Sooner Rather Than Later (HIATUS)

Chapter 11

Harry thought that this was completely unnecessary but Peter insisted he be placed in a containment tube. He was hooked on needles and a headset to look at his brain. He felt guilty when his best friend hit his head but Harry told him it was okay. But it was at that moment that he didn't feel like himself, like it wasn't actually him who shoved him. He would never hurt Harry.

Midway through testing Harry gave up. He had no idea what the fuck he doing. This lab was his father's and he wasn't exactly an Einstein when it came to this stuff.

"Dude, I'm telling you, we need Gwen. She's way smarter about genetics and crap than I am."

Peter thought about it but Gwen wasn't exactly much for keeping secrets. His family cannot know about this, at least not until he knows what he has inside him and what it will do. "What if she tells my parents? You know how she gets."

"I'll talk to her. She'll know what's wrong with her. Come on, Pete. She's your friend too."

Peter sighed heavily. Gwen did know more about this stuff and he can't leave the tube.

"Fine."

Harry called Gwen over without giving her the full story. He thought it'd be better to tell her in person. In thirty minutes she arrived, worried as ever. She made her way to the lab, stomping.

"Peter, why in the hell haven't you returned my calls?!" She gasped when she saw him in the tube. "What happened? Why do you need me to look at your blood samples?"

"Gwen, you have to promise you won't tell anyone."

Gwen threw her hands up. "Secrets. There's always secrets with you! Peter, I'm telling you this right now, that this" she gestured to the testings "will blow up in your face later."

"I know that."

"Oh do you?"

Harry placed his hands on her shoulders. "Honey, calm down. He's really sick. Like really really sick and we need your help."

Gwen gulped and looked at Peter. "How sick?"

Harry went over to a table and pick up a vial with black goo that was trying to escape. "He coughed this up not too long ago."

She eyed the substance, scared that it'll break out at any moment. "OK, that's not normal."

"Since when am I ever normal?" Peter asked, laughing away the pain. "Gwen, if you keep this quiet I'll tell you everything you need to know and...I'll let you meet Wade."

"Deal!" She squealed.

So Peter explained all the pain he's felt for a long time. How they come and go and get worst every time. How he puts a scanner on his watch and gives him the percentage of blood toxicity and how its getting high. He can't drag his family into this. He can't drag Wade into this.

"Peter, please," Gwen begged, "they need to know."

"Why?" Peter snapped. "Why? So they could go crazy over nothing?"

"This isn't nothing! God, Peter, you're family isn't here to make you feel worse they're here to help you."

"They don't need to freak out because I'll be fine." Peter grinned. "I'll be fine, I know I'll be fine. Why worry them if this will go away soon?" He laughed a little. "I always find a way."

"You don't know that. We don't even know what this is yet."

"That's why you're here."

Gwen rolled her eyes and took the tube with the black substance. "This can't be a disease. With this behavior it seems that it's trying to attach to you."

"Like control him?" Harry asked.

"Maybe. Has he been acting strange lately."

Harry whispered, "Well - and this isn't a big deal! - he maybe sort of pushed me into a table. But it was his eyes, Gwen. It went black for a split second and then back to normal."

Gwen's eyes widened. She looked at the computer to see his brain. Everything seemed normal. Then she looked at the blood samples. An hour later, she concluded that Peter has a parasite, something is benefiting from his body and refuses to leave. She's never seen anything like this before and soon it's going to invade his entire body. But she can't figure out what it'll do to his body or how he even got this.

She told Peter all this and he now knew that it wasn't hereditary. He thought for sure it was the same thing Tony went through before finding an element for his arc reactor. Or something from Steve's medical records. He realized also realized something else.

This was given to him on purpose.

"There's no cure," Gwen said sadly. "I'm sorry, Peter."

"Damn don't say it like that, Gwen. It's not like he's dying." He laughed then took notice of her serious expression. "Is he?" She shrugged.

"I don't know what this parasite is going to do to him but it doesn't look good."

Peter finally spoke, "It's fine. Just get me out of this."

"Peter, I think - "

"Gwen, just get me out."

"But Peter - !"

"Get. Me. OUT!" Peter's yell made his friends cover their ears and he broke out of the containment tube that wasn't meant for break. Gwen hid behind Harry, scared by Peter's sudden outburst.

Peter breathe heavily, wanting nothing more than to break something. "They can't know! They can't because then they'll know everything else. About me being Spider-Man, almost killing myself for the city, lying, and then they'll never let me go. They won't let me leave and be the thing I love doing." He felt his voice crack. "I'm a hero. To hell with what they think, I am a hero! Saving people gives me purpose, makes me happy. And no one is going to stop me from being myself. They expect so much from me. They expect me to be this normal teen and not follow their footsteps so I can be safe but you know what? I'm in charge of my own destiny. Spider-Man makes me feel free." He laughed sadly. "I'm finally free."

Gwen cried with him and hugged him. "God, I had no idea you felt that way. I'm so sorry, Pete."

"Damn, man." Harry sighed. He hugged him too. "We'll help anyway we can."

"Thanks guys." Peter said, getting himself together. "But for now let's act like everything is all right. I would really appreciate it." The two nodded.

"Where's my phone?" Harry handed him his phone. Peter laughed at the 10 miss calls from his boyfriend. "Damn, Wade, really?" He dialed his number and waited for a response.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked.

"Double date."

Gwen clapped and jumped up and down. "EEEEEEEEE!"

Wade picked up. "Hey Petey Pie. The apple of my eye. My sunrise. My world. My cupcake - "

"Wade, shut up, we're going on a date tonight with my friends. Dress nice."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!"