Nope. Couldn't even think of a joke. That's how bad things had gotten.
A decade ago, his parents. A year ago, Uncle Ben. And in about an hour, Gwen too.
One joke. Just a pun, anything. There's a blonde in distress needing to be saved from a nutjob in a goblin suit and all you can give me is motherhugging tears?
Peter hadn't even taken his mask off. He'd somehow gotten back to his room and was kneeling absent on his floor where his body hurt the least. He dared not move in case he yelled out and woke Aunt May, so there was nothing to distract him from how he'd gotten Gwen killed.
He'd PROMISED her father that he'd stay away from her. And like the child he was, he'd played with the forbidden toy. There was no-one else to blame.
It took him a moment to realise that his phone was ringing. His cartridges were dry, so he had to bite his lip to stand and reach for the vibrating object on his desk. He didn't check the caller ID or speak as he answered, but it turned out he didn't have to.
"Peter." The voice was strained and panting. "This is Captain Stacy. I'm calling you from one year ago. You've just gone after Connors to his machine and I'm recording this to be sent to you one year from today. You're not the only one who can make machines-"
His words were cut off by a fit of painful coughing. Peter was to weak emotionally and physically to register any surprise. He just listened numbly as the Captain went on.
"You're about to stop Connors, I know that. You're a cocky little shit Parker, but I didn't get to be a Captain in as dangerous a town as this without learning to recognise who the heroes are. So when you get back, I'm going to tell you to stay away from Gwen."
Tears came again, but the voice kept talking.
"And I know you're going to. For a while. Because I also know what it's like to be your age and to like a girl. I know that if I tell you not to go near her, you're gonna fall in love with her. Not just cos you're a teenager, but because she's my daughter and she's amazing."
Peter couldn't help laughing. Urls was the closest thing he had to a joke to hold onto.
"So, you're gonna break your that's good. Because I really do want her safe. And if she has you, a superhero who's a hero too, who'll do anything to protect her, that's the safest place she'll ever be."
And the message stopped there. That must have been when Peter had run up to him before he died.
The phone was toning, so he hung up. And he found he could stay standing now without pain.
He could save her. Not just that it was possible now, but he was ALLOWED to. They were Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, of COURSE they were going to be together forever.
Peter hurried back to the window, grabbing replacement web cartridges, not letting the aches of his body have their say. It was time to be the hero again.
A decade ago, his parents. A year ago, Uncle Ben. And in about an hour, Gwen too.
One joke. Just a pun, anything. There's a blonde in distress needing to be saved from a nutjob in a goblin suit and all you can give me is motherhugging tears?
Peter hadn't even taken his mask off. He'd somehow gotten back to his room and was kneeling absent on his floor where his body hurt the least. He dared not move in case he yelled out and woke Aunt May, so there was nothing to distract him from how he'd gotten Gwen killed.
He'd PROMISED her father that he'd stay away from her. And like the child he was, he'd played with the forbidden toy. There was no-one else to blame.
It took him a moment to realise that his phone was ringing. His cartridges were dry, so he had to bite his lip to stand and reach for the vibrating object on his desk. He didn't check the caller ID or speak as he answered, but it turned out he didn't have to.
"Peter." The voice was strained and panting. "This is Captain Stacy. I'm calling you from one year ago. You've just gone after Connors to his machine and I'm recording this to be sent to you one year from today. You're not the only one who can make machines-"
His words were cut off by a fit of painful coughing. Peter was to weak emotionally and physically to register any surprise. He just listened numbly as the Captain went on.
"You're about to stop Connors, I know that. You're a cocky little shit Parker, but I didn't get to be a Captain in as dangerous a town as this without learning to recognise who the heroes are. So when you get back, I'm going to tell you to stay away from Gwen."
Tears came again, but the voice kept talking.
"And I know you're going to. For a while. Because I also know what it's like to be your age and to like a girl. I know that if I tell you not to go near her, you're gonna fall in love with her. Not just cos you're a teenager, but because she's my daughter and she's amazing."
Peter couldn't help laughing. Urls was the closest thing he had to a joke to hold onto.
"So, you're gonna break your that's good. Because I really do want her safe. And if she has you, a superhero who's a hero too, who'll do anything to protect her, that's the safest place she'll ever be."
And the message stopped there. That must have been when Peter had run up to him before he died.
The phone was toning, so he hung up. And he found he could stay standing now without pain.
He could save her. Not just that it was possible now, but he was ALLOWED to. They were Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, of COURSE they were going to be together forever.
Peter hurried back to the window, grabbing replacement web cartridges, not letting the aches of his body have their say. It was time to be the hero again.