Peter Benjamin Parker surely did not expect that he was going to die within the next month. But such is life. Everyone dies eventually, it's just a matter of how and when. When Peter thought of the hundreds of possible ways he could perish, being sacrificed to the outside was no where on that list.

The outside... What a dreadful place.

It was a Tuesday morning, 9:51 AM. Peter was currently in his US History ll class. His teacher had gone on some side tangent about Batman, because somehow that tied into the Gold Rush. They weren't even studying the Gold Rush.

And because Peter wasn't some stereotypical Wattpad main character, he did not look out the window whimsically, completely zoning out what was going on within the classroom.

Except that he should have. Because if he had looked out the window whimsically like some stereotypical Wattpad main character, he would have seen the men carrying guns, making their way to the head of the school.

Those men made the start of a ripple effect that ultimately led to Peter's untimely death.

"This town would have had many vigilantes! That's why- Batman- don't you see it?" Peter's teacher, Mr. Olowe, exclaimed. It seemed no one was really listening to him.

"Ah yes, I get it." Flash Thompson nodded. "And because Batman is a vigilante, the US Navy was still refusing to send men down in submarines for the south in the Civil War."

"Oh- Oh I am so sorry! You're right, I'm getting off track!" Mr. Olowe fumbled with the remote which controlled his slideshow. "Next note." He said, clicking to the next slide which bore a picture of a submarine at the bottom of the ocean.

The year had just started, which was why the class was going over Civil War info. The Civil War was typically covered in US History l, but for some reason Mr. Olowe wanted to teach it again in their second year.

Being a Junior already had its complications. High school in general was a dud, but Junior year was the Devil spawn of the four highschool years one would take.

In Peter's mind, the freshman year was just a small taste of what was yet to come. Freshmen thought that being a freshman was the hardest, but they were absolutely wrong. The sophomores were sort of existent. They were discovering drugs and ways to smoke in the boy's bathrooms without getting caught. The ones that weren't were dealing with other problems in different ways, and overall, Peter could only remember Sophomore year as being excruciating.

But Junior year... Junior year made Peter wish he was dead and the year had only just begun.

He was two months into school. It was October 20th, and the Homecoming dance would be on the 24th. After what happened two years ago, and the incident Peter encountered during Homecoming, he wasn't looking forward to it. His date's father was a psychopath who battled him to the death on the wing of an airplane.

Peter was a normal kid.

Totally.

At least he used to think so. When he was in 8th grade, Peter got bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip to the Osbourne. Since then... we'll you know the story. He now fights crime, and became a superhero in a masked suit. But he was no Batman.

Mr. Olowe's radio said something, disturbing Peter's thoughts of what would be for lunch.

"Mr. Olowe, Mr. Olowe?" The radio said.

"I'm here." Mr. Olowe said, rolling his eyes as he picked up the radio.

"Would you please send your students to the gymnasium?"

"The gymnasium... OH! I forgot," he pulled away from the radio, "we have an assembly today!" He brought the radio back to his lips. "Yes, we're on our way."

Mr. Olowe signaled for everyone to get up, as he walked to the door of the classroom himself. He was a tall man of African descent. It was rather odd that he chose to teach American history in an American school when he himself was born and raised in Zimbabwe, and only moved to New York to get a degree in history.

Mr. Olowe's daughter, Mara, was also from Zimbabwe. Peter barely knew her, but he was aware she was a tough, mean, and stern girl who one wouldn't want to cross. And she had a strange fascination with Spiderman.

They were taken to the gymnasium, where already most of the school was seated in the bleachers. On the gym floor was a man, surrounded by a handful of men armed with guns. Since when we're guns allowed in a school? Especially in New York State?!

"Good morning everyone." The school principal grinned up at everyone in the bleachers.

He was a short, middle-aged Asian man who looked like he would be pleasant and kind hearted, but really would take any opportunity he could to get a student in trouble. It was as if giving detention was a hobby of his.

