A/N: After finally seeing the third Spiderman movie, I went searching for AU stories where Peter dies at the big ending fight, but to my surprise, I couldn't find as many as I thought there would be. So, I decided to put this story up as my first attempt in the superhero comic fanfiction. I haven't read the comics, so this is a movie-based AU.
After Venom's last painful shriek, there was a suffocating silence. Harry staggered over to where Peter's corpse still hung, suspended by Venom's web. He slowly knelt down, bringing up a hand to run down the side of Peter's face. The New York chill was quickly stealing Peter's body heat, leaving only a faint trace of warmth. His eyes were glassy and lifeless, staring up at some point on the ceiling. Blood steadily ran down his costume from the two gashes in his chest. "Peter," Harry murmured. "Peter, I'm so sorry."
It was too late, though. Peter was dead, and Harry could never apologize for all the misplaced hate and anger. He choked back a sob and reached for a knife hidden away in his boot.
"Don't do it."
Harry whirled around at the voice, flat and monotonous but somehow sorrowful, knife poised to throw at the Sandman who watched him warily from the edge of the building. He lowered the knife slowly, lacking the energy to launch an attack on someone who clearly did not want to fight anymore.
"Do what?"
"Kill yourself."
Harry stared down at the knife in his hands and tried to laugh. It came out a humorless chuckle. "Don't tempt me." He should have been mad at Sandman, should have blamed him for Peter's death, but instead he turned back to Peter and grabbed a sticky strand holding one of his hand up. He ignored the Sandman's shuffling footsteps and concentrated on cutting down his friend. The strand was tougher than it looked, but Harry hacked at it, refusing to give up. The Sandman was now next to him, silently watching Harry struggle. "I never meant for it to be this way."
Harry glanced over at him. "Not many of us did." His gaze flickered over to the charred patch where Venom had melted away, then back to his self-appointed task.
Sandman turned towards Peter and reached for the strand holding his left hand up. He grabbed it in one giant sandy fist and pulled, efficiently severing it just as Harry finished his own. Together, they gently lowered Peter's body to the ground. Harry slid Peter's lifeless eyes shut and glanced outside, where a crowd was waiting silently for news of their hero.
The Sandman followed his gaze. "They have to know."
Harry nodded in agreement and stood up, scouring the area for Peter's mask. He found the half ripped mask and gently slipped it over Peter's head, then activated his own disguise. He stooped down and picked up Peter, then summoned his board. The battered but still working piece of equipment carried them both down, towards the stunned masses. He stopped at a hover, close to the police chief and said only one sentence before soaring towards the skies, Peter still clutched in slightly shaking hands.
"Spider-man is dead."
Mary Jane's sorrowful wail would echo in his dreams for years to come, just like it did through the silent crowd that could only stand in shock at the death of one they had considered invincible.
A/N: So, what do you think? Should I leave this as a oneshot, or make another chapter about Harry becoming New York's next hero? Any suggestions? Comments? Questions? Flames? Corrections? I'll take 'em all.