Chapter Text
"Parker... Parker! Penny Parker!" The voice broke though the sleepy haze Penny had been fighting, forcing her to sit up with a small 'huh.' Teary eyes looking around the classroom to mostly amused faces, with a few sympathetic ones among them. It was those that made Penny smile, her friends. Right till she heard her name again.
"Yes, Mr Powers?" Penny did her best to hold back the yawn in her voice as she answered him, looking to the presentation he had presented to the class, a graphic of the inside of a arm, the muscles shown. The teacher gestured to it, as if expecting the answer from her right away. Holding back the feeling to yawn again, the teenager frowned and gave it a quick look, ah, that was easy. "Sir, it's a build up of Lactic acid in the muscles. But we've already-"
"Thank you! Ms Parker. Yes. We are going to be taking a second look at Lactic acid and how it affects the muscles when you're an idiot that doesn't take the precautions to stop such a build up. Lactic acid is built up though physical activities, and generally it is a good idea to do..." The teacher slowed down, looking to certain faces before a hand lifted, causing Mr Powers to mock a shocked face. "My, Mr Thompson. Glad to see you are finally learning. Go on then. Give us the most basic answer to the most basic question."
Despite how the phys ed teacher phased it, the jock held his head high and answered without another care in the world. But then, no one snickered at Thompson. It was like a death sentence. Only without the death. Or a sentence. Just a lot of hurt really. "Exercises such as maintaining consistent activity. Know when to back off, heh, back off... Oh, and stretch immediately after your workout." Simple, elegant... Maybe. That was Flash in a nutshell, and Mr Powers simply shrugged.
"Correct. Enough. Alright kids. Grab your 'biology books' and mark pages one thirty to one thirty eight..."
Click. Click. Click. Thump. Lockers opened and closed around Penny as she opened her own with a rusted click. Knowing that she'd need to ask about getting a new locker soon... But how long till that one suddenly had a fault in it, it almost seemed too common to be a coincidence, but then maybe she was overthinking it. Letting out a sigh, she put away her last classes books and replaced them with a different kind of biology book. The best kind. "Pen." Penny turned to the voice, seeing the flair of red hair before her face, and smiling. After all, what wasn't great about seeing one of her really good friend's, MJ.
"Hey Mary. Before you say anything, I wasn't asleep! I think..." Penny tried to get in before she got another lashing from MJ About how she should be taking better care of herself, but she only got a sigh from the red head as she got into her own locker. "MJ?" Penny could handle an answer, but the silence was starting to get to her, along with all the clicks. Clicks. Click.
"Pen. You know I love you. You know I know you have trouble sleeping. I can't fault you for that. It's a thing you can't help. But look what it is doing to you. All you do is sit in your room and eat till you sleep." MJ poked into Penny's side, met only with a softness that even Penny despised as she lightly slapped the intruding finger away.
"Heeey! It's not my fault I need comfort food... Where is Harry? He should be here..." Looking to move the conversation away from her insomnia. MJ sighed and crossed her arms as if in agreement. Osborn was late. They met up, went to biology. They spoke and laughed and it honestly made Penny's day a hundred times better when the three of them were together. But he still wasn't here. Why?
"Well, slow poke can lose the chance to hang out with us! Come on." MJ grabbed the rest of her things and closed her locker, locking it and moving towards their class, forcing Penny to rush her own work to do the same.
"He better be here tomorrow. We're going on that field trip to Os-corp. We need him there. He was going to get us that extra tour. Reeemember." Penny mewled to MJ as they got to their class, forcing the two into silence as Mr Connors came in, their current replacement for Ms Jerryiba. Having a college tutor for a teacher had proven both difficult and amazing. Ultimately spectacular.
As the bell took it's toll on their ears, signaling the end of school, Penny found MJ and quickly attempted to get her neighbor out of the school. "Hey! Penny! What?" The girl protested, shaking herself free easily from the smaller girl.
"MJ! You know Stacy and Allan's like to push me around. I'd rather not deal with them. Not now. Not with tomorrow happening." Penny said, knowing MJ knew just as well, despite the fact the three of them use to be a trio... Till MJ couldn't handle everything Allan's would push the two to do. Letting out a defeated sigh, MJ held her hand out to Penny to take, who took it with gusto as the two of them got to the bus.
