had neck pain after a long workday, so it was probably normal.

In just a second, Peter forgot about it, mentally rehearsing what he planned to say to the interviewer.

***

"Have a great weekend, sweetie," May said, giving her nephew a tight hug while Alfred was putting Peter's backpack in the trunk. Dick and Bruce were already sitting in the car.

"Thanks, May," Peter smiled, trying hard to ignore his headache. He would need to ask Alfred if he had any painkillers with him.

"Make sure to take lots of pictures so I can see you and Metropolis."

"Okay, okay," Peter laughed. Dick had already endured May's lecture about how important it was to take photos so that the good moments could last forever, not just in memory.

"I love you, dear," May kissed her nephew on the forehead and then nudged him toward the car.

"Have a good evening, Mrs. Parker," Alfred said with a gentle smile as he closed the trunk.

"See you the day after tomorrow!" May said, and Peter nodded as he got into the back seat of the car. Dick was already sitting there, making faces at Bruce, who couldn't see him because he was sitting in front. Alfred opened the door and took his place as the driver, and then the car headed toward the airport.

"How long is the flight to Metropolis?" Peter asked. He had never flown on a plane before today.

"Just half an hour," Bruce replied. "The cities are really close to each other, so it's quick."

"We're flying business class," Dick said with a smug grin, and Peter's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why fly business class if the flight is only half an hour?" Peter asked, confused.

"Billionaire quirks, don't worry about it, Peter," Dick waved him off.

"Said the guy who lives in that billionaire's family," Peter rolled his eyes. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"We could grab breakfast somewhere together, but I doubt you guys will want to get up early after a night flight," Bruce smiled, turning his head toward the boys.

"B will be in meetings all day, so we can hang out without him," Dick said happily.

"I don’t know when I'll be free, but we can go out for dinner in the evening," Bruce thought for a moment, and his expression turned serious. "If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to call me."

"Everything will be fine, don’t worry, B. It's Metropolis after all."

"And Superman lives there," Peter added. "We can always call him for help."

"After living in Gotham, it's hard not to worry about anything," Bruce sighed. "And May will tear my head off if anything happens to Peter," he said, and Dick burst out laughing.

"Yeah, May Parker is the most dangerous person in Gotham. Even Batman would have a hard time taking her down," Dick glanced at Bruce. Then an idea struck him. "What if May is Batman!"

"Uh-huh, sure," Peter snorted. "And Bruce is Green Arrow then."

"If May is Batman, then Peter is Robin," Bruce said playfully, watching Dick's face grow more shocked.

"We've been friends for four years and you never told me this!" Dick dramatically pressed his hand to his heart and giggled.

"Some things have to be kept secret," Peter winked at Dick.

***

It was ten in the morning when Dick woke up and noticed that Peter was still asleep in the neighboring bed. Smirking, Grayson jumped onto his friend's bed and started shaking him. Peter grimaced at the sudden awakening but didn't open his eyes, wrapping himself up in the blanket even tighter.

"We're in Metropolis, Peter! It's not time to sleep," Dick said, swiftly yanking the blanket off his friend. Peter groaned, pulling his knees to his chest. He managed to crack one eye open, giving Dick an annoyed look. "What's wrong with you, huh? Get up faster. I'm about to die of hunger."

At that, Peter opened his eyes and sighed heavily. Dick clapped his hands.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes to get up and get ready," Dick said, heading to one of the two bathrooms. 

Peter sat up on the bed. His head was pounding mercilessly. He reached for his glasses on the nightstand to put them on. He stood up, but the room started spinning, and everything blurred in front of his eyes. Losing his balance, Peter collapsed back onto the bed. His eyes hurt from the discomfort, so he took off his glasses.

"What the hell is wrong with me..." Peter mumbled, shaking his head. He scratched his neck and frowned, feeling a small bump but not thinking much of it. Gathering himself together, Peter tried once more to get out of bed and make it to the bathroom.

Shutting the door, Peter slapped his cheeks, trying to wake himself up. The hotel room was warm, but for some reason, he felt incredibly cold. He walked over to the sink and turned on the water, putting his cool hands under it in an attempt to warm up a bit. After splashing his face, Peter started brushing his teeth. He looked at himself in the mirror. The dark circles under his eyes seemed even darker.

Peter frowned at his appearance. For some reason, he looked incredibly tired. A thought crossed his mind that maybe the first flight had affected him that much. However, that idea seemed pretty doubtful.

Peter scratched his neck again. Noticing that it was quite red, he moved closer to the mirror to get a better look at the itchy spot. 

He ran his finger over the bump. His heart began to race as he saw something sticking out of his neck. Carefully, Parker tugged at the white material that resembled the white threads Aunt May kept in a jar in the kitchen. His skin prickled with goosebumps. Pulling out the long white thing was unpleasant both visually and physically. When it stopped coming out, Peter yanked on it sharply.

A scream erupted a moment later.

Peter stared in horror at the dead spider with an unusual red and blue coloring in his hand. It wasn't a thread. It was damn webbing! 

"What the fuck..." Peter muttered.

"Peter!" Dick called out with concern in his voice, knocking on the door. "Are you okay in there? Can you open the door for me? Please, Peter, open the door," Grayson tugged at the doorknob again.

Peter confusedly shifted his gaze from the spider in his hand to the door. Suppressing the urge to throw the spider into a trash can or toilet, Parker stuffed it into the pocket of his shorts. He shuddered at the thought that this thing had been inside his neck.

Dick was a moment away from breaking down the door when Peter finally opened it himself. Dick's eyes were filled with genuine horror. He hugged Peter tightly before stepping back and starting to check him for injuries.

"Peter, why were you screaming?" Grayson frowned, watching Peter scratch at his inflamed neck.

"I... fell," Parker said the first thing that came to mind. "Don't worry, Dick, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Dick asked skeptically.

"Give me a few more minutes and I'll be ready," Peter cut off his friend before he could finish, slamming the door shut in front of him and locking it again. Dick muttered something under his breath but left, giving Peter some peace.

Parker stared at himself in the mirror again, examining the bump on his neck. He began to connect the dots. Chills, a hot forehead suggesting a fever, a headache, dizziness, inflammation on his neck: all of this led Peter to only one conclusion. 

He had been bitten by a spider.