//------------------------------//
// Prologue: "Path Finders" 
// Story: Ultimate Spiders and Magic: Episode VI "Smoke and Mirrors" 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
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Prologue “Path Finders”

With a bemused expression, Peter stared blankly behind a large pair of shades at nothing in particular while sitting in the lab. “Are we done yet, Doc?” he questioned, exasperation evident in his voice, “There’s some kind of announcement going on, and I don’t want to miss it. Everyone already thinks I’m a flake. The last thing I need to do is give them more ammo.” 

“You can’t rush through the details of altered genetics, my boy. It’s only been two days since your… incident,” Otto nonchalantly declared, paying no mind as Peter exhaled loudly. Turning to the side, the man hummed, “How is your vision? Are you still sensitive to light?”

Peter held a hand over his face before shaking his head. “I’m sensitive to everything, Doc, but I’ll get over it.” Pausing, the boy removed the shades from his head and offered them to the professor. “I just realized that I held on to these by accident. Thanks for letting me borrow them.”

Otto waved his hand dismissively. “Keep them, son. Consider them a gift. Lord knows that I have plenty of extras. Roselie would prefer it if I dwindled down the collection some.” He peeked through a microscope at a blood sample his pupil had given him, alternating his gaze between that and the walls of text that scrolled across the nearest monitor’s screen. Arching a brow, the man chuckled under his breath. “You’re more irritable than usual. Has Twilight been giving you a hard time again?”

Peter inhaled deeply before sighing, throwing his hands high overhead. “It’s not just her. It’s all of her friends and some of mine. Twilight thinks I bailed on her again, I’ve been snapping at my friends, everyone’s jumping at their shadows whenever Spider-Man is mentioned, and–” he trailed off, pausing as his stomach growled loudly in protest. His brow twitched in response. “I’m even hungrier than usual! Aunt May scrambled half a dozen eggs, gave me three bowls of oatmeal, and tossed in a bag of apples for breakfast this morning. That’s the usual routine, and it hardly put a dent in me!”

Otto straightened his posture as he cupped his chin in the palm of his hand. “I see. It seems your already high metabolism has grown even more. We can’t be surprised, considering the transformation your body has undergone. You need more fuel to compensate for your acquired upgrades.” The man opened the drawer to his desk, retrieving a stethoscope, and after he eased the tongs into his ears, Otto placed the disk-shaped resonator over Peter’s chest. His brow furrowed while rapid yet firm thumping echoed throughout his cranium, before he eventually removed the equipment from his head. “You have a very strong heart. Most humans couldn’t survive having that heart rate without suffering, yet here you are, healthy as an ox! Fascinating!”

“Doc, your inner mad scientist is showing again,” Peter dryly declared, rolling his eyes as the older man cackled to himself. With a dismissive shrug, he leapt into the nearest room before reemerging in his heroic attire within mere seconds. “If it’s the same to you, I have to take care of a few things. See you tomorrow.” Otto, returning his attention to the microscope, simply gestured a wave. However, just as Peter closed the door behind him, maniacal laughter could be heard from within the lab. Yet, the young man seemed unphased, evident as his masked eyes furrowed. “That dude scares me sometimes.”

Bursting into a sprint, Spider-Man leapt high into the air, but his trajectory was disproportionate, as he cleared over a pair of buildings. He flailed his arms and legs wildly, attempting to recollect his sense of balance. Eventually, he shot out a strand of webbing onto the edge of the nearest building and swung for several meters with some semblance of control. Some spectators watched the vigilante swing across the city, some aweing at the sight while others screamed apprehensively.

“Glad to see my adoring public still loves me like a hernia,” Peter mumbled, exhaling as some gestured their fingers in provocative manners. A pair of men took empty cans and bricks in hand respectively, hurling them at the airborne individual, but Spider-Man sped past the objects, paying no mind to what was an inconvenience at best. The young man’s masked eyes furrowed. “You know… how is it that Fury sent me here to repair my reputation, but I’ve only found creative ways to make it worse over the course of a month?! I destroyed Jameson’s billboard, damaged his car, hijacked a concert from singing magical seahorses, got blamed for the Juggernaut’s mess, and went all Xenomorph on the city! Is there anything I’m missing?!”

