Duty
Author's Notes: My fourth of ten Parker Family fics for marveldrabbles at LJ. For the "Broken" challenge. This takes place in the Spider-Girl 'verse, but it shouldn't be too hard for non-SG fans to follow. (I hope!)
May had always known her father had been broken. Other dads had both their legs, after all. She'd heard, too, the way his voice would break when he talked about his Uncle Ben. It wasn't until that day she realized why.
When he walked out the door to face Normie - no, the Green Goblin, now - she understood why he went.
Because he'd asked for Spider-Man. Her father for his. Spider-Man's life for another man he couldn't save. A family broken for another family broken. Because when Spider-Man didn't do his duty, people died. Lives were left broken.
As she lay in bed, she wondered if that was what had happened to her Uncle Ben. She didn't have much time to wonder, though, because the next moment she heard her mother close the door.
She ran to the attic. Opened up the case and pulled out the second costume. Uncle Ben's.
"I won't let it happen," she whispered to herself, putting the suit on. Slipping her hands into the gloves. "I won't let my parents die. I won't let anyone die."
Then, there was the finishing touch. She slid on the webshooters and webbed away.
If her father didn't do his duty, people died. But if she did her duty, people would live.