Spider-Pip: Origins

by ZombieBrony22

Breakdown

Another attempted software update... another failure.

A few days had passed since Cinch was arrested and another CEO of Oscorp was still nowhere to be found. A few other scientists, including myself, were trying to fix the neural linking device from interfering with basic brain function, but all it did was lower the other symptoms nowhere near the source of the problem.

“I just don’t understand how this whole thing truly works... it’s meant to communicate with the user’s brain waves, not break through them...” One of the few scientists admired.

“I don’t know either... Twilight was the mastermind behind all this—maybe I can go see if she can help in any way.” I offered, wanting to talk to her, anyway.

Another one of the scientists turned to me, ready to add his input.

“With all this time we’ve devoted to this thing... I’m starting to think that the link isn’t the problem... maybe it’s the mental state of the user.” He suggested.

I stayed silent, unable to respond.

“I know it’s hard to hear... but maybe Twilight’s just too unstable. Or maybe she just needs help—therapy, medical aid... maybe it’s that easy, maybe not. You can go talk to her, we’ll see if my hypothesis is wrong.” He said, going back to the several computers wired to the small yellow device...

I headed out the door, shutting it behind me as I almost bumped into one of Oscorp’s board members.

“Oh! Sorry about that—I have a strange habit of bumping into people...” I recalled.

The board member looked up at me, chuckling while wiping his lab coat clean.

“Oh, it’s fine—I was praying you weren’t Cinch, until I remembered what happened...” He said, his nametag visible to me, reading out ‘Norman Osborn’.

“I assume you’re Norman Osborn?” I asked, holding out my hand.

Norman shook my hand, with a small, prideful smile on his face.

“That’s me, and I assume you’re the infamous Pip.” He said.

I chuckled, nodding while I did so.

“I guess I am.”

Norman's smile soon faded, and I knew what he was going to talk about.

“I remember all the times Cinch had those meltdowns of hers... she was clearly unfit to raise a daughter, let alone run a company.” He said, looking down at the floor.

“Yeah... now it’s about trying to make sure Twilight doesn’t wind up the same way.” I said, leaving to go after her.

---

Twilight was being kept in a local hospital, her doctors leaving her room with looks of awe and bewilderment as I entered the waiting room.

“Excuse me, Mr. Pip!” One of the doctors called out to me.

I turned to them, ready to hear what they had to say.

“I take it you’re here to talk to Twilight?” He asked me.

I nodded and the doctor then set his hand on my shoulder and led me along, faster than normal.

“So, this device that activated those mechanical arms? They are seeming to have other effects on the brain—more medical effects.”

My heart dropped as I realized that our attempt to help her may have just made her worse...

“What kind of effects?” I asked, seeing her room number, only to be pulled into an adjacent room.

The doctors then went through a filing cabinet, pulling out Twilight’s file record.

“Normally, we wouldn’t share this with you, but since you’re the only other guardian aside from Shining Armor... three weeks ago, Twilight was here on a check-up with her neurologist, and these were her brain scan results.” The doctor set the paper on the table, and it matched what came up when I searched for bi-polar symptoms.

“Okay... so what are they like, now?” I asked.

The doctor then pulled out another file, setting it next to the other, that one dated today.

“Her brain waves are completely normal... Twilight Sparkle is medically cured of her bi-polar disorder.”

Her words hit me like a drum—our invention that was meant to be used for labor just fixed Twilight’s brain...

“C-can I speak to her, please? I want to get some information on how the device we used works, she’s the one who invented it.” I said, almost ignoring what we just discovered.

“Of course, you know her number, already.” The second doctor told me.

I did, and I left to find the room door with Shining close behind me.

“So, you heard the news?” He asked me.

“About Twilight being cured? Yeah, I heard... but now I’m worried about her trauma—she saw me get thrown out a bloody window.” I reminded him.

“Yes, but that gizmo of yours has potential... and I’m not just talking about the neural... linking... thing.” Shining said, unsure what to call it.

“Yeah-- we gotta make a name for it, but later.” I said, opening the door to see Twilight lying in bed, looking up at the ceiling.

She turned to us once the door opened and shut, and she began getting tearful once she saw me.

“I... thought you were...”

I didn’t hesitate to run over and hug her—or as much as I could, since she was in the medical bed.

“I know, Twi... I know.” I said, kissing her cheek as I pulled away.

