Under the Weight of Evil (Patreon)

Peter Parker had perfected the art of being invisible.

Not because he was scared—though Flash Thompson certainly thought that's what it was. No, Peter had learned early that invisibility was a weapon. People ignored him, underestimated him, forgot he was there. And when people forgot you existed, they got sloppy. Said things they shouldn't. Left things unguarded.

The Oscorp field trip was a perfect example. While everyone else was busy jockeying for social position or pretending to care about "cutting-edge biotech," Peter was actually paying attention. Not to the sanitized corporate tour—that was bullshit designed to make Oscorp look good. No, he was watching the security protocols, the door codes partially visible when Dr. Rajit typed them in, the cameras' blind spots.

Information was currency. And Peter Parker believed in being rich in the only way that mattered.

"I'm just saying, if they're doing genetic modification, they should be working on making people better, not just curing diseases," Flash was pontificating to his usual audience of sycophants. "Like, imagine having super strength or being able to run really fast. That would be awesome."

Idiot, Peter thought, adjusting his camera strap. Super strength is useless without the bone density to support it. Your skeleton would shatter the first time you tried to lift a car.

"That's not how genetics works," he said out loud, because sometimes he couldn't help himself. Sometimes the sheer stupidity was too much.

Flash's attention swiveled to him like a predator spotting prey. "What was that, Parker?"

Peter met his eyes. Didn't look away like he usually did. "I said that's not how genetics works. You'd need to modify multiple systems simultaneously. Muscular, skeletal, circulatory. Otherwise, you'd just be a strong corpse."

A few people snickered—not at Flash, at Peter. The weird kid who thought he was smarter than everyone else.

"Oh, here we go," Flash said with that grin Peter wanted to punch off his face. "Parker's gonna lecture us about science. Hey everyone, genius boy has opinions!"

More laughter. Peter felt the familiar anger rise in his chest. Not embarrassment—he'd burned through that emotion years ago. Just pure, clean rage at the injustice of idiots prospering while he had to scrape for every scrap of respect.

He caught Harry Osborn's eye—his sort-of friend was standing with the popular kids. Harry looked uncomfortable but said nothing. Didn't defend Peter. Didn't tell Flash to shut up.

Coward, Peter thought. But he didn't blame Harry. Everyone was a coward when it came down to it. Everyone looked out for themselves first.

Everyone except Uncle Ben and Aunt May.

"Mr. Thompson, Mr. Parker, if you're quite finished?" Dr. Rajit was giving them both a stern look. "We're about to enter one of our most sensitive laboratories. I expect professional behavior."

"Sorry, Dr. Rajit," Flash said with exaggerated contrition.

Peter just shrugged. He didn't care about Dr. Rajit's expectations. He cared about the photos he was getting—the kind of exclusive access that could maybe, possibly, get him an internship. An internship meant money. Money meant he could actually help Uncle Ben with the bills instead of watching his uncle work himself to death to keep Peter fed and clothed.

That was what mattered. Not Flash Thompson's opinion. Not social acceptance. Just taking care of the only two people who'd ever given a damn about him.

The laboratory was impressive. Sleek, expensive, full of equipment Peter recognized from research papers he'd read online. This was millions of dollars of biotech, and they were letting a bunch of teenagers gawk at it like tourists.

"This is our arachnid genetics lab," Dr. Rajit explained. "We're studying how certain spider species have evolved unique survival traits. Enhanced strength-to-weight ratios, adhesive capabilities, accelerated healing factors..."

Peter tuned out the corporate spiel and started taking photos. Not the obvious ones—everyone would have those. He focused on the details. The specimen labels. The security badge on Dr. Rajit's hip. The biometric scanner partially visible in the background.

Through his viewfinder, he noticed Gwen Stacy had moved closer to one of the containment units. Of course she had. Gwen was smart—genuinely smart, not just good at memorizing things for tests. In another world, Peter might have liked her. In this one, she was just another person who'd picked her social standing over acknowledging his existence.

Everyone made their choices. Peter had made his.

"Can they actually transfer spider abilities to humans?" Cindy Moon asked.

"Theoretically, yes," Dr. Rajit said. "Though we're years away from human trials. The ethical implications alone—"

An alarm cut through her explanation. Red lights pulsed.

Finally, Peter thought. Something interesting.