On board and safe, the two found a quiet corner to seat themselves as Penny scouted the window. Liz didn't take the bus, but the girl wanted to be sure. She had to be sure. "Pen. You're good. What we should be worried about, is why Harry didn't come to school." MJ crossed her arms, and Penny mimic her, the two girls sighing. They were worried, Penny could tell, and she herself was too. Harry was her other one good friend.. Had been the two of them for some time now. MJ, Harry and Penny. The trio of science and being the best friends anyone could ask for. Even if Harry wasn't always there for the science part.
"He's probs just sick. You know how he is. Every month he has a sick day." Penny tried to reassure herself and Mary-Jane, only getting a nod in return, but it was enough for Penny to lay the matter to rest. After all. It was going to be fine. After tomorrow. Everything would be awesome.
Stepping off the bus, Penny looked down the street to the two houses she could call home. Ever since she could remember, her and MJ had been neighbors. They had done everything together. Sleep, sports, art and sciences. Couldn't have done anything to tear the two apart. Of course. There had been moments. Liz. Harry. Oh yes. One time, Harry had nearly torn the two apart.
But it was in the past now. Walking in pace with MJ, the two finally found themselves in front of MJ's. "So. I'd ask if you want to come in but ah, I'm pretty sure you're going to be busy coming up with all those questions for Mr Norman." MJ joked to Penny, smiling in a way that seemed a little forced to the girl. Of course, Penny knew the real reason that MJ avoided having Penny over anymore.
"Alright. I'll talk to you later." Penny smiled back to her, taking her hand into her own and holding it tight before letting go and walking towards home, skipping up the stairs and inside, Penny scanned the room, seeing no one, she made a bee line for the stairs.
"Pen Pen." Aunt May's voice called out from the kitchen, giving pause to the young girl. Yep. Stepping away from safety, Penny walked towards the kitchen, the rich smell of coffee filling her nostrils as she walked in, seeing her aunt and uncle.
"Hey... What's up?" Penny asked, looking between the two, her uncle looking towards her with a soft smile, sipping away as he tapped the chair next to him. Slowly making her way over, she sat herself down and looked to him as he put down his coffee. "Uncle Ben?"
"Just... We're a bit worried about Pen. We got a call from school again and it seems she falling asleep in class again." Uncle Ben looked to Aunt May, as if expecting her to continue, only for the elderly woman to shake her head. "Maaaaay."
"What your uncle means, Pen Pen. Is that we're worried about you again. Are you sure you'll be fine tomorrow?" Aunt May forewent the charade it seems her uncle had set in motion, something she could only smile too. Of course.
"Yea. I'll try and get to sleep early. And I'll have MJ and Harry looking after me too." Penny confirmed for the two of them, hoping that May didn't get any ideas about holding her back from going. She needed tomorrow, but the nod she got from May told her enough to make the young girl smile. "Thank you, thank you! Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen tomorrow." Standing to leave, she was stopped when Uncle Ben poked her ribs. Looking to him, he smiled at her again, a smile that just warmed her heart whenever she saw it. She loved them. She loved them both.
"Check the tv. I recorded something on the VCR for you." He said with almost the cheekiest smirk she could imagine seeing on him, and whenever he said something like this, it was something amazing. Nodding her head excitedly, Penny rushed to the TV and turned it on. Hitting the play button with practiced ease. The first thing she noticed was that it was a news report, a news report on Osborn.
"Tomorrow is an exciting day for students across New York, as Osborn is holding a event that has invited many scientists from around the world for these brilliant young minds to learn from. But more then that. Tony Stark is said to be coming to the-" Penny had stopped listening at that part, stopped listening to the soft chuckles coming from the kitchen as she rushed up the stairs, barely containing the excited scream rumbling inside her stomach. Almost kicking the door to her room open, Penny went to her window and pulled it open, grabbing her friend stick that rested on the wall outside, right beside her window, she leaned out of the window and tapped MJ's window. Repeating till she finally got a confused looking MJ looking at her.