Before he could sink further into his personal tirade, a throb seared through his cranium. The world slowed to a near halt for Peter as a pair of gunshots echoed across the vicinity. Stuck in midair, Spider-Man raised a free hand over his pulsating skull before directing his line of sight to two bullets slowly spiraling towards him. His masked eyes squinted, alternating between the incoming projectiles and the citizens on the ground, who seemingly stood in place in a walking posture. Time soon resumed before Spider-Man swayed out of the bullets’ path midswing, leaving them to harmlessly collide into the brick layout of the building behind his position.

Peter relinquished his webbing and landed on top of a lamppost in a perched stance, still clutching at his throbbing temples. “Geez. I thought the Spider-Sense was overwhelming before, but now, it almost feels like my head’s about to split in two whenever something triggers it. I really hope it acclimates sooner than later.” 

Once his spinning vision settled to a halt, a realization struck his mind like lightning to a rod. Spider-Man growled under his breath, exasperated. “Oh, right. Someone just tried to shoot me in broad daylight?!” he exclaimed, cracking his knuckles while diverting his attention to his assailant. “All right, pal. You just made the biggest mistake of your–” he trailed off as his words fell into his throat. However, like ice under the heat of the sun, Spider-Man’s demeanor shrank as he glanced at a police officer with his firearm aimed in his direction. Peter shook his head inwardly and cursed under his breath. “Ah, crap.”

“S-Spider-Man! I have a warrant out for your arrest!” the officer yelled, failing to contain his nervousness. 

Peter could only stare at the individual for what seemed like an eternity before he leapt to the ground, landing mere inches away. “On what grounds?”

The policeman narrowed his gaze, tightening his grip on the trigger and handle of his firearm. “You know why! For assaulting an officer! My partner!”

All sense of apprehension seemed to have dissipated from Spider-Man as he settled his gaze on the officer’s quivering arms. Inhaling deeply before sighing, Peter raised his hands defensively. “Okay. I understand, and I’m sorry. What was his name?”

“Jefferson Davis! He’s still in the hospital because of you!” he loudly stated, closing the gap between himself and the vigilante. However, just as he was ready to grab his wrist, Spider-Man lowered and vanished in a blur. The officer blinked, stammering wildly as he scanned his surroundings. “Where’d he go?!”

Meanwhile, Spider-Man watched the man continue to hopelessly search for him from the safety of a rooftop several yards away. “Well, that was disastrous. I should have known something like that was going to happen,” he mumbled, placing a hand over his forehead. Yet, his masked eyes widened as he faced a bright white building in the distance. “I wonder if I…”

“Let me stop you right there and simply say no,” a firm voice stated from behind, causing Peter to stammer involuntarily. Fury emerged from the shadows with his arms crossed, shaking his head. “By no, I mean hell no.”

Spider-Man weakly raised a finger, a bemused yet defeated expression forming through his mask. “Okay. Seriously. Two questions. How are you still following me even though I removed the tracker from my suit? And two? Do you just hang out on rooftops? How are you getting up here?”

Fury huffed, “That’s three questions.” With a smirk, the man glanced to the side. “Besides, you seriously thought that was the only way I was tracking you? You’re a priority on my list, and I have many eyes on you. It’d be stupid on my end if I just left you unattended, especially after your latest episode.”

“It’s still weird knowing that you are my personal stalker, and I just have to accept it,” Spider-Man grumbled, holding a blank expression. He paused after a duration, humming as he alternated his gaze from one side to the other. “Still doesn’t explain how you got up on this roof. Do you have a jetpack or something?”

“I know what you’re thinking, kid,” Fury stoically stated, ignoring Peter’s questions, “and it’s a bad idea.”

Sobering, Spider-Man threw his hands out to the side. “Why? I just want to apologize to Officer Davis. I just learned that he’s still in the hospital. I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

Fury shook his head, frowning as his hardened exterior softened. “Look, kid. Your heart’s in the right place, but I want you to really look at this. The last thing Officer Davis saw was a giant ****ing spider attacking him in the middle of the night. You gave him and my agents enough nightmare fuel to last a lifetime.” Sliding his hands into his pockets, the man furrowed his brow. “Now, how do you think he’d feel if you showed up while he’s injured and defenseless?”

Peter’s head lowered shamefully. “I didn’t think about it in that sense.”