Shining took a seat, Twilight turning to him.

“How’ve you been, Twily?” He asked.

Twilight chuckled—a sound I wasn’t used to hearing.

“Not too good... how about you?” She asked him.

Shining didn’t respond as he sighed and leaned in.

“Dad’s on his way—he's been talking to Cinch about becoming your legal guardian...” He said.

I turned to Twilight, who simply leaned back.

“Now? He had all this time and he chooses now to talk to me, after I almost killed my mother when she threw my boyfriend out a window?” She asked, with a slight anger in her tone.

My heart skipped a beat when she said that word—I knew that I had to be there for her, now more than ever... but all that did was verify my idea that I wasn’t going anywhere, not that I had any complaints.

Shining sighed again.

“I know it looks bad, Twily, but he didn’t stand a chance against Cinch. But now that she’s gone, he wants to take you in again. Come home with us, Twilight—you'll love Velvet, she’s itching to meet her step-daughter.” Shining said, rubbing his hair at the last part.

Twilight didn’t respond, at least not emotionally...

“All I want right now is my creation back... then we’ll talk. Speaking of which, how is it coming along, Pip?” She asked, turning to me, almost no emotion in her voice or even on her face...

I leaned forward, slightly unnerved from Twilight’s suddenly calm stature.

“We’re starting to believe that the neural link isn’t the problem... maybe, it was... your brain that messed with it.” I offered, my words hurting myself.

Twilight gasped softly, but then went neutral.

“That... makes sense—the doctors told me that my brain waves are coming up as normal, now... perhaps it was the link that both fixed my brain and gave me that high emotional outburst.” Twilight said, recalling the events of the days prior.

I chuckled, knowing what she was referring to...

“Shining, can you give us the room for a minute, please?” I asked him.

Shining hesitantly nodded and went outside, where someone outside set their hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, Cady...” He said as the door shut.

I turned to Twilight, who was somewhat wide-eyed.

“What is it?” I asked her.

“Cady was my babysitter, when our parents were still together... hmm.” She hummed, turning back to me.

We stayed silent, the suspense killing me. After a moment, I moved my chair closer and took Twilight’s hand.

“What would’ve happened if Cinch didn’t bombard that room?” I asked her.

Twilight looked at me and chuckled, turning over to me and looking me in the eyes.

“I think you know what would’ve happened.” She said, smiling.

I smiled back, my face feeling hot as I pulled her in for a quick kiss. Once we pulled away, Twilight set her hand on the back of my head and pulled me back in, ignoring the fact that we were probably on camera.

“Pip... I know about Rarity.” She said once we pulled away.

The giddy feeling that I felt from kissing her faded as well as my face cooling as I looked back at her.

“I was a student at CHS a while back... I was there long enough to see the Rainbooms, and hear rumors about Rarity’s new boy-toy... a small, weak British boy with a brown birthmark over his eye... and the son of the principal—perfect for blackmail.” She took her hand and caressed my birth mark, wiping a shameful tear away as she did.

“You knew? All this time, and you never said anything?” I asked her.

Twilight sighed and rolled back, facing the ceiling again.

“What was it like? Being hers?” She asked.

I looked up at her before I looked away, twitching slightly in my seat.

“It was, uh... educational, to say the least. Needless to say, I can proudly say that I’m not into whatever she was into.” I laughed.

Twilight laughed along slightly, seemingly not done with her point.

“How about with Sunset? And Rainbow Dash? They all had roles to play, right? Just not sexual?” She asked.

I let out a short chuckle and looked up at her again.

“Yeah, they did—you don’t just learn how to fight or free-run from the internet.” I laughed.

Twilight chuckled along, our conversation ending by two people entering—Shining and who I assumed was ‘Cady’.

“Hey, kiddo.” ‘Cady’ said, taking a seat.

Twilight seemed to get emotional, turning to her.

“Hey, Cadence.” She tearfully said.

Shining sat next to her, a small smile on his face.

“I can’t imagine what living with Cinch was like... but Dad wants to start things over again. He lives in the Canterot District, so you two will see each other...” Shining listed many benefits that I’d listen to, but Twilight seemed somewhat interested.

“You don’t have to be what she made you, Twilight... that’s over now.” Cadence said, leaning in.

Twilight clearly didn’t like that remark, and her grip on my hand tightening was all I needed to prove that.

