(AN: Chap takes a bit of a turn after Noah's POV, just warnin ya)
- Noah (The Morning After the Game) -
It's taking all of my inner strength to not explode right now; literally and figuratively. I did all of that flexing during that Capture the Flag game, even got a whole quest that practically has my name written on it in glowing ink, but I still haven't been claimed by my absentee father. It's aggravating as all hell.
I asked around and supposedly this is well over the threshold needed for one to get claimed at the very least. Hell, Percy got claimed in his first capture the flag game and he didn't do nearly all of the showboating I did. What in the world do I have to go through for that old man to notice me?
There's only so much I'm willing to do before I stop caring.
Despite my previous thoughts, I'm not THAT worried about it if I'm going to be completely honest. In the end it's up to Apollo if he wants to claim me as his son. I will be great without him. In fact, I'll become more of a god than him and his convoluted ass family could ever be. That's a promise, one that I'll do my best to keep until my very last breath.
I don't care how egotistical or impossible my promise may seem. When I make a promise, I mean that shit.
"I swear it on the Styx."
The muttering of an ancient oath was drowned out by the lightning that could be heard lashing out in the distance.
I have to focus on another topic. All of this angst is gonna give me more gray hair than Chiron and Mr. D combined.
In other news, while the others are trying to figure out who else is going on the quest, I have been brainstorming a way to find Artemis. I don't know why the quest nominated ME to be the guide, but I'm not going to complain. My theory on how to do so is so far based upon the metaphysical connection between the sun and the moon present throughout most forms of literature and media.
I've recently become far more accustomed to the fact that all fiction is based on fact in some way, shape, or form. Throughout history most tales and mythologies have considered the sun and the moon to be connected in some way.
On the other hand, science paints them in an almost unrelated light, but the two are still connected in the fact that the moon's dim glow comes from the sun reflecting its own light off of it.
That is where my theory comes in. I'm trying to see if I can scour Artemis' location through my connection to the sun, and her connection to the moon by proxy. Figuring out how I'm going to do that is the hard part, seeing as I don't know for sure where to start.
To start myself off I'm just going to wing it. My best guess is to continue the same meditation practices I've been doing for years, but this time focusing on my connection to my powers instead of just focusing on controlling my emotions. That wouldn't be so hard to do if I just had a private area to do said meditation.
Welp, I guess it's time to have a chat with Chiron!
"Ohhhhh Chiroooooooon, I've got a question for youuuuuu!", I say in a singsong voice as I use my starburst energy to zip around the camp in search of him.
He should know that he can't run from me, no matter how fast his horse legs can carry him.
- ? -
Something is wrong. So terribly wrong.
In most situations involving the spider's suffering I would be overjoyed, but a deviation of this magnitude is unprecedented. The timestream has recently been dealt a ripple that will most likely have disastrous consequences. Something so severe that it may have just jeopardized the safety of our universe.
Peter Parker's mutation took a horrid turn, and now he's gone rogue. At first it was increased aggression, fighting his longtime bully at lunch, that kind of situation. One exactly like what would've happened if he were to go down his original path and eventually end up with the symbiote that would later become Venom.
That in and of itself is now another problem, but that's not the most pressing concern as of right now.
On Sunday he gained organic webbing. Nothing to write home about, seeing as plenty of Spider-men have it, but that was only the start.
On Monday he had grown more hair on his body; something he attributed to being a growing teenage boy. On Tuesday he struggled with urges beyond his natural human instincts, the start of something far greater than he could ever imagine.
On Wednesday he killed someone accidentally after he went into a cannibalistic rage mid drug-bust. The despair in his eyes after he came back to his senses…it is one of the most delectable things I've seen in my very long life.
Sadly for the boy, it gets worse from here. He spent the entirety of Thursday coming to grips with what he'd done. It seemed like a slower process than other man-spider transformations I've witnessed, or at least, it was before night came.
At approximately 10:43 p.m. on a boring Saturday night, Peter Benjamin Parker started letting out blood-curdling screams. Screams of untold agony and suffering, screams which lack nothing in the way of conveying the terror I could see in his eyes.
Screams that didn't go unnoticed by his Aunt nor his neighbors.
Fortunately for them, the boy had decided to flee to a secure location. In said location, he continued to let out some truly impressive wails before he grewspider legs on his back.
The sound of tearing flesh and blood pooling to the floor echoed throughout the abandoned complex the boy had hurried off to, but it still gets worse.
For the next day he gave in to his instincts even further. Eating people wasn't even off the table anymore. He would grab the closest criminals he could find and gorge on their flesh like it was his last meal. But 7 days later was the last straw for him. Today, once again Monday, was the day that broke his mind.
His grotesque transformation continued with his face transforming into something reminiscent of a human spider. He had officially gone beyond who he used to be and even who he was supposed to be. I can sense the strength in this new form of his, but I can also sense just how utterly broken his mind is. I would wonder what could've caused this, but it's so very obvious. This version of man-spider is more than just the bite taking an unfortunate turn.
The boy was cursed by Arachne. Now why would Arachne curse the first spider totem of this earth? Because she was forced to, of course.
I care not for the affairs of lower deities, but it might just be time for me to take a deeper look into what's been going on. For someone to compel Arachne to do such a thing is…unprecedented, but not unexpected. I have no doubt that this may be another long scheme to get back at Athena and her children.
I shall investigate this disturbance later, for I have other matters to attend to. My new rider needs a little push if he's going to have the guts to defeat my son, and I have another little squabble with the Von Doom boy over his mother's soul. Perhaps one day he can understand that his soul will eventually be mine as well; I've always found magically inclined souls even more interesting compared to regular mortal souls.
Business is booming, as the mortals say.
- Gwen Stacy -
As I sit down cross-legged on my bed in the darkness of my room and stare at the blinding screen flashing my unfinished essay at me, I realize that looking isn't going to write the essay, no matter how much I may want it to. Yet even with that thought in my head, I continue to stare dazedly into my screen.
I can't focus one bit, and I don't want to think at all. Everything's too much, and it's not right.
How am I supposed to process the fact that one of my best friends was abducted at dead of night, his screams traumatizing his whole neighborhood? Poor Mary Jane couldn't sleep for days, the terror of it all getting to her, but it's still not as bad as the reaction I imagine that Aunt May had.
I can't imagine the sheer horror she must have felt gripping her heart that night. Just the horror I feel now is unbearable. I should go check on her, make sure that she's alright. She just recently lost her husband as well, and losing what was basically her son must've taken a heavy toll on her psyche.
Speaking of checking on people, I haven't heard from Noah in weeks. We had that date and he just disappeared from the face of the earth. He doesn't call; he doesn't text or write. I'm more worried for him than I am angry at him. Where is he? Is he okay?
Did I do something wrong?
I have no answers to any of these questions, and it's damn near driving me insane.
I don't have the slightest understanding of anything that's happening. I feel so helpless.
Why's all of this happening to the people that I care for the most? I just wish that I could do something, anything, to help out. I'm going to try my best-
No.
No more trying. I am done trying. I'm going to do something-whatever it takes.
And I'll figure it all out myself if I have to.