Peter Parker: A Spider-Man Origin Story

The remote Oscorp facility was eerily quiet, the hum of its machinery drowned out by the occasional crack of flames and the crunch of debris underfoot. Peter crept through the ruins, his hoodie pulled tightly around him. The faint glow of fires illuminated the wreckage, casting long shadows across the walls. His spider-sense tingled, urging him forward cautiously.

Scorpion's destruction was everywhere—walls caved in, machinery twisted and broken, and scorch marks painting the floors. Peter's heart raced as he moved deeper into the facility. Each step brought him closer to the epicenter of the chaos.

As Peter rounded a corner, he spotted a guard pinned beneath a fallen beam. The man groaned in pain, his face pale as he struggled to free himself. Peter hesitated, glancing around to ensure no one was watching, before darting to the guard's side.

"Stay still," Peter whispered, crouching low. He gripped the edge of the beam, his muscles straining as he lifted it just enough for the guard to crawl free. "Go! Get out of here!"

The guard gave him a bewildered look but didn't argue. He stumbled away, clutching his side as he disappeared into the smoke.

Peter exhaled, his relief short-lived as his spider-sense spiked violently. He turned just in time to see Scorpion emerging from the shadows, his hulking form lit by the flickering flames. His tail twitched, the barbed tip gleaming ominously.

"You again," Scorpion sneered, his voice low and dangerous. "Spider-Boy, playing hero in the dark where no one can see you?"

Peter's heart pounded. He backed away slowly, his eyes darting around for an escape route. "I'm not here to fight. You don't have to do this, Gargan."

Scorpion laughed, a guttural sound that echoed off the crumbling walls. "Don't have to? Kid, this is the only thing I can do now. Thanks to Osborn."

Peter clenched his fists, his voice steady despite the fear in his chest. "Destroying everything won't fix what happened to you."

"Spare me the lecture," Scorpion growled, his tail slamming into the ground with enough force to shake the floor. "You think you can stop me? You're just a scared little kid."

Before Peter could respond, Scorpion lunged, his tail striking with deadly precision. Peter dodged, flipping backward as the barbed tip grazed the floor where he'd stood moments before. The impact sent shards of concrete flying, one slicing through Peter's hoodie.

Peter scrambled to his feet, his breaths ragged. He fired a web at a nearby beam, vaulting himself onto higher ground. "I don't want to fight you!"

"Too bad," Scorpion snarled, his tail smashing into the platform and sending Peter tumbling to the ground. "Because I want to fight you."

The ground trembled beneath Peter as Scorpion advanced, his tail whipping through the air with brutal force. Peter rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another strike that shattered a nearby pillar. Dust and debris filled the air, and Peter coughed as he scrambled for cover.

"You can't hide forever, Spider-Boy!" Scorpion taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "You think you're clever, don't you? All you're doing is delaying the inevitable."

Peter crouched behind a crumbling wall, his mind racing. He couldn't keep dodging forever—Scorpion was too strong, too relentless. But he also couldn't afford to reveal his full strength. Not here. Not now.

His eyes scanned the ruins, locking onto a series of weakened support beams. An idea began to form in his mind, a risky plan that could end the fight without drawing more attention.

Peter fired a web at a loose chunk of metal and yanked it free, sending it clattering to the ground. The noise drew Scorpion's attention, and he roared, charging toward the sound.

"Come on," Peter muttered, his heart hammering in his chest. "Just a little closer…"

Scorpion swung his tail at the source of the noise, the barbed tip smashing into the support beam. The structure groaned under the impact, cracks spreading through the ceiling as debris began to fall.

Peter darted to another corner, firing webs to pull down more unstable pieces of the structure. Each movement drew Scorpion deeper into the trap, his blind rage making him oblivious to the danger.

"You think you can outsmart me?" Scorpion shouted, his glowing eyes scanning the shadows. "You're nothing, kid! Nothing!"

Peter's spider-sense flared as Scorpion lunged again, his tail slicing through the air. Peter dodged, landing on a precarious ledge above the final support beam. "Not trying to outsmart you," he muttered, firing a web at the beam. "Just trying to stop you."

With a sharp tug, Peter pulled the beam loose. The ceiling collapsed with a deafening roar, burying Scorpion under a mountain of debris. Dust filled the air, and Peter shielded his face as the ground shook beneath him.

