He stared at the permission slip in his hand. Aunt May had already signed it and as he handed it over to the guard they gave it a quick scan and then handed it back.

First, he was given an Oscorp camera and had to hand it back at the end of the tour. 

Once they had verified that he hadn’t taken snaps of anything he wasn't supposed to. The approved pictures would then be copied onto a memory card and sent to the school. 

A few moments later, he was handed a security pass, complete with a lanyard.

‘Peter Parker, Age 18.

Senior Year Photography Project.

Document and Photograph Work Placement for Oscorp.’

Was printed on the pass and, having clipped it to the lanyard, hung it around his neck. Peter stood waiting with the rest, taking quick snaps of the building. 

It was fascinating being in Oscorp. He had seen the still publicity pictures on the web. He had heard stories of the interior from Harry. He had even been promised a tour by Norman, but he was always brushed off when it was brought up.

But now he was seeing the bustling lab that was the beating heart of Oscorp.

The only downside was that Peter had to follow Gwen and Flash around. Watching as the suck-ups and sycophants pointed and made fun of the ‘nerds’ but he didn't care. 

Flash's father was on the board and Gwen had been interned here for the past year already. She was smart, plus Flash had been trying to get into her pants forever. 

Peter wondered if Flash’s slight against him was because of that. 

Gwen, Felicia, Jean, and Cindy were the most attractive girls in school and they were all friends. Not that it mattered. Peter knew Flash would find something else to use against him.

It was tough, watching someone dumber than a pet rock, slide into a job and a life Peter would have killed to get. But he couldn't, he wouldn't feel sorry for himself. 

He had the best grades in class, even higher than Gwen's. He would walk away from High School valedictorian, and Flash could never take that from him. 

As the first part of the tour wound down, they headed towards the food court at the bottom of the building again. 

To avoid interrupting the normal everyday workers a section had been roped off. And the students talked and chatted while eating.

Flash and his followers, unimpressed by the labs, sat on the tables and laughed at the passersby. Being as loud and obnoxious as possible.

Even they could recognise the boss's son and gave them a wide berth. It didn't stop them though, and Peter could see the strained and embarrassed looks they were given.

Peter was enjoying his lunch. It was a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich, washed down by a small carton of apple juice. He was idly looking around when he felt the impact and the wetness.

Flash had launched a soda at him, shouting, “oops!” 

While he and his cronies laughed, Peter was soaked. 

Pouring the dark sticky liquid from his lunch box. He wiped himself down as best he could, Peter swore under his breath and headed towards the toilets to clean off.

He swore at the mirror in the bathroom, knowing he only had six more months of Flash’s bullshit before he was free. 

He had his own life after school planned and Flash wasn’t a part of that. Even if he had to take a lesser internship at Hammer Industries to avoid him. 

He had no hope of one at Stark Industries. People from all over the world gave up well-paying jobs to work there, a high school kid had no chance.

As he mopped the soda from his clothes and washed his face, he never noticed the thin web dangling above him. 

There was a faint tickle at the back of his neck as the strangely coloured bright red and blue spider landed on him. 

As he straightened up he felt something on the back of his neck. Without thinking he brought a hand up to find out what it was and he felt a sharp pain where he felt the itch. 

Gasping for air as the sudden electric jolt shot through him, he crumpled to one knee. His legs went weak and his hands tingled before going numb. 

Struggling to stand, he feebly reached out towards the door. Hoping and praying someone would hear his attempted cries for help.

He struggled weakly as he felt someone tugging at his clothes. He was sure someone said his name over and over but he couldn't focus, everything was so bright and so loud. 

He was sure someone took his things, rummaging through his clothing. He felt something wet splash on him and it didn’t even register he’d been sick.

“Fuck, get him outta here. If Osborn sees him we’re screwed.” A rough voice said.

Peter felt the rough hands of a few people pick him up and then the bright glaring light of the outdoors. 

He was hoisted and thrown into the trash at the back of the building, struggling to rise. 

Through half-opened eyes, Peter began to try and make his way to the street. Falling several times he gasped and groaned as he found his body unresponsive. 

He knew there were people around. He could hear the heavy thudding of their footfalls. But as he tried to call out for help his tongue was numb and his voice came out slurred.

"Hey, Kid?" Peter's mind was still reeling, nausea and cramps causing his body to tense and curl up. He was too far gone to reply. 

Pain, nausea, and bright pulsing light all assaulted his senses. 

Wherever he was, the smell was horrendous. Like raw hot garbage being fried in faeces and puke.

"Yeah, he's a tweaker. Tag 'im and bring him in with the rest."

A cold liquid seemed to pour into his veins, bringing relief to the agony of the overload from his senses. 

Peter hoped someone had found him and taken him to get help. There were rumours of gangs that kidnapped kids for organ harvesting. But whoever it was, he was powerless to fight back.

Peter was manhandled onto a table and he tried to speak but his mouth was filled with cotton. He tried to fight back, but his muscles screamed at him when he tried to move. 

His skin felt raw and every fibre of the hospital gown he'd been made to wear was like sharp knives against his skin. 

Each breath filled his lungs with the cloying scent of the woman. He could smell her fragrance and it wasn't perfume. She was excited and it was almost palpable, a thick taste on his tongue. 

