Chapter 1
It was a nice spring evening, and secretary of the Daily Bugle, Ms. Betty Brant was hard at work at her station. Why, oh, why did she have to be inside all day working, while everyone else was having a great spring? She looked out side and saw a bunch of kids outside swimming at the public pool a couple streets down. She also saw the beautiful birds chirping to a song that they only know. She saw a couple licking away at the same ice cream. Spring was so romantic...
"Then why are you spending all of your usual date nights alone?" She asked herself in a whisper. Ned, her boyfriend, was just too busy with his job, that's why. No, wait. Not boyfriend, FIANCE. Ned had just proposed to her... over the telephone two weeks ago, (not exactly how she dreamed of it), and she had excepted. Why, she didn't know. As she looked outside she began daydreaming once more, when her dream became a nightmare. Spiderman. He was on top of the jewelry store's rooftop, fighting Sandman, and apparently winning. Turning away from the sight she remembered her harsh words to Spiderman when he had failed to save her brother. She had just kept screaming that she hated him and pounding his chest. But, despite that, one thing puzzled her about that night. His only response was exclaiming that she couldn't mean it. Of course she had just been angry, which she explained to her boyfriend at that moment, Peter Parker. Peter. She sighed as she got back to work. How she wished it was him that had proposed to her two weeks ago...
At the end of her shift Betty was collecting her things, ready to head home for the day. Today had been too confusing for words. She was barely closing the door to her apartment when she heard something outside. She peeked out her window, and saw what she wished she hadn't. Spiderman, fighting Blackie. Oh, it had to be Blackie! Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at her brother's murderer, and at the person who failed to stop it, fighting just a few feet away from her. She tried to stop from crying, but the more she remembered, the more saddened she became. Then she heard a shot.
Betty looked up, and saw Blackie with a look of shock on his face, and with his gun pointed at her. Why was he so surprised? Then she followed his gaze and saw... Spiderman, face down on the ground. He didn't. He did not just take a bullet for her. Then she saw the blood on his head. In her mind four words were playing over and over. "Yes, yes he did." She was surprised by her own want to go out there and check if he was alright, when she saw him move his arms and begin lifting himself up. Blackie's eyes popped.
"YOU DON'T DIE!" He screamed then turned to run, but ran smack into the brick wall behind him. As Spiderman was webbing him up, his spider-sense told him someone was behind him watching. When he turned around, he came face to face with none other than Ms. Betty Brant. "Ms. Brant," he mumbled, obviously clearly remembering their last "discussion". Was it just him, or did she look like she was about to cry? No, Peter. You are reading things into this again, just stop! Betty then simply climbed out the window with difficulty, concerning she was wearing a skirt, and stood before him. There was a moment of awkward silence then she walked forward and grabbed his hand. Spiderman's eyes darted down to her hand holding his. What was she doing? Was she going to slap him or punch him? Or maybe just beat his chest like the last time? But, when she did speak it wasn't harsh words. She just whispered, "Your bleeding," and pulled him inside.