Training

And so my six months of absolute hell began... -

For the rest of the morning, Tony forced the boy to pull, push, lift and carry the various debris scattered around the gym. Weights, tires, heavy bags, even old electronics and pieces of household appliances people had clearly dumped off to get rid of. Peter felt he was exercising more than he ever had never in his life.

However, it was training with a purpose. Peter wasn't just picking up garbage, he was ripping out old floor boards, taking down drywall, removing rusty pipes. Much like the boy's body, the gym would be completely rebuilt into a better version of itself.

Tony wasn't always able to be there, being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company as well as the Number One hero left him without much free time. So instructions would be sent to Peter via his phone as to what he should work on when he couldn't make it.

On these occasions, Uncle Ben would sometimes go with Peter to help work on the renovations. Being a retired handyman, he was able to teach Peter how to replace pipes, install new flooring, and rewire rooms without getting electrocuted. Ben would also watch in awe as Peter carried heavy stacks of wood around the space. Some things would take some getting used to.

Peter made more of an effort carrying his books on his back to school and the toolbox for Uncle Ben. And yet, Peter could feel the different muscles working according to the various jobs he was doing.

Saturday and Sunday mornings were a bit different, Tony would make the boy improve on his agility and movement. After a long run (on Peter's part), they would meet at a disused industrial park. Once there, Tony would help the boy hone his Spider Sense by making him free run through the area, occasionally giving him tips on how to fight on the fly.

An additional factor was the protein gel that formed his web. Peter had to extract it every two days, since he constantly produced it and couldn't let it build up. It was a long process, and it still hurt sometimes to extract. But with the training, he was learning to control it better. And after a time, slow draining didn't hurt at all.

- And of course...I still had to study... -

Peter was in Mr. Harrington's math class one Monday morning. His muscles were sore, and he was exhausted. Even his fingers had bandages due to some cuts, but he didn't care, he needed to do that if he wanted to get into M.A. But Peter was certainly feeling the burn, and started to fall asleep in class.

At one point, the teacher became suspicious and threw a piece of chalk at the boy's head. But thanks to his spider sense detecting the approach of a chalk, Peter sat up quickly and caught the object before hit his forehead.

"Oh good, you're awake," said Mr. Harrington. "I thought you were nodding off back there. Mind coming up and finishing this equation?" Peter sighed and reluctantly made his way to the board. Thankfully, he was smart enough to get the formula, but Peter would have to be more careful about napping in class.

Before Peter realized, half the training was over. It was the end of May and classes ended at the end of June. From then on, so he could focus on just training and preparing for the entrance exam. His routine had become something he never imagined would end. He woke up very early and ran to the gym, where he would spend the first hours of the day working on the flooring and moving the heavy equipment around as needed.

Then he would run to school for classes in the morning, as he still needed to maintain good grades for school records. After that, he would go back to the gym in the afternoon and continue his work until dinner. Then he would return home, eating a much larger than normal. He especially needed the proteins, due to muscle growth.

Of course, all this change wouldn't go unnoticed by Uncle Ben. He had always been the boy's confidant about the whole situation, although his still suspected the boy was leaving out a detail or two. But he trusted his nephew and knew that he only wanted to do his best. Aunt May was just happy Peter enjoyed her cooking and was working towards his dream.

One day, Ben and Peter were working in the gym. The boy was reassembling the old boxing ring and Ben was cleaning out some of the lockers. The two were bickering a bit over what to name Peter's quirk.

"Aracnidea…" Ben suggested, using a roller to paint a wall.

"Pass!" The boy responds, tightening the ropes up on the ring platform.

"Come on, it's Latin! It's cool!" Ben retorts. "It's pretentious!"

Peter snorted. "Let's just call it 'Spider'. It's short, to the point, and you know what I can do just from the name!"

"You're a very boring kid," Ben sighed. "I'm supposed to be the boring one in this family!"

"I'm not boring!" The boy argued, finishing up the top rope.

"'Course you are!" His uncle teased. "You've got no imagination! Now give me a hand with this paint, I can't reach that high."

Peter climbed out of the ring and walked over, "What do you expect me to do? You're taller than I am."

"Maybe, but you've got something I don't," he said. "C'mon, let's test those sticky limbs! You can hang onto the ceiling, can't ya?"

"Do you think just telling me to do things, they'll happen?" The boy asked nervously. Ever since the fight with Carnage, Peter had tried to test that ability. But for some reason, it hadn't quite worked the same. He had tried a few times to climb the wall, but never managed. The most he achieved was a spoon sticking in his hand; Ben had to help him get it out.

"Come on champ! It's like when I tried to teach you how to play baseball," his uncle encouraged.

"Emphasis on the word 'tried' ..." Peter says discouraged, but still trying to stick his hands to the ceiling.

"Think of it as a leap of faith!" The elder says to his nephew. Through the look behind the spectacled lenses, the gray eyes transmit calm and confidence to the boy. Ben and May had no children of their own, and thought of Peter as their own son. They'd taught him to swim, ride a bicycle, and attempted some sports. And now, Ben would help him get used to his new powers.

"Okay…" the boy says closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. A leap of faith. Peter puts his hands on the ceiling and, unlike other times, he already imagined himself climbing up, confident that this time he could do it.

Uncle Ben supported him from below,and soon after he started pushing the boy's legs so that his bare feet also climbed up the wall. Ben kept his arms with the boy until he climbed beyond his reach. Finally Peter was in his final position; with his hands and feet on the ceiling and Ben standing directly under him. In that moment, Peter realizes that he's really stuck to the ceiling!

Ben steps back to face his nephew upside down, grinning broadly. The boy smiles at his uncle who then reaches out to his nephew. Peter releases one hand to do a high-five, but this causes him to lose his concentration and he falls.

Fortunately Uncle Ben had gone faster and managed to catch him before he crashed to the floor. The two fall down together, silent for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

"Look Peter, maybe next time, we put a mattress down here, ok?" Ben said, trying to settle his laughter. "I'm not as spry as I used to be! Hehehe."

"Haha, sure thing!" Peter replied. He stares at the ceiling, a little sore but quite happy. Until he notices the time; 4:00. "I have to go for a run before it gets too dark." The boy said, getting up and grabbing his gym clothes to run in.

"Alright hero, I'll meet you at home. But, Peter!" His uncle calls over. "Don't forget, I'll always be here if you fall to catch you." He gives the his nephew a friendly smile.

"I know Uncle Ben..." Peter returns the smile and goes to change.