A smell of disinfectant penetrated both nostrils and he hoped this was a hospital. He hoped he would wake up again.

He felt a sharp prick on his arm and the world went black.

With the boy finally strapped down and sedated the technician sat down in his chair. Tapping at his computer, he started to record.

"Test Subject is a young male, looks approximately to be between fifteen and twenty. Pubic growth indicates he is mature. Marking him as upper teens."

He passed for a moment swivelling his chair around and flicking stitches.

"Visible inspection indicates this is not a homeless person. The subject had no visible trauma, is a healthy weight and is clean-shaven."

He sighed. If the crew grabbed some rich kid, this could go to shit in a second. That wasn't his problem though. What happened next was.

"Okay. Physical parameters are all green. Test subject Fifteen Gamma. Alien Subject Delta. Bonding test in Five. Four. Three. Two, and One."

Poor bastard, the tech thought as he operated the mechanical table. As it swung around into the testing area. Doesn't even look twenty.

With the table locked in place, a tube extended down and hung over the kid's chest. The technician flicked another switch and watched as a glass-reinforced box slid open. 

The test subject instinctively made its way toward the unconscious boy. It flowed over the smooth panel and flopped down, onto the body.

Equipment of all types recorded the interactions between the boy and the alien. 

They hoped to unlock the secrets of the bonding. Hoped to finally report a successful integration of symbiote and man.

Flowing over and under the robe, the alien finally covered the young boy's scrawny body. It began by hooking microscopic tendrils into his brain and nervous system. Attaching itself to the host it had been granted in a symbiotic relationship. The boy's eyes flickered as it began the joining process.

Barely registering the screens. The technician played with his phone. Knowing full well the alarms would sound if anything went wrong.

With every subject before him, the boy's heart rate and neural activity would spike. If the joining was successful, they would then level out.

So far all attempts had killed the host. Baring two, but they never talked about those.

Once the heart reached over two hundred beats per minute, the bonding failed, and the host died. Or the creature would dissolve the brain, leaving an empty skull.

This would be trial 64, all homeless men, women, and now a teen.

The symbiote paused and it realised something was wrong.

It should rest on the outer skin, before attempting to join with the host's cells. Something was pulling it from its natural position. Merging it with the cell rather than coating it. Shredding and dissolving it.

Unseen a chemical reaction began in Peter's cells. 

The modified spider toxin was at work, modifying and altering his DNA. As the Symbiote coated the still forming cells it was pulled into the reaction.

Its DNA was being broken down and reformed with the boy's, host and symbiote, into one organism. 

The symbiote screamed in agony as it was digested by the enzyme. It struggled to remain whole, seeking a place to hide within the new host's body but there was nowhere. 

It began to pump a toxic chemical into the host, hoping to kill it before it could kill them both. As long as it survived they would live and get their revenge. Even then the chemical was absorbed, and changed. Its toxin began to affect its own cells, it screeched in agony.

As the monitors reacted to this development the technician watched with boredom. The kid wasn't going to make it as his heart rate and EEC began to hit critical levels. 

Normally the symbiote would begin to detach from the host at this point. It would leave the now dead pile of flesh for him and his colleagues to dissect. 

That was the second part of his job. To figure out where it went wrong. This time he watched with rapt attention as the alien seemed to flow into the boy's body. 

He began to spasm and the body of the stick-thin teen seemed to bulge, something wriggling under his skin. 

The tech scowled, was the alien attempting to eat the boy? 

Most of the time they either attempted a joining or melted the body. He’d never seen a joining like this and as he checked the monitors, he watched in amazement.

That was new, he thought. 

If the body was too badly drugged up the creatures just killed the host rather than attempt a joining. The worst ones just melted as the symbiote flowed over them. As if they were offended by the offering of tainted meat. 

He had seen it too often to be bothered. It just meant he needed a bucket to clean the room. It was still just as much paperwork as the usual autopsy a fresh death brought.

Did it want younger fresher meat than had been provided? 

Reaching for his intercom "Ma'am, this time is different, the alien seems to be reacting to the younger body" 

After a brief pause. "Monitor closely. Report once the procedure is finished."

All the lights on his panel were green, and as he checked each one, the boy continued to struggle against his bonds.

At first, the boy's heart rate slowed. Then his brainwave activity returned to normal. Finally, the seizures or whatever was happening had come to an end.

This was nothing like the instructional video they had been made to watch. The Symbiote slid over its host like a thin cloth. 

Thermal cameras showed that the Symbiote had completely assimilated into the boy's body. And his now taut wiry muscles glistened with a sheen of sweat as if he had been working out. 

The tech shook his head, he needed to get laid after this. Lusting after some kid didn't give his image any favours. Young yes, but this boy was a one-way ticket to jail.

He shook his head and was about to hit the intercom when the thump against the glass made him jump.

Turning he saw the boy standing, staring at him with eyes black as pitch. 

He wound up a punch and he thrust his arm through the glass shattering it, covering them both in broken pieces. 

The tech had time to let out a strangled scream as the creature reached for him with a black-clawed hand.

"WE ARE VENOM!"