"We have some guests with us today, I'd like you all to give them a warm welcome." The principal continued and everyone began to clap for the men with the guns. "This is Dr. Braunt. He's here to introduce us to an exciting stem of research some of you may find interest in!"

"If he's here for science, why'd he bring guns?" MJ whispered to Peter. Peter was now aware that the girl sat beside him. They'd been dating for a few months after the extravaganza in Europe that summer had forced them together.

"I know... it's suspicious..."

"I mean maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"No... you're not. I'm getting a strange-"

"Peter tingle?" MJ offered and snorted.

"It's not a Peter tingle so please stop calling it that." Peter exasperated. "It's just a weird... sense."

"A Peter tingle."

"No!"

"Then what is it?"

"A... a feeling."

"Tingle."

"Shut up!"

MJ continued teasing him about it as the man, Dr. Braunt, began making some speech. Apparently he was a zoologist.

A zoologist with guns.

Peter tried to be interested in what he was saying, but MJ was continuing to distract him with her teasing. From what he picked up on, Dr. Braunt was very wealthy, and worked in the biology of animals and their behavior. He'd even brought in a few animals to showcase what he worked with. Snakes, owls, chinchillas... they all seemed so random. But Peter was both too tired and too distracted by his obnoxious girlfriend to really care.

Eventually, he asked for volunteers. But not just the usual volunteers to hold a giant snake or something like you'd expect from a simple assembly.

"I will now ask for some volunteers willing to help me with my studies for the next month."

"What the fuck?" MJ murmured.

"Dr. Braunt has agreed to accept anyone who wants to join into his home to further his studies and broaden your education." The principal announced. No one stepped up. "It'll be a month long." No one stepped up. "It will not cost you anything." Still no one stepped up. "Joining will guarantee you a 100% in all your classes for the semester, and you won't have to participate in school work while you're away."

Everyone's hand shot up, including Peter's.

"Since I do want this to be taken seriously, I have a few requirements. At least a 3.5 GPA, and 6 science credits. That means, no freshmen." Dr. Braunt declared. Instantly more than half of the raised hands went down.

"Damn." MJ sighed, putting her hand down.

"You have a 4.0, why'd you put your hand down?" Peter asked.

"Oh yeah I'm not a freshman-" MJ shot her hand back up in the air. "I guess I forgot."

"Your teachers have provided me a recommended list." Dr. Braunt said, fumbling with a piece of paper in his hands. He read the first name, "Ami Write?"

"That's me!" Girl from Peter's class shot up from her seat.

"Of course, the teacher's pet gets recommended." MJ grumbled.

Dr. Braunt moved down the list, which was in alphabetical order. After a few kids whose names started with the letter A had been chosen, he moved on to the Bs.

"Bradley Beckendorf."

"Wait- what?" Bradley, a senior kid, was shoved from his seat by his friends surrounding him. Peter had never once spoken to Bradley, and knew nothing about him. He just knew that his friend group was an odd bunch, the type of kids you wouldn't think would be friends.

"Cleo Newberry."

"The fucking tranny?!" Some student exclaimed. "You mean you have all these requirements to not let us in, but you'll accept the transgender freak?!"

"Um-" Cleo had stood up but obviously looked like she wanted to disappear in that moment.

"Come on down, Cleo." Dr. Braunt said, paying no head to the uproar of a few students. "Cherry Cerise?"

"Do I have to?" The girl named Cherry asked.

"Not at all."

"Thanks." She said, staying seated.

"Cat Danvers?" Dr. Braunt said. Instantly a muscular looking girl from Peter's grade jumped up. She was pretty, but could probably break skulls between her hands if she wanted. "Corvan Oakley?"

"Wait-"

"Yeah Corvan!" A girl shouted as a smaller boy meekly stood up.

"But I don't want-"

"It'll look amazing on your transcript." The girl said, gently pushing him.

"Fine."

"Emma Winters?"

"Oh?" The girl stood up excitedly. She was from Bradley's group.