“Just give it some time and bite the bullet for now. Besides, I’ve run his file. Officer Davis is one of the good ones. He’s got a kid that just started kindergarten. Safe to say, I think he’ll hear you out, once everything settles,” Fury calmly declared, walking past Spider-Man while approaching the nearest door. Just as he twisted the knob, the man turned and smirked. “Forget about the Spider-Man stuff for a few days. You have a camping trip coming up! Why don’t you go and enjoy yourself? Take in nature and all that ****! Kids like you could use some sun instead of playing on those phones all day!”

Tilting his head to the side, Spider-Man scoffed harshly. “What are you, my aunt? Besides, how do you know about the camping trip? Are you keeping up with my itinerary, too? Hang on. My phone! That’s how you’re tracking me!” He turned to face Fury, but the man had long departed, leaving the boy alone on the rooftop with the wind as his only company. Spider-Man groaned afterward, lowering his shoulders. “I really hate that guy.”







On the school grounds, everyone gathered throughout the courtyard. Some of the students steadily congregated into the two buses parked at the front, while others maintained conversation. “Camp Everfree” was labeled across the banners hanging across the side of both vehicles. Twilight stared soberly at the signs, while clutching at the straps of her backpack before glancing to the side. Soon, a hand fell over her shoulder, freeing the girl from her self-induced trance, and she shared eye contact with Sunset, who offered a smile in return.

“Everything okay?” Sunset questioned, furrowing her brow.

Twilight used her free hand to straighten her glasses before nodding. “Yes. I’ve just been having some nightmares lately. I’ll be fine.”

Sunset frowned, blinking. “Is it about the other night, or something else?”

Suddenly, Rarity approached the pair while holding a small mirror in hand, staring intently at her reflection within. The girl exhaled, using a finger to trace over the bags under her eyes. “How could anyone sleep after what we experienced? If I never see another disgusting spider again, it will be too soon!” she whined, taking in bated breaths before slamming the mirror shut. Using her free hand as a makeshift fan, Rarity shook her head with dismay. “Now, I have to go back into the wilderness and expose myself to more creepy crawlies? Why must I suffer so?!”

“All the more reason that we go on this trip,” Applejack declared from behind, grinning. She paused, scratching at the plethora of bandages wrapped around the crown of her cranium. A few strands of her golden hair protruded through the taping. The blonde shrugged, nodding. “We’re all wound up after what happened. A peaceful weekend in the woods sounds like the perfect therapy session to help everyone forget what happened.”

Pinkie Pie bounced in place. “It wasn’t so bad. It was like being in a swing all night!”

Arching a brow, Sunset let out a dry huff. “I’m glad you're able to walk away from it with a smile. I just wish someone else could do the same.” She trailed off, wincing once a backpack slammed into the ground mere inches away. Everyone turned to the source as Rainbow glared sharply at the bag, sorting through the items inside. A hot pink tint filled the girl’s face while she fumed, occasionally punching at the side of her backpack. Sunset simply cleared her throat, raising a finger. “Um, Rainbow Dash?”

“What?!” Rainbow blurted out, hastily zipping her bag shut. Everyone watched as she stood, hurling her backpack’s strap around her shoulder before stomping into the nearest bus. Upon finding a seat, the girl narrowed her gaze and pursed her lips. “I’m not going to let him humiliate me like that again. I have to find a way to even the scales, but how?” 

Within the circle outside of the bus, Applejack watched the girl with a knowing stare before turning back to face her friends. She waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry about her. Her ego’s just bruised. There’s just something about Spider-Man that rubs her the wrong way. She’ll get over it.” 

Twilight exhaled, mirroring Rainbow’s glare with one of her own. “She isn’t the only one! He just showed us how dangerous he was if left unchecked!” A dark glint flickered across the girl’s glasses. “Once I’m able to study his biology, I can even the scales in our favor.”

Bemused, Applejack shook her head while tapping a foot impatiently against the ground. “Have ya’ll figured that us messing with him put us in danger in the first place? In hindsight, we really should have just listened to Fluttershy.” Reaching down, the blonde managed to lift her bulky bag from the ground and stepped into the bus. “I’ll go talk to her.”

Twilight and Pinkie shared a glance, grabbing their respective items before following the others into the vehicle. Rarity readied to do the same, pausing once a thought intruded into her mind. “Hang on. Where is Fluttershy? I couldn’t imagine her missing this trip.”

Sunset pointed a thumb behind her position. “Shy said she was going to check on something.” Chuckling under her breath, the girl’s lip curled into a smile. “Knowing Shy, she just wanted to make sure her pets were taken care of. At least, all of the ones she’s not able to bring along.”