"Did you know! Did you know!" Penny accusingly poked MJ's shoulder, getting a slightly offended look back before realizing the barely contained excitement on Penny's face. Able to deduce that the jig was up, she grabbed the friend stick and pushed it away from her.
"Yes. Now go to sleep if you want to meet your hero. I'll explain tomorrow." MJ shut her window, causing Penny to reel back, close her window and jump into her bed. Tony Stark. No wonder Harry had been so secretive. He knew. Had he convinced his dad to do it? Norman normally hated Mr Stark, if anything about the past was something to go on.
Jumping off the bed again, Penny raced about her room. She needed her best clothes, but not the best, best clothes. She didn't want to look too... Whatever too much was. Passing by her mirror, Penny stopped to look at herself. Brown Shoulder length hair tussled and messy, slightly overweight. Her best clothes not doing much to hide that. She really had been letting go of herself. She didn't even want to look at her chest. "Doesn't matter. My mind. My body is nothing compared to my mind." Penny sniffed, trying not to let her feelings overpower her. She was smart. It was all that mattered.
"Three am..." Penny stared at her clock. Trusty alarm, trusty companion as she looked between it and the roof most nights. This wasn't new. It was something she went though daily. Nightly. Weekly. Monthly... Yearly. Ever since she learned about her mothers death. How one day, she had been dropped off at her Uncles and Aunts. The next, police had arrived to tell them that her mother had been found. Dead. It wasn't pretty and she had spent every night after awake, not willing to sleep. Because sleep had meant to she'd have to dream. And she didn't want to dream...
"Four thirty am..." So it became this. She didn't sleep. Not easily. Sometimes it was just... Impossible. Sometimes it took her a little longer. Sometimes it caught up to her in the mornings, afternoons. Late nights. Her friends knew. Her Uncle and Aunt knew and some of her teachers knew. The ones that took the time when they found her asleep without much effort to stay awake.
"Five am." She had hoped that she'd sleep easily tonight. She didn't want bags under her eyes when she met the most amazing man in the world. But it seems that wouldn't be the case.
"Jesus Pen. You look terrible." MJ stared at her friend, who was wearing oversized clothes. Anything to hide herself. A beanie to cover the mess of hair she had tried to keep together. And the sunglasses that were very old and very not fitting. MJ grabbed those and took them away, frowning at the sight of tired brown eyes. "Penny..."
"I tried MJ... I did. But it is fine." It was. She was going to meet Tony Stark of all people. Nothing could ruin that. Not even herself.
"You heard her. She's going to meet her PF. Nothing is gonna stop her. Not even being tired." Harry sat down behind the two, poking his head between the head of the seats to look to the two girls, his word making Penny shrink into her seat.
"Please not this again. I got over that. I don't consider him that." Penny shot back, pulling her beanie over her eyes and scrunching up her nose. Of course he would would bring that up.
"Oh yea. The great mystery. The father of Penny Parker. Of all the names we decided on. Tony Stark." MJ laughed, causing Penny to reel further into her seat.
"Please stop." Her words caused the two into a fit of laughter, drawing some looks from others. Not that the three seemed to care. Well, MJ and Harry didn't. Penny didn't need people knowing about how she use to pretend that Tony Stark was her mystery father. The one no one didn't know about. It was a young girls dream. She wished. And wished. But as she got older. She knew it wouldn't be true. Her. Daughter of Mr Stark. Pah. She didn't know a thing about her father. But she couldn't pretend someone so important and amazing was her dad.
"Okay. Come on. Today is going to be great. Don't fret it Pen." Harry reassured her. It was going to have to be enough.
Arriving at the entrance of Os-corp. Penny smiled to herself. She knew this place from the first floor to the second. Having been here with MJ and Harry multiple times. Causing trouble, running down the hallways. Watching the scientists at work. This was one of the many reasons she loved science. And today made the place even greater. From high profile scientists from around the world. To Tony. Freaking. Stark. She'd wish for Mr Banner as well.. But not many could hope for him. Not these days.
"Alright. Take these. You'll get by any stops. Have fun. I'm going to go see dad about a thing." Harry said, patting the two on the shoulders as he bounced away from the two, leaving Penny to smile and MJ to sigh.
