When the Wolf-Spider Howls (Peter x OC): A Marvel Spider-Man Fanfiction

Chapter 3: Unlike Any Other

"*Pee-yew!* Geez, Marie, just because it rained yesterday morning doesn't mean you can count it as a shower! You smell like cagada, girl!"

"Thanks for sugarcoating it, Anya. That was SO kind of you,"

"Oh, c'mon! I'm only saying that because I care. What did you do to work up all the sweat anyways?"

Marie thought back to her fight with her new superhero partner earlier that day with the Scorpion at the museum. She hadn't told her best friend that she was working part-time as a superhero herself now. Inspired by the bug boy's take on his supernatural powers, she decided it was the best path of action to respond to her own new abilities. "Er...workout before school? Only had time to wash my face before having to head out so I could make it on time."

Anya eye-rolled at her friend's excuse but dropped the subject as she set down a box onto a table. "There, that's the last one. Think you can finish that security drone of yours with this, Miles?" 

"You bet I can!" Miles said, coming from behind a robot he was working on. He grabbed a few metal parts from the box and opened up a panel in its chest. "Thanks for the fetch quest, Anya."

"No problem," Anya returned his thanks, then glanced over at her other friend. "...Y'know, Marie helped get the parts too."

Miles looked up at Marie but didn't say anything. He only nodded in acknowledgement and went back to work. She didn't care much about it. It was unsurprising, considering she hadn't really made an effort to be friendly. As a matter of fact, the only friends she had been able to make in New York were Anya and Gwen, two girls she had met before moving there. Though most of the time she couldn't have asked for better BFFs, she would sometimes feel lonely, as they couldn't always be by her side. Still, that Spider-Man she now fought with on a daily basis seemed like a good start...

"So, Marie..." Anya's teasing voice broke through her sallow thoughts. "Heard you walked the newbie to school the other day."

Marie snorted in mild annoyance. "It's not like I had a say in the matter. Harry kinda made me do it. Apparently, he's his best friend."

"Oh, so if HARRY requests it, it's suddenly law, is it?"

"Anya, I would be VERY careful about what you say to me, considering I'm the one holding a box of sharp metal objects and you aren't,"

"Ha! Alright, alright, I'm just messing with you. Oop! Speak of the devil! Look who's coming in now!"

"Harry?" Marie thought with shock, turning around and expecting to see her crush enter the Think Tank, but her anticipation became irritation once she saw Max and Peter walk in. "Drat...not this guy again..."

"Has anyone seen Gwen Stacy?" Max asked, referring to Marie's other friend. "I wanted her to meet Peter."

"*Pfff!* You know Gwen," sighed Anya, setting down her own project. "The princess of preparation's out collecting samples." She then cast a side-eye at Marie and pulled her closer to her. "But WE can show the newbie around."

Marie instantly saw through Anya's ploy and squirmed out of her grasp. "You mean YOU can show the newbie around," she said politely. "I've got another Bio-Tech project I need to work on-"

"Not with the museum you guys were studying ancient life-forms in half-destroyed," Anya objected, set on not letting Marie escape.

"Dammit! How could I forget about that?! Thanks a LOT, Scorpion!"

"Now, now, Marie, I know you and Peter haven't had the best start," Max gently scolded, leading Peter deeper into the room. "But as Einstein taught us, a bad start could-"