"What's happening?" Harry asked, his voice tight with anxiety. Harry always did hate when things went off-script. Too much like dear old dad's unpredictable temper.

Dr. Rajit's professional mask slipped. She was reading something on her tablet, and whatever it said had her worried. "There's been a containment breach. Everyone, please stay calm and move toward the exit—"

Too late.

Peter saw it through his camera lens—a spider, larger than normal, with an iridescent sheen that screamed "expensive genetic modification." It dropped from the ceiling on a silk thread, landing on the observation platform where most of the students had clustered.

"SPIDER!" Flash yelled, and the group scattered like the panicked herd animals they were.

Peter didn't move. He kept his camera up, kept shooting. This was news. This was valuable. Whatever happened next, he'd have documentation.

The spider moved with unnatural speed. It went for Gwen first—she'd been backing away slowly, trying not to trigger a prey response. Smart girl. Didn't help. The spider sank its fangs into her hand.

Gwen gasped. The spider leaped to Harry's shoulder. Harry shouted, tried to brush it off. Too slow. It bit his neck.

Peter kept shooting. Click. Click. Click.

The spider jumped again. Landed on Cindy Moon's arm. She made a small sound of fear as it bit her. Then it fell to the floor, and Flash—in his panic—tried to stomp on it. Missed. The spider climbed his leg and bit his thigh before he could react.

Four bites. Four people. Then the spider stumbled, movements becoming erratic. It curled in on itself.

Dead.

Peter lowered his camera. His heart was racing, but not from fear. From excitement. This was huge. Radioactive spider, four victims, potential superhuman mutation. This was—

Sellable.

The thought came immediately. Photos of the spider's attack. Documentation of whatever happened to those four. If they developed powers, Peter would have exclusive before-and-after content. He could sell it to news outlets, science journals, whoever paid the most.

Uncle Ben needed a new water heater. Aunt May's medication was expensive. Peter's scholarship covered tuition but not supplies.

This was an opportunity.

"We need immediate assessment for four students—spider bites from specimen 42," Dr. Rajit was saying into her radio, her professional calm cracking. "Yes, all of them. Just get medical up here NOW."

"Am I going to die?" Cindy asked, staring at her arm.

"No, no. Specimen 42 had reduced venom payload. You'll experience some localized swelling, possibly mild fever, but nothing life-threatening. However, I need all four of you to come with me to medical immediately."

Peter watched as Gwen, Harry, Cindy, and Flash were led away. He made mental notes:

Gwen: Composed despite fear. Analytical mind. Will probably document her own symptoms.

Harry: Shaking. Anxiety response. Might try to hide changes from his father.

Cindy: Shock. Quiet type. Might go under the radar.

Flash: Trying to act tough. Pride will make him show off if he gets powers.

Predictable. All of them.

The other students were being herded toward the exit, voices overlapping in nervous excitement. Everyone would be talking about this for weeks. Maybe months.

And Peter had the photos.

He let himself be carried along with the crowd, but his mind was already working. He needed to get these photos somewhere secure. Backed up. Maybe start a encrypted folder documenting everything. If this turned into a story, he wanted to be ready to—

Wait.

Dr. Rajit had come through a door marked "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY." And in the chaos of the containment breach, that door hadn't fully closed. The electronic lock was blinking red—malfunctioning.

Peter glanced around. Everyone was focused on leaving, on their phones, on processing what they'd just seen.

No one was watching the quiet kid with the camera.

Peter slipped through the door.

The corridor beyond was pristine white, harshly lit. He could hear voices in the distance—security responding to the breach—but they sounded far away.

Peter moved quickly, efficiently. He wasn't panicking or second-guessing. He was hunting.

This was Oscorp's restricted area. The stuff they didn't show on tours. The real research. And Peter had access.

He photographed everything. Door labels. Security panels. Warning signs. Each photo was a piece of leverage, a potential asset. Information was power, and power was the only thing that mattered in this world.

The corridor branched. Peter went left, away from the voices. He passed locked doors—keypads and biometric scanners he couldn't bypass. Then he found one that wasn't locked.

"DIMENSIONAL RESONANCE LAB - AUTHORIZED ACCESS ONLY"

Peter's pulse quickened. Dimensional research. Parallel universes. The kind of theoretical physics that made his brain itch with curiosity.

He pushed the door open.