"Right. I think I'll leave you to explore. Catch ya later Tiger." MJ took her own leave. Alone, Penny was left to smile at the sights around her as she started to walk. With a pass to skip right though any pauses. She had free reign of everything, a child's dream. Her dream. Not even the tired feeling she had right now was going to stop her.
Talking with a scientist every minute or so, Penny kept on the move. Her eyes only really looking for one person in particular. Tony Stark. One of the greatest minds of their generation. Of the next generation. The Nikolai Tesla. The Einstein. She was sure he was going to be remembered a hundred years from now, a thousand even.
And it wasn't long till she finally saw him. Just a glance. Downstairs from her. Looking like he just arrived. He was here. She just had to get downstairs and... Oh crap. She didn't even know what she wanted to say to him. What did you even do when you meet your hero? How do you even handle that?
Just as she found the courage to even take a step, a hand grabbed a hold of her wrist, harshly. Penny let out a yelp as she suddenly found her arm being pulled hard, causing the young girl to hit a wall before she could figure out what was happening. "Heeey Parker. Did you think I wouldn't notice you trying to avoid me." Liz. Penny looked between her and Gwen, at least a little thankful that Gwen didn't look too happy to be here. Out of the two of them, Penny liked Gwen Stacy.
Liz Allan's however. Not so much. The girl hadn't a problem with the her once a upon a time ago, not till Penny had kinda accidentally done something that she shouldn't have. But what could she say. Science and hair sometimes didn't mix. Penny had figured out a formula, a goo like substance, completely by accident, but as she held it high to show it to the teacher, she accidentally hit Liz. The formula had spread throughout Liz's hair by accident, causing the girl to have a web like structure grow all over. She said she had to shave off all her hair. They had been.. Well, Liz had targeted Penny ever since. "Liz. Look. Today's just not-"
"Today? Oh, you tend to forget that we know each other well Pen. You think Mr Stark is going to be impressed with someone like you? What's this?" Liz took the pass Harry had given her, almost smiling at the sight of it as her eyes scanned the hall, sighting something as she started to drag Penny towards a door.
"Liz, come on. This isn't worth it." Gwen tried to deescalate the situation, but the young girl wasn't listening, using the pass on the doors lock and hearing a click, she opened it and shoved Penny inside.
"A year, Gwen. A year my hair took to grow back. She can miss out on meeting one man. After all. Who'd want to meet someone as depressing as Penny Parker." Liz sneered, shutting the door as it clicked with a electronic lock.
"Noooo... No no.." Getting up, Penny smacked at the door. "Hey! Heeey!" Despite her calls, no help came. She needed to get out of here. Someone had to be working here. Turning, she moved though the... Laboratory? This was new. Then again. She normally didn't get high security passes. Harry had said he had to pull some favors from some people who worked here. How Harry got those favors, she could only imagine. But still, this room was... Very new. She didn't remember anything like it at all.
Moving throughout the lab, Penny saw another door and made way to it, pushing it open and almost letting let a scream at the sight of. Hundred of spiders. Hundreds. All in their own little enclosure. She tip toed closer. Amazing. It seemed every one had a different spider. And each seemed to have some sort of tattoo, marking. Numbers. "Wow... But... Why..."
Having lost the idea on escaping, her curiosity took over. She wanted to look at every spider. See if anything stood out. It wasn't till she heard the bang of a door opening had she broken free of this haze, yet rather then call out for help, she ducked down. Peeking around a corner to see, to her surprise. Norman Osborne. Walking alongside another man, dressed in a white coat. "I hate this. All because Harry wanted to surprise his friend for her birthday. It isn't even today. It was two months ago. As much as I enjoy Parker... It doesn't matter. How are they doing." Norman finished his rant, pausing alongside one of the enclosures.
"The spiders are all doing well. They've survived three more weeks then last time. However, some of the breeds are starting to die from exposure. The serum mixed with the radiation spikes is still killing them. It seems like none of these spiders will survive. But sir. That one is still the best chance. And this one... It might just be the last Latrodectus Katipo. If the serum doesn't work on it. I don't think it ever will." The scientist explained, leaving Penny wide eyed. That spider, a cousin to the red back had been in decline for a while now, but sudden work in New Zealand had rendered it all but gone.
