Peter breathed. His shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Good. Now think about letting go. Your hands. Your feet. Imagine the adhesion turning off like a switch."
Peter's right hand unstuck from the ceiling. Then his left. His feet followed.
He dropped.
Alex moved fast. Caught him before he hit the floor. They both went down in a heap. Peter's elbow caught Alex in the ribs. His knee jabbed Alex's thigh.
"Sorry. Sorry." Peter scrambled up. "I didn't mean to fall on you."
"It's fine." Alex stood and rubbed his ribs. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I think so." Peter sat on his bed. "This is getting worse. The powers are getting stronger but I can't control them."
"That's normal. Your body is still adapting. Give it time."
"How much time?"
"I don't know. But I'm getting answers." Alex pulled out his encrypted drive. "I accessed all the research on the spider that bit you. Genetic modifications. Chemical compounds. Everything. We can study it together. Figure out what's happening and how to manage it."
Peter looked at the drive like it was a lifeline. "Really? You can do that?"
"Already did. Downloaded everything this morning."
"Won't you get in trouble?"
"No. It's part of my job assignment. Completely legal." Alex sat beside him. "But we need to be systematic. Scientific. No panicking. We treat this like a research project."
Peter nodded slowly. "Okay. I can do that. I'm good at research."
"I know you are."
They spent the next hour going through the basics. Alex explained the genetic modifications in simple terms. Strength from wolf spiders. Adhesion from geckos. Enhanced senses from multiple predator species.
Peter listened intently. Asked smart questions. His scientific mind engaged with the problem instead of just panicking about it.
"So my DNA is permanently changed," Peter said. "There's no going back to normal."
"No. But normal is relative. You're enhanced now. That's your new normal."
"Enhanced." Peter tested the word. "I'm enhanced."
"Yes."
"Like a superhero?"
Alex smiled slightly. "If you want to think of it that way."
Peter was quiet for a moment. "What do I do with this? I can't just go back to regular life. Can't pretend I'm normal when I can stick to walls and lift a car."
"You can lift a car?"
"I don't know. Maybe? I bent a metal pipe yesterday without trying."
"Then probably yes." Alex stood up. "Look. You don't have to figure everything out today. Right now we just focus on control. Learning to manage the abilities so they don't control you."
"How?"
"Practice. Testing. Systematic experimentation." Alex checked his watch. "I have to get back to work. But tonight we can start running tests. Measure your strength. Test your adhesion limits. Document everything."
"You'd help me do that?"
"Of course. You're my friend. And honestly, this is fascinating from a scientific perspective."
Peter laughed. It was shaky but genuine. "Only you would think getting superpowers is a research opportunity."
"I'm practical." Alex grabbed his bag. "Try to rest. Meditate if you can. The sensory overload will decrease as your brain adapts. Give it a few days."
"Okay. Thanks Alex. For everything."
"No problem."
Alex left Peter's house and headed back to Manhattan. On the subway he pulled out his sample kit. He'd collected three hairs from Peter's pillow while they were talking. Peter hadn't noticed.
Three hairs. Fresh DNA samples showing the genetic changes in progress.
He sealed them in a container and stored them carefully.
'Day three post-exposure,' Alex thought. 'Subject shows full ability manifestation. Control is improving with guidance. Sensory enhancement causing temporary overload but subject is adapting.'
He would document everything tonight. Build a complete profile of the transformation. Learn from Peter's experience so when Alex developed his own enhancement formula, he would know what to expect.
The train rumbled through the dark tunnel. Alex stared at his reflection in the window.
Read more chapters, 38+ days ahead of Webnovel Updates, on Patreon marvelstark