The lab was dominated by a massive machine—circular arrays of what looked like advanced particle accelerators, all pointing at a central platform. Holographic displays showed complex mathematics and wave patterns.

Peter recognized some of the formulas. Quantum mechanics. String theory. Multiverse probability calculations.

They're trying to detect other dimensions.

The implications were staggering. And potentially profitable. If Oscorp was researching dimensional technology, that meant they were close to something. Something valuable. Something he could maybe, possibly, leverage.

He raised his camera, started shooting. The machine. The displays. Everything.

Through the viewfinder, he noticed the displays were active. The machine was running.

Idiots left it on during a containment breach.

Peter lowered the camera and moved closer, drawn by curiosity and opportunity in equal measure. The central platform glowed faintly blue. The holographic displays showed wavelengths oscillating, searching.

One display caught his eye: "ANOMALOUS SIGNATURE DETECTED - STABILIZING."

The machine's hum changed pitch, rising from a low thrum to something higher, almost musical.

Peter's instincts screamed at him to leave. But another part of him—the part that was tired of being powerless, of scraping by, of watching idiots like Flash succeed while he struggled—that part wanted to know what happened next.

Information was power.

So Peter stayed.

The machine pulsed.

A wave of invisible force hit him like a physical blow. Peter stumbled, tried to retreat, but his foot caught on a cable.

He fell toward the platform.

The world exploded into light.

Pain.

White-hot, reality-shredding pain that burned through every nerve, every cell, every atom of his being.

Peter tried to scream but his lungs weren't working. Tried to think but his mind was fragmenting. Tried to exist but existence itself was being rewritten.

Images flashed through his consciousness:

Other worlds bleeding through—

Alternate versions of himself living different lives—

One where he'd been bitten by the spider—

One where he'd stayed home sick—

One where he had powers, natural ones, coded into his DNA—

That last one felt real. Like a path already set, a mutation coiled in his genes waiting for the right trigger. Peter had always suspected he might be a mutant. His metabolism was too efficient, his reflexes slightly too quick, his mind processing information just a bit faster than normal.

Nothing obvious. Nothing useful.

But something.

And now that something was being torn out.

The dimensional energy found that genetic potential and devoured it. Ripped it apart at the molecular level and replaced it with something else. Something alien. Something that shouldn't exist in this reality.

Peter felt his mutation—his power, the one thing that was supposed to be his—being consumed and repurposed like fuel.

The pain reached a crescendo—

—and stopped.

Peter was lying on the platform, gasping, his body shaking. The machine had powered down. The lab was silent.

He tried to sit up. His arms barely supported him. Everything felt wrong. Changed. Like he was wearing someone else's skin.

Then he saw it.

Floating in his vision, translucent but perfectly clear, was text:

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE ║

╠══════════════════════════════════════╣

║ Villain System ║

║ Status: ACTIVE ║

╠══════════════════════════════════════╣

║ ANALYSIS: Host genetic mutation and altered. ║

║ Original mutation pathway: CONVERTED ║

║ New pathway: TEMPLATE INTEGRATION ║

╠══════════════════════════════════════╣

║ TEMPLATE ACQUIRED ║

║ Source: Dimension HxH-Prime ║

║ Identity: HISOKA MOROW ║

║ Classification: VILLAIN/ANTAGONIST ║

╠══════════════════════════════════════╣

║ PRIMARY ABILITY: NEN SYSTEM ║

║ SIGNATURE TECHNIQUE: BUNGEE GUM ║

╠══════════════════════════════════════╣

║ SYNCHRONICITY: 0% ║

║ TIER: 0 (LOCKED) ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

Peter stared at the interface. His first thought wasn't fear or confusion.

It was: What can I do with this?

He'd lost his mutation—which confused him, he had a mutation? Was he a mutant?—but he'd gained something else. A system. Powers from other dimensions. From villains.

Peter Parker had never been particularly interested in morality. Good and evil were luxuries for people who had everything they needed. Peter had Uncle Ben and Aunt May to take care of. He had bills to worry about. He had a future to secure.

He didn't know of many heroes who were paid, but the villain who robs banks do make money.

If this system gave him villain powers, well. Peter could work with that.

"What are you?" he asked the interface.

