AN: This is set pretty much at the end of the film Amazing Spiderman.
Years After The Myth
Peter Parker sat on the edge of a roof, watching from a distance as Captain Stacy's body was brought out. He wanted to leave, go home to his Aunt May, to Gwen, but a certain morbid fascination wouldn't let him go. He sighed, wondering if he could feel much worse. It was all his fault.
"You ever heard the tale of Arachne?"
He whirled, pulling at the tattered remains of his mask to hide his face as best he could. Behind him, watching curiously, was a blonde girl about his own age, twisting a New York Yankees cap in her hand. "How did you get up here?!" Peter squeaked. 'Especially without me knowing!'
The girl looked blank. "I climbed," she replied. "But Arachne? You know that one?"
"Uh, no?"
"She was a weaver," the girl explained. "A mortal and she said that she was the best ever. And this irritated Athena, goddess of war, wisdom and the gentle crafts. So she challenged Arachne to a contest. Athena produced this magnificent piece showing the triumphs of the gods. And Arachne's was of the loves and transgressions of the gods. And they were both flawless, but Arachne's was more perfect, despite the subject matter. So Athena turned her into a spider, to weave forever more."
Peter stared at her; the strange girl who'd got so close without alerting his spider-senses, and babbled about gods and weaving. "Um, right. That's lovely," he said, trying not to sound like he thought she was crazy.
"You did good," she told him, surprisingly bluntly.
He sighed. "Not really, I suppose. Nowhere near good enough."
"It's not your fault. You couldn't save him. It's the way things are." Suddenly, she seemed much older, more experienced, wise.
"I started it," Peter whispered, the stark admission escaping involuntarily.
"Did you mean to?" the girl asked, shrugging.
"No, but I did. I thought I was helping…" Peter closed his eyes as a tear threatened to leak out.
"That's the way things go," the girl said gently. "You don't mean it, but it happens anyway."
He sighed deeply. "I guess."
The girl smiled, shyly. "I don't usually like spiders, but you're alright," she told him. "Maybe Mom's curse was a blessing in disguise."
The girl put her hat on, and vanished.
Peter stared where she had been for a few long minutes. Then he turned, and set off back home. Maybe he hadn't done so bad after all.
AN2: It's been some time since I first published his, and I have been asked multiple times to continue it. I have no plans in that direction, although that may change (but not for a while). If you think you can write a continuation, just drop me a message.