"Ash, you got a reply from the publishing companies." Zoe's voice rang out in the hidden base, where Ash was stretched out on a worn couch, feeling a bit aimless. It had been four days since his run-in with Kilgrave, and only two days remained until the highly anticipated Oscorp field trip. Ash couldn't deny he was a little excited; soon there'd be one more hero on the streets after the trip.
"Oh really? What are their offers?" Ash asked, though he wasn't expecting much. Being a new author with his first book, he knew the offers wouldn't be astronomical. He just hoped they'd be fair for a beginner.
"You got two offers," Zoe said. "First is from HarperCollins. They're offering $15,000 upfront, with a 5% royalty rate. Their promotional budget is $20,000."
Ash nodded thoughtfully. "That's about the minimum going rate these days," he muttered, motioning for her to go on.
"The second offer is from Scholastic. They're well-known for fantasy novels, and they're offering $45,000 upfront, a 10% royalty rate, and $50,000 for promotion," Zoe replied, her tone clearly leaning toward this option.
"Now that's a solid offer. Let's go with that one," Ash replied, intrigued. "Can you set up a meeting with them? I think they'd be a good match." While he could probably get even higher offers from other publishers outside New York, he wanted to avoid the hassle of extra travel. Besides, he felt confident his book would succeed on its own.
Two days later, Ash found himself at Midtown High, sitting on the bus to Oscorp for the school trip. Around him sat Peter, Ned, and Gwen, all buzzing with excitement. The past few days at school had given Ash some new insights. In this world, Peter and Gwen barely interacted, though Peter seemed to have a huge crush on MJ Watson. They'd grown up as neighbors, though they seemed a bit distant lately. Meanwhile, Harry Osborn had his eye on MJ as well.
"Guys, hurry up! I'm so excited for this!" Ned exclaimed as they got off the bus, practically dragging everyone along.
Ash followed with a grin, while Peter and Gwen trailed behind. Inside, they were greeted by a researcher who introduced himself and began leading the group on a tour of Oscorp's labs. Ash, who had been "studying" tirelessly over the last week, was finally able to understand the technical explanations without faking it.
*Ahem… Memory bread Ahem….*
Peter, Ned, and Gwen seemed the most interested, with Peter diligently taking notes and firing off questions for the researcher. Ash glanced over to see Flash and his friends smirking at Peter, clearly mocking his enthusiasm. Ash decided to ignore them, focusing instead on something far more pressing.
"Hey, Zoe, can you scan the building and tell me where the genetically enhanced spiders are?" Ash whispered through his bracelet when no one was paying attention.
"They're on the same floor as you, just three doors down to your left," Zoe replied in her usual calm tone.
"Great. Can you also check if any of the spiders have escaped their containers?"
"Affirmative," Zoe said after a moment. "It appears that two containers are empty."
"What?! Two?! Where are they?" Ash asked urgently, his heart pounding.
"One of them just bit Mr. Parker behind you," Zoe responded matter-of-factly, "and the other is about to bite Miss Stacy in approximately 1.5 seconds."
Ash's eyes widened. He turned around and saw Peter scratching his neck, about to squish the spider that had bitten him. Without a second thought, Ash used his powers to freeze time, carefully removed the spider from Peter's grasp, and placed it in an empty container nearby, which he then tucked into his four-dimensional pocket.
He then turned his attention to Gwen. She was scratching her neck as well, though thankfully, she hadn't squashed the spider—it was about to fall to the floor. Ash caught it mid-air and pocketed it, just like the first.
"Phew, close call," he muttered, resuming time and watching both Peter and Gwen, who were now scratching at the fresh bites on their necks, likely feeling the effects of the venom. The realization hit him that there were now going to be two spider-powered heroes in this world. He hadn't anticipated Gwen's transformation, but he'd let things unfold naturally.
Moments later, Peter suddenly went toward the restroom, and Ash followed closely behind, concerned. When he entered, he found Peter leaning over a stall, throwing up into the toilet.
"Damn, Peter, you alright? Do you need some help?" Ash asked from a safe distance.
"Ugh… I'm fine," Peter managed to reply between bouts of vomiting.
"Uh-huh… I'll just wait until you're done with… that." Ash grimaced, keeping a little distance from Peter and trying not to focus on the sounds echoing in the stall.
Peter continued to empty his stomach, and after a few minutes, he slumped backward, only to find Ash subtly supporting him with a well-placed foot to keep him from falling.
"So, you done in here?" Ash asked, looking at his friend with a mix of sympathy and amusement.
"Oh yeah… I'm done." Peter replied, still panting.
"Good. Let's get you cleaned up." Ash helped him to the sink to wash his face and hands. Then, like a responsible friend, Ash went back to flush the "rainbow pudding" left in the toilet, all while carefully averting his eyes from the mess. "That's something my mortal eyes don't need to comprehend," he muttered to himself, giving the toilet one last flush.
After Peter finished washing up, Ash gave him some support as they headed back to the group. He noticed Gwen was still there but looking flushed, with beads of sweat on her forehead.
"Uh, Teach?" Ash called out to the teacher chaperoning the trip. "Peter's not feeling well—he just threw up. Could I take him home to rest?"
The teacher gave Peter a sympathetic glance and nodded, allowing Ash to take him out. Ash quickly called a taxi, dropping Peter off at his house, where Aunt May welcomed them at the door with concern.
After settling Peter into his bed, Ash returned to his own apartment, feeling relieved that
Peter was safely back home.
Ash let out a deep breath as he closed the door to his apartment. He was relieved that Peter was safely with Aunt May, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease about the sudden changes unfolding around him. Walking over to his secret base, he called out, "Zoe, can you keep an eye on both Gwen and Peter for me?"
"Sure thing, Ash," Zoe replied. Almost immediately, she directed two of his satellite feeds to monitor Peter and Gwen's homes. A few moments later, Zoe confirmed that Gwen had also arrived home safely, though she seemed a bit feverish.
"That's a relief. If anything changes with them, let me know right away," Ash said, his voice steady but his mind racing with thoughts of what might come next.
Inside the hidden base, Ash took a seat at his workstation, going over his plans. He needed to be prepared—life in this world was about to get a lot more complicated, and soon enough, both Peter and Gwen would start discovering their powers. With that in mind, he made a list of new gadgets and resources he'd need, starting with more power-dampening collars, just in case things got out of hand.
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Far away in Southeast Asia, in a Buddhist temple, a robed figure sat cross-legged. If one looked closely, they'd see she was a bald woman radiating wisdom. The Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj, held a glowing green pendant, her gaze lost in the future.
After a moment, she took a deep breath and whispered, "It looks like you'll have to grow quickly, Mr. Miller. The fate of the universe rests on your shoulders.