“What she made me? We made those arms—I made those arms... from scratch! I fixed myself-- I proved my mother wrong... we can change—become greater than what we are...” She started.

Shining glanced at me, who was still holding Twilight’s hand when she pulled it away from me and turned to her brother.

“...and you’re giving me a chance to settle? I don’t want to stop now—I can’t stop now. I don’t want your help, and I don’t want reminders of what life was like before Mom and Dad split up. All I want right now... is my creation, and a lab to improve it in.”

---

Back at Oscorp, I was helping one of the scientists load the arms up for Twilight—she was to leave the hospital later tonight.

“We bought out an abandoned warehouse a few miles from here—it was intact and structurally sound, and our boys are already on their way to set up a basic laboratory.”

Part of me was against the idea of Twilight keeping the arms, but then again, everyone needs a hobby... and I was about to have one of my own, a shopping bag containing a long-sleeved white shirt in my moped and more of my web-fluid, along with the schematics for them, in my pack.

“I’m sure she’ll love it. And don’t worry, I’m absolutely certain that Twilight will be fine... just give her a little time.” The scientist picked up the neural link and as we went to pack it...

It detonated, causing a small gasp from the scientist whose hand was starting to bleed.

“Jesus!” The scientist shouted out, holding his hand.

I ran over and analyzed the link, only to see that it wasn’t the link at all... it was a dud.

“It’s a fake...” I said as I heard mechanical whirring behind me.

I turned to see that the arms have come to life, smacking a scientist to the wall with one swipe, and beginning to walk with the other two, leaving fine imprints in the ground. I instantly put on my...

Web... shooters? Yeah—web shooters.

I shot a web out and pulled on my arm, pulling me to the wall where I dug into my backpack and put on my mask—it immediately located the arms scaling the hospital building and I shot a web at a nearby water tower...

And I froze, realizing what I was about to do... I never truly tested the strength of this webbing, so for all I knew, it could snap as soon as I was in the air...

I looked down and saw that cops were already at the scene, shining lights on the arms... I looked down for a moment and almost fainted, but I clenched the webbing I shot out and backed up, ready for a leap. I ran until I was at the ledge, and I jumped, my heart stopping as I fell, and suddenly stopped and began swinging forward, slowly building up momentum.

I saw a light shine on me which I ignored, realizing that the arms were closing in on Twilight’s room... prompting me to release the web, now soaring in the air, and shooting a web at the building, pulling in and landing on the wall. I shot two webs up and backed away, ready to take the arms by surprise—but as I zipped upwards, one arm turned to me and opened its claws, grabbing me and tossing me into the window, where I turned and saw a very familiar... pink fanatic.

“Spiders! Spiders bad!” Pinkamena screamed out as I leapt out the window and webbed the claw that grabbed me, hoping it’d pull me up trying to take the webbing off.

However, it gently carried me to the window where the arms had stopped and I looked in to see Twilight, off of her bed and wearing her lab coat.

“I’m sorry, Pip... but you wouldn’t understand.” Twilight made a gesture with her fingertip and the arms threw me through the glass window, sharp burns on my arms and legs from shards of glass.

I tried to get up, but the blood spilling out of me somehow caused me to slip, where Twilight was reunited with her mechanical arms from Twilight backing into them and the chest harness tightening around her.

“Stay out of our way, Pip!” Twilight said as she scaled the building, causing me to run against the shattered glass, looking up hopelessly as Twilight reached the roof and jumped into the night.

---

I had enough.

By the time the sun came up, I had quit Oscorp and made it to the bus, nothing being left from Twilight’s breakdown the week prior. I was on the bus back home when I looked down at my phone and saw that Pinkamena was soon to be released from the psychiatric ward she was staying following an accident that put her in that hospital last night. I sighed and looked through my contacts, seeing that Rarity was still on my favorites tab...

I almost called her... my thumb was hovering over the call button for a reason that I still couldn’t fathom. Everything I just went through, trying to help Twilight and the whole ‘spider-bite’ crisis... just to give it all up and go back to being a boy-toy?

Screw that.

I looked into my bag to see the mask looking back at me, almost like it was calling to me.

And I answered it swiftly, deleting Rarity’s number and pocketing my phone.