"Damn it. This can't fail... Make sure it survives. Even at the cost of the other spiders. Now leave." Norman ordered the man, Penny watched as the man in the lab coat left, leaving Osborn alone. She was mixed between calling out and staying silent. She was pretty sure she'd get into a lot of trouble, being here... "I can't... Fail... Not now." Norman spoke softly, but the echo of the room allowed her to hear his... Almost saddened words. With that, the owner of this entire building left, leaving Penny alone with the hundreds of spiders.
Gulping. She made her way to where the two once stood. Amazed at the sight of the Katipo. A rare spider. Dangerous and beautiful. And maybe the last of it's kind. Being used for an... Experiment? She shook her head. She didn't have a say here. In fact, she wasn't meant to be here. She should leave. "I'll go to the door... And I'll... I'll.... Yel..." Penny felt herself sway side to side as she yawned. She felt... Tired... So tired.. Shaking herself awake, she turned away from the spider to look at another one.
Staring at it's many eyes, she smiled at it. Weird looking- "OH god!" Penny exclaimed as the spider jumped at the glass of it's enclosure at her, causing her to reel back into the glass of the katipo. Surprised when she felt it give way. Turning around, she watched as the enclosure fell and shattered on the ground with a loud bang. "Oh no... No no no." Running around to the other side, she started picking up the shards of glass to put on the table. "Ok. Ahh. Oh no. Where is... Where is the spider? Nooo... Where is.. Okay.. I should just... I should go.." Standing up right. Penny looked to where she came from. Just go to the door, keep banging till you're heard and- "OW!" Penny screamed out, smacking at her arm, feeling something squish under her palm, right next to where she was currently burning with intense pain.
Staring at the now dead spider with tears in her eyes, Penny kept breathing as she stared at it. She just killed the last of a species. That was genocide wasn't it? Wait. She was bitten. Wasn't that bad? She felt sick. Pocketing the spider, Penny rushed out of the door and back to where she was locked out. About to bang on the door, she... Really? A pass rested on the bench next to the door. Had that been there before? Was she that...
Not caring for the fact she might have been an actual idiot. Penny grabbed it and used it to unlock the door, putting it back as she stepped out into the hall, no one noticing her. She needed help. She needed a hospital or something of the like. "Penny?" She turned to the voice, seeing a worried MJ. "Pen. You okay? Come on. I got worried for a bit."
Penny could only nod, grabbing onto MJ's hand as she was led downstairs. "I'll call Uncle Ben. He can come and pick you up." MJ patted Penny, sitting her down and stepping away to call. Grabbing at her stomach, Penny groaned at how it seemed to rumble and churn. She needed. No. She was going to vomit.
"Hello? I was asked to speak to a huge fan of mine?" A voice broke though the haze, and Penny looked up to see one, Tony Stark. Standing right above her. "Mr Star- Bllurg." The next moment Penny felt her throat burn with bile as she vomited, covering shoes with a yellow, vile thing that had come out of her body. "Oh... God.. I just vomited on Tony... Oh no." Penny felt tears well into her eyes as she started to cry.
"Right. You don't seem... I think. I might just step away." She could hear him speak, the echo of footsteps soon following, her chest stung along with every other part of her body. She just vomited on Tony Stark. Just... Oh... Oh no... No...
"Hey. Ben should be here soon. Okay. Get home. Take whatever you need too. Get better." MJ held onto Penny, offering whatever comfort she could give, leaving the girl feeling terrible and sorry for herself. She couldn't speak. Couldn't say that she needed a hospital. Not as she laid to the side and closed her eyes. Her senses going and giving way every few minutes.
Eventually, she felt hands gently help her up to a sitting position again, as she stared into her uncles worried eyes, she tried to smile, but only felt herself groan. "Come on Pen Pen... Let's get you home."
Unable to talk. Penny let her uncle walk her out. Lay her in the back of the car before proceeding to drive the two of them home. Laying down, Penny felt herself groan as pains overtook her body again, whacking it with unimaginable pangs of pain she had never felt before, till finally. Her body couldn't keep her awake any longer, and she fell to a total darkness. Falling asleep for the first time in two days.