Chapter 3: The Awakening 

The morning sun spilled through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. As Jake slowly opened his eyes, a flood of unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed him. He sat up, confusion and disbelief washing over him like a tidal wave. His head throbbed, matching the rhythm of his confused heartbeats. The bed felt different, the air tasted strange, and as he moved, he felt a strength and agility that was utterly alien.

Confusion clouded his thoughts. Memories of his past life as Jake clashed with the vivid recollections of Peter Parker's experiences. It struck him like a bolt of lightning. The spider bite, the sudden surge of power, the memories and intellect of a person named Peter Parker. It was all too much to process. 'I-I'm in the MCU???? As Peter Parker no less???'

Attempting to push himself off the bed he heard a creak and groan, he looked down to find his fingers were deforming the metal bed frame, Jake pulled back to not damage anything further, staring at his hands in wonder, He flexed his fingers, marveling at the newfound strength. But with every motion, he couldn't shake the lingering sense of displacement. This wasn't his room, his life, and yet, it was.

Slowly rushing to the dressing table that holds a mirror to not damage anything on accident, Jake stares into the mirror only to see a face that isn't quite his own. The face staring back at him was so much like Tom Holland's face, actually Peter Parker's face in this world, yet there were little sprinkles of his previous looks.

Peter's face, with its distinct features and the weight of his responsibilities, stared back at him. Jake ran a hand through the hair that wasn't his, taking in the reality of his transmigration. The echoes of Jake's memories, his emotions, merged with Peter's, creating a complex tapestry within his mind, his current thought process was suddenly broken by a couple of knocks on his door, followed by a very familiar voice. "Peter, you better get up and get ready so that you aren't late for school." Out of pure reflex on Peter's part, he replied saying that he was up and that he'd get ready right away.

As he stumbled through Peter's daily routine being very careful to keep his newfound strength under control—brushing his teeth, getting dressed—a knot of anxiety tightened in his chest. How could he navigate a life that wasn't his own? How could he be Peter Parker, let alone Spider-Man when his entire understanding of the world had just done a 180? 

To not worry Aunt May, Jake finished getting ready, having to put on his only big baggy clothes as they were the only clothes that fit his new proportions, 'Of course only sweatpants, a loose T and a hoodie are the only things I can fit, I really need to buy myself some new clothes after school, this is really going to put a dent in my already small savings." By Peter's memory, he would always slouch due to poor posture, Jake took advantage of this to hide the fact that he had grown from 5 '9 to 5' 11 overnight and filled out in physique knowing instinctively that he wasn't done growing, he was also now more toned then either Peter or Jake had ever been. Jake quickly told Aunt May to have a nice day before rushing out the door to catch a bus to school so as not to be late.

On the bus he made sure to make it seem like he was sleeping in the back, causing concern from Peters's best friend, Ned. The thing was, he wasn't sleeping, his mind was rushing with questions such as How had he become a part of this universe? This one question plagued his mind, its answer elusive. As the reality of his situation sank in, Jake knew he had to tread carefully. He couldn't afford to reveal his true origins or the extent of his powers. The thought of altering the course of this world, or hurting someone accidentally, risking unwanted consequences, weighed heavily on him. 

The school day unfolded in a haze of classes and interactions. Jake's attempts to blend in as Peter were met with mixed success. Conversations with teachers, classmates, his best friend Ned, hell even Flash Thompson, all day he felt like he was stumbling through a poorly written script. He was Peter, but he wasn't Peter.

By the time the final bell rang, Jake's head was spinning. He needed answers, a moment to collect his thoughts away from prying eyes. 'The abandoned subway tunnels' just the place he needs pops into his head, a place Peter could use as a makeshift training ground, beckoned to him like a refuge. Quickly leaving school and rushing towards the direction of the entrance to some abandoned subway tunnels Peter passes by Ned, leaving him concerned as he had never seen him behave the way he has all day, reaching for his phone he sends Peter's aunt a message to ask if everything is alright with him.

The descent into the dark underground was a journey into the unknown. The flickering light of a single flashlight he found on the ground cast long shadows across the damp walls. The distant echoes of water dripping and the occasional scurrying of unseen creatures created an eerie ambiance.

Arriving at the open space within the tunnel, Jake took a deep breath, feeling the cool air against his skin. The decision to test his newfound abilities felt both instinctual and desperate—a way to make sense of the chaos within.

Closing his eyes, Jake focuses on the strength he has been keeping in check all day. With a leap, he attempted to simply jump just a little higher than normal, underestimating the amount of power he used, instead of just jumping a couple of feet in the air as intended, he soured through the air, about to crash into the ceiling, instinctively he closed his eyes and reached out, with a thud his hands collide with the ceiling, but unlike how he imagine, Instead of bounces off the ceiling and starting to fall to the ground, he opens his eyes to his hands clinging to the cement, causing him to hang from his hands.

Realizing he is now using one of Spider-Man's most iconic powers, with concentration he imagines his hands no longer sticking, after about 10 seconds just that happens, and Peter falls, landing with a graceless thud, almost falling on his ass. 

Why did he drop? He noticed something while hanging from the ceiling, unlike the normal MCU Peter Parker, this Peter has a little slot on each of his wrists, signifying that he doesn't need to make web slingers, and it appears he has organic web glands on his wrists. Testing his theory, Peter fwips his hand out in the iconic Spider-Man way, his thumb, index, and pinky fingers out, while the middle two touch and press his palm. A sticky substance shot from his wrist, creating a messy clump on the tunnel wall. Jake stared at it, a mixture of awe and disbelief. He was making webs, just like Spider-Man, after getting over the surprise, Just like anyone else who knows what this means, Peter is ecstatic, he can shoot webs, which means.

With newfound motivation, Peter tries to swing from his webs, obviously very slowly and awkwardly at first, but he starts to pick up the rhythm of the motion required to swing like Spider-Man. The rush of wind against his face, the uncertainty of each movement, was both exhilarating and frightening, even a little embarrassing, especially when he didn't shoot a web in time, nearly landing face-first into the train tracks.

A frown creased Jake's face. He was Spider-Man, or at least he was supposed to be. The gap between the fantasy of comic books and the reality of his situation yawned wide. The web-swinging that seemed so effortless for Spider-Man, felt like an insurmountable challenge.

Feeling a wave of frustration, Peter muttered to himself, "Come on, Pete, get up" not realizing he was starting to refer to himself more and more as Peter, rather than Jake.

Determined to master this new skill, Jake spent the next hour experimenting with his web-shooting abilities. Some attempts were met with success, while others ended in tangled messes. Yet, with each failure, a spark of understanding kindled within him.

As the adrenaline flows through him as he swings, Jake begins to accept his new reality. This wasn't just a dream; this was his life now. The confusion and frustration gradually gave way to a sense of determination. Jake felt a newfound sense of acceptance. The complexities of being Peter Parker and Jake intertwined, creating a narrative that was uniquely his own. The abandoned subway tunnel, once a place of uncertainty, had become a proving ground for the fusion of two lives. Peter embraced the dualities that defined him. The confusion still lingered, but within it bloomed the potential for something extraordinary—a Spider-Man whose story was a fusion of past and present, of Jake and Peter.

Coming to this realization and growth, something catches our protagonist's attention.

*Ding*

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