Chapter 20 Abnormal Peter
After a good sleep, Noah had breakfast as usual and went to school the next day.
After putting away his car, Noah saw Peter walking ahead.
"Hey! Peter, you're early today!" Noah approached and called him.
Peter turned and, seeing Noah, smiled.
"Hey, Noah! You came just in time. Aunt May wanted to know if you have any plans for Thanksgiving and if you'd like to join us for dinner," Peter said with a grin.
"Uh, my family hasn't decided yet. I'll ask my parents and let you know. Please thank Aunt May for the invite," Noah replied.
Looking at Peter, Noah sensed something different about him. Curious, he asked, "Peter, have you been working out? You look stronger."
As he said this, he lightly pinched Peter's arm.
Peter laughed and scratched his head. "Ha, yeah, I guess I can't hide it anymore. I've been like this for a bit now."
Though Noah felt something was off, he didn't press further. The two entered the classroom, and Noah noticed Harry was absent that day.
Noah took his seat, still pondering Peter's sudden change. His thoughts wandered: Could Peter have become Spider-Man?I've been busy researching Blackwater and dealing with gangs and might have missed it.*
As the class started, Noah noticed Peter wasn't wearing his glasses, further confirming his suspicions.
Noah decided to visit Peter's house that night to see if he'd been bitten by a spider, just like Gwen. If that were the case, Noah thought it would be fine since Peter becoming Spider-Man was something he could handle. But if it were something else, Noah would have to stay on guard.
He also realized that if Peter had become Spider-Man, Uncle Ben might be in danger soon. That part worried him.
Noah recalled how in the Spider-Man movies he'd watched, Uncle Ben's death was inevitable. But this wasn't a movie—Uncle Ben was a real, kind man who had always been good to him. Noah couldn't let him die and leave Aunt May heartbroken. He was determined to prevent that tragedy.
That night, Noah and Gwen were out on patrol, fighting crime and keeping the peace. During their rounds, Noah mentioned Peter's unusual changes to Gwen but didn't go into detail. He just said Peter seemed to have mutated like Gwen had.
Gwen agreed they should check on Peter. If he really had mutated, they could help him adjust to his new abilities, as they had both struggled with theirs at first.
Late that night, Noah perched on the roof of Peter's house, waiting for him to fall asleep. Once the house was quiet, Noah used Venom to slip through Peter's window.
Peter's room was cluttered with electronic parts, strange models, and tools. He was asleep, sprawled across his bed in a casual position.
Venom climbed up the bed, seeping into Peter's arm before retreating. Returning to the roof, Venom merged back with Noah.
Noah felt the surge of energy and confirmed his suspicion: Peter had indeed mutated. Noah leaped into the night, blending into the shadows.
Later, Noah sat on the roof of another building, calming his mind. A familiar electronic voice sounded in his head.
"Congratulations, host! You've gained new abilities: super strength, increased wisdom, and enhanced physical fitness!"
Noah could feel the improvement. Unlike when he had possessed Gwen, merging with Peter hadn't given him new powers but instead a significant boost in strength and fitness. The wisdom Peter had also transferred to him, making Noah marvel. "He really is one of the smartest people in the Marvel universe," Noah thought.
He quickly pieced together the differences between Gwen and Peter. While they shared enhanced physical abilities, spider-sense, and bioelectricity, they each had unique traits. Gwen could generate her own webbing and had special abilities like toxin generation and stealth. Peter's abilities were simpler but more extreme, particularly his strength, which had increased dramatically.
After examining his newfound power, Noah concluded that Peter had already been mutated for some time and had control over his abilities. There were no signs of damage in Peter's room, suggesting he had adjusted well.
Noah headed to a nearby construction site to test his strength. After lifting various objects, Noah estimated his strength had increased to around ten tons—two more than before.
Satisfied with his experiments, Noah turned his thoughts to the future.
In the stories, Peter learned the lesson "With great power comes great responsibility" only after Uncle Ben's death. But Noah couldn't allow that to happen. He had two problems to solve: saving Uncle Ben and guiding Peter down the right path.
For the first issue, Noah had no easy solution. He decided that he would keep a close watch on Peter and Uncle Ben, especially at night. He also instructed Alfred, his AI assistant, to monitor them through street cameras and alert him if anything unusual happened.
As for the second issue, Noah knew Peter well enough to understand his nature. Peter in the movies struggled deeply after Uncle Ben's death, but if Uncle Ben lived, Noah could help guide him without that tragedy.
Having finalized his plan, Noah headed home. After possessing both Gwen and Peter recently, he needed to meditate and train to keep his newfound power under control.