Cupping her chin into the palm of her hand, Rarity frowned. “I’m not sure. Fluttershy has been awfully secretive lately. She was already keeping to herself about a boy, and now, she won’t tell us the entire truth about what happened with that overgrown spider.” Stomping in place, Rarity whined while biting down on her lower lip. “I hate secrets! What could Fluttershy possibly have to hide?!”

Arching a brow, Sunset frowned. “Now that you mention it, Fluttershy doesn’t seem too fazed by what happened. If anything, it seems like she’s going out of her way to pretend like everything didn’t happen.” Trailing off, the girl pursed her lips. “I wonder what’s really going on?”

Meanwhile, along the other side of the courtyard, Peter sat on a bench with his arms folded. He watched students prep for their trip with a blank stare, having no feeling on the scenario. However, a hint of pink crossed his peripheral, causing the young man to inhale sharply. Fluttershy gently gestured a wave while smiling, giggling as Peter nearly fell out of his seat. He eventually straightened his posture before nodding, prompting the girl to take a seat along the spot next to him. 

“Hi, Peter,” she sweetly whispered, brushing a hand through her silky hair.

Peter struggled to clear his throat and fuzzy thoughts. “Er… hi. W-What’s up?”

Never losing her smile, Fluttershy grinned. “You look well. I just wanted to see if you were feeling better.”

Sobering, Peter managed a nod. “Yeah. Things are piecing back together, but I’m more upset that everyone thinks I'm a bad guy. Well, more than usual. Especially your friends, not that I blame them. I’m told that I was pretty rough on them.”

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Fluttershy shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’ve told them that you just weren’t yourself, and most of them understood.” She paused, glancing to the side. “Rarity’s going to take a little longer to recover. She has a deep fear of spiders, and Rainbow just isn’t used to losing. I’m afraid that this is just going to push her harder to beat you.”

Blinking, Peter stared at the girl dumbly. “Beat me? I didn’t realize that I was in a competition with someone.”

“Rainbow Dash has always been too competitive. I wouldn’t worry about it,” Fluttershy simply stated.

A content sigh escaped from the young man. “Thanks. Besides a small handful of friends, I’m not really able to talk about this sort of thing openly. It’s pretty refreshing.”

“Oh, g-good,” Fluttershy stammered momentarily. Peter watched as the girl’s face turned as pink as her hair, but she eventually recollected herself, leaning forward. “I can tell that you’re still going through a few things. I just wanted to give you something before I leave.”

Before Peter could hope to respond, Fluttershy gently pressed her lips against his cheek. Albeit brief, a sense of warmth enveloped the boy as his entire face burned to a shade of crimson. Fluttershy soon parted, nodding before placing a small piece of paper on the bench mere inches away. Brushing through the haze his mind was lost in, Peter took the slip in hand. It was gently folded, as if it was carefully prepped. He unfolded it just enough to peek at the message within, and the young man’s eyes widened upon spotting a set of numbers, his mind quickly deducing what the girl had given him.

“Um, call me,” Fluttershy whispered, nodding before turning to take her leave.

Dumbfounded, Peter sat at the bench with a sense of disbelief filling the cockles of his mind. Yet, he stole one final glance at Fluttershy before she exited the vicinity, and she seemingly did the same, sheepishly gesturing a wave. Soon, she joined with her friend, Rarity, and all doubt seemed to have left Peter’s being. In spite of the negativity he previously felt, this sense of good was more than enough to outweigh it, even if it was momentarily. 

Suddenly, a bag dropped onto the table mere inches away from Peter, causing it to shake briefly. “Okay, Parker! We have several things to go over before we head to Everfree!” Trixie loudly declared, brushing feeling back into her hands. 

The girl donned a violet sleeveless shirt and blue shorts with star-patterned high-socks, something different from her usual attire. As he snapped out of his self-induced trance, Trixie sat onto the tabletop before crossing her legs. She retrieved a letter and pen from one of the bag’s pockets, lifting her gaze momentarily. Staring intently at the boy for what seemed like an eternity, Trixie hopped from the table while arching a brow. 

She placed both hands over her hips, pursing her lips. “What’s with you? You’re grinning like an idiot.” Shrugging, the girl waved a hand dismissively. “Eh, it doesn't matter. It’s better than you acting like a sad sack all day. At any rate, this camping trip will be most wonderful for Trixie and yourself, Bumpkins. I’ve already made a list of everything we’ll be doing.”