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ Cross-Dimensional Template System ║

║ Your latent mutant ability has been converted to power this system. ║

║ You may acquire and utilize abilities from templates across multiple realities. All templates will be of the VILLAIN/ANTAGONIST classification. ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

"And what does a template mean in this situation?"

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ Templates provide complete ability sets including skills, techniques, and knowledge. Access depends on SYNCHRONICITY level. ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

Peter's mind raced. Complete ability sets. Skills and knowledge from villains across multiple realities. This wasn't just power—this was expertise. Combat training. Strategic thinking. Everything that made someone dangerous.

"And what's my current template? This Hisoka Morow?"

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ HISOKA MOROW ║

║ Origin: Dimension HxH-Prime ║

║ Classification: Villain/Antagonist ║

║ Primary Ability: NEN ║

║ - Life energy manipulation system ║

║ - Advanced combat applications ║

║ Signature Technique: BUNGEE GUM ║

║ - Transmutation-type Hatsu ║

║ - Properties of rubber and gum ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

Peter pulled out his phone with shaking hands, searched "Hisoka Morow." Nothing relevant. Some random social media profiles. Whoever this person was, they didn't exist... at least not in his reality, .

"Life energy manipulation," Peter muttered. "That's... actually incredible if it means what I think it is."

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ Abilities currently LOCKED. ║

║ Synchronicity too low for access. ║

║ Complete missions to build sync. ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

"This Synchronicity thing, what can I do to build it up?"

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ MISSION AVAILABLE ║

╠══════════════════════════════════════╣

║ Objective: Confront someone physically stronger than you ║

║ Reward: +5% Synchronicity ║

║ Time Limit: None ║

║ Accept? [YES] [NO] ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

Peter thought about Flash. About every time Flash had shoved him, mocked him, made his life harder just because he could.

This was an opportunity for payback. Not just physical—Peter wasn't stupid enough to start a fight he'd lose. But psychological. Strategic. He could challenge Flash to something, anything, and use it to unlock power.

And once he had power...

Peter smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.

"Yeah," he said to the interface. "I accept."

He heard voices getting closer. Security. Time to leave.

Peter moved quickly, finding the emergency exit and slipping out into the daylight. He walked away from Oscorp with steady steps, his mind already planning.

If the four of them got powers like he did today, they'd probably be successful, probably build a team between themselves, Norman would sponsor the team, and Gwen's dad would turn his blind eye because of his little princess, but that was fine by him.

And Peter? Peter would have something better.

He'd have power no one expected. Power from villains. Power he could use however he wanted.

And he wanted to take care of Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Wanted to make sure they never had to worry about money or safety or anything ever again.

Everything else? Everyone else?

They could take care of themselves.

Three Days Later

Peter sat in his room, studying the interface that had become his constant companion. Three days of research had yielded frustratingly little information about "Nen". Whatever dimension this template came from, it didn't exist in any fiction or mythology he could find.

Which meant he was flying blind when it came to finding out more about his future powers, at least a heads up would be nice.

Still zero. Still powerless. No news coverage on the incident, Norman probably buried it with ridiculous amounts of money.

And while he hadn't seen much difference from Cindy, Gwen or Harry, Flash was certainly a dumbfuck who didn't think much before acting. Heh, instead of stronger bodies, he should be asking for a smarter brain.

Flash was loving it. Peter had seen him "accidentally" demonstrating his strength at school, catching things that fell, moving too fast in gym class.

Predictable showoff.

They'd probably team up soon. Get matching costumes and stupid code names. Probably Spider-Man and Spider-Women, Peter didn't think they were original enough to come up with something better.

Let them. Peter had different plans.

His phone buzzed. Uncle Ben.

Uncle Ben: Working late tonight. There's leftover pasta in the fridge. How was school?

Peter felt the familiar twist in his chest. Uncle Ben worked too much. Aunt May worried too much. They gave everything for him and got so little in return.

That was going to change.

Peter typed back: School's fine. Don't work too hard.

Uncle Ben: Says the kid who studies until midnight. We're both too stubborn for our own good. Love you, Pete.

Peter: Love you too.

Peter set down his phone and looked at the mission notification.

He'd been putting it off, trying to find a way to game the system. But there wasn't one. The mission was simple: confront someone stronger.

Flash was the obvious choice. But Peter had a better idea.

He pulled up his messages and texted Harry.

Peter: Want to shoot some hoops tomorrow after school? Been trying to be less of a shut-in.