I then turned my attention out the window to see the city skyline begin to leave my view and the small suburbs outside the city enter it, like the darkness and the horror of the city switching for the craziness and the small-time of the small towns... save for CHS, that was a whole other ball-game, with super-powered bullies and drama that was almost like a soap opera... that was my home, it is my home.

And I’m going to defend it.

The bus came to a stop and I got off to see my mother on the stop, backed away and looking down at the floor...

I knew almost instantly that something was wrong. I left the bus along with the other passengers and I approached my mother, expecting ‘Tavi to come back from the bathroom, or say that she had to walk...

But no. I came up and saw my mother in tears.

“Mum? What’s wrong?” I asked her.

She didn’t say a word—I then looked around to see if Octavia was close by, but she wasn’t anywhere to be seen...

“Where’s ‘Tavi? She stopped callin’ me a few days ago...” I said, starting to fear the worst.

She looked up at me and held me in a death-hug, something that caught me off-guard.

“Pip... something happened.” She silently sobbed, unable to say anything else.

---

From one hospital for a loved one to another hospital for another loved one...

“Witnesses say that she just passed out... but further research has found that she has very little brain activity. Doctors almost declared brain-death if it weren’t for the fact that her brain responded when Ms. Luna informed her. We’ve never seen this before, it’s almost as if she’s a prisoner of her own body...” The doctor marveled as he stood with a clipboard.

My fists clenched as the potential witnesses began piling up in my head—did Twilight do this? Did she break out just to hunt her down and use that brain-device on her? No—Twilight wouldn’t...

But I knew someone who would, and had the means to do so.

The doctor nodded to my mother and he left the room, causing her to walk over to me.

“Do you have any proof that Sunset did this? Even if it’s just words, anything at all?” She asked me, desperate to do something, but restrained due to the lack of evidence.

I shook my head, my anger getting to me.

“I swear... the second that I find proof, that... that snivelling, blackmailing bitch and her little friends are out—straight to Captain Armor to deal with as his jurisdiction allows...” She whispered.

I sighed and turned to her.

“Mom, I can’t help you with evidence, but I can help you...” I said, ready to tell her about that spider bite.

She looked up to me, and I sat back up, unable to look at Octavia’s condition for another minute.

“Remember when we went to Oscorp for that shadowing trip? Well, I was at an exhibit for a DNA splicing project with spiders... one of them broke out, and... bit me.” I said, showing my hand.

Mom’s eyes widened and she was obviously about to scold me for not informing her, but then I put up my hands.

“If it was gonna kill me, it’d be in effect by the time we got back to the car.” I defended myself.

“Well, still—you can’t just hide something like this from me! What if you got sick, or--”

She stopped when she saw Octavia move, and I turned to see her blink and go back to being blank...

“It’s like she’s fighting it... ‘Tavi, can you hear me?” I asked her, setting my hand on hers.

She didn’t respond, save for her eyes closing, so I sighed and turned back to Mom.

“Yeah... I kept it from you. Because a day later, I’m tall, my body’s in shape, my reflexes are lightning fast, I can... sense my environment—like how many people are in a room, what’s happening where... and I can crawl on walls.” I told her.

If that didn’t prove my case, me jumping and sticking to the ceiling when we got home did the trick—and also caused her to pour hot coffee all over the kitchen floor...

“Okay-- so, you have these... powers. I’ve also heard rumors about the Sunset’s friends having abilities, is this true, as well?” She asked.

I instantly looked at the floor and nodded.

“Every one of them—save for Pinkamena, who’s just insane on her own.” I said, recalling all of the terror she caused.

She clearly didn’t handle that well—she took a seat by the door and I took one as well.

“So... allow me to grasp the weight of the situation: You, my son, can climb walls, ‘sense’ your environment, and have high reflexes, and the six students who made my school a living hell for students and faculty for the last three years and gotten away with it due to no paper trail and connections in local government also have abilities?” She asked, visibly unable to process what she was saying.

I nodded and she simply rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“I leave you at Oscorp for three months, three months... Come on—Octavia needs rest and now so do I...” She sighed.

And like that... my story ends. At least the origins of it...

Now we can move forward to how it develops...

Author's Note:

Hello, readers! Here to make a quick announcement that along with these chapters will often be quick "sketches" of characters, mostly consisting of bases made by the incredibly talented SelenaEde. For today, this is Sombra as the infamous Kingpin, somewhat inspired by Netflix's Daredevil (#SaveDaredevil)