When the dust settled, Scorpion's form was barely visible beneath the rubble. His tail twitched weakly, the once-mighty appendage now pinned under the weight of the collapse. Peter crouched on a nearby platform, his chest heaving as he stared at the wreckage.

"Is… is it over?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

A low growl answered him, and Peter's spider-sense buzzed faintly. Scorpion was still alive, but his strength was waning. Before Peter could decide what to do next, the sound of engines and shouting filled the air.

Oscorp's private security forces stormed the facility, their weapons drawn and their movements precise. Drones hovered overhead, their lights cutting through the smoke. The guards surrounded the wreckage, their leader stepping forward with a tranquilizer rifle.

"Gargan!" the leader barked. "Stand down, or we'll take you down."

Scorpion roared, thrashing against the rubble, but he was too weak to free himself. The guards fired a volley of tranquilizer darts, each one finding its mark. Scorpion's movements slowed, his growls fading to guttural murmurs as the tranquilizers took effect.

Peter stayed hidden in the shadows, his hood pulled low as he watched the scene unfold. Relief washed over him, but it was tempered by guilt. He hadn't stopped Scorpion alone—he hadn't even faced him directly. But for now, the danger was contained.

As the guards secured Scorpion in reinforced restraints, the leader reported to Norman Osborn via a secure comm. "Target captured. Returning to base for containment."

Peter's heart sank at the word "containment." He didn't trust Oscorp—not after what they'd done to Gargan. But there was nothing he could do. Not now.

As the guards dragged Scorpion away, his glowing eyes flickered open for a brief moment, locking onto Peter's hidden form. "Spider-Boy…" he snarled weakly. "This isn't over…"

Peter remained silent, his stomach churning as he watched the convoy disappear into the night. He slipped away, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He had stopped Scorpion—for now—but the weight of the fight and its implications pressed heavily on his shoulders.

The line between doing enough and doing too little had never felt thinner. And Peter wasn't sure which side he was on.

Peter trudged through the dark, industrial streets, his hoodie pulled tightly over his head. His body ached from the confrontation with Scorpion, every bruise and scrape a reminder of how close he had come to failing—or worse. The rhythmic tapping of his sneakers against the cracked pavement was the only sound accompanying him as he made his way home.

He passed by a flickering streetlight, its intermittent glow illuminating his tired face. His mind churned with Gargan's words: "Spider-Boy… You're just a scared little kid." The insult had cut deeper than he wanted to admit, not because it wasn't true, but because it was. He was scared, and he had no idea what he was doing.

When Peter finally reached the fire escape outside his apartment building, he glanced up at the faint light spilling from the kitchen window. Aunt May and Uncle Ben were probably asleep by now, unaware of the chaos their nephew had been caught up in. He climbed slowly, the metal groaning under his weight, and slipped quietly into his room.

The glow of the TV in the living room filtered under his bedroom door, along with the muffled voices of news anchors reporting on the night's events. Peter leaned against the door, his head resting on the wood as the words reached his ears:

"Authorities have confirmed that the individual known as Scorpion has been apprehended during a violent attack on an Oscorp facility. While the capture has brought some relief, questions about Oscorp's involvement in creating this monster continue to grow."

Peter swallowed hard, his chest tightening. He didn't feel relieved. If anything, the knot of guilt in his stomach had only grown tighter. He hadn't stopped Gargan because it was the right thing to do. He'd just wanted it to end—to get away from the chaos and fear.

Slipping into bed, Peter stared at the ceiling, the faint hum of the city outside blending with the thoughts swirling in his mind. Gargan had been stopped, but at what cost? Oscorp had him now, and whatever they planned to do next felt like a problem far beyond Peter's control.

He rubbed his sore knuckles, the faint tingle of his powers a constant reminder of the burden he carried. He didn't want this—any of it. All he wanted was to go back to the way things were before the bite, before Oscorp, before everything spiraled out of control.

But deep down, he knew there was no going back. And while he wasn't ready to step into the role of a hero, the weight of responsibility lingered, waiting for the day he'd finally decide what to do with it.

As Peter's eyes finally closed, the news anchors continued their broadcast, the city's unrest growing louder:

"Protests outside Oscorp Tower have intensified, with demonstrators calling for answers about the company's alleged experiments on human subjects. Norman Osborn has yet to comment on the growing scandal, but sources suggest that public trust in Oscorp is at an all-time low…"

The faint glow of the TV flickered out as Peter drifted into an uneasy sleep, the echoes of the night still haunting him.