Three minutes later: Sure. You feeling okay? Since when do you play basketball?

Peter: Since I decided sitting in my room all day is depressing. See you tomorrow.

Harry: Cool. Fair warning though, I've been... really in the zone lately. Might actually be good now lol

Because you have spider-powers, Peter thought. Perfect.

Playing basketball against Harry would fulfill the mission. And it would give Peter a chance to observe how the spider-powers manifested in controlled conditions. Research and progress in one activity.

Plus, Harry was still sort-of his friend. If Peter was going to confront someone stronger, might as well be someone who wouldn't actually hurt him.

Unlike Flash, who would absolutely take the opportunity to put me in the hospital.

Peter opened his laptop and created a new encrypted folder. He'd been documenting everything about the system, about the Oscorp incident, about his observations of the spider-four.

TEMPLATE SYSTEM - PERSONAL LOG

Day 0: Acquisition

Exposed to dimensional resonance machine at Oscorp

Original mutation consumed/converted to power system

Template System activated

First template: Hisoka Morow (unknown origin)

Abilities: Nen + Bungee Gum (both locked)

Current sync: 0%

Day 0: Spider Incident

Four classmates bitten by experimental spider

All developing superhuman abilities

Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Cindy Moon, Flash Thompson

Complete photo documentation obtained

Potential value: HIGH (if monetized correctly)

Day 3: Planning

Mission accepted: Confront someone stronger

Target: Harry Osborn (controlled environment)

Goal: Reach 10% sync, unlock Tier 1 abilities

Research on Nen: INCONCLUSIVE (no existing references found)

Observations:

System appears to be autonomous AI or similar

Responds to direct questions/commands

Personality seems... analytical? Slightly condescending?

Warns about villain template alignment

Claims tools are neutral, wielder determines use

Questions:

Can I acquire multiple templates? If so, how?

What are the limits of synchronicity/personality bleed?

Can the system be removed or reversed? Do mutant power dampeners affect this?

How does Nen actually work?

What happens at 100% synchronicity?

His main goal was simple, and it was to unlock abilities. Use them to ensure Uncle Ben and Aunt May never have to struggle again. Everything else is secondary.

Peter saved the document and leaned back in his chair. Through his window, he could see the lights of New York. Somewhere out there, people were being mugged, robbed, hurt.

Not really his problem, besides, they had the Punisher, Fantastic Four, Daredevil and now, four Spider-People, they can figure it out.

Somewhere out there, his uncle was working overtime at a job that barely paid enough.

That was his problem.

"System," he said aloud. "When I unlock this Nen thing, what exactly can I do with it?"

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ NEN capabilities (summary): ║

║ - Enhanced physical abilities ║

║ - Life energy manipulation ║

║ - Combat applications (advanced) ║

║ - Detection and perception abilities ║

║ - Unique personal techniques ║

║ Full capabilities unlock with ║

║ increasing synchronicity. ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ BUNGEE GUM (Hisoka's Hatsu): ║

║ Transmutes aura into substance with ║

║ properties of both rubber and gum. ║

║ Applications: ║

║ - Adhesive capture/restraint ║

║ - Elastic propulsion/movement ║

║ Creative applications limited only ║

║ by user imagination. ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

Peter felt a spark of genuine excitement. Rubber and gum properties. That was versatile. He could swing between buildings like those spider-powered idiots. Could trap people. Could create weapons or tools or—

His mind was already racing with possibilities.

This wasn't like the spider-powers. This was something unique. Something no one would expect.

"One more question," Peter said. "You said all templates are villains. Why?" And for one, the system had no answer, was it perhaps because of who he was? Or a defect when Peter came into the effect of that strange machinery?

Instead of pondering too much on that, since it was immutable, he asked something that was more likely to get an answer to.

"When I get more templates, do I choose them or do you?"

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗

║ Templates acquired through: ║

║ 1. Milestone achievements ║

║ 2. Mission completions (rare) ║

║ Selection is automatic based on ║

║ compatibility and circumstances. ║

║ ║

║ You will not have direct choice. ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

"So I'm stuck with whatever villains you decide match me."

And outside Peter's window, New York hummed with life.

Perhaps in the future, he would be forced to make a decision that would change his life, but tonight, he was just a angry teenager with a selfish moral compass.

And that was exactly what a system for Villains needed.