So ... the past few weeks I've been asleep on some space station, being used as some sort of organic battery, like a plot out of The Matrix. Everything I experienced was just a convenient way of keeping me sedated so that The Master's machine could feed on my psychic energy.

Well, I thought I couldn't get any worse. But I guess this entire experience really takes the cake.

[locked; hackable]
And to think ... I thought that I could lead a normal life, for once. If I had never become Spider-Man, my uncle would still be alive, Harry would still be alive, Norman would never have become the Green Goblin. Things would have been better for everyone if that stupid spider had never bitten me.

I ... wish that I could go back to that time. Or somehow find a way to rid myself of these powers ...

Oh man, coffee with MJ went really well yesterday. I don't think she really knows that I like her (she's still dating the captain of the football team, Flash Tompson) but she definitely enjoyed talking to me!

I just wish I could work up the nerve to tell her how I really feel. But I'm just the geeky kid next door, and Flash ... well, you know. A girl like her goes for guys like him. Handsome, athletic, popular ... has his own car.

Speaking of which, I plan on earning some cash to buy myself a car. Uncle Ben offered to pay for half of it if I can scrape enough money together to pay for the other half (and afford insurance). I hear that the Daily Bugle is hiring freelance photographers. Maybe I can get a part-time job with them?

Well, the field trip was ... pretty exciting. I almost got bitten by one of those genetically altered spiders that escaped from the lab. Can you believe it?! If it weren't for MJ squishing the little bugger, I'd probably be covered in hives and going into convulsions! I mean, who knows how powerful its venom could be? She really saved my bacon back there. And ... I even offered to take her out for some coffee. And she accepted! How cool is that?

Well, I gotta help Uncle Ben paint the kitchen today. I promised him I'd do it before I went out with my friends, so I gotta make good on my word.

((Yup, still thralled. How will Peter's life change now that he's not Spider-Man anymore?!))

Summer is finally here! Feels like forever and a day since summer was here! I think I'll ask Harry and MJ to come with me to the beach. Better bring lots of sunscreen; wouldn't wanna get burned. I can't believe that Harry and I are going to be attending the same university once we graduate. Looks like he'll be needing some extra tutoring this semester ... again. I really don't know what he'd do without me. Mr. Osborn has even offered to pay me, but I mean, I can't accept his money. Harry's my friend! Besides, I know he'd do the same for me.

We're supposed to be going on this field trip to the biogentetics lab at Empire State University today. They've been experimenting on spiders. It sounds pretty interesting. I'm going to take some pictures for our school newspaper. Hope things go well!

((OOC: Peter is now a thrall and posting from an alternate reality where he never became Spider-Man. This takes place right before he is supposed to be bitten by that spider. For those of you who know about his secret identity and/or the movies, feel free to point out any discrepancies and pretty much WTF at him in this and all future posts.))

Well, finals are over, and I've decided to take the summer off, give myself a well-deserved break from all the stress caused by grades and tests and such.

Oh yeah, it seems that Connors finally got that grant awarded to him! But he's spending the summer in Florida to participate in some special research projects, so that means I'm out of a job at the Biology Lab. At least for the time being. But that's okay. I saved up a nice bundle photographing Jordan and Eva's wedding (the photos have finished developing, by the way!) and it sounds like I might have two more jobs lined up. I guess spring really is the best time to get married.

Ah, geez. I still don't even have a quarter of the amount I'd need for a nice wedding. And I haven't even thought about proposing to MJ again after that ... unpleasantness from before. I mean, I want to propose: I just want it to be perfect this time.

They're dead. Scorpion--I mean Gargan. He's dead, along with Stillwell. Buried under hundreds of tons of rubble and debris. The explosion caused half of Lower Manhattan to experience a blackout. Never would have thought Stillwell would have had an underground laboratory hooked up to the power grid ...

The serum worked like a charm. Disabled the nanomachines which turned out to be controlling Gargan's mind. After that, he stopped focusing on Spider-Man and sought out Stillwell, hoping that he could be turned back to normal. But the transformation was irreversible. He could never go back to his normal life. And in his rage, he attacked Stillwell, wanting to take his revenge on the man who stole his life.

Spider-Man tried to stop him, but ... it was too late. Gargan was too consumed by rage. In that moment, he truly became the monster he so despised.

It's not fair! He was an innocent man, why did something like this have to happen? Why is it that Spider-Man couldn't save him? Why? I mean, he's a hero, right? It just doesn't make any sense ...

Dammit, I've got to get back to work. Exams are coming up and I need to study.

So apparently Spider-Man had another "altercation" with Scorpion. This time over my boss at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson. I mean, how ironic is it that the one guy who hates Spidey more than anyone else should be rescued from the Scorpion's clutches by the Webhead himself? I mean, I dunno ... if it had been someone else, I'm not sure if they'd have saved him. Guess that's why Spidey is such a great hero: he saves people even if he doesn't like him.

But wait, things get even worse. Spider-Man informed me that the reason Gargan was after Jameson was because he was the one that was responsible for turning him into a monster. And now he wants to change back!

My God. I just ... I just can't believe that Jameson would stoop so low. I mean, sure the guy hates Spider-Man (hell if I know why) but to genetically engineer some "Spider Slayer" to take him out ... that's just inhuman. I mean, he's ruined this poor guy's life! Probably permanently, if what Connors says is true.

Scorpion--I mean Gargan ... he needs help. Jameson spilled his guts and mentioned a genetic engineer by the name of Stillwell. That's who he paid to turn Gargan into his personal Spider-Man assassin.

Guess that means I need to find out who this guy is and where he's set up his base of operations. If anyone can help Gargan, he can. Course, I'm sure he's going to need some convincing. Good thing Spider-Man is around to help me out.

Oh my God ... Mac Gargan, he ... that fat, balding middle-aged guy has become ...

Jesus, who would do such a thing? I ... my God. He's become a monster. And now he's got some vendetta against Spider-Man. It's insane. I mean, why? Why would someone do this? Go through all the trouble to turn this poor schmuck into a monster, just to assassinate Spider-Man?

And that tail ... it looks too much like Dr. Octavius' design for the "smart arms" to be purely coincidence. Someone must have stolen Octavius' technology and has put it to new use. This is terrible.

And why did Jameson look so ... so scared when I showed him these new pics?

( Images not cut ICly )

I mean, the guy is usually so eager for gruesome and violent battles between Spidey and whatever freak shows up to beat the crap out of him.

This is bad. I have to get to the bottom of this and find out what happened to Gargan. Maybe there's still hope for him, a way to reverse the effects of this genetic mutation like what I did with Dr. Connors.

((Strikes not hackable.))

( Tarot Quiz )

... God damn it.

This is why I don't usually do these memes.

[Locked, Hackable]
Like I don't have enough death to deal with in my life. Yeah, transformations. Nice. That's all I need right now. To turn into a giant mutant spider or something. Wouldn't that just be hilarious? With my luck, I honestly wouldn't be surprised.

Right. So it seems that ol' JJ decided to hire a private investigator to follow me around to see if he can figure out if I know Spider-Man's secret identity. Yeah, sure. Like me and the webhead like to hang out at the local Starbucks and talk about our girlfriend troubles.

That Mac Gargan is a real flake. I bet the only reason Jameson hired him was because his rates were so cheap. The tightwad. At least he got his money's worth. That guy couldn't trail a blind man without being noticed.

I gave him a piece of my mind. He shouldn't be bothering me anymore.