Peter meekly raised a finger. “Trixie.”

“First, we’ll go walking through the woods,” Trixie firmly declared, ignoring the boy entirely. She pointed a thumb behind her position, where the buses were parked. “Trixie took into consideration that you’ve hardly interacted in the sun or outside in general, so she had Ditzy pack extra sunscreen and bug repellant,” She paused, huffing while bowing condescendingly, “You’re welcome, by the way. After that, we’ll have cooking class. Ditzy is looking forward to that one.”

“Trixie,” Peter stated loudly, irritation evident in his voice and body as his brow twitched.

The girl barrolled through the conversation with her gaze fixated on the list in hand, having not noticed Peter’s protests in the slightest. “The next day, we’ll go swimming in the lake. I hear the water is surprisingly clean. Can you swim? Sure you can. I’ll have to ask Aria if she can as well,” she questioned, scoffing afterward before a response could be given. The girl narrowed her gaze, tugging at Peter’s long sleeve. “Where is your bag? Why haven’t you changed? You’re going to burn up wearing those double-layers.”

Exasperated, Peter finally reached out and took hold of the girl’s wrist. “Trixie! I’m not going! Neither is Aria! Once she heard Flash and Adagio were going, she wanted nothing to do with it.” 

Slow to respond, Trixie’s mind slowly registered the boy's words, and she simply tilted her head to the side in bewilderment. “You’re not going?” she lightly questioned before a switch flipped inwardly, apparent by her narrowing glare. She snatched her hand away, poking a finger against the boy’s chest. “What do you mean you’re not going?! Trixie went out of her way to make plans, and you decide to bail out at the last second?! That’s just rude! I can’t believe you!” 

Exhaling, Peter stepped forth and glared down at the girl. “You never asked if I wanted to go in the first place! Like always, you just assume and never ask if I’m okay with going along with your stupid plans! If anything, that’s rude!”

Scoffing, Trixie placed her hands over her hips. “If my plans are so stupid, why do you go along with them?!”

Peter threw his hands up in frustration, resisting the urge to scream. “Ugh! I don’t know! I’ve been asking myself that since we’ve met!”

However, before the pair’s argument could escalate further, a ringing sound erupted from the girl’s back pocket. Trixie quickly retrieved her phone and glared at the screen, turning away from the boy briefly. “Pardon me. You’re lucky I have to take this.”

Shrugging, Peter shook his head and dryly snorted. “Yeah. Lucky me. Someone else gets to hear the banshee shriek.” 

Paying no mind to the girl’s conversation, Peter groaned as he stood in place with his pinkie finger in his ear. Even now, a simple conversation seemed to have peaked his acute hearing, and the surrounding chatter of the crowd only aggravated it further, further fueling his need to retreat into the quiet sanctums of his home. Suddenly, a high-pitched squeal escaped from Trixie, causing Peter to shiver involuntarily. He glanced at the girl, whose mood seemed to have flipped entirely, and could only furrow a brow at her wide-smile.

Trixie took her bag and tossed it into Peter’s arms before he could utter a response. “Okay, Parker. Because I’m in such a good mood, you are off the hook. It turns out that I am unable to attend Camp Everfree this year, too!”

Inhaling deeply before sighing, Peter let out a low sigh. “Yay. I get that some people, unfortunately me, have that one friend who needs to learn how to whisper, but here I thought I’d get a little peace and quiet for once.” Feigning struggle as he shook his arms and rattled his knees under the bag’s weight, the boy strained with exaggerated bated breaths. “H-Hang on. You were just eager to go on your camping trip. I’d think you’d be more upset that you had to cancel at the last minute. What happened?”

“Some things take priority, Bumpkins, and this is most important to Trixie!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands high overhead, “My father is coming to town!”

Taken aback, Peter blinked dumbly. “Oh? You never mentioned your father.”

Trixie opened her mouth, ready to respond, but she hummed, as if a realization came to mind. “You’re right. I haven’t. How careless of Trixie!” The girl cleared her throat, hopping onto the table before pointing a finger skyward! “Not only is Trixie’s father amazing, but he is the greatest showman and illusionist in all of the world! He is–!”

“--the Great and Powerful Mysterio!”

To be continued