"Greydon Newberry." Dr. Braunt said. Cleo's older brother lazily got up. "Happy Knot?"

Another boy stood up, looking half alive.

"I- um-" Dr. Braunt squinted at the paper. "I... ii... Eesawn- Iisan? Iisan Takanashi?"

"No." Came a response from the crowd. Peter looked down, wondering who Iisan Takanashi was. He spotted a boy dressed in all black gothic clothing, also from Bradley and Emma's group.

"I thought his name was Ethan." MJ whispered to Peter and Ned.

"Dude he's gonna like- murder an animal for fun if he ends up going." Ned murdered. Peter felt sick.

"Jason Faith." Another boy from the same group stood up and joined Iisan. "Karol Smith." Dr. Braunt read a few more names before reaching yet another kid from the group that Bradley and the other's belonged to. "Lauren Grace?"

"Dude- you're dumb as a rock- how the heck did you get in?" A boy sitting next to her snorted.

"My transcripts got messed up when I moved here." The girl snickered. "I look like an honors student."

"Wow. Of course you do."

"Levy Tate? Mara Olowe?" Mr. Olowe's daughter got up. "Michelle Jones? Ned Leeds?"

"Yes!" Ned fisted the air.

"Peter-"

Peter's heart skipped a beat.

"-Mcfay?"

"Crap." Peter sighed.

"Peter Parker."

"Oh-" Peter smiled. But something felt off. When Dr. Braunt had called for him... he had a weird sensation. Like his nerves were on edge. He knew something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

"Are you going to get up or do I have to shove you down the bleachers?" MJ giggled.

"Um-" Peter clumsily got up. "I uh-" his blood ran cold.

"Go!" MJ said, nudging him. Peter's mind felt lost. He was sensing danger but there was no danger to be found. Well, except for the guns that surrounded Dr. Braunt.

"Stella Write." Ami's sister's name was called. Stella was a goth. She looked half alive, wore tall black boots, and an all black attire. She quite matched Iisan Takanashi very well.

"Terrance Oakley." The last kid from the Bradley squad was called. How did all of them manage to get recommended? Peter was still climbing down from the bleachers with MJ. "Thora Bourgois?"

Peter zoned out. He couldn't ignore the feeling anymore. It was so prominently there but he couldn't see a danger and nothing was there to harm him. Why was he sensing a threat?

"You good?" MJ asked.

"What?"

"You've gone pale."

"Oh uh- I dunno maybe I'm getting sick." Peter lied.

~~~

After the assembly, the recommended students who agreed to participate were taken aside while the rest of the school was dismissed back to class. Dr. Braunt further explained what the project was about, and gave them forms to have their parents sign.

"If you do end up joining me, you'll be picked up Monday morning of next week." Dr. Braunt said, handing them their papers. "You'll be missing school for a month, but it won't do anything to harm your grades. This project will make up for it."

"I'm oddly excited for this." MJ said to Peter. Peter's eyes were glued to the form in his hands. He was reading it to make sure he understood what this was. Maybe it could alleviate him of the odd sense he'd been alarmed of.

But reading the paper, something caught his eyes that read: Students may be harmed.

What did that mean? Was that just because the animals could be dangerous? Surely that was why he'd gotten the weird feeling. But he couldn't simply brush it off so easily.

Students may be harmed.

A/N
Ayo it's ya boy, Peter, the author who shares the same name with Peter Parker. Amazing coincidence amiright?

Imma be honest, I'm writing this out of boredom cause my fricken friend won't wake up and it's almost noon and I have to drive them home soon but shsjakwiwjev nooooo just keep sleeping ig.

Idk how often this will be updated. It was a spur of the moment "woah this would be a great idea" thought that I'll probably hate the second I post this. Especially since I have other projects that need to be worked on like- and actual book-

Idk maybe that'll get published soon. I'll post about it if/when it does.

My friend still won't wake up so I'm just going to wrap this up and hit them with a pillow or something idk.

Adios.

-Peter